Day: October 17, 2025

Moran Global Strategies and the Rise of Tinubu’s Attack Dogs: Communications in the Age of Lobby Wars

By Musa Sunusi Ahmad:

When U.S.-based lobbying firm Moran Global Strategies began making headlines in Nigerian political circles earlier this year, it didn’t take long for the machinery of government-affiliated public relations to swing into motion especially as it link to Biafra. What followed was predictable but troubling: a familiar barrage of attacks, counterattacks, and spin, this time deployed by a growing cadre of online and offline influencers many now dub “Tinubu’s Attack Dogs.”

While political communications has always had its aggressive edges, the current strategy raises serious questions for PR professionals, lobbyists, and policymakers alike: What happens when legacy attack-style messaging clashes with a globalized lobbying architecture? And is the aggressive defensive posture of state-affiliated communicators helping or hurting the Tinubu administration?

The Global Lobbying Game: Welcome to a New Arena

Moran Global Strategies, a firm with access to high-value U.S. political and diplomatic networks, was reportedly contracted by Nigerian stakeholders critical of the current administration. Their task? Shaping the narrative in Washington D.C., possibly influencing policy and perceptions at the State Department, Capitol Hill, and international media outlets.

For the Tinubu administration, the emergence of such a firm wasn’t merely a PR nuisance, it was seen as a threat to international credibility. But instead of quietly countering through backchannel diplomacy or soft power strategy, the response was loud, sharp, and relentless.

The Domestic Strategy: Defend, Attack, Distract

In what has become a pattern, the Nigerian digital media space was flooded with defensive op-eds, combative tweets, and orchestrated smear campaigns. A growing ecosystem of influencers, spokespersons, and anonymous accounts took up the task of discrediting the motives behind Moran Global’s client base, questioning the patriotism of the opposition, and painting the lobbying efforts as “unpatriotic” or even “foreign interference.”

This is classic attack PR, aggressively controlling the narrative by questioning the messenger instead of engaging with the message. It’s a strategy that has worked domestically in Nigeria, where loyalty often matters more than nuance. But on the international stage, this approach can backfire.

Why the “Attack Dog” Strategy Falls Flat Abroad

Unlike domestic audiences, international actors, especially in diplomatic, media, and lobbying circles, don’t respond well to emotional counter-narratives or perceived propaganda. They are trained to detect overreach. When spokespersons and affiliated influencers go on the offensive without offering substance or alternative facts, they risk reinforcing the very narratives they aim to dismantle.

Furthermore, firms like Moran Global thrive on transparency, connections, and credibility. They are not easily intimidated by public tirades. In fact, heavy-handed attacks may embolden them or attract more attention to their messaging.

A Smarter Strategy: Engagement Over Emotion

For a government serious about shaping its international image, engagement, not aggression, should be the preferred tool. This means:

– Leveraging strategic relationships via security attachés and foreign service operatives in Washington and London.

– Contracting rival lobbying firms that can quietly counter narratives and provide an alternative story to foreign policymakers and journalists.

– Using media diplomacy, not Twitter wars, to craft narratives that resonate with international stakeholders.

There is also a need for internal capacity building: PR strategy at this level requires professionals who understand geopolitical nuance, not just digital virality.

Beyond Noise, Toward Strategy

The episode with Moran Global Strategies highlights the evolving nature of political communications in an era of transnational influence warfare. As Nigeria’s global profile grows, the old tactics of silencing opposition through domestic noise will no longer suffice.

If the Tinubu administration wants to protect its image internationally, it must retire the “attack dog” approach and embrace a more sophisticated, strategic, and diplomatic communication model.

In the new global PR battlefield, winning hearts and minds isn’t about shouting the loudest, it’s about speaking the language of influence.

Caution, Not Celebration: Why Nigerians Should Rethink the Applause Over Kemi Badenoch’s Political Challenges.

Her decline in the UK political arena is no cause for celebration, it’s a mirror Nigeria mustn’t ignore.

By Musa Sunusi Ahmad:

As the United Kingdom approaches another critical general election, the Conservative Party is once again embroiled in internal reflection and leadership realignment. Among those in the spotlight is Kemi Badenoch, once seen as a frontrunner in shaping the future of the party and even a potential prime ministerial candidate.

But in recent months, Badenoch’s political capital has appeared to waver. She has faced criticism over her tone, policy gaps, and leadership style. For many, this is part of the natural ebb and flow of political life. For others, particularly in Nigeria, it has been interpreted and, alarmingly, celebrated as a form of failure.

