How I helped Tinubu win 2023 presidential election — Lai Mohammed

The former Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has explained how strategic communication helped secure President Bola Tinubu’s victory in the 2023 general election.

Mohammed disclosed this in his recently inaugurated book, “Headlines and Soundbites: Media Moments that Defined an Administration”, which chronicled his experiences as a minister under the late President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

He said the All Progressives Congress (APC) faced an opposition-driven narrative that the Buhari administration had failed and had no achievements to present to voters.

The former minister described the claim as false and deliberately crafted to weaken the ruling party ahead of the polls.

Mohammed noted that although ministers were barred from open campaigning, he adopted a subtle approach focused on facts and performance.

He said his ministry countered misinformation by publicly documenting and defending the Buhari administration’s achievements.

According to him, central to the strategy was the launch of the ‘PMB Administration Scorecard Series’ in October 2022, where ministers presented evidence-based reports of their sectoral accomplishments under media scrutiny.

The former minister stated that the effort was supported by documentaries, publications, and an online portal released shortly before the elections.

Why Buhari appointed me minister in 2015 — Lai Mohammed

Mohammed said the approach reshaped public discourse, put the opposition on the defensive, and reinforced the APC’s campaign message, ultimately contributing to Tinubu’s electoral success.

He said: “As the popular aphorism goes ‘Say it loud, say it often, and it longer matters if it’s true’.

“Fully aware of the insidious nature of this campaign, I adopted a two-pronged strategy: To systematically showcase the administration’s achievements and to decisively counter the opposition misleading narrative.

“Exactly 130 days to the general elections, precisely on October 18, 2023, my ministry launched the groundbreaking PMB Administration Scorecard Series (2015-2023).

“The goal was to present verified accomplishments of the Buhari administration and shape public perception during a politically-critical period.

“Under the programme, ministers presented concrete, evidence-based reports on their respective sectors.

“Each session includes a robust question and answer segment during which journalists critically interrogated the presentations and sought clarifications.”

The former minister added that the strategy was amplified through traditional and digital media platforms.

He stressed that the success of the strategy lay in its reliance on documented performance and factual communication, rather than open political campaigning, which he said helped neutralise misinformation and influence voter perception.

The Star