The vituperations, angsts and venoms unleashed with lethal stings by some political spokespersons in this Fourth Republic stretch from the ridiculous to the utterly absurd.
From Doyin Okupe to Tunji Oseni, Remi Oyo, Femi Fani-Kayode, Olusegun Adeniyi, Reuben Abati, Femi Adesina, Garba Shehu, Bayo Onanuga, Ajuri Ngelale, Daniel Bwala and Sunday Dare, Nigerians have witnessed the good, the bad and the deeply embarrassing.
Intriguingly, a recurring pattern across administrations is that presidential spokespersons often inherit the unenviable burden of defending difficult policies, managing elite political narratives, and balancing propaganda, statecraft and public accountability. Their effectiveness is therefore judged not merely by communication skill, but also by the political climate and credibility of the administrations they represent.
Consequently, Nigerians have watched with incredulous amazement the transmutation of some of these “hired” men of the garb, who often stand logic on its head and, in many cases, brazenly somersault in desperate attempts to take Nigerians for a ride or manipulate public psyche right from the trenches of electoral campaigns.
Kenneth Okonkwo, a Nollywood superstar and legal luminary by any measure — even if still relatively fresh at the tempo of justice — appears to hug the limelight for both the right and wrong reasons in his passionate projection of personal convictions. No doubt, it is better to die for something than to be known for nothing.
His foray into the political space, aided by his initiation into the learned circle and his untamed boldness, for want of a better expression, strategically places him on the interview tables of most prime-time political talk shows, and he must certainly be having the time of his life.
However, not peculiar to him alone, one is compelled to wonder at what point these spokespersons pause for critical introspection and honest stock-taking of their true worth in the eyes of the public: how convincing they genuinely sound or how pitiable their arguments appear when weighed against objectivity, logic and sound judgement.
The other day, it was our dear brother going head-to-head with Mehdi of Al Jazeera. Today, it is the celebrity superstar throwing jabs at fellow opposition party members while the incumbents watch with amusement and bewilderment. One is tempted to ask: on whose payroll are some opposition spokespersons?
Must a spokesperson jettison decorum and descend into insults directed at both incumbents and fellow opposition figures? It is already bad enough that political campaigns have degenerated into unprintable name-calling, but to now turn the nozzle against fellow opposition parties is both inconceivable and irresponsible. Can we not have a decent political culture centred on issues, policies and clear-cut agendas rather than this vicious cycle of bitterness from one election season to another?
These spokespersons insult the opposition today and shamelessly make a 180-degree turn tomorrow to become their spokespersons in the next electoral cycle. Men whose gods are their bellies.
There is no gainsaying that the APC model as opposition remains a masterclass from which this present crop of opposition elements ought to learn.
The manner some of these spokespersons execute 360-degree political acrobatics from one ideological camp to another is indeed a curious subject worthy of doctoral research. This brand of spokespersons — save for a principled few — diminishes the very essence of media, communication and public relations practice.
If, for whatever personal or collective reasons, the opposition coalition superstructure eventually collapses, is the barrage of accusations — especially from the ADC camp — truly worth the agony they are putting Nigerians through? Since when did it become a criminal offence for anyone to say, “I cannot travel this route for personal reasons,” even if such a decision appears selfishly reasonable but carries wider implications for a collective cause?
One risks being falsely branded an NDC hireling or an Obidient rascal for making such observations, but that is far from the truth. The larger question remains whether Nigerians genuinely deserve better from this current crop of opposition actors.
If this is the character of opposition politics, then we are indeed in trouble and, before noon on election day, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu may well be comfortably preparing for another swearing-in ceremony with champagne already on ice.
While the intellectual sagacity and passionate tenacity of the celebrity-turned-politician are not in dispute, the realities on ground mirror an opposition in profound disarray, heading steadily towards a clear-cut electoral defeat amid discordant tones, ego battles and godless rivalries.
President Tinubu is not merely a maverick; he is an election technician. The likes of Kenneth Okonkwo and his co-travellers in the opposition communication machinery must keep their eyes firmly on the ball. Their common adversary remains one of the most experienced political strategists of his generation. Loud voices, emotional grandstanding and incoherent messaging from the opposition amount to nothing more than a waste of national emotion.
Away with the shenanigans!