In August 2019, Abubakar Idris widely known online as Dadiyata was abducted from his home in Kaduna State under mysterious circumstances. A lecturer, fierce critic of the political establishment, and digital activist, Dadiyata’s disappearance sparked national outrage and birthed the hashtag #WhereIsDadiyata, which trended for months across Nigeria.

Nigeria’s democracy is young but turbulent. Its electoral history is littered with betrayal, political fragmentation, and missed...