Former presidential aide and journalist, Babafemi Ojudu, has recounted how he and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu narrowly escaped death in a late-night accident on Lagos’ Third Mainland Bridge years ago.
Ojudu disclosed the incident in an open letter to President Tinubu released to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary.
According to him, the incident occurred at about 1:30 a.m., shortly before Tinubu became governor of Lagos State.
Ojudu said Tinubu’s driver, the late Mustapha, reportedly fell asleep while driving them back from the Ikoyi residence of a senior security official, Ibrahim Solomon.
He explained that the vehicle subsequently crashed into the bridge railing, but both he and Tinubu survived the accident.
“On our way back, at about 1.30 a.m., your driver, the late Mustapha, fell asleep at the wheel on the Third Mainland Bridge. The car struck the railing. We were fortunate to escape with our lives,” Ojudu recalled.
He added that after the accident, Tinubu asked him to take over the driving and convey them to Alausa.
Ojudu said he had never driven a vehicle with an automatic transmission before, but nevertheless managed to get them safely to their destination.
“Somehow, I got us there,” he stated.
The former presidential aide said he recalled the experience because it represented a significant part of his long relationship with Tinubu, dating back to their involvement in the struggle against military rule and Tinubu’s campaign to become Lagos governor.
Ojudu explained that shortly before the governorship election, he accompanied Tinubu to the residence of Ibrahim Solomon in Ikoyi because they were concerned that the election might be manipulated against him.
According to him, Solomon assured them that the security establishment would ensure a fair process and subsequently kept his word.
After Tinubu won the election, Ojudu said he played a role in managing the transition committees and preparations for the inauguration. However, he declined an offer to join the new administration.
He explained that he chose to return to journalism because he believed Tinubu needed someone outside government who could offer honest criticism without seeking appointments, contracts or other personal benefits.
Ojudu said that during Tinubu’s eight years as governor, he tried to maintain that role.
He recalled that Tinubu’s then Chief of Staff, Lai Mohammed, would sometimes encounter him at the governor’s office and jokingly remark, “Our opposition has come. What have we done wrong again?”
Ojudu said he adopted the same approach in his latest open letter, despite the deterioration in his relationship with the President.
He disclosed that he had not seen Tinubu since 2022 and had publicly stated that he neither worked for Tinubu’s 2023 presidential campaign nor voted for him during the election.
The former presidential aide also used the letter to express concerns about the economic situation in the country, urging Tinubu to reconsider policies which, in his view, have contributed to increasing hardship and poverty among Nigerians.
He said two recent sermons focusing on hunger and poverty eventually convinced him that he could no longer remain silent about his concerns.
Ojudu stressed that his intervention was motivated by the same principle that guided his relationship with Tinubu in the past — the willingness to speak frankly, even when doing so may be uncomfortable.
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