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2027 and beyond: A call for informed choices

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By Tony Edemenaha

 

As Nigeria grapples with the weight of its economic woes, security challenges, and rising ethnic tensions, the looming 2027 elections present a critical juncture for the nation’s future. With a public debt of N121trn and a staggering 96 per cent of 2024 revenues dedicated to debt servicing, Nigerians must rethink their electoral choices and demand a new kind of leadership.

The current state of affairs is a stark reminder that power truly belongs to the people. It is time for us to break free from the shackles of divisive voting patterns that have long plagued our democracy.

We must reject the propagation of rogue leadership based on petty alliances rooted in ethnic, religious, and political affiliations. Instead, we should prioritise informed electoral choices that demand transparency, accountability, and competence.

As we approach the 2027 elections, it is crucial that we thoroughly interrogate the candidates’ integrity, policies, and verifiable track record. We must not be seduced by false rhetoric or grandiose promises.

Instead, we should demand concrete answers to pressing questions: What tangible solutions will they offer to tackle our economic woes? How will they address the security challenges that have ravaged our communities? What policies will they implement to foster unity and promote national development?

The future of Nigeria is at stake, and the choices we make in 2027 will determine the trajectory of our nation’s progress. It is time for a paradigm shift – a shift towards a Nigeria that values merit, competence, and integrity. A Nigeria that prioritises the well-being of its citizens, promotes national unity, and ensures transparency and accountability in governance.

We need leaders who will prioritise the nation’s interests over personal or sectional gains. Leaders who will drive economic growth, reduce poverty, and promote national unity. Leaders who will be accountable to the people and transparent in their actions.

To achieve this, we must be vigilant and critical in our assessment of candidates. We must look beyond party affiliations and ethnic loyalties. We must demand a new kind of politics that prioritises the common good over individual interests.

Informed choices are crucial in shaping the future of our nation. We must not be swayed by emotions or misinformation. Instead, we should base our decisions on facts and evidence. We should demand concrete plans and policies from our leaders.

This requires a critical examination of the candidates’ proposals and track records. We must assess their ability to deliver on their promises and their commitment to the nation’s interests.

As citizens, we have a collective responsibility to ensure that our leaders are accountable to us. We must demand better leadership and hold them responsible for their actions. We must prioritise the nation’s interests over personal or sectional gains.

We can achieve this by being active participants in the electoral process. We must register to vote, turn out to vote, and demand transparency in the electoral process.

As Nigerians, we have a unique opportunity to shape the future of our nation. Let us rise to the challenge and demand a new kind of leadership.

A leadership that prioritises merit, competence, and integrity. A leadership that promotes national unity and ensures transparency and accountability in governance.

Let us seize this opportunity to make a difference. Let us demand better leadership and hold our leaders accountable. The time for change is now.

The path forward requires a collective effort. We must work together to build a brighter future for Nigeria. A future that is free from poverty, insecurity, and division. A future that values merit, competence, and integrity.

We can achieve this by prioritising education, economic growth, and national unity. We must invest in our human capital, promote entrepreneurship, and foster a culture of innovation.

The 2027 elections present a critical opportunity for us to shape the future of our nation. Let us seize this opportunity and demand better leadership. Let us prioritise the well-being of our citizens, promote national unity, and ensure transparency and accountability in governance.

Together, we can build a brighter future for Nigeria. A future that is free from poverty, insecurity, and division. A future that values merit, competence, and integrity. The time for change is now.

 

*Tony Edemenaha, a poet and social commentator, writes from Asaba

Photo of Baliks Sulainon Baliks Sulainon Send an email
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Baliks Sulainon

