INTERVIEW: Why I’m stuck with Atiku – Garba Shehu


Garba Shehu speaks about his relationship with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the the future of journalism in Nigeria.

Garba Shehu, a journalist, and Public Relations Consultant, is a media adviser to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. In this interview with PREMIUM TIMES, he speaks about his relationship with the former number two man for whom he now runs a media office reputed to be the biggest and most effective of any publicity team maintained by any Nigerian politician.

He also speaks about his challenges, the future of journalism in Nigeria and other sundry issues.

Excerpts:

PREMIUM TIMES: Since you left active journalism, not many Nigerians know you with any other job except as  media adviser to former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar. This suggests you have been with the former vice president for a long time. How long have you been in his media team and how did you meet him in the first place?

GARBA SHEHU: When I left my job at the Triumph newspapers in Kano, I went to the Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria, ALSCON, Ikot-Abasi as the Pioneer DGM (Public Relations). It was from there that I joined the Vice President as Special Assistant Media. That was in 2003.

How did I meet him?

I first met His Excellency Atiku Abubakar in the year 2000. That was in the aftermath of two landmark events affecting the political landscape of the country. The 19 Northern Governors had hosted him to a hugely successful rally/event tagged “Reception 2000,” at which event, the political North said to him: “you are our leader, we are all behind you.” President Obasanjo’s courtiers were to seize upon this and rattle the President that his V.P was scheming for power. I think, this was the beginning of the mistrust that led to all those conflicts that followed between the two.

Two, the wind of the so-called “political shari’ah” had blown across the North and by then, nine states had adopted it, one after other, extending its jurisdiction to cover criminal cases.


On the heels of this legal reform, the Vice President at that time chose to side with his boss, declaring Shari’ah in those states as political, and asked for its reversal. Atiku, not Obasanjo, asked the Shari’ah states to revert to “status quo ante.” The Vice President ran into a heavy storm of criticism in the North. It was very clear at that time that he was politically in trouble.



360 

14' 

Garba Shehu

INTERVIEW: Why I’m stuck with Atiku – Garba Shehu

December 8, 2013Festus Owete

Garba Shehu speaks about his relationship with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the the future of journalism in Nigeria.

Garba Shehu, a journalist, and Public Relations Consultant, is a media adviser to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. In this interview with PREMIUM TIMES, he speaks about his relationship with the former number two man for whom he now runs a media office reputed to be the biggest and most effective of any publicity team maintained by any Nigerian politician.

He also speaks about his challenges, the future of journalism in Nigeria and other sundry issues.

Excerpts:

PREMIUM TIMES: Since you left active journalism, not many Nigerians know you with any other job except as  media adviser to former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar. This suggests you have been with the former vice president for a long time. How long have you been in his media team and how did you meet him in the first place?

GARBA SHEHU: When I left my job at the Triumph newspapers in Kano, I went to the Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria, ALSCON, Ikot-Abasi as the Pioneer DGM (Public Relations). It was from there that I joined the Vice President as Special Assistant Media. That was in 2003.

How did I meet him?

I first met His Excellency Atiku Abubakar in the year 2000. That was in the aftermath of two landmark events affecting the political landscape of the country. The 19 Northern Governors had hosted him to a hugely successful rally/event tagged “Reception 2000,” at which event, the political North said to him: “you are our leader, we are all behind you.” President Obasanjo’s courtiers were to seize upon this and rattle the President that his V.P was scheming for power. I think, this was the beginning of the mistrust that led to all those conflicts that followed between the two.

Two, the wind of the so-called “political shari’ah” had blown across the North and by then, nine states had adopted it, one after other, extending its jurisdiction to cover criminal cases.

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On the heels of this legal reform, the Vice President at that time chose to side with his boss, declaring Shari’ah in those states as political, and asked for its reversal. Atiku, not Obasanjo, asked the Shari’ah states to revert to “status quo ante.” The Vice President ran into a heavy storm of criticism in the North. It was very clear at that time that he was politically in trouble.

My senior brother and mentor, Alhaji Wada Maida, the then Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, called me to a meeting of a media strategy group under the National Democratic Project, NDP, an office set up by the Political Adviser to the VP, Dr. Usman Bugaje. When he met us, the VP did not mince his words in telling us that he had a problem and said he needed us to assist him. These words, “please help me” touched me deeply and made me to make an instant buy-in.

PREMIUM TIMES: Atiku is arguably the only Nigerian politician maintaining a functional media office whether in or out of office. Why? And can you share with us how the media office operates?


 

Wednesday 31, Oct

360 

14' 

Garba Shehu

INTERVIEW: Why I’m stuck with Atiku – Garba Shehu

December 8, 2013Festus Owete

Garba Shehu speaks about his relationship with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the the future of journalism in Nigeria.

