How did ‘Nigeria now a construction site’ become a campaign message in 2026?
By SHERIFDEEN ABBAS
The argument here is that infrastructure achievements must be demonstrated through completed and functioning projects, not merely the declaration that the entire country is under construction. Why should a political campaign in 2026 rely so heavily on the announcement of construction activities without providing a comprehensive account of what has actually been delivered?
There are moments in a nation’s political journey when one begins to wonder whether those seeking public office genuinely understand the suffering of the people they are asking to govern. There are also moments when campaign promises become so disconnected from the realities of ordinary citizens that one is compelled to question the political intelligence behind them.
One such moment presented itself when I watched an All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in one of the South-West states proudly tell an already impoverished campaign crowd that, apart from the coastal road, if one travelled across Nigeria, the country was now a construction site.
I listened patiently, expecting him to proceed to identify other achievements of the ruling party that could justify his request for the people’s votes. I expected him to mention measurable improvements in the living conditions of Nigerians, the state of the economy, employment opportunities, food affordability, security, education and healthcare.
But nothing substantial followed.
Instead, he continued to climb on the shoulders of an Emi Lokan political philosophy that has become increasingly difficult to sell to Nigerians since the very moment it mounted the podium of power at Eagle Square, Abuja, on May 29, 2023.
I deliberately choose not to mention names because my concern goes beyond any individual candidate. It is about a political culture that appears to have mistaken the people’s patience for political helplessness and their suffering for an opportunity to demand more sacrifices without offering convincing explanations.
Is Nigeria a construction site or a country under construction?
Let us ask a fundamental question: How did the declaration that Nigeria is now a construction site become a campaign message in 2026?
Is it because Nigerians have suddenly become so impressed with the number of roads being excavated, bridges being announced, contracts being awarded and construction projects being displayed in political advertisements?
Or is it because those seeking another opportunity to govern have run short of convincing explanations for the economic difficulties confronting the people?
There is absolutely nothing wrong with constructing roads, bridges, railways and other infrastructure. Indeed, infrastructure development is an essential responsibility of every serious government. A country cannot develop without good roads, functional transportation systems, electricity, water supply and other basic facilities.
However, infrastructure must be understood within the broader context of human development.
A road is important, but so is the person who must travel on it. A bridge is valuable, but so is the trader whose business has collapsed because of the cost of transportation. A coastal road may be strategically important, but what does it mean to a family that cannot afford three meals a day?
A government cannot measure its entire performance by the number of construction sites it can point to while millions of citizens struggle to survive.
The real question is not how many projects have been announced or where construction equipment has been deployed. The question is how many of those projects have been completed, how many are operational, what benefits they deliver and whether the ordinary Nigerian can genuinely feel the impact of governance.
A construction site is not a completed project. Breaking ground is not the same as delivering infrastructure. Awarding a contract is not equivalent to fulfilling a public responsibility.
Nigerians deserve more than ceremonies, billboards, photographs and repeated announcements.
What happened to the Buhari administration’s project delivery model?
Another question that deserves attention is why a ruling political party that has enjoyed the privilege of governing Nigeria since 2015 appears to have made the construction-site argument such a dominant campaign message in 2026.
For comparison, Nigerians can recall how former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration presented infrastructure projects as part of its achievements, including the Abuja-Kaduna railway, Itakpe-Warri railway and Lagos-Ibadan railway.
The Abuja-Kaduna railway was commissioned in 2016, the Itakpe-Warri railway in 2020, while the Lagos-Ibadan standard-gauge railway was commissioned for commercial operations in June 2021. The Second Niger Bridge, another major infrastructure project, was also completed under the Buhari administration and opened to traffic in December 2022.
There were also road projects, including sections of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, federal roads across the six geopolitical zones and agricultural infrastructure programmes.
These achievements were not without controversies, delays, inherited-project complications or criticisms. Nevertheless, they provided Nigerians with identifiable projects whose progress and delivery could be assessed.
It is important to acknowledge that not all these projects originated under Buhari. Some were inherited from previous administrations, while others were completed through successive government efforts. That, however, reinforces an important point: governments should be judged by their ability to continue, complete and deliver projects rather than merely announce them.
The Buhari administration also had its own economic difficulties. The naira depreciated during his tenure, and Nigerians experienced inflation and other hardships. Therefore, no previous administration should be presented as flawless.
But the argument here is that infrastructure achievements must be demonstrated through completed and functioning projects, not merely the declaration that the entire country is under construction.
Why should a political campaign in 2026 rely so heavily on the announcement of construction activities without providing a comprehensive account of what has actually been delivered?
The people are paying the price
What makes the construction-site campaign message particularly troubling is the economic environment in which it is being promoted.
