Six Months to Campaign Season, Nigerians Are Still Dying — But Politicians Are Already Printing Posters
Six Months to Campaign Season, Millions Still Unsafe: Why Nigeria’s Governance Crisis Can No Longer Be Ignored
With barely six months left before Nigeria officially descends into full campaign mode, the most urgent national question remains unanswered: who is actually securing Nigerians?
Every election cycle follows a predictable pattern. Governance slows. Political calculations intensify. Accountability disappears. And the lives of ordinary Nigerians become collateral damage. Today, that cycle is repeating itself—except the stakes are far higher, and the bloodshed far more visible.
Despite official reassurances and carefully worded statements, Nigeria’s security situation remains deeply troubling. Killings occur daily. Kidnappings are routine. Entire communities are displaced. Yet, those entrusted with protecting the country appear disturbingly comfortable with the status quo.
A Security Crisis That Demands Root-Level Honesty
Nigeria’s insecurity is often discussed, but rarely defined with honesty.
Unlike many countries where terrorism is primarily an external threat—planned abroad, executed briefly, and withdrawn—Nigeria’s crisis is fundamentally different. What the country faces is not merely terrorism, but an internal invasion.
Armed groups live within Nigeria’s borders. They recruit locally. They operate from forests, villages, and sometimes urban outskirts. They collect taxes, enforce laws, and challenge the authority of the Nigerian state. This is not a temporary disturbance; it is an entrenched rebellion.
Yet, Nigeria’s political leadership continues to approach the problem as if it were episodic rather than existential.
The result is a fragmented response, inconsistent policy direction, and a security architecture that appears reactive rather than strategic.
Unanswered Questions at the Top
Perhaps nothing fuels public distrust more than the persistence of controversial figures in sensitive security positions.
The Minister of State for Defence, despite repeated allegations and long-standing concerns about questionable associations in the past, remains firmly in office. Calls for investigation, suspension, or removal have been loud and consistent. Yet, the political establishment has chosen silence.
In a nation battling terrorism and internal insurgency, perception matters. When individuals facing serious credibility questions remain in charge of national defence, confidence in the system collapses.
This is not about politics. It is about trust. And without trust, no security strategy—no matter how well funded—can succeed.
When Foreign Parliaments Care More Than Local Ones
One of the most embarrassing realities of Nigeria’s current moment is that foreign legislative bodies appear more engaged with Nigeria’s security crisis than Nigeria’s own National Assembly.
In recent months, the United States Congress has debated Nigeria’s insecurity extensively—raising concerns about terrorism, civilian protection, and regional stability. The European Union and other Western legislative institutions have also held discussions, hearings, and briefings on Nigeria’s worsening security situation.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s National Assembly has largely failed to elevate insecurity as a sustained, front-burner national debate.
Why?
Because doing so would require confronting the executive arm of government—and, by extension, indicting themselves as complicit leaders. Many legislators prefer silence to scrutiny, optics to oversight.
This abdication of responsibility is not just shameful; it is dangerous.
Campaign Season Is Coming — Governance Is Ending
By July, Nigeria’s political conversation will shift entirely. The focus will no longer be on insecurity, poverty, or reform. It will be about who is contesting what, where alliances are forming, and which slogans are trending.
That is why now is the most critical moment for civic pressure.
Once campaign season fully begins, governance effectively shuts down. Policies stall. Institutions freeze. Every decision becomes politically calculated.
If Nigerians want accountability, it must be demanded before politicians retreat into campaign mode.
Nigeria: Where Citizens Govern Themselves
Perhaps the most honest description of Nigeria today is this: every Nigerian is their own government.
Citizens provide:
Their own water
Their own electricity
Their own security
Their own healthcare solutions
From boreholes to generators, from vigilantes to private guards, survival in Nigeria is self-funded.
Yet, in the midst of this reality, the government is aggressively expanding a new tax regime—scrutinizing bank accounts, tightening enforcement, and demanding compliance.
The question Nigerians are asking is simple: what exactly are we paying for?
You Cannot Tax What You Failed to Build
Taxation is not inherently evil. But taxing a population drowning in systemic failure is economically reckless and morally questionable.
People are yet to fully understand the impact of the new tax regime, but the effects will soon be unavoidable. For millions already struggling, this may be the final push into deeper hardship.
Economic reform must be humane. Relief must precede extraction. Stability must come before enforcement.
Power Sector Promises, Darkness Remains
Few sectors illustrate governance failure better than electricity.
Despite years of reforms, privatization, and policy announcements, reliable power remains elusive. Businesses still rely on generators. Households still budget for fuel. Hospitals and schools still operate under unstable supply.
Until electricity becomes affordable and dependable for the average Nigerian, claims of economic progress will remain abstract.
Inflation Is Falling — But Life Is Still Expensive
Government officials insist inflation is easing. On paper, they may be correct. But economic statistics do not cook meals or pay rent.
Yes, some food prices have reduced marginally. But transportation, energy, healthcare, and housing costs continue to rise. Relief is uneven and fragile.
Introducing aggressive taxation before Nigerians can feel meaningful, sustained relief is a policy gamble with real human consequences.
Peter Obi’s Warning: Prosperity Cannot Come by Taxing Poverty
Former presidential candidate Peter Obi captured the essence of this crisis succinctly:
> “Prosperity cannot come by taxing poverty. As I travel the world and meet leaders who have transformed their nations, one lesson is clear: lasting economic and social progress begins with national consensus.”
Obi’s argument is not ideological—it is practical. Transformation requires trust, and trust requires honesty.
He continued:
> “Government must be transparent and truthful because citizens deserve nothing less from those who lead them. True leaders do not exploit their people to enrich themselves and a few cronies; they build trust, unity, and shared purpose, the foundation of sustainable progress.”
These are not radical demands. They are the minimum requirements for functional governance.
The Final Question Nigeria Must Answer
Nigeria is running out of excuses.
Six months to campaign season, citizens are still dying. Infrastructure is still broken. Trust is still eroded. And accountability remains optional.
The question is no longer whether Nigeria has problems. It is whether its leaders have the courage to confront them—before campaign posters replace governance entirely.
Because if this moment is wasted, Nigerians will once again be asked to vote in the dark—literally and figuratively.
And the cycle will repeat.
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