A cacophony of coordinated distraction

From January 18 through January 2, the political parties reached the apogee in the ongoing game to confuse the electorate about the nature of their engagement. They issued threats, statements, and excuses about who is rigging or not rigging, why they would disrespect citizens about a debate whose timeline all parties involved fixed in the last quarter of 2018 and much more. They played on the intelligence of Nigerians.

Reviewing the papers on Tuesday, 22 January 2019, the headlines helped to adumbrate the charade masquerading as campaigns this season. General Elections 2019 has been the worst case wherein the political parties have failed to tackle any of the core issues that face the nation. None of over 15 issues or more than 42 issues if you go by the number of ministerial portfolios is getting any attention.

As at that weekend, students in public universities had stayed home for more than two months. They entered the New Year not sure when and if they would return to school in 2019. At issue was the matter of government fulfilling agreements reached with university teachers for themselves and the system. The news was that the National Council of States considered and approved a national plan to provide land and funding for cattle but failed to agree on a plan for education that would end the strikes.  

There was more darkness than light as power supply declined, despite claims by government spinmeisters that they had in three and a half years doubled the generation capacity in Nigeria. The power situation has been so good the minister disavowed responsibility and any relationship with the distribution companies even as the Federal Government holds 41 per cent shareholding in all the discos.

The headlines this Tuesday featured allegations and counter-claims by the parties and the Federal Government on various issues with none representing progress for citizens. The Federal Government alleged that the opposition parties were mobilising terrorists and the Boko Haram for violence. Information Minister Lai Mohammed led the charge, claiming that the FG has “credible intelligence” on the engagement of “armed bandits and Boko Haram insurgents to engage in massive attacks and other acts of violence in several states across the country”. Named states are Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Benue, Kano, Kaduna, Nassarawa, Plateau, Taraba and Zamfara. How could the opposition be mobilising a “technically defeated” Boko Haram? What happened to brain cells in this era?

Both the PDP and the coalition of parties under CUPP dismissed the charge. They rather made fresh allegations of their own to the effect that the government wanted to frame them for arrests while dismissing the claims as “outrageous, laughable and sign of mental disorientation”.

There was continued disputation over the Chief Justice of Nigeria with the government denying yet taking actions to force the holder out of office because of the coming elections. It was the most vivid example of politicising the judiciary for selfish ends.

Other reports featured responses to the Sunday, 20 January detonation of missiles against the Federal Government by former President Olusegun Obasanjo three days to the anniversary of his first salvo on 23 January 2018 against PMB. Then enter INEC with claims that it had uncovered vote-buying plans by politicians. What is this ingenious plan INEC uncovered, you wonder? The politicians would use food vendors at polling centres with a large number of voters as collection points for cash-for-votes. Wow. INEC has joined the intelligence agencies!

On the economic front, the International Monetary Fund sliced Nigeria’s growth projections from 2.3 per cent to 2 per cent for 2019. In shaving off 0.3 percentage points, it affirmed the view of global economists that we are not paying attention to the core issues.

Rather than outline their plans for the core issues of Nigeria today and tomorrow, the parties and the political elite have all engaged in a cacophony of coordinated distraction. They engage citizens in inanities to take their minds off the issues of poverty, inflation, lack of jobs and absence of coherent plans and implementation modalities. There is a consensus to dwell on matters to distract through dissembling.

The parties have all drawn from the book of distraction. It is psychological warfare against the citizenry in the absence of a clear path. Features in that book include fear mongering, character assassination, emotional blackmail, nit-picking criticism and deception. Others include denial, disinformation, distortion.

Niccolo Machiavelli would applaud the application of his principles and precepts in Nigeria. Nigerian politics is one based on any means would do so long as it meets the end goal. It features duplicitous interpersonal relationships, a cynical disregard for morality, a lack of empathy for citizens and the common man and a focus on self-interest and personal gain. They do not care.

In 2019, political communication has focused on a cacophony of coordinated distraction. The oymoron of a coordinated cacophony speaks to the state of Nigeria today. Sad. https://businessday.ng/columnist/chido-nwankanwa/article/a-cacophony-of-coordinated-distraction/