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Sunday 27 January 2019
Politics Presidential poll: Elite versus illiterate folks Daniel Obi
N
igeria’s presidential election comes up on Fe b r u a r y 1 6 , 2019. The battle is really not between the two major presidential contenders. The presumed tough contest expected to act as compass for Nigerian challenging economy, is certainly between classes of Nigerian electorate who have perhaps made up their mind. Chances therefore, of either Muhammadu Buhari of All Progressives Congress (APC) or Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) or any other presidential candidate occupying Aso Rock from May 29 this year will largely depend on the understanding of the workings and running of the economy or lack of it between the elite class and the common man for the voting pattern. Conversations across platforms indicate that majority of the middle and high class members may want to prefer a tested business manager to run the economy while the low income earners’ choice is largely dependent on immediate and momentary pecuniary gains largely informed by high level of poverty. In June last year, Nigeria emerged as the country with the highest number of poor in the world, overtaking India, according to data from the Brookings Institution. The report adds that six Nigerians become poor every minute. Under this situation, therefore, a few members of elite class will likely resist temptation of vote-buying while majority of the common man in the bracket of $1 dollar day will jump at it, even to the point of causing chaos for little in his pocket. Analysts believe that vot-
ing and results derived in the environment of majority poor whose decisions are easily swayed by instant gratifications and a few elite class who may not turn out to vote, would probably not produce the right candidates. “This also becomes worrisome when other factors such as religion, blind support are considerations at the polls”, says an analyst. Citing recent Osun State gubernatorial election, the analyst said “what do you call a situation where citizens of a state returned a political party to power when the government was owing up to 15 months’ salary arrears? This cannot happen in other developed climes.” Over time, voter apathy, especially among the elite class has increased, informed by unfulfilled promises, chaos at the polling booths, a situation that has left the common man and thugs to have field day during the polls. BDSUNDAY study showed that voter turnout was 52 percent in 1999, it climbed to 69 percent in 2003 only to decrease to 57 percent in 2007, went further down in 2011 to 54 percent and was 44 percent in 2015. While some Nigerians still believe in giving the three-andhalf year old present administration chance to produce the ‘Change’ for more jobs, security, and end Boko Haram and Fulani Herdsmen attack on farmers and fulfil other promises it made earlier, other Nigerians have different opinion as they believe that the government has nothing again to offer and should be replaced with other economic managers. “The government has relied on blame games instead of tackling the economic challenges it was voted to handle.” Operators in Nigeria’s over N200 billion value marketing communication industry who
have been facing tough challenges are still apprehensive about their industry as present tough time may continue till mid-year. They believed that if President Muhammadu Buhari eventually wins the presidential election, the economic situation may remain the same. But if Abubakar Atiku, his main opposition, takes over power, it may take some time before his policies will begin to impact on the economy. It has really been tough, in the last two years for the marketing communication agencies who depend on the performance of the economy and thriving sectors to succeed. But looking ahead 2019, some of the practitioners were not optimistic of a very bright year as their clients are still hard hit by unfavourable environment. Charles Igbinidu, the managing director of CFO and Associates in his view recounted that many organisations were affected by poor economic performance in 2017/2018 that pushed them to cut marketing communication budgets which had negative
impact on the media industry. John Ehiguese, the CEO of MediaCraft, a PR agency based in Lagos, said: “The outcome of the elections would be a critical factor in years ahead, but the industry practitioners have to wait and see those who eventually wins, and what their attitude will be towards the economy and the media”. The analysts strongly believe that if the election is free and fair and members of the elite class walk their talk, there will likely be upset in the presidential election. Campaign for the 2019 elections has been more grassroots based as politicians understand that votes of the common man matter. Lai Omotola, chancellor of E-Boot Camp Limited, said: “You see, Nigeria is divided into North and South. What they see in the North is different from what they see in the South. The progression in the North is different from the progression in the South. What you call poverty in the South is not what is called poverty in the North.” “So, you know what the level of education is. Someone
