S.O.S ALIEME

A campaign of calumny means telling wicked lies on purpose to ruin a person's good name, and this bad practice is very common in Nigerian politics. People use fake stories and propaganda to make their rivals look bad. One of the most notable examples of campaigns of calumny in Nigeria occurred during the 2015 presidential election. The two major political parties then, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), engaged in a bitter campaign that was marked by accusations and counter-accusations of corruption, incompetence, and other negative traits. This campaign of calumny ultimately had a negative impact on the credibility of the election. 

Another example occurred during the 2019 gubernatorial election in Lagos State. The incumbent governor was accused of corruption and incompetence by his opponents.  This led to a smear campaign against him, which included the circulation of false information and propaganda on social media. Despite his denials, the damage had been done, and the governor eventually lost the election.

Now that the electioneering campaigns for the 2027 elections have been officially declared open by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); I am inclined to use this medium to wish all political parties and their candidates the best of luck as they take advantage of the window to sell their manifestos to the electorate. My advice to them is to ensure that their campaigns are instructive and issues-oriented where diverse opinions and strategies are showcased on how to tackle the numerous problems bedevilling the country and bringing dividends of democracy to the people. Essentially, the electorates would have been well informed and adequately prepared to making their preferred choice(s) even before the polls.
It could also pave way for some candidates to voluntarily dump their aspirations and align with those that have better and workable agenda or plans for the masses. This is the beauty of democracy which electioneering campaigns are majorly meant to achieve.

However, it is very disheartening that what is attainable in our clime is entirely different from those of successful democracies of the world. Political parties and their supporters believe that the most effective way to campaign and win the votes of the electorates is to destroy the images, reputations, values and integrities of other opposing parties or candidates. Thus, the trending style is what could be conveniently described as the ‘damaging propaganda’ or ‘campaign of calumny’. These campaigns which cut across all human strata, cover wide range of areas and they are carried out through the electronic and print media such as the social media, rallies, debates, discussions, commentaries, and posters to mention but a few.

At present, the social media is buzzing with such stories as of a certain, Atikulooter, Gandollar, APShits, PDThieves, Obigotry, Obidiots, Biafraud, Tpain, and others too numerous to mention. On every sides of the divide where the damaging missile is targeted, the sympathizers also fire their own counter missile(s) to complete the dangerous circle. A closer look at the basis of most of these propaganda shows that they have political undertone and are being championed by enemies of democracy. If at all there are substantial facts in issue, such should have been directed to the appropriate quarters rather than heating up the polity and constituting threats to our democracy. It would therefore not be out of place to say that the propagandists are using such damaging information or allegations to do the biddings of their ‘pay masters’. Unfortunately, their entourages and fans on social media are ridiculously naïve and ever ready to ‘Like’ and give ‘supporting comments’ to these malicious and damaging posts without reasonable second thought. Their stock in trade is posting negative inferences to poison the minds of the people and tear them apart on sentimental lines for the purpose to justifying their supports for particular candidate(s) or party to the detriments of the unity and progress of the citizenry and the country.

So bad is the situation that while the propagandists’ accounts and profiles are soaring (for causing confusion and disaffection in the society); most of their followers remained in state of abject poverty, and some even skipped a meal or two to buy data used for the dirty jobs. Sadly, our leaders and the elites who ought to condemn these acts and forge a common front to eradicate them are tacitly supporting the evil because of the perceived political undertone and destructive (dis)advantages. Thus, when the salvo is coming from one part of the divide, the leaders and elites on that side see it as being in order and justifiable; but, when same is coming from the other side of the line, it becomes bad and condemnable.

Consequently, it is not surprising that numerous unimaginable stories, posts, video and audio clips are being circulated unrestrained on daily basis. Ordinarily, one would have expected our leaders to jettison political, tribal, and religious affiliations and sentiments to join forces together to condemn such evil conception and put the records straight; but, the body languages, utterances, and in some cases, the silence of some of these leaders have made the situation to be more complicated. As a result, those that are opposed to the present administration see it as a good storyline to destabilize and de-market the government and the ruling party without minding that the image of the country and the integrity of the citizenry are also in serious danger in the eyes of the global world.

To the international communities, it will tacitly mean that our leaders and the people are not trustworthy and are capable of doing unimaginable things. Nigerians are human and they are not impervious to believing such information especially when it is not properly and tactically handled by the authorities that are expected to defuse and clarify same.

In view of the foregoing, it is obvious that regardless of whichever camp you belong; any campaign of calumny against the other is an indirect ‘damaging propaganda’ against the country and its citizenry. Therefore, this is a clarion call to the propagandist to desist from this time bomb waiting to explode and destroy our beloved country.

The Information Ministry, National Orientation Agency, INEC, all Political Parties and their leaders, and relevant security agencies should step up their games towards ensuring that the menace is brought to a halt. It will be much more beneficial for all and sundry to embrace issues-based campaigns that are capable of finding lasting solutions to the country’s mountain of problems. A word is enough for the wise.

God Bless Nigeria!!!