Like Kanye’s MAGA moment, is Brymo having a SWAGA moment?

Like Kanye West, Brymo is celestially talented and he’s convinced about the supremacy of his talent.

Like Kanye, Brymo doesn’t like being told what he can or cannot do. Both artists have a tendency to fly off the handle and go on a crazy rant on the internet.

Kanye West once wore slides to 2 Chainz‘s wedding and Brymo posed in a G-string under a bridge for a photo shoot. And just like Kanye, there’s a certainty that Brymo will be pissed at the above comparison.

Now let us consider their political leanings. Kanye West has made different songs calling out the government and even went as far as calling President George a racist on national TV.

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Brymo has a folder filled with politically conscious songs in which he spares no one from the politicians, the elites, religious institutions, and the masses.

In October 2018, Kanye West visited the United States President Donald Trump and he posed for the camera while wearing a Make America Great Again (MAGA) hat. The images attracted wide concerns and criticism because being black, Kanye was not expected to fraternize with Republicans – even though that was also a problematic generalistic opinion.

What made it even worse was that President Trump was viewed as a divisive president and he was quite unpopular in the black community. Kanye’s defiance of the Democrat sanctity of the Black community was so shocking they concluded he must be crazy.

Just like Kanye in 2018, Brymo has tweeted in support of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, one of the presidential aspirants in the 2023 general elections.

Brymo tweeted his opinion on Tuesday 31st May 2022, and the tweets have since inspired heavy criticism by Nigerians who are diametrically opposed to Brymo’s political leaning.

The Headies-winning artist wrote, “Yet… he’s the one with a plan, we all know that… Let a city boy be president for once!.. never met the man, or any one who represents, or is acquainted to him, or even his relations and political affiliates – and if we stopped trying to kill them off for being old.”

Many Nigerians are hoping for a breath of fresh air in 2023 and Tinubu who is grounded in the system has split opinions. Many Nigerians can’t comprehend why Brymo would favor a Tinubu candidacy over the Twitter preferred candidate who is also the choice of many young Nigerians.

Just like Kanye had the MAGA moment in 2018, Brymo is having his South West Agenda for Asiwaju (SWAGA) moment in 2022. The Kanye West MAGA moment was brief and while it lasted, he didn’t care about the criticism of his politics. Surely, we can expect that Brymo won’t care much about the criticisms coming his way, What is left to be seen is how long his SWAGA phase will last.

The nuance in Brymo’s argument

Nigerian celebrities have a chequered history with elections. In the past, they have used their influence and status to influence the electorate, by jumping on quotable catchphrases, in exchange for healthy payments. After EndSARS, Nigerians expected Nigerian celebrities to cease and desist from this pattern.

There is also a dislike towards members of the ‘established Nigerian political elite’ from Nigerians, who feel like they have been in power since independence and the oil boom of the 60’s.

However, the reality of the situation remains: Nigeria looks set to be ruled by a member of the established elite in 2023 and possibly, even in 2027. The famous third force, which has become a symbol of hope is close to being ineffectual in Nigeria. And as much as admirable idealism fuels political opinions on Twitter, Nigerian Twitter users seldom vote.

Which means their keyboard warriorism is ineffectual. The result of which indicates another futile belief in the power of a third force, which seldom even produces leaders across the world – even in advanced climes. Most countries in the world are either a communism, a dictatorship or a two-party state.

In consequence, we are left with two members of the establishment: one of which is former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, and possibly, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. In the relative third force is Peter Obi, the people’s champion and the idealistic choice for president.

In reality, Obi might have shot himself in the foot with his exit from the PDP. He probably had a better chance by playing the long game, which could mean he initially starts as Atiku’s running mater.

But now that he’s on LP, he probably has way more to contend with, as he has less of a chance to become president, even though anything is possible within a year.

Realistically, we might be stuck with Tinubu vs. Atiku, when we consider the biases of the larger Nigerian electorate. When you think about it, Tinubu is the one with a track record of excellence in governance, when he was Governor of Lagos State for eight years.

While Brymo’s opinion might reek of bias, it’s not exactly unreasonable.