Politicians deceive voters to win elections – Kukah

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, has accused politicians of making unrealistic promises during election campaigns to secure votes, rather than preparing Nigerians for the realities and challenges of governance. Kukah said politicians often deploy attractive images, grand promises and appealing narratives to sell voters a vision of a better society, only to abandon their commitments after assuming office and begin offering excuses for their inability to deliver.

He spoke on Thursday in Abuja at a public symposium organised by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) in collaboration with The Kukah Centre. To illustrate the disconnect between campaign promises and governance, Kukah narrated the story of a politician who used impressive images of tarred roads, bridges, beautiful houses and children in smart school uniforms to persuade voters during his campaign.

According to him, the politician won the election, but three years later, residents complained that none of the promised projects had been executed. When confronted, the politician reportedly told them: “You are confusing campaign with governance. What I did was purely a simple campaign. Governance is a difficult part.” Kukah said the response reflected a recurring pattern in Nigeria’s political system, where politicians make ambitious promises to win elections but resort to excuses after taking office.

He said, “And this is why we have Nigerian politicians turn around, once they have been sworn in and after telling us all the things they want to do, and say, ‘We didn’t know that the treasury was so empty.’ Then, they start giving one excuse after the other.” The bishop argued that politicians were often more interested in creating attractive campaign narratives than communicating the realities of governance.

He, however, said voters had a responsibility to interrogate political promises and assess their feasibility rather than accept campaign messages at face value. He stated, “The point I am making is that it is the business of politicians to seduce, deceive or tell us things we can’t do just to win our votes. But we are sufficiently knowledgeable, and our experience should help us to test the limits of the claims that politicians make.” Kukah urged Nigerians to develop the capacity to question politicians, scrutinise their proposals and demand accountability, stressing that citizens should not wait until elections are over before engaging the political elite.

He also called for political choices that transcend ethnic, religious and class considerations. Jega urges issue-based campaigns Earlier, former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, said the responsibility for addressing Nigeria’s electoral challenges should not rest solely on the electoral commission.

Jega urged political parties and candidates to promote issue-based campaigns and responsible political messaging, while calling on electoral and other government institutions to communicate transparently, consistently and promptly. He said, “Political parties and candidates must promote issue-based campaigns and responsible political messaging. Electoral and other government institutions must communicate transparently, consistently and promptly.

Security agencies must provide credible information while maintaining professionalism. “I encourage us to draw lessons from our previous electoral experiences, identify existing gaps and develop practical recommendations for improving political communication and safeguarding election security ahead of the 2027 elections.” Jega commended NILDS and The Kukah Centre for organising the symposium, expressing hope that its discussions would strengthen public confidence, promote peaceful political competition and contribute to a sustainable future for Nigerian democracy.