The GAUGE: Reality of primordialism and identity politics in Nigeria’s 2023 election

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By Olusegun Olurin

Olusegun Olurin

Primordialist‘s assumption of life per excellence is predicated on a belief that ethnic identity is key to man’s survival. He believes that human being’s desire is to first and foremost identify with people whose characteristics are same with his. So where you have a group of people whose reason of living together in a place or in clusters is simply because they have a common language, same culture and historically a common ancestry; then the idea to vote en-masse or as a block for one person or a particular political party and with the determination to reject `others` [no matter how good they are] is already encoded “genetically”, and therefore basically reflexive.

In vote canvassing, no matter how persuasive you are, primordialists will still lean ethnically. In the case of the 2023 presidential election of 25th February, it is now obvious and evident that wherever you find the Igbo ethnic group in Lagos or Nasarawa or Benue, they all voted for Peter Obi who contested on the platform of Labour party. The Yorubas, (even if inadvertently) and Hausa/Fulani did same in their respective regions
Meanwhile, seasoned politicians know all too well that political platform are the veritable vehicles of wining political offices and short of using the word ‘Seized’, People Democratic Party [PDP] and All Progressive Congress [ APC] fell into the hands of Hausa/Fulani and Yoruba ethnic groups respectively. So an Igbo man who hitherto was denied the use of the PDP platform ‘negotiated’ and got the platform of Labor Party,LP, to complete the equation.
Thus the 2023 presidential election took a shape of ethnic competition in to- to.

Aondoakaa says: “Supreme Court ruled in 2008 that candidates must win 25 percent in Abuja”

Given the history of the past ethnic clashes and the eventual civil war, the Igbo man had never seen Nigeria as a pretty ‘big picture’.

Every generation of Igbo nation teaches the history of the brutal war to their children from their own perspectives secretly.

Ironically, the fuel for Biafranism emanates from the hard earned money of the war refuge’s sons and grand children who emigrated and lives in the United States of America, UK etc. I dare say, bulk of the resources for Labour party also came in from US in dollars.

The togas of primordialism has not been shedded even while living and growing in the so-called ‘first world’.

On the other hand, the theory of constructivism had always appeal to Yorubas throughout their histories.
They genuinely believe or assume that ethnic identity can and should be malleable. It should evolve rather than remain ancient. Over the years, they have continued to shape and reshape their identity by their social exposure in political maturity and by liberal disposition to wealth.

In the story of Lagos on the 25th of February 2023, losing the state to Labor Party is to many Yorubas a debacle.

Howbeit, in the words of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on the 27th of February 2023; “I have been your Governor for almost four years, promoting harmony and friendship across ethnic and religious lines without any form of discrimination whatsoever…”

The key and operative words here are ‘ethnic and religious’.
The story is told after the fact that the Igbo Communities in Lagos united around the markets by taking up ‘’Obedient Oath’’ as far back as August 2022. Igbo traders are not allowed into various markets unless they obtain their Voters Card. It does not matter whether you are from Anambra, Ebonyi or Enugu; Peter Obi and Igbo leaders in the Diasporas closed their ranks.

Meanwhile, Yoruba youths, ‘Christians against Muslim-Muslim ticket’, other Nigerians who are hurt by the ‘cashless program’ and petrol scarcity, protagonists of #Endsars and other Twitter celebrities who cast protest votes against Tinubu in particular and APC in general may have been swayed by religious sentiments and social media, ‘deep and not so deep fakes’ and well planned and well orchestrated propaganda.

However the reality of the 2023 presidential election is that it is largely ethnic and religious based. Evidences abound. Figures from enclaves of different ethnic groups tell the story clearly.
For example, the Igbos has the largest population in Amuwo-Odofin and places like Ojo and Alaba. These places were soundly won for Peter Obi, their kinsmen. Kwakasilifa as a pseudo-ethnic movement won Kano with over 900,000 votes. They have a distinct way and approach to life in particular. The moment Yorubas in the South West were told of the plans of Igbos, the doctrine of “Omo eni osedi bebere” went into full gear. Elders everywhere started going from house to house to urge people to go out and vote. To the typical northerner, the choice of who to vote for had been crystal clear from the moment the candidates emerged. It had been either Atiku or Tinubu for religious reasons. We know that for Tinubu to get even a modicum of support, he had to agree with the core northerners on Muslim-Muslim ticket.

Meanwhile, the issue of ethnic identity and religious bias is not limited to Nigeria historically speaking. In a recent book written by Isabel Wilkerson, the Pulitzer Prize winning journalist; titled CASTE, she made it clear that the word ‘white’ is an American innovation and only several hundred years old. The coinage coincided with the era of transatlantic slave trade. In order to create an ethnic caste system the name ‘black’ was invented for people of African descent, and people who migrated from England, Ireland, Germany, Poland assumed the identity of ‘white’ not because of the color of their skin, more importantly, for the construction of a new ethnic grouping.

Hitherto the 19th century innovation, there was no such identities. Through research, Wilkerson was able to describe the new identity as a deliberate and well thought out pseudo official caste system which helps determines the standing and privileges of each ethnic group in the society. What about ‘others’ who used to believe they are ‘white’ but were not accorded the ‘rights’ of the so-called Caucasians? Well, people of color who are not black and could not be called yellow or brown tried to understand where they fit into the CASTE system or ethnic identity. This churning led ‘undetermined’ people who thought they did not belong to the ‘black’ side of the bipolar to petition the government and approach the Supreme Court for clarity on where they belong. The irony of this is that they wanted to have ‘white’ ethnic identity. A Japanese man who petitioned to qualify saying he is indeed a Caucasian lost the case.
Said he; “My skin is actually whiter than many people that I identified as white in America”. The Donald Trump case scenario suffice sufficiently.

The gist here is that ethnicity is a reality in real world and more so in Africa, Russia, Europe and all the Americas. Whatever we may say about youths and celebrities’ anger that fueled the protest votes against Tinubu, and by extension the APC, ethnicity and religion in politics played a big role and can’t be wished away in Nigeria.

Going forward, the Yorubas and Tinubu influents should understand that political correctness has very large grave yards.
Deep thoughts on how to manage the situation of the so-called “No man’s land “ in Lagos shouldn’t escape Speaker Mudasiru Obasa and fellow travelers in the State House of Assembly. And in the case of the Nigeria project, elders close to the President-elect like Pa Bisi Akande and others should put Yoruba near the front burner and should re-examine the Yoruba adage and act accordingly; “Bi ina ba joni,to jo omo eni,tara eni laako gbon !

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