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72 hours after President Bola Tinubu’s spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, announced his resignation, several media bigwigs around the President have started frantic lobbying for the position.
Some of the names mentioned to PRNigeria are that of those who already have one media role or the other in the Presidency, the party or the President’s circle. They include Bayo Onanuga, Tunde Rahman, Sunday Dare, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, Daniel Bwala and others.
Ngelale had announced that he was quitting his roles as Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity, Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action, and Chairman, Presidential Steering Committee on Project Evergreen.
He cited personal and health-related matters for his decision, urging people to respect his family’s privacy during this time.
His sudden departure came as a surprise to many, considering the fact that his predecessor, Femi Adesina, spent eight full years in office, and Reuben Abati, who occupied the position before Adesina, spent four years.
He also faced a lot of criticisms from some professional bodies such as Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) on his qualification to speak for President Tinubu.
NIPR President, Dr. Ike Neliaku, had said Ngelale lacked the basic knowledge and requisite training on public relations.
The Institute also pointed out that Ngelale had committed major blunders, including claiming that President Tinubu was the first African leader to ring the bell at the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) during a visit to the United States.
The presidential spokesperson had also made a similar mistake when he claimed that the United Arab Emirates had lifted the visa ban on Nigerians after a bilateral meeting between President Tinubu and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Pundits in the Public Relations space have said Ngelale was supposed to have left the office 3 months to his appointment on the ground of his alleged sloppiness.
They believe that there is no way he could muster the clout to manage editors, senior journalists and media owners, who are essential and success factor for anyone holding the job of a Special Adviser to the President of any country.
With his exit from office which many see as overdue, there is a long list of media icons around the President who are jostling to replace him.
Bayo Onanuga
Onanuga, currently Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Tinubu, has extensive experience in journalism and media management.
He served as director of media and publicity for the Tinubu/Shettima campaign and is an experienced journalist, co-founder of TheNews Magazine, former CEO and Editor-in-Chief of PM News and Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Onanuga, 67, a strong ally and vocal supporter of the president’s policies, who have lent his views on national issues which have gained media attention. Many see him as a hard liner who can be aggressive and intolerant.
Sunday Dare
Dare served as the Minister for Youths and Sports under President Buhari.
Before his appointment as minister, he was the Executive Commissioner in charge of stakeholder management at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). With over 25 years of experience in broadcasting, journalism (electronic and print), and other media-related sectors, Dare is well-established at the top.
He also served as special adviser on media to President Tinubu when Tinubu was Governor of Lagos State. Many see him as a safe choice due to his calm demeanor.
Daniel Bwala
Bwala, a lawyer and former spokesman for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, surprised many by leaving PDP to support President Tinubu.
Few months ago Tinubu invited Bwala to the villa in Abuja, where he called on Nigerians to support the government. Some believe that Bwala, being a northern Christian, has the capacity to hold the spokesperson position.
Tunde Rahman
Tunde Rahman, Senior Special Assistant (Media) and former chief of staff to President Tinubu before his election, has rich media experience.
Rahman was political editor of the Daily Times before moving to the Punch Newspaper, where he headed the Abuja bureau and later became the Group News Editor.
Abdulaziz Abdulaziz
Abdulaziz, award-winning investigative reporter who has worked in Blueprint, Premium Times, and Daily Trust and left a legacy of excellence.
Abdulaziz was Deputy General Editor of the Daily Trust newspaper and has received numerous awards in the course of his media career, including the prestigious Wole Soyinka Center for Investigative Journalism Award.
He is currently Senior Special Assistant (Print Media) to President Tinubu. He equally served in the media team of the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Organisation during the 2023 election.
