At the recent public presentation of the book According to the President by Mallam Garba Shehu, former presidential spokesperson, precisely on July 9, 2025, a moment of unexpected eloquence and emotion stole the spotlight. Amidst a sea of statesmen and dignitaries including former Head of State General Yakubu Gowon, former Vice Presidents Atiku Abubakar and Yemi Osinbajo, and a host of ministers and public figures a young boy, no older than nine, confidently approached the podium. Clad in a flowing white babanriga, he moved with the grace of royalty and the command of a seasoned orator.

With the calm precision of someone far beyond his years, he adjusted the microphone, glanced at the press cameras, and began his speech:

I am the Buhari in us, not just the man, but the meaning. He was a lion, not in his robe, but in his restraints. He walked like a whisper through a marketplace of noise, unshaken by apples, unburned by insults. He wore power like plain clothes, no embroidery, no excess, only weight.

The hall fell silent. All eyes locked on the boy, mouths agape, stunned by the weight of his words and the measured cadence of his voice. He spoke not just with eloquence, but with the conviction of one who believed deeply in what he said.

He portrayed former President Muhammadu Buhari as a quiet but resolute leader a man of integrity, discipline, and restraint, who chose national interest over personal gain. His poetic tribute painted a portrait of a leader rarely seen in Nigerias often loud political landscape.

What struck me most was not merely the childs elegance, stage presence, or mastery of language though all were impressive but the legacy he clearly inherited. This young boy, named after Muhammadu Buhari himself, is the son of Haruna Abdullahi, popularly known as Haruspice a name familiar to many in Nigerias political communication circles.

For more than a decade, I have known Haruspice as a passionate and unwavering supporter of Buhari. Remarkably, his devotion wasnt born of appointment, patronage, or political favour. He held no official position under Buharis administration, yet he defended him with a fervour that sometimes even made close associates like myself slightly uncomfortable particularly when the Presidents decisions merited public scrutiny.

Haruspice responded to criticism of Bihari with articulate, persuasive counter-narratives, grounded in loyalty and genuine conviction. His dedication culminated in the publication of The Buhari in Us, a book that presented Buhari as a symbol, a spirit, and a philosophy of governance grounded in simplicity, discipline, and service.

As someone who hae also admired Buhari from my university days even penning an article titled In Defence of Buhari as far back as 1990 I approached Haruspices book with both interest and critical scrutiny. I eventually published a reflective review titled Image Repair Theory on The Buhari in Us, in which I analysed the book through the lens of the Image Repair Theory (IRT), a crisis communication framework often employed in public relations to defend reputations under threat.

Haruspices work, I noted, masterfully employed IRT strategies such as denial, evasion of responsibility, reduction of offensiveness, and corrective action. His literary flair and persuasive rhetoric were undeniable. But I also pointed out inconsistencies and selective narrations that often accompany such deeply personal, emotionally charged tributes. I warned that while the book was a powerful defence of Buhari, it sometimes crossed into hagiography blurring the lines between fact and reverence.

Nonetheless, Haruspice never wavered in his passion. It is, therefore, no surprise that he groomed his son in the same school of thought, instilling in him the values, charm, and eloquence that marked his own public engagements.

Just days after the book launch came the shocking news of President Buharis passing. Since then, both father and son have continued to pay emotional tributes across various platforms. Their social media pages have become digital archives of praise filled with videos, prayers, and reflections honouring the late leader.

In one especially touching video posted shortly after Buharis death, the young boy appeared visibly heartbroken, yet composed. He spoke in English, interspersed with Arabic verses:
Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajiun… My heart is sullen and heavy over the loss of my hero, President Muhammadu Buhari… Oh Allah, rest his soul and grant him Aljannatul Firdaus…

The boys tribute was not just moving it encapsulated a lineage of loyalty and respect passed down from father to son. In a society where political allegiances often shift with the winds of fortune, the constancy of Haruspice and his young sons admiration for Buhari is a poignant reminder that leadership, regardless of its complexities, can inspire enduring reverence.

