By Isaac Asabor
There is no denying the fact that the road to any political office is long, expensive, exhausting and dramatic. Becoming a candidate is only the beginning of the election process as candidates that want to be successful must both persuade voters that they deserve their individual votes.
Without doubt, persuading voters is the essence of a political campaign. However, advertising, theme songs, stump speeches, and even negative campaigning that have been around since electioneering began in the country seem to be gradually paving the way buying corns from roadside sellers, sitting down to eat with schoolchildren and cuddling babies to the admiration of their excited mothers. It seems there is an advancement in the dramatic campaign strategies that is no doubt offering new opportunities for candidates to persuade voters.
The aforementioned odd campaign strategies, no doubt, reflect the use of empathy and the science of influence and affect. As inherent in the strategy, a candidate’s every word, every action, and even their perceived thoughts are paraded before the public. However, many of the methods for persuading voters remain essentially the same but for this “Stand Up” comedy campaign techniques, not few Nigerians castigated the politicians that have been captured through the lens doing that, and were described as hypocrites.
Mama Samuel, who lives in the same vicinity with this writer said in Pidgin, “This Na People wey we nor fit see for their office. Becos election dey come, dem don dey beg again. After election you nor go see them again”. Without doubt, no one has been favorably disposed to the histrionic campaign style which politicians have adopted.
In the view of this writer, two-faced politicians in their deceptive act express disdain for the democratic value of truthfulness, and so democratic such politicians ought to trouble us more than they typically do. The cause of confusion here may reside in the failure to appreciate the distinctiveness of public morality, and in the misguided application of private standards of behavior to a public context in which they are out of place.
In fact, not few people this writer parleyed with; by virtue of his experience, were of the view that politicians should during campaign exhibit modicum of integrity and trust. Charity Onyeidu queried, “Why would a politician that has turned Abuja to his hometown now come around to his constituency, and start buying corn, carrying babies, and doing all sort funny things just because election is months away. It is hypocrisy or rather insincerity. No matter what anybody wants to say?”
While agreeing with Onyeidu’s view, it is germane to opine that one of the foundations of our democratic institutions is the social contract between voters and elected representatives whereby politicians are entrusted with power in order to represent the interests of the general public. Political integrity in this context means that politicians act in the public interest, rather than serving private interests. The separation of the public and private spheres is paramount in the exercise of political integrity. Politicians will not always make decisions which align with the short-term preferences of everyone, but it does mean they act in a way which is consistent with a set of moral or ethical principles and standards.
That the politicians are by each passing day ostensibly becoming Stand Up Comedians is no more a surprise to anyone as Will Rogers in his famous quote said, “Everything is changing. People are taking their comedians seriously and the politicians as a joke”.
Why would Nigerians not take the politicians as a joke when some politicians would ahead of an election begin to grace foodstuff markets, and be buying cooking ingredients, unashamedly going to dilapidated public schools to dine with students or pupils? Why would the people not take the politicians as a joke when they can easily engage street boys to fight anyone that is opposed to their candidacies at the slightest provocation?
Why would millions of Nigerians, like Will Roger, not take the politicians as a joke when they were literarily promised heaven on earth, but what they are experiencing today could be seemingly likened to hell on earth? No doubt, things are getting bad by each passing day. Prices of consumable are already out of the reach of the average Nigerians.
To bring this piece to conclusion, it is expedient to say that persuading voters buying roasted corns, dining with schoolchildren and cuddling babies is hypocrisy of the highest order.
