As Nigeria inches towards the 2027 general elections, an ominous pattern is beginning to emerge. The language of politics is becoming more threatening, more intolerant and, in some cases, dangerously inflammatory. Politics is not supposed to be a do-or-die affair, and an election shouldn’t be a declaration of war.
Political opponents are not enemies of the state, and citizens who choose to support a different political party have committed no offence. Democracy rests on one fundamental principle: the freedom of the people to choose their leaders without fear, intimidation, coercion or violence.
Unfortunately, too many Nigerian politicians are desperate and appear prepared to go to any length to win elections. We have seen vote buying, threats, intimidation, ballot snatching, manipulation of results and endless legal battles. The desperation to capture power is often so intense that the electorate – the people in whose name democracy is practiced – becomes an afterthought. What is particularly troubling ahead of 2027 is the emerging pattern of inflammatory political rhetoric.
Consider the controversy in Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory. A viral video showed the council chairman, Danjuma Shekwolo, declaring that residents must either support the All Progressives Congress, APC, or leave the area. The statement was rightly condemned because no elected official owns Kuje and no Nigerian should be required to belong to a political party as the price for living peacefully in any part of the country.
Shekwolo later clarified that he had no right to disenfranchise residents or deny them their fundamental rights. But the damage had already been done: the statement revealed a dangerous mindset – that political loyalty can be demanded from citizens and that disagreement with those in power can attract consequences.
That is precisely the danger. When powerful people speak recklessly, their supporters may take them literally. A politician may later claim to have been misunderstood, but political language does not exist in a vacuum. It is becoming evident that what politicians cannot do does not exist. Words can inflame passions, legitimise intolerance and embolden those who are prepared to commit violence in the name of their party or political leader.
The Osun governorship election offers an important warning and a useful case study. The campaign was marked by allegations and counter-allegations of threats, violence, intimidation and plans to manipulate the electoral process. There was controversy over remarks attributed to political actors, including threats of violence against opposition supporters, while accusations of possible rigging and voter intimidation became part of the political conversation. These developments heightened anxiety before polling day.
Yet, when the election was eventually held on August 15, 2026, the people voted and INEC declared Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party the winner, with 511,067 votes against 444,815 votes for the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji – a margin of 66,252 votes. Whatever political arguments that may have followed after the election, the larger democratic lesson is clear: the ultimate power in a democracy must remain with the people, not with politicians who threaten to intimidate or compel citizens into supporting them.
Osun should therefore be studied carefully as Nigeria prepares for 2027. Political threats and inflammatory rhetoric should not be dismissed as ordinary campaign talk. Every threat must be investigated, and any politician who crosses the line into incitement or intimidation must be held accountable, irrespective of party affiliation.
The disturbing pattern is not limited to one political party, one state or one politician. Reports and controversies involving political actors in Osun, Kuje and other parts of the country should concern every Nigerian. Today, the target may be an opposition supporter, and tomorrow, it may be a member of the ruling party who refuses to obey a local political godfather. Once citizens begin to accept the proposition that those in power can dictate where people should live, whom they should support or how they should vote, democracy itself is in danger.
The comments attributed to Ebonyi State governor Francis Nwifuru are even more disturbing because they were directed at local government chairmen. While swearing the in the newly elected chairmen, Nwifuru warned that any chairman whose local government failed to deliver victory for APC in 2027 would be removed. He reportedly told them if they allowed opposition politicians to “mess” up in their areas, they should “deal with that person mercilessly.”
He went further, saying that he wanted the threat reported publicly and that the government would use councillors to remove any chairman who failed to deliver his local government to the APC. If the survival of a council chairman depends on delivering 100 per cent of the votes of the votes in his local government to the ruling party, what happens to electoral neutrality and opposition votes?
Kebbi State has also entered the troubling conversation. Governor Nasir Idris has been reported in a widely circulated video making remarks about fighting and chaos in connection with the 2027 elections. Other reports have quoted political actors in the state, warning of consequences for those who refuse to support the APC.
A frightening dimension occurred in Kano when politics was subjected to a religious test. At a mass wedding organised by the Kano State government for 1,500 couples, Islamic cleric Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir reportedly urged Muslims to sustain the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket and warned that Christians would be shown their “limits” if they do not support the ticket. The event was attended by senior political figures, including the Kano State governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf.
The comments provoked widespread condemnation from civil society and political groups. But what makes the incident especially disturbing is that Jingir did not subsequently retract the incendiary language or apologise. Instead, reports indicate that he defended his position. This is precisely where Nigerians must draw the line. Is Jingir trying to transform political disagreements into a potential religious conflict?
