The news that Pat Utomi has launched a new movement for electoral reforms has moved me to reflect again on Mr Dele Momodu's three part essay; “The search for own Obama”.
In this ‘search for our own Obama’, several names were touted as possible Nigeria’s Obama: The Okonjo-Iweala that we could not tolerate here that simply moved on to greater heights; The Ezekwesili that worked tirelessly on our educational system, institutionalising due process and moved on to a bigger platform; The Nasir El Rufai that cleaned up the city of Abuja; and the Northern star, Nuhu Ribadu, that is on the run.
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But of far more importance to Nigerians methinks is this: Do we really need an Obama or do we need a skilful politician that should simply apply Obama’s method?
Can you compare President Obama’s communications strategists to Aso Rocks rebranding morons? One has gloss, optimism and gravitas. The other appear cynical and improvised.
Obama use of web communications is First Class; he has a knack for linking the medium to the message. For his huge-spending presidential campaign, he harnessed social networks to make the army of Democrat volunteers across the US feel like a tiny band of carol singers.
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And his speech to the Muslim world wasn’t merely for his immediate audience at Cairo University, or any English-speaking news junkies who happened to be watching CNN or Al-Jazeera at the time. It was, in fact, texted to mobile phones in four languages, translated into 13, and broadcast online via social networks like Facebook (which has 20 million users in Muslim countries), Twitter and Google’s Orkut service.
(Forget that he got tongue-tied in Accra. In Cairo, Obama talked about what Islamic culture had given to the world — timeless poetry, cherished music, elegant calligraphy etc. The parallels are stark. Nowhere else can one better acknowledge humanity's collective debt in relation to culture, music, multiculturalism, and the coexistence of diverse cultures than in Africa. Unfortunately, when Obama visited the Cape Coast where you have the slave camp; he could not bring himself to say anything. He could only compare slavery with the holocaust. What is good for Muslims is obviously not good for Africans)
For the Cairo speech, an event page was set up at Whitehouse.gov, for users worldwide to watch a live stream and chat in real time, as if they were tweeting the Apprentice final. It was a broader online effort than ever, said press secretary Robert Gibbs, even for a web-savvy White House that issues a weekly YouTube address from the Chief.
The Cairo speech is an hour long, but it makes better viewing (in any language) than five minutes of Yar’adua on NTA, with his sly grin like the serpent, or a cat that got the cream but then discovered that what it thought was the cream was actually the mayonnaise.
Later, the White House posted selected comments on the speech from around the world. “Thanks,” wrote someone in Uruguay. “Everything is OK,” wrote someone else from Uganda. “Go Obama,” wrote an Australian.
For his speech in Ghana, President Barack Obama has received thousands of text messages about Africa after he asked people to send questions before his trip to Ghana. Thousands responded. From Ghana - 1731 • Nigeria - 32969 • South Africa - 31958 • Kenya – 5683
Many followed the speech online on Facebook. It has also set up Twitter feeds and blogs on a special page while many took part in online discussion with Obama in the Whitehouse the next day.
In one of the most prophetic part of the essay cited above Mr Momodu wrote:
“The mood of the Nigerian nation today will be the waterloo of our ruling elites. The search for our own Obama has already started. Nigerians worldwide are warming up for the battle ahead. They are determined to cause a bloodless revolution in their own country. They are networking like never before, and discussing issues that can move us forward”.
Yes a battle of the cyber space is on, I have written on this battle elsewhere, but don’t we need a skilful politician to start an organisation, a movement that should harness the creative energy and internet savvy of our youths especially the so-called ‘internet warriors’?
A lot of Nigerian young men and women are on Facebook, Yahoo groups, various Internet forums and have mobile phone; which Nigerian politician is making any effort to harness this dormant force.
Only in Nigeria do those that label themselves as democrats tend to wait until the general election comes before they start campaigning to see if they will win the electorates vote without a formidable structure or campaigns manifestos.
Rome was not built in a day, the effort might even take decades, but patience and hard work never disappoints; ask Moshood Abiola.
Our aspiring politicians should look at other western countries to see how the opposition prepare themselves for the next election even when they failed in a general election. They still fight to the last to see that their party emerged in the next election by organizing political meeting, adverts, rallies etc for the people to see the different between their views by providing a formidable opposition.
How can you convince the electorate without making your views and aspiration known to them, when you don’t organise talks, seminars conferences. When you don’t mobilise grassroots support without waiting until the election is around the corner?
Barack Obama’s success should have taught any aspiring politician that those that want change can bring change only if they plan well for it. The energy of our internet warriors are waiting to be harnessed.
The aim might not even be simply winning an election, why not start from effecting legislative change; electoral reform for example.
The way things are, it simply a Herculean task to dislodge the ruling party from power. In view of this, a member of the Electoral Reform Committee (ERC), Barrister Festus Okoye suggested:
“Groups and other stakeholders can forward and sponsor the three Bills in the Report of the Electoral Reform Committee to the National Assembly as private members Bill and rescue the electoral process from the Bills already submitted and programmed to fail. Civil society groups and organizations can design a robust engagement policy and work with members of the National and State Assemblies especially during the public hearing of some of the Bills to impute into provisions of some of the Bills that can strengthen the electoral process and clean up the environment for elections.”
That is why Pat Utomi’s new movement for electoral reforms is welcome. Pat Utomi, school teacher, entrepreneur and politician, gathered what looked almost like a conference of the opposition, for a special dinner on July 12, 2009, except that You could call them the truly concerned professionals; professionals who want a better republic
Launching the movement Utomi said:
“This disciplined vanguard of youth may number in the tens of thousands and be present in every ward. It will be non-partisan and focused on how the ballot box can be a legitimating instrument for elected officials.
The committee on voter education: This group will be dedicated to massive campaigns to educate voters, to focus on issues, the character and competence of candidates and their antecedents.
Recruiters of middles class participants into politics: This initiative is designed to inspire more educated middle class people and professional to actively play citizenship roles of voting, persuading other to vote for preferred candidates and running for office.
This is driven by the understanding that unless politics is dominated by middle class values and concerns, and the systems is committed to a majority of citizens being in this middle bulge, social stability will continue to be a challenge”.
He concluded that for those "who fail to perform their roles, there is the query waiting for you in history and at heaven gates".
Pat Utomi is a Nigerian politician that has introduced a modicum of intellectual rigour and modern savvy to Nigeria’s political space. The only problem is: Is Nigeria ready for this man?
Daniel Elombah, [email protected]
www.elombah.com
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