President Muhammadu Buhari was a man who sparked admiration and provoked criticism in equal measure. His legacy, like that of many leaders, is layered with achievements, missed opportunities, controversies, and convictions. Yet, in the eyes of some like Haruspice and his son he remains a symbol of quiet strength, national service, and moral restraint.

The young Buharis voice may have echoed through a room of Nigerias political elite, but its real impact lies beyond the event. It speaks to the power of parenting, storytelling, and belief. Whether or not one agrees with the poetic depiction of Buharis legacy, one cannot deny the emotional sincerity and intellectual clarity with which it was delivered.

In that childs voice, one heard not just a tribute to a leader, but a call for a nation to remember and perhaps rediscover the values of discipline, patriotism, and restraint. In an age of noisy leadership, the whisper of Muhammadu Buhari junior (Jnr) rang loud and true.

Yushau A. Shuaib is the author of “An Encounter with the Spymaster”
Email: yashuaib@yashuaib.com

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It was 24 hours after the official release of my book, “An Encounter with the Spymaster” in July 2017 that I received an invitation from a top retired Airforce officer for a meeting with the then Director General of Department of State Service (DSS), Lawal Daura.

Before the invitation, a Presidential spokesperson, Mallam Garba Shehu had publicly attacked the book in a press statement which he described as “an attempt to rewrite the history of the War on Terror Campaign.”

Though I was not sceptical or apprehensive about the scheduled meeting that day, I nevertheless told the retired military officer that I wouldn’t be able to attend because I was on a casual dress of Jeans and T-Shirt instead of my usual traditional attire for public outings and visitations.

The Officer countered that my dress did not matter. I, therefore joined the team comprising top retired officers from the Nigerian Airforce, Navy, Army, intelligence Services and a strategic officer. Present at the meeting were top DSS directors with the Director-General himself.

Meanwhile, that visit to the DSS Headquarters afforded me the second opportunity of a face-face encounter with Lawal Daura. I had previously met him at Heathrow Airport, London on the night of May 14, 2017, probably after he might have met President Muhammadu Buhari who was then on Medical Vacation in Britain.

Though one could have misgivings on some of his official roles, Daura naturally wears infectious smiles, decked with disarming contour of glowing white beards. The aura projected him as a harmless and innocent person who cannot hurt a fly. I walked up to him and surprisingly, he responded calmly and briefly to my penetrating questions about his office, especially on his refusal to appoint a spokesperson for his agency and other contentious issues. With reassurance, he gave what he called genuine reasons for the excuses and excesses.

That visit to his office, afforded him the opportunity to inform us about major accomplishments and some misgivings about his office. Ever-smiling, Daura was eloquent, smart and intelligent in response to some of the issues we discussed.

Daura who was sacked a few days after his 65th birthday, was born in Daura, Katsina State and started his career in the State Security Service in 1982 and rose to the rank of Director. He was once a spokesperson of the agency and Deputy Director Presidential Communication, Command and Control Centre at the Abuja. He also served as the State Director of Security Service at various times in Kano, Sokoto, Edo, Lagos, Osun and Imo States.

It’s not unlikely that some of his achievements may have been overshadowed by the many controversies trailing his tenure as the Director General of the agency. He was particularly responsible for the release of many hostages from the Boko Haram gulag. In fact, the release of UNIMAID lecturers, including a group of oil explorers and policewomen that were held captive for more than half a year could be attributed to his efforts. His agency played prominent roles in the alleged exchange of Boko Haram Commanders with many Chibok and Dapchi Girls. The agency was also directly involved in the arrest of major kidnap kingpins and top ritualists and provided intelligence to other services for such arrests nationwide.

He was also responsible for the arrest of a member of the controversial AVM John Ode Presidential Arm Probe Panel for alleged extortion on behalf of other members and for money laundering and illegal possession of firearms. The suspect, retired Air Commodore Mohammed Umar was nevertheless illegally detained for five months by DSS before he was released after a threat by Justice Dimgba.

