Nigerian journalist speaks out on Mugabe interview

The female Nigerian journalist who embarrassed President Robert Mugabe in Nigeria has spoken out explaining what happened on the day.

Sahara TV presenter Adeola Fayehun, host of the satirical show “Keeping It Real Adeola” confronted Zimbabwe’s 91-year-old globetrotting president during the inauguration ceremony of President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja, Nigeria.

On Saturday Sahara TV hosted a discussion featuring Adeola, Zimbabwean Fungai Maboreke and exiled Zimbabwean journalist Lance Guma. The discussion was moderated by anchor Kwesi Baako who first asked Adeola if she had planned to accost Mugabe whilst she was still in the United States.

“First of all there was no way of me knowing the presidents attending the inauguration and to be honest I did not expect President Mugabe to come to something like that. I went to his car and fortunately I was the only person that tried to peep in through the window and I greeted him,” Adeola narrated.

She said at that moment she did not have a camera and she turned around to try and get a phone with a camera. When she then turned back “the whole car was surrounded by reporters who were trying to get pictures of Mugabe.” Adeola thought her opportunity had gone and they moved on.

After the inauguration Adeola continued to look for people to interview and she said for some weird reason instead of picking Mugabe from where the event took place, the security team allowed him to walk to his car. “When I saw him walking I was like, wait a minute, I can still ask him my questions,” she said.

“Most of the journalists had gone or were focusing on other things. I wasn’t too happy though in the morning when he came because, so many of the journalists kept saying “oh Mr. President give us a smile” and that did something in me.

“Of all the questions that you could ask Mugabe, “give us a smile”, what do we do with his smile? There are so many questions to be asked, so I was a bit irritated by that. I was not looking for a smile,” she said.

Adeola then followed Mugabe and pressed for an interview to ask about any plans to step down from power and allow real democratic elections in Zimbabwe.

“Mr President don’t you think its time to step down sir?” Adeola asked Mugabe. “Is there something like a term limit” she asked.

“When will there be change in Zimbabwe just like we are having in Nigeria?” she went on.

“Are you happy to be in Nigeria?” “When are you stepping down?” “How is your health?” “How do you feel about the fact that you are in Abuja to witness a democratic handover of power when there is no such in your own country?”

Confused members of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) close security unit looked clueless on what to do and could only shout in Shona saying mirai, mirai (wait, wait).

Watch discussion featuring Adeola, Lance Guma and Fungai Maboreke: Part 1

Watch discussion featuring Adeola, Lance Guma and Fungai Maboreke: Part 2