Fayemi, Saraki, Aregbesola, Yahaya Bello, Others For NPO Reports’ Dialogue

Politicians and prominent members of the civil society organisations (CSOs) will on Tuesday, January 17, 2023, proffer new ways to hold politicians accountable for the promises they make to the electorate during electioneering.

The event is a one-day dialogue organised by NPO Reports (formerly Nigeria Politics Online) to mark its 12th anniversary. It will hold at the Nigerian National Merit Award (Merit House), Abuja.

Among the speakers are former governor of Ekiti State, Dr John Kayode Fayemi, minister of interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, former senate president, Dr Bukola Saraki, governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello and his Lagos State counterpart, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

Others are a former national commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof Lai Olurode and former governor of Kwara State, Abdulfatah Ahmed and the chief executive officer of the National Women Trust Fund, Mrs Mufuliat Fijabi.

In a statement issued yesterday by the editor-in-chief of NPO Reports, Mr Semiu Okanlawon, he said the event aims to set a new agenda in electoral campaigns in Nigeria.

Okanlawon said the dialogue holds in the thick of campaign promises ahead of the 2023 general election.

He said the theme of the event, “2023 and Beyond: Tracking Campaign Promises for Good Governance”, is to ensure that political office seekers and the electorate begin to treat campaign promises as accountability issues for the sake of good governance.

Okanlawon said the event will also feature a panel discussion which will be moderated by frontline columnist and editor-in-chief of LEADERSHIP, Mr Azubuike Ishiekwene.

The panelists are a former executive secretary of the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and current executive director, Agora Policy, Mr Waziri Adio; chief executive officer, Connected Development, Mr Hamza Lawal; a university don, Prof. Abiodun Adeniyi of the Baze University, Abuja and CEO of Omalicha Radio and former editorial coordinator at the Organisation of Oil Exporting Countries (OPEC) News, Angela Agoawike.

Others expected at the event, according to Okanlawon, are the representatives of CSOs, especially those working for the fine-tuning of the Nigerian political space – YIAGA Africa, Fix Politics, BudgIT, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, the Nigerian Women Trust Fund, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) and the Socio-Economic Rights Accountability Project (SERAP).