By Oluwakemi Kindness
Political leaders have been urged to avoid misleading campaign promises and inflammatory communication ahead of the 2027 general elections to protect public trust and prevent electoral violence.
They made the call on Thursday in Abuja, at a symposium on Political Communication, Election Security and the Future of Nigerian Democracy, organised by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) in collaboration with The Kukah Centre, with funding from the European Union.
Founder of The Kukah Centre, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, warned politicians against making campaign promises they had no intention of fulfilling, saying political communication should give voters a credible picture of what candidates intend to achieve.
In a recorded address, Kukah urged citizens to look beyond attractive campaign messages and examine the substance of promises made by political parties and candidates.
He said democracy would suffer if political communication became a tool for propaganda rather than informed public engagement.
The Director-General ofNILDS, Professor Abubakar Sulaiman, said political communication could influence public trust, deepen divisions and affect election security.
He urged political parties, the media, electoral institutions, security agencies and citizens to promote credible information and peaceful political engagement.
Human rights activist Aisha Yesufu urged citizens to speak out when public institutions fail to uphold the law. She also called on security agencies to remain impartial and serve Nigerians rather than political interests, stressing that citizens must demand free, fair and credible elections.
Meanwhile, Senator Hussini Uba, who declared the symposium open, urged political leaders to exercise restraint in their public statements, warning that careless remarks could damage Nigeria’s international image and undermine political stability.
Chairman of the symposium and former Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, said credible elections depended not only on sound electoral laws and effective administration but also on public trust and responsible conduct by political stakeholders.
Jega warned that misinformation, hate speech and inflammatory content could weaken confidence in the electoral process. He called for stronger coordination among political parties, security agencies, the media and civil society organisations to develop practical measures for addressing election-related challenges ahead of 2027.
Edited by Julian Osamoto
