Nigeria Election 2027: Why Nigerians should learn from the bloodbath of Osun election and Inter-party parley post election

As politicians and party faithfuls across political parties are preparing for the general election with official declaration of campaign opened by the Nigeria electoral umpire, there is need for every reasonable Nigerians regardless of party affiliation to learn from history not become a victim of circumstances and part of statistics of lost lives in the post election analysis and review.

With some months into the general election, political parties are unveiling campaign structures, deploying resources, touring media houses for nationwide outreach, installing gigantic billboards/banners across different points for visibility and awareness.

This is a period that the residence of influential citizens and elder statesmen will become a pilgrimage ground, where politicians will be visiting to seek their approval and support in winning the heart of their followers, and also incorporating their structures for political gain.

This is a season where the service of the agents of the underground will be required to carry out dirty games of unleashing violence. Actors in the black market will also be consulted by corrupt politicians seeking to disrupt peaceful electoral process, and others determined to outmanoeuvre their opponents either through assassination, kidnapping, bullying into surrender and silencing dissenting voices raising questions of accountability.

The service of different gangs will be consulted to cause mayhem in the stronghold of opponents and other places with weak influence; a pattern learnt from the history of election in Nigeria.

The violence and loss of lives that took place in the recently concluded Osun state election is a prototype for what it is to be expected in the nationwide election. While some families are thrown into mourning of their lost sons, politicians who they died on their behalf are seen dining, wining and embracing each other in beautiful photoshoot endorsing one another as one big family but of different political tent.

Politics of bitterness leads to destruction and unproductive rivalry, but politics of betterness leads to inclusion, national growth, national development and create an image of civilised society with people orientation and service delivery to the electorate as the motivation for seeking an electoral position rather than self fulfilling interest.

The youths should get involve in politics, engage in political/economic/national discourse, publish topics on how our democracy can be strengthened and improved rather than mere criticisms without providing alternative approach, join a political party but never become a pawn in the game of destroying another or become a willing tool in the agenda of bringing down the empire built by another through years of hardwork and sweat or neglect voting on election day for playing street football.

As the election is approaching, the season comes with surplus benefits for data boys (group of internet praise singers& supporters), as their service will be demanded by political actors who neglected constituency development despite the huge allocation but seeking re-election.

While working for your daily bread as a databoy, endeavor not to land yourself in post election lawsuit through cyberbullying, defamation, threat, abuse of the freedom of expression and other actions the new electoral act and social media bill frown at, remember what goes around comes around.

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