Introduction.
Winning a Presidential Election is more than holding mega rallies. The one thing that is most remarkable about a campaign and election, is the message. The likability of the candidate is an added advantage. When you're running against a candidate who boasts of incumbency factors, and in total control of all the security agencies, as well as a deep wallet made possible by NNPC, the CBN, and the NPA, do not make the mistake of counting your money when you're still sitting on the table.
Don't be deceived by the apparent rejection of the incumbent by the overwhelming majority of Nigerians in the social media. You don't have the luxury of a Comrade Adam Oshiomhole. The incumbent has one on his side.
For you to win and be elected, there must be a noticeable and overwhelming rejection of the incumbent at the pool, such that, in the unlikely event of impasse, or INEC succumbing to undue interference and manipulation of vote counts, the electorates will rise up in unison and speak in one voice for a restoration of their mandate.
You don't garner that mass approval or support by accident. You earn it on the basis of trust and familiarity with the pains, travails, and expectations of the people. Ask, your friend, Kwankwaso. As a candidate, you can only cultivate and enjoy that trust by taking your campaign, your message on the road to the people. So far, your campaign is lackluster, short in rhythm, and surprisingly, less captivating in a similar fashion as your opponent.
Nigerian electorates deserve better attention. This talking points memo is not about President Buhari. The electorates know who he is. It is about you, your message, and the motivations that underscore your adventure in power.
Way Forward.
By now, you ought to be on the road, celebrating your Christmas and new year with the electorates. I don't know what your handles are telling you. But I beg to add that there is nothing dynamic or compelling so far in your campaign.
You cannot defeat an incumbent by appearing equally lackadaisical as he does on messages and familiarity tours.
Define a specific narrative - either to discredit the incumbent - branding him unfit for the office of the President for such and such reasons. Or, imprint yourself in the minds of potential voters that you're indeed the best thing to happen them. I chose the latter. And that is why I am writing this talking points.
You must project a father-figure candidate - a candidate who is conversant with the reality on the ground all over Nigeria - an attribute the incumbent can't even fake.
Therefore, you must tailor your message to rhyme with, and address the dominating concerns of the people in the state or community you're visiting.
For a start, don't be afraid to discuss kidnapping and the mayhems of the "Yahoo Yahoo" boys in the Niger-Delta. And follow it by itemizing solutions to address the cause of the get rich quick mentality - the opening of new seaports and refineries, amongst others.
Also, don't fall a victim of political correctness. Be blunt about condemning underage pregnancy and child-factory in Abia State, sponsored marriages in Kano and Jigawa States, rituals in Ondo and Osun States and the importance of a governmental social welfare package. Closely related, is the archaic educational standard in Zamfara, Sokoto, and the Gombe States, and the exigency for radical reforms.
In Kano and the neighboring States, revisit the splendor of the famed groundnuts pyramids, reputed for intimidating the Kano skyline, as well as the accompanied economic emancipation of the natives. Yes indeed, under your administration, we can replicate the pyramids, but this time, with the government, assisted mechanized approach, that is less manual, less labor-intensive, and more profitable in returns.
In a similar vein, remind the people of Bornu, Adamawa, and Taraba States the exploits of their golden child, Mr. Idris Alooma, and his well-documented lucrative transatlantic commercial voyages all through North and East Africa that brought wealth and global recognition to their region.
It is about rallying the people against the insurgents, and at the same time, reminding them that they had a glowing past that you plan to build upon, Boko Haram or no Boko Haram.
On security, don't be afraid to tell your Hausa/ Fulani folks, that the war against Boko Haram in the North East and the bandits operating in the North West is not a war against Islam or against the Hausa/Fulani as a people. That the needs for cattle ranching are consistent with global trends in the animal husbandry industry.
Therefore, the earlier they embrace the modern mechanized approach and jettison the destructive Normadic culture that transformed the Middle-Belt into a battleground, the better for the cattle merchants and for peaceful coexistence all over Nigeria.
Again, tailor your message to rhyme with the dominating concerns of the people. By doing that, you're building trust, and at the same time, laying a foundation for a purposeful, engaging and productive administration. You must feel their pains, and be at home with their expectations. Papa Awo did that. And Almadu Bello, the Sadauna of Sokoto, did that.
For instance, in Edo State, the focus should be your plans to stem the tide of the risky voyage of the younger generations, running overseas, and dying miserably in the Sahara Desert and in the Mediterranean Sea. And with a father-like commitment to bring back all the Nigerians currently languishing in captivity in Libya within your first month in office.
In the East, the dominating theme should be of total inclusion - of equal rights and justice. In other words, an Ibo man or woman has an equal right as the Yoruba man or a Hausa/Fulani man or a Kanuri man to be the Minister of Defense, Chairman of FCT, or DG of Customs and Immigrations. No one Nigerian is more Nigerian than another Nigerian from a different tribe or region.
Above all, a promise of a conducive environment for the industrial revolution, where all the Ndigbo entrepreneurs and engineers at home and abroad can put their brains and finances together for a recreation of a Nigerian Silicon Valley, without experiencing any form of institutional encumbrances from Abuja.
In the West, the narrative should be of a President or Vice President of all Nigerians. In other words, the Yoruba tribal region doesn't need to wait until 2023 or have a President or Vice President to enjoy Federal presence or secure strategic national appointments. You must unfailingly reference the gridlock at Apapa and the impassable Lagos-Badagry International Highway, in spite of the fact that the region currently boasts of a sitting Vice President and a Minister of Works.
In the Middle-Belt, the message should be centered on the safety of lives - an assurance that no community or village will suffer dislocation or evacuation from their ancestral homeland, running from killer-herders whose understanding of peace, love, and the sanctity of human life is still being defined.
Finally, if you really want to feel challenged and cast a different, schedule two or three on-campus Town Hall interactive meetings, with a view to meeting one on one with our students and lecturers. It is about assurance. If you are not having difficulties meeting the wages and demands of the lecturers and non-academic staffs in your own America University, invariably, you won't encounter difficulties meeting the demands of our ASUU and keeping our students on campus.
On the last note, do not take for granted this rare opportunity, this rare gift you have right now, after many years of trying and failing. Don't blow it. Get on the road right now. I wish you good luck.
Alex Aidagjese
Alex Aidaghese is the author of "Obama: Citizen United, Invisible Resistance, and the Hacking Of America Democracy."
