If you are bored, you don’t know what you are missing. Switch on your mobile phone and have fun. Supporters of President Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari are lighting up the cyberspace with some of the wittiest stuffs you can imagine.
Nigeria holds its 8th presidential election — the fifth in the Fourth Republic — on February 14, 2015. The chief combatants are Jonathan, flying the flag of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Buhari, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
It is impossible to keep pace with what the supporters of both candidates are churning out on the social media — Twitter, Facebook, chat groups, Whatsapp, Blackberry Messenger, Instagram and all that — but some are worth mentioning.
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One of the most enduring images is that of US President Barack Obama, with a big smile, holding a placard supposedly saying: “Vote for Change Vote Buhari”. The Jonathan campaign replied with the same image but a different message: “GEJ is the only solution in Nigeria.” It carries the PDP umbrella.
In fact, though, the real picture has Obama promoting his health care programme with the message: “#Get Covered because nobody should go broke just because they get sick.” Obama is obviously more interested in promoting his controversial programme which will give the low-income earners medical coverage without the usually expensive health insurance. He cannot be bothered by Buhari or Jonathan.
Meanwhile, before the pro-Jonathan Obama picture surfaced, or at least before it was seen by this writer, the president’s supporters had produced a far more “devastating” doctored picture showing the four APC presidential aspirants holding placards saying: “Vote GEJ”. The aspirants are: Sam Nda-Isaiah, Atiku Abubakar, Rochas Okorocha and — wait for it — Buhari himself!
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In the real picture, they were showing off their APC clearance certificates at the party’s secretariat in Abuja after they passed the screening exercise.
How fortunate would Jonathan have been to have the endorsement of four APC aspirants! That would be real good luck. But they had already signed an undertaking before collecting their certificates that they would not defect from APC, no matter the outcome of the presidential primary. Jonathan did not benefit from the fall-out.
But Buhari’s guys would not take that lying low. So they came up with Jonathan holding his own placard saying: “Vote for Change Vote Buhari 2015”.
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Jonathan, in bowler hat, is smiling as he “campaigns” for his opponent. It is not his body, apparently, because he hardly wears that kind of dress with a hat. But just imagine how glad Buhari would be to have the backing of the sitting president, if not that they are running against each other again.
There is a cartoon designed to mock Buhari’s understanding of economics, or anything education. Following the falling crude oil prices, a spoof quote was attributed to Buhari to the effect that he could do something about the situation, since petrodollars is the source of Nigeria’s livelihood.
“I will stabilise oil price,” Buhari is quote to have said, to which President Vladmir Putin of Russia, pointing a pen, is imagined to have replied: “Aboki sit down.” A incredulous Obama, laughing so heartily, retorts in Pidgin English: “U be OPEC?” An oil sheikh is laughing at Buhari, saying: “Go skol, u no gree.”
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There is another interesting cartoon, which was probably produced more than a year ago. A patient named Nigeria, looking terribly emaciated, in on hospital admission. He is receiving drip (intravenous fluid) marked “APC”. Bola Tinubu is the doctor with stethoscope in his hand, checking the heartbeat. Ibrahim Shekarrau, who was in the APC then before crossing over to the PDP, is also in the cartoon, along with Ogbonnaya Onu, former chairman of ANPP.
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Buhari asks Tinubu: “Asiwaju, any pulse?”
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Tinubu replies: “He will be OK 2015, he is suffering from umbrella.”
One of the issues in this election is insecurity, so a cartoon on Boko Haram is also in the mix. It shows Buhari wearing an army uniform and his running mate, Yemi Osinbajo, wearing a cassock. The text reads: “The best team against Boko Haram. A general and a pastor for physical and spiritual fight.”
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So far so good.
But it is now getting a bit tasty. One cartoon puts Buhari and the Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, together. It says: “End the Bloodbath. Vote Buhari/Shekau for national security. Your vote or your blood.” This would feed into the narrative that Buhari knows something about Boko Haram, a message many Nigerians believed until the militants came after him last year. Buhari escaped unhurt.
One cartoon tries to whip up religious sentiments. It seemed to have originated from Kano in the wake of Shekarau’s defection to the PDP. It shows the former governor of Kano, who is now the minister of education, wearing the Niger Delta bowler hat, with Jonathan placed beside him.
The text says in Hausa: “Nigeria Sai Mara Sallah, inji Shekarau.” Translated, it means Shekarau is asking people to vote for an infidel. Anyone wooed by this sentiment is excepted to vote against Jonathan. Let’s hope it won’t get uglier than this.
12 comments
I think we should enjoy the fun;it is not peculiar to us as it is a borrowed electoral season tradition largely from the US but now used all over the globe. I am particularly waiting for the real thing: animated video jibes, live comedy skits and actual video blends of “before claim” vs “now denials” side by side to prove the face of liars!
Very Funny….My people!!! Embrace CHANGE for a better and bigger Nigeria.
Support and Vote APC.
Funny indeed as funny can be! This is what
this election should be for all Nigerians. Vote your conscience and vote to make a difference.
It’s highly impressed. Vote for change
We need a change.GEJ you failed us.The all thing we need it now is CHANGE
Vote according to your conscience dictate but for me i will vote for change for better nigeria
Change is all is needed, but change can only come if we first of all our mentality and ways of thinking, learning to love one another and putting the interest of our country first. Then we will see benefits of the change we are looking for.
The only sustainable change is Christ, let us not be fooled by all ds political lies. Well, Jesus Christ spoke about this (CHANGE) before now. But He encouraged us to stand to our feet and support (TRANSFORMATION) and transfiguration.
Fellow Nigerian, with a standing ovation and a supportive vote on March 28, let the transformation continue. Vote GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN (GEJ)
what does nigeria needs the more change or transformation?
hello my fello nigeria , we should know that we know are good luck ebela jonathan have rule us and we are might now satifye or satisfy but the only thing i want to say my fello nigeria the buhari that you want to vote for do you know that he will be bethher than jonathan or jonathan will be betther than him ,, to according to my opinion we should forget about change and vote ebela jonathan in the sit president i hope you can understand me more bethter my fellow nigeria
Sons and daughters of Almighty God, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is the mind of God for Nigeria 2015. Do not be deceived by anybody, by their money,by their empty promises of change, their gifts and the rest of them. The Lord has frustrated their forth coming evil plans concerning Nigeria. Islamic party will never be on top, they don’t have anything to offer Nigerians. They failed in the last election and will fail and cry again this time. The Lord is at the center of this nation,there is no any evil damage anybody man can do to this nation. Vote Goodluck to Nigeria, anyother is a bad luck.
My dear fellow nigerians, have we not seen d BAD LUCK our so called gudluck have put this country through. think about the millions of people that have died in his tenure is dis a true leader. PLZ nigerians seat yourselfs down and think about his whole MISRULE. AND then you will realize we need CHANGEE.