GUSAU — Concerns over the exploitation of vulnerable children for political activities have been raised in Zamfara State following reports that street children identified as Almajirai were seen carrying and waving All Progressives Congress (APC) flags during political mobilisation on the streets.
The development has sparked questions about the use of children, particularly vulnerable out-of-school children, in partisan political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The reports come against the backdrop of intensified APC mobilisation in Zamfara. On September 2, 2026, thousands of APC supporters participated in a solidarity march through Gusau following the appointment of former Governor Abdul’aziz Yari as Director-General of the Tinubu/Shettima 2027 Presidential Campaign Council. Participants carried APC flags, banners and placards in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the party.
However, the reported appearance of street children among those displaying APC flags raises a different and more disturbing question: should vulnerable children be recruited or deployed as instruments of political mobilisation?
If the children were deliberately mobilised for the campaign, child-rights advocates would be justified in demanding an explanation from the organisers and relevant authorities. Children living on the streets are among the most vulnerable members of society and should ordinarily be receiving protection, education, healthcare and rehabilitation—not being used as political campaign props.
The issue is particularly sensitive in Zamfara, a state that continues to face severe insecurity, displacement, poverty and disruption of livelihoods. The state’s own 2026 budget documents recognise the vulnerability of children, including provisions for child protection and vulnerable children, as well as an Almajiri Digital Village programme across the state’s 14 local government areas.
The contradiction is therefore difficult to ignore: if government and political actors acknowledge the vulnerability of Almajirai and street children, why are some of them apparently being seen on the streets carrying party flags instead of being protected and returned to education?
Political parties have a constitutional right to campaign and mobilise supporters. But that right should not extend to exploiting children who may have little capacity to understand, consent to or independently participate in partisan politics.
The development also raises questions for the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), the National Human Rights Commission, Zamfara State authorities and child-protection agencies. They should establish whether the children were voluntarily present, whether they were recruited or transported for the event, and whether any inducement was offered.
The APC has publicly intensified its 2027 mobilisation in Zamfara. Governor Dauda Lawal’s administration has also endorsed the party’s presidential campaign structure, while Senator Yari’s appointment as campaign council Director-General has become a major focus of APC activities in the state.
But political mobilisation should not come at the expense of children’s rights.
The children of Zamfara need classrooms, food, security and a future—not political flags in their hands.
