Aisha Buhari And That BBC Interview By Reuben Abati

Public communication is one of the most delicate challenges that people in public life face, either in the corporate or the public sector.  Many people suddenly find themselves in high places, and they become a source of news, a potential interview subject, and they get chased around by journalists and other media figures who want a story, in fact, not just a story, but a scoop.  I used to explain in communication coaching classes and to the bosses whose media I managed, at one point or the other that they should never feel obliged to say things they do not want to say. No matter how aggressive the journalist may be, they should be careful what they say. 

The Buhari Legacy Project by Reuben Abati

President Muhammadu Buhari's strategists, if they are at work at all, are chasing ants and ignoring the elephant in the room. They do him great disservice. Their oversight is hubristically determined either by incapacity or a vendetta-induced distraction. It is time they changed the game and the narrative; time they woke up. It's been more than 15 months since the incumbent assumed office as President, but his handlers have been projecting him as if he is a Umaru Musa Yar'Adua or a Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, first time Presidents who could afford the luxury of a learning period before settling down to the job, and who in addition must prove themselves to earn necessary plaudits. In making this mistake, President Buhari's handlers created a sad situation whereby they have progressively undermined his image. 

The Battle for 2019 by Reuben Abati

One of the most frustrating things about Nigeria's political history is how it keeps repeating itself and nothing ever seems to change, and the political elite doesn't seem to learn from history.  The present administration has not yet spent up to two years in office and already the language of politics is dominated by the phrase: "the battle for 2019". Nobody is talking about the next general election of 2019, but "the battle!" As is crystally evident, the 2019 general elections are likely to end up as one big nationwide war, and this won't be a war of ideas, but a war of egos, of ambitions, and utter desperation for power. Sadly, when Nigerian politicians use the word, "battle", they are actually talking about power through violent means.

What Nigeria Means To Me by Reuben Abati

The various reactions on Independence Day yesterday can only compel us to ask one question: what does Nigeria mean to you or me? I had written a piece on Friday, September 30, in which I advised that Nigerians should embrace hope rather than despair and that in the long run, it shall be well with our country. I also recommended as part of the celebration, Timi Dakolo's soul-inspiring and masterly song, "Great Nation", hoping that special attention will be paid to its touching lyrics. But the reactions to my interventions did no more than further reinforce the fact that too many Nigerians are angry with Nigeria as an entity, they are angry with how Nigeria has been run and is being run, they are frustrated with the current situation in the country, and what the future holds for the entire country.