₦airaland Forum

Regional Editor (News), Olawale Rasheed, assesses the increasing importance of the internet in Nigeria‘s political terrain, concluding that the opposition has hijacked the web against the ruling party.

A trend likely to surprise keen watchers of political events in Nigeria is the eventual opposition hijacking and domination of online platforms for political activism. In the last one year, opposition activists consisting of a blend of youth civil society activists and youthful politicians have taken over the web, launching a viral campaign against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governments.

A systematic review and survey of web postings in the last one year revealed a refreshing surge in online activism by Nigerians with the ruling party and the Federal Government at the receiving end. In specific terms, a long list of cyber activists and solders appeared to have been deployed by the opposition coalition encompassing forces from home and abroad, waging a relentless war of words and propaganda against the establishment. The boldness of the activism, the depth of their postings and the reach of their propaganda are all emerging as a potent factor in future contests for political power in Nigeria.

There are hundreds of social networking sites on the web. For Nigerian activists, political activism is more potent than social chats, leading to an explosion in the number of cyber warlords with sharp missiles and bullets. In a system that allows for pseudo names and in a world where cyber protectors battle for internet freedom, Nigerians have taken to the web, voicing their disdain for the government and, at times, engaging in false postings alongside equally truthful ones on the state of the nation.

On twitter and facebook, thousands of Nigerians have become emergency journalists unencumbered by the rules of the journalism profession. Thousands of citizen journalists are roaming the web, firing salvos of unverified news and information. Countless eyewitness reporters have joined the fray, such that even traditional journalists are having hard times on news reporting. Unlike the fairly inaccessible print and electronic media, the citizens now troop to the web, airing their viewpoints away from the news editors, sub editors and editorial page editors.

The web opening has also witnessed the emergence of many online news mediums which are doing a great job in breaking news and keeping the citizens informed. Interestingly, the preponderant news media are regularly hitting hard at the ruling party, exposing corruption and campaigning for good governance. In reality, the online news media like Sahara Reporters, Pointblank, PremiumTimes, StarWitness and others have established themselves as leaders on the web. What is puzzling is the political bent of most of this news media.

Contrary to the usual sayings that few Nigerians have access to the internet, the situation has dramatically changed since the telecoms companies started offering net services. Reports now confirm that the average Nigerian with a mobile phone is potentially a web user. That fact directly implies a lot for the nation politically, a reality now being exploited by the opposition parties. For the ruling party, its online policy has been reactive rather than proactive.

How has the political parties reacted to this new development? How are the various levels of government coping with this new web activism? Will such activism have any effects on future political contests in Nigeria? These and more questions cannot but interest those who have interest in the relationship between online political activism and voting trends in the political communities.

To start with, many reports and studies have confirmed that democratic revolutions ongoing in the Arab world are mostly driven by web activism, with armies of cyber soldiers at their art every minute. The web has toppled tyrants; it has installed people’s power. Its potency is, therefore, not in dispute. In fact, political projects in settled democracies now have strong web components, with many political organisations worldwide now having a director and directorate of Online Media.


Dr Reuben Abati, presidential spokesman

For the Nigerian political scene, the ruling party has been very conservative in its approach. The PDP is still battling to get a hold of the traditional media while it is yet to have any strong online presence. The party‘s presence in the traditional media is even not that strong, while it appears to have abandoned the web to the opposition. While individual PDP leaders strive to maintain a web presence, the party as an establishment has, so far, had no online strategy, leading to its being regularly battered without any mechanism for counter action and attacks.

Even when the party is wrongly and falsely attacked, the response mechanism is mostly very weak and belated. Checks for more than five months now showed that many attacks on the party have gone undefended. Since the fuel subsidy crisis in December-January, the regularity of attacks on the Federal Governments and its policies has gone viral even after the president appointed a special assistant on social media. Virtually every minute on twitter and facebook, the bashing of the PDP, the presidency and federal policies surfaces without any counter attacks as is always the case in the United States of America and Europe.

