Shuaib Counters Onanuga, Defends Jonathan’s Economic, Security Record

By Franklin Adole

Award-winning journalist and crisis communication expert, Yushau Shuaib, has faulted Presidential Spokesperson Bayo Onanuga for his recent attack on former President Goodluck Jonathan, insisting that the ex-leader’s record in both economic management and the fight against Boko Haram is too strong to be casually dismissed.

In a strongly worded commentary published on the back page of KTH Daily today and titled “Bayo Onanuga: Between ‘Bolekaja’ Publicity and Public Relations”, Shuaib, who is also the Publisher of PRNigeria, accused Onanuga of abandoning the principles of strategic public relations for “black propaganda” in his lengthy statement castigating Jonathan and former Information Minister, Prof. Jerry Gana.

Onanuga, a veteran journalist himself, had described the Jonathan years as marked by “dismal records” of corruption and mismanagement, while warning the former president against aligning with old PDP stalwarts. But Shuaib dismissed the remarks as revisionist and unbecoming of a professional of Onanuga’s stature.

“Under Jonathan (2010–2015), Nigeria’s economy experienced relative stability,” Shuaib wrote. “The naira hovered around ₦150–₦165 to the dollar, GDP growth averaged 6–7%, and inflation remained within single digits for some years. In 2014, Nigeria became Africa’s largest economy after a GDP rebasing.”

By contrast, he noted that Tinubu’s government is battling a naira exchange rate of about ₦1,500–₦1,650 to the dollar, inflation above 20%, and slower GDP growth, figures which, in his view, speak for themselves.

Shuaib also countered Onanuga’s attempt to diminish Jonathan’s security record, pointing to documented evidence of major military gains against Boko Haram in 2015.

Citing his book, “Boko Haram War: An Encounter with the Spymaster”, he recalled how the Nigerian military, under then-National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki, reclaimed key towns in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe States, including Bama, Monguno, Gwoza, Michika, and Mubi. He further referenced the rescue of 234 abductees from Sambisa Forest in April 2015 as a milestone achievement mischievously overlooked by revisionist accounts.

“Military press releases and pictorial evidence confirm these victories,” Shuaib stressed, warning that denying such progress “diminishes credibility.”

Beyond facts and figures, Shuaib argued that the real failure lay in Onanuga’s approach to presidential communication, which he likened to Bolekaja street-brawling. He cautioned that by trading diplomacy for confrontation, Tinubu’s media handlers risk alienating potential allies and undermining the President’s credibility.

“Public relations is not about shouting down critics; it is about persuasion, bridge-building, and protecting one’s principal from needless controversies,” he noted. “A presidency that claims to offer renewed hope should not be defined by old-school propaganda and needless quarrels.”

Shuaib advised Onanuga to reflect on the core values of PR: restraint, maturity, and credibility, rather than indulging in what he described as “noise that fades.”

“Tinubu deserves better. Nigerians deserve better,” he concluded. “A leader’s image is too precious to be squandered on avoidable verbal brawls.”