How campaign groups are heating up 2015 elections

Emeka Ibemere

Call them vigorous supporters or campaigners of a political battle, or activist campaigners, you are not wrong. Call them spectators who observe political contest but rarely participate beyond voting, you are still right.

 They are people who do not engage in formal politics and they are very loyal and submissive to their patrons who do assist them in various ways, but control their votes.

Their patrons give these groups or official group of people the responsibility to control the campaign for them during elections of political parties’ candidates.

Since the beginning of 2015 ahead of this year’s election, these groups have taken campaign to the next level of ignominy, desecrating orders of normal political campaigns on social media and other places.  As at last count, the official Facebook Page for all organizations and groups working for the actualization of General Muhammadu Buhari 2015 Presidential Campaign and President Goodluck Jonathan have turned Facebook into a battle field of sort with each trying to outwit the other in unfounded lies, caricatures, heat up debates and abuses.

Ordinarily, through these interest groups, which supposed to play a role of an important mechanism through which citizens in Nigeria make their ideas, needs, and views known to would- be- elected officials are busy fanning the embers of hatred, disunity, tribalism and war regarding the election in March and April.

 Through them, it’s expected that Nigerians could usually find them focused on their concerns, and take their matters to the candidates competing for elections. The groups that are on ground are not politically active, but few of them try to influence public opinion with less intelligent debate about different candidates in the election.

Investigations showed that most of them are blind to the works of the opposition or the government at the centre but invariably bound to support the positions of their party's president or their party's electoral platform because they are aware that their weak party loyalty would enhance interest-their influence, both during elections. In Nigeria, these groups go for monetary values or support based on what they tend to gain.

 They look for their financial support and when groups that supported the winning candidate become closely involved in policy making. Most of their coordinators have leveraged on these platforms to gain access to government and appointments. Some are working to protect their jobs.

Our investigation indicates that because of unlimited freedom of speech, press, and assembly in Nigeria, most of the comments of these groups are not checkmated and it has polarised electorates.

Observers said any point of view expressed by these interest groups, no matter how radical, is permitted a public airing by the media supporting different candidates.

However, past elections before the advance of social media in Nigeria tends to be free from fire and burn statements of these groups and their parties and candidates. Social media is buzzed with insults, caricatures and lies and unfounded comments attached to one candidates or the other, and this is fuelling acrimony among the parties and their followers.

“Disheartening aspect of these groups is that they are not professionals but gathering of strange bed fellows who are interested on the money doling out from their candidates. Instead of professional groups like business, law, judiciary, teachers, engineers, journalists, Commerce, bankers and accountants including doctors and labour unions playing the role of these interest groups, such faceless groups are the ones campaigning for candidates”, Mrs Ebere Nwosu, lawyer told our correspondent.   “When such groups exercise their considerable clout and focus their energies on an election, campaigns become an issue based”.

Meanwhile, these groups generally lack the financial resources to carry on their activities and rely on their patrons for funding. Therefore, while thousands of supporters will join, many others will not join the group or make a full commitment; enjoying the benefits while others actively participate and pay. Checks revealed that most of the organisations are formed based on ethnic grounds or what they can get from the party they are supporting.

The importance of money in Nigerian politics has increased in recent years and this is what has called for the formation of all these groups.

The Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Prof. Alkali is the head of Goodluck Support Group. A trained political scientist from Gombe State. He is the Pro-Chancellor of FUTA, Minna and in charge of the Goodluck Support Group (GSG) at Jonathan House, Garki, and Abuja.

Reports credited to Prof. Rufai Ahmed Alkali said that there are over 8, 000 Jonathan support groups in Nigeria for this election. But investigation showed that most of these groups are faceless and have no structures. It was gathered that Prof. Alkali set up a screening committee to screen out the chaff from the substance. Newswatch Times gathered that there are top 10 pro-Jonathan groups, which unlike others; appear to have structures and the political sagacity to deliver.

The first among the groups is Goodluck Support Group (GSG). which is the structure developed by the former Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak who later resign his position as the national coordinator of the group, following his sack by President Goodluck Jonathan in May, 2014.

The group coordinated all campaign efforts that saw to the emergence of Jonathan as president in 2011. Although Gulak did not give any reason for his resignation, he urged his then deputy, Eddy Olafeso to remain steadfast and focused in the mobilisation of all for the need to keep supporting the president in what he described as his sincere and committed effort to take the country to an enviable level of development.

The second is National Consolidation Group (NCG) which is committed to promotion of good governance and visionary leadership. The group, which was established by Mr. Ajon Ugboho, has been mobilising support for President Goodluck Jonathan and the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) across the country.

The third is Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) which came into being last year. This group appears to be gaining momentum and making waves across the country. It has succeeded in holding South-south, South-east and North Central rallies, but it is having great difficulty penetrating the core North( North-west and North-east). TAN has been making so much noise in the media, electronic and print through adverts and advertorials in the quest to sell Jonathan to the Nigerian populace. Ifeanyi Uba, Diezani Allison-Madueke and Anyim Pius Anyim are reportedly behind the group.

