Fayemi, Saraki and others to headline NPO Reports session on campaign promises

Politicians and leading members of civil society organizations are called on to find new ways to hold politicians accountable for the promises they make to the electorate during election campaigns in a day-long dialogue session convened by NPO Reports.

Scheduled to celebrate at the Nigerian National Merit Award (Merit House) Abuja on Tuesday 17th January 2023, former Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi; the current Minister of the Interior, Rauf Aregbesola; a former president of the Nigerian Senate, Bukola Saraki; Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello and Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu are on the list to speak at the event that aims to set a new agenda in the country’s election campaigns.

Amid campaign promises ahead of the 2023 general election, others expected to speak at the day-long dialogue, which will also mark the 12th anniversary of NPO Reports (formerly Nigeria Politics Online), include Lai Olurode, a professor of sociology and former National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); a former Governor of Kwara State, Abdulfatah Ahmed and the Executive Director of the National Trust Fund for Women, Mufuliat Fijabi.

The theme of the one-day dialogue, 2023 and beyond: Following up on campaign promises for good governance, according to a statement, signed by Semiu Okanlawon, editor-in-chief of NPO Reports, is to ensure that aspirants to political office and the electorate begin to treat campaign promises as issues of accountability in the interest of good governance.

The event will also feature a panel discussion moderated by top columnist and Vice President/Editor in Chief of Leadership Newspapers, Azubuike Ishiekwene.

On the panel will be Waziri Adio, former Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and current Executive Director of Agora Policy; Executive Director, Connected Development, Hamza Lawal; and Abiodun Adeniyi, professor of mass communication at Baze University in Abuja; Y

Angela Agoawike, executive director of Omalicha Radio and former editorial coordinator for Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) news.

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Also expected at the NPO Reports event are representatives of civil society organizations, especially those working for the fine-tuning of the Nigerian political space. Some of these include YIAGA Africa, the International Center for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), the Wole Soyinka Center for Investigative Reporting, Fix Politics, BudgIT, the Civil Society Center for Legislative Advocacy, the Nigerian Women’s Trust Fund, the Corporate Responsibility and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA). ) and the Socioeconomic Rights Accountability Project (SERAP).

According to Mr. Okanlawon, journalism has a very important role to play in turning campaign promises into issues of accountability.

“Throughout the decades, not even politicians who assemble campaign boxes are aware of the sanctity of the promises they make.

“Often, there are no records of those promises. Whereas, the electorate often makes electoral decisions on the basis of the promises made.

“Unfortunately, there are no mechanisms in place to track these promises and there is a dearth of tools to force them back on their promises to achieve redemption.” said the statement from the editor-in-chief of NPO Reports.

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