Arise Television anchor Rufai Oseni has thrown down a challenge to Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, insisting that Nigerians deserve more than inspiring speeches and campaign promises as the 2027 presidential election approaches.
Reacting to Obi’s appearance on Channels Television on Sunday, Oseni argued that while many politicians have mastered the art of identifying Nigeria’s problems, very few are willing to explain exactly how they intend to solve them.
For the veteran broadcaster, that is where Obi’s interview fell short.
According to him, presidential hopefuls must move beyond broad declarations about fixing the economy, ending insecurity and improving governance, and instead present practical, detailed and workable policy frameworks that Nigerians can scrutinise.
“I didn’t see the how. We can’t run a country on vibes,” Oseni declared.
Oseni noted that with the 2027 presidential election only months away, voters should already be examining comprehensive manifestos rather than listening to repeated campaign rhetoric.
He argued that the political conversation should now be centred on implementation rather than ambition.
Instead of hearing candidates repeatedly promise what they intend to do, he said Nigerians should be hearing detailed explanations of how those promises would become reality.
According to him, elections should be contests of ideas, not personalities.
“If elections are in January, we’re already in August and we still haven’t seen a manifesto. We’re six months away.
“Candidates should stop telling Nigerians what they will do and start explaining how they intend to do it. We should be debating ideas, their practicality and whether they can actually work.”
The broadcaster also took aim at politicians who refuse to explain their plans by claiming they cannot disclose “operational details.”
Oseni described that argument as misleading.
He stressed that no one expects presidential candidates to reveal confidential security operations or classified government strategies.
Rather, he said Nigerians deserve to understand the broad methodology behind proposed policies.
Using insecurity as an example, Oseni questioned the recurring campaign promise to end violence without explaining the roadmap for achieving that objective.
“People keep saying they will fix insecurity. The question is simple, how?
“Nobody is asking candidates to reveal operational details. Operational details belong to those running day-to-day security operations.
“What Nigerians want are the overarching strategies and methodologies.”
Power Sector Remains the Ultimate Test
Oseni also challenged candidates to demonstrate deeper technical understanding of Nigeria’s electricity crisis.
He pointed out that although Nigeria has an installed generation capacity of about 13,000 megawatts, transmission constraints mean the country struggles to deliver much more than 5,000 megawatts to consumers.
According to him, these are the kinds of policy conversations Nigerians should be hearing from those seeking the nation’s highest office.
Would they invest heavily in transmission infrastructure?
Would they attract private capital?
Would they restructure the sector?
Would they introduce fresh financing models?
Those, Oseni argued, are the questions that separate campaign slogans from governance.
“These are the technical and methodological discussions Nigerians need to hear.
“In the power sector, what exactly will you do to increase electricity supply? Are you investing in transmission? Are you raising equity for infrastructure? Those are the important questions.”
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Oseni’s remarks add to the growing public demand for issue-based campaigns ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
With political parties gradually unveiling their candidates, attention is increasingly shifting from campaign rhetoric to policy substance, as many Nigerians continue to call for concrete solutions to the country’s economic, security and governance challenges.
For the Arise Television presenter, the era of winning elections on charisma and broad promises should give way to a contest built on detailed ideas, measurable policies and credible implementation plans.