‘For 8 Years, He Never Asked Me To Show Him His Pictures’ – Bayo Omoboriowo Speaks On Working As Buhari’s Official Photographer

The official photographer of former President Muhammadu Buhari from 2015 to 2023, Bayo Omoboriowo, has shared some of his experiences working with his former principal.

According to Omoboriowo, once Buhari gives you a job, he trusts you to do it and deliver without much supervision.

He added that during the eight years that he was the President’s official photographer, Buhari never asked to see the kind of pictures he took of him.

According to Omoboriowo, Buhari cared less about his photos, but he has the posture for great photographs, and because he understood his assignment, he always ensured his principal got the best images.

He said, “For eight years, President Buhari never asked me to show him the images I created.

“If he has chosen you, he believed you have the capacity to deliver on that role… And that was one thing very unique about him; he gives you the role and allows you to express yourself.”

Omoboriowo disclosed that his job afforded him the opportunity of access to the ex-President and other heads of states, saying, “Sometimes, I am the only one in the room with the president at international gatherings with heads of states.”

On capturing the ex-president when he was sick back in 2017, Omoboriowo described the period of the ex-president’s ill health as “very challenging” as Buhari, who used to be agile and fleshy, lost so much weight all of a sudden because of the sickness.

“Those periods were periods when I needed to portray a man in fairness. That he was President shouldn’t take away the fact he is human and I needed to have that mindset because there is very little margin for error in this work.

“The way I presented him has to be fair yet accurate, has to be creative yet professional. That was the balance and it was very emotional for me at that period because someone with so much agility, all of a sudden;

“… I have to be sure he is dressing right because he had lost so much weight at that time. It was a whole lot and it was quite emotional but we were able to document that process.”