Bayo Omoboriowo, who is the Chief Official Photographer to President Muhammadu Buhari prior to his days as president in 2015, reveals how the president’s pictures always portray his real personality. Having released two photobooks of the president: a 314-page ‘Buhari a new beginning’ and 330-page ‘Being Buhari’, he declared that the president doesn’t fancy posing for pictures. He spoke with some members of the State House Press Corps. Augustine Ehikioya was there.
You just launched a new photobook, ‘Being Buhari’, which the president unveiled on Tuesday; what prompted this?
First and foremost, ‘Being Buhari’, is a sequel to the first book I did in 2016, which was titled, ‘Buhari: A new Beginning’. The essence is to chronicle the experience and journey of President Buhari in the last four years. As a photographer, one of the things I have learnt is to ensure that these images created are preserved. Much more than being preserved is to ensure that even as you use the image as a means of communication, history is documented. My children should be able to look back at these images and understand what happened between 2015-2019.
For me, I always tell people that photography is a means of communication; but much more than that, with the way the social media is going, aside postings on social media or being used on the pages of newspapers, what will history look forward to 10 years from now? When I look at the images and the things our parents kept, books of Obafemi Awolowo, Wole Soyinka, Nnamdi Azikiwe, I also want to ensure that we are not carried away by the technology of these recent times. I’m looking at a situation whereby the hard copies can be preserved in schools, homes and for international audience, so that they can understand that there is so much more to Nigeria than what they hear on the outside.
What are you trying to tell Nigerians by entitling the book, ‘Being Buhari’?
One of the things I have done about the images of President Buhari is the reality of who the president is. Every picture you will see in the book is the reality of who he is: as a father, as the president, when in bilateral relations or during international engagements. All what you see is just he being himself, nothing doctored or enhanced. It is the reality of what he has been in the last four years. For instance, people don’t know that he is not the kind of person who wants to pose for images.
What story of Nigeria between 2015-2019 are contained in the photobook?
The struggle to rebuilding Nigeria; the President’s effort in fighting insecurity; his effort to ensure corruption is not swept under the carpet; his effort and that of his team at rebuilding the economy of Nigeria, the efforts of the team in ensuring that the presidency of Buhari delivers. As much as possible, a complete story of where we were in 2015, how far we have journeyed to 2019 and also inspiration for the next 4 years.
What is the impression you want people to take away from the book?
I want people to go back with the impression that in spite of how the media has reflected him, this is the reality of who the president is. This is what he has done; this is the reality of his person, his humility, his love for people, his endurance spirit, his doggedness, his interest in ensuring that leading Nigeria is not just by words of mouth, and that he is determined to make Nigeria a better country, to move this country forward and to craft the perception that he means well for this country.
(The Nation)
