By Emmanul Aziken

It is the opinion of some that Mallam Garba Shehu is still held with suspicion in the inner circle of the cabal around President Muhammadu Buhari. That is despite the fact that he is undoubtedly one of the finest media managers of the fourth republic.




Former vice-President Atiku Abubakar
Those who doubt Mallam Shehu’s fidelity to President Buhari’s agenda are quick to point to his illustrious service for Atiku Abubakar. It is indeed, a matter of irony that Atiku has now turned out to be the most potent weapon to what is left of the mystique that was once around Buhari.

For the first 15 years of the fourth republic, Shehu was pivotal in the impressive articulation of Atiku’s media profile. He came from a solid background. He had been a broadcaster, newspaper editor and, yes, editor of editors. He is arguably, the longest serving president of the Guild of Editors.

He pioneered the innovation of establishing a media office to project a politician. Garba’s vivaciousness when it came to the Atiku project in the past was highly infectious.

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It was especially glaring during campaign outings. So when Atiku lost the All Progressives Congress, APC presidential nomination in 2014 to Buhari, the decision to gift Shehu’s media brilliance to the stiff Buhari campaign was understandable. His sterling performance in the Buhari campaign inevitably recommended him for a job in the Presidential Villa.

How he has tried to positively shape Buhari despite the odds have also been remarkable. I remember how at the peak of the Kemi Adeosun issue he dropped an off the record fact that nearly numbed critics!


Garba Shehu
Nevertheless, as marketers will say, a defect in any of the four variances of product, price, promotion and place will adversely affect the marketing of any commodity. You could well choose the element among the four Ps that is the greatest challenge to Shehu!

So given his commitment and convincing loyalty to the Buhari agenda, it is not difficult for anyone to guess that Shehu would be an interesting point in the evolving media campaign between Atiku and Buhari.

As it became increasingly clear that Atiku was on his way to becoming the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Port-Harcourt last weekend, your correspondent could barely suppress the thought of how Mallam Shehu would receive the news.

25 years after he made his first stake for the presidency of the country, Atiku, one of the country’s most formidable politicians was set to have his wish to stand firmly as a presidential candidate of a major party. Yes, Atiku had been involved in all but one of the presidential campaigns conducted in this country since 1993, when he vied with Chief MKO Abiola for the Social Democratic Party, SDP presidential ticket. The only presidential election he side-stepped was General Sani Abacha’s leprous exercise in democracy.

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However, it was only in 2007 he stood as a presidential candidate, of Action Congress. But that campaign was just to score a point as he was cleared by the Supreme Court only two days before the election.


Chief Audu Ogbeh, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development
Now granted the luxury of a four month campaign, the prospects of the former vice-president as evidenced by the backing he has gotten from Dr. Olusegun Obasanjo and the other principalities could be bright.

It is in that context that one would be watching Mallam Shehu’s efforts to destroy a project that he once lived for.

Shehu would not be the only one. There are several others around Buhari that would attract the attention of the political press as the campaigns proceed. Chief Audu Ogbeh, Senator Chris Ngige and even Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

They were with Atiku in those tumultuous days of the anti-third term campaign. Chief Ogbeh’s forced exit out of his position as national chairman of the PDP
was according to some accounts, the defining point in Atiku’s decision to frontally confront President Obasanjo in the second half of the second term.

How these men would respond to Atiku would be captivating!

Related




https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/10/what-will-garba-shehu-audu-ogbeh-say-against-atiku/

Test of Loyalties, if he feels the work is hard to he should front Femi Adesina

Suspicion every corner in APC yet blind supporters refused to see

lol

perfect example of serving two masters at a time

Anything wey dem wan talk na their business...as for me and all the abokis around my house we have all joined hands to atikulate together

Here it is

The unusual calmness and silence from Sheu signifies something important that tge guy is seriously in tight corner.

the truth is that they will always find a way to continue to serve and defend their master buhari.
who is a gigantic failure

atiku has the entire Apc structure of bauchi and adamawa in his palms. was he bit the one that instituted them ?

even the real politicians in Apc will always pay homage to turaki,

now I'm beginning to see that his move to apc in 2014 was a master stroke. he knew buhari will win the primaries but still be went.

he wanted to keep tabs on everyone. hmmm politicians

quickberry:
Here it is

Agreed PDP 'destroyed your economy' for sixteen years. Do your masters need another sixteen years to fix it. Mind you, during PDP, the highest dollar climbed was 210 naira to a dollar, a bag of rice was 7500. Now, a dollar is about 370 and a bag of rice is 15000 or more. As for me, I'll prefer the one that made life easier for the average man on the street

pdppower:
Agreed PDP 'destroyed your economy' for sixteen years. Do your masters need another sixteen years to fix it. Mind you, during PDP, the highest dollar climbed was 210 naira to a dollar, a bag of rice was 7500. Now, a dollar is about 370 and a bag of rice is 15000 or more. As for me, I'll prefer the one that made life easier for the average man on the street

Dollar was 21 naira in 1998 before your devilish party came on board, I remember vividly that a 5 litres of kerosene was 50 naira as well, a cup of rice was 10 naira....never again would PDP govern this country....We are going to febuhari next year...in Sai Baba we trust.

quickberry:


Dollar was 21 naira in 1998 before your devilish party came on board, I remember vividly that a 5 litres of kerosene was 50 naira as well, a cup of rice was 10 naira....never again would PDP govern this country....We are going to febuhari next year...in Sai Baba we trust.

And your godly party needs eternity to fix it abi. I know you are also suffering this govt's policies but your case is suffering and smiling.

pdppower:
And your godly party needs eternity to fix it abi. I know you are also suffering this govt's policies but your case is suffering and smiling.

It is very easy to demolish a building, but it takes time to rebuild it...I believe this government is on the right track, so I'm going to febuhari next year, my PVC is ever ready.

May our loyalty never be tested

- BRF

quickberry:


It is very easy to demolish a building, but it takes time to rebuild it...I believe this government is on the right track, so I'm going to febuhari next year, my PVC is ever ready.

ok o. No hard feelings. Voting is a matter of choice. But please think about what your decision will bring you in the next four years

pdppower:
ok o. No hard feelings. Voting is a matter of choice. But please think about what your decision will bring you in the next four years

We tried PDP for 16 years, nothing stops us from trying APC for 8 years