Stories from Nigeria - The Existential Election

Anxiety, bridges burnt, and an existential tipping point. These are some of the words that best describe the upcoming Nigerian elections and the state of the nation.

Whether we like it or not, the outcomes of this upcoming Nigerian elections matter to the world.

Why? For starters, Nigeria is the most populous black country on earth, and one out of every five persons of African origin is Nigerian. In addition, even though the word ‘elections’ should suggest Nigeria is a democratic state, in reality however, Nigeria is a hybrid regime that is closer to an authoritarian regime than it is to a flawed or full democracy (The Economist, 2023).

So, back to the elections.

We decided to create this ‘out-of-schedule’ episode that contains stories and anecdotes from a dozen Nigerians who share their fears and hopes about the upcoming elections. Some expressed hope for positive change and development, many expressed concern about violence and aftermath, while a few emphasised an unwilling acceptance of whatever outcome. Regardless, it is clear that upcoming elections scheduled for February 25, 2023 (as of the time of writing this) will have both threats and opportunities of an unquantifiable scale for our country and our people. 

We’ll see what happens during the weekend and release another episode after.

Please give this a listen, share, and stay tuned.

God bless 🙏🏾