Presidential Media Chat: ‘Buhari was being honest,’ Garba Shehu says

Shehu said Buhari did not pretend, adding that he was not trying to impress anyone.

The Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu said the presidential media chat showed that Mr. President was real and honest.

Shehu said Buhari did not pretend, adding that he was not trying to impress anyone.

Leadership Newspapers reports that the President’s media aide said “He was unpretentious throughout. This alone had the effect of reinforcing his reputation for candour. But he also showed a softer side of himself. He joked, he laughed and showed flashes of frustration and he was characteristically himself: calm, self-confident, composed and not for a moment did he try to be someone other than himself. “

Adding that “The important take-away from my point of view is, beyond there being a “New Sheriff in Town” in the president as Commander-In- Chief, the President used the occasion to go over the heads of the editors to engage the millions of viewers, forcefully driving home his sometimes bitter points of view on a wide variety of issues. He put up a brave presence and a brave defense on key issues of the day –security, corruption, economy and the indivisibility of the country.”

Read: Saraki reacts to Buhari’s comment

“Talking about candour, it is very rare that when asked a question, the leader of a country will say I don’t have the answer, I will seek explanation from so, so or that I will instruct the Central Bank to issue a statement on that. This is why when he speaks the public believes him, because he does so with sincerity. This is something that helps public perception. A leader who knows it all by himself is not what a country need,” Shehu said.

President Buhari held his maiden media chat on Wednesday, December 30, 2015.

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