For the opposition caucus, there seems to be a deliberate policy to deploy the web for political agenda. Findings showed that the opposition web assault is coordinated and well funded. Equally noteworthy is that the opposition appears to have forged a coalition with some genuinely patriotic youths, civil society leaders, young professionals and an amalgamation of unemployed graduates with all believing that the evil is nothing but the ruling party.

Findings also revealed that the former Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, may be the leader of these cyber soldiers alongside opposition political activists within the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC). While both the ACN and CPC may appear outwardly detached from the cyber war, the strategy is clearly a decided one, as the opposition seems to be taken a lesson from the Arab Spring. The intention may be to effect a web revolt which will eventually manifest in the neighbourhood, wards and constituencies across the land.For the opposition, the advantage may be the raising of awareness for political change ahead of 2015 as well an opportunity to thoroughly discredit the ruling party before the increasingly politically active segment of the society before future elections. Within the opposition circles, the strategy is working and can work, as it has worked elsewhere in democracy promotion.

For the ruling party, the development presents both opportunities and threats. From the angle of threats, records on the web showed that a lot of damaging materials are streaming into the web daily which, in the long run, can be downloaded into hard copies and can make their ways into the nooks and crannies of the federation. Such a situation can create political erosion which may uproot the most entrenched of all platforms. Damaging materials not debunked immediately have the equal potency of becoming truth in the minds of the unsuspecting and increasingly impoverished public, thereby transforming the ruling party’s leaders into an anti-people caucus. The political implication at the ballot box is very huge.

But there are also opportunities. Given that the opposition is already entrenched on the web, the ruling party can counter-attack by recruiting and deploying its armies of cyber soldiers to battle the opposition army on the web.

In fact, keen observers will notice that what we have on the web now is merely a monologue with the opposition launching attacks without any response from the target. When and if the ruling party deploy its own army, the nation‘s web community may then be treated to a balanced exchange of ideas and policies.

For all political actors, the potency of the web as a factor in future political contest should not be in doubt. Blocking the web is of course not an option; boycotting the web is also suicidal. The incontestable reality is that future elections may be partly won and lost on the web.

