Tinubu Campaign Team And The Game Of Desperation And Deception -By Gozie Irogboli

My earlier position on Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s precarious position going into the 2023 presidential election is beginning to unfold by day. When the APC’s presidential candidate out of desperation tried to patronized the Moslem North, committed the inexcusable blunder of picking Senator Kashim Shettima, a fellow Moslem as his running mate, I made no comments for I recognized his right to choose whomever he desires as his running mate while it behooves on the electorates to tell him whether his decision is right or wrong with their votes. But the unsavory effect of that blunder resonated at the unveiling of the same Kashim Shettima wherein it was reported that some characters posing as Christian clerics numbering about thirty graced the occasion—an act that was intended to hoodwink the public into believing that Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) endorsed the Tinubu’s APC Moslem-Moslem ticket.

There are video footages of the said hired goons, arriving at the Yar’Adua Centre, the venue of the event, at the same time, sharing money and doing rehearsals before being ushered into the hall. There are other video footages of one of the alleged bishops trying to fight a news reporter for asking for an interview. In the event hall, some of the so-called clerics were captured struggling for seats and lifting their chairs; something that is considered infra dig for dignitaries of the status of the Christian prelates in a public function. One of the hirelings was reported to have complained that the APC officials who engaged them for the job reneged on their agreement to pay them a hundred thousand naira each but only paid them forty-thousand naira and one admitted that they were recruited from the motor park behind Eagle Square. But the most obvious gaffe in the whole shame-making episode was in the dressing of the said clerics. We saw supposed Catholic priests wearing the stole and the chasuble in a political function; something that is clearly an aberration. Chasuble is the sleeveless outer garment or robe worn by Catholic priest during mass celebration. It is worn during mass only not on public functions. A priest may wear cassock or habit to out-of-parish function but not the chasuble or the stole which are for mass or sacramental functions.  

The fuss and the noise generated by his choice of running mate has not died down he committed the unthinkable in a desperate bid to cover up and regularize the first blunder. No wonder it is often said that when you tell a lie, it requires more lies to cover the lie. Tinubu has committed the unpardonable by picking Shettima as his running mate and so in his desperation to cover this gaffe, he is committing more blunders. But this time it is egregious. Undoubtedly, the fraudulent act of hiring unknown prelates was an open acknowledgement of the inherent error in his choice of running mate contrary to the claims by his acolytes. It is luminously clear that those who criticized his choice of running mate are right even though some sycophants and area-boy analysts described it as a master stroke.  Is it not delusional for them to assume that the same faith ticket will not affect their electoral chances and then went ahead to stage-manage the appearance of clergy men from the Christian faith in order to give false impression of general acceptance? It is indeed hypocritical and deceptive for one to think and say that the same faith ticket does not matter in a religiously polarized country like Nigeria.

Expectedly, Nigerians from all shades of opinion; Christians and Moslems alike have risen in strong condemnation of this charade and show of shame that was orchestrated by APC and Tinubu’s campaign team. It is unbelievably sacrilegious; a mockery of the Christian faith, an abuse of ecclesiastical office and titles and a clear lack of respect for Christians and the Christian faith. Moreover, it signifies moral degradation and intellectual decrepit and a flagrant display of fakery, forgery, deceit and profanity.

Indeed the unveiling may have come and gone but the effect will definitely linger interminably in the annals of Nigerian politics. Nigerians were appalled, outraged and scandalized at the charade and show of shame at the unveiling of Kashim Shettima at Shehu Yar’adua Center, the venue of the event. But many have tried to describe what happened but to me, it is ineffable. It was a national embarrassment. It was no doubt the kind of act expected from people without scruples. It was crude, area-boy act of deception. This is the height of desperation and moral depravity. APC has elevated fakery and falsehood to the status of statecraft. From unknown soldiers that killed Nigerian youths making lawful protest at Lekki Toll Gate to unknown gun men deployed to slaughter innocent, hapless citizens in the South-East and now to unknown clerics gracing APC’s occasion. APC exists in the region of the unknown— unknown government, unknown ideology, and unknown future. No doubt this is unknown government.

Clearly, those who expressed concern over his choice of running mate because of the current reality (religious tension) in the land that has led to indiscriminate attack and bombing of churches, kidnapping and killing of priests and pastors are right. It was really an awful decision to pick an alleged Boko Haram sympathizer as a running mate, something that generated much anger and resentment even within the APC fold prompting mass resignation and exodus from the party. It is also reported that many of the party bigwigs and officials stayed away from the unveiling of Kashim Shettima and of the twenty-two APC governors as many as eleven also boycotted the controversial event. It was a tactless decision borne out of desperation, an exemplification of do-or-die politics and possibly part of his avowal to fight dirty to actualize his inordinate ambition.

In a quick reaction to the outrage that trailed the appearance of fake prelates at the event, Tinubu had declared that the said clerics are not fake but prelates from small Christian denominations and yet he did not reveal their identities or their denomination for public scrutiny. And as is usual of APC people to accuse others for their failures, the Tinubu Campaign Organization has accused traducers for what happened at the formal presentation of Tinubu’s running mate. This is ridiculous! Was it the Tinubu’s traducers or political enemies that hired the fake clergy men? They blamed the social media also. And this is understandable for it was true the social platforms that their charade was exposed. They may have bought the main stream media but because of the amorphous nature of the social media. that was very difficult for them to contain. In the past, the APC regime had tried vainly to use what they called fake news and hate speech as a ruse to ban social media but failed.

Indeed, this is one scandal too many. Tinubu is obviously laden with too much moral/ethical burden—perjury, forgery, false identity, certificate scandal etcetera. But why is this man associated with so much fakery? Indeed, Jagabanarchy is here portrayed as a political ideology based on fakery, forgery, deception, hypocrisy, mediocrity, desperation and the adherents are the pettifoggers and purveyors of hate speech, fake news, fake statistics, fake certificate, fake projects inter alia. Apart from the lack of well-thought-out program for the nation, Tinubu and his team have shown that they lack character and integrity and cannot be trusted. Tinubu should be advised to quit the presidential race for he has become an embarrassment not only to himself but to the whole nation.

Yes, we have seen unknown soldiers, unknown gun men, unknown prelates but one thing is certain: no force will make Nigeria elect a fake president in 2023. 

Gozie Irogboli

An economist, a novelist and public policy analyst

(goziei@yahoo.com)