There was also the glaring inter-agency rivalry among security agencies which triggered the DSS to submit two damning ‘security report’ on EFCC Boss, Ibrahim Magu to the Senate, warning lawmakers not to confirm his colleague’s appointment. Lawal Daura only reported directly to President Muhammadu Buhari and no one else.

It is an undeniable fact that in the three years of Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, the DSS under Lawal Daura has succeeded in some of its statutory mandates but unfortunately, it is notorious in defying the constitution by disobeying court orders and detaining citizens arbitrarily.

While it sounds childish the claim by political elements that the recent siege on NASS was a conspiracy between Lawal Daura and Senate President Bukola Saraki, the question on the lips of many and begging for an answer is: could the Kwara man be more influential and sophisticated than the Number One man from Katsina?

Could the same Senate President influence the flagrant disregard of court orders by DSS in the illegal detentions of former National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki, and a leader of the Shiite movement, Ibrahim el-Zakzaky since 2015?

Could Saraki have engineered the October 2016 dead-in-the-night invasion of homes of senior judges across the country by the DSS with the arrest of seven judges, including two of the Supreme Court who were later discharged except one that died during the trial?

Who could have also influenced the violation of a court order and forcible ejection of Former DG DSS, Kayode Are from an Ikoyi property in December 2015?

Have we forgotten in a hurry how in November 2017, the EFCC secured an order to arrest Ita Ekpeyong, a former DG DSS and this action was scuttled due to the activities of DSS under Lawal Daura and the roles he played in the saga involving Ayo Oke, the erstwhile DG of NIA?

Could another opposition element to President Buhari also used DSS to clampdown and arrest several lawmakers of Ekiti State House of Assembly in March 2016 and the invasion of the National Assembly and stealing of the Mace of the Senate of the Federal Republic by thugs suspected to have been procured by an APC Senator, Ovie Omo-Agege, from Delta State in April 2018?

On whose directive was the unconstitutional attempt to remove Governor Samuel Ortom in Benue State in July 2018 when DSS and the police provided security for eight lawmakers to take over the House of Assembly of 30 members? What about the incident in 2015 when DSS operatives raided the Government House Uyo, Akwa Ibom State purportedly in search of arms, ammunition and a huge stash of United States dollars, and which till date, no charges have been filed three years after? Whose footprints were those?

Were journalists spared the fangs of the white-bearded man? Was it the opposition that ordered Daura’s DSS to detain Jones Abiri, a journalist from Bayelsa State from July 2016 to July 2018 without being charged to court? Were the ‘wailers’ also responsible for the detention of Tony Ezimakor, a journalist with Daily Independent who was threatened to disclose his sources of information?

By the way, who could have influenced the naked display of nepotism where 51 candidates from Katsina were recruited into DSS as against 44 successful candidates from the entire South-East of five states in 2016?

Could Lawal Daura have attained and achieved some of the feats, the pros and cons without the knowledge of the Commander-in-Chief since he only took orders from one person? Or should we agree with the political permutations that his positive deeds are attributed to President Buhari while his negative actions were influenced by the ‘Sarakis’ of this world and other opposition elements?

Your Guess is as good as mine.

Yushau Shuaib
www.YAShuaib.com
yashuaib@yahoo.com

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Garba Shehu, Yushau Shuaib and Children at presentation of a book A Dozen Tips for Media Relations by YAShuaib in Abuja 2005

Rule of Law: Garba Shehu Goofs on Sambo Dasuki
By Yushau Shuaib

The most painful and mind boggling dilemma in issuing rebuttals is the attempt to challenge respected professional colleagues who should know the truth from fallacy. Wrong actions of current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari have compelled some of us to take the pain and risk of disproving false allegations and reckless insinuations on innocent people by those in the corridors of power.

Mallam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to President on Media and Publicity is one of senior professional colleagues who positively impacted in my career by benefitting from their guidance and benevolence (https://goo.gl/RZV6j3).

Meanwhile, with due respect to my elder, I have been thoroughly embarrassed and even shocked that Mallam Garba has been misled in joining the bandwagon of those attacking former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki blindly and baselessly.

