What US politics can learn from African election experiences

Elections dont always bring peace and joy to nations. Back in 07‚ Olusegun Obasanjo from Nigeria made it clear: these events are life-or-death situations

The real test comes when someone loses — their reaction can make-or-break a countryʼs stability. Recent history shows this isnt just an African issue: the Jan-6 attack on US Capitol proves that any nation can face such problems

In Ethiopia‚ the 2020-21 elections became a turning-point for instability. Prime Minister Ahmedʼs government got blamed for using state-power against rivals in key areas (including Tigray and Oromia regions). Unknown killers targeted some opposition members; making things worse

The Ethiopian case shows how ethnic-based politics can mess things up. Four main groups compete for power:

• Oromo people
• Amhara group
• Somali community
• Tigrayan population

When covid hit and elections got delayed‚ everything fell apart — leading to the regions biggest war in recent times. On the flip-side‚ Gambia found a better way: they made all candidates sign a no-violence agreement before their 21 election

Nigeriaʼs latest vote (with only 27% of people showing up) tells us something important: when people dont trust the system‚ they stay home. Local groups can help fix this — they build trust between voters and officials‚ even when big-shot politicians try to cause trouble

The fix isnt simple but its clear: political systems need to protect everyone‚ not just winners. Countries should solve basic problems first‚ then use elections for smaller stuff like taxes or immigration. Smart rules and power-sharing help keep peace; winner-takes-all setups dont work