Former Speaker of the House of Representatives and ex-governor of Katsina State, Aminu Masari, has expressed concern over the growing distance between politicians’ campaign promises and the realities of governance.
Mr Masari spoke in Lagos on Thursday while delivering the keynote address at the 9th Annual Conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP). The conference had as its theme “Reconciling Campaign Promises with Governance Realities: Challenges and Prospects.”
He outlined four key conditions that, in his view, could help bridge the gap between political promises and actual governance outcomes.
According to him, politicians must first campaign responsibly. He urged them to make promises that are realistic, costed, and achievable within available resources.
“Unrealistic pledges made merely to capture the mood of the electorate should be challenged and exposed. Only then can we begin to elevate our political culture and make sure that the process justifies the end,” he said. “Second, governance must be anchored on strong institutions. With capable institutions, policies can be implemented more consistently and transparently.”
Masari said honest communication between leaders and citizens was also essential. He advised public officials to explain trade-offs, timelines, and reasons for delays or adjustments in policy execution.
“Fourth, citizens themselves, including civil society and the media, must understand realities and properly communicate those realities in addition to holding leaders accountable. They should track promises, and demand transparency instead of creating sensational headlines to attract followers, especially now that the number of followers translates into monetary gain,” he said.
The former governor also identified limited resources, competing demands, and unforeseen crises as major obstacles to fulfilling campaign promises.
“Many manifestos are aspirational documents, not grounded in the reality of available resources or institutional capacity. Fiscal constraints are also a big factor,” he said. “In many African nations, and more specifically in our case, budgets are still heavily dependent on a single commodity: oil. Yet, as we all know, the price of oil is beyond our control.”
He noted that emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic often force governments to reorder priorities, consuming time, energy, and resources.
“Here in Nigeria, insecurity remains a persistent challenge. It undermines production, disrupts livelihoods and reduces national revenues. It compels the government to divert enormous resources toward security operations,” Masari added. “Another major issue is weak institutions. Even when funds are available, corruption, bureaucracy and inefficiency can derail delivery.”
Masari warned that repeated failure to deliver on promises could weaken citizens’ trust in democracy.
“But if they see even modest progress explained honestly and delivered consistently, they will continue to believe in the promise of democracy,” he said. “Let our promises be realistic, our expectations be modest, our governance transparent and our accountability strong.”
He commended GOCOP for providing platforms that promote accountability and strengthen democracy.
“This is where journalism at its best, and more specifically GOCOP in this digital age, becomes indispensable,” he said. “You and your profession are the bridges between the leaders and the people. You shape narratives, hold leaders accountable and track progress.”
