Drop your morality. We are discussing meats and facts this morning. There is no morality in politics.
Did you not see many candidates in 2015, frying Akara on the streets? Well, intelligent folks on cyber space could have seen through that, but the common man that wields the better-bank of votes does not understand social media projections.
As a student of Media Psychology and teacher of Media- Strategy outcomes, the 2015 election approach by the APC was deeply sophisticated, held by master-word channels.
The APC Government understood the dependency of people on new media technologies. They understood mass-message-construction and hypnotism.
The unique method of “soft selling” was adopted, using two main propaganda techniques:
1. Name Calling/Stereotyping, 2. Plain Folks.
On the first technique, people like Fani Kayode did not understand that he was put on the defensive side when he went to the gutter with Lai Mohammed on the “pampas” saga. He focused on fighting himself a victory than fighting for Jonathan. Reno Omokri was completely lost in struggling to separate his pastoral ministry and his job as an image maker. They lost to Lai Mohammed on the conventional media space whilst Social Media influencers, the place where “Agenda building” is created, took Jonathan to the cleaners with organic numbers, using the power of “emotions” and “bandwagon” attacks.
During electioneering campaigns, gentle tactics is never used to sell opposition, because they have more work to be done since the state apparatus is not in their favour.
The media is the fourth estate- a government on its own- democratized for public use- anyone can be President on this government structure, dependent on finance, reach and networking capabilities.
Jonathan was called “clueless and weak”, using the first technique. With the power of “agenda setting” through repetition, it stuck. He was seen as such. Most of his supporters even started doubting their stance.
This approach was to de-market Jonathan.
In selling General Buhari, the approach of “Plain clothes” was used.
He was striped of “elitism” and naked into a “common man”. The exponents of this idea also used foot soldiers to spread the idea through towns and villages with symbolic performances of actions, common with only the poor.
People like Rotimi Amaechi was seen braiding hair. The wife of the President was frying Akara in the streets, probably something she might have never done in her life.
General Buhari was transformed into a gap-toothed Democrat who wore suits for the first time in his life. He smiled. He made jokes. He wore inexpensive clothings. He couldn’t even afford his own ticket. He was a general that was grossly poor.
The poor saw a common place in them. Felt more comfortable.
Whilst the wife of Jonathan tried using her street intelligence to match this technique, she had no foot soldiers to sell the cameo.
Interesting, the optics were created without any counter. They were thrown into bouts of defensiveness.
In propaganda, when the opposition has numbers, you don’t fight all of them. You allow them poach you from different corners, but concentrate on your strength Area, giving it everything you have. One dirty blow, can scatter the sleepers.
Reno Omokri, Reuben Abati and FFK were lost in intelligence without strategy.
In the strategy of war, you selective fight. You lose some battles to win the war. They wanted to win every battle and they lost the war.
On the cyber space, Buhari dominated because he sutured the voice of the streets into the voice of the elites.
In 2018, Atiku Abubakar has emerged with the same weaklings as media handlers.
From shopping him to Dubai for strategy, a psychological blunder of any leader that is to “build inside” Nigeria, to aligning him with democrats in the West that probably does not allow Nigeria breathe on her own, to helping the APC let the common man see the importance of the N-power by “attacking” it, rather than criticizing the loopholes. The watery argument that it is for “vote buying” couldn’t hold because the N-Power programs, Market Moni and the likes did not start, close to elections.
On the mental scope, the APC handlers swindled into Atiku, “hating the poor” because this is the first time a “specific” policy has been targeted at the poor. It worked.
Whilst Buhari is making “regional” efforts are curbing the insecurity scale, Atiku and his handlers are making empty promises without the “how”. And Buhari is showing the “how” by pronouncements and visits, costumed by media reportage. Soldiers getting befitting burials- something that was never shown on TV before.
The supporters of Atiku on the social media scope are also largely unhappy, attacking those who support Buhari with a share of hate, showing disdain for his person- thereby drawing human sympathy that concretizes the love his followers have for him because it has been shown he is hated because he is from the north and fights the establishment.
They keep hammering on “hunger”, something that is not visionary because hunger would always be with everyone, but ideas of revolution are never in high supplies.
There is a battle ground for “Atiku’s corruption” and Buhari’s “anti corruption”.
A short media optics, recently given a nod by IBB as being “successful”.
In the coming days, the organic media followers of Buhari seem to be supporting him from sheer place of admiration, fanaticism and love, whilst Atiku’s followers are from a place of hunger, disdain and hate- something that does not withstand passion.
Reno Omokri and FFK, including the Press- Statement- releasing Kola Ologbodiyan are not men grounded in media politics. They are inspiring. Lacks energy. Non-creative and super weak to battle the super power of Buhari’s media.
If not, tell me why by this time in 2015, it was clear Jonathan had lost the general elections due the media tensions, but in 2018, many people still think election is in 2 years time.
– Promise Emmanuel (Kogi Rebel).