Okey Ndibe
Columnist: 
Okey Ndibe
I know what you’re thinking: the Edo State governorship election is still almost two weeks away. Why, then, write a caption that suggests that the PDP won the election?
Well, because President Goodluck Jonathan and Tony Anenih – as well as their shared outfit, the PDP – so desperately want to take over Government House in Benin City. And what the duo and their party want, they get. It’s the simple, fundamental rule of Nigerian politics: any state (or office) that catcheth the PDP’s fancy, the PDP taketh.
So we might as well allow that the PDP has “vanquished” incumbent Governor Adams Oshiomhole and “conquered” the people of Edo State.
The signs of the PDP’s “conquest” were writ large last week when our asset-undeclaring, no-damn-giving, jet-hopping-whilst-Kaduna-burns president swooped on Edo. A hapless Governor Oshiomhole was at the airport to warmly welcome the man whose mission was to prepare the ground for the PDP’s seizure – by hook and by crook – of the incumbent governor’s post.
Of course, if you were the gullible or politically naïve sort, you would have been duped by Mr. Jonathan’s rhetoric. The president’s speech at a campaign rally in Benin City was all so high-minded, but the sentiment was feigned and – to the discerning ear – perfumed bunkum.
A headline in the The Vanguard of July captured the ruse: “President promises free and fair Edo guber poll”. The opening paragraph stated: “Ahead of the July 14, 2012 governorship election in Edo State, President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday, vowed to ensure security, free and fair election in the state, just as he urged members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state to mobilize properly in order to ensure victory.”
Speaking at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Mr. Jonathan waltzed down memory lane. According to the Vanguard, he “thanked the people of Edo State for voting massively for him during the last presidential election and recalled that it was in the state that [he] started the campaign for one man one vote, adding that the forthcoming election will not be an exception.” Then the president added, “So, this time around, no stuffing of ballot paper. No thuggery, no thuggery, no thuggery. It must be one man one vote. I came here to promise the people of Edo State that they should keep faith with that promise. Edo State is going to be one state that will show that example.”
Apparently, our president didn’t want to leave matters at the level of exhortation. So he apprised his audience of actions he’d taken to advance the ostensible cause of electoral transparency. His words: “Let me assure you that even this morning, before I came, I called the Inspector General of Police, are you ready for Edo State? He said yes. I called the Chief of Defense Staff, are you ready for Edo State? He said yes.” And then this: “I guarantee hundred per cent security for your election and there will be no manipulation, election results will be entered at the various units and nobody will change figures. PDP is the dominant party. As long as you mobilize and vote, the PDP will win.”
Mr. Jonathan’s speech was many things, but it was far from being reassuring. In fact, it was primarily disturbing, if not alarming. One suspects that the president designed the speech precisely to convey a chilling message to the people of Edo State. That message is, “Forget it, folks, your state and yourselves are a conquered people. Your state is as good as taken!” When Mr. Jonathan asked the IG and the CDS if they were ready for Edo, he knew that both men understood him to mean, “Are you ready to pour in police and soldiers into the battlefield of Edo to sack Oshiomhole and impose my (and Tony Anenih’s) beloved candidate?”
Nigerians know to be afraid – very, very afraid – whenever a PDP president takes to the hustings to promise an electoral contest devoid of ballot stuffing and violence. Nigerians know to lose sleep when a certified PDP president proclaims himself an apostle of one man, one vote. The PDP excels in the technology of electoral fraud and outright subversion of the popular will. That’s the bitter medicine President Jonathan has prescribed for Edo.
Schooled by harsh experience, Nigerians know to be terrified when their president invokes the names of the Inspector General of Police and the Chief of Defense Staff in the context of an election. It may be a truism that all political parties in Nigeria participate at some level in electoral fraud. However, the particular distinction of the PDP does not lie simply in the fact that the party out-rigs all others. The party’s dubious genius lies in two areas. One is an open disdain for the principle of credible elections. The other is that the party arrogantly commandeers the tools of state coercion – the police, the military and the secret services – and deploys them as an essential part of the party’s rigging arsenal.
Mr. Jonathan is no political fool. When he disclosed that the IGP and the Chief of Defense Staff had assured him of their readiness for Edo, he was delivering a dangerous political message. That message, hardly coded, could be translated thus: that the PDP is set to steal the damn governorship election – and they don’t give a damn what anybody thinks about the heist!
It was Mr. Jonathan’s variation on former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s doctrine of elections as do-or-die affairs. From the days of Mr. Obasanjo through deceased President Umaru Yar’Adua to the era of the Jonathan, the PDP has perfected a scheme for stealing gubernatorial and other polls. The incumbent president flies into a contested state with a retinue of the party’s biggest thieftains to speak to a rented “mammoth” crowd. As happened in Ekiti, Adamawa and now Edo, the president or some other “heavyweight” declares that the police and military are alert to their responsibilities (to aid and abet rigging), proclaims the PDP “dominant,” and predicts victory.
The presidential “mobilization” provides cover for the (mis)deed. It inaugurates and empowers the impunity of rigging. In the misshapen, criminalized space that’s Nigeria, the president’s presence seals the deal. How many electoral officials in Nigeria have the spine to call a result that goes against the president’s man? With the IG of Police and Chief of Defense Staff on the side of the president’s (and Anenih’s) man, who can be against him? The Nigerian president has called on the IG and CDS. Is Governor Oshiomhole going to call on the inspector general of the “Area Boys of Ikpoba Hill”?
The stakes are extraordinarily high in Edo State. By all accounts, Mr. Anenih, who basks in the sobriquet of “Leader” and “Mr. Fix-It,” nurses an Olympian grudge against Mr. Oshiomhole, the upstart labor leader turned governor. Part of Oshiomhole’s sins is that he’s shown scant respect to an Anenih who holds himself – and, alas, is held – as Nigeria’s preeminent political fixer. And in the absurd calculus of Nigerian politics, many forces are already aligned to teach Oshiomhole a lesson or two in humility. If an election is to be stolen in broad daylight to teach that lesson – guess what – so much the better!
Here, then, is the sum of it: whether the people of Edo like it or not (in fact, especially if they don’t like it), the PDP will “win” the governorship election of July 14. The president of Nigeria will see to it. As commander-in-chief, he can order the law enforcement and security agencies to get cracking to achieve the objective. If Edo voters ever felt that the announced results were at odds with their choices, tough luck.
After all, the PDP does not necessarily agree that a matter as important as the making of political choices should be left in the hands of mere mortals. For this, the grandest of parties in Africa, political power is a divine bequest. As PDP officials are wont to say, it’s “god” that gives power, not voters. The power-bestowing “deities” are the select men the party calls stakeholders (properly understood as steakholders) or party chieftains (more appropriately spelt thieftains).
The resolve of the gods in the PDP to snatch Edo is not in doubt. The only force to stop them, in the end, is the will of the people. Unless impunity is resisted, stoutly resisted, its reign will continue. So here’s an emendation: The gods and goddesses of the PDP may already have decided that the Edo governorship belongs to them; they will get away with it, too – unless the people of Edo are willing to stand up and say, “Hell, no!” The people’s will is superior to all the police and soldiers the president will mobilize to do the PDP’s crooked will in Edo.

