Posted by Chinenye on Fri 13th Nov, 2026 - tori.ng
Bishop Matthew Kukah says many Nigerian politicians make big promises just to get people's votes, but fail to deliver when they enter office.
(Bishop Matthew Kukah. Photo by Arise News)
Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese Matthew Kukah says Nigerian politicians make promises they have no plan to keep, mainly to win votes.
He says they worry more about winning than preparing voters for the hard work of governing.
He spoke in Abuja on Thursday at a symposium organised by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies and the Kukah Centre.
Kukah said politicians often use glossy pictures of roads, bridges, houses and children in smart uniforms to sell their message.
Once elected, they start making excuses.
He told a story about a politician who won with that kind of campaign.
Three years later, residents said none of the promised projects had been built.
When they challenged him, he said he had only run a campaign and that governance was the hard part.
Kukah said this is a common pattern.
After being sworn in, leaders say they did not know the treasury was empty and then give one excuse after another.
He said Nigerians need to get better at testing what politicians say, question their claims and hold them to account instead of waiting until after an election to ask for explanations.
He also urged voters to look past ethnic, religious and class lines when choosing leaders.
Former INEC chairman Attahiru Jega spoke at the same event.
He said the job of fixing election problems should not fall only on the electoral commission.
He asked parties and candidates to focus on real issues in their campaigns.
He also asked government bodies to share information openly and quickly, and security agencies to give credible information while staying professional.