Politicians all over the world are known to go to any length and do out of the books things to get people to vote them.
Some of these things include making bizarre promises and visiting weird places where they hope to connect with the people.
During a tour of local businesses at a Christmas market, British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson visited a butcher and helped out at one stall, serving up sweets in front of the cameras.
In the USA, candidates visiting Iowa often pose with farm families as the barn and towering feed silo provide a picture-perfect backdrop and in South Carolina, a common feature during campaigns is candidates who go to church as a way to connect with African American voters. This is particularly common with Democrats.
In India, AM Sheik Davood, an independent candidate contesting from Tiruppur Lok Sabha constituency in Tamil Nadu, promised voters 10 litres of brandy for “medicinal usage” every month if he is elected as an MP. He also promised Rs 25,000 every month to every family in the constituency.
Nigerian politicians are certainly not left out and never fail to surprise the electorate.
It is during electioneering that you find politicians identifying with the electorate using different strategies like patronising roadside businesses, eating in public, plaiting women’s hair, repairing appliances, and helping out with cooking among others.
They do this to prove to the people that they are humble, they identify with them by eating what they eat, they know what it feels like to suffer among others.
But all of this only turn out to be opportunities for them to take photos which they splash on the internet in the hope of appealing to the emotions of voters.
During electioneering, we are bound to see all manner of theatrics from politicians who do everything but tell us in clear terms what they intend to do for the people and how they hope to achieve it.
The father of them all is former Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha. He is the real ‘drama queen’. We’ve seen pictures of Okorocha, who is no stranger to drama, feeding a baby from a bottle. He also helped a woman roast corn on another occasion, while also rocking her baby in 2013. Okorocha stopped his convoy to patronise a woman roasting yams by the roadside on one occasion.
Former vice president Atiku Abubakar, presidential flagbearer of the PDP on one occasion, was spotted eating rice with pupils in a school and another time, posed with a sachet of water to his lips for the cameras.
Ayo Fayose, proponent of stomach infrastructure served himself Amala ati ewedu ati gbegiri from a local bukka and of course the pictures were taken and splashed on the internet for all to see. Sometime last month, the former Ekiti State governor was spotted eating his favourite amala at a popular spot in Abuja, after obtaining his PDP presidential nomination and expression of interest forms.
Even Peter Obi, whose supporters say gives no “shishi” has been pictured sharing money to a group of people when he was governor.
What of former Rivers State governor, Chibuike Amaechi, who turned a hair stylist on the streets of Port Harcourt, helping a woman who was making her hair, while campaigning for President Buhari’s election?
Amaechi is not the only political hair stylist. Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu did same at a salon in Lagos. He was also at Computer village Ikeja to learn phone repairs alongside his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, after learning automobile repairs at a mechanic workshop.
Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, was pictured some time back having a meal with locals in his Guma local government area of the state.
Wife of the president, Aisha Buhari, during campaign for her husband’s election brought out her culinary skills when she became an akara seller, helping out a seller at a street corner.
Former Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole, never misses an opportunity to exhibit his love for corn. Oshiomhole and his estranged political ally, Godwin Obaseki, in 2016 ate corn on the streets of Benin City during campaign. He repeated same in 2020 but this time, while campaigning for Osagie Ize-Iyamu, after falling out with Obaseki. Did anyone say those who eat corn together stay together?
In 2015, during their campaign, Buhari and Osinbajo were pictured having breakfast, using single use sachets of chocolate. People hailed them as being prudent when the pictures emerged. As at that time, those sachets were sold for N40 each, today, they’re sold for N100 even as the quantity has reduced
Former Abia State governor, Orji Uzor Kalu, is another man who nothing can separate from his love for corn, even if it’s just to take pictures. When he was governor, he once stopped to buy roasted corn from the roadside and on another occasion, was spotted at an akara spot eating freshly fried akara.
Even though he wasn’t campaigning at the time, Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai, during a tour could not resist the urge to dig into sticks of sugarcane and he promptly bought some and chewed away while on the tour.
In 2018, during the campaign for their re-election, vice president Yemi Osinbajo was at the cinema to watch a movie with some young persons.
Iyiola Omisore also ate corn in public during campaign.
With campaigns for the 2023 general election beginning soon, I wonder if the politicians will give the electorate real issues to interrogate, or if they’ll be deploying more bizarre campaign tactics to sway the people.
