The Coalition of Registered Political Parties (CRPP) has urged political parties and governorship candidates in Ogun State to stop personal attacks and focus their campaigns on issues affecting the people ahead of the 2027 election.

National Coordinator of the coalition, Comrade Oginni Olaposi, made the call on Monday at a press conference in Abeokuta.

He stressed that campaigns should centre on candidates’ manifestos, programmes and plans for the development of the state.

Olaposi, who is also the National Secretary of the New Nigeria People’s Party, expressed disappointment over emphasis by some political actors on candidates’ ancestry, family backgrounds and indigeneity.

He said, “The personal attack on family issues and historical background of different political party gladiators and candidates is unacceptable. We condemn in totality that our campaign must be issue-based.”

According to him, voters should be presented with clear answers on how candidates intend to improve the lives of residents rather than being subjected to arguments over their genealogy or places of origin.

“What the Ogun State electorate is expecting from contestants is to tell us what they have in stock for Ogun State people,” he said, urging candidates to explain their plans for education, economic recovery, poverty reduction, youth empowerment and industrialisation.

Olaposi also challenged the contestants to explain how they would take advantage of Ogun’s proximity to Lagos to transform the state into a major economic and industrial hub.

“Tell us what you have done in the past. Tell us what you are going to do. Convince the electorate what you are ready to offer us in Ogun State,” he said.

The CRPP coordinator cautioned political actors against rhetoric capable of heightening tension and triggering violence during the electioneering period, urging parties to establish clear rules of engagement.

He said the coalition was not interested in debates over where individual candidates came from, stressing that the electorate should instead focus on what each contestant intended to offer the state.

"What Ogun State electorate are expecting is, how do you want to better their life?” Olaposi asked.

He further challenged candidates to explain how they would improve infrastructure, electricity supply and industrial development in the state, noting that such issues should form part of the basis for voters’ assessment.

“Those are the things that I think should concern us and be able to decide the indices to decide who governs Ogun State in 2027,” he said.

Olaposi described every governorship candidate as a potential governor and urged voters to examine their programmes while participating actively in the electoral process.

“There may be surprises. So we are talking here about what will bring peace and tranquillity to Ogun State. It's not about an individual,” he said.

He urged voters to come out and exercise their franchise, while maintaining that the credibility of elections depended not only on the electoral commission but also on the conduct of political parties and the electorate.