The presidential candidate of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), Esther Okereke, has urged Nigerians to give a woman a chance to lead the country, arguing that years of male-dominated leadership have failed to deliver the desired results.
Mrs Okereke said her candidacy should not be judged simply on gender, but on what she described as her “blueprint, a plan and a framework” for governing Nigeria.
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She made the remarks on Wednesday during an appearance on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme, while discussing her campaign ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Mrs Okereke said she had encountered people who questioned whether a woman could lead Nigeria.
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She said she responded by questioning why Nigerians should continue with male leadership.
“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 elected a woman as president. The 2027 election will again be contested predominantly by men, with only two women among the 18 presidential candidates cleared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
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Mrs Okereke represents the NRM, while Ada Okwori is the National Democratic Party’s presidential candidate.
The two women are seeking the presidency against candidates including 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 identified electricity as one of the first areas she would address if elected, arguing that unreliable power supply undermines businesses, technology adoption and economic activity.
She said small and medium-sized businesses often lose customers because of power failures and the cost of relying on generators and other alternatives.
She said reliable electricity is also necessary for the country to benefit fully from technology and smart monitoring systems.
Tackling insecurity
The NRM candidate also identified insecurity as another immediate priority, saying it discourages Nigerians living abroad from returning 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.”
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Mrs Okereke also criticised the practice of repairing roads shortly before political leaders visit, arguing that infrastructure should be maintained as part of normal governance rather than to impress visiting officials.
“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 built on a grassroots structure and argued that citizens should be treated as partners in governance, not merely 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 said her proposed governance framework would prioritise areas including housing and healthcare, particularly healthcare services for people at the grassroots.
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