2027: Women can lead Nigeria, says presidential hopeful Esther Okereke

The presidential candidate of the National Rescue Movement, Esther Okereke, has called on Nigerians to give a woman a chance to lead the country. She believes that years of male leadership have not brought the needed change.

Mrs Okereke said people should not judge her based only on her gender. Instead, they should look at her "blueprint, a plan and a framework" for governing Nigeria.

She shared her thoughts on Wednesday during an appearance on Sunrise Daily, a program on Channels Television. She discussed her campaign for the 2027 presidential election.

Mrs Okereke mentioned that some people have asked if a woman can really lead Nigeria. She replied by asking why Nigerians should stick with male leaders.

"Do you think a man who has failed for over 20 years should continue? If you don’t think so, then give this woman a chance," she said.

Nigeria has never had a woman president. The 2027 election will mostly feature men, with only two women among the 18 presidential candidates approved by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Mrs Okereke is representing the NRM, while Ada Okwori is the National Democratic Party’s candidate. They will run against candidates like President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.

"By the way, I’m not here for gender politics. I’m here with accountability. I’m here with a blueprint, a plan, a framework to rescue," she said.

Energy first

Mrs Okereke sees electricity as one of the first issues she would tackle if elected. She believes that poor power supply hurts businesses, technology use, and the economy.

She pointed out that small and medium-sized businesses often lose customers due to power cuts and the high costs of generators.

She added that reliable electricity is necessary for Nigeria to fully embrace technology and smart monitoring systems.

Tackling insecurity

The NRM candidate also highlighted insecurity as a major concern. She said it stops Nigerians living abroad from coming back to invest in the country.

"I have lots of friends that want to come back home to invest, not as charity, but as partners, for us to build Nigeria," she said.

"But when you tackle the insecurity, you would have lots of people coming home, you know, peacefully."

Mrs Okereke also criticized the habit of fixing roads just before political leaders visit. She believes infrastructure should be maintained regularly, not just to impress visitors.

"If you have decided to go into public office, just have it at the back of your mind that you’re a servant. You’re here to serve the people, and that’s how it should be," she said.

Grassroots partnership

Mrs Okereke said her campaign is focused on grassroots support. She argued that citizens should be seen as partners in governance, not just voters.

"You don’t just need the grassroots for votes. You need them for partnership," she said.

"After the election, you need to answer questions from them. You need to give them updates."

She mentioned that her proposed governance framework would focus on areas like housing and healthcare, especially for people at the grassroots.