Politics
Group Tasks Politicians On Electoral Promises
The Muslim Media Practitioners of Nigeria (MMPN), Abuja Chapter, has advised elected public office holders to always make promises they can fulfill.
This they said is in order to avoid Allah’s anger for their failure to live up to expectations.
The Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) made the call last Saturday during its 13th Annual Ramadan Lecture in Abuja.
During the lecture entitled: ‘Fulfilling Electoral Promises’, invited Islamic scholars, clerics and media practitioners laid emphasis on the importance of sincerity and fairness before and after being elected into public offices.
They condemned situations whereby vague promises are made by politicians across religious and ethnic lines without intention or efforts to fulfill them.
A former Ameer, Abuja Muslim Forum, Malam Idris Usman,who represented the Chairman, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, Secretary-General, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) said politicians should have good intentions.
“No one is elected into office, except he or she offers himself to be elected, with promises to do one thing or the other, public office holders should always remember that they are accountable in this world and in hereafter.
“The religious leaders, the media and the general public should be reminding them of the need to be accountable.
“Elected leaders should be just in all their affairs, they should be fair to all, irrespective of religion or tribe of their followers.
“That is what Allah commanded Daud (David) when he became the leader of his people,” he said.
Usman enjoined leaders to be responsible while followers should clamour for good leaders and not corrupt leaders.
Similarly, Missioner, Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, Abuja, Dr Musa Olaofe, emphasised the importance of covenant.
“The Holy Prophet, Muhammad (PBUH) said: “They who have no covenant have no faith. Whoever has faith in Allah should fulfill his promise.
“Allah told leaders to lead by example, by doing what they expect their followers to do and not doing the contrary,” he said.
Olaofe urged both followers and leaders to have the fear of Allah in their relationship with one another, saying that is a veritable recipe for a developed and peaceful society.
Also, Managing Director, Daily Times Nigeria Ltd, Mr Aliu Akoshile, also urged both leaders and the led to be mindful of the kind of society they desired.
“What we do at various levels affect what happen at national level. If we are not sincere at home, we cannot task those at national level on sincerity.
“There is triangle of conspiracy and the Media is part of the conspiracy.
“If the scholars, media and the general public fail to say the truth to those in position of power, the society will not be better.
“Various organisations, including the media that are giving awards to public office holders who perform below expectation encourage them to continue to misbehave.
“Therefore, the Media should reposition own responsibility to make elected officers work effectively,” he said.
However, outgoing Chairman, MMPN, Abuja Chapter and the new National President of the association, Abdulrahman Balogun, urged political office holders to be truthful in their dealings with the people.
“As Muslims, truth must be said at all times. We are using this edition of the lecture to remind elected office holders to remember their electoral promises.
“Failure to do so will attract the wrath of Allah on them, it is very important to always be conscious of that.
“Also, media practitioners are enjoined to avoid tokenism (collecting token) from public office holders which prevent them from factual reportage of their performances,” he said.
Alhaji Abubakar, who is also the 2027 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), stressed that Chief Obasanjo’s latest public outburst against him is yet another failed attempt to rewrite history.
Alhaji Abubakar specifically said that if the true history of Chief Obasanjo’s political journey is ever written—free from selective recollection and personal bitterness, he (Atiku) would feature prominently as one of those whom God used to change the course of his (Obasanjo) life and political career.
These were contained in a statement the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication to the former Vice President, Mr Phrank Shaibu, released in which Atiku said he watched the former President’s interview with profound sadness, but not anger, because it reflected the disposition of a man who has allowed personal resentment to cloud historical truth.
Alhaji Abubakar said the genesis of Chief Obasanjo’s hostility towards him is well known to Nigerians, stressing that he is proud that he stood against the third-term agenda and stood by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
In the words of Alhaji Abubakar: “I have no apology whatsoever for frustrating every attempt to subvert our democracy for personal ambition. If Chief Obasanjo’s bitterness stems from my refusal to support an unconstitutional third term, then I wear that resentment as a badge of honour.
“No individual, regardless of his status or accomplishments, is bigger than the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Constitution is supreme, and I chose Nigeria over personal loyalty”.
