Prof Bolaji Omitola
- urges presidential, National Assembly candidates to focus on issues, unite Nigerians
By John Dike, Osogbo
As political activities and campaigns ahead of the 2027 general elections gradually gather momentum, a political scientist at Osun State University (UNIOSUN), Prof. Bolaji Omitola, has urged presidential and National Assembly candidates to make issue-based campaigns, national unity and improvement in the living conditions of Nigerians the central focus of their campaigns.
Omitola who also is the Director, Global Affairs and Sustainable Development Institute, (GASDI), Osun State University, Osogbo.cautioned politicians against turning campaign rallies into platforms for abusive language, hate speech, personal attacks and inflammatory rhetoric, stressing that the country needs political campaigns capable of bringing Nigerians together rather than deepening existing divisions.
He also advised political candidates to desist from making promises they have no intention or capacity to fulfil, saying that politicians seeking the votes of Nigerians should be prepared to clearly explain what they intend to do differently if elected into office.
He spoke with our correspondent in an interview against the backdrop of the gradual commencement of political activities towards the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections, with political parties and aspirants expected to intensify their mobilisation, consultations and campaigns as the electoral calendar unfolds.
According to him, elections should not merely be about politicians criticising their opponents, dancing at campaign rallies or making attractive promises to the electorate, but should provide an opportunity for candidates to present concrete programmes capable of addressing the challenges confronting the country.
Omitola stressed that candidates should tell Nigerians what they genuinely have in stock to improve their lives, rather than relying solely on attacks against opponents.
He said political campaigns should provide voters with adequate information about the competence, policies, programmes and vision of the candidates seeking their support.
The university don said, “They should tell us what they want to do, not just criticism only.”
He argued that while criticism remains an important component of democratic politics, it should not become the entire substance of a campaign, particularly when such criticism is not accompanied by practical alternatives.
According to him, Nigerians deserve to hear from candidates about how they intend to address the country’s economic, security, educational, healthcare, employment and infrastructure challenges.
He said political parties and candidates should use campaign periods to engage citizens on the major problems confronting their communities and the nation, while explaining how their proposed policies would bring about meaningful improvements.
The don further warned politicians against reducing election campaigns to entertainment, saying candidates should go beyond dancing, slogans and grandstanding at rallies to engage the electorate on issues that directly affect their daily lives.
He said, “They should not just be dancing at campaign rallies. Stop the use of abusive, foul languages and hate speech, among others.”
Omitola maintained that the language used by politicians during campaigns could have significant consequences for the political environment, particularly in a country as diverse as Nigeria.
He therefore urged political leaders to exercise restraint in their public statements and avoid remarks capable of provoking hatred, violence or hostility among supporters of different political parties.
He stressed that political competition should not translate into enmity, noting that politicians contesting elections should understand that they remain stakeholders in the same country regardless of their political affiliations.
The political scientist also warned political actors against encouraging violence in any form during electioneering, saying no political ambition should be allowed to take precedence over the safety and wellbeing of Nigerians.
He said, “They should not encourage violence in any way.”
According to him, political parties, candidates and their supporters have a responsibility to ensure that campaigns are conducted peacefully and within the bounds of the law.
He called on party leaders to caution their supporters against provocative actions and statements capable of escalating political tensions.
Omitola’s position comes amid concerns over the nature of political campaigns in Nigeria, where electioneering has often been characterised by personal attacks, name-calling, allegations, counter-allegations and inflammatory statements rather than detailed debates on policies and programmes.
He argued that Nigeria’s democratic development would benefit greatly if political parties and candidates shifted attention from personalities to policies and from insults to ideas.
The don said voters should be given the opportunity to compare candidates based on their records, competence, experience, policy proposals and capacity to deliver on their promises.
He noted that political campaigns should be regarded as an important period for citizens to interrogate candidates and demand explanations about how they intend to govern if elected.
Rather than accepting campaign promises at face value, Omitola urged the electorate to ask questions and demand specific commitments from politicians.
He advised voters to examine candidates critically before casting their ballots, stressing that the power to determine who occupies elective positions ultimately belongs to the electorate.
He said voters should not allow themselves to be influenced primarily by money, gifts or other material inducements offered by politicians during elections.
According to him, the electorate should vote according to their conscience, merit and the credibility of the candidates rather than voting because of immediate financial gains.
He said, “The electorate should vote according to their conscience, merit, and credible candidates. They should not vote on the basis of pecuniary gains.”
The don explained that accepting money from politicians should not prevent voters from examining whether such candidates possess the competence and integrity required to represent them.
He urged Nigerians to look beyond temporary financial benefits and consider the long-term consequences of their choices at the polling units.
According to him, voters should ask themselves what a candidate would contribute to their communities, states and the country if given the opportunity to serve.
He further encouraged citizens to demand accountability from politicians before, during and after elections.
Omitola suggested that communities should take the initiative by organising town hall meetings, village meetings and other public engagements where candidates can directly interact with voters.
Such platforms, he said, would provide opportunities for candidates to explain their manifestos while members of the public ask questions about their plans for governance.
He said community-based engagements would also make it more difficult for politicians to rely solely on campaign slogans without providing details about how their proposed policies would be implemented.
He encouraged communities to invite candidates from different political parties to the same platforms so that voters could listen to their respective programmes and make informed comparisons.
According to him, such engagements would strengthen democratic participation and make political campaigns more meaningful.
