First Lady Patience Jonathan Fires Her Spokesman, Appoints US-Based Satirist As Media Aide

As fresh crisis surrounding the health of the First Lady Mrs. Patience
Jonathan brews, the presidency has fired her spokesman, Mr. Ayo
Osinlu. The news is contained in a press release issued by the
president's Special Assistant on the Media, Dr. Reuben Abati.
Sahara-reporters sources say that the decision to fire Mr. Osinlu was
taken by the First Lady from her hospital bed in Europe. Mrs. Patience
Jonathan was mad at the inability of Mr. Osinlu to provide a foolproof
decoy of a story to distract the media from her current medical
surgeon abroad.
Mr. Osinlu was roundly criticized for the way he handled the news
about the whereabouts of the First Lady last year. During the period,
Mr. Osinlu told journalists that the First Lady went to Germany on
vacation but Mrs. Jonathan later confirmed the story published by
Sahara reporters that she was hospitalized in Germany for weeks.
Our sources in Abuja said that the presidency felt that Mr. Osinlu had
lost credibility with the media establishment and that the First Lady
needed a heavy hitter the way the president recruited Dr. Doyin Okupe
to strengthen his media team that was once in disarray.
All efforts by Sahara reporters to reach Mr. Osinlu by phone and text failed.
In the press release, the presidency named Rudolf Okonkwo as the new
spokesman of the wife of the President. "Mr. Okonkwo," the release
says, "has a good understanding of social media and the internet world
and will use those skills to counter the barrage of lies being peddled
by some disgruntled Nigerians on the web about the person of our First
Lady."
Until his new appointment Mr. Okonkwo was a columnist for
Saharareporters.com and the host of Dr. Damages Show. His satirical
show routinely makes fun of the First Lady as well as mine President
Jonathan's utterances to create an unflattering portrayal of the
president.
Since the announcement all efforts to reach Mr. Okonkwo by phone and
text has failed. Sahara reporters cannot ascertain his whereabouts at
press time.
A friend of Mr. Okonkwo told Saharareporters.com that he was not
surprised at Mr. Okonkwo's acceptance of this position in a government
he had roundly condemned. "The man is as poor as a church rat and I
knew it was a matter of time before he jumped ship," he said. "He is
following the lead of the likes of Reuben Abati and Femi Fani-Kayode.
They are all shameless hypocrites."
The move to appoint Mr. Okonkwo as Mrs. Jonathan's spokesman is seen
by some Aso Rock observers as "a coup" of some sort as one of voices
critical of Jonathan's administration will effectively be silenced.
Speaking to our correspondent, an Abuja based editor who pleaded
anonymity said that he doubted if this appointment would work. "Rudolf
Okonkwo was at one time a promising journalist," he said. "But right
now, for all intents and purposes, he is just a clown. You don't use a
clown to defend another clown."
The Abuja editor went on to say, "I hope this is just an April Fools' joke."