NEWS NUGGET-. Indications emerged on Friday that journalist and creative writer, Tolu Ogunlesi allegedly co-authored an article, by The Economist, which labeled Nigeria’s former president, Goodluck Jonathan, an ineffectual buffoon.

NEWS NUGGET-. Indications emerged on Friday that journalist and creative writer, Tolu Ogunlesi allegedly co-authored an article, by The Economist, which labeled Nigeria’s former president, Goodluck Jonathan, an ineffectual buffoon.
The article also described President Buhari’s approach to dealing with Nigeria’s economic challenges as “crude.”
The article which attracted the condemnation of many Nigerians, saw The Economist trending for hours in the Nigerian social media space.
Tolu Ogunlesi, investigations revealed, has been working as a ‘ghost-writer’ for The Economist. An informed source who did not want to be named disclosed to SIGNAL that Ogunlesi has authored many of The Economist’s articles focused on Nigeria, including the one last year in which the magazine endorsed President Muhammadu Buhari shortly before the elections of March 28, 2015. Ogunlesi is also a regular contributor to foreign newspapers like the Financial Times.
Ogunlesi’s ability to weave unflattering narratives against the Jonathan administration endeared him to Buhari’s presidential campaign and he is reported to have carried out a couple of foreign media hatchet-jobs for the Buhari presidential campaign, chief amongst which was, and still is, to re-write the legacies and accomplishments of Goodluck Jonathan. The logic behind this strategy, is hinged on the idea that if Jonathan is branded and presented to the international community as the worst thing that ever happened to Nigeria, the gains of his administration and his legacies would have been easily eroded, an informed source who did not want to be named told SIGNAL.
“One big challenge of Buhari’s government is the achievements of former President Jonathan which Buhari himself has discovered will be very difficult to surpass. So part of what they are trying to do is blame Jonathan for everything that went wrong with Nigeria, demonize him and make him look weak, corrupt and incompetent so that Buhari can easily smell like roses and pardoned by Nigerians if he is unable to deliver his campaign promises”, the source said.
It wasn’t surprising when in July 2015, news broke that President Muhammadu Buhari had appointed Tolu Ogunlesi as his Special Assistant on New Media. While Ogunlesi is yet to officially resume this duty, months after the announcement, government sources say he is already on the government’s payroll working behind the scenes on a “brief” aimed at demystifying Jonathan and re-writing his legacies.
Taken from ik..Obi