Across the country, households are struggling with the cost of food, transportation, accommodation, education and healthcare. Small businesses are battling operating costs, while many young Nigerians are confronted with unemployment and uncertainty about their future.
Parents who once managed to provide reasonably for their children now find themselves making difficult choices between essential household needs.
The ordinary worker is worried about the purchasing power of his salary. The market woman is concerned about the cost of replacing her goods. The farmer is worried about insecurity, transportation costs and access to affordable agricultural inputs.
These are not abstract economic statistics. They are human experiences.
Therefore, when a politician stands before an impoverished crowd and celebrates Nigeria as a construction site, he must be prepared to answer the more important question: What has the construction done for the people whose votes he is seeking?
Are the people not being slapped in the face and then boastfully told that they can do nothing about their circumstances?
That is the impression created when political officeholders celebrate their achievements without acknowledging the difficulties experienced by those they govern.
Is political power now an entitlement?
Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the political atmosphere is the impression that some political actors have developed an entitlement mentality towards public office.
Having governed for more than three years and approaching the fourth year of the present administration, they appear to believe that another term should naturally follow, regardless of whether citizens are satisfied with their performance.
But who says political power belongs to an incumbent political party?
Who says that a ruling party has an automatic right to another four years?
Who says that an opposition candidate must be considered unworthy simply because the candidate challenges an established political structure?
The Constitution does not establish democracy as an entitlement scheme for political parties. It provides for the participation of eligible citizens and the expression of their political choices through elections.
A second term is not a reward that incumbents can award themselves. It is a decision that belongs to the electorate.
The same principle applies to governorship elections. No candidate should be considered entitled to occupy a state government house merely because of political connections, federal influence, financial resources or the strength of a ruling party’s machinery.
The people must decide.
The ballot must be stronger than the courtroom
This brings us to the most important issue confronting Nigeria as preparations for the 2027 general elections gather momentum.
Like Abanikanda Olumoro in his recent articles and The DEFENDER in its recent editorial, I join the growing call for the protection of the people’s electoral mandate.
The people are the owners of electoral power. They exercise that power through the ballot, and the ballot must be protected.
Voters must be protected before, during and after elections. Their votes must count, and the actual winner must emerge from the ballot.
The courtroom should not become a substitute for the polling station.
Of course, the judiciary has a constitutional responsibility to adjudicate genuine electoral disputes. Election petitions are legitimate instruments of democratic accountability. However, the courts should not become the preferred destination for political actors who cannot convincingly demonstrate victory at the ballot.
The strongest evidence of popularity is the willingness of the electorate to vote for a candidate in a free, fair, transparent and credible election.
Political parties must therefore demonstrate their popularity through persuasion, performance and public acceptance, not intimidation, coercion or manipulation.
Equally troubling are allegations and concerns about the collection of sensitive personal information, including National Identification Numbers (NIN), Bank Verification Numbers (BVN), Permanent Voter Card (PVC) numbers and bank account details, under circumstances that raise questions about possible electoral manipulation.
Such concerns must be properly investigated. Nigerians’ personal information must never become an instrument for compromising the integrity of the electoral process.
The relevant authorities must ensure that the voters’ register is credible, secure and free from fictitious identities, unlawful manipulation and unauthorised access to personal information.
Nigeria needs development, not political theatre
There is no argument against infrastructure development. Nigeria needs more roads, bridges, railways, hospitals, schools, electricity projects and other essential facilities.
But development must be measured by its impact on human lives.
A country cannot claim meaningful progress when its people are struggling to afford food, when businesses are collapsing, when insecurity threatens livelihoods and when young people increasingly question whether their country offers them a future.
The purpose of government is not to create construction sites for campaign photographs. It is to build a nation where citizens can live with dignity, security and reasonable economic comfort.
Therefore, whoever wants Nigerians to accept the construction-site narrative as sufficient justification for another electoral mandate must be prepared to answer questions about completed projects, economic performance, citizens’ welfare and the overall direction of the country.
The 2027 elections must not become a contest of who has the biggest political machinery, the deepest financial resources or the strongest connections within government.
They must be a contest of ideas, performance, credibility and the people’s freely expressed choices.
Ultimately, no political party owns Nigeria. No incumbent owns the electorate. No candidate owns a state.
The people own the mandate.
And if those seeking their votes genuinely believe that Nigeria is now a construction site, they should allow Nigerians to decide at the ballot whether that construction is building a better country for them or merely providing another campaign slogan for those who want to remain in power.
In a democracy, the people’s votes must speak louder than political propaganda. The ballot must be protected, the voters must be protected, and the true winner must emerge from the ballot.
