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Nigeria’s former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, has cautioned that limiting social media access before the 2027 elections might hinder the flow of information.
Dalung made the comments on News Central’s tv programme, Breakfast Central, on Thursday, saying that attempts to restrict social media before the 2027 elections could undermine access to information and create conditions for electoral malpractice.
His comments came after the Accord Party’s Ademola Adeleke won the Osun governorship election, defeating the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Oyebamiji.
The election has renewed attention on the role of social media, campaign strategies and voter mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Dalung said social media had played “a fundamental role” in the Osun election and warned that efforts to control the platform could become a major issue ahead of 2027.
According to the former minister, any attempt by the government to restrict social media ahead of the 2027 elections would amount to suppressing citizens’ access to information.
“And therefore, if they go for the social media, of course, that will be taking it too far,” he said.
“Because we will have government officially legislating anarchy, because the resistance of the people to it and the shutting down of information will also embolden criminals to now operate under the cover of that regulated social media,” he added.
He also criticised politicians who fail to participate fully in election-related activities, citing the signing of a peace accord.
“In fact, some of them may, out of sense of entitlement, may not even show up for campaign at all, just like they have demonstrated in the signing of this peace accord,” he said.
Dalung alleged that political actors could instead focus on strategies designed to suppress voter participation.
“They will only just be operating underground on how they will improve the technical glitch security, how they will also use violence to create voter apathy, how they are going to produce more branded breads to distribute to Nigeria,” he said.
He also urged Nigerians to judge incumbents primarily by their record in office.