He said voters should not wait until election day before beginning to scrutinise candidates, urging them to start asking questions as soon as political campaigns begin.
The don stressed that democracy should be about the people and their welfare, noting that elected representatives are expected to serve the interests of the citizens who gave them their mandate.
He therefore urged Nigerians to demand clear answers from candidates on issues affecting their everyday lives.
These, according to him, include employment opportunities, education, healthcare delivery, insecurity, infrastructure, economic development, food security, poverty reduction and other challenges confronting citizens.
He maintained that candidates should explain not only what they intend to do but also how they intend to achieve their objectives.
Omitola said this would enable voters to distinguish between realistic political programmes and empty campaign promises.
He also advised political parties to strengthen internal democratic processes and encourage candidates to engage in meaningful debates.
According to him, political parties should provide platforms where candidates can articulate their visions and allow Nigerians to assess their capacity before making electoral choices.
He argued that political campaigns should be treated as a serious component of democratic governance rather than merely a period of mobilisation and entertainment.
The don further stressed the importance of national unity, saying politicians should avoid statements that exploit ethnic, religious, regional or other social differences for electoral advantage.
He urged candidates to recognise that Nigeria’s diversity should be treated as a strength rather than a weapon for political mobilisation.
According to him, candidates seeking national offices, particularly the presidency and National Assembly seats, should present themselves as leaders capable of representing Nigerians across different regions and backgrounds.
He said their campaigns should therefore contain messages of inclusion, peaceful coexistence and collective development.
Omitola warned that politicians who deliberately deploy abusive language or hate speech during campaigns could create tensions that might persist beyond the election period.
He therefore urged political leaders to be mindful of the consequences of their utterances and to remember that their supporters often take cues from their statements.
The don also called on political actors to reject every attempt to use political differences as justification for violence.
He said political disagreements were normal in a democracy, but such disagreements should be resolved through dialogue, debate and lawful democratic processes.
He noted that politicians could disagree strongly over policies without resorting to insults, threats or physical confrontation.
According to him, the maturity of Nigeria’s democracy would increasingly be measured by the ability of political actors to disagree without destroying relationships or threatening national peace.
The political scientist also urged the electorate to take greater responsibility for the quality of political leadership in the country.
He argued that citizens should not merely complain about poor governance after elections but should actively participate in the process of selecting candidates.
He said voters have the right to interrogate candidates, demand accountability and reject individuals they consider unsuitable for public office.
He encouraged voters to examine the track records of candidates and political parties before making their choices.
According to him, voters should ask candidates about their previous achievements, their policy priorities and how their proposed programmes would be funded and implemented.
He also urged the electorate to pay attention to the character and integrity of candidates, rather than being swayed solely by popularity or political affiliation.
The professor maintained that the responsibility for improving the quality of democratic governance rests not only with politicians but also with citizens.
He said Nigerians must become more politically conscious and resist attempts to manipulate them through money, empty promises, propaganda and inflammatory rhetoric.
Omitola further encouraged young Nigerians to participate actively in political processes and demand better standards from political leaders.
He said the younger generation should not see politics merely as an avenue for obtaining immediate financial benefits but as a means of shaping the future of the country.
As the 2027 elections approach, he urged political parties, candidates, civil society organisations, traditional institutions, religious leaders, the media and other stakeholders to promote issue-based campaigns.
He said the media, in particular, has an important role to play in ensuring that political candidates are given opportunities to explain their programmes while also being subjected to critical questioning.
He called for more debates, interviews, town hall meetings and public forums where candidates could be confronted with questions from ordinary Nigerians.
According to him, such engagements would make elections more competitive on the basis of ideas, competence and credibility.
He added that political candidates should see campaign periods as an opportunity to convince voters through their programmes rather than through insults directed at their opponents.
Omitola’s appeal is coming at a time when Nigerians are increasingly demanding greater accountability from elected officials and clearer explanations of how political promises will translate into tangible improvements in their lives.
For many voters, the quality of campaign conversations will be crucial in determining whether the 2027 elections produce a contest based on policies and competence or one dominated by personality attacks and political rhetoric.
The don therefore urged Nigerians to pay close attention to the messages coming from political parties and candidates and to demand more from those seeking their votes.
He said the electorate should not be afraid to ask difficult questions and should not allow politicians to evade accountability by resorting to personal attacks against their opponents.
Ultimately, Omitola stressed that the success of Nigeria’s democracy depends on the quality of choices made by the electorate and the willingness of political actors to place national interest above personal ambition.
He urged candidates seeking the presidency and seats in the National Assembly to remember that electoral victory is not an end in itself but a mandate to serve the people.
He said politicians should therefore enter the 2027 election season with a clear understanding that Nigerians are looking for leaders who can provide solutions to their challenges, protect the unity of the country and deliver meaningful democratic dividends.
As the campaign season unfolds, the professor’s message is that Nigerians should hear less of insults and inflammatory rhetoric and more of concrete plans, policies and practical solutions.
For the electorate, he advised them to listen carefully, ask questions, examine the records of candidates and ultimately vote according to their conscience, the merit of the candidates and the credibility of the choices before them.
He said such an approach would contribute to building a more mature political culture and a democracy that truly reflects the principle of government of the people, by the people and for the people.
Omitola Politics Uniosun: I don’t have any fear about the credibility of the electoral umpire, and it does not have to do with the success of the Osun election but the institutionalisation of the operations of the body over time.
He urged inec to improve on Security and logistics during election
