Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
The Sokoto State Government has challenged opposition politicians seeking to govern the state in 2027 to present their records of service and achievements to the electorate, saying the political debate ahead of the next general election must be centred on verifiable results rather than propaganda and social media slogans.
Nura Mahe, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Ahmad Aliyu on Strategic Communication, made the call in a statement made available to journalists on Sunday in Sokoto, titled "2027: Let the Records Speak." Mahe said the administration had prioritised employment and human capital development since assuming office, citing the recruitment of 3,000 workers into the state civil service and the approval of 2,440 Community Health Workers for deployment across the state's 244 wards. He said the health workers initiative would strengthen primary healthcare delivery while creating employment opportunities, adding that the figures could be independently verified and should be considered when assessing the administration's performance.
"These are not figures we are asking anybody to imagine. They are figures that can be checked. And that is the point of this press statement. 2027 must be about records," Mahe said. He challenged political aspirants to account for their previous responsibilities and demonstrate what they had achieved before seeking the mandate of Sokoto voters. "Before asking the people of Sokoto for their votes, every aspirant should be prepared to answer: How many jobs have you created? How many people have you empowered? How many institutions have you built? What have you done with the responsibility entrusted to you in the past?" he said.
Mahe also highlighted Governor Aliyu's public service experience, noting that he had served as commissioner, deputy governor and pioneer Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund before becoming governor. He said the governor's experience had translated into interventions in security, education, healthcare, water supply and agriculture, among other sectors. "Come with your record. Not rumours. Not political mathematics. Not social-media slogans. Your record," he said. Mahe said the electorate should be allowed to examine the records and programmes of the various political actors before making their choice in 2027. "Governor Ahmad Aliyu will present his record. The opposition will present theirs. Let the people put the records side by side. Because in 2027, the question should not simply be: 'Who wants to govern Sokoto?' The more important question is: 'Who has shown us what they can do?'" he noted.
The statement comes amid a turbulent political landscape in Sokoto State, where the ruling All Progressives Congress has recorded a series of high-profile defections from opposition parties while also losing some members to the African Democratic Congress. In July 2026, Sa'idu Umar, the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate whom Governor Aliyu defeated in the 2023 election, defected to the APC, describing his return as a step to strengthen the ruling party's position. The Labour Party governorship candidate, Aminu Umar, also joined the APC in August, while over 700 APC members in Goronyo Local Government Area defected to the ADC the same month, citing what they described as the ruling party's failure to address economic hardship and insecurity. The political realignments have reshaped the electoral arithmetic ahead of 2027, with the ADC and the PDP struggling to maintain a united front against the incumbent administration.
Governor Aliyu's administration has pointed to a series of achievements in its first three years, including road construction, water supply projects, healthcare delivery, education reforms and agricultural development. The state recently ranked among the top five performing states in Nigeria in the latest national assessment of basic education pupils conducted by the Federal Ministry of Education, a result the government has cited as evidence of its investment in human capital development. The administration has also increased boarding school feeding allocations by over 300 per cent and restored science and technical education infrastructure in several schools across the state.
The ADC governorship candidate, Manir Muhammad Dan'Iya, has positioned himself as an alternative to the ruling party, criticising the administration over insecurity and economic hardship. The PDP, meanwhile, has been embroiled in internal crisis, with the state chairman, Hayatu Tafida Aminu, dismissing the defection of former chairman Bashir Goronyo to the ADC. Goronyo resigned from the PDP on August 30 and was appointed Director-General of the ADC campaign organisation. The divisions within the opposition have raised questions about whether they can mount a credible challenge to the APC in 2027.
Governor Aliyu has been projected by supporters and analysts as a strong contender for re-election, benefiting from the advantages of incumbency, a united party structure and the support of influential political figures in the state. However, the defections to the ADC and the persistence of insecurity and economic challenges in parts of the state suggest that the contest will not be uncontested. The governor's aides have consistently framed the 2027 election as a referendum on performance, challenging the opposition to present credible alternatives rather than relying on criticism of the government.
For now, the political debate in Sokoto is shaping up around the question Mahe posed: who has shown what they can do? The government says its record speaks for itself. The opposition says the administration has not done enough. The electorate, which will ultimately decide, will have the opportunity to weigh those claims when the campaigns officially begin. As the 2027 general elections approach, the message from the governor's camp is unambiguous: bring your record, not social media slogans.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments