With the resignation of Ajuri Obari Ngelale, SA Media and Publicity to the President, the presidency need not agonize in searching for a replacement that is equally competent, versatile and experienced.
Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, an award winning Investigative Journalist, shares the double advantage of being a presidency insider familiar with the media function and protocols, having served in the last one year as SSA (Print Media) to the President. Prior to this, he, together with his boss from Daily Trust, Mahmud Jega, were appointed to strengthen the media team of the Presidential Campaign Council.
If the Presidency is conscious of the politics of representation, and seeks to balance in-house positions around the President, Abdulaziz is the best bet to immediately replace Ajuri Ngelale…and this is not some compensation. Abdulaziz fits the bill, fairly and squarely. Before joining the ace print media company, Media Trust, as Deputy Editor and Deputy General Editor, Abdulaziz was already a celebrated journalist with sterling awards to boot. He won twice the Wole Soyinka Prize for Investigative Journalism and the AIM award for the best investigative documentary on, “Nigeria’s Banditry: The Inside Story.” What’s more, the young Abdulaziz worked through the ladder serving as a reporter/correspondent and Bureau Chief for Leadership newspapers, Blueprint and then ace investigative media outfit, Premium Times. Abdulaziz is fully equipped for this job, with some professional trainings in his kitty, added to a prestigious Bachelor and Master of Arts in English from Bayero University, Kano.
The commitment and passion with which Abdulaziz brings to bear in his job of representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and publicising the policies and programmes of the government, especially in the north, is commendable. His vast regular and social media network is rich and could count further in bringing the presidency, what it represents and is doing closer to the vast majority of Nigerians.
And by way of interesting comparison, Abdulaziz shares the same height with Ajuri Ngelale. Both of them are 6.4 feets tall. Any possible replacement for Ngelale must equally stand tall and not shorter. It must be someone who is easily visible to the camera and to the audience.
Behold the new Presidential Spokesman
