As Nigeria prepares for the next presidential election scheduled for February 25th, 2023, there has been an assortment of predictive prophecies surrounding the election’s outcome. While it is normal for people to make predictions about such results, it is essential to approach these predictions cautiously, especially when they are specific and can potentially influence the electoral process.

In random order, the three leading contestants for the Nigerian presidential election are Peter Obi, Bola Tinubu, and Atiku Abubakar. There are varieties of predictions about who will win the election. Some prophecies suggest that Peter Obi, the former governor of Anambra State, will win the election. In contrast, others predict that Bola Tinubu, the former governor of Lagos State, will be the next president. There have also been predictions that Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president, will emerge as the presidential election winner.

One of the significant variations in these predictive prophecies is the level of specificity provided. Some predictions have been specific, stating the exact margin and geo-distribution of victory for a particular candidate. Some others have been more general, saying that a specific candidate will win without providing further details about how they will win or what events will transpire during the election. Some predictions have wavered significantly in a very confusing manner in the last two years, with the same prophet throwing up different shades almost weekly.

Another variation is the credibility of the sources of these prophecies. Some prophecies come from well-known religious leaders or respected political analysts, while others come from unknown individuals or groups with no established track record of accurate predictions.

Regardless of the variants in these predictive prophecies, it would be wise to approach them with restraint. Predictive prophecies can sway public opinion and produce a self-fulfilling prophecy, especially when influential religious leaders make them. People may act on these prophecies, believing based on the words of a particular pundit that a specific candidate will win, leading to a sense of certainty that can affect the election’s outcome.

Predictive prophecies can also create a false sense of assurance or anguish, depending on the prediction’s outcome. Prophecies that predict a particular candidate’s victory can lead supporters to become complacent, believing their candidate will win regardless of what they do. However, if a prophecy predicts a candidate’s defeat, their supporters may lose hope and hesitate to vote, believing their candidate will not win. Some of these prophecies can even prepare the ground for chaos with the supposition that the process rigged out a predicted winner.

While it is understandable that every preacher with a prominent platform has gone prophetic, particularly about the direction of the upcoming presidential election, it is essential to approach these predictions cautiously. Predictive prophecies can be influential and create a false sense of inevitability or hopelessness, negatively affecting the electoral process. Instead of looking around for pundits to suggest who you should vote for or expect to win prophetically, it is better to participate actively in the electoral process by knowing as much as possible about the candidates and making informed, unbiased decisions based on apparent issues or personal conviction or leading. Such an approach can ensure that the coming election is transparent and truly democratic and that the people elect the best candidate as Nigeria’s next president.