Nigeria cannot afford another election poisoned by fear and division, writes
Nigeria is gradually approaching another defining political season. Campaign posters will soon flood our streets. Party slogans will dominate radio jingles. Social media will become a battleground of accusations, propaganda, and emotional manipulation. Yet, beneath the excitement of democratic participation lies a growing danger that many Nigerians already recognize: the normalization of hate speech in partisan politics.
The danger is not merely that politicians insult one another. Democracy can survive disagreement. What democracy struggles to survive is the deliberate weaponization of ethnicity, religion, region, and identity in pursuit of political victory.
Over the years, Nigerian elections have increasingly reflected this disturbing pattern. Political parties and their supporters often frame elections not as contests of ideas, but as battles for ethnic survival. Opponents are no longer criticized simply for poor policies; they are portrayed as enemies of a tribe, a religion, or an entire region. Once politics reaches that point, voters stop listening with reason and begin reacting with fear.
The tragedy is that Nigeria has walked this road before.
