Nigeria, Dec. 20 -- There are moments in a democracy when words carry more weight than actions. Vice President Kashim Shettima's recent remarks, branding any challenge to President Bola Tinubu in 2027 as "suicidal," belong firmly in that category. They may have been intended as chest-thumping confidence, but they echo far beyond partisan cheerleading. In a fragile democracy like Nigeria's, such language is not just careless; it is consequential.

Democracy thrives on contestation. It is a marketplace of ideas, not a coronation hall. When a sitting vice president, the second-highest officer of the land, suggests that challenging the incumbent is an act of folly bordering on self-destruction, it sends a chilling message. It subtly redraws t...