We owe this headline to James Carville, an American political consultant commonly regarded as the lead strategist in Bill Clinton’s winning 1992 presidential campaign.
The phrase was said to be taken from a televised quip by Caville during the campaigns. It was a popular political slogan in the 1992 US presidential campaign, emphasizing the importance of economic issues to voters. Caville posted it as a constant reminder that the main focus of the campaign was the economy. The expression, which had a bandwagon appeal, was widely used during the campaign and was credited with helping Clinton win the election.
Regardless of the fallacies and even ungrammatical underpinnings of the statement, it gained traction and resonated with the American voting publics. The slogan, if for nothing else, passed a message to Americans, to wit, that the Clinton campaign had a focus.
The present state of the Nigerian economy has, compulsively, reminded us of what we did or failed to do during the campaigns in the 2023 presidential election. For the frontline presidential candidates, most issues were placed on the table. The candidates had different and differing messages for the voting publics. A political team that aspires to win election must have focus. It must have a compelling message.
Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in that election, was the most visible in this regard. His campaign was clear on what he would make of Nigeria, if elected President. Under his presidency, the youth would take back their country. The economy will move from consumption to production. Much more, his presidency will pull Nigerians out of poverty. These were some of the trademark pronouncements of Peter Obi. His campaign was rich in content and delivery.
But how much of this came from Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress? Practically nothing. There were no memorable statements. He can hardly be remembered for any compelling campaign statement. The man simply waltzed into the presidency. He played the hard politics and wormed his way into the presidency. But there was no real preparation for governance. That gap could be said to be responsible for the mess the country has been thrown into.
Having grabbed power without preparation for governance, Tinubu is now running from pillar to post. The voodoo economics, which his economic team brought to bear on the economy, has messed up the country. The country is going through the worst of times in its history. There is hunger and anger in the land. To save the situation, Tinubu, the other day, put together a tripartite economic advisory committee comprising the federal government, sub-nationals and the private sector. The move was part of his efforts in stabilizing the Nigerian economy.
Some have said that Tinubu has, by his action, eaten the humble pie. That he is no longer pretending to know it all. This is coming in the face of the monumental failure of the economic team he put together under Wale Edun to manage the Nigerian economy.
While Nigerians are waiting to see how the tripartite arrangement can save the day, the President himself needs to play less politics in this matter. His government, from what we can see so far, likes to lie to itself. It is given to playing to the gallery. This was what played out just before the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) marched through the streets to protest the biting hunger and grinding poverty in the land. No sooner had the NLC issued notice of protest than the government unleashed a counter-army who took to the streets before the planned action of organized labour. What was their message? That Tinubu was doing well in the area of the economy. The hirelings got their brief right. They were to counter whatever move the NLC was about to make. The pro-poverty demonstrators told us that all was well with the country and that those who wanted to march in protest of the hunger in the land were anti-government and anti-people. The hired crowd sounded both provocative and pitiable. But that is the unfortunate mix that the government brought into the matter.
The government of the day, as a matter of fact, appears to be afraid of its own shadow. That may explain why it constantly indulges in divide and rule. It has, for instance, infiltrated the organized Labour with a view to ensuring that it does not speak with one voice. Whenever the NLC led by Joe Ajaero barks, the Trade Union Congress led by Festus Osifo counters it. The objective is to keep their ranks broken. By so doing, their resolve to tackle anti-people policies from government will remain weakened. This divide-and-rule approach to governance may work for some time but it does not work in the long run. The impression it creates is that government is not sincere in its declared intentions to save the country from its present messy situation.
So far, what we have before us is not working. Nigeria cannot go far with the economic team that Tinubu has been working with. They do not seem to know what it means to manage the economy of a country.
When this drama of incompetence began, Nigerians underestimated its depth and content. They thought the new kids on the block were just warming up to deliver on a very crucial national assignment. They did not know that the fellows were mere street players who think that you can gamble with the economic fortunes of a country. Under their watch, the value of the national currency has plummeted. The purchasing power of the naira has dropped to an all-time low. This has triggered a galloping inflation with all the negative impact on the prices of goods and services. Today, Nigerians are groaning in pains. The economy is in a state of coma. So are the Nigerian people. The people do not seem to know what befell them. Hunger and privation have become the order of the day.
As Tinubu’s economic team fumbles, the President may have to sit back to find a way out of this mess. He is already taking steps in that direction. The setting up of the tripartite economic team is a case in point. But what is not certain is whether the new committee can function effectively with the Edun-led economic team. Ultimately, Tinubu is doing the first thing last. And this is saddled with destructive hang-ups. That is the price a people pay when they are saddled with an ill-prepared leadership.