BY LAWAN MUSA DANLAMI
AS NIGERIA approaches another electoral cycle, the political atmosphere is already becoming increasingly charged. Political parties are reorganising, aspirants are mobilising supporters, alliances are being formed, and campaign strategies are taking shape. This is an essential part of democratic politics. However, as the country moves toward the next election, there is an urgent need for politicians, their loyalists and ordinary citizens to remember one important lesson from Nigeria and other African countries: elections are meant to determine who governs, not who dies.
Nigeria’s democratic history contains painful reminders of what happens when political competition is allowed to degenerate into violence. The 2007 general elections were marred by widespread irregularities, intimidation and violence, with Human Rights Watch estimating that at least 300 people were killed in violence associated with the elections. The 2011 presidential election produced an even more devastating aftermath. Following the announcement of the result, protests and attacks erupted in several northern states, leading to more than 800 deaths within a few days and the displacement of tens of thousands of people. These were not simply political statistics; they represented families destroyed, communities traumatised and citizens whose lives were lost because political competition was allowed to become violent.
These experiences across Africa should serve as a warning to Nigeria. The circumstances in Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon are not identical, and each country has its own political history. Nevertheless, they demonstrate a common reality: when political ambition becomes more important than human life, democracy itself becomes endangered.
Kenya provides another painful warning. The disputed 2007 presidential election triggered some of the worst political violence in the country’s modern history. More than 1,000 people were killed and hundreds of thousands were displaced. Political competition became deeply intertwined with ethnic identity, demonstrating the enormous danger that arises when politicians convince citizens that an electoral contest is a battle between ethnic communities rather than a competition between ideas, policies and leadership visions. Kenya experienced further violence and serious human-rights abuses surrounding the 2017 election, showing that even countries with significant democratic experience can suffer when political tensions become uncontrollable.
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Uganda has also experienced violence and repression around elections. During the 2021 election period, opposition supporters were subjected to arrests, beatings and other abuses, while security forces were accused of using excessive force. Journalists and political activists also faced restrictions. The Ugandan experience reminds Nigeria that electoral violence does not necessarily begin on election day. It can develop gradually through inflammatory speeches, political intimidation, suppression of opposition activities and the use of security institutions against political competitors.
Tanzania, another country often associated with relative political stability, has also experienced serious tensions surrounding elections. During the 2020 elections, reports documented killings, arrests, harassment of opposition politicians and restrictions on journalists. The Tanzanian experience demonstrates that no country should take political stability for granted. Peaceful elections require continuous commitment from political actors, electoral institutions, security agencies and citizens.
Côte d’Ivoire offers perhaps one of the most devastating examples of how a disputed election can tear a country apart. The disputed 2010 presidential election plunged the country into a violent crisis that left more than 3,000 people dead and displaced hundreds of thousands. A decade later, violence surrounding the controversial 2020 presidential election again resulted in dozens of deaths. Côte d’Ivoire’s experience demonstrates that when electoral disputes are not adequately managed through credible institutions, political disagreements can develop into broader communal conflicts.
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Cameroon presents another warning about the consequences of prolonged political grievances. In the country’s Anglophone regions, political and constitutional grievances eventually escalated into armed conflict involving government forces and separatist groups. Although the Cameroonian situation cannot simply be equated with electoral violence, it demonstrates how unresolved political grievances, regional divisions and the loss of confidence in institutions can create conflicts that become extremely difficult to control.
The next election must therefore be different. Nigerians should compete vigorously but peacefully, criticise one another without hatred, campaign without intimidation and defend their political preferences without attacking those who disagree with them. Candidates should be mature enough to accept victory with humility and defeat with dignity.
These experiences across Africa should serve as a warning to Nigeria. The circumstances in Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon are not identical, and each country has its own political history. Nevertheless, they demonstrate a common reality: when political ambition becomes more important than human life, democracy itself becomes endangered.
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Nigeria must therefore approach the coming election with greater political maturity. Politicians must understand that their opponents are competitors, not enemies. Political parties must educate their supporters against violence, intimidation and inflammatory rhetoric. Candidates must be careful with their language, particularly when speaking about ethnicity, religion and regional identity. Security agencies must remain professional and politically neutral, while electoral institutions must conduct their responsibilities transparently and impartially.
Political supporters also have a major responsibility. In many cases, supporters become more aggressive than the politicians they support. Social media has made this problem even more dangerous because inflammatory messages, fabricated information, threats and political insults can reach millions of people within minutes. Political loyalty should never mean blind obedience. No politician deserves to have citizens fight, kill or destroy property on his or her behalf.
The Nigerian voter must also recognise the power of the ballot. Citizens should reject the politics of violence, vote buying and ethnic manipulation. Elections should be about competence, character, policies and accountability. Nigerians should ask candidates what they intend to do about insecurity, unemployment, poverty, education, healthcare, infrastructure and economic hardship rather than allowing themselves to be distracted by political propaganda.
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Most importantly, political actors must accept the principle that electoral disputes should be resolved through constitutional and judicial institutions. If a candidate believes an election has been manipulated, there are legal mechanisms through which that candidate can challenge the result. Taking political disagreements to the streets, mobilising thugs or encouraging supporters to attack opponents is not democratic resistance; it is a threat to the country.
No political office is worth the life of a Nigerian. No presidential, governorship, senatorial or local government position should become a justification for killing another citizen. Politicians come and go, governments change and political parties rise and fall, but Nigeria remains.
The next election must therefore be different. Nigerians should compete vigorously but peacefully, criticise one another without hatred, campaign without intimidation and defend their political preferences without attacking those who disagree with them. Candidates should be mature enough to accept victory with humility and defeat with dignity.
The message to politicians and their loyalists should be simple: Do not kill for us. Do not fight for us. Do not destroy for us. Give Nigerians the freedom to vote, and allow the ballot to speak.
Nigeria has experienced enough electoral violence. Africa has experienced enough political bloodshed. The next election should not become another chapter in that tragic history.
The choice before us is clear: ballots, not bullets; debate, not destruction; democracy, not violence. Let the people decide, and let Nigeria win.
Comrade Danlami popularly known as Baba Lawan writes from Haliru Umar Street, Dorayi Karamar Unguwar Yamma, Gwale LGA, Kano State, Nigeria. He can be reached via email: lawanmusa363@gmail.com
