‘Kwankwaso is an Igbo man’ and other conspiracy theories of Nigeria’s 2023 elections

In the early 1920s, A certain Felix Okonkwo from Nnewi, Anambra State, found himself in the colonial city of Kano in search of greener pastures. A few years later, he would become a successful parts dealer, and become famous. The spare parts company, with branches in certain Kano areas, will be named Okonkwo and Sons.

Mr. Okonkwo will soon become a rare millionaire and his personality is rich. His influence and wealth earned him such respect that the area where he lived, Kano, was named after his investment – Okonkwo and Son. But native Hausa speakers in this area would mispronounce the name when the day becomes the year, calling it “Kwankwaso” instead of “Okonkwo and Sons.”

What’s up?

The millionaire businessman has a son named Ruben. But Hausa natives in Kano also misspell his name, calling him “Rabiu”. Years later, Reuben, mistakenly called Rabiu, would become a two-term governor of Kano State through his father’s influence and is now the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).

Wait a minute: the above storyline may seem interesting, but it is not a conspiracy idea created by some traders who rigged the election to appeal to a section of people in the political space. This is a perfect example of what pundits call “political conspiracy theory”.

Many of these stories are told during elections about different political personalities, but they are usually supported by weak evidence so that voters do not believe them. But before we delve into some conspicuous stories cooking up lies, let’s look at the term “conspiracy theory”.

Conspiracy Theories and the Dangers of Misinformation

Have you read about it? 5G phone network conspiracy theory that comes with the covid-19 pandemic? There is no evidence that this is true. Stories like this are the product of conspiracy theories concocted by a few individuals who set an agenda for reasons best known to them.

Conspiracy theory, says Britannica, is an attempt to explain dangerous or tragic events as the result of the actions of a small powerful group. That explanation, however, rejects the accepted narrative surrounding the event; indeed, the official version can be seen as more evidence of a conspiracy.

In clearer terms, conspiracy theories are a form of information distortion, sometimes passed down from generation to generation, to push a narrative that is different from what is known or what is true, true. These stories often overshadow the true events because they are generally sensational and appeal to the public.

It is easy to dismiss conspiracy theories as unhinged beliefs held by some paranoid people, but that seriously underestimates people, he said Graham Lawton of NewScientist, an international magazine covering all aspects of science and technology. He added that “belief in conspiracy theories is very widespread, a product of normal human psychology, and very influential and dangerous.”

Conspiracy thinking or ideas can be the result of human conspiracy tendencies, but psychologists say that there are other factors that cause it. These factors include but are not limited to: personality traits; variation in cognition; conservative political orientation, lack of trust in the authorities; inequality and social crisis; polarization and misinformation, according to the Royal Society Journal.

Nigeria 2023 election conspiracy theory

There is no election season coming up and no conspiracy theories. Think of any major political event in Nigeria, and you will find at least one conspiracy theory or hypothesis attached.

The list is really long: Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari was elected dead, and Jubril from Sudan, his clone, has replaced him; Bola Tinubu is using a stolen identity. The real name is I am not afraid – from Iragbiji, Osun State; Atiku Abubakar is not a Nigerian. He is more than Cameroonian; Peter Obi is a sympathizer Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)separatist groups; Kashim Shettima is the commander of Boko Haram; fifth columnist Aso Rock plans to stop the 2023 election and so on.

The thing about conspiracy theorists is to provide a true narrative for their claims. If you travel to some parts of the south-east of Nigeria, for example, you will be surprised to see how many people believe the conspiracy idea that the real Buhari has died and has been replaced by a good-looking one from Sudan. It is easy for IPOB followers to believe this story line because Nnamdi Kanujailed separatist group commander, has advanced the Jubril-of-Sudan conspiracy theory.

In many parts of Nigeria, it is very difficult to convince many people that there is no evidence that Mr. Tinubu stole the identity of others. The most common conspiracy theory in the Nigerian political space is the identity crisis hypothesis that is being promulgated against political figures with little or no evidence. Mr. Tinubu is one of those victims.

In July 2022, Mr. Tinubu became the subject of a stolen identity conspiracy theory after he failed to submit his primary school certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The influence of social media, obviously from the opposition parties, then took the opportunity to spread this narrative to demarket Mr. Tinubu’s candidacy. Dozens of Twitter threads, Facebook posts and Youtube videos were created to make this story true. But then, some Nigerian fact checkerincluding the Daily Trust, insisting there is no evidence for the conspiracy hypothesis and judging the story as false and misleading.

when The Nigerian Civil Rights Movement spread the conspiracy theory Kwankwaso-is-an-Igbo-people in June last year, many critics said this claim is laughable. But as the days turned into weeks, the story caught the attention of some people, and they took it upon themselves to spread the story through their social media pages. Mr. Kwankwaso himself should come out on national television to clear the air about identity crises and conspiracy theories.

In fact, the town of Kwankwaso existed – and was known by its current name – before Nigeria was officially founded and therefore could not have been founded by Felix Okonkwo in 1927, said Farouq Kperogi, a Nigerian columnist and writer while commenting on conspiracy theories claiming Kwankwaso is Igbo.

“The first traditional ruler of the town, according to historical records, was known as Mamman Danhawa, and he ruled from 1808 to 1842. The official colonization of northern Nigeria began on January 1, 1897,” he added.

‘Lies don’t have to spread far to cause trouble’

However, scholars and conspiracy theorists argue that false ideas don’t have to be far-fetched to be dangerous. At viral fake story it may not gain public awareness, but the consequences can cause death in the area where it exists. “Smear doesn’t have to spread far to cause problems,” he said.

Conspiracy theorists are usually enemies of democracy in the political space. Their mission is to play the psychological consciousness of unsuspecting individuals in political events.

“Conspiracy theories can be a weapon not only to torture victims of violence but to spur violence against individuals or entire populations; this is not new,” said Sarah Kendzior, an American author and researcher in her book, ‘They Know: How Conspiracy Culture Makes America Complacent’.

“Weaponized rumors have been used to fuel slaughter and genocide for thousands of years, made easier today by the speed of global technology, the breakdown of institutions, and the increasing pressure to see oneself not as a person but as a brand.”

Researchers produced this fact under the Dubawa 2023 Kwame Karikari Fellowship in partnership with Premium Times to facilitate the ethos of truth in journalism and promote media literacy in the country.