By; PATRICK TITUS, Uyo
In the build-up to Nigeria’s general elections in 2023, a University of Uyo lecturer, Prof Peter Esuh has advocated a people-driven political processes to elect leaders into political offices in the Country.
Esuh, a Professor of Marketing Communication and Applied Rhetoric, cautioned Nigerians against monetary and gun induced politics during the Country’s electioneering processes.
He highlighted the dangers of monetary inducements in politics and its impact on governance, just as foreseeing punishment for those who will promote evil-minded politicians to be elected into offices.
Presenting the 86th Inaugural Lecture of the University of Uyo on the theme; “Persuading the Persuaders: A Rhetorico-Semiotic Direction to Marketing Communication, Prof Esuh said for votes to count, the electorate must be persuaded to act.
Prof. Esuh who is the Head, Department of Communication Arts of the University, said such adjustments would cause a professional persuader to devote much efforts in persuading other persuaders for votes.
Giving a prove of use of financial Inducement for political offices, the University Don disclosed that in a study he carried out on the 2015 presidential elections in Nigeria, it was revealed that both the PDP and the APC spent billions in excess of what is permitted by law.
In his words “Marketing communication process is more of a transaction than just an interraction, such as, persuation may occur either in the pre-purchase behaviour, during-purchase behaviour or post-purchase behaviour, including accidental purchases.
“In the context of the political products, Nigeria defiles the marketing communication maxim that you can only sell a bad product once. This perhaps is because the Nigerian political system is yet to allow votes to count.
“The moment you.eschew rhetoric of the guns and the rhetoric of Inducement (money and “bellytricks”, the professional persuaders will have a lot to do to persuade the persuaders for votes”.
He recalled that in a certain community, during the October Anambra State governorship election rejected some financial inducement in exchange for votes.
“This is an indication that the Nigerian political consumers are beginning to activate their persuasion prowess and that calls for intense marketing communication strategies to convince them.
“A time will come when we will get it right and the political product like other marketing communications offerings will be chosen on the ability to be presented among evoke sets as a better bundle of benefit. Remember, you can only sell a bad product once”, he said.
The 2014 gubernatorial spirant in Akwa Ibom state advised the people to reject the commission to serve as brand ambassadors for evil-minded politicians in the state in the build up to the 2023 general elections.
Recalling the biblical persuasive communication between Eve and the Serpent as recorded in Genesis 3:1-6, Prof Esuh said just as the serpent which served as the ‘brand Ambassador for Lucifer was cursed, as written in the Bible, the same fate awaits any who accepts to promote evil politicians elected into offices.
He said just as the serpent presented the fruit of the tree as a bundle of benefits and a good offering’, many people are being mobilized to support cultists, killers, kidnappers and others who harbour abominable intentions against the citizenry.
Governor of Akwa Ibom state, Mr. Udom Emmanuel who was in a goodwill message acknowledged Professor Peter Esuh’s contributions to the development of the state, declared the Don a great lover of the state who was ready to sacrifice personal interest for the development of the state.
Represented by the state Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Idongesit Etiebet, Governor Emmanuel applauded Professor Esuh for condemning the Lucifer-Serpent Model of persuasion where Lucifer used the Serpent as a brand ambassador to persuade Adam to disobey the instructions of God.
Vice Chancellor of the University of Uyo, Professor Nyaudo Ndaeyo, in his remarks, extolled the extraordinary scholarship of Professor Esuh and his contributions to knowledge.
He reaffirmed the recent position of the University’s Senate that the University, in its vision to unbundle the Communication Arts Department to a robust and global brand, has conferred on the Department the status of the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies with seven specialised departments.
The Vice Chancellor congratulated Prof Esuh for achieving such feat in his tenure and for his steadfastness and passion for academic excellence.
