— Says ethnic, religious appeals can turn neighbours into suspects
By Olayinka Ajayi
The Chairman of Channels Media Group, Dr John Momoh, has urged political parties and their supporters to avoid divisive rhetoric ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning that appeals to ethnicity and religion could deepen mistrust and threaten national unity.
Momoh said political disagreements should not be allowed to degenerate into hostility, stressing that opponents should not be portrayed as enemies of the country.
He spoke on Thursday while delivering the keynote address, titled Narratives That Build Nations in Diversity: Public Relations Leadership and the Future of Nigeria, at the 38th Dr Sam Epelle Gold Paper Lecture in Yola, Adamawa State.
The event also featured the unveiling of Governor Ahmadu Fintiri as patron of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).
Momoh said the approaching elections had heightened political competition, with parties building alliances, candidates making claims and supporters mobilising voters.
“Democracy needs vigorous debate. It needs disagreement, scrutiny and the freedom to challenge those who govern. But disagreement should not become permission to dehumanise. Political opponents are not enemies of the nation,” he said.
He warned that false allegations, manipulated videos and fabricated quotations could spread before those affected had an opportunity to respond, potentially hardening public opinion and fuelling divisions.
“A divisive appeal to ethnicity or religion can turn a neighbour into a suspect,” he said.
The media executive urged political leaders and other public figures to use their influence to calm tensions, reject language that could incite violence and correct false claims circulated by their supporters.
He said the responsibility for maintaining a healthy political environment extended beyond candidates and parties to citizens, the media and other public institutions.
Economic communication must reflect reality
On the economy, Momoh said public confidence in government policies depended on whether citizens could feel the benefits in their daily lives.
He noted that households continued to assess economic conditions through the cost of food, transportation, rent, school fees, electricity and healthcare.
While citing figures he attributed to the World Bank and the Central Bank of Nigeria, Momoh said economic indicators showing growth or easing inflation should be explained alongside the realities facing households.
He cited reported real GDP growth of 4.2 per cent in the first half of 2026 and a decline in year-on-year headline inflation to 14.63 per cent in September from 15.39 per cent in August.
Momoh cautioned that a decline in the inflation rate did not necessarily mean that prices had fallen, but could indicate that prices were rising more slowly.
“If an official says that inflation has eased, and a family hears that food is still more expensive, the family is not being unreasonable. The two statements can both be true,” he said.
He argued that effective public communication required government officials to explain economic developments honestly while continuing to address the impact of policies on citizens.
“Growth must mean more than a number. It must become decent jobs, dependable public services, wages that can support a household, opportunity for young people, and confidence that the effort to build a life is worthwhile,” he said.
Security requires public trust
On security, Momoh identified insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, communal conflicts and farmer-pastoralist tensions among the challenges confronting communities across the country.
He said insecurity in Adamawa and the wider North-East had disrupted homes, farming, education, livelihoods and family life.
Momoh urged the government to strengthen security agencies through improved intelligence, equipment, training and coordination, while ensuring that communities had confidence in the authorities.
“Behind every statistic is a person: a child who cannot attend school, a farmer afraid to return to a field, a family forced from its home, a community unable to reach a clinic. Their experience must not be reduced to a talking point in a political argument,” he said.
He added that effective security required more than operational responses, stressing the importance of prevention, justice and public cooperation.
“A government’s account of security will be judged by whether people can live, work, travel, learn and sleep without fear,” he said.
According to him, honest communication should acknowledge difficult realities, identify responsibility and explain what is being done to address the problems.
Momoh urges accountability in governance
The Channels Media Group chairman also called on political leaders to match their public statements and promises with tangible results.
He said citizens judged governments by their lived experiences rather than official announcements about reforms, development and improved services.
“When leaders promise a road, citizens watch to see whether it is built. When the government promises relief, people ask whether it reaches those who need it,” he said.
Momoh maintained that communication could not compensate for poorly designed policies or decisions taken without considering their consequences for the people.
He urged leaders to seek honest advice before making decisions, assess who would benefit or suffer from proposed policies and explain the trade-offs involved.
He also called for greater accountability, saying public officials should acknowledge delays, explain service failures and correct inaccurate claims rather than conceal mistakes.
“A leader’s willingness to repair a mistake can strengthen trust more than pretending the mistake never happened,” he said.
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