While Dasuki has remained in unlawful incarceration since 2015, the system has refused to give him the opportunity to clear his name on frivolous charges against him and occasionally prevented him from appearing in court.

In an attempt to defend the flagrant disobedience to court orders by the Buhari regime, Mallam Garba recently said that the government of Buhari is not ready to release Dasuki because according to him there “were many cases against Dasuki for which he had not been granted bail.”

Mallam Garba was further quoted to have said that “The ex-NSA’s problem is not with President Buhari who I must say has the highest regard for the rule of law. If five courts of the land are trying different cases in which a man is involved and one or two of those courts let the accused persons go home on bail, what happens with the other three cases?”

Mallam Garba should know that Sambo Dasuki was arraigned and charged on bailable offences which all the courts of competent jurisdiction have granted him bail. Since 2015, when Dasuki was arraigned before different high courts, he was granted bail by Justice Adeniyi Ademola and Justice Ahmed Rahmat Mohamed of the Federal High Court as well as Justice Peter Affen and Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf of the FCT High Courts. The ECOWAS Court had also ordered the Federal Government to release him immediately from the unlawful custody and imposed a fine of N15,000,000 on the government but up till now, all the judgments have not been obeyed. There is currently no single court order or a legal warrant for his detention. Rule of Law indeed!

This is not the first time the respected political communicator, Mallam Garba would play to the gallery. On his assumption of office, Garba raised a similar erroneous insinuation against Sambo Dasuki on October 15, 2015, when he told the world at The Red Media Summit in Lagos on how he and others plotted to accuse Sambo Dasuki of coup plotting (Link: https://goo.gl/qqu7r9). He was quoted to have stated thus: “We agreed we were going to run a story announcing that the National Security Adviser at that time, Mr. Sambo Dasuki, was staging a second coup d’etat against Muhammadu Buhari.” As alarming as that statement was, Mallam Garba did not retract the offensive and offending statement. As a respected communicator, he should know better.

Meanwhile few year before then, Malam Garba predicted the challenges Dasuki would face as Fulani man from North-West against Kanuri people of North-East who would frustrate him. He made the assertion immediately after the appointment of Dasuki as NSA by President Goodluck Jonathan in 2012. In his weekly article in Premium Times with the title “Dasuki as NSA: Issues below the Surface,” (Link: https://goo.gl/Hi3Vib) Shehu even recommended and listed some Kanuri people that should have been considered for the appointment.

Mallam Garba claimed that the appointment of Dasuki as a Northerner might produce the direct opposite result of appeasement of the region. According to him “the Boko Haram terror movement is dominated by Kanuri boys, despite the recruitment of volunteers from areas outside Borno and Yobe States. Dasuki’s appointment ignored the historical rivalries between the Kanuris and the North-west or more directly, the Fulani hegemony.”

Buhari’s spokesperson therefore asked “Can a scion of the Fulani royalty, even though a Northerner cultivate the trust and confidence of the Kanuri boys against the background of these historical rivalries? Can a Fulani Northern National Security Adviser conduct negotiations for disarmament with Boko Haram in the face of these historical rivalries? This may be Sambo Dasuki’s biggest challenge.

“Whatever theories may have developed around Sambo’s appointment, the Kanuri factor in the appeasement policy should not be ignored. No confidence building strategy can succeed which ignores the undercurrents of historical rivalries between the Kanuris and the Hausa/Fulani of the north. It is doubtful if the North-East or Borno State in particular, lacks credible retired army officers who can do the job.”

Even though, those fear of my senior brother, Mallam Garba could not be ignored, especially when Dasuki came in at a period Boko Haram members were not only terrorising the North-East but the North-Central and North-West with weekly attacks on worship centres. Nevertheless, the ex-NSA succeeded in restricting terrorists’ notoriety to the North-East before recovering more than 25 towns from the Boko Haram. In fact, the excesses of Boko Haram were curtailed to the effect that 2015 elections were peacefully held throughout the federation, including North-East where governors and legislators were elected without any hitches.

