By Emmanuel Bello
Election campaigns should be a contest of ideas, policies and competing visions for the future. They offer candidates an opportunity to explain their manifestos, present workable solutions to public concerns and convince voters why they deserve the mandate to lead.
Unfortunately, much of the opposition’s campaign in Taraba State has been dominated by complaints, accusations and personal attacks rather than clear policy alternatives. In their determination to discredit Governor Agbu Kefas, some opposition candidates have spent more time criticising the incumbent than explaining what they would do differently.
The question Tarabans should be asking is simple: beyond their criticism of the present administration, what exactly are the opposition candidates offering?
Campaigns should not be reduced to a competition in insults, blame and fault-finding. They should be an opportunity to demonstrate preparedness for leadership. Voters deserve to know what candidates intend to do about security, education, employment, workers’ welfare, infrastructure and economic development. They deserve more than catchy slogans and familiar accusations.
In recent weeks, however, the opposition’s public engagements have raised questions about the depth of its policy proposals. One candidate, when asked during a television interview what he would do differently if elected, reportedly returned to the familiar business of blaming the incumbent. It was a missed opportunity to present a compelling alternative before a national audience.
That moment captured a wider problem with the opposition’s campaign: the emphasis has been on what it believes Governor Kefas has done wrong, with far less attention to what it proposes to do right.
Indeed, by making Governor Kefas the central subject of their campaign, his opponents risk giving him more visibility than they give themselves. They have yet to establish a sufficiently clear distinction between their promises and the administration’s ongoing development agenda.
Criticism is easy. Governing requires ideas, priorities and the capacity to deliver.
On security, for instance, Tarabans deserve specific proposals explaining how each candidate intends to strengthen existing security arrangements, protect vulnerable communities and improve cooperation among security agencies and local stakeholders. It is not enough to identify challenges. Candidates must explain how their proposed solutions would improve on existing efforts and produce measurable results.
Governor Kefas’s administration has made security a prominent part of its agenda. His supporters point to the importance of consolidating those efforts rather than abandoning existing measures without a credible alternative. The opposition must therefore do more than criticise the government’s record; it must explain how its own approach would make Taraba safer.
Education presents a similar test of seriousness. The opposition has an opportunity to explain how it would improve access to quality education, strengthen infrastructure, support teachers and prepare young people for a competitive economy. If its candidates believe the present administration has fallen short, they should identify the gaps and offer practical, costed and achievable solutions.
No responsible government can resolve every longstanding problem overnight. Taraba’s educational challenges have developed over many years and require sustained investment, institutional discipline and consistent policy implementation. The relevant question is not whether every problem has disappeared, but whether the government has a credible direction and whether its proposed alternatives offer a better path forward.
The same scrutiny should apply to workers’ welfare. Civil servants want to know whether an incoming administration would protect their interests, improve working conditions, strengthen pension administration and ensure the timely payment of entitlements. General promises are not enough. Workers deserve clear commitments backed by a realistic implementation plan.
Young people also deserve more than applause at political rallies. They need to know where the jobs will come from, how businesses will be supported, what opportunities exist for digital skills and entrepreneurship, and how government policies will help them turn their talents into sustainable livelihoods.
Students, likewise, should be presented with specific educational proposals. If opposition candidates intend to replace or improve on programmes introduced under Governor Kefas, they should explain what the new arrangements would entail, how they would be funded and what measurable benefits students and their families should expect.
These are not unreasonable demands. They are the basic questions voters should ask anyone seeking public office.
A serious campaign must be built on more than rhetoric. It requires policy documents, realistic targets, funding plans, implementation timelines and clear measures of accountability. Without these, even the most attractive promises remain untested claims.
The opposition has every right to challenge Governor Kefas. In a democracy, scrutiny is necessary, and no administration should be beyond criticism. But effective opposition requires more than identifying shortcomings. It must demonstrate the capacity to offer better solutions.
Unfortunately, much of the criticism directed at the governor has not been accompanied by sufficiently clear explanations of what the opposition would do differently. This has allowed the administration’s supporters to frame the contest around a straightforward question: if the alternatives are better, where are the details?
For Governor Kefas, the challenge is equally clear. His administration must continue to demonstrate progress, address legitimate concerns and ensure that the promises of its Moving Forward agenda translate into tangible improvements in people’s lives. No campaign slogan can substitute for results, and no incumbent should expect public support without continued accountability.
Yet elections also involve choices about direction, consistency and the credibility of competing plans. Voters must decide whether to continue with an agenda whose priorities they recognise or entrust the state to candidates whose proposed alternatives remain insufficiently defined.
For many supporters of Governor Kefas, the choice is about consolidating the administration’s efforts in security, education, infrastructure, workers’ welfare and youth development. They believe the state’s development ambitions require continuity, sustained attention and a commitment to building on existing initiatives.
The opposition can still change the conversation. It can publish its policy proposals, explain how they will be financed, set measurable targets and demonstrate how its plans would improve the lives of ordinary Tarabans. That would make the campaign more meaningful and give voters a genuine basis for comparison.
Until then, complaints alone will not amount to a convincing programme for government. Anger is not a development plan, accusations are not policy alternatives, and slogans cannot replace the hard work of leadership.
Ultimately, Tarabans deserve a campaign that respects their intelligence and takes their future seriously. They deserve candidates who can explain not only what they oppose, but also what they intend to build.
That is the standard by which every contender should be judged.
For Governor Agbu Kefas and his supporters, the task is to defend the Moving Forward agenda with evidence, acknowledge areas requiring improvement and demonstrate why continuity offers the most credible path to Taraba’s development.
The 2027 contest should therefore be about more than who can criticise the incumbent most loudly. It should be about who can present the clearest vision, the most credible policies and the strongest commitment to delivering results for the people of Taraba State.
Emmanuel Bello
Director, Media and Strategic Communications
Dr. Agbu Kefas Re-election Campaign Council
