Bunmi Olaniyan: The citizen activism we saw in Nasarawa (Y! FrontPage)

by Bunmi Olaniyan

2012-01-11 11.00.45

I realised that rather than celebrate and revel in that much touted political revival ushered in by social media as a new platform for political participation, we seem more invested even pathologically enmeshed in the malevolent side of social media.

 

For those who have followed my consistent Political stance and train of thoughts over time on issues bordering upon grassroots to regional and National importance a predictable strain that runs through is my oft repeated and publicized bias for youth inclusion in politics, not just as irreverent cannon fodder used only for their brawn rather than brains, a bulwark only good enough for repressing physically violent incursions by opponents. But as a veritable point of cerebral Political input which we all know present generation are overdue and more than qualified for, a cursory visual glide will unearth brilliant and cerebral minded young Nigerians who just need an opportunity to prove themselves across gender, religious ethnic divides.

While doing my news trawling last week, two different realizations struck me which although many seemed oblivious to but nevertheless has far reaching significance.

While observing the virulent and toxic cauldron of vitriol and hate filled bursts of verbal barbs under which young Nigerian politicians or perhaps “Political activists” as they like to be called debate, campaign on social media, I realised that most of the changes we tout, the achievements we declare and celebrate seems to be more of vacuous testimonies grounded in rootless abstract reality.

I realised that rather than celebrate and revel in that much touted political revival ushered in by social media as a new platform for political participation, we seem more invested even pathologically enmeshed in the malevolent side of social media.

The degenerative malignant practice of sickening vicious vitriol on personalities rather than issues, brow beating contrary opinions into silence or compliance in other words bodes nothing more than a modern face lift from the “Bolekaja” kind of politics practised by our for bearers in the first second and third republics . In simpler form some will say new wine in old wine skins, leading me to ask where exactly is this new frontier of  “Change” everyone keeps celebrating?

While I was despairing over this, ruminating on the realisation that the only change I have seen of social media from my own restricted view is the fostering of another system of serfdom and pawnship, which no doubt some will conclude is seen through biased prism of pessimism, I beheld the second major realisation which was the news of dissatisfied constituents in Nassarawa state who have gone on a proactive drive collecting petitions to recall some members of the state lawmakers either through connivance and or tacit support of the embattled Governor Al Makura and his supporters, for the purpose of this piece the motives will not be addressed.

My reason for highlighting this point to the surprising alternate tangent in first line political activism which underpins the unearthing of a new type of grassroots citizen response. This is poignant considering the normally docile and complacent attitude of constituent voters towards politicians, we are witnessing a revival of political activism not from younger generations on social media, those who chant the usual political revolution rhetoric from the comfort of their homes but hardly transit it to reality but from the grassroots voters many who are semi-literate or even illiterates for me points to the unearthing of dormant potentials.

A complex irony considering the fact that it is taking the proactive and brave actions of a determined grassroots constituent supposedly illiterate and unenlightened to mirror, kickstart and teach the all-knowing new generation with their air of intellectual arrogance a thing or two.

While it is still early days yet, in fact most likely the recall petitions might not succeed nevertheless they have shown that it can be done which is more than present generation have done casually dismissing same actions as impossible.

In their analysis same set of people driving this in Nassarawa are seen as nothing more than slack jowled yokels who are driven by stomach infrastructure incapable of informed opinions.

Well they have proven that perhaps the intellectual arrogance needs to be curbed or even divested with for a clear sight at a proper lasting and sustained political interaction, the political narrative needs to be reworked, new generation of politicians or political activists need to move away from the infantile and juvenile antics on social media and indulge in sustained motives of grassroots engagement, mutually beneficial joint political and all inclusive participation like the sort we have seen from the constituents invoking constitutional provision to re state their rights under the Nigerian Constitution, this is a dialectical inflection which we must not shy away from repeating and insisting upon if not for the sake of the present but for our collective future.

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Olubunmi Olaniyan works in the IT sector in West Midlands UK as a software testing analyst in JHC LLP and is a a writer , social commentator and budding entrepreneur. He studied in the University of Salford Manchester for his BSc in Politics with Criminology and Postgraduate in Coventry University obtaining an MA in Terrorism, International Crime and Global Security.

 

Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.

 

 

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