GSU Don Tasks Politicians To Match 2027 Campaign Promises With Action

By Abubakar Rabilu Gombe

The Department of Public Administration, Gombe State University (GSU), has challenged politicians contesting the 2027 general elections to make realistic campaign promises and ensure they are translated into tangible improvements in the lives of Nigerians.

The department made the call at its second international conference, themed, “Democracy, Public Service and Service Delivery in Nigeria: Setting the Agenda for the 2027 General Elections.”

Speaking at the event, the Head of the department, Prof. Matthew F. Bello, said the public service would remain central to the implementation of government policies irrespective of changes in political leadership.

Bello said the conference was organised to bring together academics, politicians, public servants and other stakeholders to examine challenges confronting public administration and develop practical solutions to improve governance and service delivery.

He said there was a need to reposition the public service to effectively implement policies and deliver services that directly affect citizens.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Prof. Lawal Abdullahi Oladimeji, said elections and democracy should not be regarded as ends in themselves, but mechanisms for improving the welfare of citizens.

He questioned the extent to which the public service had been able to translate successive governments’ campaign promises into improved living conditions, noting that many of the issues dominating electoral campaigns had remained unresolved for decades.

Oladimeji urged politicians, civil servants and other stakeholders to examine why repeated promises had failed to produce corresponding results and adopt a different approach after the 2027 elections.

In his keynote address, the Head of the Gombe State Civil Service, Prof. Mu’azu Shehu, said the state had institutionalised evidence-based governance through data, research and citizens’ feedback in policy formulation.

He said the process began with Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya’s 2019 manifesto, which contained 110 promises backed by measurable indicators.