The National Rescue Movement (NRM) on Friday formally presented Dr Esther Nkem Okereke as its consensus presidential candidate for the 2027 general election, declaring its readiness to challenge and defeat both the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

At the party’s presidential primary held in Abuja, the NRM leadership described the emergence of Okereke as a reflection of its commitment to gender inclusion, youth empowerment, and a “national rescue mission” aimed at rebuilding Nigeria.

Addressing delegates at the convention, the National Chairman of the party, Prince Dr Chinedu Obi, said Nigeria was in dire need of visionary leadership capable of reversing insecurity, poverty, unemployment, and institutional collapse.

He said the convention represented more than a routine political gathering, describing it as a solemn national responsibility and a declaration that Nigeria can work again.

Obi lamented the state of insecurity across the country, noting that millions of Nigerians were trapped in poverty and uncertainty despite the nation’s abundant human and natural resources.

“We remember families displaced by terrorism, banditry, insurgency and communal conflicts. We remember unemployed graduates whose dreams have been postponed indefinitely. We remember struggling workers whose wages no longer sustain their families,” he said.

The NRM chairman insisted that the country’s crisis stemmed not from lack of resources but from “persistent failure to align leadership with national purpose.”

According to him, the NRM was founded as “a vehicle for national transformation anchored on social justice, constitutionalism, accountability and the rule of law.”

He said the party’s “Rescue Nigeria Blueprint” would focus on security reforms, economic revival, education, healthcare, women and youth empowerment, and institutional strengthening.

Obi also praised the party’s internal democratic process, noting that after a rigorous screening exercise, Okereke emerged as the only aspirant who met all constitutional and procedural requirements to contest the party’s presidential ticket.

“It gives me great pleasure to formally congratulate Dr. Esther Nkem Okereke, who has emerged from the screening process as the duly cleared presidential hopeful of the National Rescue Movement for the 2027 General Election,” he declared.

In her acceptance speech, Okereke described her nomination as a sacred assignment and vowed to lead a movement that would restore hope, competence, and integrity in governance.

“I accept this nomination not for personal glory. I accept it as a call to service because I believe with every breath in me that Nigeria shall rise and work again,” she said.

The NRM candidate painted a grim picture of the country, saying Nigeria was suffering from “systemic failure” driven by corruption, poor leadership, and lack of vision.

“Families sleep in darkness in a nation overflowing with energy resources. Graduates roam the streets without jobs. Farmers cannot go to their farms because of insecurity. Businesses collapse under the weight of economic hardship,” she stated.

Okereke unveiled what she called the “ESTHER Agenda,” a six-point framework she said would guide her administration if elected president in 2027.

The agenda focuses on Education, Energy and Economic Renaissance; Security, Social Welfare and Sustainable Development; Technology, Transparency and Transformation; Housing, Healthcare and Human Capital Development; Entrepreneurship and Employment Creation; as well as Restitution, Reorientation and Recovery.

She promised to declare emergency measures in education and power supply, modernise security institutions, digitise governance, expand healthcare access, and create jobs through entrepreneurship and industrial development.

“Our youths are not liabilities; they are Nigeria’s greatest strength,” she said, while urging Nigerians to reject ethnic and religious politics. “Vote not for tribe. Vote not for religion. Vote for competence. Vote for vision. Vote for integrity,” she added.

Okereke further described the NRM as a generational movement committed to dismantling “godfatherism” and opening up political participation for women and youths.

She said the party deliberately positioned women and young people as the primary drivers of national transformation.

Earlier, Chairman of the NRM Electoral Committee, Barrister Obidike Okolo, said the party was committed to building a governance model rooted in equity, accountability, and sustainable development.

He maintained that the NRM was determined to break away from the old political order by lowering financial barriers to politics and ensuring leadership was based on competence and character, not the size of one’s wallet.

“For too long, our political landscape has been dominated by a status quo that sidelines its greatest assets. Today, the NRM draws a line in the sand,” Okolo said.

The party leadership expressed confidence that the emergence of a female consensus candidate would energise Nigerians seeking an alternative political direction ahead of the 2027 elections. (Nigerian Tribune)