Aso Rock badge show

An interesting picture of what may be described as the latest fashion accessory in the countrys corridor of power came through a noteworthy observation by The Punch presidency watcher, Olalekan Adetayo, who writes a weekly column called ASO ROCK Lens. He wrote recently: As the 2015 presidential election draws nearer, Presidents men are falling over one another to display their loyalty to the man who has been endorsed as the sole candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party. Of course, he was speaking about President Goodluck Jonathan.Adetayo continued: One of the ways they are showing their loyalty is the way they attach pin-ups on their lapels and dresses in the case of women. Some of the lapels only have the Presidents portrait. There are other pin-ups with only inscriptions such as Goodluck to you among others.It would appear that Adetayo was speaking of promotional badges. To go by his observation, badge producers with the right political connections must be doing well; more specifically, badge makers who have the ear of the politically powerful must be laughing all the way to the bank, considering that, apparently, money is no object when it comes to the Jonathan re-election project. It stands to reason that if expense is no object, then providers of such items related to the Jonathan re-election ambition must be in paradise.It is conceivable that, given the circumstances, those who are interested in profiting commercially from the opportunity would reach not only new heights of creativity but also new depths of desperation. Instructively, Adetayo also observed: The Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs introduced another dimension to the matter when it produced digital pin-ups, seeking votes for the President. The item which is rechargeable has the message scrolling on the chest of whoever attaches it to his lapel.However, it is equally imaginable that the sycophantic badge wearers may also exhibit creativity and desperation. For instance, there could be individuals who would display more than one or two different badges, and wear them in ways thought to be maximally visible and effective.Indeed, this observed publicity approach in the place of power reminds Hardball of the new age advertising concept known as human billboard. In effect, the badge wearers have chosen to play the role of billboards, but that isnt all. They could also be seen as mobile billboards, another development in modern-day advertising. So, this particular activity of the advertisers of Jonathan and promoters of his presidential re-election dream may be considered a study in how to sell an unappealing product to an unwilling market. It is an example of high-pressure salesmanship.Interestingly, it should not be surprising if the pro-Jonathan badges are regarded as emblems of allegiance in Aso Rock, where power seems to be all that matters and service to the people appears to be of no importance.But beyond Aso Rock, these badges more likely suggest grovelling of a nauseating kind. Those who strut around wearing them must be small-minded men of straw, which includes the women too.]]>
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