On a daily basis, democracy is becoming very interesting in Nigeria. In the past nineteen years, one could see the good, the bad, and the ugly, in the society once electioneering has commenced. This year is not different as there are conspiracy theories ahead of the 2019 general elections. With politics all things are possible in Nigeria- vote buying, vote rigging, underage voting, and manipulation of election results etcetera. The manner in which politicians, especially the corrupt breed, think during political campaigns is pretty much different from the way a normal human being thinks. The difference is in what politicians are willing to do just to get what they want from the electorate. One would expect that in a civilized society, people are honest and law abiding. This theory may not be valid for some politicians because most of them put their wants above honesty and legality. Often, the interests of most politicians are not conterminous with national interests.
As politicians strategize on how they would remain in power, the people they claim to govern get poorer, and the society is in decay with social and physical infrastructure in a state of disrepair. In the sea of confusion created by the election season, some powerful individuals fabricate all manner of stories. Conspiracy theories are always generated depending on where the interests of those who generate such controversies lie. Conspiracy theories are signs of deep social malaise in the society.
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It happens in many countries across the world. You will recall America’s last election where it was rumoured that Hillary Clinton was dead, and that Trump is a plant working for Clinton. At the time, many Americans appear to think that Donald Trump was told by the Hillary Clinton Camp to be as controversial as possible to deter people from voting republican and hand her the victory. These false stories were well crafted by conspiracy theorists to make people of like minds belief they are true.
The stakes in the 2019 general elections are high. The forthcoming presidential elections would mainly be between the Atiku, of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as well as other presidential candidates too numerous to state here. This is going to be one of the strangest elections in Nigeria’s political history. Why, you may ask? The hawks in the political arena want President Buhari out of Aso Rock Villa. To these jingoists, President Buhari’s performance in office is not inspiring. They grumble daily that President Buhari has not been able to win the fight against corruption. Critics pontificate that the nation’s economy is still fragile and the level of insecurity is high. But they should be bold to say President Buhari has not performed, and that due to his lacklustre performance they wouldn’t vote for him in 2019. They shouldn’t say President Buhari is “Jubril from Sudan.” Anyway, it’s the rise of social media and online news that has made it easier than before for weird conspiracy theories to spread like a bush fire.
Even the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, in his latest broadcast from Israel has stated that the current President of Nigeria believed to be Muhammadu Buhari is not a clone but an impostor from Sudan. He insists that President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) is dead and the person at the Aso Rock Villa is an imposter. To drive home his argument, the IPOB leader while making his broadcast says “what they are cloning about Buhari is the ear, you know the ear at the back of the mouse that is what they are cloning. Because when they cut off the ear, they can now cut it to the shape of the dead Buhari. Have you noticed how they never photographed the left ear? Have you noticed it all of you? They never allow you to get close.”
Recently, President Buhari on his trip to Poland denied conspiracy theories that he is a human clone after rumours circulated on social media that he had died and been replaced by a Sudanese lookalike called “Jubril.” In defence of his denial, PMB in his tweet further says that “One of the questions that came up today in my meeting with Nigerians in Poland was on the issue of whether I have been cloned or not.” According to President Buhari, “the ignorant rumours are not surprising- when I was away on medical vacation last year, a lot of people hoped I was dead.”
It’s only those who think PMB was dead last year as a result of undisclosed illness that would believe Nnamdi Kanu’s conspiracy theory. Conspiracy theories play an important role in Nigerian politics. You will recall the conspiracy theory that Umaru Yar’Adua was dead before he was elected as the President of Nigeria in 2007. Yet, he was elected and served as the President of Nigeria between 2007 and 2010.
Frankly, Nnamdi Kanu’s conspiracy theory could be true. As a result of research by scholars, one may find out twenty years later that there was a Jubril from Sudan. If this was true, one could say that the Federal Executive Council meetings had been chaired by a cloned president for several months. To avoid these bizarre theories, our presidents shouldn’t leave their offices for more than necessary on medical evacuation. That is why a responsible government would ensure that our medical facilities are of international standard.
In the past few years, these weird stories have helped Nigerians to analyse and understand unexplained political events including erratic behaviours of some persons that seem insensitive to the challenges most citizens experience. It is the Nigerian government’s lack of transparency and accountability over time, including the tendency to mislead, confuse, and conceal that gives conspiracy theories the oxygen they need to spread and escalate. So, who is the Jubril from Sudan? And where is he as you read this article? Your guesses are as good as mine.
MA JOHNSON
