Kogi East stands at a strange intersection of faith, fear, and politics. I mean a place where elections increasingly resemble gospel acclamations rather than democratic contests. In recent years, a new political culture has emerged in the region, one in which candidates are not elected by competitive ballots but “anointed,” “declared,” and “acclaimed” by selected power blocs from the lugard house. It is a phenomenon that mirrors religious worship, where the congregation simply responds “Amen” to whatever the altar announces.
What is unfolding in Kogi East is not merely a shift in political strategy; it is a re-definition of democratic participation. Leaders are being presented to the people like gospel messages—already packaged, already endorsed, already approved—leaving citizens with little room to question, debate, or reject. Instead of campaigns filled with ideas, there are proclamations. Instead of voters choosing leaders, communities are instructed to applaud them. Political acclamation has become the new creed.
But behind the applause lies a dangerous trend: shrinking political competition. Democracy thrives on contestation, debate, and accountability. Acclamation deprives the people of the one thing democracy guarantees—choice. When candidates emerge through closed-room decrees or elite consensus, the electorate is reduced to spectators rather than participants in their own destiny.
Comparatively, in the United States and other mature democracies, political acclamation is rare and often symbolic. Even when a candidate runs unopposed, the electoral process still plays out formally, ensuring citizens cast a vote. No leader is declared without a process. In Kogi East, however, acclamation is becoming the process itself—an informal ritual replacing formal elections.
Supporters argue that acclamation prevents conflict and unites the community around a single candidate. They claim that democracy is not always about contest but about consensus. Yet such thinking carries a hidden cost. Consensus without choice is not unity but silence. Peace without participation is not democracy but surrender.
Kogi East is at a critical point. If political acclamation continues unchallenged, it will normalize a culture in which leaders do not emerge from the people but are imposed upon them. A generation of young voters may grow up believing that democracy is a ceremony rather than a system. And once the electorate loses its voice, reclaiming it becomes the most difficult battle.
The region must confront a hard truth: a democracy without competition slowly becomes a democracy without accountability. Political gospel may sound sweet, but it cannot replace political responsibility. The future of Kogi East depends not on acclamations but on participation—on citizens insisting that leadership must be earned, not simply declared from the political altar.
If Kogi East is to strengthen its democratic foundation, it must return to the basics: free choice, open competition, and the courage to say “no” when the political stage expects only “Amen.”
– Inah Boniface Ocholi writes from Ayah – Igalamela/Odolu LGA, Kogi state.
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