‘Vote Them Out, Don’t Insult Them’ — Sultan Advises Nigerians Ahead of 2027 Elections
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has advised Nigerians who are dissatisfied with the performance of their leaders to use their votes to remove them in the 2027 general elections instead of resorting to insults on social media.
The Sultan, who is also the President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, NSCIA, gave the advice in Abuja when he received an 11-member delegation of the Council of the Wise of the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development led by former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola.
He said Nigerians have the constitutional right to vote out any leader whose performance does not meet expectations, adding that citizens should support leaders while in office, pray for them and offer constructive criticism when necessary.
“Insults don’t make things change but go and vote him out because you have that right to vote. The President is doing the right thing, pray for him, and if he is doing wrong, draw him back. The President must listen as a leader,” the Sultan said.
He warned politicians and their supporters against inflammatory statements and violence, stressing that political disagreements should not be allowed to degenerate into crisis, noting that war does not help anyone and peace remains critical to national development.
The monarch also cautioned against spreading false information on social media, recalling his earlier description of social media as a terrorist organisation because of the damage caused by fake news.
He clarified that his concern was about those who deliberately create and circulate false stories they cannot defend, not legitimate engagement.
The Sultan urged Nigerians to participate actively in deciding who leads them and to engage in responsible political discourse, adding that he was not afraid to speak the truth and encouraged others to do the same without fear or favour.
Earlier, Justice Ariwoola said the Council of the Wise, which was reconstituted by the Savannah Centre in June 2026, was established to contribute to peaceful, free, fair and credible elections.
He said the Council has been engaging stakeholders ahead of the 2027 polls and sought the Sultan’s support in appealing to political parties and candidates to ensure campaigns are devoid of rancour, hate speech, inflammatory statements and violence.
Ariwoola urged political parties to abide by their constitutions and codes of conduct and called on candidates and their supporters to comply with electoral laws and guidelines issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, while focusing their campaigns on issues affecting Nigerians.
