Professor John Paden, President Muhammadu Buhari's official biographer, is a man that is very comfortable with distorting the truth and telling lies. He is also a man that has been doing so for virtually all his adult life.

Anyone that doubts that should read his biography on the late Sir Ahmadu Bello, which was written in 1986 and titled "Ahmadu Bello, Saurdana of Sokoto: Values and Leadership In Nigeria", and which is essentially a self-serving and comprehensive compilation of Bello's numerous virtues with little or no mention of his many vices.

I read that book twenty years ago and I placed it in the "light enterainment" shelf in my library because it lacked gravitas or any real intellectual stamina.
It was, at best, a beautiful public relations job for Bello and, at worse, a compilation of disjointed verbiage fit only for the dustbin.

Paden's book on Buhari falls into the same category. It is nothing but an illusion: an extraordinary and fantastic fairy-tale built on a shady foundation of pseudo-intellectual clap-trap and garbage.

To him, President Buhari is infallible. He is, at best, an angel of light and, at worst, a perfect mortal with no warts.

Paden's latest contribution is the greatest exercise in dishonesty and historical revisionism that has ever been undertaken by any foreign or Nigerian historian since independence.

The only one that comes close to it in this respect is the book that he wrote on the Saurdana and a number of other books that he authored over the years which were primarily about core northern Nigeria. Writing rubbish seems to be Paden's stock in trade.
In his latest book, amongst many other glaring and shameless mendacities, he indulged in two particular lies that are an eloquent testimony to his perfidy.
The first was that three names were sent to President Muhammadu Buhari for the position of Vice President, namely Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Yemi Osibanjo and Babatunde Raji Fashola in 2014 for the 2015 presidential election.

This is false and it is simply an attempt to demean and belittle Tinubu and the role that he played in the whole exercise.

The truth is that it was Tinubu and Tinubu alone that forwarded the only name that was given serious consideration for the Vice Presidential slot by President Buhari. That name was Professor Yemi Osibanjo.

Senator Olorunimbe Mamora was also considered by Buhari but he did not have the backing of Tinubu and neither did Tinubu forward his name.

The idea that Tinubu's name was forwarded to be Vice President alongside that of his two protegees in the persons of Osinbajo and Fashola is nothing but fantasy and it was a beautiful and tasteful dish and tale that was spiced, cooked up and prepared in the kitchens of Aso Rock.

Again Tinubu never pressured Buhari to make him his Vice President as Paden has asserted because he had decided to drop that ambition long before then simply because the idea of a Muslim/Muslim ticket, which was originally on the cards, had eventually been jettisoned and rejected by the party due to public presssure and the division and outrage it attracted.
If the Muslim/Muslim ticket had not been rejected Tinubu would have been the Vice Presidential candidate of the APC and no-one else, including his erstwhile protegee Babatunde Fashola, would have had a hope in hell of getting it.

This is especially so given the fact that Buhari had originally promised him that position at the time that their parties merged and the APC was established but he later reneged. That is the bitter truth.

Paden was either misinformed by those who commissioned him to write the book or he was being propelled by an ulterior and malevolent motive for writing the rubbish that he did on the Vice Presidential issue.
Whichever way he was completly wrong and for the sake of history and posterity we must set the record straight.

The second lie that he told, which was infinately more dangerous and repugnant than the first, was that President Buhari has documents which are signed by President Jonathan which prove that the latter sought for what he described as "extra-budgetary funds".
This is a pernicious lie. It has no basis in rationality, reason or truth. There is absolutely no evidence to substantiate it and I challenge Paten or President Buhari himself to make those letters and signed applications for "extra budgetry funds" public.
The whole thing is simply an attempt to further tarnish and demonise Jonathan and all those that served under him before the world and I believe that that is a crying shame.

I can understand such lies coming from a Presidency or a Federal Government that is scared of its own shadows and that feeds off its own propaganda but I cannot accept them coming from a supposedly reputable historian, albeit a foreigner, who has become the official writer and cheerleader of all things caliphate over the last 30 years.

Amongst many other things he also suggested that other senior figures in the political and military configuration in our country committed serious crimes and indulged in damning acts of corruption without being specific or even providing details of those acts.

Instead of doing so he suggested that the individuals concerned, which included President Olusegun Obasanjo, would have been prosecuted, brought to justice and called to account for their allegedly dastardly acts whilst in governnent if not for the fact that this could have had implications for the stability of the nation and national security.

Obasanjo, who is always quick off the mark and who was actually present at the launching of the book in Abuja as was Tinubu, responded in a measured manner by saying that there were "some insinuations" in it which he disagreed with.

Frankly that was a cop out. Obasanjo was being far too polite and this was probably due to the fact that he had not read the whole book as ay that time and he did not want to dampen the enthuisiasm of the biographer, upset the President or ruin the occassion.
The addage is that you do not go to someone's dinner party and spoil it by confronting his lies, challenging his allegations and speaking the bitter truth.

Yet I believe that though Obasanjo touched on the matter he did not go far enough. I believe that it is incumbent upon all those that were maligned and alleged to have indulged in acts of corruption by Paden to set the record straight and state their case.
It would be very dangerous for all those that have been misrepresented in this so-called book, including President Goodluck Jonathan, President Olusegun Obasanjo and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to keep quiet and not clarify the issues about what was written or insinuated about them because many years from now that book will be used as a major source and reference point for our history.

I urge all those affected to write their own books quickly otherwise they will become victims of historical revisionism.

If I had been invited by President Muhamnadu Buhari or Professor Paden to the book launch I would have mounted the podium and said as much. Sadly I was not.

Permit me to end this contribution by making a suggestion to Paden. Since he wrote about Jonathan's campaign funds and alleged all manner of corruption concerning their source and application, in his next book on President Buhari I would suggest that he sheds more light on how his subjects own 2015 presidential campaign funds were sourced.

