Media analysts hinge Buhari’s success on ‘power of communication’
Marketing communication professionals have simply hinged Muhammadu Buhari’s success in the 2015 presidential election to ‘power of communication.’
Akonte Ekine, CEO of Absolute PR, says Buhari who had not been successful in the last three bids to become Nigeria’s president, this time employed the power of the media and direct message on corruption that Nigerians considered as bane of the country’s underdevelopment.
Buhari’s campaign appeared to have been driven from Lagos, the home of media power, which influenced other states. The media messages and strategy of Buhari promoted by APC was more proactive and firm than Goodluck Jonathan’s.
Lai Osho of Mass Communication Department of Lagos State University says APC was quite professional and adept in the use of media, which they employed to position Buhari, as Jonathan lacked effective communication machinery that failed to position early enough and this gave him out as a weak president considered as not firm.
“Jonathan had problem of perception. Jonathan was not positioned as a good brand and somebody who is firm when compared to Buhari who was projected as thorough man, firm and focused,” Osho says.
During the campaigns, newspapers, billboards, TV, the social media and the roads were taken over by campaign materials. The massive communication assisted to jolt debate and discussion among the citizenry as many groups and individuals, which hitherto could have been lukewarm, had interest in politics.
Another marketing communication practitioner says the investment in communication during the election was unprecedented.