• Home
  • Anti-Corruption
  • Fact-Check
  • Economy
  • National
    • Government
  • Security
  • Features
  • State
  • Event
    • PR Nigeria Award
  • E-Paper
Search
  • Home
  • About
  • Adverts
  • Contact
Sign in
Welcome! Log into your account
Forgot your password? Get help
Password recovery
Recover your password
A password will be e-mailed to you.
PRNIGERIA PRNigeria News
PRNIGERIA PRNIGERIA
  • Home
  • Anti-Corruption
    • Chinese nationals jailed in Lagos

      Court Jails Nine Chinese Nationals for Cybercrime in Lagos

      ASUU

      Tackle Corruption, Institutional Decay – ASUU Charges FG

      EFCC Arraigns Bauchi Accountant General Over N8bn Fraud as Court Sentences…

      PRNigeria logo fearured image

      EFCC Arraigns Ex-Convict, Other for Naira Abuse in Lagos

      EFCC Arrests 37 Suspected Internet Fraudsters in Ilorin

  • Fact-Check
  • Economy
    • Acting Controller General of Customs, Nigerian Customs Services, NSC, Ag. CG Bashir Adewale Adeniyi

      Customs Exposes Scam Over Form M Migration to B’Odogwu Platform

      CBN

      The Facts About Nigeria’s Debts Burden Under Tinubu’s Watch By Zekeri…

      Ibrahim Yahaya Dandakata of Arewa Economic Forum AEF

      AEF Slams CBN’s New BDC Policy, Cites Threat to Northern Economy…

      Google Search Tech Digest

      7 Smart Google Search Tips That Will Save You Hours By…

      U.S. VISA

      REVEALED: Why US Reduced Visa Validity for Nigerians to 3 Months…

  • National
    • Late President Muhammadu Buhari

      The Passing of a Mighty Warrior by Chief Femi Fani-Kayode

      Secretary to the Government of the Federation

      SGF Akume Leads Presidential Committee for Buhari’s State Funeral

      Late President Muhammadu Buhari

      Northwest Governors Mourn Buhari, Declare Tuesday Public Holiday

      FG Declares Tuesday Public Holiday in Honour of Late Ex-President Buhari

      Yahaya Bello Mourns Passing of Buhari and Awujale of Ijebuland

    • Government
      • Kano Gov Appoints Yusuf Sharada Special Adviser on Digital Economy

        Kogi SEMA To Establish Emergency Operation Centre

        Late President Muhammadu Buhari

        The Passing of a Mighty Warrior by Chief Femi Fani-Kayode

        Secretary to the Government of the Federation

        SGF Akume Leads Presidential Committee for Buhari’s State Funeral

        Late President Muhammadu Buhari

        Northwest Governors Mourn Buhari, Declare Tuesday Public Holiday

  • Security
    • Kogi SEMA To Establish Emergency Operation Centre

      Police Arrest 6 Suspected Armed Robbers in Benue, Recover Firearm, Motorcycle

      Police Officer

      Police Arrest Suspects for Human Trafficking, Rescue Victims in Anambra, Enugu,…

      Police Raid IPOB/ESN Enclave, Arrest 6 Suspects in Enugu

      NDLEA Logo

      NDLEA Arrests Notorious Drug Kingpin, Uncovers Cocaine, Destroys Over 28,000kg Skunk…