For a start he should tell us who provided the 10 million USD that was paid as consultancy fees to the company of Mr. David Axelrod, President Barack Obama's erstwhile campaign manager.

He should also tell us the source of funds and how Buhari and his team managed the 19 billion naira that was given to him in cash by the then sitting Governor of the leading and largest state in the south west and the 24.6 billion naira that was given to him in cash and in one day (which was recorded on video before being handed over) by another leading south western politician.

In addition to that he should tell us precisely how much the then Governors of Rivers and Kano states and the present Governors of Ogun and Kwara states amongst many others contributed to Buhari's campaign and where they got the money from.
Since everyone is claiming to be holy and righteous in this matter let us all get there and publicly exchange notes. After all the Nigerian public, and indeed the entire world, has a right to know.

If Paden fails to ask those questions and declines to provide the answers then he, his accursed books and his questionable and dubious "white-washing" mission of President Muhammadu Buhari shall undoubtedly remain damned forever.

Whether he does so or not other governments that will come to power in the future in this country will not only get the necessary answers but they will also do the appropiate thing and bring them to justice. It is only a matter of time.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10206627193307957&id=1516216357&refid=17&_ft_=top_level_post_id.10206627193307957%3Atl_objid.10206627193307957%3Athid.1516216357%3A306061129499414%3A2%3A0%3A1477983599%3A-4398530954325109662&__tn__=%2As

So the most pressing issue in this kwantry now is "who brought Osinbajo " LMAO

Between Chinakwe's dog and the brown teeth Afonja, i dont know who is more daft

Useless dolts!

Na wa oo

No matter how anyone whitewashed a tomb and named it a sepulchre does it change the fact it's meant for dead bodies

All attempts on distorting the truth and painting demons as angels of light never hold water.

History/experience are there for all and those are the best teachers.

when intelligence speaks, Ignorance blabs, or keeps KWAAYET.
This is point-4-point, let BIOYOGRAVA respond to these intelligent questions or keep the hell out of this countey....
They've been the accomplices of the north and caliphate since 1661BC ....... Lorbishhhh!

Ok

Distortion of recent history

I don't understand this humpie jumble article

Write your own story... if prof Paden's version is inconclusive!

I have read this thrash and conclude this is an intellectual gymnastics, only seeking attention and useless

Nonsense

everyone knows paden was paid to do that job.

^^ everyone knows. Who would even read that useless book?? SMH

John paden is an ingrate, after all Gej did for him

Paden got handsomely paid for the hatchet job but thanks to folks like FFK who would call it what it is..... a hatchet job, fallacy, lies, conjectures and absolute bunkum.

Buhari has nothing to be proud of as a human being.... he has failed everytime providence gave him a chance.

I am really surprised EFCC have not come after FFK again despite his attacks, he must have an ace over this guys.

I knew right from time that the Biography would be riddled with brazen lies. As usual,he will demonize others while portraying himself and his cronies as saints.
Instead of me to read that book,I'd rather pick up "The sugar Girl" and read once more.

if I had d kinda wife FFK had. I would only be seen outside my bedroom on sundays thanking God for keeping me alive after the "week's activities"

buhari is such a bad liar
that people now join him in lying!

FFK=
F=first
F=foolish
K=kid

bluaero:
So the most pressing issue in this kwantry now is "who brought Osinbajo " LMAO

Between Chinakwe's dog and the brown teeth Afonja, i dont know who is more daft

Useless dolts!

Please show some respect to a dead dog.

11. And when the people came to look for Joo son of Shinakwe’s dog, they found it in a leash by a pine tree.
13. They were armed with clubs and cudgels. One or two carried a dagger.
14. When Bubu the dog saw them. He barked fiercely, and broke free from his leash. Bubu the dog leapt into the air like a wild beast, biting one of the men by the hand, and caught another by the shin. For it sensed the end was nigh.
13. The men jump back in fright. But they regrouped and attacked Bubu the dog with their cudgels and daggers.
15. And they slew Bubu the dog, for their angst knew no bounds. And they took the body away with them. “Joo son of Shinakwe and his friends have killed and eaten his dog,” they lied to the people.

http://www.hotchapters.com/2016/09/28/chapter-27-king-bubu-a-man-and-his-dog-ii/

Long over due, someone just had to come out and burst the bubble, God bless FFK for taking the brave option The Buhari government had been enshrouded in lies, that's why the name of the government's image maker is a modified form of Lie.......- Lai.

John PADDED, wrote book for Buhari.

fineboynl:
everyone knows paden was paid to do that job.

Gbam!!! Thank you jare

John Paden wrote pure fiction. Period.

what does this white man know about nigeria.imagine prof soludo writing a book about obama.rubish

Bad Guy

how can a foreigner tell it rite. this guy might have been used to launder money

The last paragraph of this write-up which says "Whether he does so or not other governments that will come to power in the future in this country will not only get the necessary answers but they will also do the appropriate thing and bring them to justice. It is only a matter of time" is what interests me most and I pray for it to happen fast.

Na today?

Biographers are known to greatly distort history and bring a beautiful relationship into disarray.

Buhari, on his part, hasn't done quite well up to this point. Why is he so bent on destroying everything that took years to build?

The worse disservice anyone could do to themselves is forget that power, much like everything else on God's earth, is transient.

People can be cold af.

Dog Buhari will not like this

Ffk u sure say no be job u d look for?

bluaero:
So the most pressing issue in this kwantry now is "who brought Osinbajo " LMAO

Between Chinakwe's dog and the brown teeth Afonja, i dont know who is more daft

Useless dolts!

flat heads

he is ipod

I like what fani is doing to buhari