The 2023 Elections have been ongoing and while we wait for the results to be announced, Nigerians have turned to their attention to their faves and the part they played before, during, and after the elections.
The Genesis.
Nigeria has always been a country plagued by differing levels of chaos, from tribal politics to economical upheavals. Despite this, it is a country where the voter turnout has been on the decrease since 2003, the second election of the fourth republic. This could be because Nigeria is a place where the saying “Your vote is your voice” isn’t taken as seriously as it should be. Electoral violence and state-sponsored voter disenfranchisement are the order of the day every electoral cycle.
Due to these, the Nigerian Gen Z haven’t had an interest in the country’s political landscape, it’s kind of hard to have an interest in the state of the country when the people who were in power when you were singing “we are the leaders of tomorrow” in primary school are still in power when you’re leaving secondary school and entering university.
This political apathy changed during the #ENDSars protest, a hashtag that grew past the walls of Twitter and spilled into the streets. For most, ENDSars was the first time that they really took an interest in what happened in the country, the first time they really had a voice as one. The lines of tribe and religion blurred as the youth of Nigeria came out to demand change and better governance from the Nigerian government.
20.10.20 is a date that is etched into the minds of young Nigerians. It’s a day that dashed hopes and escalated what became known as the “Japa wave”, a mass exodus of Nigerians to the overseas. For the ones left behind, it burned a fire in their stomachs. “Next elections, we’d show them.”
Nigerian musicians have been in the spotlight with the recent globalisation of Afrobeats. In the history of social justice, music has always been a method of bringing light to societal issues.
The Elections.
“With great power, comes great responsibility.” – Voltaire. (or Uncle Ben, Spiderman Comics)
The 2023 Elections have been marred with documented cases of rigging, voter disenfranchisement and possibly every example of electoral malpractice that exists. In all this, Nigerians have been wondering, “Where are the celebs?”
Some of them have been vocal and active during this period, most vocal of them being Folarin Falana, more popularly known as ‘Falz’, who got his phone stolen at Ikate as state-sponsored thugs came to disrupt the electoral process. Kate Henshaw, Chioma Chukwuka Akpotha and Emeka Nwagbaraocha have been particularly vocal on Twitter about the electoral process.
Despite this, thoughts and tweets have turned to people who have particularly benefited from being musical activists.
According to the musician, only 7 songs out of his discography are songs that can be termed activist-adjacent, and therefore, he shouldn’t be told to speak about the election and electoral process. This speaks to a certain disrespect to the Nigerian populace and the image he had previously chosen to present to the global world – the one of a Pan-African who was invested in his people.
For people who were vocal during the ENDSars protests, a good chunk of Nigerian celebrities were eerily silent during the election. I could opine that they have turned their sights towards the global audience and couldn’t be bothered about Nigerian politics.
Jidenna puts this theory to paid though, as he is someone who isn’t directly affected by the outcomes of the election, yet he made it a topic of conversation.
Election apathy is a personal conviction that I agree everyone should have but it does seem particularly selfish to dwell within a country and be unbothered or present a front of being unbothered about an event that sets the trend for the next four years.
It is also incredibly selfish to not use your platform for good, or pretend to use it. And expect that after all is said and done, Nigerians would take you back with open arms. (Precedence has shown that we would but let’s just pretend yes?)
What Next?
As we wait for INEC to announce the results of the 2023 Presidential elections, Nigerians should look inwards and outwards at the people we idolise and put on a pedestal. What do they mean to us and the more important question, what do we mean to them? Does our welfare, our struggle and what can be termed a fight for our lives actually have a spot on their list of worries? Or do they only need us when it’s December and time for concerts?