2027: Let Me Advise Again – No Political Ambition Is Worth the Blood of Any Nigerian

MAIN POINT:

Jonathan said his ambition was not worth the blood of Nigerians; Buhari encouraged citizens to vote for candidates of their choice across political parties. But with rising tensions in Sokoto, Kebbi, Enugu, Imo, Kaduna and other states, the 2027 elections must not become a contest in which human lives are sacrificed on the altar of political desperation.

By ABANIKANDA OLUMORO (UK)

Nigeria must not wait until these tensions produce irreversible consequences before remembering the wisdom of Jonathan and Buhari. No ambition is worth a single Nigerian life. This is an advice that every presidential aspirant, governor, senator, House of Representatives candidate, political party chairman, campaign director, supporter and public office holder must take seriously. Democracy is not warfare. An election is not a battlefield where opponents must be eliminated, silenced or prevented from exercising their constitutional rights. It is an opportunity for citizens to determine who should govern them through the ballot.

There are two important statements in Nigeria’s recent democratic history that should remain permanently engraved in the conscience of every politician, political party, government official and citizen as the country approaches another defining electoral season in 2027.

The first was made by former President Goodluck Jonathan when he declared that his political ambition was not worth the blood of any Nigerian. The second came from former President Muhammadu Buhari, who encouraged Nigerians to vote for candidates of their choice across political parties.

These statements were not merely political expressions. They represented two fundamental principles upon which democracy must stand: the sanctity of human life and the freedom of citizens to make political choices without intimidation.

Unfortunately, the political atmosphere surrounding the 2027 general elections is increasingly raising concerns about whether these principles will be respected.

From Sokoto to Kebbi, Kaduna to Zamfara, and Enugu to Imo, among other states, disturbing political tensions, allegations of intimidation, confrontations and reported incidents of violence are drawing attention to the responsibilities of political leaders and security institutions.

Nigeria must not wait until these tensions produce irreversible consequences before remembering the wisdom of Jonathan and Buhari.

No ambition is worth a single Nigerian life.

This is an advice that every presidential aspirant, governor, senator, House of Representatives candidate, political party chairman, campaign director, supporter and public office holder must take seriously.

Democracy is not warfare. An election is not a battlefield where opponents must be eliminated, silenced or prevented from exercising their constitutional rights. It is an opportunity for citizens to determine who should govern them through the ballot.

The ruling party has a responsibility to demonstrate that it believes in democracy beyond the convenience of retaining power. Opposition parties equally have a responsibility to conduct themselves within the law and resist the temptation to answer provocation with violence.

Nobody should mistake the possession of governmental power for ownership of Nigeria.

The country belongs to all Nigerians, irrespective of their political affiliations, ethnic backgrounds, religious beliefs or geographical locations.

Tinubu’s prayers in the Holy Land must find expression in his government’s actions

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently undertook Umrah in the Holy Land, where prayers were offered for Nigeria’s peace, security and prosperity.

Those prayers deserve respect. However, the true test of their acceptance should not be measured merely by religious expressions or public declarations. It should also be reflected in the conduct of government, the protection of citizens and the willingness of those in authority to allow democratic competition to flourish.

The troubling political developments being reported in parts of the country, particularly the tensions surrounding opposition activities in Sokoto and other states, provide an early test of the administration’s commitment to the peace for which the President prayed.

If the country continues to experience political intimidation, avoidable violence, threats, electoral manipulation and the suppression of lawful opposition activities, then there is a compelling reason for the President to return to the Holy Land in supplication for divine intervention.

But beyond another journey for prayers, he must also demonstrate the political will to protect Nigerians and ensure that his government does not become associated with any action capable of undermining the people’s democratic freedom.

Prayer and responsible leadership must go together.

A leader who prays for peace must also work for peace. A government that asks God for national prosperity must create an atmosphere in which citizens can pursue their aspirations without fear.

President Tinubu, therefore, must understand that his own political ambition, like that of every other contender, is not worth the blood of any Nigerian.

Indeed, the same standard applies to every politician seeking to occupy Aso Rock in 2027.

What exactly are politicians teaching Nigerians about religion?

There is another dimension to this matter that deserves serious attention.

Nigeria’s major political contestants largely identify publicly with either Christianity or Islam. These are faiths that place enormous value on human life, justice, compassion, restraint and accountability before God.

Christianity does not teach its followers to spill innocent blood to secure political power. Islam equally condemns the unlawful taking of human life and warns against oppression, injustice and the abuse of authority.

Neither faith provides a religious justification for killing, intimidation or the destruction of another person’s livelihood because of political disagreement.

