People&Politics

EXPRESSO_Intervention》》By STEVE OSUJI The bully in the house: Dr. Reuben Abati is a public intellectual of no mean repute. A brilliant mind, a well-read fellow, a columnist, editorialist and lately, a news talk show host on Arise Television. For full disclosure, we were both denizens of the famous Rutam House, home to The Guardian newspapers stable.In the early 1990s, he was on the editorial board while yours truly was Assistant Editor with the weekly journal, The African Guardian. This was over 30 years ago. Reuben is in the news again. Yes, he trended not quite long ago when he openly…

By SHEDDY OZOENE Since his appointment as Special Adviser to the President, Media and Public Communications on November 14, Daniel Bwala has moved from one controversy to the other. After what many consider a betrayal of Atiku Abubakar whom he worked for as presidential campaign spokesman in 2023, the appointment was for him a dream come true. He had spent so much time since Bola Tinubu became president, trying to justify his return to the All Progressives Congress he serially disparaged and a President he so virulently opposed as candidate during the campaign. With the appointment, there was reason for…

By TONY ONYIMA, Ph.D. The recent restructuring of President Ahmed Tinubu’s media and communications team introduces an unconventional approach. It dispenses with the traditional singular spokesperson for the Presidency and instead delegates this role to a team of three special advisers. While the stated objective is to enhance efficiency and ensure consistent messaging, this strategy raises critical questions about its practicality and potential pitfalls.The primary risk of a decentralised communication model is the lack of a unified voice. Effective public communication requires coherence and clarity, especially at the presidential level. Multiple spokespersons increase the likelihood of conflicting narratives, especially on…