Election: Why some campaign promises are not kept - Ex-Govs Fayemi, Ahmed
A former governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, has explained why political campaign promises are hard to keep in Nigeria.
He attributed the challenges of broken political promises to unnecessary bureaucracy.
Mr. Fayemi spoke at NPO Reports' all-day dialogue on campaign pledges in Abuja on Tuesday.
“There are times when a candidate really wants to keep a promise but for the demands of the office,” he explained.
Citing an example of a deplorable federal government road which he promised to repair in Ekiti State when he was in office, Mr Fayemi said that the central government's insistence on rehabilitating its roads by itself had prevented him from fulfilling the commitment he had made to repair the road after obtaining a loan from the African Development Bank (AfDB).
He disagreed with speakers at the event who said elected officials don't follow through on campaign promises.
"The monitoring of campaign promises should be done at the level of the government and the citizens", suggested the former governor.
Calling for "synergy and partnership between civil society organizations and the public", Mr Fayemi urged the electorate to follow political party manifestos to ensure they are respected.
Speaking along the same lines, former Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed advised Nigerians to carefully consider campaign promises made by candidates for office in the upcoming elections.< /p>
Former Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed
Mr. Ahmed asked the electorate to screen candidates for office to see if they possess the ability to deliver on their promises.
In a welcoming speech, Semiu Okanlawon, dialogue organizer and publisher of NPO Reports, an online publication founded in 2010, said journalists should investigate events in society.
"The electorate must take note of the promises made by candidates for political office and hold them to account," advised Mr. Okanlawon, former deputy editor (politics) of the Punch newspapers.
Panelist argues for legal accountability for broken political promises
Dialogue panelist Angela Agoawike said it is high time politicians were held legally accountable for their campaign promises.
In Nigeria and around the world, political campaign promises are not justiciable.
Ms Agoawike, Founder of Omalicha FM – a radio station in Owerri, Imo State, said her position was informed by the many broken promises made by candidates for political office to Nigerians .
Other panelists - Azubuike Ishiekwene, Waziri Adio and Hamza Lawal, were treated to a presentation by the event's guest speaker, Lai Olurode.
Mr. Olurode, professor of sociology and former national commissioner of INEC, spoke on the theme: "2023 and beyond: monitoring campaign promises for good governance".
Mr. Adio, for...
A former governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, has explained why political campaign promises are hard to keep in Nigeria.
He attributed the challenges of broken political promises to unnecessary bureaucracy.
Mr. Fayemi spoke at NPO Reports' all-day dialogue on campaign pledges in Abuja on Tuesday.
“There are times when a candidate really wants to keep a promise but for the demands of the office,” he explained.
Citing an example of a deplorable federal government road which he promised to repair in Ekiti State when he was in office, Mr Fayemi said that the central government's insistence on rehabilitating its roads by itself had prevented him from fulfilling the commitment he had made to repair the road after obtaining a loan from the African Development Bank (AfDB).
He disagreed with speakers at the event who said elected officials don't follow through on campaign promises.
"The monitoring of campaign promises should be done at the level of the government and the citizens", suggested the former governor.
Calling for "synergy and partnership between civil society organizations and the public", Mr Fayemi urged the electorate to follow political party manifestos to ensure they are respected.
Speaking along the same lines, former Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed advised Nigerians to carefully consider campaign promises made by candidates for office in the upcoming elections.< /p>
Former Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed
Mr. Ahmed asked the electorate to screen candidates for office to see if they possess the ability to deliver on their promises.
In a welcoming speech, Semiu Okanlawon, dialogue organizer and publisher of NPO Reports, an online publication founded in 2010, said journalists should investigate events in society.
"The electorate must take note of the promises made by candidates for political office and hold them to account," advised Mr. Okanlawon, former deputy editor (politics) of the Punch newspapers.
Panelist argues for legal accountability for broken political promises
Dialogue panelist Angela Agoawike said it is high time politicians were held legally accountable for their campaign promises.
In Nigeria and around the world, political campaign promises are not justiciable.
Ms Agoawike, Founder of Omalicha FM – a radio station in Owerri, Imo State, said her position was informed by the many broken promises made by candidates for political office to Nigerians .
Other panelists - Azubuike Ishiekwene, Waziri Adio and Hamza Lawal, were treated to a presentation by the event's guest speaker, Lai Olurode.
Mr. Olurode, professor of sociology and former national commissioner of INEC, spoke on the theme: "2023 and beyond: monitoring campaign promises for good governance".
Mr. Adio, for...
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