By Ebenezer Adurokiya, Reporting
THE Chairman and Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), has revealed that senior military figures once pressured him to prevent the emergence of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Governor of Lagos State in the 1999 election.
Marwa made the disclosure on Saturday, 29th November 2025, while delivering the keynote address during the public presentation of Buni Boy, a book written by the late legal luminary Niyi Ayoola-Daniels, in Abuja.
According to him, although the then Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, did not interfere in the election, the military hierarchy did.
“After seeing Senator Bola Tinubu’s strong campaign and popularity, the military hierarchy instructed me to prevent him from emerging governor because of his pro-democracy activism in NADECO against the military government then,” Marwa stated. “But I chose to conduct a free and fair election that produced the most popular candidate as governor of Lagos State. The rest is history.”
He explained that his decision was influenced by the overwhelming support and goodwill he received from Lagosians during his tenure as Military Administrator, despite their disagreements with the federal government at the time.
Marwa then broadened his message to a national theme, urging Nigerians to recognise that the nation’s diversity remains a blessing and a trust that must be preserved. He noted that Buni Boy—the book being unveiled—captures values of unity, justice and shared identity that Nigeria must not lose.
Reflecting on his upbringing and decades of military service, he said the Nigeria of his youth embraced its diversity, even during turbulent periods such as the civil war.
“My friends come from every corner of the country. I have worked with people of every ethnicity. Wherever I stand, among Ogoni, Bachama, Igbo or Idoma, I am at home,” he said.
Marwa recalled his formative years at the Nigeria Military School, Zaria, where pupils and teachers came from all ethnic groups across the country, making it a true reflection of national unity.
He stressed that although Nigeria faces challenges arising from years of poorly managed diversity, these are not reasons to consider division.
“Our challenges should instead push us to repair fault lines and pursue greater inclusion,” he said.
On the book, he praised the late Ayoola-Daniels for leaving behind a legacy of integrity and resilience, and commended his widow, Mrs Leticia Ayoola-Daniels, for preserving his memory through the Buni Yadi Foundation.
Marwa said the story resonated deeply with him not only because he once served as Military Governor of the old Borno State, where Buni Yadi was located, but also because the judge at the heart of the book’s narrative embodied the very spirit of justice and unity that Nigeria needs today.
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