By FATIMA HUSSAINI

2027 Elections: Nigerians Challenge Old Political Tactics

Familiar Campaign Tactics Return

AS political activities ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections gather momentum, familiar campaign strategies are already resurfacing.

Politicians and religious figures have begun deploying rhetoric around religion, political records, financial generosity and past controversies to influence public opinion.

However, a growing public backlash suggests that many Nigerians are becoming less willing to accept these tactics without scrutiny.

The emerging debate centres on whether the next election should be fought around religious identity and personality politics or around competence, accountability and policies capable of improving citizens’ lives.

Atiku Reopens Debate Over Religious Tickets

The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has placed religious balancing and political history among the issues entering the early campaign conversation.

In a recent interview with JKD Media, Atiku recalled his opposition to a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket during political negotiations in 2007 and 2015.

He said he rejected the possibility of having Bola Tinubu as his running mate under the Action Congress of Nigeria in 2007 because he opposed a same-faith ticket.

He also recalled taking a similar position in 2015 when former President Muhammadu Buhari was considering Tinubu as his running mate.

“I don’t believe in a Muslim-Muslim ticket because it does not bode well for the country,” Atiku said.

Yet, his account also opened another layer of the debate. He acknowledged that he had unsuccessfully sought to become the running mate to M.K.O. Abiola in 1993, a ticket that would eventually have been Muslim-Muslim had Atiku secured the position.

Political analysts therefore view the renewed emphasis on religious composition as part of the political framing likely to shape the 2027 contest.

Religion Becomes an Electoral Battlefield

Religious rhetoric has also moved beyond politicians.

Two clerics, Sani Jingir and Ezekiel Dachomo, have attracted strong reactions over their public interventions on the 2027 elections.

Jingir, a Jos-based Islamic cleric who strongly supported the APC’s Muslim-Muslim ticket in 2023, recently repeated his position at a mass wedding organised by the Kano State Government.

He urged Muslims to support another Muslim-Muslim ticket and called on them to register and vote in large numbers.

His argument was framed around the numerical strength of Muslims and Christians in Nigeria, turning the coming election into what critics fear could become a demographic contest.

However, Jingir’s position does not represent a unanimous Muslim view. His deputy, Yusuf Sambo, reportedly supports Atiku and has argued for a leader who will govern Muslims and Christians fairly.

On the Christian side, preacher Ezekiel Dachomo has also used religious language to discuss the election. In a video, he linked insecurity and killings in Plateau State to the election of Muslims as president and vice president.

He urged Christians to mobilise around the claim that they constitute the majority.

The competing positions illustrate how religious identity can quickly become an electoral instrument in a country where faith remains deeply embedded in political mobilisation.

The Danger of Turning Elections Into a Census

Professor Ibrahim Siraj of Bayero University, Kano, warned against reducing the presidential election to a contest between Nigeria’s two dominant religions.

According to him, the rhetoric from both clerics is potentially divisive because it transforms complex political and security problems into a struggle for demographic supremacy.

He argued that Muslims and Christians in Plateau State have both suffered from violence and that political leaders should be held accountable for governance failures contributing to insecurity.

Rather than encouraging citizens to vote according to religious identity, he said religious and civic leaders should use their influence to promote competence, justice and good governance.

Political Donations Under Scrutiny

Financial inducements and political philanthropy are also emerging as another battlefield.

Kaduna-based cleric Musa Yusuf, popularly known as Asadussunnah, praised the APC after former Zamfara State Governor Abdulaziz Yari was appointed director-general of the party’s 2027 presidential campaign.

Yusuf cited Yari’s reported distribution of ₦1 million in Zakat to about 250 clerics as evidence of his generosity and urged Nigerians to support the APC candidate.

Another cleric, Jalo Jalingo, had earlier praised Yari on Facebook and compared him with one of Prophet Muhammad’s companions.

The endorsements triggered criticism on social media, with opponents questioning whether financial generosity should determine the moral standing of a politician facing corruption-related scrutiny.

Clerics Demand Accountability

The backlash was particularly sharp among some Muslim scholars.

Ustaz Bn-Al Qasim criticised clerics who praise politicians because they receive financial gifts.

He argued that politicians should not receive moral commendation for distributing money when citizens continue to struggle with poor infrastructure, insecurity and economic hardship.

His position was that politicians should invest public resources in roads, schools and an economic environment that enables citizens to prosper independently.

The argument reflects a broader demand that political leaders be judged by the quality of governance they provide rather than the size or visibility of their donations.

Yari’s Record Returns to the Spotlight

The controversy has also revived attention to Yari’s legal and anti-corruption history.

Yari served as Zamfara State governor from 2011 to 2019 and currently represents Zamfara East in the Senate.

In 2021, the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the final forfeiture of funds held by him in Zenith Bank and Polaris Bank after the court found that he had failed to satisfactorily explain the source of large sums of money.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) also secured an interim forfeiture order in 2022 involving 10 properties linked to Yari and associates.

He was subsequently detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations connected to an alleged ₦84 billion fraud case involving former Accountant-General of the Federation Ahmed Idris.

Yari has not been convicted of those allegations, but the history has intensified scrutiny of his appointment to a major campaign position.

A Different Kind of Election Demand

For Professor Siraj, the central challenge is to prevent identity politics from overwhelming substantive issues.

He argued that inflammatory religious rhetoric distracts citizens from systemic inequality and can shield political leaders from accountability.

He called on Nigerians to reject divisive messaging and demand candidates who can demonstrate competence, empathy and a commitment to the common good.

As the 2027 campaign gradually takes shape, the reaction to the latest religious and financial appeals suggests that voters may increasingly demand more than familiar slogans.

The real test may be whether political actors can persuade Nigerians with credible records and workable policies rather than the old formulas of religious mobilisation, personality politics and financial inducement.