Therefore, it is difficult to understand how individuals who publicly profess these faiths can contemplate or encourage conduct that contradicts their religious commitments.

Political power is temporary. Human life is sacred.

No political office is worth sacrificing the life of a young Nigerian, a father, a mother, a campaign volunteer, a security officer or an innocent passer-by.

Those who believe that violence can secure political victory should remember that they will eventually leave office, but the families of their victims may carry the consequences of their actions for generations.

The ballot must never become a justification for bloodshed.

Let opposition parties enjoy the same democratic space

One of the greatest tests of democracy is how a government treats its opponents.

It is easy for a ruling party to celebrate democracy when it enjoys the support of the majority of political institutions and controls the machinery of government. The real test comes when opposition parties seek to organise rallies, mobilise supporters, address citizens and challenge the government.

Can they do so without intimidation?

Can they travel freely to campaign?

Can their supporters assemble peacefully?

Can they criticise the government without being threatened?

Can they present their programmes to Nigerians without encountering deliberately created obstacles?

These are the questions that should concern the Tinubu administration and the relevant state governments.

Reports and allegations of politically motivated violence, restrictions and intimidation in Sokoto, Kebbi, Kaduna, Zamfara, Enugu and Imo must be investigated impartially wherever they arise.

No state government should use public institutions or security agencies as instruments for suppressing lawful political opposition.

Equally, opposition leaders must not encourage their supporters to take the law into their own hands.

The Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services, the Independent National Electoral Commission and other relevant institutions must remain professionally neutral. Their loyalty must be to the Constitution and the Nigerian people, not to any political party or individual seeking electoral advantage.

The responsibility to maintain peace is collective, but the greater responsibility rests with those who possess the authority and resources to prevent violence.

The consequences of electoral manipulation are greater than political victory

Those contemplating rigging, voter intimidation, vote buying, falsification of results, destruction of electoral materials, attacks on opponents or the manipulation of electoral institutions must understand that they are not merely undermining political opponents.

They are undermining Nigeria’s future.

An election won through manipulation may produce a temporary occupant of public office, but it cannot manufacture genuine legitimacy or the confidence of the people.

A government that emerges through questionable processes will spend much of its time battling questions about its legitimacy instead of concentrating on governance.

Nigeria has suffered enough from political divisions, insecurity, economic hardship and distrust in public institutions. The 2027 elections should offer an opportunity to rebuild confidence, not deepen the country’s existing wounds.

Every politician must remember that the person campaigning against him today may become his neighbour, business associate or fellow citizen tomorrow.

Political opponents are not enemies of the Nigerian state.

A final word to those seeking power

To President Tinubu and every other presidential aspirant; to governors, senators, members of the House of Representatives and candidates seeking positions in state assemblies: your ambitions are legitimate only to the extent that you pursue them within the law and respect the lives and rights of fellow Nigerians.

Do not allow desperation for political office to turn you into an instrument of destruction.

Do not encourage supporters to attack opponents. Do not sponsor intimidation. Do not manipulate electoral institutions. Do not obstruct peaceful campaigns. Do not use religion, ethnicity or regional sentiments to provoke hatred.

And above all, do not imagine that political influence can protect anyone from accountability before God.

To those who may be contemplating violence, electoral fraud, killings, intimidation or other forms of manipulation before, during and after the 2027 presidential, National Assembly and governorship elections, consider this a solemn warning from the conscience of a nation that desires peace.

We have called upon the Creator and Owner of our souls, the heavens, the earth and everything between them to protect Nigeria, frustrate every evil design against innocent citizens, expose those who plot injustice and ensure that the country triumphs over forces seeking to destroy its peace.

May those who seek to shed innocent blood find no success in their evil intentions. May those who plot electoral injustice be held accountable, and may the Nigerian people never be denied their legitimate right to choose their leaders.

This is not a prayer for the suffering of innocent people, including political opponents. It is a prayer that wickedness should fail, justice should prevail and Nigeria should be delivered from those who place personal ambition above human life.

Goodluck Jonathan gave Nigeria a timeless lesson: his ambition was not worth the blood of Nigerians.

Muhammadu Buhari reminded Nigerians that they should vote for candidates of their choice across political parties.

These are lessons that must not be forgotten.

The 2027 election must not be a contest of who can intimidate, silence, eliminate or manipulate the other. It must be a contest of ideas, character, competence, public trust and the willingness to serve.

Let every Nigerian politician remember: no mandate is greater than human life, no political victory is more valuable than national peace, and no ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian.