Daud Olatunji
Civil society organisations and media groups in Ogun State have unveiled a non-partisan platform, OGUN 2027 CONVERSATION, to engage governorship and senatorial candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The initiative, which was formally presented to journalists at the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Iwe Iroyin Press Centre, Abeokuta, on Monday, September 14, 2026, is designed to move electoral discourse away from personality-driven campaigns, political slogans and mudslinging towards issues affecting residents of the state.
Chairman of the OGUN 2027 CONVERSATION, Comrade Yinka Folarin, said the platform would provide candidates with sufficient opportunity to explain their programmes, policy priorities and commitments to the electorate.
Folarin, who addressed journalists in the company of other members of the coalition, stressed that the initiative was not designed as an interrogation or witch-hunt of political candidates.
He said, “When it is a conversation, it is not as if we are interrogating. We want to hear from you, we want to know what you have in store for the people.
“We are not coming to castigate you. We are not coming to witch-hunt you. It is a platform to hear from you, present to the people and, through whatever you have presented, they can scrutinise and ask you questions based on what you have presented and what you have as the content of your manifesto.”
According to him, the decision to use the word “conversation” rather than “debate” was deliberate, as the organisers wanted to create a relaxed environment where candidates could engage citizens on policies and governance without being unnecessarily boxed into a confrontational format.
Folarin said, “Why conversation? Why not debate? Because we want to engage in dialogue, in conversations with the community, with the people, with the aspirants, the candidates, to tell us what they really have in stock for the people.
“We want critical engagement, issue-based engagement, issue-based conversations.”
Candidates won’t fund platform
The coalition also ruled out financial contributions from candidates who would be invited to participate in the conversations.
Responding to concerns about who would bankroll the initiative, Folarin said the organisers would pool resources from their respective organisations and seek support from media and other partners to maintain the platform’s independence.
He said the organisers were not expecting financial or material support from any candidate, stressing that the only requirement from politicians would be their presence and participation.
“We are not expecting anything from any candidate. All we will expect from them is their participation,” he said.
“ In terms of resources, their presence, their participation in the conversation venue, that is all we are expecting.”
Folarin added that the organisers intended to draw on local and international partnerships while ensuring that no individual, political party or candidate could exercise undue influence over the platform.
He said, “We are going to pull our resources, both local resources and international resources, to make this happen so that we’ll be purely independent, not relying on anyone for this assignment.”
INEC, security agencies targeted
The organisers said the conversation would not be limited to politicians, disclosing plans to engage the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies on their preparedness for the 2027 elections.
The proposed engagement with INEC will cover electoral regulations, voter participation, accreditation, electoral technology, election-day procedures, collation and transmission of results, as well as measures capable of strengthening public confidence in the electoral process.
Security agencies will also be engaged on the prevention of political violence, protection of voters and electoral officials, neutrality, citizens’ rights during elections, early warning and response mechanisms and cooperation with communities, civil society and the media.
The organisers said the ultimate objective was to ensure that residents could participate in the elections freely and safely without intimidation, discrimination or violence.
Focus on governance, jobs, health, education
The coalition said the conversations with governorship and senatorial candidates would focus on practical solutions to the challenges confronting Ogun residents.
Among the issues listed are good governance and accountability, security, human rights, youth employment and skills development, education, healthcare, economic development, poverty reduction, infrastructure, local government administration and grassroots development.
Others include gender inclusion, participation of persons with disabilities, electoral integrity, peacebuilding, prevention of political violence, constitutional governance and accountable management of public resources.
The organisers said candidates would be encouraged to make clear, measurable and publicly accountable commitments which could subsequently be monitored by citizens.
The platform said voters deserved to know not only the identity of those seeking their votes but also what they intended to do if entrusted with public office.
Grassroots voices to feature
The initiative will also extend its activities beyond Abeokuta and other urban centres to grassroots communities across Ogun State.
Traditional and religious leaders, youth and women groups, professional associations, market and transport unions, persons with disabilities, community-based organisations and other stakeholders are expected to participate.
The organisers said the move was necessary to prevent the 2027 electoral discourse from becoming an exclusive conversation among politicians and elites.
Media urged to reject hate speech
Folarin also appealed to journalists and media organisations to play a critical role in ensuring that the 2027 election campaign remained issue-based and free from hate speech.
He said the media had the capacity to shape public discourse and should deploy conflict-sensitive reporting mechanisms to prevent inflammatory narratives capable of escalating political tensions.
“We know you guys set the agenda and we also know that you have what we call conflict-sensitive mechanisms that you can use to gauge opinions, even of aspirants or candidates, so that there will not be much hate speech,” he said.
He added, “There should be no need for any hate speech. It should be issue-based. What are your plans for the people and not just to come up with stories that will not be authenticated?”
‘We will not endorse any party’
The coalition declared that it would not endorse any political party or candidate, insisting that all eligible political actors would be treated equally.
It said political parties recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission and their candidates would be given opportunities to participate, subject to applicable electoral and nomination processes.
The organisers also called on politicians and their supporters to reject hate speech, misinformation, disinformation, intimidation and violence.
The platform said its work would continue beyond the 2027 campaigns and elections, with plans to document commitments made by candidates and encourage citizens to hold elected officials accountable to those promises.
The coalition comprises civil society organisations working in human rights, democracy, peacebuilding and sustainable security, in collaboration with media organisations.
Signatories to the initiative include Folarin; Executive Director, Peace Initiative Network, Dr Femi Michael Sodipo; Executive Director, Community Education Advancement of Peace and Development Initiative, Adesina Adefolahan; Coordinator, Consumer Protection Advocacy Initiative, Ogun, Ola Animashaun; Ogun State Secretary, Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, Comrade Ali Adeshina; Chairman, Joint Association of Persons with Disabilities, Ogun State Chapter, Ayo Awobona; State Coordinator, Women Against Violent Extremism, Mrs Adebola Adeniji; Executive Director, Donmary Human and Community Enhancement Initiative, Mrs Agboola Oladoyin; Chairman, Civil Liberties Organisation, Ogun State, Comrade Molade Gabriel Abiola; and Country Director, Global Support for Kids Initiative, Soleye Akingbade Alfred.
The coalition urged political parties, candidates, INEC, security agencies, traditional and religious institutions, organised labour, professional bodies, youth and women organisations, persons with disabilities, community leaders and residents to participate actively.
The organisers summed up the initiative with a call for Ogun residents to make the 2027 elections a platform for demanding better leadership.
“Let us converse. Let us interrogate. Let us demand accountability. Let us build peace. Let us protect democracy,” the coalition said.
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