Garba Shehu, a journalist, and Public Relations Consultant, is a media adviser to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. In this interview with PREMIUM TIMES, he speaks about his relationship with the former number two man for whom he now runs a media office reputed to be the biggest and most effective of any publicity team maintained by any Nigerian politician.

He also speaks about his challenges, the future of journalism in Nigeria and other sundry issues.

Excerpts:

PREMIUM TIMES: Since you left active journalism, not many Nigerians know you with any other job except as  media adviser to former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar. This suggests you have been with the former vice president for a long time. How long have you been in his media team and how did you meet him in the first place?

GARBA SHEHU: When I left my job at the Triumph newspapers in Kano, I went to the Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria, ALSCON, Ikot-Abasi as the Pioneer DGM (Public Relations). It was from there that I joined the Vice President as Special Assistant Media. That was in 2003.

How did I meet him?

I first met His Excellency Atiku Abubakar in the year 2000. That was in the aftermath of two landmark events affecting the political landscape of the country. The 19 Northern Governors had hosted him to a hugely successful rally/event tagged “Reception 2000,” at which event, the political North said to him: “you are our leader, we are all behind you.” President Obasanjo’s courtiers were to seize upon this and rattle the President that his V.P was scheming for power. I think, this was the beginning of the mistrust that led to all those conflicts that followed between the two.

Two, the wind of the so-called “political shari’ah” had blown across the North and by then, nine states had adopted it, one after other, extending its jurisdiction to cover criminal cases.

More in Home

Untold Story: How Nigerian soldiers killed dozens of Shiites in four days

 

Body of missing Nigerian army general ‘found’

 

NLC rejects governors’ N22,500 minimum wage

 

Expert uncovers massive customers’ data leak in Arik

 

Court refuses to order arrest of former PDP Chairman

On the heels of this legal reform, the Vice President at that time chose to side with his boss, declaring Shari’ah in those states as political, and asked for its reversal. Atiku, not Obasanjo, asked the Shari’ah states to revert to “status quo ante.” The Vice President ran into a heavy storm of criticism in the North. It was very clear at that time that he was politically in trouble.

My senior brother and mentor, Alhaji Wada Maida, the then Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, called me to a meeting of a media strategy group under the National Democratic Project, NDP, an office set up by the Political Adviser to the VP, Dr. Usman Bugaje. When he met us, the VP did not mince his words in telling us that he had a problem and said he needed us to assist him. These words, “please help me” touched me deeply and made me to make an instant buy-in.

PREMIUM TIMES: Atiku is arguably the only Nigerian politician maintaining a functional media office whether in or out of office. Why? And can you share with us how the media office operates?

GARBA SHEHU: The media office is hierarchically structured but is operationally run like your regular newsroom. Decisions here are made horizontally. The media operations staff sit around a conference table for daily editorial meetings. We review the print and electronic press and the new media that is now making huge in-roads. Anything touching on Atiku is of interest to us. We discuss all the stories and determine our lines of action. We do pro-active plans and we carry them out as well.

The retention of Atiku Media Office didn’t happen by accident. The principal foresaw it and planned for it. When President Obasanjo fired me six months into my appointment as the V.P’s Spokesman, Atiku’s reaction was that this was better for us. “It is better you operate from outside the government.” At that time, he had an excellent media team in his office – certainly better than what the President had – Chris Mammah, Dr. Ojo Onukaba, Dr. Adeolu Akande and myself but the structures of government posed a peculiar operational challenge that we could not do our best for the Turaki. When I started this office, it never occurred to me that it would come this far.

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https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/151070-interview-im-stuck-atiku-garba-shehu.html

ATIKULOOTERS SHOULD KEEP DIGGING TILL THEY DIG OUT ALL SUPPORTIVE COMMENTS ATIKU MADE TO PMB IN THE PAST.






WE ALL KNOW APC AND PDP IS INTERTWINED SO WE DON'T CARE WHO SAID WHAT, BUT WHO IS DOING AND MAKING MIRACLES HAPPEN.

Two, the wind of the so-called “political shari’ah” had blown across the North and by then, nine states had adopted it, one after other, extending its jurisdiction to cover criminal cases. On the heels of this legal reform, the Vice President at that time chose to side with his boss, declaring Shari’ah in those states as political, and asked for its reversal. Atiku, not Obasanjo, asked the Shari’ah states to revert to “status quo ante.” The Vice President ran into a heavy storm of criticism in the North. It was very clear at that time that he was politically in trouble.

Atiku understands the tag "live and let live", he knows their are muslims and christians in the North, despite being a muslim, despite just being declared leader by the 19 northern states, he stood for equity.

Meanwhile someone was scrambling for spokesman to bokoharam.

.

Hehehheeeehe.... no wonder! Garba Shehu never yab atiku

Expect Garba Shehu to decamp APC soon to join Atiku Abubakar in PDP.