-Warns against ethnic scripts
- As political parties ready their machinery for the 2027 general elections, Nigerians want concrete plans on insecurity, jobs and poverty -- not recycled ethnic or religious appeals, researchers at public policy think-tank Nextier warned on Sunday.
In a policy report, titled: "Nigeria's 2027 Campaign Agenda: What Should Politicians Tell the Electorate?, researchers Chukwuma Okoli and Ndu Nwokolo, said the issues and strategies chosen by political ewould during campaigns would impact on electoral outcome and future political elections.
"Nigerians are tired of slogans and sentiment," said Dr. Chukwuma Okoli, Visiting Lead for Research and Policy at Nextier and a lecturer in Political Science at Nnamdi Azikiwe University.
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"They want a road map: how will you reduce kidnappings next year, how many jobs will you create, and how will you stop food prices from spiralling? Voters will measure you against promises made in 2023 -- and they remember."
Dr. Ndu Nwokolo, Managing Partner at Nextier and Reader at the Institute for Peace, Security and Development Studies, said the coming campaigns present a decisive moment.
"This is not a rerun of past theatrics. The economic pain and the spread of violence mean that every campaign claim will be scrutinised. Politicians who continue to trade in identity politics are gambling with the country's future."
Nextier's policy report, "Nigeria's 2027 Campaign Agenda: What Should Politicians Tell the Electorate?", lays out the stakes: modest GDP growth has not translated into better lives, inflation remains stubbornly high, and the naira has weakened dramatically.
"Growth on paper is useless if people are choosing between fuel for their generators and food on the table," Okoli said.
The report flags sharp rises in living costs as a tangible pressure point. "Fuel went from around ₦264 per litre in March 2023 to roughly ₦1,300 by May 2026," the analysts wrote. "That kind of shock reshapes voter priorities overnight." Dr. Nwokolo added,
"Economic indicators should be a wake-up call for campaign teams. Finance-sounding rhetoric won't cut it -- voters want clear, implementable policy."
Security, the report insists, is at the top of citizens' minds. Nextier documented a worrying surge in violence: between June 2023 and May 2026 there were at least 3,656 violent incidents, 13,718 casualties and 8,729 kidnappings.
"Those numbers aren't abstractions -- they're hospitals, funerals and empty chairs at dinner tables," Okoli said. "If a candidate cannot explain how they will reduce kidnappings and dismantle criminal networks, they should not expect to be taken seriously."
Nextier's online survey found security ranked as the single most important campaign issue, named by 33 percent of respondents.
"People said, in plain language: keep my family safe," Nwokolo reported. Youth unemployment followed at 19 percent, with many respondents calling for job-centred plans.
"Young people asked for pathways to work, not handouts -- technical training, incentives for small businesses, real private-sector partnerships," Okoli said. Poverty reduction came third at 15 percent. "When voters speak about poverty, they mean everyday survival: housing, health care, and electricity," Nwokolo noted.
Beyond the top three concerns, the survey highlighted healthcare, electricity, infrastructure, fuel prices, housing, transport and gender equality as important.
"A coherent agenda must connect these issues," Okoli said. "You can't talk about jobs while ignoring power or transport. Policies need to be joined up."
Nextier warned against the lure of identity politics. "Resorting to ethnic or religious appeals is not just cynical; it's dangerous," Nwokolo said.
"When politicians stoke division, they widen the space for violence and make governance harder. Nigeria cannot afford another campaign season built on fear and grievance."
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The report called on institutions to raise the level of discourse. "INEC must enforce rules on hate speech, and the media must give space to policy debate," the analysts argued. "Civil society has to step up voter education and fact-checking, and religious leaders should refuse to turn their pulpits into campaign platforms."
Okoli concluded with a challenge to political actors: "As campaigns begin, each politician faces a choice: speak to people's lived problems or peddle old, divisive narratives. The country's next four years will be shaped by that choice. If campaigns focus on real solutions, Nigeria stands a chance to move forward. If not, we risk another cycle of missed opportunities."
Nwokolo added a final warning and an appeal: "Voters are watching. They will reward serious plans and punish empty rhetoric. Politicians who put country before calculation will find that Nigerians are ready to listen -- and to hold them to account."
