By Adebayo Abubakar
In the run-up to the 2023 presidential election, there were (and still, are) the three most active political movements, with their nomenclatures styled after, either the names or the initials, of the leading three presidential candidates. One is “the Atikulator” for the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. Another is “the BATist”, for the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu (BAT). The third one is “the Obidients” who are the supporters of the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi. These three, all boast of considerable social media, as well as real-life presence, with a high quantum of volatility, to the bargain. The ferocity of their furies can better be imagined than experienced, anytime there is a contentious issue. The liberal-minded one among them would say, “all na cruise”, meaning they’re just catching fun. But this is contrary to the reality, when one considers how toxic their choices of language are, whenever they exchange tirades, over any issue, on any of the social media platforms – Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp among others. Although, none of the three groups is not endowed with a sizable number of Internet trolls, they often accuse one another of being too uncouth, abrasive, and uncultured in their manners of engagement on social media. In short, the pot has been calling the kettle “black”. But we, the apolitical, from our vantage positions, see little or no difference between the three of the groups. Just that one, at times, could be more vocal than the rest, in a role-swapping, role-reversal manner.
While the (electioneering) campaign was still ongoing, they would always treat us (the apolitical netizens), to the best of entertainment, with memes of any gaffe committed by any of the opponents at campaign rallies. It could be explosive if a purportedly scandalous dossier is released about any of the candidates. The remaining two would feast on it, like a hungry lion would devour a chunk of beef. The integrity of the source is not relevant, in so far as it makes the camp at the receiving end feel uncomfortable.
As a matter of fact, this is not the best of times to introduce a child approaching adolescence to social media in Nigeria, unless one is grooming an “Agbero” (a lout). All the ethos of “respect for decency” that is ubiquitous in cultures across the civilised world has been thrown to the dog. Civility, while engaging others in a debate, becomes a rarity. Divisive statements that amplify our fault lines as a nation are being peddled. Narratives that promote deep-seated ethno-religious animosity among the different ethnic groups in the country have been elevated to a level that, they now compete with our national anthem. The easiest way to make some members of these political groups your enemies, is to express an opinion that differs from the one that endorses their candidate/party. That is the tyranny socio-political commentators like us have had to contend with, lately, since the embargo was lifted on electioneering activities in the country, sometime around October last year.
There is no gainsaying, the fact that, the two most volatile political movements, online, in Nigeria today are the “Obidients”, and the “BATists”. Right now, the new and traditional media spaces are in meltdown, since the turn of the year. But within the last three weeks, it has reached an all-time high. The causes of the recent meltdown in the media spaces were, one; a statement (wrongly or rightly) credited to Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyawu, in which he was alleged to have referred to the Yoruba-speaking people of the South west, as “rascals”. I do not believe he said so, after watching the video clip and listening to the audio, with rapt attention. The other was an intervention, by Nobel Laureate award-winning Professor Wọlé Soyinka, in the ongoing debate about the current political process. This only came to add fuel to the one already generated by a leaked telephone conversation between Obi and Pastor David Oyedepo of the Winners’ Assembly. It left in its trail the “Yes Daddy”, and the “Drug Daddy” jabs, between the two groups of supporters.
Soyinka’s intervention, obviously, did not go down well with the Obidient, perhaps not because of what he said, but what he did not say. That has kind of set ablaze, social media, especially, Twitter, and Facebook spaces. Of course, the kind of fireworks being witnessed now, is not unexpected, especially, whenever there is a contentious issue like the current one. So, there is nothing new about the outrage, except the dimension the outrage is taking, between those who are “freelance ethno-religious militias” among the Obidients and the BATists. This is because the way and manner in which they bask in the bliss of tribal bigotry in the aftermath of the 2023 presidential election call for worry, for any right-thinking Nigerian, irrespective of ethno-religious or political affiliation.
