The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has restricted the number of officials authorised to speak on its behalf to three, in a move aimed at streamlining its media engagements and public communication.
Under the new arrangement, the campaign's Director-General, Senator Abdulaziz Yari; Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake; and Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, are the only officials authorised to speak officially for the council.
The decision was announced in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Chief of Staff to the President and Deputy Director-General (Administration) of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.
Gbajabiamila said the restructuring of the Directorate of Media and Strategic Communications was designed to ensure more cohesive, disciplined and effective public engagement.
He directed that all individuals previously announced as spokespersons should henceforth become members of the Directorate of Media and Strategic Communications.
He also advised radio and television stations to take note of the changes, explaining that the campaign council would designate appropriate representatives for media appearances whenever necessary.
The restructuring comes amid public criticism of the campaign's communication team following the controversy involving President Bola Tinubu's campaign spokesperson, Mallam Alwan Hassan, over his failed attempt to demonstrate the functionality of Nigeria's 112 emergency number during a live television interview.
Hassan had appeared on Channels Television, where he told anchor, Seun Okinbaloye, that the emergency line was operational round the clock, with personnel available to respond to distress calls.
He further claimed that Nigerians could access the service without a network connection.
However, when Okinbaloye attempted to call the number several times during the programme, the calls failed to connect. Hassan also attempted to demonstrate the service but was unsuccessful, blaming a possible network problem at the studio.
The explanation was challenged by Okinbaloye, who noted that other telephone numbers dialled from the same location connected without difficulty.
The incident triggered widespread reactions, with Nigerians on social media questioning the government's claims about the effectiveness of the emergency response system.
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) also criticised Hassan, describing the failed demonstration as a national embarrassment and accusing the APC campaign of being unable to defend its claims about public services.
The opposition party urged the ruling party to prepare to leave office in 2027, arguing that the incident reflected broader concerns about the administration's handling of public infrastructure.
Although Gbajabiamila's statement did not directly mention the controversy involving Hassan, the decision to centralise official communication in the hands of three senior officials comes against the background of the criticism trailing the campaign's media engagements.
The new directive is expected to place greater control over the council's public messaging in the hands of Yari, Alake and Idris, while other previously announced spokespersons will remain within the media directorate as members.
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