2027 Has Officially Entered the Chat: Should We Be Excited or Tired Already?

INEC has started the 100-day countdown, a big stakeholders' meeting is happening tomorrow, and the presidential election is set for 16 January 2027. Nigeria's group chat has a new member, and it hasn't muted itself.

The campaign season is only warming up, and look at this week. A minister has promised to resign the day after the election if his side loses two places. Another minister has declared a rival "not a threat" after a long interview that was entirely about that rival. A presidential candidate went to a church service, was introduced to the congregation, met the General Overseer, and then explained that none of it was political. This is just the opening act.

So here's the big question: are we excited or tired? Let's settle it with a two-team debate.

Team Excited says: Eighteen candidates are running for president, including two women, so there's finally a choice bigger than "the one you know." The date is fixed. The countdown is public. Cost of living, jobs, and security are being discussed loudly, because nothing sharpens a politician's memory like a vote. Also, every four years, we get free entertainment.

Team Tired says: It's October and we're already hearing "prosperity." Posters are on the way. Artistes are being invited to meetings. Somebody will soon be sharing rice in our name, and our phones will soon be a battlefield of unwanted campaign messages. And with eighteen candidates, the ballot paper may need a table of contents.

Both teams also share one fear: the "technical glitch." Candidates are already warning INEC against it, which tells you how much trust is left to rebuild.

The verdict: Be both. Be excited about your vote and tired of the noise. The excitement is for the ballot box, and the tiredness is for everything that happens before you reach it.

A few survival tips for the next 100 days:

1. Check that your PVC is ready.

2. Screenshot promises. Save them.

3. Take the rice if it's offered, but vote with your mind.

4. Mute noisy WhatsApp groups, not the news.

2027 has entered the chat. Keep your data on and your expectations realistic.