  • Features
    • Late President Muhammadu Buhari

      The Passing of a Mighty Warrior by Chief Femi Fani-Kayode

      President Muhammadu Buhari

      Buhari in his Own Words By Kabir Akintayo

      Fame, Fortune, and Fallout: The Peller Paradox By Haroon Aremu Abiodun

      Officers of NSCDC Mining Marshals

      Alake’s Verdict on Mining Marshals By Abdullahi O Haruna Haruspice

      CBN

      The Facts About Nigeria’s Debts Burden Under Tinubu’s Watch By Zekeri…

  • State
    • Kano Gov Appoints Yusuf Sharada Special Adviser on Digital Economy

      Kogi SEMA To Establish Emergency Operation Centre

      Police Arrest 6 Suspected Armed Robbers in Benue, Recover Firearm, Motorcycle

      Police Officer

      Police Arrest Suspects for Human Trafficking, Rescue Victims in Anambra, Enugu,…

      Late President Muhammadu Buhari

      UPDATE: Buhari’s remain for burial Tuesday 2pm – Gov Radda

  • Event
    • Late President Muhammadu Buhari

      Northwest Governors Mourn Buhari, Declare Tuesday Public Holiday

      Late President Muhammadu Buhari

      UPDATE: Buhari’s remain for burial Tuesday 2pm – Gov Radda

      Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Suleja

      NIPOST Appoints Ibrahim Musa Suleja Director of Corporate Communications

      Asiwaju Adegboyega Solomon Awomolo

      47 Years of Excellence: Honoring Asiwaju Awomolo, SAN

      NCoS inmates

      58 Inmates in Kano Sit for 2025 NECO Exams, Thanks to…

    • PR Nigeria Award
  • E-Paper
Home Economy That Tinubu-Elumelu Video and the PR Stunt!
  • Economy
  • National

That Tinubu-Elumelu Video and the PR Stunt!

By
Yushau A. Shuaib
-
March 12, 2023
Tinubu Elumelu in Video
Tinubu Elumelu in Video

That Tinubu-Elumelu Video and the PR Stunt!
By Yushau A. Shuaib

After the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced the former governor of Lagos State and National Leader of the All-Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu as the Nigerian president-elect, ethnic tension and rivalry ensued between supporters of the presidential candidates.

This anxiety has been more palpable and evident in the home state of Tinubu, where his party lost the presidential election to the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi, who is an Igbo from Anambra State.

The aftermath of the election has triggered the latent ethnic rivalries between the Yorubas – largely aborigines or relatives to natives of the space – and their Igbos neighbours – who are mostly from the South-East, in what could be considered a supremacy tussle over the political control of Lagos State.

In this fairly volatile situation, many of the Yorubas appear to want the incumbent governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu to be reelected as governor of the State, while a seeming majority of the Igbos are eager to replace him with the candidate of the Labour Party in Lagos, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, whose mother and wife are Igbos, despite his father being Yoruba.

It was in the thick of these ethnic and political tensions that the Chairman of Heirs Holdings, Tony Elumelu released a video of a visit to his house by the President-Elect, Asiwaju Tinubu in Lagos.

In an Instagram post through which this video has been disseminated, Elumelu writes: “Last (Tuesday) night, I was honoured to receive the Nigerian President-elect at my home. We discussed ways in which the incoming administration must empower and support our immensely talented Nigerian youth. We have so much young potential to unleash.”

The business mogul, who is also the Chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA) and the Transcorp Group, is known for flaunting his celebrity status with powerful connections. Elumelu has created a niche for himself and a strong social media presence, through which he exhibits good-natured humour and sartorial sophistication to his teeming trans-generational followers.

With his pan-African Tony Elumelu Foundation, the banker operates a business model he describes as Africapitalism, which is anchored on building a critical mass of young entrepreneurs to promote social and economic wealth, while also developing the communities in which businesses operate. Importantly, it is hinged on a humanitarian and philanthropic approach in which the general welfare is prioritised, as profits are sought and made towards doing good to humanity.

Therefore, the release of the video at a time that ethnocentric acrimonies have been brewing among two major ethnic nationalities in the country, is from all indications a deliberate communication plot.

Rather than considering the video released from an ambush marketing perspective, it is more of a publicity stunt that has elements of public relations (PR) messaging about the mutual relationship between entrepreneurs in business and politicians in government.

The relationship between the people in business and those governments can be understood through a classic distinction between the politics of support and the politics of power. While the politics of support is concerned with rallying to secure an electoral majority that leads to winning and which can be funded by people in business, the politics of power relates to implementing programmes that can ultimately benefit the people in business.

