Nigeria, June 7 -- Nigeria's democracy suffers from a dangerous addiction: emotional voting.

Every election cycle, millions retreat into ethnic, religious, and regional camps to choose a president for over 200 million people. We often vote not for who can govern best, but for who "belongs to us," who speaks our language, shares our faith, or represents a historical grievance.

Then reality arrives.

Inflation does not recognise ethnicity. Bad roads do not ask for your tribe before destroying vehicles. Unemployment does not discriminate between North and South. A weak naira has no ethnic identity.

Nigeria cannot continue to vote emotionally and expect rational outcomes.

The question every election should provoke is simple: Who possesses...