Digital civic engagement is a growing practice in Nigeria and one of the ways young people get involved is through active online participation in political issues in the country. This study investigates how participants in online political discussions and political actors deploy metaphors to express their cognitive understanding of political issues in the country. Data were drawn from the political section of Nairaland Forum and analysed using the Conceptual Metaphor Theory. Findings revealed conceptual mappings of NATIONHOOD AS A JOURNEY, NATION AS A SHIP and NATION AS A VEHICLE. In addition, zoomorphic metaphors that conceptualize NIGERIA AS A ZOO were also amplified to reinforce an existing idea. Also the corn metaphor is depicted to satirize the president and his followers. Metaphorisation was engaged as a cognitive tool for expressing dissatisfaction with governance, conceptualising the nation as a failed state and demeaning others perceived to differ in their opinions. The study concluded that metaphor has become a conceptual tool for strengthening argumentation, constructing others and evaluating governance in online political discussions.