The video is very clear and considerate of the current mood in the nation, about the aftermath of the presidential election. It starts with Elumelu welcoming Tinubu to his home and referring to him as: “This man with 10 lives. The Last man standing and strong man.” Tinubu quickly and jokingly replies by saying: “I am still standing.”

Read Also:

  • Kano Gov Appoints Yusuf Sharada Special Adviser on Digital Economy
  • Kogi SEMA To Establish Emergency Operation Centre
  • The Passing of a Mighty Warrior by Chief Femi Fani-Kayode

The banker then turns to his left, where Seyi, Tinubu’s son, is and jokes that that the younger fellow is wearing the same kind of dress as his father. He then adds: “Seyi you must be very proud of your father as he is proud of you. You are a good man, Seyi.”

While exchanging pleasantries in the sitting room, Elumelu introduces Ifeyinwa Ugochukwu to Tinubu: “This is the CEO of Tony Elumelu Foundation. She is in charge of the Foundation. So, if you need a young female Minister to come and change the women focus, I can loan her to you….”

Critics who attack Elumelu for hosting the President-Elect fail to realise that Elumelu is not an Igbo from the South-East but one from the South-South state of Delta. An average Delta Igbo is likely to be found and excelling in the public service, academia or in the business world, rather than in partisan politics. The likes of Mrs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Jim Ovia, Louis Edozie, and Godwin Emefiele, among others, from Delta State would rather mind their businesses than engage in partisan politics, although as in most situations, there will always be a few exceptions.

As mentioned earlier, it is not difficult to see that the video is deliberate and designed to achieve some strategic purpose on the delicate relationship between politics and business. Rather than an ambush marketing communication tool, whereby a promoter “capitalises” on an event to position for maximum exposure, while gaining advantage over his or her competitors, the video is essentially a publicity stunt designed to attract the public’s attention to the salient message of the sponsor or promoter.

The video deflects the attention of citizens from the nascent ethnic acrimony in the country and reinforces the fact that serious business people and politicians are not concerned about ethnic chauvinism and religious bigotry. Profiting making and service to humanity are their major priorities.

The video may possibly reawaken warring parties to the fact that after the election, life must go on, and we might as well not destroy relationships necessary for our progress due to surges of emotional connection with identity, as this past presidential election seems to have provoked in many.

More importantly, we all need to focus more on establishing and sustaining relationships built on trust, confidence and harmony towards a better, peaceful and prosperous society.

Meanwhile, some of the takeaways from the video is the fact that Tinubu is truly a Lagos City Boy who is simple, connected to his various constituencies and pragmatic, as evident in his paying a personal visit to worthy allies, despite what some might think are the sectional sentiments or ethnic and religious backgrounds of his host.

It also signifies Tinubu’s inclination to partner with those who can add concrete values towards his lofty aspiration of youth empowerment, considering the records of the Elumelu Foundation in this regard. It buttresses the fact that Tinubu’s allies are across Nigeria and in every sector, as major players who have supported his campaign, both morally and financially.

The Tinubu-Elumelu video has succeeded in its publicity endeavour by staging a newsworthy event that has attracted public attention. By staging the event in his house, the promoter (Elumelu) has also successfully exercised firm control over what the media could report.

In a nutshell, as a PR practitioner, I can say that the Elumelu’s video has curated the major elements of effective publicity exploits, including having great news value, coupled with video and sound bite opportunities choroegraphed primarily for media exposure. In addition, it has gained prominence, and human interest to embody the features of effective public relations, which include reputation management, media (control) management and possibly crisis management, in the very subtle way it explores the soft power of relationships to de-fuse ongoing political situations.

I can see Tinubu hitting the ground running after May 29.

