Lai Mohammed, former minister of information and culture, has said a carefully planned media strategy played a key role in the victory of All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2023 general election.
Gatekeepers News reports that Mohammed made the claim in his newly released book, Headlines and Soundbites: Media Moments that Defined an Administration, where he reflected on his time in the Muhammadu Buhari government and the political atmosphere leading to the election.
According to him, the strategy was designed to counter persistent claims by opposition parties that the APC-led administration had no achievements and therefore did not deserve to remain in power. He said such claims were repeatedly pushed to weaken public confidence in the government ahead of the polls.
Mohammed described the claims as a deliberate effort to discredit the administration and the ruling party. He wrote, “As the popular aphorism goes ‘Say it loud, say it often, and it no longer matters if it’s true’”.
He explained that his response was a structured approach aimed at openly presenting government achievements while directly challenging what he called false narratives. He said the plan was put into action 130 days before the election, on October 18, with the launch of the PMB Administration Scorecard Series, which covered the period from 2015 to 2023.
He said, “The goal was to present verified accomplishments of the Buhari administration and shape public perception during a politically-critical period.”
Mohammed noted that ministers were required to present detailed reports backed by evidence on activities in their ministries, followed by question-and-answer sessions with journalists.
He wrote, “Each session includes a robust question and answer segment during which journalists critically interrogated the presentations and sought clarifications.”
He added that the ministry used both traditional and digital platforms to ensure wide public access to the information. He also disclosed that three days to the presidential election, on February 22, 2023, the ministry released what he called legacy documentation tools, including documentaries, testimonies, printed and electronic records, and a digital portal.
According to him, the portal provided global access to all scorecard presentations. He wrote, “The scorecard series was undoubtedly one of the most innovative and impactful electioneering campaign strategies in Nigeria’s recent political history.”
He added, “It provides Nigerians, ahead of the elections, with direct unfettered access to the achievements of the outgoing administration.”
Mohammed argued that the approach shifted the campaign focus by forcing opposition parties to respond to documented records instead of unverified claims. He said, “By placing verifiable facts and government achievements directly in the hands of the citizens, it compelled the opposition to constantly play catch-up.”
He concluded that grounding the campaign on documented performance helped reconnect with undecided voters, counter misinformation, and showed how strategic communication can influence electoral outcomes.
