In the days leading up to October 12, a noticeable change came over the local markets, people described it as eve to December buying.
Etoudi market was a perfect example for the shopping. The market was very busy and full of people. Parents were not buying just a little food, they were filling their bags with many things like rice, palm oil and other stuff that could last for many days. The reason behind this was nothing else than the Election Day, it should not come and surprise us like 2018 presidential election where markets, placers where shoot down for weeks that is Mavis who says she was buying extra because a person must be ready for anything.
She do not know what would happen after the voting. For many parents, the tension surrounding the upcoming presidential election has become a heavy burden, adding to their usual daily worries. This anxiety is not new just a few weeks back in September, as families faced the expensive back-to-school season, the conversation was already filled with concern.
Parents complained about the difficult task of planning for their children’s school needs while also trying to prepare for what might happen in this unpredictable election era (lockdown). They found themselves caught between the immediate costs of school fees and uniforms and a growing fear about what the political future might hold for their families, creating a constant sense of uncertainty that has lasted for months.
Now, parents have moved from one predicament to another. Just a few weeks ago, their main worry was finding money for school fees and uniforms during that difficult back-to-school season. Today, the local market is full of those same parents, but their focus has changed completely. They are now busy buying extra bags of rice, canned milk, and beans, not just for regular meals, but to prepare their households.
Many are acting with a clear memory, getting ready for the kind of uncertainty and trouble that happened during the 2018 elections. The fear of those past events is now driving their actions, as they work to ensure their families are safe and have enough to eat no matter what follows the election.