Alhaji Abubakar noted that the struggle against the third-term agenda was never about two individuals, but about preserving Nigeria’s constitutional democracy for future generations.
He said: “The Nigerian people won that battle. Democracy won that battle. History has already delivered its verdict. It Is therefore unfortunate that the same man whose unconstitutional ambition was resisted now seeks to sit in judgment over those who defended the Constitution”.
The ADC Presidential candidate said it was particularly instructive that barely twenty-four hours before Chief Obasanjo’s latest outburst, the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, publicly paid glowing tribute to the economic management team he led, describing it as “the best Nigeria has ever had”.
“Whether or not the timing is merely coincidental is for Nigerians to judge. What is beyond dispute, however, is that while distinguished Nigerians who served at the highest levels continue to acknowledge my contributions to one of Nigeria’s most successful periods of economic management, Chief Obasanjo appears determined to diminish them.
“Chief Obasanjo may choose not to appreciate my role in building one of Nigeria’s most prosperous economic eras, but history has been far kinder. The record speaks for itself, and so do the testimonies of those who worked closely with that administration,” he said.
Alhaji Abubakar further stated that Nigerians also deserve to remember the other side of history which Chief Obasanjo conveniently omits, saying: “History records that while Chief Obasanjo was in prison, I stood firmly by him. I supported his family, worked tirelessly with other patriots for his release and never wavered in my belief that he deserved his freedom”.
He further said: “When he eventually regained his freedom, he had little to his name. I received him, clothed him, ensured he was properly cared for and extended every support necessary to help him regain his footing.
“Beyond that, I mobilised political structures, built alliances and made enormous personal and political sacrifices that culminated in his emergence as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
Alhaji Abubakar, however, said he harbours no regrets over any of those acts.
According to him: “Do I regret helping Chief Obasanjo? Absolutely not. When God gives you the opportunity to lift another human being, you do so without expecting repayment. Acts of kindness are matters of conscience, not commercial transactions”.
He added, however, that gratitude should never be replaced with revisionism.
Alhaji Abubakar particularly expressed disappointment that, at a time when Nigeria is battling economic hardship, mass unemployment, insecurity and widespread despair, a former President would devote so much energy to recycling old grudges instead of contributing solutions to the country’s challenges.
In the words of Atiku: “The 2027 election should be about rebuilding Nigeria, restoring security, reviving the economy and giving hope to the next generation—not reopening old political wounds”.
The former Vice President said he had deliberately maintained restraint over the years out of respect for the office Chief Obasanjo once occupied and in deference to the relationship they once shared.
He said: “That restraint should never be mistaken for weakness or docility. There comes a point when silence in the face of repeated distortions of history ceases to be a virtue. While I have no desire to engage in a public quarrel with a man I once stood beside in his most difficult moments, neither will I permit falsehoods, half-truths and calculated attempts to rewrite history to go unanswered.
“Chief Obasanjo is entitled to his opinions. He is entitled to his personal grievances. What he is not entitled to, are his own facts,” Alhaji Abubakar insisted.
The ADC presidential candidate reaffirmed that his attention remains firmly fixed on Nigeria’s future.
According to him; “I have chosen the path of service over resentment, vision over vendetta and national renewal over personal recrimination. Those who mistake my civility for capitulation, or my restraint for weakness, make a grave mistake.
“History is stubborn. It cannot be rewritten by bitterness, nor erased by repeated falsehoods. In the end, history will render its verdict—and so will the Nigerian people,” he stated.
According to the electoral umpire, campaigns for the presidential and National Assembly elections will commence on August 19, 2026, and end on January 15, 2027, exactly 24 hours before the elections scheduled for January 16, 2027.
INEC also announced that campaigns for governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will begin on September 9, 2026, and conclude on February 5, 2027, ahead of the polls slated for February 6, 2027.
The commission explained that the campaign schedule complies with the Electoral Act 2026, which stipulates that electioneering activities must not begin earlier than 150 days before an election and must end at least 24 hours before voting.
INEC urged political parties, candidates and other stakeholders to strictly adhere to the approved timetable and conduct their campaigns in accordance with the law, while encouraging the public to obtain electoral information only from its official communication channels to avoid misinformation.