President Bola Tinubu has come under fire for hiring more media aides, according to PDP presidential contender Atiku Abubakar. He claimed that the appointments will not help the president’s “sinking” reputation.
The appointments, according to a statement from Atiku’s Special Assistant on Public Communications, Phrank Shaibu, were evidence that the Tinubu administration was about to launch a propaganda unit.
Ajuri Ngelale, the spokesperson for the president, revealed in a statement on Monday that Mr. Tinubu had given his approval for the employment of five new aides and the creation of a new media directorate.
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).
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.
“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.”