The fourth is Believe Nigeria, Trust Goodluck (BNTG), which was inaugurated by Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko in August. The governor actually collapsed his political structure of many years, Iroko Frontiers, to build BNTG, which he is supporting with his political weight and might. The National Coordinator of the group is Mr. Idris Usman, who won the best state coordinator of defunct Neighbour To Neighbour, which worked tirelessly for President Goodluck Jonathan’s election in 2011. It was gathered that Usman is a grass-root mobiliser who has contacts across the country, especially in the North. BNTG appears to be toeing a different line from other groups as it engaging the Nigerian populace through social media channels; engaging and interacting with the electorate in a robust political community. The group is seriously making waves and gaining momentum. In a month of its existence, it has Facebook fan base of 2,000 Facebook likes, large Twitter followers and online community members. It’s the hub of the youths.

The fifth is Protectors of Nigerian Posterity. Like TAN, this group has been attractive in massive media campaign to showcase achievements of President Jonathan since he assumed office. Its work has is for the need for Nigerians to return Jonathan in 2015.

Friends of Goodluck which is headed by Tom Itua is another group which has quietly been mobilising support for President Jonathan’s re-election in 2015. The group has been making strong political arguments on why Goodluck must be given the chance to seek re-election. And it has been doing this through youth mobilisation and sensitisation.

The seventh is Good Governance Initiative, which said it had identified good governance and visionary leadership in the person of President Goodluck Jonathan, saying for the first time in the nation’s history, we have a president who is committed to transformation of institutions and all sectors of the economy. The eight among the groups is House To House, which is believed to be an incarnate of Neighbour To Neighbour. Analysts have said that House To House has the political marketing skills to sell Jonathan.

The ninth is National Democratic Forum (NDF) which is led by son of late Mamman Vatsa, The group has been speaking out for Jonathan and enlightening the people on the need to support the administration’s transformation agenda towards a greater Nigeria while the tenth is Patriotic Supporters of Good Governance (PSGG). The group is to mobilise the youth. It has a strong grass-root structure.

Mr. Alkali had last year inaugurated a committee under a former Army General, A. T. Ibrahim, to screen the over 3,000 pro- Jonathan campaign groups with a bid to harmonising them.

While inaugurating the committee, he noted that the evaluation of groups supportive of Mr. Jonathan’s re-election bid in 2015 became imperative to ensure that they were organised in their activities.

The spokesperson of the party, Olisa Metuh, in a statement on said although the party leadership recognizes the inalienable right of citizens under the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to freely associate and publicly express their support for persons of their choice.

Mr. Metuh also advised that all support groups, “struggling for legitimacy, supremacy or recognition should henceforth desist from trying to actualize such by using names of officials of the PDP. The PDP issues this as a last warning to all such groups and will not hesitate to take strict measures against any further infraction on its integrity and that of its officials”, Metuh stated.

For General Muhammadu Buhari 2015 Support Group Centre, the group operates under Buhari Support Organisations (BSOs). Newswatch Times gathered that over 200 Buhari support groups are in existence.

 These groups said they were ready to take the campaign against violence to all nooks and crannies of the country so as to ensure a violence-free general election.

It also called on politicians to put in place efficient mechanisms that will make the Abuja Accord a new political paradigm to achieve violence free environment before, during and after the elections in the country.

Addressing the state coordinators of the group in Abuja on Chief of Staff to the All Progressive Congress, APC presidential Candidate, Hameed Ali, said the country had witnessed post-election violence that traumatized the people since 1956, adding that everybody has to join hands in achieving a violence-free poll.

He further called on politicians to stop the use of hate languages and warn their supporters against acting in ways that can destabilise the country.

“We must change the way the world sees us; these 2015 elections offer the rare opportunity to showcase our desired new direction”.

He noted that Nigeria was at a crossroad concerning its future and should not miss the target.

Newswatch Times gathered that the Gen. Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation received N64 million from the group to add to the initial N54 million realised in December, 2014 to fund Buhari’s campaign for the 2015 general elections.

The donation was made during the meeting between the Chief of Staff of the organisation, Col. Hamid Ali (rtd), and the Buhari Support Organisations (BSO) in Abuja. Buhari, APC presidential flagbearer, had announced in December last year that Nigerians donated into a dedicated bank account as their contribution to support his campaign.

The BSO announced that it raised the additional amount through the sale of N100 scratch cards and direct donations.

“We salute the courage and commitment of Nigerians across ethnic and religious divides, that desires true change and have confidence in the ability of the General to provide the leadership that will secure our nation and prosper our people. We need to do more, we need more money. Go to nooks and crannies, get people to donate, urge people to do more. We shall not relent until we get Buhari on the presidential seat in 2015,” Ali said.

Also speaking, the Leader of the APC Youth Vanguard, Chinedu Okwudiri, said the support group had strong grassroots network.

“We’re carrying out door-to-door and neighbour-to-neighbour campaigns, and we will deliver 100 per cent votes to the shock and amazement of the present administration,” he said.

Mr Ade Ojodide of the Buhari Vanguard, another support group, said the group had held news conferences and would soon inaugurate groups which would carry out one-on–one campaign for Buhari.