Former information and culture minister Lai Mohammed claims that he utilised a media-focused approach to help President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) win the general election in 2023.
In a recent book titled “Headlines and Soundbites: Media Moments that Defined an Administration,” Mohammed recounted his experiences during the Muhammadu Buhari administration.
At a time when opposition parties were challenging the governing party’s scorecard, the former minister claimed he concentrated on recording and promoting “the achievements of the Buhari administration.”
He noted that opposition leaders frequently asserted in the run-up to the election that the APC-led administration had no real accomplishments and, as a result, did not merit a return to power.
According to Lai Mohammed, the story was a part of a concerted effort to undermine the ruling party and the administration in advance of the elections.
“As the popular aphorism goes ‘Say it loud, say it often, and it no longer matters if it’s true’,” he wrote.
He explained that in response, he adopted what he described as a two-pronged strategy: “To systematically showcase the administration’s achievements and to decisively counter the opposition’s misleading narrative.”
The former minister claimed that on October 18, precisely 130 days before the general election, his ministry unveiled what he called the PMB Administration Scorecard Series, which covered the years 2015 through 2023.
“The goal was to present verified accomplishments of the Buhari administration and shape public perception during a politically-critical period,” he said.
Under the initiative, Lai Mohammed said ministers were required to present “concrete, evidence-based reports” on their respective sectors, followed by interactive question-and-answer sessions with journalists.
“Each session includes a robust question and answer segment during which journalists critically interrogated the presentations and sought clarifications,” he wrote.
He also added that the ministry also deployed a multi-platform communication strategy to ensure the materials reached a wide audience across traditional and digital platforms.
Lai Mohammed added that the ministry revealed “legacy documentation tools” on February 22, 2023, three days prior to the presidential election. These tools included a documentary, a series of testimonies, an electronic and print compilation of accomplishments, and a legacy portal.
He said that the portal functioned as a worldwide digital library that contained all of the scorecard series’ presentations.
“The scorecard series was undoubtedly one of the most innovative and impactful electioneering campaign strategies in Nigeria’s recent political history,” he said.
“It provides Nigerians, ahead of the elections, with direct unfettered access to the achievements of the outgoing administration.
“It offered detailed, ministry-by-ministry presentations and highlighted concrete policy achievements, infrastructural developments and sectoral reforms.
“By doing so, it not only set the tone for the constructive political discourse, but also powerfully reinforced the ruling party’s campaign message across the length and breadth of the country.”
Lai Mohammed contended that the tactic changed the campaign’s dynamics by compelling opposition parties to address documented records instead of promoting what he called baseless allegations.
“By placing verifiable facts and government achievements directly in the hands of the citizens, it compelled the opposition to constantly play catch-up,” he said.
According to Lai Mohammed, anchoring the campaign on documented performance helped the ruling party reconnect with undecided voters and counter what he described “deliberate misinformation”, while reaffirming the influence of strategic communication on electoral outcomes.
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