Freedom of choice is not treason in Nigeria's election season

As Nigeria gears up for another election season, a concerning trend is emerging where political disagreement is being framed as betrayal. Citizens are increasingly resorting to insults and accusations against those who support different candidates or hold opposing views.

“

At the centre of democracy is the freedom of choice.

This behavior, while perhaps fueled by passion, frustration, or genuine pain, fundamentally undermines democratic principles. The author emphasizes that true democracy rests on the freedom of choice. While elections require a majority to determine winners, this majority should not infringe upon the voter's conscience or the legitimacy of dissenting opinions.

“

The majority may determine the winner of an election, but it does not own the voter’s conscience.

Democracy's moral legitimacy stems from citizens' ability to choose freely, without intimidation or fear. The article distinguishes between the operational outcomes of democracy, which rely on numbers, and its moral foundation, which depends on uncoerced individual choices. A majority achieved through free will is democratic; a majority enforced through intimidation is not.

“

There can be no meaningful majority where choice has been bullied into silence.

The core of adult suffrage, the article asserts, is that the voter owns their vote. While one may disagree with or criticize a voter's choice, they cannot deny the right to make it. There is no democratic rule dictating that citizens must conform to a single, universally certified option. The freedom to choose, even if the choice is perceived as poor, is paramount.

“

A majority produced through free choice is democracy. A majority demanded through intimidation, which is mob pressure, is anti-democratic.