A video of primary school pupils chanting “Mummy, Daddy, vote for APC” while receiving school bags has sparked reactions online, with many Nigerians questioning the use of children for political purposes.
The clip, which surfaced on social media on Tuesday, showed pupils in uniform lined up during a bag distribution event. They were led to chant the slogan before collecting the bags branded with party colors.
“According to posts online, the event took place in a public primary school. The pupils were seen holding bags and chanting repeatedly as adults cheered them on,” a user who shared the video wrote.
The video has drawn criticism from educators, parents and civil society groups. Many said involving children in partisan politics violates child protection laws and the National Policy on Education.
“According to a statement by a child rights advocate, schools should remain neutral grounds. Using pupils to campaign for any political party is wrong and sets a bad example,” the advocate said.
Other commenters, however, defended the gesture, saying politicians have always supported schools with materials and that the chanting was voluntary.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, have previously warned against using schools for political campaigns outside the election period.
As of press time, the name of the school, state, and organizers of the event have not been officially confirmed. Neither the APC nor the Ministry of Education has released a statement on the video.
In a related development, the Child Rights Act prohibits subjecting children to political activities that may affect their welfare or education.
Meanwhile, education stakeholders have called on school authorities, parents and political actors to protect pupils from partisan activities and ensure learning environments remain apolitical.
Leave a Reply