Rufai Oseni Slams Tinubu, Atiku, Obi Over Lack of Manifestos, Presidential Debates

Arise Television’s Morning Show anchor, Rufai Oseni, has criticised President Bola Tinubu, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi and other political figures over what he described as their failure to present campaign manifestos and commit to presidential debates ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general election.

Oseni made the remarks on Wednesday during the programme, accusing politicians across party lines of focusing on verbal attacks against one another rather than presenting concrete proposals to address the country’s economic and security challenges.

He described the absence of publicly available manifestos and a clear debate schedule as an insult to Nigerians, who expect candidates seeking the presidency to explain their plans for governing the country.

“I think all of them, all the political candidates, have insulted Nigerians. It’s an insult to Nigerians for all of them, from the APC to the NDC,” he said.

The broadcaster argued that candidates had yet to demonstrate sufficient commitment to discussing their policies openly with the electorate.

“All of you don’t take us seriously. You don’t have your campaign manifesto. We’re not debating on that. All of you, you are not even ready to give us a debate,” Oseni added.

He questioned why there was no publicly announced timetable for presidential debates, insisting that Nigerians deserved an opportunity to assess candidates’ ideas before making electoral decisions.

Oseni cited South Korea as an example of a country where presidential debates are mandatory and urged Nigeria to consider a similar arrangement to promote accountability among candidates.

“If you must put yourself up for presidency, at least be decent enough to be able to debate your ideas. If you don’t want to do it, go and sit at your father’s house,” he said.

The broadcaster also criticised the tendency of politicians to exchange insults and personal attacks instead of explaining how they would address the country’s challenges. He said the ruling party and opposition politicians alike were falling short of public expectations.

Oseni stressed that a strong opposition was important for democratic accountability but argued that political actors were not doing enough to promote meaningful competition based on ideas.

“The opposition and the incumbent, they are all almost looking the same to me. I feel politics is a festival of strength of ideas, and I always feel that opposition must be strengthened to balance democracy. But a lot of people are not pulling their weight,” he said.

He further questioned the policy proposals being advanced by candidates, particularly on major economic issues such as petrol subsidy removal. He challenged presidential hopefuls to explain how they intended to implement their promises and what those policies would mean for Nigerians.

Oseni called on candidates and political parties to publish their manifestos within the following week, saying the electorate needed clear policy positions rather than excuses and political exchanges.

“So please, in the next week, we want to see manifestos. We don’t want to see excuses. People should be able to bring their manifestos forward,” he said.

His comments come as political parties prepare for the 2027 general election, with voters facing concerns over the cost of living, insecurity, employment and other national issues. The debate over manifestos and presidential debates highlights the demand for candidates to explain their priorities and provide voters with a clearer basis for evaluating their proposals.