Why Nigerian Youths May Boycott BBTitians For Next Month General Elections

In December 2022, the organizers of the African most famous reality TV show, MultiChoice, in a twist of events, announced that there will be a special edition of Big Brother Show, which would commence on Sunday, January 15, 2023.

According to Multi-choice, the reality show will air live on DStv and GOtv Channels where housemates, a combination of Nigerians and South Africans will compete for the ultimate prize, $100,000 cash. 

The show, which is held in South Africa will be co-hosted by popular BBNaija host, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu and Mzansi host, Lawrence Maleka.

BBTitans

How Big Brother Reality Show Works

The Big Brother Reality show features a diverse mix of housemates showcasing their true characters while reacting to their environment.

These housemates are isolated and placed under 24-hours surveillance for three months with a dictator named Biggie who oversees their activities. 

Now, the interesting twist is that the viewers get to choose which housemate stays and which continues to play by their electronic votes. 

In turn, the housemates count on their fanbase accumulated over time to ensure that they continue to stay and play. 

For a housemate to emerge a winner, the housemate has to be one with the strongest and largest fanbase who, so far, are young people. 

The Bone of Contention

Following the announcement and further commencement of the reality show, Nigerians, both celebrities and influencers kicked against it, whilst wondering why the organizers out of the blues, decided to host a remodel after its seventh edition only ended a few months ago. 

Amongst people who called out the show host and organizers, is Award-winning Nigerian movie producer, Austin Faani, who stressed that the organizers alongside Ebuka must have a reasonable reason for going on with the show, which many have considered a distraction from the country’s elections which is only few weeks away.

Another concerned Nigerian influencer, simply identified as Firstladyship called out the organizers of the show as to why it was allowed to commence during the most crucial election season.

According to the Abuja-based influencer, Multichoice had fixed their 2022 show during Permanent Voter card (PVC) registration and are now trying to do the same thing with the elections. 

One will ask, how is the average Nigerian youth connected with the elections and furthermore, a reality show based and airing from South Africa?

INEC On Forthcoming Elections

On Tuesday, January 17th, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu during his presentation at the Chatham House, London said that the 2023 general election is the election of the young people. 

INEC Chairman. Mahmood Yakubu

INEC’s Chairman, Yakubu, noted that out of the 93.4M total registered voters, over 70.4m are young people between the ages of 18-49.

“We have 93. 4m registered voters, of which 37m, that 39.5 percent are young people, between the ages of 18-34, and there are closely followed by 33.4m or 34.75 percent, middle age voters, between the ages of 35-49. Put together these two categories constituted 75.39 percent of registered voters in Nigeria. Yakubu said at the Chatham House.

Young People Take Up Large Portion Of Viewing Audience For BBN Shows

For the reality show, a recent by Showmax, an online subscription video platform, showed that a significant portion of the viewing audience of Big Brother reality show are young people with “Nigeria accounting for almost 60% of the viewing hours, followed by South Africans, with 30%, and others African countries such as Kenya, Ghana, Botswana and Namibia and Uganda sliding into left over space of 10%.’

Another report carried out in 2022 emanating from the final day of the Big Brother Naija Season 6 ‘level up’ episode showed that over 50 million young Nigerians cast their votes enabling their favorite housemate to take home the bag. 

This is implying that a huge chunk of electorates who will be eligible to cast their votes next month, unsurprisingly take up the largest percentage of the viewing audience for the Big Brother show over the years. 

The OBIdients

The emergence of a wealthy businessman and a two-time former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, with a reputation for being frugal, has stirred many young voters in Nigeria to disrupt the system and pledged their support.

Youths in anti-police brutality protests in 2020 who are also supporting Peter Obi

These supporters majorly youths who are exhausted by the unprecedented level of insecurity, record inflation and unemployment rates and currency devaluation, among many other issues, are backing the Labour party’s presidential candidate against two septuagenarian political heavyweights.

These young social media-savvy supporters, who through the passionate participation in EndSar protest, called for the end of bad government and the forceful disbandment of a notorious police department two years, ago against the odds came together, deploying the same strategies in ensuring that the 60-year-old, who they consider an alternative to the two prominent parties that have dominated politics since the end of military rule in 1999, emerges president after Feburary 25th.

With the calls for the shift of the BBN show, speculations are that these energizing youths may be swayed, thereby truncating their call for better government and leadership.

Days Of Voter Apathy Are Gone, Youths Are Now Informed

Top communication expert, Adeola Adekunle-Akindele has argued that the reality show and the forthcoming elections aren’t mutually exclusive, as youths have become more enlightened and informed than ever, knowing the implications of sitting back at home to watch the reality show and refusing to go out on the D-day to express their franchise.

Akindele further told Naija News that the days of voter apathy is long gone, and even though the youths decided to watch the show, as it would be airing on that very day, they may likely do it while voting for their preferred candidate, as technology allows one multi-tasks.

‘‘The presidential elections is just a day in the month of Feburary, the youths will cast their votes and go home to relax with BBTitans, if need be. The show cannot be a distraction,’‘ she bluntly said.

She maintained that due to the emergence of a certain political figure, the youths are mobilizing and sensitizing not only their families, but the entire community on Permanent Voter Card collection and how to exercise their rights as citizens, adding that they more determined in actualizing their goals, to be distracted nor swayed.

“Over 70 percent of registered voters are the youths, in the past, the youth were uninterested, but fortunately the game has changed as many of the youths have become enlightened and more informed than ever, and they know the implications of not expressing their franchise. The implications are so dire, they are collectively determined in ensuring nothing stops them, including a reality show, from attaining their goal for preferred candidate,” she said