Social media conversations, opinion pieces, and even public statements from some Nigerian figures have framed her political recalibration as just deserts for her so-called “rejection” of her Nigerian heritage. But this reaction is not only shortsighted; it is dangerous and ultimately counterproductive to the national discourse Nigeria needs.

When Critique Becomes Betrayal in the Eyes of the Offended

Kemi Badenoch has never minced words about the dysfunction she witnessed growing up in Nigeria, corruption, weak governance, and systemic inequality. Her reflections were never baseless. They echo the experiences of countless Nigerians at home and abroad.

But instead of engaging her critique with maturity, much of the reaction from Nigerian leaders and influencers has been defensive, an insistence that she’s betrayed her roots, and worse, that her political struggles are evidence of karma.

Let’s be clear: criticism is not betrayal. If Nigeria cannot handle honest assessments from those who have lived its challenges, then it risks insulating itself from accountability, from truth, and from progress.

Why This Celebration Is Misguided

1. Her Political Struggles Are Not a Win for Nigeria

Kemi Badenoch’s leadership decline, if it is to be called that, has far more to do with internal Conservative Party dynamics, strategic miscalculations, and messaging missteps than with anything she said about Nigeria.

To celebrate her waning influence is to confuse correlation with causation. Worse, it sends the message that Nigerians would rather see their diaspora fail than see themselves reflected in a painful truth.

What does that say about the country’s self-perception?

2. It Diminishes the Power of the Diaspora

Nigeria’s diaspora is one of its greatest soft power assets. From finance and education to politics and the arts, Nigerians abroad have excelled despite the odds. Badenoch is part of that story, even if her political ideology doesn’t align with the views of every Nigerian.

To ridicule her efforts simply because she speaks hard truths or aligns with a British political party many disagree with is to weaken the transnational networks Nigeria desperately needs to thrive in a globalized world.

3. It Reflects Leadership Insecurity, Not Strength

When those in public office celebrate the downfall of someone who dared to speak about Nigeria’s challenges from afar, they expose their own discomfort with accountability. It’s a classic deflection, mock the messenger to avoid facing the message.

Instead of deflecting, Nigerian leaders should be asking:

What has Badenoch said about us that might actually be true? And what are we doing about it?

A Moment for Reflection, Not Ridicule

Kemi Badenoch’s political career in the UK has been defined by sharp rhetoric, strong opinions, and a deeply personal story of survival and reinvention. Whether or not she continues to rise in Conservative ranks, her journey remains symbolic of Nigerian potential.

But symbols require interpretation, and that interpretation must be constructive, not petty.

Her decline should prompt reflection, not ridicule. If a woman who escaped a dysfunctional system can rise to political prominence in another country, the question is not why she distanced herself, but why she had to.

Takeaways for Political Communications in Nigeria

For those in PR, political strategy, and public affairs, there are deeper insights to extract from this discourse:

 

– Critique Is Not the Enemy of Patriotism

Branding critique as unpatriotic weakens national credibility and alienates valuable voices.

– Diaspora Relations Require Maturity

Nigeria must foster nuanced, respectful engagement with its Diaspora, not reactive nationalism.

– Narrative Control Is a Strategic Imperative

Allowing the public discourse to devolve into bitterness undermines Nigeria’s international image.

– Celebrate Constructive Engagement, Not Schadenfreude

Mature nations understand that diaspora success, especially in politics, is a lever for influence, not a threat.

Leadership Requires Big Thinking

Kemi Badenoch’s recent political challenges in the UK are not a loss for Nigeria, nor a victory for her critics. They are a reminder of the global playing field Nigerians are already on, and how easily we can fumble the ball with the wrong mindset.

If Nigeria’s leaders and media voices want a better future, they must stop confusing discomfort with disrespect. Criticism, especially from the outside, is not always an attack. Sometimes, it’s the clearest form of care, the kind that doesn’t flatter, but forces reflection.

So no, her political recalibration is not a cause for celebration.

It is a moment of introspection, one Nigeria cannot afford to waste.

Her decline in the UK political arena is no cause for celebration, it’s a mirror Nigeria mustn’t ignore.

By Musa Sunusi Ahmad

As the United Kingdom approaches another critical general election, the Conservative Party is once again embroiled in internal reflection and leadership realignment. Among those in the spotlight is Kemi Badenoch, once seen as a frontrunner in shaping the future of the party and even a potential prime ministerial candidate.

