Talk is cheap. Far cheaper and easy to manufacture are political talks; or should I say political lies? If you doubt me, ask Lai Mohammed of the All Progressives Congress (APC); and perhaps, Fani-Kayode of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
These two men simply turned the last presidential election in Nigeria into a war of words. They displayed unimaginable mastery of the art of talk. While Mohammed could be so convincing even when he knows he is misleading his audience, Fani-Kayode has this innocent look that makes his smooth flow of grammar a compelling attraction.
Anytime they opened their mouths—and they often did that with less reluctance, words spilled uncontrollably while headlines rolled out.
Talk is so cheap that somewhere in the Bible, it is stated that even a foolish man when he keeps his mouth shut is considered to be wise. So, there is honour in silence. That could also mean that even a wise man, when he talks too much, could be considered a fool.
Propaganda is so easy to construct, especially in times of war. It has been defined as the art of propagating or disseminating a particular aspect of information aimed at stampeding belief; whether it is true or false.
Propaganda may not mean telling lies because there is always a certain element of truth in it. What makes propaganda different from news is that propagandists can skilfully manipulate information at their disposal by blowing it out of proportion to achieve certain intentions; good or bad.
Propaganda thrives more at war time than in peace time. If we must face the truth, no war situation could surpass the last presidential election except that not much blood was spilled and only a few corpses were buried.
During the build up to the presidential election, it was clear that the APC propaganda machine convincingly left that of PDP gasping for breath. Though PDP had a better story to tell than APC, still they lacked the breath-taking spin-doctoring capacity of the APC.
During the campaigns, I did say repeatedly that PDP was left gasping for breath while trying—not even to catch up, but to respond to issues raised by the APC propaganda machine controlled by the loquacious Mohammed and the spin-doctor-in-chief, Garba Shehu.
If truth must be boldly told, PDP media team, apart from one or two tested hands, comprised mostly of political jobbers; while APC simply handpicked core professionals with the skill to make a mountain out of a mole hill and score great political points.
One of the issues that dominated that campaign, and which PDP could hardly afford a convincing response, was that of national security personified in the threat posed by the hitherto dreaded Boko Haram.
During the campaign, APC did say that Boko Haram would be crushed when the military would have a competent Commander-in-Chief. It was another way of saying that the incumbent C-in-C is not competent.
As things have turned out, “a competent Commander-in-Chief” has won the election. I was therefore dazed when I read this statement, issued on April 13, by the President-elect in commemoration of the abduction of Chibok school girls.
It stated: “Today we remember the kidnapping of 276 girls from a school in Chibok one year ago. This crime has rightly caused outrage both in Nigeria and across the world.
“Today is a time to reflect on the pain and suffering of the victims, their friends and families. Our thoughts and prayers, and that of the whole Nigerian Nation, are with you today.
“I want to assure all of them, and particularly the parents, that when my new Administration takes office at the end of May, we will do everything we can to defeat Boko Haram. We will act differently from the Government we replace: we hear the anguish of our citizens and intend to respond accordingly.
“This new approach must also begin with honesty. We do not know if the Chibok girls can be rescued. Their whereabouts remain unknown. As much as I wish to, I cannot promise that we can find them. But I say to every parent, family member and friend of the children that my Government will do everything in its power to bring them home.
“What I can pledge, with absolute certainty, is that starting on the first day of my administration, Boko Haram will know the strength of our collective will and commitment to rid this nation of terror, and bring back peace and normalcy to all the affected areas.
““Boko Haram” means “Western Education is Sinful.” When they are defeated militarily, as they will be, we will ensure our citizens in the affected areas have improved educational opportunities as a direct counterbalance to Boko Haram’s twisted ideology. In particular we will educate ever more young girls ensuring they are empowered as citizens of Nigeria.
“Let us use this anniversary to remind each other that the attack on Chibok was an attack on the dreams and aspirations of our young people.
“We stand united in our pledge to resist terror in Nigeria– not just through military means but also through the power of opportunity and the hope of a better future for all.”
Wait a minute! What are we up to? Is the President-elect expressing helplessness over the very issue that contributed to his election? Come on! Let’s get serious. Did I hear him well? I like his bluntness, but what about the campaign promises? I’m already worried.
