A public affairs commentator, Mahdi Shehu, has advised Nigerians to be more careful and thoughtful in choosing their leaders ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a post shared on X on Monday, Shehu urged voters not to be swayed by catchy campaign slogans, religious sentiments, or public displays of piety by politicians.
“As 2027 elections get closer, it will be important that voters are given a pro bono advisory,” he said.
He called on citizens to reflect deeply before deciding who to support.
He warned that many political slogans are misleading.
“Don’t be carried away by slogans, because almost all party slogans are deceptive and a trap to lure voters,” he said.
Shehu also cautioned against voting based on religion, noting that such appeals may not reflect the true character of candidates.
“Don’t be carried away by religious claims and sentiments,” he said, adding that such actions often contradict.
He further criticised politicians who suddenly become visibly religious during election periods, attending different mosques and churches with donations.
“Irrespective of party platforms, don’t be carried away by those politicians who begin to frequent Friday prayers in different mosques or Sunday services in different churches with donations,” he said
The commentator urged voters to investigate the background of candidates thoroughly before supporting them.
“Dig deep into their past history,” he said.
He stressed that aspirants should have no criminal convictions either in Nigeria or abroad.
He also advised Nigerians to check that candidates have no links to crimes such as human trafficking, organ harvesting, or drug trafficking, and that their sources of wealth are legitimate.
“Make sure that they have a clearly identified and verifiable family lineage and that their source of wealth is not rooted in fraud and such other crimes,” he added.
Shehu further warned against electing candidates who have a history of abandoning their constituencies after winning elections.
“Confirm that such an aspirant is not one of those who had in the past or who is likely in the future to abandon his constituency and relocate to Abuja after winning elections,” he said.
“Carry out a thorough personality and character audit. Don’t be carried away by their physical looks, mode of dressing and automobiles they parade,” he said.
In addition, he suggested that voters should demand written commitments from candidates.
“Pin them down to a written and enforceable Memorandum of Understanding and make a video recording of the same for rainy days,” he advised.
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