Nigeria, Feb. 26 -- In a quiet village, two friends once argued. In a flare of anger, one said, "I go show you pepper." Hours later, the other collapsed and died. Villagers rushed to assign blame, accusing the speaker of murder, witchcraft, and every imaginable wrongdoing. The words were never meant to harm, yet the statement triggered real-world consequences.

This anecdote mirrors Nigeria's political reality, where words, especially from politicians, carry far more weight than many appreciate. Just as the villager's careless threat escalated into tragedy, inflammatory political speech in Nigeria has historically sparked atmosphere of suspicion and speculation, electoral violence, ethnic tension, and national insecurity. From the 2011 t...