hOw many times do you take the federal highway in a day while you travelled?
Why must it be a PPP conntract after all the revenues lagos state collects. And do

yinchar: Who give a phuck if you paying toll everyday when you passing through there, you are a PDP agent everybody knows it on this forum, if PPP wasn't initiated on Lekki-Ajah axis, did you know how long, and years it might take to make that water-logged area have good motorable roods, the PPP is the best initiative for that area, to ease the traffic and the pain of commuters passing along that axis. Before the Federal toll gates were removed my Obasanjo aren't you paying tolls then, or you too young to remember, and this ain't roads constructed through PPP, they are fully funded by tax payers money, yet toll are collected on them and nobody is complaining.....and besides for a country as ours we need PPP initiatives to hasten up our development, to even talk of it, at least, the PPP by ACN government works and we all see the beauty of what Lekki-Ajah axis has become, and how pleasurable to drive through it, for a moment you will even forget you in Nigeria, what about the Lagos-Ibadan expressway PPP given to Babalakin by PDP led Federal government since 2005?......we are all intellectuals, dont just come to the cyberspace and spew some shit, hoping people to accept your propaganda for the sake of younger generations.

Where is the evidence to show. Noisemakers.

Are you a media aide or an assistant spokeman, the guy has loss out and should keep quiet on his hate sermons to disunite nigerians.

In the last episode of interviews with him, we challenged Femi Fani-Kayode on his complicity in Nigeria’s current state. He threw up details of inner dealings in Aso Rock you have never heard before

In the last part of our interview with him, former aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, opens up on the inner dealings and manoeuvring within Aso Rock that, in 2006, threw up late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua as presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party.

He reveals the powerful intrigues that led Mr. Obasanjo and the PDP to dump Peter Odili, who was coasting to victory, for Mr. Yar’Adua.

The former minister said most of the hawks in Obasanjo’s government actually tipped a former Minister of the FCT, Nasir El-Rufai as the then president’s successor.

But at a crucial meeting of the administration’s inner caucus, where Mr. El-Rufai enjoyed overwhelming support, Mr. Obasanjo rejected the proposal and gave a marching order to his ministers to work hard for Mr. Yar’Adua’s emergence as president.

The then president’s stance divided the ruling caucus, with a few elements in the administration backing him while majority continued to root for Mr. El-Rufai.

Mr Fani-Kayode said the reason his group did not want Yar’Adua was because he was not exposed at the time.

He listed other reasons you will find in the interview. But in the end, “…Baba chose to go with the other group,” he said.

He said he has since reviewed the period with Mr. Obasanjo and is sure the witty ex-president regrets the choice he made at the time.

“It’s time to set the record straight,” he said.

Watch the video interview below to get the full gist, including names of various members of the caucus at the time and all that transpired in Aso Rock even after Mr. Yar’Adua was nominated.

