Theatre: The Incumbent Nigerian Movie, Essay Example

The political inference of incumbent pertains towards a politician taking a particular office.  Under many political regimes it is used during elections to describe candidates’ eligibility for office.  Usually, the competition is often related to the incumbent and non-incumbent running within the campaign trail. In the situation occurring among developed nations such as United States of America, Barack Obama in 2012 was the incumbent candidate since he held office of president during a previous term as the electorate seeks to elect a president for the current term. If there is no incumbent then the race is considered open.

In the movie ‘Incumbent’ is a Nigerian political portrait filmed in Hollywood United States of America. The movie highlights an election year full of violence whereby incumbent and non-incumbent candidates engage in furious warfare and treachery to gain political positions in their country.The movie shows how factions have been created and they plot against each other. It involves murder and blood shed to gain office.Alex Osifo, Ngozi Ezeonu, Hank Anukwu were the main characters depicted in the plots staged.

While a traditional lover of Shakespeare plays where some degree of political treachery existed, especially depicted in Macbeth and Julius Caesar; features highlighted in Nigerian production of incumbent teaches generations that to gain political power one has to murder, be deceitful; treacherous and hateful. This is my discomfort in watching this movie. To me ot shows that there is still a great degree of non-civilization among these nations. Nelson Mandela laid down his life to show how victory could be achieved without violence. Mahatma Gandhi did the same showing the world what constitutes true civilization.

As such, it becomes a matter of concern why African Nations are still programed to violence during elections. Here in the movie violence is portrayed without thinking of how it instigates more injustice among people in the world. The African diaspora contends that the world does not love them and are have prejudice against them. However, whether it is a political situation, slavery or civil rightsDr. Martin Luther King showed Americans and the rest of the world the value of non-violence even though he lost his life in the process. His legacy lives on whereby Americans do not have to any longer kill their presidents to gain political recognition in the world.

President Obama in my evaluation is a great twenty-first century example of a non-violence legacy upheld from both Nelson Mandela and Dr. Martin Luther King. Unlike many other African Americans previously running for presidency that were imprisoned and demoralized Barack Obama stood clear of those vibrations. From my assessment it was because he did not grow up with animosities for anyone whether black or while regardless of what society showed him.

Therefore, the African diaspora need to first learn to love each other. In this movie, Incumbent there are no other races fighting black people, it blacks against blacks just for political power. Yet, Africans wonder why their nations are poor and underdeveloped despite all the AID they receive from World Bank and IMF. In my assessment any throne built on violence cannot prosper or last. If we refer to Shakespeare’s plays especially, in Macbeth after killing Macduff he still could not enjoy the throne because his own actions destroyed him. In the same way if the techniques portrayed in incumbent are the ones African nations intend to use for gaining political supremacy in the world it is doomed to fail. The writings are on the walls of history. They are legible enough to be read.

Kenya’s state of tribalism movie depicted in the Café travels to Nairobidiscussed Kenyans perception of unity and identity in the aftermath of the 2007 election. Again due to the nature of African nation’s political strategies indicative of techniques were used to acquire or possess something the same has to be done to keep it. Africans the world over contend that injustices are fueled to them by other ethnic groups. In my opinion if Africans inclusive of Nigerians/Kenyans cannot unite among themselves how can other ethnic groups outside of African respect their

From this movie African seem to become aware that without unity the nation cannot survive the violence perpetuated by politicians and the country cannot prosper. Even thoughRaila Odinga, Kenya’s prime minister tries to blame ethnic divisions on the elite declaring it an ethnic disease, as a politician he needs tom put the blame where it ought to go; squarely on the political strategies adapted by these nations. It pertains to violence and tribal conflicts

Interestingly, defending his position as a politician the prime minister points the finger at competing forces scarce resources that spilt citizens along their tribal lines. It must be noted that during the slave trade African chiefs sold their people into slavery almost for nothing just out of envy and malice. What was the scarce resource then; maybe, the pleasure of keeping as brother/sister from enjoying any quality of life. The movie discussed what it meant to be a Kenyan, situations of class conflict, wealth disparities and a culture of ethnic violence that emerges, especially, during general elections.

As such, what I like better about this political approach as against the one offered in ‘Incumbent’ is the realization that there needs to be healing of this ethnic divide. South African Prisoner, Nelson Mandela, assassinated American civil rights leader, Dr Martin Luther King and United States Of America’s, first African American president, Barack Obama have all realized the importance of unity during an election campaign or projection of any cause restoring rights of people around the world.

Civilized people and nations remove from their battle fields, guns, deadly ammunitions and treacherous warfare for violence towards human by humans. It is gaining power through a decent democratic process organized fairly with every one having a chance of being elected in a free/ fair democratic process. The message communicated in incumbent and which seems to gain public admiration is one of violence, hatred, malice and antagonism of man towards man. These are elements of cannibalistic behavior imbedded in humans who have no achieve basic stages of civilization.

United Nations has been established to ensure that there is world peace before, during and after elections. Beyond that period once it could be avoid the proclamation in world peace. Too many young men and woman die on battle fields defending nations whose political leaders are still uncivilized  are looking for war on every part of the globe as in the incumbent.