Re: Tinubu administration — many spokespersons, zero communication

BY VICTOR OKEBUNMI

“He who knows not, and knows not that he knows not, is a fool – shun him.” – Arabian Proverb.

There are times when commentaries masquerade as journalism and, in so doing, reveal more about the writer’s blind spots than the subject under scrutiny. Temidayo Akinsuyi’s recent article questioning the communication strategy of the Tinubu presidency falls squarely into this category. His claim that the Government operates with “zero communication” is not just inaccurate; it is demonstrably false and unfairly dismissive, suggesting a shallow understanding of how modern governance engages its citizens.

To allege a vacuum in presidential communication while ignoring the daily, coordinated, and well-articulated efforts of key figures within the Tinubu media architecture is to walk into a symphony midway and dismiss it as noise. The reality is this: The Tinubu administration runs one of the most structured, decentralised, and multidimensional communications networks Nigeria has seen in the Fourth Republic.

Let’s begin with the professionals Akinsuyi chose to undermine by implication. Chief Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, is a pillar of Nigeria’s democratic media landscape. A respected veteran, he operates more as a strategist than a spokesman. He is the steady hand behind the curtain – refining messages, maintaining coherence, and providing intellectual rigour to presidential narratives. His value is not in the frequency of public appearances but in the strategic alignment, he brings to government messaging.

Dr Sunday Dare, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication / Spokesman, is a strategic communicator. Apart from over 3 decades of media experience, he brings charisma and clarity to the public square. His data-driven engagements on national television, policy explainers, and press briefings have helped distil complex government decisions into digestible, actionable insights. His diverse media Background, especially in Hausa Radio Broadcasting, having headed the Hausa Service of the Voice of America for almost a decade, is a significant asset being put to use. He is also cut from the democratic struggle as General Editor of The News and Tempo magazines during the dark days of the military. His recent international engagements have also positioned Nigeria as a nation ready for investment, reform, and renewed leadership on the world stage.

Akinsuyi’s fixation on the idea that multiple voices signify chaos betrays a dated understanding of statecraft. We no longer live in the age of the town crier. Communication must be decentralised, diverse, and digitally agile in a nation of over 200 million people across 36 states and the Diaspora. From Abdul Aziz Abdul Aziz to Tunde Rahman, Stanley Nkwocha, Tope Ajayi, Fredrick Nwabufo, Demola Oshodi, Daniel Bwala and O’tega Ogra, the Tinubu presidency has assembled a formidable team of seasoned communicators who work across platforms and communities to drive a singular message of national renewal. Take, for instance, the opinion pieces written on major government policies, decisions and initiatives by Bayo Onanuga, Sunday Dare, Tunde Rahman, Tope Ajayi, Abdul Aziz Abdul Aziz, Fredrick, Segun Dada, Daniel Bwala, Tope Fasua and others. In the last 4 months, over 30 such articles have been published in the media, helping to deepen people’s understanding of TINUBU’S policies.

We have seen them engaging and explaining on multiple television platforms, especially Sunday Dare, Bayo Onanuga and Tope Fasua. Indeed, the Tinubu presidency has assembled a formidable team of seasoned communicators who work across platforms and communities to drive a singular message of national renewal.

The suggestion that these individuals are working at cross-purposes does not hold water. What Akinsuyi misreads as “disarray” is, in fact, a deliberate strategy of layered engagement. Each voice has a purpose: some clarify, some explain, some connect emotionally, and others rally politically. But they all sing from the same hymnal: the hymn of Renewed Hope.

One particularly impactful addition to the administration’s communication strategy is the Renewed Hope Global Virtual Town Hall Conference, which has been held weekly since the inception of the Tinubu administration and broadcast live across multiple platforms. These sessions have proven to be a vital bridge between policymakers and citizens at home and abroad, offering unfiltered access, real-time dialogue, and direct explanations from Media advisers, ministers, heads of Government agencies, and government officials on ongoing reforms. It is participatory governance in action and reflects a leadership style that values transparency, digital inclusion, and constant feedback.

In the last nine months alone, the presidential communications team has executed one of the most expansive public engagement campaigns in our democratic history. There has been constant information, from daily television and radio appearances to opinion essays, presidential addresses, infographic explainers, and town hall-style digital broadcasts. The team has been involved in several interviews and policy briefings alongside colleagues across MDAs and the presidency, dissecting reforms and updating citizens.

Beyond the elite PBAT media circuit led by amiable Olusegun Dada, there is Community Radio 185, a bold initiative that provides daily updates on government policy in native languages – English, Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Fulani, Tiv, Kanuri and more. This is a game-changing project that ensures inclusivity and accessibility, reaching the grassroots with the very same dignity afforded to the urban elite.

Online, the team’s digital assets are live and leading the charge in combating fake news, misinformation, and propaganda. The presidency’s WhatsApp Channel, social media handles, livestream events, and short-form videos target Gen Z and millennials with clarity and precision. Today’s presidential message is not confined to a single press release – it is spread across memes, graphics, podcasts, and multilingual tweet threads. The Government’s media engagements have become more robust and dynamic, with the Presidential Media Team always ready to provide information and explanations.

It is also necessary to reiterate that good communication cannot save bad policy, but clear communication can explain bold policy, which is precisely what this administration has had to do amid tough reforms. Subsidy removal, forex unification, student loans, agricultural interventions, tax policy reforms – each initiative has come with coordinated messaging across multiple levels, involving ministers, media aides, and institutional heads.

In denigrating the efforts of the members of the President’s communication team, Akinsuyi misses a more interesting story: this is the first administration in years to decentralise media engagement with this level of sophistication. What he calls “noise” is, in fact, a signal – each element reaching a different demographic, platform, and audience. The analogue one-size-fits-all model of communication is gone. Nigeria deserves better, and she is getting it. Akinsuyi is probably deaf to all of this. He has embarked on a journey that is already ill-fated.

Criticism is essential in any democracy but must be rooted in truth, not nostalgia. Akinsuyi’s piece reads less like analysis and more like frustration at a structure he neither understands nor respects. It is easy to sneer at what one does not comprehend, but true observers should ask harder questions, not just louder ones.

The Tinubu presidency remains committed to dialogue, feedback, and clarity. They may not always speak in one voice, but they always speak in one direction: toward progress, inclusion, and shared prosperity. The symphony continues with tempo, harmony, and purpose.

Okebunmi is the senior special assistant to the director of publicity at Renewed Hope United Kingdom.