- By Femi Alabi
Vice-President Kashim Shettima has on Tuesday highlighted the critical role of authentic journalism in safeguarding democracy.
He implored Nigerians to uphold truth and integrity in the face of misinformation and falsehood that threaten the fabric of society.
Shettima made the call on Tuesday in Abuja at the presentation of a book titled “Beating All Odds: Diaries and Essays on How Bola Tinubu Became President”.
The book is written by a veteran journalist and literary artist, Sam Omatseye.
“Nigerians need more men and women of courage.
“I hope that this marks the beginning of our commitment to truth, our dedication to integrity and our resolve to push for a nation that comes together to choose the truth over a lie,”
Shedding light on the challenges faced in the lead-up to the 2023 presidential elections, Shettima extolled Omatseye’s literary prowess and unwavering commitment to truth.
“Whoever possesses the power to craft words into memorable sentences is an army of one, especially when they see the world through three dimensions.
“Mr Sam Omatseye stands as a courageous sentinel for our history.
“He transcends the omissions of those who shy away from truth in the most uncomfortable places and in the scariest of circumstances.
“Omatseye is both a hero of the people and an intellectual. I am excited to celebrate today,” he said.
“The build-up to the last presidential elections in Nigeria revealed a peculiar type of writers and bloggers.
“These authors, devoted to political fantasy, have dedicated their lives to crafting false narratives and outright fabrications to sow chaos.
“Mr Omatseye didn’t only set out to share his personal diaries as a well-read political historian, he has given the world a three-dimensional view.
“Successfully, the author underlined both the delicate and the concrete turns of events that led to this electoral outcome,” he said.
On President Tinubu, the central character of the book, Shettima said, even, those trying to dent the image “know fully well that the President is a political phenomenon”.
“His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu, is a political phenomenon; even those who attempted to undermine him live to confess to this fact.
“The President’s years of building people and relationships played out during the elections and this book provides sufficient material for curious minds,”
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Earlier, the Chairman of the occasion, former Governor, Segun Osoba of Ogun state, commended the effort of the author of the book.
Osoba described Omatsaye as a versatile writer whose mastery of words is captured in his portrayal of events during the electioneering period.
According to him, the book chronicles the interventions of Omatseye in the 2023 presidential elections and an important process in the life of the country.
He also thanked the author for his belief in President Tinubu’s commitment to the Nigerian project.
Osoba gave assurances that the administration would take courageous decisions to address current challenges in the polity.
For his part, the author described the book as his own attempt to put in context all that transpired during the 2023 electioneering period.
Omatseye also said that the book was his modest contribution to the advancement of democracy in the country.
Mr Louis Odion, the book reviewer, described it as a meticulous chronicle of the most divisive presidential election in the history of Nigeria