Some of us have the good fortune of having been in the trenches of opposition politics from our formative years and our being in the opposition was never a result of fear of hollowed-out security agencies neither was it a result of having been being battered, strip naked and humbled by the system.
A good number of comrades pursued opposition politics as a logical approach to participate in changing the government rather than timidly jump on the bandwagon for instant riches. These were times when being in the opposition was viewed as a curse and a waste of time and talent. In spite of the depressing state of opposition politics, credible opposition parties still prioritized identity over survival which is why they showed little interest in recruiting corrupted souls from the ruling BDP.
At the time, the opposition standard toolkit was to grow its own cadres from the circle of boys and girls who have not yet tasted the good life associated with being in the BDP and become manipulable. This explains the extent of the ideological conservatism in yesteryear opposition parties and disenchantment with today’s opposition politicians.
When in the past opposition politicians were ideologically disciplined and thought hard before speaking in public, today many of them relish the rush to a verbal confrontation where they carelessly speak things against opponents like toddlers play with their prized organs.
Whereas in the past opposition parties prioritized identity, today they prioritize survival and seizure of power over everything else and by any means which is why they are no longer able to uphold the basic guardrails of opposition politics.
To a larger extent, the opposition’s erratic obsession with the capture of state power has resulted in the systematic sidelining of career opposition politicians in preference for gifted amateurs especially those from the ruling party.
As a result, the opposition has lost identity and purpose in the political landscape to vagabonds hence disenchantment among voters who associated the traditional opposition with hope and change and guarantees of quality leadership.
While in the past the opposition depended on its own strength, purpose and resilience, today they exclusively bank on disloyal travellers who, like migratory creatures, cannot be trusted to stay put the next day. All these have led to the inevitable frustration by tried and tested opposition foot soldiers and loyal voters who reckon that they have been short-changed by impatient, greedy politicians.
It would be foolish to ignore the growing risks of the rush to the seizure of state power especially in terms of alienating the voters and making them lose confidence in politicians and the political system. Essentially, there is an urgent need to reconstruct the image of an opposition politician in order to restore confidence in their politics.
For many years the opposition politician was a righteous man who stood up for what he believed was right. That was until they became speculative politicians who turned their priorities upside down and remodeled their parties as spoils system.
In effect, there is widespread cynicism about opposition politicians with many of them seen as compulsive gamblers because they pursue a brand of politics that is contemptuous of a step by step or phased ascendance to prominence. Generally, many opposition cadres are cynical and disillusioned about their leaders who are filled with lust for power like murderers lust for blood.
This cynicism points to an even deeper crisis which is that voters have lost respect for politicians and the opposition politicians the most because it is a suspected that they broke, hungry and thirsty for power and wealth.
This is indeed a worrying trend because when followers lose faith in their own leaders, it is only a matter of time before they lose interest in politics and that would frustrate regime change that they had hoped for when they joined opposition politics.
The tenor of this discussion has been to highlight that many opposition cadres have become increasingly frustrated with their own politicians and that this is mainly a result of the politicians’ desperation to usurp the throne by any means including cheating voters out of their political beliefs.
Such desperation has caused opposition politics to lose their identity and meaning and succumb to the bad habits of celebrating defectors, in the process shutting out career opposition politicians. In effect, opposition parties have become fragile, unrecognizable and no longer represent the ideals of hope and change they traditionally stood for.
This suggests that while the opposition bloc may appear dominant and triumphant, the reality is that it is simply a case of relentless self-deception and the silliness of this self-deception is always evidenced at the polls and the next elections would not be any different unless they urgently work on their brand, individually and collectively.
In this ever-changing political landscape, it is imperative for politicians especially opposition politicians to develop an acceptable personal brand. It is widely acknowledged that the opposition collective almost ousted the ruling BDP from state power in 2019 general election.
Most commentators hold the view that the opposition collective tripped at the final hurdle because they sought to launch a charm offensive designed to in the support of the undecided voter and in the process used words and phrases that not only offended some but most importantly revealed what may be considered their evil side – that they are unprincipled, immature and condescending.
Put differently, the opposition collective lost the 2019 general election partly because they became complicit in sleeping at the wheel. While the opposition politician cites rigging as the sole reason why they are still outside of state power, they nevertheless need to introspect about the purpose of their politics.
They may not publicly pronounce that they may have used inappropriate words and phrases, but they can still work on their brand especially focusing on their communication skills so that they project an image of sincerity, honesty, likeability and dependability.
It is acknowledged that the UDC is a brand, a household name, but the same cannot be said about most of its candidates at both council and parliamentary levels. While voters may be content with the UDC’s image and its electoral promises, they will still need to trust those who are running for political office under the UDC ticket.
In spite that the UDC is a household name, voters still want people they can trust and believe in and this largely rests on having a positive public image and on being consistent, respectful and modest.
The character of an individual does not derive from their institutions’ brand which is why people may be overawed by the UDC brand but still reject some of its candidates because their personal brand is uninspiring and a big turn off, with some ticking all the boxes of certified traitors.
Political branding is one of the most effective tools to get voters’ attention during electoral campaigns. Thus, it is imperative that the UDC politicians should rebrand at the individual level, with the same zeal that they always apply to celebrate ruling party defectors, in order that they improve their battered public image, reputation and connection with followers and voters in particular.
Short cuts are often wrong cuts more so in politics where we have been forewarned that ‘it is impossible for a man to stay honest if he gets into politics’.
No one would be hurt if politicians include personal branding in the list of their stressful New Year resolutions for 2022!
Happy New Year folks! Here is to making less political promises in 2022!
