According to the President: Lessons from a Presidential Spokesman’s Experience

₦10,000.00 – ₦20,000.00

Available 9th of July 2025
In According to the President, veteran journalist and former presidential spokesman Mallam Garba Shehu offers a compelling, behind-the-scenes account of his two decades at the intersection of media, politics, and governance in Nigeria. Drawing from his unique vantage point as spokesman to two of Nigeria’s most influential political leaders—Vice President Atiku Abubakar and President Muhammadu Buhari—Shehu delivers a thoughtful and richly detailed narrative that doubles as both a memoir and a professional guide.

The book is as much a reflection on Nigeria’s democratic journey as it is a practical handbook for students of journalism, political communication, and public relations. Through ten engaging chapters, Shehu walks readers through the highs and lows of his career—from his humble beginnings as the son of a driver in Dutse and Kano to his eventual rise to the corridors of power in Aso Rock.

He recounts his early journalistic career with the NTA and Triumph newspapers, his baptism of fire during the turbulent Obasanjo-Atiku rift, including arrests, detentions, and a court trial that tested his professional resilience. The author then takes readers through his return to the presidential villa as media director of Buhari’s 2015 campaign and ultimately as one of Nigeria’s most recognisable presidential spokesmen during the eight-year Buhari administration.

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At the heart of the book lies a robust documentation of the Buhari presidency. Shehu captures the former president’s leadership style, policy priorities, and quiet but firm approach to governance—from anti-corruption reforms and social investment programmes to infrastructure expansion and transparency measures like the Treasury Single Account (TSA) and the BVN. The book also provides insight into Buhari’s personal habits, values, and his complex relationship with public perception.

Through chapters on media briefings, crisis communications, and the art of managing criticism, Shehu offers hard-won lessons to practitioners on how to navigate the often-turbulent waters of public communication. The book also contains rare documents, compendiums of presidential achievements, and a critical essay on fake news by renowned communications scholar Prof. Charles Okigbo.

Blending anecdote with analysis, and memory with mentorship, According to the President is both a personal story of survival and success, and a professional roadmap for aspiring communicators seeking to serve in high-stakes environments. It is a timely contribution to Nigeria’s contemporary political literature and a tribute to the enduring role of communication in governance.