Yushau A. Shuaib is the author of Award-Winning Crisis Communication Strategies and An Encounter with the Spymaster www.YAShuaib.com

VISIT OUR OTHER WEBSITES
PRNigeria.com EconomicConfidential.com PRNigeria.com/Hausa/
EmergencyDigest.com PoliticsDigest.ng TechDigest.ng
HealthDigest.ng SpokesPersonsdigest.com TeensDigest.ng
ArewaAgenda.com Hausa.ArewaAgenda.com YAShuaib.com
  • TAGS
  • Elumelu
  • Peter Obi
  • Tinubu
  • video
Previous articleOIC Excited with Resumption Saudi-Iran Diplomatic Relations
Next articleRivers: NIS Assures Expatriates, Foreign Investors of Adequate Security, Conducive Business Atmosphere
Yushau A. Shuaib
Yushau A. Shuaib
https://prnigeria.com/

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

Late President Muhammadu Buhari

The Passing of a Mighty Warrior by Chief Femi Fani-Kayode

Secretary to the Government of the Federation

SGF Akume Leads Presidential Committee for Buhari’s State Funeral

Late President Muhammadu Buhari

Northwest Governors Mourn Buhari, Declare Tuesday Public Holiday

FG Declares Tuesday Public Holiday in Honour of Late Ex-President Buhari

Acting Controller General of Customs, Nigerian Customs Services, NSC, Ag. CG Bashir Adewale Adeniyi

Customs Exposes Scam Over Form M Migration to B’Odogwu Platform

Yahaya Bello Mourns Passing of Buhari and Awujale of Ijebuland

PHOTOS: Shettima, Gbajabiamila Arrive London to Bring Buhari’s Body Home for Burial

Olusegun Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari

Nigeria Lost Buhari at a Critical Time – Obasanjo Mourns

Late President Muhammadu Buhari

Govs Otti, Bago, Adeleke, Ooni, others mourn Muhammadu Buhari

Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida IBB and Late Muhammadu Buhari

Full Text of IBB’s Tribute to Late President Muhammadu Buhari

Late President Muhammadu Buhari

Tinubu Mourns Buhari, Orders 7 Days of National Mourning, Full State Honours

Fame, Fortune, and Fallout: The Peller Paradox By Haroon Aremu Abiodun

Recent Posts

  • Kano Gov Appoints Yusuf Sharada Special Adviser on Digital Economy
  • Kogi SEMA To Establish Emergency Operation Centre
  • The Passing of a Mighty Warrior by Chief Femi Fani-Kayode
  • SGF Akume Leads Presidential Committee for Buhari’s State Funeral
  • Police Arrest 6 Suspected Armed Robbers in Benue, Recover Firearm, Motorcycle
  • Home
  • About
  • Adverts
  • Contact
© 2020 PRNigeria. All Rights Reserved.
Latest News
Kano Gov Appoints Yusuf Sharada Special Adviser on Digital EconomyKogi SEMA To Establish Emergency Operation CentreThe Passing of a Mighty Warrior by Chief Femi Fani-KayodeSGF Akume Leads Presidential Committee for Buhari’s State FuneralPolice Arrest 6 Suspected Armed Robbers in Benue, Recover Firearm, MotorcycleNorthwest Governors Mourn Buhari, Declare Tuesday Public HolidayFG Declares Tuesday Public Holiday in Honour of Late Ex-President BuhariJUST IN: FG Declares Tuesday Public Holiday to Honour BuhariWalson-Jack Inaugurates Editorial Team for Civil Service Legacy BookPolice Arrest Suspects for Human Trafficking, Rescue Victims in Anambra, Enugu, EdoCustoms Exposes Scam Over Form M Migration to B’Odogwu PlatformUPDATE: Buhari's remain for burial Tuesday 2pm - Gov RaddaYahaya Bello Mourns Passing of Buhari and Awujale of IjebulandBuhari in his Own Words By Kabir AkintayoPHOTOS: Shettima, Gbajabiamila Arrive London to Bring Buhari’s Body Home for Burial
X whatsapp