The Social Democratic Party, SDP, in Niger State has questioned Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago's decision to commence his 2027 re-election campaign amid reports that hundreds of residents abducted by bandits are still being held captive across the state.
The party said the governor should prioritise efforts to secure the release of the victims, arguing that residents facing persistent insecurity deserve answers about their safety before another election campaign.
In a statement issued in Minna on Friday, the spokesperson for the SDP governorship campaign council, Hon. Jonathan Vatsa, described the timing of the governor's campaign flag-off as insensitive to families whose relatives remain in captivity.
Vatsa, a former Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, urged Bago to suspend his re-election campaign until abducted residents were rescued and reunited with their families.
He claimed that more than 500 people, including women, children and men, were still being held by bandits in different parts of the state.
Giving a breakdown, Vatsa listed about 500 worshippers reportedly abducted during Friday Jummat prayers in Dakera community, Borgu Local Government Area, 16 Islamic students allegedly kidnapped from Maikujere in Rafi Local Government Area on October 30, 2026, and 47 women reportedly abducted from their farms in Mariga Local Government Area.
He alleged that about 30 of the worshippers abducted from Dakera had died in captivity, while the remaining victims were still being held by their captors.
The SDP spokesperson also raised concerns over the alleged abduction of a girl identified as Aisha from Lavun Local Government Area, who he claimed was kidnapped while returning from Kontagora after collecting her certificate.
According to him, the girl could be forced into marriage with one of her captors because her parents could not afford the ransom demanded for her release.
Vatsa said the cases listed by the party might not represent the full number of residents being held by armed groups across Niger State, adding that several other abductions might have gone unreported.
He questioned how the government could seek another mandate without adequately addressing the security situation confronting communities, insisting that the protection of lives and property remained its primary responsibility.
The opposition spokesperson also accused the governor of failing to visit communities affected by attacks to sympathise with victims and their families, despite the reported killings, abductions and displacement.
He particularly questioned the decision to schedule campaign activities in communities affected by banditry, arguing that residents needed the governor's presence during their moments of distress.
"When the people needed you as their leader for protection, you were not there for them. The question is, what are you going to tell them?" Vatsa asked.
He further criticised what he described as abandoned projects and a lack of visible achievements by the state government, attributing the extensive use of campaign banners to an attempt to draw attention to the administration's re-election bid.
The SDP spokesperson maintained that the governor should be judged by his record in office, particularly his handling of insecurity and other challenges affecting residents.
Efforts to reach the Niger State Commissioner for Information, Hon. Obed Nuhu Nana, for the government's response to the allegations were unsuccessful, as calls placed to his telephone line were not answered as of the time of filing this report.
2027: SDP questions Bago’s re-election bid amid mass abductions