But in recent months, Badenoch’s political capital has appeared to waver. She has faced criticism over her tone, policy gaps, and leadership style. For many, this is part of the natural ebb and flow of political life. For others, particularly in Nigeria, it has been interpreted and, alarmingly, celebrated as a form of failure.

Social media conversations, opinion pieces, and even public statements from some Nigerian figures have framed her political recalibration as just deserts for her so-called “rejection” of her Nigerian heritage. But this reaction is not only shortsighted; it is dangerous and ultimately counterproductive to the national discourse Nigeria needs.

When Critique Becomes Betrayal in the Eyes of the Offended

Kemi Badenoch has never minced words about the dysfunction she witnessed growing up in Nigeria, corruption, weak governance, and systemic inequality. Her reflections were never baseless. They echo the experiences of countless Nigerians at home and abroad.

But instead of engaging her critique with maturity, much of the reaction from Nigerian leaders and influencers has been defensive, an insistence that she’s betrayed her roots, and worse, that her political struggles are evidence of karma.

Let’s be clear: criticism is not betrayal. If Nigeria cannot handle honest assessments from those who have lived its challenges, then it risks insulating itself from accountability, from truth, and from progress.

Why This Celebration Is Misguided

1. Her Political Struggles Are Not a Win for Nigeria

Kemi Badenoch’s leadership decline, if it is to be called that, has far more to do with internal Conservative Party dynamics, strategic miscalculations, and messaging missteps than with anything she said about Nigeria.

To celebrate her waning influence is to confuse correlation with causation. Worse, it sends the message that Nigerians would rather see their diaspora fail than see themselves reflected in a painful truth.

What does that say about the country’s self-perception?

2. It Diminishes the Power of the Diaspora

Nigeria’s diaspora is one of its greatest soft power assets. From finance and education to politics and the arts, Nigerians abroad have excelled despite the odds. Badenoch is part of that story, even if her political ideology doesn’t align with the views of every Nigerian.

To ridicule her efforts simply because she speaks hard truths or aligns with a British political party many disagree with is to weaken the transnational networks Nigeria desperately needs to thrive in a globalized world.

3. It Reflects Leadership Insecurity, Not Strength

When those in public office celebrate the downfall of someone who dared to speak about Nigeria’s challenges from afar, they expose their own discomfort with accountability. It’s a classic deflection, mock the messenger to avoid facing the message.

Instead of deflecting, Nigerian leaders should be asking:

What has Badenoch said about us that might actually be true? And what are we doing about it?

A Moment for Reflection, Not Ridicule

Kemi Badenoch’s political career in the UK has been defined by sharp rhetoric, strong opinions, and a deeply personal story of survival and reinvention. Whether or not she continues to rise in Conservative ranks, her journey remains symbolic of Nigerian potential.

But symbols require interpretation, and that interpretation must be constructive, not petty.

Her decline should prompt reflection, not ridicule. If a woman who escaped a dysfunctional system can rise to political prominence in another country, the question is not why she distanced herself, but why she had to.

Takeaways for Political Communications in Nigeria

For those in PR, political strategy, and public affairs, there are deeper insights to extract from this discourse:

– Critique Is Not the Enemy of Patriotism

Branding critique as unpatriotic weakens national credibility and alienates valuable voices.

– Diaspora Relations Require Maturity

Nigeria must foster nuanced, respectful engagement with its Diaspora, not reactive nationalism.

– Narrative Control Is a Strategic Imperative

Allowing the public discourse to devolve into bitterness undermines Nigeria’s international image.

– Celebrate Constructive Engagement, Not Schadenfreude

Mature nations understand that diaspora success, especially in politics, is a lever for influence, not a threat.

Leadership Requires Big Thinking

Kemi Badenoch’s recent political challenges in the UK are not a loss for Nigeria, nor a victory for her critics. They are a reminder of the global playing field Nigerians are already on, and how easily we can fumble the ball with the wrong mindset.

If Nigeria’s leaders and media voices want a better future, they must stop confusing discomfort with disrespect. Criticism, especially from the outside, is not always an attack. Sometimes, it’s the clearest form of care, the kind that doesn’t flatter, but forces reflection.

So no, her political recalibration is not a cause for celebration.

It is a moment of introspection, one Nigeria cannot afford to waste.