HIS previous career taught Mike Nesbitt how to get the headlines and in the assembly yesterday his media savviness was much in evidence.
On a day when Arlene Foster and Martin McGuinness were being re-crowned Stormont's king and queen, the Ulster Unionist leader stole the show with a surprise announcement that he was leading his party into opposition.
The move itself wasn't entirely unexpected, it was more the timing, which came ahead of the negotiations around the programme for government rather than at their conclusion in a fortnight's time.
On foot of a disappointing election which fell short of the UUP leader's 19-seat target, he knew something drastic was needed to differentiate his party from its larger unionist rival.
The alternative was to take a single seat in the executive, most likely the 'shakings of the bag' and a portfolio that nobody else wanted, instead of the education ministry he has long desired. As it stands that extra seat will go to the DUP.
Meanwhile, thanks to the tireless work of his one-time colleague-turned-adversary John McCallister, Mr Nesbitt can expect to be named leader of the opposition and his party enjoy privileges that were previously unavailable, such as chairing the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and calling debates where the executive's record will be critiqued in detail.
The official opposition will also benefit from research funding and additional speaking rights.
Stormont's big two were accordingly scathing of Mr Nesbitt, who received the unanimous backing of his assembly team. Martin McGuinness said it demonstrated a lack of leadership, while the DUP said the former anchorman had come under internal pressure.
The move means the UUP will now take a back seat for two weeks while the other parties agree a programme for government. The attention will shift to Colum Eastwood and the SDLP, who have also laid down preconditions about the shape of the policy blueprint and the spirit of its implementation.
The Foyle MLA is keeping his powder dry for the time being, labelling the UUP's decision a "stunt", but with prospect of his own minister now assuming a 'whipping boy' role in the executive, the temptation to follow Mr Nesbitt onto the opposition benches must be tempting.
