Nigeria, June 9 -- The freedom of choice is not treason.

Come along with me.

As another election season draws near in Nigeria, familiar emotions are beginning to rise. Some are angry. Some are anxious. Some are hopeful. Some are afraid. None of these is strange in a democratic contest, especially in a society where politics is not merely about governance but also about identity, survival, memory, disappointment, and aspiration.

However, there is a disturbing tendency that must be interrogated before it becomes normalised again.

Some people now speak as if political disagreement is betrayal. They curse those who disagree with them. They insult those who refuse to support their preferred candidates. They label others as ignorant, wicked...