Nigerians have been urged to scrutinise political promises ahead of the 2027 general elections by examining their cost, implementation plans, evidence and measurable outcomes rather than relying solely on campaign rhetoric.
The call is contained in an analysis by Project Assistant at Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), Chidinma Eferebo, who said voters should demand clear evidence and mechanisms for tracking commitments made by candidates before and after elections.
The argument comes as the 2027 political contest increasingly focuses on competing proposals on the economy, energy, jobs, agriculture, security and infrastructure. Recent campaign positions have included proposals for a targeted fuel subsidy model and plans to move Nigeria towards a production-led economy centred on agriculture, manufacturing and support for small businesses.
Eferebo said voters should subject such proposals to questions about their cost, sources of funding, beneficiaries, implementation timelines and expected results.
She said claims about economic progress should similarly be assessed against evidence, the period under consideration and who is benefiting, while promises on employment, education, healthcare, infrastructure and security should be examined alongside budgets, staffing, access and measurable outcomes.
The analysis cited the Centre for Democracy and Development’s Buharimeter as an example of how campaign commitments can be monitored after elections. CDD established the platform in 2015 to track more than 200 promises made during that year’s presidential election, with its mid-term assessment using 222 campaign promises as a benchmark for evaluating implementation.
CDD’s first 100 days assessment recorded one promise as achieved, with 24 showing noticeable progress, while 197 had yet to be rated at that stage. The organisation subsequently continued using the 222 promises as a benchmark in its mid-term assessment.
According to Eferebo, the experience demonstrated the importance of establishing a documented record of campaign commitments that can be reviewed publicly throughout an administration.
She also called for greater scrutiny of empowerment programmes announced during election periods, including cash grants, equipment, food supplies, training and scholarships.
While acknowledging that such interventions can provide genuine assistance, she said questions should be asked about who funds them, how beneficiaries are selected, whether public funds are involved and whether the programmes are designed to continue beyond the election period.
The analysis further stressed the importance of fact-checking political claims, particularly as artificial intelligence makes it easier to produce convincing images, audio and videos that can circulate as political information.
Eferebo urged voters to verify the sources of political information, check dates, look beyond headlines and compare campaign claims with credible reports before sharing them.
She also called on political parties and candidates to provide clear proposals, realistic timelines and credible cost estimates, while urging journalists to seek supporting documents, figures and implementation details rather than simply reproducing campaign speeches.
Civil society organisations and fact-checkers, she said, could also support the process by maintaining accessible trackers through which citizens can compare campaign commitments with government budgets, policies and eventual results.
As political activity ahead of the 2027 elections intensifies, the analysis argues that campaign promises should be treated as commitments that require public scrutiny both before and after election day.
It said voters should assess not only what candidates promise, but also how proposed policies would be funded and implemented and what evidence can be used to measure their delivery.