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By Matthews Otalike, The Searchlight / August 3, 2026

In the grand theatre of Nigerian governance, where power has long been insulated by layers of sycophancy, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has perfected a particularly insidious art: surrounding himself with a bloated battalion of media handlers whose primary mandate appears not to illuminate policy or engage constructively with public concerns, but to parry every arrow of criticism with venomous counter-attacks, character assassination, and outright deflection. This is not communication; it is a siege mentality dressed in designer suits and press releases.

The evidence is overwhelming. Tinubu’s media apparatus is one of the most unwieldy in Nigeria’s history, a constellation of special advisers and assistants including Bayo Onanuga (Information and Strategy), Sunday Dare, Daniel Bwala (redeployed to Policy Communication), and a supporting cast of more than a dozen others handling print, digital, strategic communications, and public engagement. Far from fostering clarity, this multiplicity has bred confusion, contradictory statements, and a siege-like posture where critics are enemies to be rubbished rather than citizens whose pains demand address.

A Pattern of Deflection Over Delivery

Consider the state of the nation under “Renewed Hope.” Fuel subsidy removal and naira floatation, bold reforms on paper, triggered triple-digit inflation spikes, food price surges of 250-300% in some staples, and pushed tens of millions deeper into poverty. Debt has ballooned, with massive increases in government exposure to the Central Bank and debt servicing devouring revenues. Businesses shutter, unemployment bites, and insecurity rages. Yet instead of transparent accountability, perhaps through regular, unscripted media chats (Tinubu’s last was 19 months ago), the presidential media team excels at narrative control.

Critics like Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, or even elder statesmen raise legitimate questions on debt restructuring, unbudgeted expenditures, or policy impacts and the usual response is personal jabs, accusations of hypocrisy, “PR disasters,” or dredging up past statements stripped of context. Former President Obasanjo’s “failing state” warning was met not with substantive rebuttal but personal history lessons. Internal party voices like Nasir el-Rufai face similar treatment. This is not governance by persuasion; it is governance by propaganda warfare.

The handlers’ own record undermines their credibility. Public spats, Onanuga and Ajuri Ngelale (before Ngelale exited amid reported power struggles) contradicting each other on presidential addresses, exposed disarray. Misinformation episodes, deleted posts, and fact-check failures have piled up. Appointments justified as “seasoned communicators” often read as rewards for loyalty or campaign aggression rather than professional excellence in bridging government and governed.

The Cost of Echo Chambers

This strategy exacts a heavy toll. Public trust erodes when every critique of economic hardship is framed as sabotage. When spokespersons prioritize “defending the principal” over explaining trade-offs or acknowledging shortfalls, they widen the gulf between Aso Rock and a suffering populace. Nigerians do not need attack dogs; they need honest brokers who can say: “Here is the pain, here is the data, here is the mitigation plan, engage us.”

It is outright disgusting to read Daniel Bwala, Ajayi and the rest of them attacking and demonizing John Cardinal Onaiyekan for simply telling Nigerians, the outcome of the interaction between Catholic Bishops of Nigeria and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This has further exposed the idiocy of the so-called spokespersons of Tinubu. Who knows, it may be on President Tinubu’s instruction and if it is, then I doubt his democratic credentials.

Worse, this approach chills dissent. Reports document rising attacks on journalists and critics under the administration, including misuse of cybercrime laws. When the presidency’s loudest voices are deployed to rubbish rather than respond, it signals intolerance for the very scrutiny democracy demands.

President Tinubu came to power promising renewal. Yet by encircling himself with media praetorians focused on fending off “enemies” rather than winning hearts through results and transparency, he risks governing in an echo chamber while the streets seethe. True leadership confronts uncomfortable truths, not outsources their suppression to wordsmiths.

The Searchlight beams unrelentingly: Power without accountability breeds arrogance. A media team that excels at deflection but falters at dialogue serves neither the president nor the people. Nigeria deserves better than hired rubbishing; it demands honest reckoning. The handlers must evolve from shield-bearers to bridge-builders, or history will record this era as one where spin triumphed over substance, while the nation paid the price.

Address the criticisms head-on, Mr. President. Your people are watching – and suffering.