By Najeebullah Lawan
In the heat of every election cycle in Nigeria, a familiar script unfolds. Candidates emerge, promises fly, and then the real drama begins — not on the campaign podiums with policy debates, but in the dark corners of Facebook, Twitter (X) and TikTok.
These digital foot soldiers, often hired or mobilized by politicians, turn elections into seasons of character assassination. Instead of showcasing their principals’ achievements, they weaponize insults, spread unverified allegations, leak supposed “secrets,” and engage in outright blackmail.
Opponents are not challenged on their records; they are called thieves, ritualists, illiterates, prostitutes, drug barons, or worse. Videos are doctored. Old pictures are repurposed with malicious captions. Private matters are dragged into the public square.
This is not politics. This is toxicity dressed in party colors.
Name-calling and blackmail may deliver short-term attention and trending hashtags, but they come at a heavy price for our democracy. First, they cheapen public discourse. When voters are bombarded with insults rather than ideas, they become spectators in a wrestling match instead of active participants in choosing capable leaders.
Elections shift from a contest of competence to a contest of who can dig up the filthiest dirt.
Second, they erode trust. Once every politician is painted as corrupt or immoral, citizens stop believing anyone can be good. Cynicism grows. Voter apathy increases. Young people, especially, look at the gutter language and decide politics is not for decent minds.
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Third, it distracts from real issues. Nigeria faces serious challenges — insecurity, unemployment, inflation, decaying infrastructure, education crisis, and healthcare collapse. Yet instead of debating solutions, we waste energy on who called who what, whose wife did what, or who “chopped” what contract decades ago.
The 21st century offers us powerful tools: data analytics, social media reach, and instant communication. These should be used to educate voters about past performance, proposed policies, track records in governance, and vision for the future — not to destroy reputations.
If your candidate is truly good, why not sell him/her properly? Highlight tangible achievements: roads built, schools renovated, businesses supported, lives impacted. Present clear policy positions on security, economy, education, and healthcare. Show experience and competence with facts, not fiction. Use the “Data Boys” for positive, creative content — infographics, town hall summaries, impact videos, and citizen testimonials.
Voters in 2027 and beyond are more sophisticated than many politicians assume. They are tired of drama. They want results. The candidate with a clean, issues-based campaign often leaves a more lasting positive impression than the one whose team spent months calling opponents names.
Even when criticism is necessary, it should be constructive and evidence-based. Pointing out genuine failures in governance is fair game. Fabricating scandals, blackmailing, and descending into ethnic or religious abuse is not.
Dear Politicians and your Data Boys, the world is watching. Nigeria is better than this. Our democracy deserves better. Our children, who will inherit this country, deserve to see politics as a noble calling — not a dirty game.
Let us retire the tired tactics of the past. Let us compete on ideas, not insults. Let us use technology to illuminate, not to assassinate. Let us remember that the same social media that helps you trend today can also expose you tomorrow.
The era of gutter politics should end with the 20th century. In this 21st century, let us build a political culture that attracts the best minds, not the loudest mouths. Our future is too important to be decided by who can throw the dirtiest mud.
It is time to do better, please!
2nd June, 2026
Najeebullah Lawan writes from Kano and can reached via: najeebullahlawan@gmail.com
