This is the painful reality confronting our nation. From Zamfara State to Kwara, Ondo, Kebbi, Edo, Benue, Adamawa, Plateau, and many other states, families have buried loved ones, and communities have been emptied by gunshots and fear.
In over 25 states across all geopolitical zones this year alone,
there have been major violent attacks on innocent citizens, kidnappings by
armed bandits, mass shootings, village invasions, and brazen assaults on worshippers
and travellers. The scale of bloodshed and the number of deaths in just two
months in Nigeria are even worse than what we see in countries officially at
war. Yet the urgency with which we discuss these tragedies does not match the
urgency of our discussions surrounding zoning formulas, party structures, and
campaign strategies.
This is the tragedy of our politics.
We debate power sharing while citizens are sharing funeral
programs. I watched in tears yesterday as families in the Doruwa Babuje community
in Plateau State buried their dead after attacks by armed terrorists, but our
media and leaders were focused on discussions about party issues and the 2027
elections, when we aren't even sure we will be alive to see it, given all the
deaths happening in our country today. We strategise about 2027 while Nigerians
struggle to survive 2026. This is inhumane.
We must elevate human life to a sacred status in our national
priorities. Leadership is not about winning elections; it is about saving
lives. We can, and we must, aspire to a Nigeria devoid of bloodshed—a Nigeria
where governance is measured not by political dominance but by the safety and
dignity of its people.
History will not remember how many strategies we perfected for
2027; it will remember whether we acted when Nigerians were dying. We must
choose Nigerian lives over politics. We must put Nigerians first.
A New Nigeria is POssible.
- PO
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