NIGERIAN ELECTIONS AND TIME TO HEAL FROM POLITICAL RHETORICS BY OMOTAYO OLAOLUWA PAUL
There is no gainsaying if we adjudge the 2023 general election as a burner which stirred most Nigerians, especially the Gen-Z from their slumber of political apathy. For the first time, one could not clearly differentiate between card-carrying members of political parties from the general citizens who are just eligible to exercise their voting rights. Also, we cannot ignore the woeful failure of the leadership class in the areas of economic rebirth, youth engagement and commitment to the rule of law which is the bane of development for any nation that wishes to prosper in all sectors as obvious factors which influenced the activeness of many Nigerians. However, the influence of rhetoric, oration and banter played some significant roles in the polity.
Rhetoric could be described as the art or skill of engaging language for persuasive means which political gladiators engage to curry masses’ favour and to win them to their side, since politics is a game of numbers. An ability to convey a result-oriented speech and a means of performing the rhetoric is known as oration which subsequently brings immediate of relationship and reactions between an orator and his listeners. However as strong as rhetoric and oratory are, they may also have broad historical repercussions.
Kudos to the Presidential candidate of All Peoples Congress (APC) for reenacting the concept of rhetoric and oratory which we enjoyed last in the era of notable Nigerian politicians of repute like Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Ladoke Akintola, Dr Nnamdi Azikwe, Chief Tafawa Balewa and host of others. Some of them were polyglots who manipulated language which entertained and doused political tension in those days. In the build-up to the 1983 general election, a popular Yoruba folkloric musician who was an ardent fan of Chief Awolowo, metaphorically described the late politician thus, “ Awolowo de, omi tutu tii jo eniyan faifai” (Awolowo has arrived, the cold water that burns someone fiercely). This eulogia piece did not go down well with the opposition as they termed Awolowo as a ‘wicked and callous’ leader. They claimed such eulogy described him as the Biblical King Rehoboam who threatened to whip the Israelites with scorpion. However, in the lips of Awolowo’s numerous followers the song lyric became Anthem with which they taunted the opposing sides.
One could not jettison the fact that Chief Bola Tinubu’s outburst of Abeokuta which brought about the popular mantra of ‘Emi lo kan’ (It is my turn) really added glamour to his campaigns and that of other opponents who carved varying opposing terms from his rhetoric; slogans like ‘Youths lo kan’ (It is the turn of the youths), ‘Nigeria lo kan’ (It is the turn of Nigerians, etc. Many of these slogans were a direct way of responding to the speaker’s rhetoric and sending signal to him that such statement connotes a sense of entitlement which is against the tenets of democracy. Another popular slang which he rhetorically coined is ‘O lule’ (He fell which means someone is being defeated by his opponent), a slang which has crept into the socio-cultural language repertoire in Nigeria. How he employed rhetoric to smear his perceived economic saboteurs, who were hell-bent on using fuel scarcity and cash crunch to de-market his campaign was striking: ‘A maa dibo, a maa wole’ ( We will cast our votes and we will be victorious). Apart from the rhythmic flow of the assertive statements, they also have an entertaining value and really endeared to him, self-pity from the masses who felt the policies were implemented to actually clip his political wings.
“We no dey give shishi” (We are not giving anyone shillings) coined by one of the influential aspirants of the 2023 election, Mr Peter Obi also spread like a wildfire in our socio-cultural and economic domains. Nigerians have been cheated for long by money-bag politicians who had had their ways through inducing of voters and compromising individuals in relevant political agencies, especially the Umpire. The society readily grabbed the rhetoric which was an indirect attacks to Obi’s opponents who were seen as mavericks and capitalists who have enough cash to buy people’s conscience. The rhetoric really endeared teeming youths to Peter Obi, in whom they saw a bright future and hope of fulfilling their potentials, and indeed it paid off as the party sprung up an unprecedented performance in the just concluded presidential election.
In the Western world, political rhetoric does not breed animosity, rather political orators in most instances, become the voice of social history which culminates in national cohesion and unity. Lady Aston, a renowned stunt opponent of the former British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, once remarked in the hallowed House of Common, “Winston, if you were my husband, I should flavor your coffee with poison”. In subtle but sparking response, Winston said, “ Madam, if I were your husband, I should drink it”. The two salvos fired by the two political gladiators did not cause any ethnic bias, religious bigotry and vindictiveness as we have in our present political domain in Nigeria.
Yes! the ripple effects of political rhetoric on the followers wherever there is lack of viable political culture, like our present polity could be damaging. While public repartee could be a tool of intellectual delight for the masses, it may trigger verbal violence, especially now that we operate more on an unregulated social space called social media. The vituperative, abominable and unsavory terms against supposed opponents could hamper social norms of discourse decency which may culminate in disunity. Personally, as a card carrying member of a party whose duty is to defend the interest of my party, on many occasions my rhetoric have been found to be inciting to some friends and associates who seemingly do not realize that rhetoric, oratory and banter are ready-made weapons of politicians who know how to aptly employ them in order to sway public opinion and support in their favour.
The election have been won and lost, and thanks to the flexibility of democracy which gives room for redress so as to challenge any perceived irregularity or injustice. Yes, we are all guilty!
If you have been offended by rhetoric and banters from the opposing sides or they have been used to your advantage, this is the time to let go in the spirit of ‘one nation’.
Olaoluwa is an Ibadan based public affairs analyst, publisher and Scholar. He can be reached via 08067590360
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