How not to be a campaign spokesman, By Phrank Shaibu

The outstanding feature of the period has been a story of blood, tears and sweat! An interrogation of the last seven years reveals that the Nigerian economy, potentially Africa’s most viable, is now one of the continent’s most disastrous under Buhari. But not so the personal fortunes of those in the corridors of power.
As a free tutorial, Keyamo should know that good political communication doesn’t consist in defending errors or insulting a critical public opinion. It seeks to create understanding instead. If you face a PR challenge, like the APC presidential campaign council faces at the moment, talking down at the critical public is like approaching a problem by methods that could make it worse.
Many in the public have pointed out that APC members who were living from hand-to-mouth before the party came to power in 2015 are now reputedly among of the world’s richest men. Conversely, ordinary Nigerians are now resigned to what seems a hopeless fate, sleeping with only one of their eyes closed because of the high level of insecurity that has never been witnessed before in this country.
Only last May, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) put the nation’s inflation rate at 17.71% but the ordinary Nigerian who can barely manage to feed properly and is afflicted by malnutrition and disease knows that economic figures, officially concocted, in no way actually represent the reality of his daily existence.
A further pauperisation of the marginalised Nigerian majority has been achieved under President Muhammadu Buhari, courtesy of the IMF whose mandatory prescriptions the country has had to take since he assumed office in 2015. The naira has been devalued by more than 300% since 2015, with $1 which sold for about N230 in December 2015 at the parallel market is now going for N710.
This is APC’s report card – of blood, tears and sweat; This is the honest truth that Nigerians expect to hear from Keyamo, and not some flight of fancy prophesy of how a Bola Ahmed Tinubu will transform Nigeria into an Eldorado.
Regarding his comments on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, I will forgive Keyamo if he does not remember the executive powers that Vice President Atiku Abubakar wielded between 1999 and 2007. I reckon that the Learned Silk was still a rookie still struggling to set up his law practice when Atiku was in charge of the affairs of state. I was not too young during the period under reference but in case Keyamo was, or in case he needs some schooling on Atiku Abubakar’s record, a peep into the events of the Obasanjo presidency will suffice.
In the period leading to the return to democratic governance in 1999, Nigeria was a pariah nation in the international community. The United States and other countries placed several embargoes on Nigerian military officials, the aviation sector and other areas of diplomatic interaction. Foreign investments were pulled out of Nigeria and directed to other nations. Many countries advised their nationals to stay away from Nigeria, except it was absolutely necessary to do otherwise. So, on assumption of office in 1999, President Obasanjo embarked on a shuttle diplomacy that was targeted at the improvement of Nigeria’s image in the world and the attraction of foreign investment and support. In the space of four years, Obasanjo traversed the planet earth by undertaking over 300 foreign trips, during which Atiku Abubakar was firmly in charge of the running of the affairs of the Nigerian federation. Governors and ministers all reported to Atiku. Keyamo can cross check this fact with his newest paymaster, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who was the then governor of Lagos State.

All said, it is easy to see that Keyamo’s first outing as the spokesman for the APC Presidential Campaign Council was a disaster. The reason is simple: He lacks the basic knowledge of the role of a campaign spokesman. A campaign spokesman makes friends for his candidate and his political party, he communicates to create good public image for his candidate. A campaign spokesman makes supporters out of enemies and not the other way round. His job is not to create enemies for his candidate and his political party nor is it to make them despised or seen in a bad light.
As a free tutorial, Keyamo should know that good political communication doesn’t consist in defending errors or insulting a critical public opinion. It seeks to create understanding instead. If you face a PR challenge, like the APC presidential campaign council faces at the moment, talking down at the critical public is like approaching a problem by methods that could make it worse.

Finally, I can figure out why Keyamo’s panic disorder has taken a turn for the worse − he has a lot of work to do, since marketing Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the most herculean task ever. Keyamo would have to defend Tinubu’s age, his health, certificate (for which he once sued the Lagos State House of Assembly members in the case ‘Keyamo vs Lagos State House of Assembly with docket number ID/639M/99 before Justice C.O Segun of the Lagos State High Court), his state of origin, the source of his wealth, the Muslim-Muslim ticket and many more.
I honestly do not envy Keyamo!
Phrank Shaibu is Special Assistant to the PDP Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar on Public Communication.

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