Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
The Federal Road Safety Corps has urged politicians and party supporters to avoid reckless driving, excessive speed and dangerous overloading during political campaigns, warning that the conduct of campaign convoys poses a growing risk to public safety as the 2027 general elections approach.
The warning was issued by the FRSC Sector Commander in Gombe State, Mr Samson Kaura, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Gombe. Kaura said the appeal was necessary to promote safe driving and responsible road use throughout the campaign period. He urged political parties, candidates and supporters to comply strictly with traffic regulations to prevent endangering other road users. According to him, reckless driving and excessive speed during campaigns could result in road crashes, injuries and loss of lives. "Now that the campaigns have started, we call on political parties to ensure their drivers and campaign trains obey all road-use rules," he said.
The sector commander urged political stakeholders to sensitise their drivers, particularly against speeding in built-up areas where children and animals could cross roads. "My advice to political stakeholders is that they should ensure that all their drivers are sensitised to avoid speeding, especially in built-up areas," he said. He said caution was particularly important around areas where children or animals might cross roads, to prevent avoidable casualties. "We therefore call on you that whenever you are going for campaigns, ensure you obey all traffic laws and do not put members of public at risk," he said.
Kaura stressed that members of the public had the right to use roads safely, regardless of political activities taking place around them. "It is expected that whoever you are or whatever party you belong to, you should obey rules and regulations," he said. He urged campaign participants to avoid actions capable of threatening their safety or that of other road users.
The sector commander also warned political parties and other motorists against substance abuse while driving, describing it as dangerous and unlawful. "We are totally against substance abuse by drivers, not just for political parties but for every road user," Kaura said. He explained that using substances capable of influencing a driver's behaviour could impair safe driving and increase the likelihood of road crashes. "Substance abuse impairs vision and reduces the level of reasoning, which increases the chances of road crashes," he said. Kaura warned that drivers caught abusing substances while on the road would face the consequences prescribed by law.
Kaura also urged political parties to educate their drivers and ensure that only properly licensed drivers were allowed to operate campaign vehicles. He further cautioned against overloading, particularly when supporters climbed onto vehicles or were packed beyond their safe capacity. "Overloading will only increase the number of casualties in cases of crashes, and that is why we are saying no to overloading," he said.
The FRSC's warning comes amid heightened political activity across the country, with campaigns for the 2027 general elections in full swing. The presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, with the governorship and state assembly elections following on February 6. Political parties and candidates have been holding rallies, town hall meetings and road shows across the country, often involving large convoys of vehicles and motorcycles that pose significant risks to other road users.
The concern over campaign-related road crashes is not new. In February 2026, the FRSC expressed concern over reckless driving and poor attitude exhibited by motorists, especially motorcyclists, engaged during political campaigns and rallies across the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory. The FCT Sector Commander at the time, Mr Felix Theman, identified one-way driving, unauthorised road blocks and illegal activities by some political parties on highways as contributing to heavy traffic situations and raising the risk of crashes. He urged political leaders to ensure responsible driving and discourage drivers from consuming alcoholic drinks while driving, and said adequate personnel had been deployed to identified routes to ensure free flow of traffic.
The broader road safety statistics underscore the scale of the challenge. The FRSC arrested 279,414 traffic offenders and recorded 2,214 road traffic crashes across the country between January and May 2026, involving 4,165 vehicles and affecting 16,349 persons. In Ogun State alone, 161 people died in 415 road crashes between January and May 2026. While these figures cover all road users, the concentration of vehicles, supporters and high-speed convoys during campaign season creates conditions that amplify the risk of catastrophic accidents.
Kaura said the FRSC had commenced sensitisation of political stakeholders in Gombe State to promote responsible driving throughout the campaign period. The agency has also deployed additional personnel to strategic locations to manage traffic and enforce compliance. The sector commander's appeal reflects a broader effort by the FRSC to engage political actors before the campaign intensifies further, urging them to prioritise safety over the exigencies of political mobilisation.
For political parties and candidates, the warning represents both a legal obligation and a moral one. The right to campaign is constitutionally protected, but it does not extend to conduct that endangers the lives of other road users. As Kaura put it, "It is expected that whoever you are or whatever party you belong to, you should obey rules and regulations." The FRSC's message is clear: campaigns must be conducted within the bounds of the law, and those who flout traffic regulations will face the consequences. The coming months will test whether political actors heed the warning or whether the roads become another arena of recklessness and tragedy in the run-up to the 2027 elections.
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