Must Read: Election Period, Hope for Some, Fear for Others

Written by: Jolayemi Olajide 

For millions of Nigerians, election suppose be di time wey everybodi go join hand choose dia leaders and make way wia di country go head. But as di elders dey talk, “Water wey dem take cook beans, na im dey swallow am”.
Sabi pipo once tuk say, if election process start with trouble, na wahala everyone go chop. For plenty communities wey don see pepper before, election period no dey bring joy at all, instead of pipo to celebrate democracy, na fear, tension, and sleepless nights naim dey hold families as di country dey prepare for anoda election.

How We Take Reach Dis Junction?

If pesin check our history well, e go see say political competition for Nigeria often dey turn bloody. “Snake wey bite person once, if dat person see lizard, e go run”, na so e be for many voters today. After di 2011 presidential election, serious violence bust out across several Northern states wey make hundreds of people lose dia lives and scatter full communities. Di same bad wind of voter intimidation and political clashes still blow during di 2015, 2019, and 2023 elections, wey make many citizens dey wonder whether peaceful election fit ever happen again for dis ground.

How Dis Wahala Take Affect Everybody?

Make nobody deceive demsef say election violence na politicians’ business alone; as di parable talk, “When house fly dey follow corpse go grave, e no dey return.” When trouble burst, na innocent pipo dey pay di ultimate price. Small businesses dey fold up, school childrensis dey stay home, and whole families dey run leave dia ancestral homes. Once fear takeover di land, voters go prefer sit-down for house on election day, and when pipo no fit cast dia vote freely, democracy don lose im meaning and di voice of di masses go just vanish into thin air.

Di Real Human Cost Behind Di Numbers

Behind all di fine official reports and casualty numbers, real pipo dey cry silent tears. Some families don lose dia breadwinners forever, while many voters don turn internal refugees inside dia own country just to save dia head. Di most pain in di belly part na how hungry, unemployed youths wey suppose be di future of di nation dey easily turn into weapon by desperate politicians. Dem dey throw small change give dis youths to go scatter polling units, attack political opponents, and burn down properties.

Nigeria No Dey Alone For Dis Journey

Dis sickness ehhh, no be only Naija alone get am ooo, as West Africa brother-countries like Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone don also taste election tension and political clashes for different times. But as dem dey talk, “No matter how dark di night dark, morning must surely come.” Dis neighboring countries don show us say peaceful election no dey happen by miracle, e dey take strong institutions, responsible politicians, and citizens wey go stand baseline to reject violence, no matter di temptation.

Wetin We Stand To Gain If We Say No To Violence

If politicians and citizens throway violence today, democracy go grow iron leg, more voters go come out with confidence, and real leaders go emerge through di true choice of di pipo. Investors go get confidence to bring money put for di economy, businesses go booming, and peace go reign. Di way forward clear, security agencies, INEC, politicians, and civil society must join body. As we dey match forward, make we remember say Ballot paper heavy pass bullet. Political power fit finish tomorrow, but di scar of bloodshed go stay with communities for generations unless we choose peace today.