Nigeria, Nov. 3 -- Nigeria's political parties can tell us who will coordinate their campaigns, mobilise their supporters and deliver their strongholds. They owe us comparable clarity on who will deliver safer communities, functioning hospitals, and an economy where work pays. As preparations for the 2027 elections gather momentum, the machinery for winning power is becoming visible. The case for exercising it deserves much closer examination.

Campaign, no campaign. That is the paradox of an election season in which political activity can outpace public understanding. There are appointments to announce, alliances to celebrate and opponents to attack. But after the speeches, a voter should be able to explain what separates the competing p...