Source. http:///uvghGfLp

adaybayor: I cannot help but wonder what kind of brain you have, are you so daf.t that you can reason well?
What has his sermon got to do with islamic clerics or when did your pastors start using the quran to preach? Must you attach religious sentiment to all things.
You are a high class reta.rd

You this almajiri the almajiri education system is now modernise by GEJ for people like you. Nobody is saying if should not preach but the name calling is hatred and foolishness on his part.
He should be invited to explain the meaning of a new dawn, is he and his cohorts trying to take over the government of nigeria? Prophet of doom

This foolish man has come again after prophecing so many times doing OBJ's tenure obj still completed his 8 year tenure and still lives on, it seems this man has lost his calling instead of preaching a sermon of peace and love he his busy hating on GEJ, he is like those islamic doom prophet in the north who preach hate against christains and call them infidels, you and your bigots lost the election so shut your traps. I see him and el-rufai as introvet who should be ignored.

bakjal: I smell some signs of inferiourity complex in u dude...jst take it easy on urself ok!!!

I ignore dumb minded people like you.

Please we should volunteer and get a job for el-rufai, I can give him a UN mission job in sudan or somalia at least he will be busy promoting bigotry there.

Twitter is a tool used by him and his religious and ethnic bigots agents to propagate falsehood.
It seems he need a job, please the international community should help him.

Twitter is a tool used by him and his religious and ethnic bigots agents to propagate falsehood.
It seems he need a job, please the international community should help him.

El-rufai is looking for relevance but nobody notices him. A political drop out and fraustrated human being.

Criticising GEJ is a big business day in day out without properly finding out if its true or lie most especially that man MALLAM EL-RUFAI the political drop out who have N̤̈̊☺ relevance always on twitter criticising GEJ. I see him and his agent has people to be ignored.

Foolish move, when dbanj interviewed GEJ there was condemnation from all corners that he didn't represent the nigerian youth now banky w does and everyone claps sheer stupidity

Yes declaration of asset his for public officials let's compare the assets he declared 1999 and 2007 and see that he has stolen enmass of lagos state wealth in which he used to get this properties. He is at thief and corrupt poilitician.
Let ♏ε̲̣̣̣̥ come out and tell us the

Selfish politicians thinking about only power and not the masses they are only concerned about there personal interest.
Tinubu the crook how come all is wealth?

Nigeria's population is much the infrastructures are not adequate enough, you should also take a clue from university admission, the number of people who write jamb and the number that eventually gets admitted into higher institution a year it is below 40% government should make a policy on population control.

Did you read the whole story before you concluded, how are they sure it's 20million? Was it counted?
It was said GEJ was not aware so why peddle rumours?

All party rig elections we shouldn't be decieved. Go and read the judgement of the tribunal that brought Adams to power the tribunal acknowledged that both parties were involved in irregularities.

this guy el-rufai is looking for relevance, he should stop making noise.
Foolish man.

Dear Maulag students,
You do not have locus standi to institute the action court throws out the suit.
Queston by the court- what personal injury as the name change effected on you?

Dame patience was in lagos that day but didn't arrive that day http:///F7ZUX4Sv

Read this http:///F7ZUX4Sv

if an airspace is close •̸№ flight can land not even if presidential aircraft is in the airspace it will need the approval of the tower to land unless the aircraft is at risk.

dId you confirm if dame patience was in lagos yesterday, you have to think logically before you make a statement if you are ignorant of the facts ask questions.

Pennywise: @Walton1, Pls get out

@OP The question is, is this standard practice? What is the basis or the rationale behind it. Is this act acceptable tolerated in the developed world we try to emulate? Lets not forget that even the British prime minister has no designated aircraft provided for his use as wealthy as that nation is.

If this is true then Jonathan and his immediate family will have to take personal responsibility for this disaster and mass murder

Before an aircraft leaves an airport there is a communiction between the two airports, before it leaves abuja it is also annonced in lagos that that the flight will be expected at a certain time.
THINK BEFORE YOU MAKE A STATEMENT.

Please think logically, why didn't dana airline make a statement that there aircraft was circling around due to no presidential closing of the airspace. It could have been a defense by them. Saying there aviation fuel finish and then it crash.
THINK BEFORE YOU MAKE A STATEMENT.

This person Is still writing jamb, he doesn't think rationally.