No whistle yet but the race for 2027 is on…
Like a football match, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must blow the whistle for the 2027 elections to begin. But unlike football, where nothing happens until the referee signals kickoff, Nigeria’s political game is already underway. The final whistle on the 2023 elections had barely echoed before the warm-up for 2027 began. What initially looked like lingering reactions to the past cycle has quickly evolved into an aggressive push toward the next one. Disobedience at its worst, an affront on our political norms.
Even before the inauguration of the new government, politicians, power blocs, digital actors, and commentators had already shifted gears. Every speech, every policy, every handshake and hashtag is now filtered through the lens of 2027. It is no longer governance in the present. It is the politics of the future, happening today.
In most democracies, elections come in waves. They build, they crest, and they eventually fall back, giving the nation time to catch its breath before the next round. As for the 2027 elections, the tide never receded. The 2023 elections were fierce, polarizing, and to many, exhausting. Yet, as soon as the courts ruled and the gavel came down, the conversation simply moved forward. It never really ended.
Some of the most vocal critics of the 2023 election results have now begun to position themselves as the alternative for 2027. Meanwhile, those in power have not taken a moment to pause. Their machinery is already revving for the next contest.
A recent example of this was the Digital Media Summit organized by the Office of the Special Assistant to the President on Digital Media, Mr. Dada Olusegun. On the surface, the summit was about exploring the evolving role of digital media in a fast-paced, tech-driven society. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s presence added gravity, and his speech addressed both the opportunities and the dangers of digital platforms.
Although it was mostly attended by members and sympathizers of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the discussions at the summit were wide-ranging. Policy took center stage. There were meaningful contributions around regulation, digital literacy, data protection, cybersecurity, innovation, and responsible online discourse.
But of course, this is Nigeria. Anything done by the government is rarely allowed to exist outside political interpretation. What should have been a standard, forward-looking policy summit quickly became a point of political anxiety. Opposition elements, perhaps startled by the scale and coordination of the event, resorted to online criticism. Allegations of propaganda, waste, and hidden agenda flooded the timelines.
Once again, bad politics had entered the room, uninvited but fully expected.
In today’s Nigeria, especially within the digital space, perception has become more powerful than policy. The framing of events now matters more than the facts. The summit, which could have been interpreted as an encouraging sign of governmental attention to a critical sector, was instead treated as an unofficial campaign rally. The organizers became targets. Attendees were labeled. Narratives were spun.
The irony is that most of the opposition actors who criticized the summit would not hesitate to host similar events. But politics has a way of making people allergic to their own ideas when presented by someone else. Take the subsidy removal and the exchange rate reforms.
What this tells us is clear. The 2027 election is already happening, not in ballot boxes or polling units, but in perception, online engagement, and political posturing.
There are several reasons why the 2027 race feels particularly drawn out. First, the emergence of outsider candidates in 2023 changed the landscape. The so-called third force shook the two-party dominance and introduced a new kind of energy, a lot of it full of vitriol and bile, driven at times by digital mobilization, and decentralized support. That energy may not have secured a victory, but it disrupted expectations.
Social media influencers are already being recruited. Political analysts are building portfolios. And aspiring candidates are testing the waters, dropping breadcrumbs to signal interest. The digital era has amplified every political move. A local meeting can become a national headline. A policy memo can trend on Twitter. Visibility has never been easier, and the temptation to stay in the conversation is irresistible for most politicians.
Reforms have kept politics front and center. With the outcomes initially hard biting for ordinary citizens, every act of governance is judged harshly. That constant scrutiny keeps the election cycle alive. People want to know who is responsible, who can fix it, and who should never be allowed near power again. The immediate benefits are rendered as non-events, despite evidence to the contrary.
For regular Nigerians, a never-ending election cycle can be both exhausting and dangerous. It creates a climate of constant conflict. It fuels division. It replaces national priorities with political games. People begin to see fellow citizens not as allies in nation-building, but as enemies on the other side of the political divide.
There is a time for politics and a time for service. The danger of this extended political season is that it blurs that line beyond recognition. Citizens must resist the urge to become pawns in political games. We must demand governance in the now, not promises of later. Nigeria needs reforms, infrastructure, safety, and stability. Those things cannot wait until 2027. And those who knock such efforts in the name of playing opposition can’t possibly mean well.
The actual whistle for the 2027 elections is still far away. INEC has not released timelines. Primaries are not yet on the horizon. But the race is already at full speed.
This long-running election has benefits. It gives time to test ideas, to build movements, and to vet candidates. But it also has risks; the risk of fatigue, distraction, and the risk of losing sight of the present. We must remember that Nigeria is not just a prize to be won every four years. It is a country to be built every day. And whatever happens, we must advance its progress against every attempt to distract from the important work of setting it up for development.
This piece appears in the THISDAY Newspaper of 8 August 2025
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