Yesufu noted that extreme poverty often limits a person’s ability to focus on political arguments or policy debates.
By Kehinde Okeowo
Activist and social media influencer Aisha Yesufu has urged opposition leaders, including Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar, to adopt practical campaign strategies that resonate with Nigerians struggling with hunger, noting that extreme poverty often limits a person’s ability to focus on political arguments or policy debates.
She shared this advice on Thursday via a post on her X (formerly Twitter) page, directed at opposition figures aiming to unseat President Bola Tinubu.
According to Yesufu, the opposition must focus on addressing the economic hardship faced by many electors ahead of the 2027 elections.
She argued that widespread poverty has made many Nigerians more concerned with immediate survival than political messaging.
In her view, citizens have been “deliberately impoverished,” with money taken from their pockets while the cost of food continues to rise, making small material gestures more significant to voters.
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She suggested a dual-track approach, such as giving hungry people bread featuring the candidates’ pictures and handing policy documents with their images to those who require policies.
Yesufu also emphasised that opposition parties must communicate in a language that reflects the voters’ daily struggles.
Speaking via her verified handle, she said: “Citizens were deliberately impoverished, money was taken away from their pockets, and food was made expensive so that little tokens would matter to them.
”As we approach the 2027 election, the opposition must campaign to the people in a language they understand. For those who need bread, give them bread with your picture on it. For those who need policies, give them policy documents with your picture on it.
”A hungry man or woman cannot reason; they just want the rumbling in their tummy to stop.”
