By Ganiu Bamgbose, PhD
Nigeria’s political culture has increasingly created the impression that elections matter more than human lives. Every election cycle comes with massive mobilisation, heated campaigns, security deployments and endless political calculations. Yet, in the same country, citizens are abducted daily on highways, in schools, on farms and even in their homes, often with delayed or inadequate responses from authorities. This troubling contrast has led many Nigerians to ask a painful question: why does the state appear more committed to securing votes than protecting lives?
The rise of abduction and kidnapping in Nigeria has become one of the greatest threats to national security. What began years ago as isolated incidents has evolved into a sophisticated criminal enterprise. From the abduction of schoolchildren in northern Nigeria to the kidnapping of travellers along major roads and the seizure of residents from suburban communities, insecurity has become a frightening reality for ordinary citizens. Families now live in fear, and many communities have normalised ransom negotiations as part of survival.
Ironically, during election seasons, the Nigerian state often demonstrates that it possesses the capacity to mobilise enormous resources for security purposes. Thousands of security personnel are deployed across polling units, political rallies receive armed protection, and intelligence agencies become unusually active. Politicians move with heavy convoys and security escorts while ordinary citizens continue to navigate dangerous roads unprotected. This disparity fuels public frustration and deepens distrust in governance.
The perception that elections are prioritised above human safety is further reinforced by political rhetoric. Political actors frequently make elections seem like a “do-or-die affair,” investing billions of naira into campaigns while communities devastated by banditry and abduction struggle to receive basic attention. The speed with which political disputes are addressed often contrasts sharply with the sluggish response to mass kidnappings. In some instances, abducted victims remain in captivity for weeks while political conversations dominate national headlines.
This situation raises important questions about the essence of governance. The primary responsibility of any government is the protection of lives and property. Elections are important because they sustain democracy, but democracy itself loses meaning when citizens cannot live safely. A ballot paper cannot replace a lost life, and political victory becomes hollow when people are too afraid to travel, farm, study or sleep peacefully.
Another disturbing aspect of the crisis is the apparent commercialisation of human suffering. Families of abducted victims are often forced to raise huge sums of money for ransom payments with little institutional support. Communities organise donations, religious centres hold emergency fundraisers, and relatives sell properties just to rescue loved ones. Meanwhile, some politicians spend outrageous amounts on campaign publicity, billboards and rallies. Such realities create the impression that political ambition receives greater urgency than humanitarian concerns.
The psychological effects on Nigerians are enormous. Citizens increasingly feel abandoned by the state. Young people are growing up in an environment where insecurity is normalised, and many have lost confidence in public institutions. When people believe that their lives matter less than electoral outcomes, patriotism weakens and cynicism grows. Democracy cannot thrive where fear dominates daily existence.
However, the solution is not to undermine elections or democratic participation. Rather, Nigeria must begin to treat security as the foundation of democracy. Elections should not only be about changing political office holders but also about demanding accountability for the protection of citizens. Political leaders must recognise that good governance is measured not merely by electoral success but by the safety and wellbeing of the people.
Security agencies also need better coordination, improved intelligence gathering and stronger community partnerships. More importantly, the political class must stop treating insecurity as a seasonal talking point discussed only during campaigns. National security requires consistent commitment beyond political calculations.
Nigeria stands at a critical point in its democratic journey. The country cannot continue to celebrate electoral victories while citizens mourn preventable deaths and abductions. A nation where votes matter more than lives risks losing both its humanity and its democracy. True democratic progress will only emerge when the Nigerian state places greater value on the protection of human lives as it does on the conduct of elections. Only then can citizens genuinely believe that governance exists for their benefit rather than for political power alone.
The Nigerian government must think better about LIFE and the needed mechanism to protect it. A colleague of mine who was in Germany for a fellowship recounted how a bird dropped dead in front of her office and a vehicle arrived in less than 30 minutes to pick it. Such regard for the life of an animal moves me to tears when I find corpses on Nigerian roads. While we are crying for the provision of the basic things of life, the height of it sets in when we have to beg to stay alive.
Lives count more than votes.
Abduction is more urgent than election.
We know political offices are juicy but please prioritise our safety.
God bless Nigeria!
(c) 2026 Ganiu Bamgbose writes from Lagos.
Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose, PhD
Department of English,
Lagos State University, Ojo
[email protected]
08093695359, 07084956118