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RIVERS PEOPLE, BEWARE OF DISTANT VOICES: A RESPONSE TO PROF. FEMI OTUBANJO I read with considerable concern the recent commentary by Professor Femi Otubanjo on Arise TV (Thursday, 28 May 2026), in which he sought to lecture the people of Rivers State on the supposed dangers of the political realignment around the Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Barr. Nyesom Wike, CON. With all due respect to the Professor’s academic standing, his intervention compels a firm reply- both for the record and for the protection of our state from the steady traffic of distant commentary that increasingly seeks to dictate what Rivers people should think, feel, and do. The Question No One is Asking: Let me begin with the question that polite analysis has avoided: what exactly is the business of an Abuja-based academic in the internal political affairs of Rivers State? Rivers is not short of analysts, elders, traditional rulers, professionals, and statesmen who have lived through the dynamics being discussed. We do not require imported interpretation of our own history. When commentators from outside our state appoint themselves the conscience of our politics, I see it as a subtle insult and we are entitled to ask, courteously but firmly: on whose behalf, and to what end? Every state in this country has its share of unresolved questions. We have not heard Rivers analysts setting themselves up as the moral compass of other regions. That restraint is called respect. We expect the same in return. The Wike Record is a Record, Not a Rumour: The framing that Barr. Nyesom Wike is somehow “imposing” himself on Rivers politics is an insult to the intelligence of every Rivers person. The Honourable Minister served this state as Governor for eight consecutive years. He transformed our capital, expanded our institutions, exposed our professionals — myself included — to advanced strategic training, and projected the name of Rivers State onto the national stage with a force we had not previously known. Today, his stewardship of the FCT has earned national acclaim and brought honour to every Rivers son and daughter. A man of that record is not an “external force.” He is the architect of the political structure under discussion. To treat him as an intruder is to rewrite recent history in plain daylight. On the Misnamed “Sidelining”: Professor Otubanjo speaks of the “ousting” of a sitting Governor as if it were a spontaneous act of malice. With respect, this framing skips over everything that matters. The fracture in Rivers did not begin with the current realignment; it began with a documented pattern of governance failures that the constitutional institutions of our state have been compelled to address — failures we Rivers people lived through, in real time, while distant commentators were silent or oblivious. To skip over the substance and arrive at “sympathy for the underdog” is not analysis. It is editorial. The Sympathy Vote Theory Has Already Been Tested: The Professor suggests that Rivers voters may revolt in sympathy. This is the kind of armchair hypothesis that sounds clever in a television studio but collapses on contact with reality. The FCT Area Council results, the orderly emergence of candidates across our APC primaries- governorship, National Assembly, State Assembly — and the visible consolidation of the political base in Rivers all tell a different story. The data does not support the Professor’s prediction. Rivers people have already spoken with their feet. A Pattern We Must Recognise: I am compelled to draw the attention of my fellow Rivers people to something larger than a single television interview. There is a discernible pattern of voices, conveniently located outside Rivers, who have suddenly developed a passionate interest in our internal affairs. Some are sincere. Many are not. The question every discerning Rivers person must ask is: why now, why these voices, and who benefits when our unity is unsettled? This is the season in which a state’s future is decided. It is also the season in which interlopers and saboteurs find their loudest voices. We have seen this script before, in other states, and we have seen what happens to states that allow themselves to be steered from outside. A Call to Rivers People: My fellow Rivers people, the future of our state must be authored by us, for us. Let us not be distracted, divided, or directed by voices that have no stake in our soil. Let us close ranks behind the leadership that has delivered for us, time and time again the leadership of Barr. Nyesom Wike, whose record speaks even when his critics shout. Let us support the candidates he has helped present, from the governorship down to every House of Assembly seat. This is not blind followership. It is informed loyalty rooted in evidence, history, and lived experience. To do otherwise to allow distant analysts to lecture us into doubt is to surrender our agency at the precise moment when it matters most. Rivers State is too rich, too strategic, and too proud to be a chessboard on which others move pieces. Conclusion: I make these observations as an elder of Rivers State and as a citizen exercising my fundamental right to speak on matters affecting my people. I will not be intimidated into silence by the academic gowns of distant commentators, and I urge every Rivers person of conscience to refuse the same. We are mature enough, sophisticated enough, and politically aware enough to think for ourselves. The Honourable Minister of the FCT has earned our loyalty through years of demonstrated commitment. The 2027 election is ours to win, not anyone else’s to predict. Let Rivers people stand together, alert, united, and unmoved by the noise from outside. Dr. George C. Nwaeke, FCA, mni Former Head of Service, Rivers State

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