Media Roles In Promoting And Defending Democracy Against Pseudo-Democratic Erosion — By Oladigbolu Taofeek

Headlines speak of the affairs of a state. Daily reportages tell how well a nation is performing. Since the emergence of the Tinubu administration, news outlets have more than enough report of government violations of human rights. Oppression of opposition parties. Intimidation of journalists and media houses. That the worst of the worst news makes it to the front pages of Nigerian dailies. Despite the suppression of the press, the media depicts well Tinubu’s total disregard for the constitution. His instrumentalization of the state agencies and institutions as mercenaries to fight against the people. You can’t miss such headlines in any Nigerian dailies.

In last week’s episode of government misuse of power and intimidation, a video of Hon. Alex Mascot Ikwechegh vowing to make a Nigerian disappear without a trace surfaced and went viral. Apparently, the member of the House of Representatives had the resources and power to (and might have) make Stephen Abuwatseya disappear without a trace, if not for the spread of the video. Only God knows how many Nigerians have disappeared from the whole of Nigeria, and nothing has happened. Like Nigerians haven’t had enough for the week. Last Friday, the dramatic court hearing of alleged Endbadgovernance protesters made it to national and international dailies. The video of the court proceeding shows institutional intimidation of the common people, which is a common and powerful weapon in Tinubu’s arsenal of opposition suppression.

At this rate, in the next two years, violations of human rights in the Tinubu administration may beat Abacha’s record. The outright abuse of power makes one ask if Nigeria is truly a democratic state where all humans are equal and enjoy fundamental human rights. Maybe the country practices democracy on paper. The government is far from democracy, tilts towards dictatorship, and not too far from authoritarianism. It is becoming glaring that Tinubu wants to have absolute control over the people.

The strategy his administration has been implementing is intimidation and fear. Balablu wants to be a dictator while enjoying the privileges that come with democracy: loans from the IMF and World Bank and immunity. And he figures out how well to use the instruments of democracy to achieve authoritarianism. The president deserves applause not for good mass policies but for the weaponization of state resources and institutions to intimidate the public and suppress opposition.

Successful dictatorship is achieved not just through militance (this is just a tactic of the strategy) but mostly through mind control. Which is achieved through physical and emotional intimidation, assault, and information control. Tinubu has well flexed his power and Nigerians are intimidated. And his next tactic to pocket Nigerians is media control.

Media control is the greatest arsenal of a dictator. With absolute control of the media, the government dominates and controls the people. Propaganda is widely spread to advocate their interests and counterpropaganda against opposition and threats to their government. In 1933, the Nazi government commenced a propaganda campaign after gaining political power in Germany. By 1935, the government had control over all forms of communication in the country. Through decrees and laws, the freedom of press and speech is abolished. It becomes illegal to criticize the Nazi government. And all news were scrutinized by the Nazi editorial. Even telling a joke about Hitler was considered treason. Through censorship and propaganda, Nazis legitimatized dictatorship and amassed people’s support while inflicting indescribable pain on Germans. Hitler’s regime depicts well the saying ‘Who controls the media, controls the people.’

T-Pain has well mastered physical assault and intimidation. The neo-capitalist anti-masses policies make the political and economic bullying more effective. Media control is his next agenda to influence public opinion and support. Bayo Onanuga and NBC bulldogs have been deployed to actualize this undertaking.

In their latest stunt, “Bayo Onanuga pens angry rebuttal to Guardian’s article on rising misery in Nigeria.” When you read last week’s Guardian editorial, you will understand the overreaction of the Special Adviser of Information and Strategy to the ‘harmless’ article that explicitly narrates Tinubu’s failure. Bayo tried to paint the current administration’s success with numbers. Which made it obvious that the Special Adviser of Information was uninformed or misinformed of the stats of hungry and malnourished Nigerians. This is not the first angry rebuttal and subtle warning from Tinubu’s administration to media houses when they broadcast anything ‘anti-tinubu.’ On March 31, 2023, Nigeria Broadcast Corporation imposed a five million Naira fine on Channel TV for “Broadcast of inciting interview.” With who an against who? By opposition party against Jagaban. The other day, the government was after Daily Trust. In two years of Tinubu administration, more than 127 journalists have been victimized by state actors, according to the Centre for Journalism and Innovation Development.

As the government has failed over time to defend its people and stand for their interests. But repeatedly victimize common man and violet rule of law that abide a democratic state. The press shouldn’t relent in advocating and defending democracy. The hope of Nigerians and democracy hinges on true journalism.

Oladigbolu Taofeek is a columnist @ Polity Reporters

 

 

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