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In politics, usage of humour, jokes, drama among other forms of entertaining activities, if applied well, have proven to be very potent tools in helping politicians endear people to their personality/policies; and sometimes, they can be of great help in stamping out political tension.
Notwithstanding, same ‘humour’ could ruin the image of a public office holder, especially if it is done in a way that it compromises the office occupied by the politician in question.
However, we are not out to measure the bad or good effect of humour usage, rather we will highlight some politicians in Nigeria who have either become the spotlight in news and social media trends, as a result of their high sense of humour, or ones Nigerians can’t just help but talk about due to their dramatic roles in governance.
Here are eight funny politicians that will do justice when it comes to entertaining their supporters anytime there is need for it.
- Yemi Osinbajo
Our surprising number one politician in this mold is Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo. He is very deft at official use of jokes to steal any show. Though he enjoys speaking softly, his sense of humor is hardly soft. He has ably used his excellent jokes delivery to create exciting moments in situations when one least expects it.
A vivid example is the laughter he stirred while delivering his speech at The Platform, a policy and governance forum. VThe Acting President praised Nigerians for being some of the smartest and most creative people in the world.
He threw a triple action joke on Senator Dino Melaye‘s song “Aje ku iya ni o je,”; Whistleblower policy and Nigeria’s Jollof rice being the best in the world.
Osinbajo also displayed his talent as a comedic politician who knows how to woo his audience when he visited River State Governor, Nyesom Wike as part of his official visits to oil producing states.
At one of the receptions held in his honour, comedian Klint Da Drunk, during his performance, handed over N5,000 to Osinbajo, saying “when you give, you will receive in good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over.”
To the pleasant shock of all, Osinbajo outplayed him at his own game when he took the microphone and pulled a bulls-eyed joke on comedian:
“Everything has been going well until Klint da Drunk gave me an expensive N5000. I have kept it close to his Excellency, the governor, in case he asks for it back because he can say that ‘I was drunk when I gave you the money.’
“I must remind him that the scripture that he referred to which suggests that if you give you will be given more, is when you give to God and not to an Ijebu man. So to Klint da Drunk, I’ll keep this until we meet again.”
- Sen. Dino Melaye
Like him or not, Senator Dino Melaye who dropped one of the most viral political hit song , ‘Ajekun-Iya-nio-Je’ is as rightly praised by Osinbajo, a drama generalissimo in Nigeria’s political landscape.
Melaye who is gifted in creating highly authentic and attention grabbing activities, uses his skills in both firing salvos into the camps of his critics and saving his brand from very thorough public checks. This special strategy accounts for many of his easy sail in turbulent times.
Recall that while some of his opposition were busy hauling criticisms at him during his “certificate saga”, Melaye went ahead to wear a graduation gown [obviously rented] to the Senate and this simple act doused the intensity and rigour paid to the whole process by Nigerians.
View some of Melaye’s authentic creation:
[Video] Melaye performs his viral song, ‘Ajeku Iya’ with live band
http://thenewsguru.com/video-melaye-performs-his-viral-song-ajeku-iya-with-live-band/
- Gov. Ayodele Fayose
Politics aside, Governor Ayodele Fayose is naturally a funny man. For Fayose, who is one of the major propagators of ‘Stomach-infrastructure’ policy in Nigeria, comedy is one big mandate he owes and of course gives his people on a daily basis.
But does it work to just wake up as a politician and be cracking your people up? Yes! It does…if not he won’t be back in office as a governor and still be positioning himself for 2018 governorship poll in the state.
His creativity is not far from your reach, check your search engines and social media – He is either there buying beans and bread at a roadside, acting disc-jockey in a club, driving a truck or lampooning his opponents. Trust me, you dare not keep a Fayose as your rival if you so wish to journey into politics.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wg_xKLid3RE
4 Patience Jonathan
Most people will agree with me that wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience, is highly missed by those who love to enjoy a good laugh in the political circle in Nigeria today.
Whether it is deliberate, politically motivated or not, no one can really say, but the ex-first lady who is from the South-South region of Nigeria throws heavy blows of hilarious pidgin, exclamations [Chai-iiiii] and several grammatical puns that take days, weeks and most times months before such drop off trend chats.
During a remembrance event for the late Dim Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Patience reportedly said “Ojukwu is a great man; he died but his manhood lives on.”
Of course Dame Patience put a noble meaning into the word “manhood”, however internet users did not miss the opportunity to have a good laugh upon hearing it.
“My fellow widows…” is another assumed, epic quote from the former first lady. Patience Jonathan has a special talent at gaining public attention. “My fellow widows”, was how the ex-First Lady started her speech in March, 2011, as she addressed women who lost their husbands.
4 Hon. Gudaji Kazaure
The name might not sound very popular, but Hon. Gudaji Kazaure a House of Representative member from Katsina state has a forceful comical way of expressing difficult questions in funny mannerisms. He easily captivates his listeners and you can’t but keep pressing replay to watch him talk whenever videos of him hit the social media.
6 Obasanjo
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo is an excellent storyteller who uses parables to hit hard at his critics or sometimes prove his points.
‘Ebora Owu’, as he is sometimes praised by most Nigerians, is always looked out for and of course he [Obasanjo] knows how to put himself at the very centre of the news despite a decade of being out of office.
On a mild day, you could hear him say: “With all due respect, if Jesus Christ could come to the world and be the chairman of INEC, any election he would conduct will be disputed.” But in a foul mood, you had better not be “a compound fool” near his acidic mouth.
Obasanjo brought the Jesus Christ angle to the discuss when an angry segment of the citizenry in 2010 caused the removal Professor Maurice Iwu as INEC chairman.
7 Patrick Obahiagbon
Today is Democracy day and Obahiagbon’s definition of democracy is a clear reminder of why he can’t be forgotten when topics on humour usage as an armour in politics comes up. In a classic, yet very obfuscating and comic eloquence, the former Edo state House member, former House of Representative member and immediate past Chief of Staff to the Adams Oshiomhole government has this to say of democracy:
“A celebration of democracy or a deprecable apotheosis of an hemorrhaging plutocracy, cascading into a mobocracy with all the ossifying proclivities of a kakistocracy? With our “democracy” enveloped in a paraplegic crinkum-crankum, we must all rise up to bring to focal hiceps and biceps, Nigeria’s “Pluto-mobo-kakistocracy”…. Certainly not democracy!” – Patrick Obahiagbon
Former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, may not be overtly known for use of humour, especially because his voice sounds tiny and feminine. That alone can get one distracted about his craft.
However, ever since he left office as governor of Anambra, Obi is becoming famous as a good orator as he has busied himself attending events where he has practically dazzled his audience with so many funny statements. In trying to position himself for the presidency, possibly in 2023, Obi is using all the nice tricks in the book to woo and almost enchanted citizenry.