President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria will hold his first media chat on December 30, Wednesday, at the State House, Abuja. Premium Times reports that presidential insiders said the chat, scheduled for 7pm, would be aired live on some television and radio stations as well as other platforms. Buhari was elected president in March 2015, becoming the first opposition candidate to unseat an elected Nigerian president through the ballot box. After a dynamic political campaign, Nigerians effectively managed a comparatively peaceful electoral process and government transition.
However, the incumbent leader of the nation has come under severe criticism due to his regular support of foreign media since assumption of office. President Buhari often made essential policy statements when he travels on official engagements outside Nigeria. It is not clear if the media chat by the president would accept calls from the public, apart from a panel of the reporters.
During the past government of Goodluck Jonathan Nigerians were asked to forward questions to the president or call the chat room, but the telephone lines were continually put on busy mode, while the questions sent through social media platforms were hardly measured. Jonathan held last presidential media chat before the elections in February when he has assured the people and the rest of the world that he is, as ever, determined to midwife a free and fair poll.