BETWEEN OBASANJO, ATIKU AND THE MEDIA
Guardian July14, New Nigeria July15, Daily Trust July17,
Nigerian Tribune July21, Daily Champion Aug5, Daily Times August 28, 2003
Democracy
is appreciated by the roles of political office holders whose activities are beamed efficiently to the public through the
media. In our political system, the executive, legislature and judiciary, have been amplified as sensitive arms of government,
while the media is recognized, even if not constitutionally, as the fourth estate of the realm, by serving as watch dogs over
other branches of the bureaucracy.
When President Obasanjo recently asked his vice, Atiku Abubakar to take over negotiation over the increase on fuel
pump price, after the attendant workers’ strike which engulfed the nation, many were dumbfounded by the seeming generosity
of the president to his partner in the face of strong insinuations on their no-love-lost-relationship. Though, the media widely
reported the request cum directive for Atiku to lead the technical committee set up to resolve the fuel crisis, but not without
varied headlines that suggested many interpretations on strained relationship between the landlords in Aso Rock. The misconception
over the relationship was borne by the way the media portrayed the two leaders.
Public analysts and commentators have severally dealt with the roles of the Media since the inception of democracy
in the country after decades of military intervention in our nationhood. But nothing has been highlighted other than the purported
disagreements and rancour between the political leadership. It could be recalled that in the struggle for the enshrinement
of democracy, especially during the regime of General Abdulsalami, the press played laudable roles in the emergence of Chief
Olusegun Obasanjo, also a General, as the candidate of the People Democratic Party and by extension, made case for a moderate
and liberal personality as his running mate. Atiku Abubakar who had already won a gubernatorial seat in Adamawa State, was invited to be the vice by
the then President-in-waiting as the best alternative. Almost towards the end
of the first tenure of the administration the president had a healthy and cordial relationship with his vice, this cannot
be said in the case of most Governors whose first tenure did not end without unfortunate scenarios, in which some deputies
attempted to dethrone their bosses from office.
Though the press may not participate in the vigorous campaign for public office or seek for political appointment, it is a vibrant and outspoken arm for change and radical transformation. It is truly a representative
institution, endorsed by large patronage from viewers and readership who express themselves through the platforms and contribute
to the media sustenance in the marketplace. But unfortunately, the media, which is used by the office seekers to metamorphose
into elected representatives of the people, are reused to fractionalize the polity, thereby overheating the system.
Just before the last party primaries, the President and his vice were aloof over alleged frosty alliance. The media
were awash with behind the scene rivalry between the two powerful men that at a stage they created an impression that the
boss had to passionately plead with his junior partner to save him from the emerging likely humiliation from powerful opponents.
The messages to the electorates during the period were centred on the growing antagonisms amongst the political class, while
issues bordering on mission statements and manifestoes of the political parties which are vital instruments to equip voters
rationally in exercising their franchise were highly neglected at the expenses of the system.
One might have expected that at least after the election, when the supposedly warring parties must have established
a clear unity of purpose, the media would concentrate on advocating for social changes and developmental efforts, but the
media instead, concentrate and act as an instigating referee, who incites bloody fights. To buttress this further, a magazine
recently published a damning report, which may likely estrange the public officers. The journal probably in its quest to win
laurels or crave for breaking news, indicted the presidency, as it consistently did over the years with each administration.
The publication, which carried two strange paid adverts of a former military leader it had attacked in the past, seems to
recreate the infighting between the present occupants of the Presidential Villa. In the same edition, a governor who was recently
sworn in after being cleared before the election was accused of forging educational qualifications, which couldn’t add
anything constitutionally to his aspiration to govern a state. The scandalous media scrutiny has necessitated some office
seekers to attach video and pictures of their academic background to academic credentials.
