Manifestoes Or Magic-festoes

One of the most exciting times in the democratic process is the beauty of electioneering campaigns; the moments come with pack-filled stadiums, events arenas, town halls, etc.

Those moments are intriguing and colourful carnival-like gatherings with electrifying atmospheres and a show of numeric strengths. A display of the power of the oratory whether convincing or not, and it provides a platform to caricature opponents and wash dirty linens left in the laundry since the last democratic circle. 

 For the singular purpose of selling their manifestoes, political parties and their flag bearers for various elective offices mobilize their supporters, cronies, and perhaps rented crowds across the length and breadth of communities, cities, towns, and the nation at large.

In other democratic climes, this ritual is celebrated with so much gravity because it determines who emerges victorious at the polls. Party Manifestoes are the dividing line between contenders and pretenders and critical national issues with solutions canvassed.

Hence, every policy, program, promise, blueprint and party/candidate ideology is pristinely brewed like fine wine yet distinctly rich in constituents. 

From Obasanjo to Buhari, the political space is rife with new political lexicons. The biggest issue in the 2023 elections is ISSUE-BASED CAMPAIGNS.

The 2015 campaigns, rated the most acrimonious in our recent democratic experiments, incited vile vitriol splattered across party lines. Name callings, character assassination, disrespect for privacies and indeed, every strategy was fair in the political space regardless. It was practically a drumbeat of war!

Fast-forward to 2022, the call for circumspection and saner electioneering campaign space tweaked issue-based is in the center stage. But piecing the veil intently, it seems this is a mere stratagem to mask the inadequacies of some candidates and shift prying eyes from issues beyond fine rhetoric warehoused in the party manifestoes.

Jumping the gun, some politicians abandoned their half-hazard call for interrogating the manifestoes as party spokespersons re-enliven that song: Who let the dogs out. You can shout at this point if you know the song.

The content originality of the parties’ Manifestoes are questioned in the public court today. While parties are dagger-drawn, others try hard to navigate the rigour of putting together believable documents for the market.

This unfortunate scenario aptly triggered a reminiscent of the days when Awolowos, Ziks of Africa, and erudite Ahmed Bellos, enchanted Nigerians with deep, insightful and sincere Manifestoes that reflected societal realcities with a pragmatic roadmap and measurable timelines. 

Those are times when words were bonds, and party manifestoes inspired strategic directions and rapid regional prosperity.

What we have today is simply a charade! Accusations and counter-accusations of forgery, plagiarism, copycat-ism, lack of originality, and intellectual laziness. Indeed, a total disconnect between the sufferings and realities of the times. Any political parties which cannot string together decent manifestoes, cannot birth into existence what it cannot contrive.

One of the albatrosses of the ruling party today was its campaign promises or manifestoes in 2015. Their electioneering campaigns anchored on the change mantra and deftly presented to Nigerians almost became contemptuous as denials were also rife after power was captured 

However, critical examinations of successive governments leave much to be desired. Manifesto as it is today, is cheap rabble-rousing democratic rituals or a near worthless political exercise and lexicon.

What is bandied about as manifestoes by most parties are mere trickery and sham to gain political office with no iota of good faith or fidelity. If you think I am lying, ask some sitting ministers or governors today. 

These so-called documents are mere literary pros and linguistic finesse that are morally bankrupt and fit for the garbage after the mornings of the June 12 swearing-in ceremonies.

The promises embedded in these manifestoes indicate a possible band of clowns or circus with a bag filled with MAGICFESTOES to fool gullible Nigerians. So beyond the fine print, Nigerians must dig more intentionally in search of true leaders and demand competent, sincere and true patriots that will reinvent this great Nigeria. It is not a difficult choice if we put aside ethnicity, religion and party affinities.

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