Nigerian columnist criticizes election rhetoric ahead of 2027 elections
In Nigeria, columnist Festus Adedayo criticized political rhetoric ahead of the 2027 elections, calling major campaign promises a way to mislead voters. In a column for Premium Times Nigeria, he writes that the struggle for power in the country is increasingly accompanied by mutual accusations, exaggerations and personal attacks.
The author draws a parallel with a 1969 song by Yoruba sakara performer Yusuf Olatunji. In it, the musician warned listeners not to judge people by outward splendor, behind which fraudsters may hide. Adedayo applies this image to Nigeria’s modern political class and calls on voters to assess politicians by their integrity and accountability.
Fuel subsidies and political dispute
The columnist called the removal of fuel subsidies one of the main topics of political confrontation. In his view, President Bola Tinubu and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar are using the issue in their struggle for public support.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Separately, the author mentioned statements by the Washington lobbying firm Von Batten-Montague-York, which, according to him, was hired by Abubakar. The firm claimed that FBI materials allegedly link Tinubu to an organization involved in heroin smuggling in the 1980s and 1990s. This is a claim by the lobbying organization cited in the column, not an established fact.
Historical examples of political polemics
Adedayo writes that sharp political polemics have a long history in Nigeria. As an example, he cites the conflict between Western Region leader Obafemi Awolowo and Premier Samuel Ladoke Akintola in the 1960s, when the electoral struggle was accompanied by ethnic accusations and insults.
The columnist also mentions electoral contests in the former Anambra State during the Second Republic, where supporters of Jim Nwobodo and Christian Chukwuma Ono mocked opponents through wordplay. In the author’s view, politics based on unfounded promises, historical grievances and discrediting rivals pushes the public good into the background.