The reality of the outcome of the 2023 presidential election, and the kind of national configuration of the support base of the PDP, appear to have taken the wind off the sail of the militant arm of the party, as represented by Senator Dino Melaye. While Dino licks his political wound, the Obidients and the BATists have gone into the overdrive of ethno-religious bigotry. They rain expletives on each other as if insults could win an election. Dino, is a man who enjoys being in the news for whatever reason, in so far as his name would be out there as a major character. He had been missing in action for weeks now until Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State dragged him into the ring on Monday. He said the former Senator representing Kogi West does not have what it takes to be governor of Kogi State. Predictably, Dino has since responded accordingly – no dull moment. He alleged that Governor Wike called him 19 times to help plead with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to make him (Wike) his (Atiku’s) running mate instead of Governor Infeanyi Okowa of Delta State, in the last presidential election. Dirty, right? Expect more in the coming days. The two of them are battle-tested in that field.
Back to the issue of the “Obidients” versus BATists. The Yoruba, and the Igbo freelance ethno-religious militias in each of the two camps are taking the whole show to such a level of absurdity that, if not halted would reduce to laughing stocks, among the comity of civilised people of the 21st century, the two great ethnic groups with globally renowned individuals in almost all fields of human endeavours. These characters, on social media, are trying to reduce the election to a straight inter-tribal war between the Yorubas, and the Igbos. Some have even gone to the level of comparing Wole Soyinka with the late Chinua Achebe (another literary giant), as to who among the two is/was a better writer. Another set of freelance ethno-religious militias believe, that is not low enough, and have decided to throw Chimamanda Adichie into the mix, trying to tell sane people of the world, who is better between her and Soyinka. How so absurd?!
Well, those who have made it look like the election was a contest/war between the Igbos and the Yorubas need to be mindful of these facts:
One; the freelance Igbo ethnic militias should know that Obi garnered over six million votes, not with the votes of Igbos in Nigeria alone. Ditto for freelance Yoruba ethno-religious militias; Yoruba votes are a very minute fraction of the over eight million, garnered by Tinubu. There are supporters, to whom ethnicity and religion do not matter when it comes to where they pitch their tents.
Two; the BATists, who ethicize the whole thing, amplifying our fault lines, need to be reminded that, there are Igbos who support Tinubu, with every bit of their beings, just like the Obidients need to be reminded that, there are Yorubas too who are die-hard “Obidients”. In political affiliation, it is not a matter of “black and white”. Many factors come into play when it comes to why people pitch their tent with a certain political party or movement. Ethnicity and religion are no doubt factors, but they are not always the ultimate deciders.
It is, therefore, pertinent to remind them of this Yoruba proverb which says, “so’ko s’oja, tio bá bá ara àdúgbò, a bá ara ile”, which roughly translates to – when you throw a stone into the marketplace, if it does not hit a member of your family, it would surely hit at least, one of your neighbours, friends, or an acquaintance. On this, I think, a word should be enough for the “Yes Daddy”, and “Drug Daddy” gangs because, as the Yorubas would say, “Òun ti npẹ tán lodun Eégún”. The Character behind the Masquerade veil needs to be reminded that, sooner, rather than later, the curtain would be drawn on the festival, when everybody would all drop his veil and starts acting human again. Meanwhile, after the festival, memories of violent conduct, during the celebration continues to linger in the minds of those who were at the receiving end.
Ọdún a tán. Ọmọ Alagbaa o pada fi Àkàrà j’ẹ̀kọ́. Sorry, non-Yoruba speakers, my English is not that good. I may, therefore, not be able to give you the translation of this because the English language, lacks the capacity to fully unpack the metaphor, for full comprehension by non-native speakers of the Yoruba language. But what the proverb is saying, in essence, is that, after this orgy of ethno-religious bigotry, we shall all come to realise our collective follies. I think it’s high time every ethno-religious warlord sheathed his sword, so that, mutual hostility would not take the place of amity among the two groups in Nigeria.
Abubakar writes from Ilorin. He can be reached via 08051388285 or marxbayour@gmail.com
