Akeem Lasisi
When Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State visited traders at the Computer Village, Ikeja recently, one of the photos that told the story of the fervour which marked the meeting is a selfie. In the viral picture republished here, Sanwo-Olu is seen amid excited traders – most of whom are Igbo. More importantly, he is the one who took the selfie, a style that made the residents involved more excited.
Those familiar with the governor’s lifestyle would note that, with the selfie, he was simply exhibiting his passion. The posture with the traders just returned him to the selfie mood – and mode. The fact is that, in the current dispensation, it is doubtful if there is any governor more at home with selfies than Sanwo-olu. For him, it is not just about usually granting people’s requests for selfies, but also about the fact that he himself often helps excited fans to take the self-portraits. And he does it far better than many folks.
An excursion into the archives, for instance, reveals a good number of such images. Does Sanwo-Olu’s natural nod for selfies, despite his understandably busy schedules, say something about his personality?
Trend experts say self-taken pictures have more to them than just capturing images. To such people, it’s like saying selfies speak louder and deeper than just pictures. For one, they say, selfies speak to identity; that is, they are a window to appreciating a person’s identity. Besides, self-portraits symbolise freedom, especially the type that flows from within, just as they mirror the confidence that describes the aura of people who love them.
No doubt, these are some of the values that define Sanwo-Olu, as many people who have related with him or who have observed him from a distance would attest to. Things hardly intimidate him as he would rather calmly respond to matters no matter how challenging the situation may be. This is the impression he gave during the battle against COVID-19, the battle he led Lagos and, Nigeria indeed, to win even to the surprise of the western world.
Yet, his disposition to selfies appears to also thrive on the spirit of humility he radiates. Although Sanwo-Olu leads a state powerful in several ramifications, he does not go about power drunk. No wonder, he stoops to collect phones from some who desire selfies with him and take the pictures himself.
Well, selfies are also about ‘trendliness’ and youthfulness. Sanwo-Olu may no more chronologically fall with the youth age, but he mentally, physically and psychologically shares a lot with the cadre. This should thus be one of the reasons he plays well when it comes to the selfie game.
While his love for the self-photography is also a matter of good human relations and ease to connect, it equally shows that he is fun-loving because, at the end of the day, selfies are about fun – about capturing experiences and novel moments at one’s own time and in one’s own way. On the whole, the amiability that Sanwo-Olu’s selfies project have the potential to fatten his chances in the upcoming governorship poll, as many voters will relate better with his candidature as one harbouring infectious humanity.
