The Emilokan(it's My Turn) Narrative and the Politics of Democratic-Washing in Nigeria’s 2023 Election

Democratic-washing is a phenomenon in which democratic institutions, language, and rituals are used to legitimize political authority while eroding fundamental democratic values. It has increased in importance as a lens for understanding Nigeria's democratic governance. The Emilokan slogan became a potent emblem of entitlement politics at the heart of the 2023 Nigerian election campaign narrative, indicating how democratic rhetoric can be employed to conceal elite domination. The Emilokan slogan was largely viewed as an affirmation of predetermined power rotation and political inevitability rather than expressing democratic choice. At the center of the campaign narrative, the Emilokan slogan became a powerful symbol of entitlement politics, highlighting how democratic language can be manipulated to mask elite dominance. Rather than reflecting democratic choice, the slogan was widely interpreted as an assertion of pre-arranged power rotation and political inevitability. This rhetorical tactic exemplifies democratic-washing in Nigeria's evolving political landscape, conveying the impression of democratic legitimacy while upholding patrimonial expectations. Against this background, the paper analyzes the political rhetoric around the 2023 Nigerian general elections and the word "Emilokan" ("It is my turn") as an example of democratic-washing. Situating the 2023 election in the context of elite consensus politics, political personalization, and electoral manipulation in Nigeria, this paper examines how campaign narratives, electoral procedures, and institutional behavior collectively contribute to democratic erosion in Nigeria. It examines how the "Emilokan" slogan affects elite negotiations, voter perception, and the construction of democratic legitimacy. It discusses contentions and debates surrounding the 2023 election, including BVAS (Bimodal Voting Accreditation System) breakdowns, transmission issues, voting intimidation in key states, and ethnicized voter messaging, which further exacerbate these dynamics. In addition to undermining the voting process, these problems highlighted how democratic rituals can be preserved in form while the core principles of democracy—fairness, inclusion, and transparency—are compromised. This paper adopts a qualitative political communication and discourse analysis method, incorporating. As well as content analysis, such as reviewing speeches, campaign messages, media interviews, and political advertisements featuring the Emilokan narrative, examination of INEC’s official statements, and documentary analysis (Analysis of election observer reports (local and international). The paper argues that the 2023 election, through the ‘Emilokan’ slogan, encapsulated a form of democratic entitlement, signalling that leadership was predetermined by elite arrangements rather than popular mandate. In this regard, the Emilokan slogan and other campaign rhetoric served to normalize elite arrangements and project legitimacy, concealing structural defects and strengthening the democratic-washing mechanisms in Nigerian electoral politics. The election reflects how democratic-washing operates: projecting democratic legitimacy while masking systemic defects. The 2023 election serves as a crucial lens for democratic language, institutions, and rituals to legitimize political authority while simultaneously undermining the substantive principles of democracy, such as fairness, inclusion, accountability, and equality of participation, despite being presented as an example of democratic maturity