Election: Why some campaign promises are not kept

Former governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, has explained why political campaign promises are difficult to keep in Nigeria.

He attributed the challenge of unfulfilled political promises to unnecessary bureaucracy.

Mr. Fayemi spoke on Tuesday at NPO Reports’ one-day dialogue on campaign promises in Abuja.

“There are times when candidates really want to keep their promises but for the needs of the position,” he explained.

Citing the example of bad federal government roads that he promised to repair in Ekiti State when he was in office, Mr. Fayemi said that the central government to repair the roads itself prevented him from fulfilling his promise to repair the roads after him. has obtained a loan from the African Development Bank (ADB).

He disagreed with speakers at the event who said elected officials are not keeping track of their campaign promises.

“Keeping track of campaign promises should happen at the government and citizen level,” the former governor said.

Calling for “synergy and partnership between civil society organizations and the public”, Mr. Fayemi called on voters to follow the manifestos of political parties to ensure that they are fulfilled.

Speaking in the same vein, the former governor of Kwara State, Abdulfatah Ahmed, advised Nigerians to scrutinize the campaign promises made by office seekers in the upcoming elections.

Mr. Ahmed asked voters to check candidates for office to know if they have the ability to deliver on their promises.

In his welcome speech, Semiu Okanlawon, dialogue convener and publisher of NPO Reports, an online publication, founded in 2010, said that journalists should investigate events in society.

“Voters should take note of the promises made by political office seekers, and hold them accountable,” Mr. Okanlawon, a former assistant editor (political) of Punch newspaper, advised.

Panelists advocated legal liability for political promises not met

A panelist at the dialogue, Angela Agoawike, said it was time politicians were held legally accountable for their campaign promises.

In Nigeria and around the world, political campaign promises are unfair.

Ms Agoawike, the founder of Omalicha FM – a radio station in Owerri, Imo State, said her stance was informed by the many unfulfilled promises made by political office seekers to Nigerians.

Other panelists – Azubuike Ishiekwene, Waziri Adio and Hamza Lawal, feasted on the presentation by the guest speaker of the event, Lai Olurode.

Mr. Olurode, a professor of sociology and former INEC national commissioner, spoke on the theme: ‘2023 & Beyond: Tracking Campaign Promises for Good Governance.’

Mr. Adio, the former executive secretary of the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (Miss), noted that the collaboration between the media, CSOs and citizens “can force political office seekers to fulfill their campaign promises.”

Mr Ishiekwene, the editor-in-chief of the Leadership Newspaper, who chaired the panel session, said journalists have a role to play in the actualization of campaign promises by holding politicians accountable.

Mr. Lawal, the chief executive officer, Connected Development, called for accountability journalism at the subnational level to address the issue of unfulfilled campaign promises.

The event was attended by the Minister of Home Affairs, Rauf Aregbesola and several heads of security agencies.

Publisher of PREMIUM TIMES, Dapo Olorunyomi, was represented at the event by Bisi Abidoye, Assistant Editor of the Newspaper.