The 2023 presidential election in Nigeria has come and gone but the recognised heroes of the victory of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should, as expected by many Nigerians, be rewarded politically for their immense contributions to make that victory possible. The contributions to the victory of Mr President by Dr. Kailani Mohammed cannot be overemphasised as he worked relentlessly to make the victory possible.
The 2023 presidential election was an epic contest of messaging. The battle cut across the different platforms of the print, digital and social media. At a time when the strategic tussle ensued over who could captivate more minds and hearts, and, above all, attract and hold the attention of the polity long enough to get them to commit to voting for the candidature of Tinubu came a man called Kailani Mohammed, the director general of the Confederation of APC Support Groups.
To say that his eventual entrance into the fray of those who independently took ownership of the campaign for the victory of President Tinubu has made him one of the main heroes of President Tinubu’s is a fact that cannot be contested. Engineer Mohammed is the founder of the confederation APC Support Groups which was at the core of the campaign for President Tinubu’s victory. His campaign organisation was involved in the digital campaign initially but that engagement quickly expanded to encompass planning, design and production management for print, outdoor and mechanising, call it cost of exceeding expectations, if you will, for the sake of the victory of Tinubu.
Kailani Mohammed through his campaign group put together a team comprising media gurus having over a decade experience in brand strategy and communications for political campaigns using the media to come on stage to put together a headline-grabbing work for the “Renewed Hope” campaign message of President Tinubu. In the sphere of political advertising and campaigning, it takes from three to six months or more for a messaging strategy to pique the interest of the polity. However, within 40 days that Mohammed assembled his team, they succeeded in making the campaign for the presidency of Tinubu a movement and the talk of the nation leading to his victory in the APC primaries and the main presidential election.
This strategy helped in no small way in developing the identity system and messaging that tied everything together; from advertising to digital content and mechandising for the Tinubu/Shettima ticket across the nation. This includes an impressive content development and digital advertising programme for the campaign showcasing the strength and values of the Tinubu/Shettima ticket thereby converting millions of Nigerians into voting advocates for the Tinubu/Shettima ticket in the process.
Dr Mohammed’s commitment, experience and strategies supported it’s acceptance by the general public as a vessel which pivotal to influencing truthfully the eyes and minds of the voting public. With its self assigned and entrusted campaign responsibilities which he jealously took ownership of, his team became the central grassroots campaign hub of the Tinubu project. This was undertaken by his team which was always engaged in a 24/7 operation complete with sleepless nights, constant travels and round-the-clock strategy meetings and meeting the press sessions across the country.
Today, we can say that if there is any independent campaign arm for the victory of a presidential candidate in the history of our country, that ended with an overwhelming positive appraisal, it is the Dr. Kailani Mohammed’s created support group. He did this by adopting the most iconic line his team had developed using the media. With his team work speaking for itself, Mohammed launched himself into voluntary service for the campaign by creating a self funded mini-digital campaign which sought to introduce the APC presidential candidate to young Nigerians while highlighting the pressing national issues using easy to share infographics and flashcards to send his message across and this helped even more in pushing the acceptance of the Tinubu candidacy across the country.
Working on a campaign with multiple moving parts just as Mohammed Kailani did is not challenge free. This is where his leadership as the head of this campaign team proved to be most crucial because of its efficient management structure as a national movement. Kailani Mohammed was able to accomplish the task of developing this successful brand identity and vibrant campaign content by taking advantage of the collaborative platforms provided by the All Progressives Congress (APC). This made it possible for him and his group to work with other groups and persons who brought all manner of insightful and creative contributions to what was adjudged by observers to be the best of all the campaign groups on offer in the 2023 electioneering.
Taking a micro view of his campaign group operations makes one see vividly that they scaled all these hurdles because of team work and the dedicated professionals that delivered over and above on their mandate with enthusiasm and attention to details for the victory of the Tinubu/Shettima which it finally achieved.
Finally, the efforts of Mohammed in the victory of President Tinubu should be rewarded by Mr President. His leadership recruitment efforts should recognise the leadership qualities, patriotism and service of Dr Mohammed, who is today known as one of the major heroes of his victory. We are waiting.
Wada writes from Abuja via 08035937424
