2027 ELECTIONS: PEACEFUL CAMPAIGNS, THE PATH TO CREDIBLE POLLS

BY MANSIR LAWAL KAWARE, 08036355591, KATSINA STATE

17TH AUGUST, 2026

The curtains to 2027 elections is gradually being drawn as political parties have completed most of the election preparations processes and now planning going into their final campaigns for the election.  The presidential hopefuls, senate and Reps, the gubernatorial candidates and members of the various houses of Assembly are now set with their party flags for in and out campaigns to showcase their worth to the electorate either for election or re-election into the categorized elective offices. This is abecause the campaign election date had already set-in. Every contestant and all the parties are interested into being treated fairly at the polling booth.  But little have they thought about the fact that what transpired at the campaign level reflects how the election results would be, because the atmosphere determines how the politicians would behave in the upcoming elections irrespective of whether they belong to the ruling party or the opposition parties.

The reason being that, violent campaigns sent both parties to think that their anticipated performance is being threatened, in the sense that such and such a party is out to grab the power by hook or crook and as such, it would also rise to the challenge.  The opposition parties would entertain fear that the ruling party at a particular state or the national level may use state apparatus to influence victory to itself while the ruling parties at national and states would be apprehensive that the opposition may use illegal means to hijack victory to themselves.  

I am from Katsina State and I must admit that this kind of problem was kick started from Katsina State in 2003 and consolidated in 2007 also from Katsina and it continues everywhere up to today.  It has now covered the nation.  Although elections maneuvers happens in different countries of the world and also take different forms, there are factors responsible for every action.  Even in Nigeria, there were complaint on election irregularities from the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th republics.  The reasons adduced to every republic slightly differ from one another.  But the current challenges of the fourth Republic can be addressed if the political actors can sit and agree among themselves to conduct their campaigns by applying simple rules of the game.

Katsina State politicians and other members of the society may particularly be eager to forward a defence challenging the statement that, the campaign problems of this Republic began from the state in 2003.  Like I said, every Republic would have its problems, but there are some peculiarities attached to it.  That of the fourth Republic is particularly married to denying access to campaign venues for opposition parties either in state capitals, the nation capital or other major towns of significant importance when it comes to political strategy. I was opportuned to know the happenings in Katsina State as at that time because I was working with Katsina State Radio.  In 2003 Katsina State Radio was a major source of information across the state because it has zonal correspondents that lived at various locations of the state, to report any happenings there, apart from the headquarters Reporters in the state capital.  As at that time, the existence of online and social media was either none or if it does, the impact was very insignificant.  Although KTTV, NTA and Companion FM that joined later were in existence, Katsina State Radio had a wider coverage and longer time of 18 hours transmission.  I am digressing a little to make this explanation, so as to give reason to those who may want to defend the statement that the problem began from Katsina even before they forward their denials.  While similar action might have happened somewhere before that of Katsina, I want to say that it couldn’t have drawn the attention of the public like how it did in Katsina because of the personality involved.  

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When Late General Muhammadu Buhari joined politics to contest the Presidential election in 2003 under APP which was later to be renamed as ANPP, he decided to visit the 34 local governments in Katsina State before making his campaign trend move into other parts of the country.  When he went to Batsari local government, the sole administrator of the local area barricaded the road and denied the General Buhari campaign team from gaining access to the local government headquarters.  Although, the team found its way through after some skirmishes, the action created the first major damage to peaceful democratic campaign.

In 2007, that action was repeated this time around in Katsina town, the state capital when Buhari as the ANPP Presidential flag bearer was to hold his final hone rally at Katsina Polo Ground before proceeding to his hometown of Daura.  But General Buhari who was coming to Katsina through Kano – Katsina road, found the road leading to Katsina town where the rally venue was located blocked, and had to divert to the road leading to Daura and he left without holding the rally meant to be his final home campaign for the 2007 general elections.  Since then, various candidates were denied the opportunities to run their campaigns at some particular venues or towns.  All parties have now become guilty of these actions, depending upon where they are in power.  Sometimes, the problem is not limited to inter party difference as it can be an intra-party happening.  I could recall that in 2007 when I was in Kankia as Zonal Correspondent of Katsina state Radio, Late Magaji Mohammed who was an Ambassador and Minister under Obasanjo Civilian Regime was in Kankia along with Rt. Hon. Aminu Bello Masari the former Governor of Katsina State campaigning for the Gubernatorial ticket of PDP for 2007 election. As at that time, Aminu Masari was the Speaker House of Representatives and were contesting for the ticket with former Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema at the primary election level.  But Magaji and Masari were forced to work together against Shema because the party then, has allegedly aligned itself with Shema for reasons best known to it.

When Masari and Magaji arrived Kankia, they met the local government PDP Office under lock and key and all the party local officials have dispersed.  Therefore, both Masari and Magaji had to address their supporters across Katsina – Kano road at Kanti Kankia, close to a bread-ovum block.  While speaking, both Aminu Masari and Magaji Mohammed told their loyalists that they believed whole-heartedly that the party was not going to be fair to them at the party primaries, when the election was conducted Ibrahim Shehu Shema was declared winner of the PDP 2007 Gubernatorial ticket, the rest it is said is now history.

But in essence, what I am showing is that, once at the campaign levels the opposition believed that those on the throne would not be fair to them, they would go to any length to wrest power from those holding it.  Similarly, if those on the saddle felt violently threatened by the action of the opposition, they would try to use whatever is at their disposal to remain on seat come rain come shine.  The mammoth crowd at campaign rallies does not necessarily translates to votes because those left at home were always greater in number than those that attended a rally.

Allowing peace to reign at the campaigns, gives peace of mind to participants and makes it easier for them to accept the results coming out of the elections. 

MANSIR KAWARE WRITES IN FROM KATSINA