2027: Don’t set Nigeria on fire, NILDS boss warns political actors

The Director-General of National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, has warned political actors against setting Nigeria on fire through their conducts and utterances ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Sulaiman gave the warning while featuring on Newsmen Personality Interview Series on Sunday in Abuja.

He urged ​‌‍‍‍‍⁠⁠‌‍​‍​⁠‌‍​‌​politicians to rather engage in issue-based campaigns and matters that would foster an inclusive political culture to protect the nation’s democracy.

Sulaiman cautioned political actors against divisive rhetoric, vulgar statements and actions capable of threatening national unity or heightening tensions unnecessarily.

“As electioneering activities gather momentum for the 2027 general elections, NILDS is finalising plans to convoke a political communication summit to address the issues of political communications, including utterances and campaigns.

“Our appeal is that our campaign utterances should be issue-based. We should avoid vulgar statements. We should avoid statements that could set the country on fire.

“Our appeal to our politicians is that we should not be under any illusion that everything is okay. We should protect this democracy through our conduct, through our political culture,” he said.

Sulaiman also appealed to political parties and politicians not take Nigerians for granted; but promote inclusive politics for the marginalised groups, especially the women and the youth.

“We should play politics of inclusivity. The youth must be involved; our women must be involved; people that are vulnerable must be involved.

“Our politicians should guide their conduct, especially their actions and their utterances. Anything that would threaten the monolithic entity of this country must be avoided.

“We should not push some actors to the wall for them to react. We should guide democracy jealously, and that’s my advice to politicians,” he said.

The director-general, while acknowledging the challenges confronting Nigeria’s democracy, maintained that regardless of its flaws, democracy remained a better option than military regime.

“The country is evolving; our democracy is evolving and it’s better for all of us to keep on disagreeing than for us to take recourse to the military.

“However bad democracy is, it’s still better than the best of the military,’’ he stated.

Sulaiman urged Nigerians not to lose faith in the country and her democracy, saying that in spite of the challenges currently facing Nigeria, what is needed is proper management of human and natural resources for the country to be in the lead in the Africa continent.

“That is why they say Nigerians have what you call the manifest destiny, not only to lead ourselves as Nigeria, but to lead the entire continent. At the proper time, we shall get it right.

“Let’s face it through dialogue; let’s face it through concession; let’s face it through understanding; not to say we have to go back to the military.

“`I still have hope in this country, and my appeal to all of us is that we should try to keep that hope alive. We can still get it right and we shall get it right some day,’’ he said.

The director-general, while reiterating his belief in a better Nigeria, said: “My optimism is in God, and God will never abandon us, nor will He abandon our leaders. Let’s keep hope alive.