Kwankwaso and the ‘jollof test’

The “beer test” is a way to gauge how US voters feel towards a political candidate. The test involves asking a hypothetical question to a potential voter, such as: “Would you want to have a beer with this candidate?” or “Who would you rather have a beer with Trump or Biden?”. For those unfamiliar with […]

The “beer test” is a way to gauge how US voters feel towards a political candidate. The test involves asking a hypothetical question to a potential voter, such as: “Would you want to have a beer with this candidate?” or “Who would you rather have a beer with Trump or Biden?”.

For those unfamiliar with US culture, having a pint of beer with someone can be an intimate activity and the answer to the question can reveal who the voter feels they can relate to and gives a good idea of who they are likely to vote for. It is important to note that the beer test is not an indication of the candidate’s competence or track record, but rather the “gut” feeling we get when we meet someone we feel we can trust or not.

In the realm of electoral politics, most candidates who have advanced to the final stages of campaigning and have received mainstream media attention have been vetted and found to be qualified. They often have a proven track record of accomplishments in their areas of influence, they are competent, and yes, they may even have a skeleton or two in their closet. Who doesn’t? When all these factors are equal between candidates, some undecided voters make their final decision based on the beer test.

In the context of Nigeria’s new era of electoral politics, maybe the “jollof test” is more universally appropriate. However, the hypothetical scenario remains the same: would you want to eat jollof with this candidate? Or with that one? As Nigeria transitions from an era when former military rulers become democratic leaders, voters can no longer rely on choosing candidates solely based on their military background and the assumption that they will behave honourably as civilians. With only civilian candidates to choose from, the jollof test is likely to become a prominent factor in Nigeria’s presidential elections.

As a Nigerian American diaspora with roots in Kano and Jigawa states, I had the opportunity to participate in the 2023 elections both as a voter and a media practitioner. My team and I covered the four mainstream presidential candidates, viewing and analysing hours upon hours of debates and other campaign footage.

As a voter, I filtered this information through the lens of the beer/jollof test and to be frank, none of the candidates passed the test with flying colours for me. Except for Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

According to one story, Kwankwaso’s name traces back to the name of his village in Madobi local government area of Kano state. The village was named after a group of brothers decided to settle in the area. The brothers, who were pastoralists, encountered opposition from settlers in the area and in response, one brother retorted in the Sokoto dialect of Hausa: ‘Kun kuso, Kun kuki anan za mu zauna”, which means “whether you like it or not, we are settling here”. Over time, “kun kuso” morphed into the name Kwankwaso and whether we like it or not, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso is also here to stay.

Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso’s staying power in Nigerian electoral politics spans over three decades, starting with his first elected position as member of the House of Representatives and deputy speaker in 1992 for Madobi federal constituency. He has held various elected positions including governor of Kano state from 1999-2003, during which he started the Kwankwasiyya movement; governor again from 2011 – 2015 and senator representing Kano Central from 2015 – 2019.

In between his two gubernatorial administrations, he was appointed Minister of Defence from 2003 – 2007, under President Olusegun Obasanjo. With his extensive experience at all levels of state and federal government, it was inevitable that Kwankwaso would run for president. However, he lost the APC primaries to Muhammadu Buhari in 2014, and to Atiku Abubakar in the PDP primaries in 2019.  By 2022, not finding a suitable opportunity to contest under either the APC or PDP, Kwankwaso joined the little-known national party, NNPP.

By 2023, in just a few months of campaigning, Kwankwaso and his supporters from the Kwankwasiyya movement had taken over the NNPP structure, and virtually all but rebranded it with the iconic red cap that has become synonymous with the Kwankwasiyya movement.

All of this is to say that like the other 2023 presidential aspirants, Kwankwaso has a long list of accomplishments. That he has a cult-like reputation and following in the most populous and politically active cities in Nigeria is a testament to his influence and political competence. But the question remains: would I want to eat jollof with this candidate?

As I consumed hours of campaign video footage, I began to ask myself a different question: would this candidate want to eat jollof with me? The distinction between the original question and this new one is subtle but an important one. If I want to eat jollof with the candidate, I am choosing the candidate but if the candidate wants to eat jollof with me, the candidate is choosing me.

In democratic elections, where information overload can make it difficult to make logical decisions, the power to make a voter feel chosen is priceless and very few people possess this ability. It’s the difference between Bill Clinton versus Bush Sr., Bush Jr versus Gore, Obama versus Romney, and Trump versus Hilary Clinton. In between Kwankwaso’s rote recitation of pre-programmed responses, I saw glimpses of this power in him and I suspect that this is the power, in its unbridled form, that has convinced millions in Kano to wear the red caps and deliver the state’s gubernatorial and state house of assembly elections to NNPP, and effectively to Kwankwaso.

Kwankwaso has proven his staying power in Kano politics. The people of Kano know that Kwankwaso would roll up his sleeves, wash his hands, and eat jollof with them from the same dish. Kwankwaso’s challenge, if he chooses to accept it, is to convince the rest of Nigeria (or at least the majority and 25 per cent in 24 states) that he would also want to eat jollof with them.

 

Dr  Muhammad is an MIT and Deloitte US alum and Founding Partner of Triple-E Consulting Partners, Abuja