The Nigerian Advocacy for Good Governance Alliance (NAGA-Diaspora) has urged Nigerians to scrutinise presidential candidates’ policy positions, records, and consistency ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In a statement by its Global Coordinator, Tope Adesipo, and Secretary, Ajede Oluwaseun, the group said voters should pay particular attention to candidates’ positions on economic policies, including petrol subsidy and foreign exchange reforms.

NAGA-Diaspora said the removal of petrol subsidy and naira depreciation had contributed to the cost-of-living pressures confronting Nigerians, and urged voters to seek clear explanations from candidates on how their proposed policies would address inflation, household costs, production and fiscal stability.

The group said the major presidential contenders had taken different positions on aspects of the reforms. It noted that President Bola Tinubu and Peter Obi had supported the removal of petrol subsidy, while Atiku Abubakar has more recently advocated restoring a targeted subsidy. Public records also show that Obi has supported subsidy removal while arguing that it should have been implemented in a more gradual and organised manner.

NAGA-Diaspora said voters should therefore examine not only candidates’ current campaign promises but also how their positions have evolved.

“A change of language is not a change of record,” the group said, urging Nigerians to determine whether changes in policy positions represented substantive alternatives or merely shifts in campaign messaging.

It called on civil society organisations, youth groups, professional bodies and registered voters to demand clear answers from candidates on their previous positions, proposed alternatives and the likely implications of their economic programmes.

The organisation posed three questions for voters: who supported policies associated with the current economic pressures; who had a documented alternative, including on subsidy; and whether proposed alternatives would remain in place after the election.

NAGA-Diaspora said the 2027 election should focus on policy, accountability and workable economic programmes rather than personalities and campaign rhetoric.

It urged voters to assess candidates based on their records and positions over time, particularly on policies with significant implications for the economy and living standards.

The group said it remained committed to promoting good governance, accountability and purposeful leadership, and called for an issues-based electoral campaign ahead of the 2027 polls.