Nigeria: Atiku Berates Tinubu for Appointing New Media Aides

9 October 2023
Premium Times (Abuja)

"Not even a thousand media aides can save the reputation of President Bola Tinubu, which is currently drowning in scandals," Atiku said.

Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February election, has slammed President Bola Tinubu for appointing more media aides, saying the appointments would not save the "sinking" reputation of the president.

In a statement by his Special Assistant on Public Communications, Phrank Shaibu, on Monday, Atiku said the appointments were a confirmation that the Tinubu administration was on the verge of unleashing a propaganda unit.

Presidential spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, announced in a statement on Monday that Mr Tinubu had approved the establishment of a new media directorate and the appointment of five new aides.

The new aides are Fela Durotoye (Senior Special Assistant to the President -- National Values & Social Justice); Fredrick Nwabufo (Senior Special Assistant to the President -- Public Engagement); Linda Akhigbe (Senior Special Assistant to the President -- Strategic Communications); Aliyu Audu (Special Assistant to the President -- Public Affairs) and Francis Adah Abah (Personal Assistant to the President -- Special Duties).

The statement said Mrs Akhigbe, who was until her appointment the Senate correspondent for Channels Television, will also serve as the communications adviser to the President of the ECOWAS Commission.

Atiku is currently challenging Mr Tinubu's election at the Supreme Court after losing at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in September.

Last week, he got Mr Tinubu's academic records from the Chicago State University (CSU) in the United States and filed the same documents in his quest to overturn the president's victory. He claimed that the president forged the documents he filed at INEC for the election.

"Not even a thousand media aides can save the reputation of President Bola Tinubu, which is currently drowning in scandals," Mr Shaibu said in the statement while reacting to the appointment of an additional five aides by the Tinubu administration.

He said the appointments were a confirmation of his 18 September statement, where he revealed that Tinubu's government was on the verge of unleashing a propaganda unit.

He said, "I warned on 18 September that the Tinubu government was getting frustrated after being exposed for their many lies and that they would set up a propaganda unit.

"Now they have established a media and publicity directorate. This brings to 20 the number of media advisers appointed by Tinubu. In fact, about three of these appointees hold the exact same portfolio.

"We understand the desperation by Tinubu's government which is currently facing a huge certificate forgery scandal and is about to be drowned by the files that the FBI will release regarding his heroin case in the United States.

"For a government that claims to be focused on fiscal discipline, it has appointed the largest number of non-statutory appointments. Isn't it ironic that Tinubu has more media advisers than economic aides? It is obvious that he plans to use propaganda to rule. No wonder he has held only one cabinet meeting in five months.

"Tinubu and his lackeys must, however, understand that no matter the air freshener you use in spraying excreta, the stench can never go away. No amount of image laundering can save his sinking image.

"His list of media aides include Ajuri Ngelale (Special Adviser Media and Publicity); Tunde Rahman (SSAP Media); Tope Ajayi (SSAP Media and Publicity); Abdulaziz Abdulaziz (SSAP Print Media); Otega Ogara (SSAP Digital/New Media); Segun Dada (SAP Social Media); Nosa Asemota (SAP Visual Communications); Sunday Moses (PA Videography); Taiwo Okonlawon (PA State photography); Moremi Ojudu (SAP, community engagement southwest); Tanko Yakasai (SAP, community engagement northwest); Chioma Nweze (SAP, community engagement southeast)., Abiodun Essiet (SAP, community engagement north-central); Abdulhamid Yahaya Abba (SAP, community engagement northeast); Emmanuella Eduozor (SAP Multimedia content production). This is apart from the Minister of Information and others appointed in the ministry to drive the propaganda.

"With the latest appointment, Tinubu now has over 20 media aides, the highest in the history of Nigeria. But propaganda can only go so far. Propaganda cannot put food on the table of the poor; it cannot make their infrastructure better; it cannot solve insecurity, and it definitely cannot bring in circumspect foreign investors.

They can only like the character, Squealer, in Animal Farm, succeed at increasing the quantities of food available to the community only on paper."

Signed:

Phrank Shaibu

Special Assistant to Atiku Abubakar on Public Communication

9th October, 2023

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