The Young Progressives Party (YPP) presidential candidate, Arc. Dr. Peter Agada, has challenged political candidates to move beyond campaign rhetoric and present Nigerians with measurable, time-bound plans for addressing the country’s challenges.
Agada made the call during an interactive session with political correspondents in Abuja, where he argued that elections should be based on verifiable data, clear timelines and practical implementation plans.
He said governance failures in the country were partly linked to elected officials spending considerable time in office diagnosing problems and setting up committees instead of implementing clearly defined programmes.
“For decades, political campaigns in Nigeria have been treated like poetry contests,” Agada said, arguing that candidates who promise job creation, improved healthcare and other interventions should explain how and when such promises would be delivered.
He said candidates should be able to provide clear figures, timelines and implementation plans for major policies before seeking executive office.
Agada also advocated stronger coordination among government agencies in the planning and execution of public projects, saying poor coordination often leads to infrastructure projects being implemented without complementary facilities and services.
He cited healthcare infrastructure as an example, saying the construction of a health facility should take into account supporting infrastructure such as access roads, water and electricity.
The YPP candidate further called for greater public oversight of government projects, saying citizens should have access to information on project budgets, timelines and implementation progress.
He said stronger monitoring could help reduce abandoned projects, waste and delays in the execution of public programmes.
Agada challenged presidential candidates and other political contenders to subject their manifestos to public scrutiny and provide Nigerians with clear evidence of how their proposed policies would be implemented.
“Let us stop selling hope without a tape measure. Show Nigerians the map, show them the figures, show them the timeline, and let the facts speak,” he said.