who is not educated does not have that ability to reason and analyse things the proper way. These are the illiterate folks that support the politicians up north and give the massive votes they record there. And I tell people, if I say I am a leader I need to see the quality of the people following me, because if they are not enlightened they would just be hailing whatever I do or say.” Omotola further said: “The essence of education is to read and write. That’s number one. Number two is for you to comprehend – that is being able to understand what you read. The third and final one is for you to be analytical. What is analysis? A man may be saying something, but what you are hearing is not really what he is saying. What is coming out of his mouth is not really what he is trying to say. So, it takes somebody to properly analyse issues and take proper action. “That is the final stage of education and not so many people have that. So, based on the analysis above, Buhari will come back. He would come back because we have the majority people that cannot
sit down to analyse the case; say, if this man comes back, will he be able to deliver the dividends? This is because they don’t have that skill and the few people that have it, will they vote or are they enough to outnumber these illiterate folks? Remember, it is said that democracy is a game of numbers; if the illiterates outweigh the literates, our recruitment process in this way will always produce something defective.” The use of thugs to perpetrate all manner of electoral fraud has become widespread in Nigeria. Most of those thugs are frustrated youths who are aggrieved at the failure of successive governments to make Nigeria a habitable place. Many of them are illiterates and semi-literates. A few are university graduates who as a result of inability to be properly engaged in meaningful employments determined to eke out a living in hard way. Most times, they do not reason rationally. They go after political opponents of their principals without reasoning. They even kill for a bottle of beer and for monetary compensation as meagre as N1000 (One Thousand Naira) only. This set of people is usually poverty-stricken and always hungry. So, they go after their prey with all the venom they can muster. These are those waiting in the wings to be deployed as the general election hits up properly. An analyst, who concurred with Omotola, said: “While the Almajiris in the north are armed with their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), the elite group in the country is busy arguing and shouting themselves hoarse about the need for APC not to return. They have taken over the social media with their argument, yet they do not even have their PVCs.”
2019 poll: APC elders’ caucus accuse Akeredolu of supporting AA in Ondo
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YOMI AYELESO, Akure
he internal wrangling in the Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) may affect the performance of President Muhammadu Buhari and other candidates of the party in the state in the forthcoming general election if drastic steps are not taken by the national leadership to stop anti-party activities in its ranks. Concerned elders and leaders of the party in the state led by a former deputy governor, Ali Olanusi who gave the indication at a stakeholders’ meeting in Akure, alleged that Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and the APC state chairman, Ade Adetimehin had been working against the interest of the party by secretly campaigning and funding their anointed candidates on the platform of the Action Alliance (AA).
The party’s leaders in a communiqué read by the former state chairman, Isaac Kekemeke and adopted by Idowu Otetunbi lamented that despite denying the allegation, Akeredolu and Adetimehin had refused to campaign for APC candidates but busy funding AA candidates. The APC elders, however, called on the National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole to dissolve the State Executive of the party led by Adetimehin over the alleged anti-party activities and constitute a Caretaker Committee to run the affairs of the party in the State that could work for APC victory at all levels. The Communiqué also urges President Buhari, Bola Tinubu and Adams Oshiomhole to ensure Governor Akeredolu is made to lead and financially commit to campaigns of all APC candidates ahead of the February 16 and March 2 elections
rather than working for AA candidates. The APC elders also demanded that the National Secretariat should only allow the APC candidates to submit the list of party’s agents for the elections to send to INEC, adding that allowing Akeredolu or Adetimehin’s Exco to make such submission could be counter-productive. Reading the communiqué, Kekemeke said, “The meeting urges the National headquarters to note and work on the sinister plot by some disgruntled party officials to stay in the party and work against the success of the party in the forthcoming 2019 general election, especially in favour of Action Alliance (AA)” “That the elders say dissolution of the Adetimehin’s Exco will not have any adverse effect on the party, because he has not been adding any value. We thereby urge the National leadership to dissolve
the state executive and put in place a caretaker committee in order to have one single party and one goal in Ondo state,” he said. The elders and leaders from across the state however, expressed their readiness to work for the re-election of President Buhari and other candidates of the party in the state. “That the leaders have pledged absolute loyalty to President Buhari, the National chairman of the party, Comrade Oshiomole, and our National leader, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu. That leaders gathered in this meeting resolved our unflinching commitment to work for the success of Mr. President and other National and State Assembly candidates of APC in the general election in Ondo state.” Some of the leaders at the meeting include, Felix Aiyegbusi, former chairman of the party, Isaac Kekemeke, Idowu Otetubi.