Historically speaking, crowds are often fickle in reasoning. This is accentuated by a recent statement credited to Prof Chukwuma Soludo, the current governor of Anambra state. Charles Chukwuma Soludo, a Nigerian politician and Professor of Economics who wrote: “History Beckons and I will not be Silent (Part 1),” he described, the popular bandwagon fallacy, ‘crowd’ mentality as “Headless mobs” a large number of people incapable of independent reasoning and ability to interrogate issues beyond reasonable doubt.
The same characteristics of “Headless mobs” replicated from the situation in the ancient days when the crowds that hailed Jesus at his triumphant entry later turn against him and cry for his crucifixion. Such is a validation of the symbiotic relationship between the crowds “Headless mobs” and fickleness. Notwithstanding, what has been said that people are fickle by nature: it is deemed easy to convince them of something, but difficult to hold them to the conviction. In other words, there must be a higher moral code to follow than the pleasure of the majority. In this regard, this article seeks to establish the danger of bandwagon fallacy even if critics do not accept its premise.
Even the minds of men intoxicated with power are sometimes infected with the same fickleness. Therefore, following the moral principles given in god’s word will help us avoid being swayed by the popular opinions of the crowd. Often times, we like to live in delusions that the ones we choose are the ones who are least at fault because their failure represents our poor choice or dumb IQ. We love to feel we are never wrong, one of the major causes of suffering in any country. Good and bad are just relative concepts – those who are able to hide their darker sides, cover up and walk in this society are called the “good”, whereas those who fail to do so are labelled “bad”. It’s nothing more than that.
On the other hand, broad-mindedness is the ability and willingness to accept many different types of behaviour, beliefs, or choices in other people: our decisions might not always be in our hands. But this also means we can use our influence for good. The same way a negative behaviour can spread through a network of people, a positive one can also spread through a network. We’ve evolved to live in groups to spread positive actions and to seek the approval of others. It is now well accepted that our personal sense of self is derived from other people. As a result, you might simply drift through life, carried by other people and circumstances rather than your own momentum.
Ironically, the more of an identity you draw from a group, even when you’re not around that group, the more likely you are to uphold those values, says Amber Gaffney, a social psychologist from Humboldt State University. “If a big part of how you identify is as a student from a certain university, or like me an academic, then that’s what you take with you into most interactions with others. I see things first through my lens as an academic.” Students, for instance, tend to have stronger attitudes towards things like legalising drugs or supporting environmental sustainability than the rest of the population.
For example, what had started as a social media phenomenon is now growing traction on the ground. The emergence of the Obidients Nigerians: Obidients as they identify themselves have been reported to be doing outlandish things to project their man in a way that reminds us all of what is called youthful exuberance. As a riposte, I questioned a number of unverified half-truth, claims that advancement in age is a disadvantage. Sadly, the problem with many of our people is that we relegate the most important things to the background: deep thinking, robust analysis, sound reasoning and ability to interrogate issues beyond reasonable doubt.
Furthermore, in another example, the elderly politicians and influencers are going round supporting a particular candidate on the basis of equity to the South Eastern part of Nigeria. This begs the question of why a particular candidate from the region is their choice against others from the same region. Yet we are not asking this important question.
Flowing from the foregoing, a new trend in our society that signposts the beginning of disrespectful attitude and bandwagon appeal. This is noticeable among the following: restive youths, middle ages and some of our elites – they’re unmindful of different perspective; they disparage old age, completely intolerant to deep insight and passionate about mob actions. These questions and many more keep assailing me….. find below some of the questions:
1. A man who did not actualized the dream to turn Anambra State that he governed for eight years to paradise, how will the same man turn Nigeria into a paradise?
2. Will a man driven by inordinate ambition, who openly encouraged religious bigotry “Christians take back your country” will he be able to unite both Christians and Muslims? How about the so-called traditionalist and non-believers who are citizens and voters too?
3. A capitalist mind who is the single largest individual importer in Nigeria; will the same mindset successfully turnaround the situation and move Nigeria from consumption to production? In fact, this would be a backward step for us in 2022 and beyond. What we need is to move us from sheepish adopters to innovative and creative operators as a country; it is the age of knowledge/digital economy and not traditional production a la China.
-It must be noted that even China is moving fast into the knowledge and economy domain. Why shouldn’t we join the race in one of the legs after the first in the economic relay race? As a digression, but of relevance here is that most of our elite critics seem to believe that innovation and creativity in society and politics must be as dictated by our past enslavers and colonisers.
-We must ask the question of why what the Americans or Europeans do in the process of electing their political leaders must be the blueprint for us, especially given our rate of literacy. The furore following the Chatham house appearance of BAT and the associated question time approach is an example of our refusal to accept deviations from the familiar with significant consequences for our relevant development.
4. A business man turned executive governor of a state that lacks infrastructures, yet deposited humongous amount of state resources in his own bank and made an investment that is now said to amount to nothing, will such a person be able to fight corruption?
-A governor that is proud of not spending money for the infrastructural development of his state has to be one that is shallow and practically empty/bereft of ideas. Such a politician can only shine and be taken seriously in a society that is grossly disorientated!
5. A man who according to Pandora papers, hid his personal wealth in foreign tax havens abroad, will that same man be able to attract capital to Nigeria?
Some of these points and may be more are the critical issues that need proper and methodical scrutiny. We should subject our would-be leaders particularly the presidential candidates of the major political parties to similar interrogations.
Finally, I like to conclude this article that seeks to examines the mindsets that is broad and the fickle by sharing with my readers the divine admonition from the recently concluded Shiloh program. Bishop David Oyedepo had said: “But I am prompted to pray for the nation. I was praying to God and he told me to pray for a deliverer in Nigeria. What Nigeria needs is a deliverer and not a leader.”
Richard Odusanya
odusanyagold@gmail.com