There is nothing wrong with a Muslim supporting a Muslim-Muslim ticket. There is equally nothing wrong with a Christian supporting a Christian candidate, or a Muslim-Christian ticket. In a democracy, citizens have the right to make political choices based on religion, ideology, competence, character, performance or any combination of considerations.
Another statement that deserves closer scrutiny is the declaration by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, that he would “deliver” Rivers State and the FCT to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027. Wike has publicly restated his support for the President and declared that he remains in control of political structures in both Rivers State and the FCT. But Nigerians are entitled to ask an important question: how exactly does one politician “deliver” an entire state and the Federal Capital Territory to another politician?
In a genuine democracy, Rivers State and the FCT do not belong to Nyesom Wike; they belong to the people who are constitutionally entitled to make their choices through the ballot box. Of course, politicians are free to campaign vigorously for their preferred candidates, and they can mobilise party members, persuade voters and deploy legitimate political structures. That is democracy, but the language of “delivering” entire states must not create the impression that election outcomes have already been negotiated, guaranteed or placed in the hands of political strongmen.
Minister Wike should therefore tell Nigerians what he means by “delivering” Rivers State and the FCT. Will it be through persuasion and legitimate campaigning? Will it be through the superiority of policies and performance? Or does the language suggest something more troubling – a belief that political structures, public institutions or the machinery of government can be deployed to predetermine the choices of voters? Nigerians deserve answers because 2027 must not be an election in which the people merely ratify decisions already made by political godfathers.
The media has an enormous responsibility. Journalists must refuse to normalise dangerous political rhetoric simply because it generates headlines, social-media engagement and television ratings. Threatening statements must be reported accurately, placed in context and followed up. When a politician threatens opponents, the media must ask: what does the law say? What’s the police doing about it? Has INEC responded? What steps are being taken to protect voters?
The media must also fact-check claims and expose misinformation designed to provoke ethnic, religious or political tension. Politicians must not be allowed to make an inflammatory statement in the morning and quietly withdraw it in the evening after the intended message has reached their supporters.
Civil society organisations must also become early-warning institutions. They should document hate speech, threats, intimidation, vote buying and politically motivated violence. They should also educate citizens about their rights and create mechanisms through which threats can be reported and independently verified. Democracy cannot be defended only on election day – it must be defended every day before the election.
Security agencies have perhaps the most immediate responsibility. The police, the Department of State Services and other relevant agencies must act professionally and impartially. A threat by a powerful politician must receive the same attention as a threat by an ordinary citizen. There must be no sacred cows. Politicians should not be invited for questioning merely to satisfy public opinion and then allowed to walk away without a transparent outcome.
The lesson must be simple: political power does not confer immunity from the law. INEC, too, must strengthen public confidence. Nigerians want an electoral umpire that is truly independent, transparent and prepared for every attempt to compromise the process. The commission must protect the voter register, improve the integrity of technology used in elections, ensure that results are transmitted and made available transparently, and resist every form of political pressure.
Most importantly, INEC must convince Nigerians that their votes will count. International election observers should not wait until a few days before polling to arrive in Nigeria. The danger signs are already visible, and the rhetoric is already becoming toxic. International and domestic observer groups should monitor the entire electoral environment, including campaign financing, vote buying, political intimidation, misuse of state resources, hate speech and threats against opposition supporters – not merely what happens at polling units.
The security situation will also shape the outcome and credibility of the 2027 elections. Nigerians cannot exercise their democratic rights freely where they are afraid to travel, gather or vote. Economic hardship is another major factor. Hunger, unemployment and poverty create a fertile environment for vote buying. A hungry voter can easily become the target of a politician with a few naira, rice, garri, noodles, and vegetable oil to distribute on election day.
This is why the defence of democracy is inseparable from the defence of human dignity and economic opportunity. A citizen who is economically desperate is more vulnerable to political manipulation, and a citizen who fears violence is less likely to vote freely.
As 2027 approaches, Nigerians must remain vigilant, and reject threats, intimidation and the language of political conquest. In addition, we insist that no politician, no matter how highly placed, owns a state, a local government, a community or its people. Every part of Nigeria, under the Constitution, belongs to Nigerians who have the right to choose their leaders freely.
Above all, Nigerians must defend their democracy peacefully but firmly. Our votes are not the property of governors, ministers, party chairmen, senators or political godfathers. No politician should be able to tell us whom to support, where to live or how to vote. We want free, fair and credible elections in 2027. That should not be too much to ask in a democracy.
The battle for Nigeria’s democracy will be won when Nigerians insist, loudly and without apology, that only the people can deliver their votes – and only at the ballot box.
Braimah is a PR specialist, marketing strategist, and publisher/editor-in-chief of Naija Times (www.ntm.ng) and Lagos Post (www.lagospost.ng). He is a strong advocate for African prosperity and can be reached through: ehi.braimah@neomedia.com.ng
