ARISE News Director of News and Politics Editor, Sumner Sambo, has urged political parties preparing for the 2027 general election to focus their campaigns on issues affecting Nigerians rather than religious endorsements and political rhetoric.

Sambo made the call during an interview on ARISE NEWS on Monday, while commenting on the proposed All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council and the emerging political debate ahead of the election.

The APC had unveiled a campaign council of nearly 500 members before withdrawing the list for review.

Sambo described the proposed structure as excessively large and said the review offered President Bola Tinubu an opportunity to address concerns about the composition of the council, particularly the inclusion of individuals whose records could negatively affect the administration’s image.

He also noted that the choice of a northern political heavyweight to lead the campaign reflected the traditional balancing arrangement used by major political parties in Nigeria.

Sambo said the APC had repeatedly selected influential and financially strong politicians to head its presidential campaign structures, citing former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s role in the 2015 and 2019 campaigns and former Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong’s involvement in 2023.

According to him, the latest arrangement appeared to represent a return to the strategy of appointing a campaign director-general with extensive political networks and resources.

He further observed that the North-South balancing principle remained prominent in Nigerian politics, despite the APC’s repeated claims that it was departing from the political template associated with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Sambo said the size and membership of the APC campaign council deserved careful consideration because the party was already in government.

He warned that including people who had faced controversies involving anti-corruption agencies could send the wrong message and damage the President’s public image.

Subsidy debate should focus on Nigerians

On the renewed debate over petrol subsidy, following comments by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, Sambo said the key question should be whether any policy adopted by the government would improve the welfare of Nigerians.

He welcomed the renewed discussion but said Atiku needed to provide clearer details on how his proposal for the petroleum sector would work.

Sambo noted that the previous subsidy regime was associated with fuel shortages and other challenges, and urged Atiku to explain how a new arrangement would avoid a return to those problems.

He also called for a broader national discussion involving political leaders and elder statesmen on the future of fuel subsidy and the management of its savings.

According to him, the Federal Government should provide Nigerians with a clear account of how funds saved from subsidy removal have been deployed and the extent to which such savings have translated into tangible benefits.

He questioned whether existing interventions, including the Renewed Hope Initiative, conditional cash transfers and the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, had adequately addressed the impact of subsidy removal on households.

Sambo also noted that some government interventions, such as NELFUND, were structured as loans that beneficiaries would eventually repay, while questions remained over the reach of other programmes.

He similarly challenged opposition politicians to present detailed and credible alternatives rather than simply criticising the government’s policies.

The ARISE News editor also cautioned the APC against allowing religion to dominate the 2027 campaign after reports of endorsements by large numbers of Islamic clerics.

He questioned the practical impact of religious endorsements on issues such as food prices, fuel costs, employment and household welfare.

Sambo argued that political parties should avoid turning the election into a religious contest and instead concentrate on issues that directly affect Nigerians.

He said job creation, particularly for young people, should be a major focus of the 2027 campaigns.

According to him, young Nigerians constitute a significant proportion of the electorate and should closely examine the policies, records and future plans of all presidential candidates before deciding how to vote.

He questioned the number of jobs created under the Tinubu administration since 2023 and challenged the government to demonstrate what it had achieved in providing sustainable employment opportunitieWhich young people.

Sambo also raised questions about the extent to which young people in government were involved in key decision-making processes.

He cited the proposed national youth conference announced by President Tinubu, saying young Nigerians should continue to demand answers over the delay in convening the meeting and seek clarity on the administration’s plans for youth development.

Sambo further warned opposition parties against underestimating the APC’s organisational strength ahead of the 2027 election.

He said the governing party was already putting political structures in place, while opposition parties still needed to develop stronger mechanisms for mobilising voters and challenging the ruling party.

He cited emerging political movements associated with the APC and the mobilisation of women around the President’s programmes as examples of structures being developed ahead of the election.

Sambo urged opposition presidential candidates, including Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, to ensure that young Nigerians were adequately represented in their campaign structures.

He said the inclusion of young people would be important because they were among those most affected by the country’s economic difficulties and would constitute a significant voting bloc in 2027.

He also pointed to a planned meeting involving opposition groups as a possible platform for discussions on cooperation and the formation of a stronger alliance against the APC.

Sambo ultimately urged Nigerians to judge all political parties and candidates by their policies, records and ability to address pressing national challenges, rather than by religious, ethnic or political affiliations.