2027 Elections : Open Letter to Nigerians

Dear Nigerians,

As the presidential campaigns commence this Wednesday, August 19, 2026, we are once again entering a season when political parties, candidates and their supporters will go to great lengths to win the hearts and minds of Nigerians.

It is a period when we should expect political campaigns, promises and debates, but sadly, it can also become a season of manipulation, misinformation, fake news and outright lies, as some politicians and political jobbers attempt to portray their candidates as the best choice.

We should also expect attempts to exploit our religious, ethnic and regional differences for political advantage. Already, many WhatsApp groups and other social media platforms will become arenas for intense political discussions, arguments and debates, with people expressing strong opinions both for and against different candidates.

Some religious and traditional leaders may also have preferred candidates and may seek to use their positions and influence to persuade their followers. There is nothing wrong with having political preferences, but we must remember that every Nigerian has the right to make an independent political choice.

Dear Nigerians, this campaign season must not become a season of hatred, violence or bloodshed.

If someone supports a candidate different from yours, you do not have to insult, threaten or fight that person. If you disagree with someone’s political opinion, challenge it with superior arguments, verifiable facts and reasoned conversation. Do not allow political differences to destroy relationships that took years to build.

Let our WhatsApp groups, social media platforms, homes, communities, religious gatherings and places of work become spaces for healthy political conversations rather than breeding grounds for hatred and violence.

We must learn to accommodate one another. We can disagree without becoming enemies. We can support different candidates without wishing one another harm. We can passionately defend our preferred candidates without losing our humanity.

Above all, let us remember that the ambition of any politician is not worth the blood of any Nigerian.

Politicians will contest elections. They will campaign, make promises and seek our votes. Some will win, others will lose, and life will continue.

But the life that is lost to political violence cannot be restored.

Let us campaign with ideas, debate with facts, disagree with respect and vote according to our conscience.

May this campaign season be remembered not for the lives we lost, but for the maturity, peace and responsibility with which Nigerians exercised their democratic rights.

Thank you, and may God bless Nigeria.

Tochukwu Jimo Obi