Wolves In Kaduna’s Democratic Pasture

In nature, wolves are cunning predators, often striking when their prey least expects it. They use the cover of night, the dense underbrush, and the silence between attacks to gradually wear down their target. This past weekend’s local government election in Kaduna State resembled the strategy of these predators: an orchestrated attack on democracy that crept through our political system with deceptive quiet and calculated aggression. While voters waited in the open, prepared to exercise their civic duty, wolves in positions of power worked from the shadows to sabotage the process.

Saturday’s election, intended to be a moment of democratic expression, instead became a disturbing display of how the powerful can manipulate the system for their own gain. From the delayed arrival of voting materials to the absenteeism of officials in many wards, the entire process was designed to frustrate the electorate. Reports of missing ballots, polling stations devoid of officials, and results announced before votes were even counted are proof that the election was not just mismanaged—it was hijacked. Like a pack of wolves closing in on vulnerable prey, those in power were never interested in a fair contest. They came only to devour the last remnants of democratic integrity, leaving the people of Kaduna disillusioned and disenfranchised.

The Slow Hunt: Systemic Sabotage

At first glance, the issues surrounding Saturday’s election could be dismissed as mere logistical failures. Election materials arriving late? Perhaps an issue of transportation. Polling officials missing in action? Maybe a failure of coordination. But these are not new problems, and they no longer deserve the benefit of the doubt. What we witnessed was not a series of unfortunate mistakes but a deliberate strategy to undermine the democratic process. Like wolves slowly stalking their prey, those in power have honed their tactics over time, refining their ability to exploit the weaknesses of the system.

The signs were there from the very beginning. As I waited at my polling unit for over three hours with no sight of election officials, it became clear that something was amiss. Word spread that in some wards, voting materials had not arrived by the late afternoon. Elsewhere, the election had been reduced to a rushed affair, with voters barely given time to cast their ballots before the process was abruptly shut down. In other areas, no voting occurred at all. And then, the most egregious of all: in places where voting allegedly took place, results were announced before the ballots had even been properly counted.

This was not just carelessness or inefficiency. This was sabotage, plain and simple. Like wolves hunting in packs, the actors behind this sham of an election worked together, exploiting every weakness in the system to ensure that the outcome was predetermined. Their prey? The democratic will of the people. Their method? Systemic sabotage, executed with precision and malice.

The Wolves of History: Political Predation

Political predation is not new. History is replete with examples of how those in power use deception, coercion, and force to maintain their grip. In his seminal work The Prince, Niccolò Machiavelli famously argued that rulers must be both “a lion and a fox”—fierce when necessary, cunning when it suits their purpose. What Machiavelli understood, and what Saturday’s election proves, is that power is not always maintained through brute force. Sometimes it is the quiet, calculated actions of the cunning that cause the most damage.

Saturday’s election was not violent. No riots broke out, no gunfire was heard in the streets. But the wolves were at work, exploiting the system in ways that are just as dangerous as outright violence. They manipulated logistics, delayed voting, withheld essential materials, and then declared victory while the process was still underway. In doing so, they ensured that the democratic process—the very foundation of governance—was undermined.

History also teaches us that this kind of predation does not end with a single election. Once those in power learn they can manipulate the system without consequence, they continue to do so, growing bolder with each success. The wolves of Kaduna are not just feeding on this one election; they are probably laying the groundwork for future hunts, for future elections where the voice of the people will be further marginalized.

Breaking the Silence: The Responsibility of the Prey

While the wolves may be skilled in their predatory tactics, it is often the silence of the prey that allows them to succeed. This brings to mind the Abilene Paradox, a phenomenon in which a group of people collectively decide on a course of action that goes against the desires of every individual within the group. People remain silent, assuming that others are in agreement with the flawed decision, and so, the group as a whole move forward in the wrong direction. In Kaduna, this paradox is playing out on a grand scale.

Voters, despite knowing the election was rigged, participated in the process, thinking they were powerless to stop it. Election officials, aware of the manipulation, continued with their duties, too afraid or too indifferent to speak out. And the people of Kaduna, in the days following the election, have largely remained silent, as though resigned to the idea that nothing will change. But this collective silence is not neutral; it is complicit. By failing to speak up, by allowing the wolves to continue their predation unchecked, the people of Kaduna are enabling the very system that oppresses them.

Breaking the silence is not easy. It requires courage, collective action, and a willingness to face the wolves head-on. But it is the only way to stop the slow decay of democracy. History teaches us that when the people remain silent, the predators only grow stronger. It is time for the people of Kaduna, and Nigeria as a whole, to reject the Abilene Paradox, to rise up and demand accountability from those in power.

The chairperson of the Kaduna State Independent Electoral Commission (KADSIECOM), the very individual tasked with safeguarding the election, must be held responsible for the fiasco that took place. Her actions, or inaction, allowed the wolves to feast on democracy. She must step down, and the entire process must be subjected to scrutiny. Furthermore, the people must refuse to accept the fraudulent results of this election. The so-called winners who now claim their positions through deceit do not deserve the legitimacy of office, and they should be rejected by all who value democratic governance.

A Fight for the Future: Fending Off the Wolves

The wolves have made their move, but the fight for Kaduna’s democracy is far from over. If history teaches us anything, it is that political predators can be stopped when the people unite in resistance.

But this fight requires vigilance. The people of Kaduna must not allow the wolves to hide behind their positions of power. They must demand reform, not just in the electoral system but in the entire structure of governance that allows such predation to occur. It is time to rebuild the fences of democracy, to strengthen the institutions that have been weakened by years of manipulation and neglect.

The wolves are here. It is time to fend them off.