2027 Elections: NACAT Seeks Issue-Based Campaigns from Tinubu, Atiku, Obi

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The three leading presidential candidates in the 2027 general elections have been asked to immediately stop personal attacks and focus on issue-based campaigns so as to de-escalate tensions in the ecosystem.

The Network Against Corruption and Trafficking (NACAT), in a statement on Monday, expressed concern over the rising trend of personal vilification, mudslinging, and character assassination dominating the political campaigns of the leading presidential candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.

President Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is seeking a second term in office, while former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Africa Democratic Congress (ADC) and Mr Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) want to dislodge him to occupy the top seat at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

In the statement made available to Business Post, NACAT said rallies and media channels have degenerated into arenas for throwing tantrums, trade-offs of insults, and trivialities.

It stated that at a time when citizens are desperately seeking realistic roadmaps out of hardship, the leading political actors cannot afford to substitute governance solutions with toxic political theatre.

“Nigerians deserve a campaign driven by substance, intellect, and clear blueprints. We demand that all candidates immediately shift their focus toward addressing the critical structural deficits pulling the nation downward,” the group stated.

It tasked the candidates to prove their worth through the soundness of their policies, not the volume of propaganda, stressing that the leading contenders ground their campaigns in measurable, realistic strategies to tackle the critical national challenges, which include systemic corruption, oil theft, budget padding, and lack of transparency in public procurement, which continue to bleed the nation’s treasury, leaving critical sectors underfunded.

NACAT also charged the candidates to detail their strategies for strengthening anti-graft agencies (EFCC, ICPC) and ensuring their absolute independence from political interference.

“They must outline explicit plans to deploy technology in tracking public expenditure, eliminate ghost workers, and systematically block loopholes in revenue-generating agencies like the NNPCL and FIRS,” it stated.

The organisation further said the candidates must tell the citizens how they intend to address the rising inflation and national debt profile, which has eroded the purchasing power of the average Nigerian, pushing millions below the poverty line.

It also advised them to give details of how they intend to address widespread insecurity, ranging from banditry and kidnapping to insurgency and food-supply disruption, which continue to threaten national stability and economic growth.

It urged the Nigerian public, media houses, and civil society groups to reject the distractions of political tantrums, promising to continue to monitor the space and expose any candidate who attempts to subvert the 2027 discourse with distractions and political gimmickry.