The election period in Nigeria remains characterized by unfaithfulness, rigging, plotting, betrayal, primitive propaganda, slander, uncertainty, fear, threats, bloodshed, crisis, and several other cases. Some mean politicians have added banditry to the list.
These ugly and nauseating features of the supposed democratic experiment, has turned elections to be synonymous with violence and other unruly behaviors. While people who describe politics as a dirty game for dirty minds may not be wrong in their assessment, it would be unfair and myopic to describe it negatively and lock out opportunities for positive views.
With a telescopic eye and good binoculars, one may consider party primary and general elections as lucrative businesses, considering the opportunities offered during campaigns especially now that politics is seen, by many stakeholders as a do-or-die affair. Reason is not farfetched as most of those jostling for elective positions are more to their welfare than service to the people.
A visit to some states and federal constituencies may send shivers to the marrow and possibly shoot up blood pressures on seeing how some areas are neglected as if they exist in the outer space. Some states and local governments are mere drain pipes for their leaders. Constituency projects are inserted in the yearly federal budgets but either diverted on the directives of the thieving leaders or monetized and denied physical presence anywhere. Such thieving leaders are tin-gods in their localities parading the areas with pride of authority while maintaining a horde of miscreants and vandals with the looted funds. In some of the deprived areas, it is a taboo in some localities to complain of poor service delivery by their tormentors in public office while in few others, the tormentors feeding fat on the gullible are nearly worshipped in anticipation for either rationed federal appointments, crumbs or inclusion on the list of those to benefit from the federal largesse whenever released for even distribution. The situation has redefined civilization in totality.
The economic boost in most electioneering cuts across almost all areas of expertise and profession one can think of. The opportunities come in form of mouth-watering patronage and contracts. A comprehensive analysis of beneficiaries is almost impossible, only a few can easily be stated.
How does printing fare during elections? Graphic designers, textile and printing merchants corner their share because winning an election in Nigeria largely depends on how much publicity a candidate pushes out before the polls. That must be done by churning out several branded banners and flyers and catchy posters. The graphic designers have best time, designing flyers while printers work day and night to ensure good quality job. The textile workers also share the ‘booty’ as several customized fabrics, vests, T-shirts and pin caps are printed and distributed free to party clowns, rogues, miscreants, adherents and targeted voters during campaign.
Enter the media. The press as the fourth estate of the realm; has majority of its practitioners avoiding voting on election days. Instead, they dedicate more of their time to covering campaigns, press conferences, briefings, election proceedings, interviews and other issues. They gather reports, organize talk shows and analyze issues before and after election. But they share in the election largesse through multi-million adverts from political parties and their flag bearers. The online media practitioners are always at hand in dramatic manner; they create hash tags and groups to discuss candidates’ popularity, bloggers never run out of ideas and thus never get “broke”.
What about sports and the entertainment industry? Of course, the booty extends to the pitch. As a means of “wetting the ground” for favorable results, politicians negotiate with popular sportsmen and women. They host various sport competitions for cheap results including recruiting women of easy virtue and commercial sex workers or social service providers to add color to their campaigns.
The entertainment industry is another area where the weight of election is greatly felt. Musicians and comedians are hired to sing praises of candidates during campaign, while thespians are engaged in propaganda adverts on television screens.
The education sector is also shaken to its foundation. The intellectuals in the academic also share in the spoil. Vice-chancellors and professors are engaged by INEC as returning officers. Corps members and undergraduates are used as polling officers while accredited observer groups are not left out.
The sacred temples of our religious organizations usually erupt in sacrilegious praise-singing. In the last general elections, we witnessed political evangelism at its best. The Imams, Pastors and even Herbalists and Marabouts could not be denied the political patronage they got during the last elections. Pastors and Imams openly and shamelessly told their congregation to support particular candidates after they received wads of filthy dollars stolen from public vault. Herbalists and traditionalists appeased their gods to support particular candidates who offered the highest filthy dollars.
Networking and telecommunication companies got more patronage during the last elections. Apart from making more calls to ensure smooth running of their campaign, politicians also subscribed to bulk SMS and advertorials through different platforms. More data subscription to support groups and the morally bankrupt youths, more calls, more text messages fetched more money to the service providers.
Manufacturing and production businesses boom as customized souvenirs, such as bags, plates, dishes, home appliances, electronic gadgets, and edible bags of products like rice, salt, garri, granulated sugar, detergent, etc were specially ordered with candidates’ names and photos boldly embossed on them.
For lawyers and corrupt judges, election litigation is a brisk business. After elections are won and lost, the learned fellows begin to get their own share of the booty. Petitions are filed by losers against winners; court cases are decided frequently and money keeps reaching the accounts of lawyers and thieving judges.
Security agencies are part of the most important stakeholders when it comes to elections. Election periods are their festive periods. People are genuinely and wrongly arrested for inciting violence, wandering or for committing electoral offences, and charged huge amount of money for bail. Security agents are stationed at polling units and other strategic locations to maintain peace and orderliness and to ensure the safety of election materials only after being assured of handsome reward. At other instances, they are engaged to hijack and rig the election in collaboration with hooligans in return for cool cash from sadistic politicians.
In the transportation sector, the unions are also on the roll when it comes to elections. They unnecessarily hike transport fare due to rush in election period as most people prefer to travel to their various localities to vote. They are also employed to mobilize electoral officers from polling unit to collation centres and vice versa.
The list of beneficiaries is inexhaustible and can continue to infinity. What about the market women and the prostitutes? They are usually happier during elections. How much is a litre of petrol costs during election?
Considering the epileptic state of our electricity and the need to get updates on elections, petrol stations make more sales than before. How about the voters themselves who are rewarded with cash, motorcycles and tokunbo vehicles for voting a particular candidate even if he is a nuisance to the system? How about the ones who scramble for T-shirts, packaged rice and detergent? The beneficiaries are uncountable. I have not talked about those hooligans usually recruited to paste posters and destroy those of opponents at a fee.
Calculating the net expenses on election may be a herculean task for economists or mathematicians. Opportunities open at different ends for those who can see beyond violence; a trial for one is a blessing for another. The pictures are not too far as the just concluded primary elections in Plateau and few other states showed; whether the businesses are legal or not is a topic for another day.
One thing that the last general elections taught was that, there are more to election than violence. Beyond the violence, there are great business opportunities for all and sundry that care. After the elections the scenario changes as those elected become overnight masquerades and tin gods to those that sing their praises or expect a benefit in whatever form. Some lobby for federal political positions or federal government appointments into the civil service while others fight for certain positions or appointments all for greed and theft but not for genuine service to the people. The more you look, the less you see, the more you see, the less you understand. It is an abracadabra game from top to bottom. But for 2019, in Bauchi State particularly, it was a battle of the giants. APC as the ruling party could not rig its way to power because it had overstayed its welcome so the people said.
Change was inevitable! As the journey to another general election draws to its destination in 2027, there are strong indications that the much needed change is in the pipeline. Nigerians must get rid of their tormentors that continue to recycle themselves in power. We must change the claimed changers that survive on deceit and fake promises. We cannot stand the heat anymore.
Muhammad is a commentator on national issues