I request my senior brother, Mallam Garba to read my “Open Letter to Femi Adesina” (Link: https://goo.gl/TFdNmP) on some of the achievements of Dasuki in office and the list of over 20 towns recovered during the previous administration. I appeal to professional colleagues in government to avoid playing politics with sensitive security issues that could be misleading.

Yushau A. Shuaib
www.YAShuaib.com
yashuaib@yahoo.com
Abuja

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Their deserving appointments came with confusion and challenges. The two share the same portfolio but with different designations with Femi Adesina named as Special Adviser while Garba Shehu emerged as Senior Special Assistant both on Media and Publicity.

This writer will deliberately avoid dabbling into the politics of the appointment and who is most senior by age, profession, qualification or on the current position. They have each been role models to aspiring journalists and writers.

When I started writing as an undergraduate in Mass Communications Department of Bayero University Kano back in the late 1980 and early 1990s, there was no internet, email or any form of social media to share my opinions. Mallam Garba Shehu as Editor of the then popular Kano state-owned Triumph newspaper encouraged and published my articles.

The channels available to deliver our write-ups then were either directly or through the post office. I delivered mostly directly and on such occasions, Garba Shehu made sure to provide me some token to defray transportation expenses. As he moved on to become General Manager of ALSCON and later Spokesperson to the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, he had always provided moral and kind supports to my aspirations especially on special media projects. He knows how to attract the best team for every campaign.

For Adesina, apart from being addicted to his weekly column in the Sun, I had been inspired by his style of writing in the Weekend Concord in the 90s. He is a brilliant writer who tackles sensitive and critical issues with fun and jokes, yet hitting the nail on the head in eloquent prose. As President of Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and Chief Executive of a leading newspaper, he has intervened in saving difficult situations towards protecting the national pride and integrity. Most current Editors, especially of the traditional media, can attest to those unwritten code for stability in the polity.

Being a PR person, I cannot begin to count the numerous special favours we derived from those great editors who put national interests ahead of the need to publish and be damned at a most tempestuous period in our nation’s history.

The two gentlemen are not only highly qualified and well-experienced professionals they have served as Managing Directors of leading newspapers and at different periods were elected Presidents of NGE.

While commending President Buhari for identifying great talents and professionalism in these two great Nigerians, he should nonetheless have assigned them different portfolios to avoid unnecessary tension and confusion by distinctively defining their roles for information management for the administration. While one may not envisage infighting between the two mature and responsible spokespersons, conflict may arise through the antics of so-called friends, tribesmen, professional colleagues and other interests. Clashes do occur even among Siamese twins not to talk of professionals from different background in term of education, region, political leaning among others.

The President should redefine their portfolio by ascribing relevant nomenclatures to their beats. Apart from media and publicity, there are also portfolios worthy of consideration such as Public Affairs, Press Affairs, and Strategic Communication among others.

Nevertheless, the officers may on their own decide on who among them should be responsible for Media and Publicity and Strategic Communication.

The common role of a spokesperson is to serve as publicist, by providing publicity in timely and professional manners. A Publicity officer must be close to the principal; waking up before the boss and taking leave after the boss. Publicity officer merely acts as megaphone by issuing statements on actions and utterances of the principal. In fact his roles are typical of media reporter who reports what he sees, feels or told.

On the other side, an officer in-charge of Strategic Communication does not require physical presence with the principal. From afar, a communicator is responsible for tracking and monitoring unfolding issues and provides professional advices in handling the communication process. Like media consultants, communication strategist is hardly seen or heard but facilitate the information flows. Whenever he speaks or issues statement, the message carries weight more than that of the regular releases from publicists.

The clear demarcation between a publicity specialist and a communication strategist is like media reporter and media consultant. In ensuring harmonious relationship, the hidden persuader must operate behind the scene while public talker should be visible on the scene. It may be difficult and embarrassing if in current situation, either of the two spokespersons desires to combine the dual roles.

Meanwhile with the appointment of a seasoned journalist, Laolu Akande as the spokesperson to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Garba Shehu or Femi Adesina may take the responsibility of managing the Presidential Publicity rather than Spokesperson to President Muhammad Buhari.

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