The Saints, the Fall-Guys during Nigeria’s 2019 Budget Presentation’s Boo Scene, according to Nigerians

As reactions continue trailing the Nigerian lawmakers booing of President Muhammadu Buhari during the 2019 budget presentation at the joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives in physical and on virtual spheres, Infoprations has discovered 20 views that aligned with the saint frame, while 114 views were found for the fall-guy frame from 100 reactions of Nigerians, who reacted to the incident on social media via national dailies’ comment section.

The saint frame represents categories of individuals, people and entities who should not be blamed for the incident, while the fall-guy frame entails those who should be blamed.

President Muhammadu Buhari, Senato Bukola Saraki, Honourable Yakubu Dogara, Office of the President, PDP lawmakers, APC lawmakers, People’s Democratic Party, All Progressives Congress, Politicians, Other lawmakers (excluding the Senate President and Speaker), security agencies and Nigerians were identified as individuals, people and entities culpable or not.

Under the saint frame, President Buhari was seen as saint, not to be blamed for the incident, than others. For the fall-guy frame, the margin between seeing President Buhari and lawmakers culpabl is not much. Analysis shows that 36.8% of 114 views considered President Buhari as blameworthy, while 32.4% of the views considered lawmakers guilty.

“Let them boo you while God and People woo you. They are afraid of you. I once told a friend that President Buhari is the most tolerant among Nigerian Presidents. Some of them would have been punished, if it were Obasanjo,” Muritala Jnr noted.

“The world was not looking when he was walking in and some APC lawmakers chanted “Sai Buhari”, but when he started reading and some lawmakers chanted “No”, he suddenly remembered that the world is watching,” another Nigerian pointed out.