PARALLAX SNAPS: I Know Those Who Will Vote Against Tinubu in 2027 — Not City Boys or Village Boys

By Tony Okafor

I know those who will vote against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027. They are not defined by tribe or religion, but by daily hardship.

The loudest campaign slogan may not come from a political rally, nor from so-called city boys or village boys, but from the darkness of homes without steady power, closed factories, and parents struggling to pay school fees.

In Nigeria, electricity is about more than just light — it is about productivity, dignity, and opportunity. The trader, student, and young entrepreneur cannot survive on promises alone. Irregular and expensive electricity breeds frustration, and frustration eventually becomes political.
Insecurity — both physical and economic — is another factor. Farmers fear the journey to their farms, commuters scan highways for danger, and graduates send CVs into a silent job market.

Physical insecurity breeds fear; economic insecurity breeds resentment. Together, they fuel protest — and in a democracy, protest often takes the form of a vote.

Fuel subsidy removal was presented as reform, but it increased the cost of fuel, transportation, and food without visible relief. For civil servants, artisans, teachers, and even the so-called “big men,” survival is becoming more difficult.

Parents who cannot afford school fees will remember. Education is hope, and when that hope is fragile, so too is political loyalty.

A government is judged by kitchen-table realities, not policy explanations. Those demanding electronic transmission of election results are not merely technology enthusiasts; they are defenders of transparency. Trust in democracy grows with clear and verifiable systems.

The youth feel unheard. Entrepreneurs are suffocated by multiple taxation, and professionals are relocating. Retirees struggle with inflation. Farmers fear going to their farms, while the urban poor face rising rents. This is not prophecy; it is political sociology. Elections are referendums on lived experience. People vote with memory, pain, and hope.

If 2027 proves difficult for the President Tinubu, it will not be because of propaganda alone.

Millions will measure leadership against basic questions: Can I sleep safely? Can I work productively? Can I afford fuel? Can I afford ordinary eight-hour electricity? Can I educate my children? Can I trust the system?
The answers will shape the people’s verdict.

Democracy heals slowly, but the scars it leaves behind do not fade easily.