Why are they afraid of the ballot?’ — Otu
By Juliet Umeh
There is something deeply unsettling about a democracy when a citizen begins to wonder whether casting a ballot could cost him his safety.
The ballot paper is supposed to be one of the safest instruments in a democracy – small, quiet and anonymous. It does not shout, threaten or carry a weapon. Yet, as Ebonyi State inches towards the 2027 general elections, political rhetoric in the state is raising questions about whether voters will be allowed to exercise that simple right without fear.
For Charles Otu, spokesperson of the Ebonyi Civil Society Coalition Group, the warning issued by Governor Francis Nwifuru to local government chairmen is evidence that something is wrong.