The moral question one asks in this situation is, if the electorates voted by the influence of the media campaign,
as represented in editorial commentaries and sponsored spotlight, would it be fair to condemn the elected officers immediately
before undertaking any activity in their new tenure? Were the allegations, though trivial, not belated when they could have
been used effectively to forewarn the electorates? There may not be any thing wrong in condemning bad policies and programmes
of government, but a lot is wrong if the public is fed with personality clashes and scandalous insinuations which neither
are significant to the administration of a state nor have direct connections to performance in office.
Even if Obasanjo and Atiku’s camaraderie of regular convivial exchange of banters is a pretext before the cameras,
they have never betrayed any emotion of hostility. This is a clear distinction
from the animosity that existed between some governors and their deputies over flimsies.
It is regrettable that when the masses are distraught with hardship in the early stage of the tenure, the disputations
are speculated as part of the struggle for plum offices in 2007, as if they know who may survive and be relevant tomorrow.
It is a well-known fact that politicians with egocentric ambitions encourage and finance anonymous and destructive
stories against political opponents, even within the same party. The activities of such faceless politicians in collusion
with some sections of the media are total disservice to the poor and innocent electorates who suffered the negative distraction
over alleged power tussles of the titans.
The excessive coverage and reporting on political office holders in media against special focus on
the populace have deprived competent and well-intentioned Nigerians to vie for public office. For instance, out of the thirty
registered political parties in the country, the few reported are those involved in clownish presentations and combatant remarks.
The reasons are not far-fetched as the press, especially the electronic media, commercialize most of their services which
are hardly affordable to the ordinary citizens but exclusively utilized by those in power and the moneybags. This unfortunate
stand seems to justify, to some extent, the craving for campaign donations by some candidates. But unfortunately, it is the
elites and those in power who benefitted from organised jamborees, which are largely viewed as morally incomprehensible and
politically objectionable.
In addition, due to high level of sensationalism, where conflicts, sex and diseases constitute the element of newsworthiness,
the public is wary and extremely selective on media products. No one in his right senses would call for the regulation of
the press despite the activities of few practitioners who are beclouded by sectional allegiance and promoted discord in the
society. Regulation would no doubt encourage editorial interference and political pressure, rendering the press with no teeth
to bite and remains a mere rubber stamp in endorsing the interest of those in power, even where its decision is against the
public interest.
While at the national level, the battle is fought in the private and public media, the states wholly control the press
at that level which are mostly owned by the government. Most electronic and print media at the second tier, as used by respective
public figures, are not in any way instruments of empowerment and rationality, but means of sidelining the public whom they
intended to protect. That was why some corrupt officers were returned because the public media is used to manipulate mass-opinion,
undermines public right to self-expression, perpetuates the rotation of illegitimate and unconstitutional acts and promotes
selfish interest of the few. This attitude is defeatist and that is why the selling and competitive state owned media that
were not challenged could not measure up to the circulating strength of private media.
As the media become a football to be dribbled forth and back by the politicians who accused it of partisanship, while
the public becoming disenchanted over non-representation, the role of media in democracy has therefore, called for a reassessment.
The media in a democratic system must represent the voice of the voiceless, the artisans, market women, students, labour,
activists, traditional institutions, religious bodies, organized sectors, and every segment of the society, by bringing to
the fore their positions and plights. As the public watch dogs they must oversee the activities of government as related to
its impact on the society and facilitate general debate on issue of national importance by participating in the resolution
of conflicts for the benefit of the society. It should check the excesses of government and protect the public interest through
constructive criticisms and patriotic commentaries that encourage flow of investment thereby boost revenue even through tourism.
Since Aso Rock has magnanimously appointed two former Presidents of Nigerian Guild of Editors, Remi Oyo and Garba Shehu
as spokespersons to Chief Obasanjo and Atiku Abubakar respectively, the Media representatives in government should guide their
bosses on the manner and mannerism that may not be misinterpreted in the editorials and public views as distraction from social
reforms towards better society. As Professor James Curran says “free market media inform citizens from a variety of
view points; they keep open the channels of communication between government and governed, and between different groups in
society; they provide neutral zones for the formation of public opinion. In short, the processes of the market are central
to exercise of popular sovereignty.”