2027: Anyaoku-led Patriots Raise Concerns Over Insecurity, Poverty

A non-partisan group of elder statesmen and prominent Nigerians, The Patriots, has expressed concern over worsening insecurity, rising poverty and the state of governance in the country ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In a communiqué issued after its meeting in Lagos yesterday, the group said Nigeria was facing serious security, economic and political challenges that require urgent national action.

The communiqué, signed by the chairman of the group, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, and the secretary-general, Olawale Okunniyi, lamented the persistent killings, kidnappings and displacement of communities across several parts of the country.

“We expressed our serious concern over the unabated killings, kidnappings, and the displacement of communities from their homes and ancestral lands by bandits in many parts of the country, especially in the North-East, North-West, and North-Central, and most recently in the South-West zones,” the group stated.

The Patriots noted that the growing number of internally displaced persons and the inability of many farmers to access their farmlands could worsen food insecurity nationwide.

“The Patriots noted with anguish that the number of people being driven into camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) has been growing and that more and more farmers are unable to go to their farms, thereby increasing the threat of serious food insecurity in the country,” the communiqué added.

The group called on the Federal Government to treat insecurity as a national emergency and set up a special committee to advise on measures to tackle the crisis.

“In the view of The Patriots, the Federal Government should now treat insecurity as a national security, governance, and economic survival crisis deserving of the establishment of a special committee to advise it on measures to address the different ramifications of the crisis,” it said.

While acknowledging ongoing economic reforms by the Federal Government, The Patriots said poverty remained widespread, particularly in rural communities.

“The Patriots, while acknowledging that the Federal Government has introduced reforms which are stabilising the economy and improving the macroeconomic prospects of the country, also expressed concern that the level of poverty affecting the masses, especially in rural areas, remains unacceptably high, with about 63 per cent of the population classified as multidimensionally poor, according to the National Bureau of Statistics,” the group stated.

The group reiterated its long-standing call for the restructuring of Nigeria’s governance system through the adoption of a new people-driven constitution.

“The Patriots reaffirmed their view that the myriad challenges facing Nigeria can only be effectively addressed by replacing the country’s present governing system, derived from the 1999 Constitution imposed on the country by the military regime, with a governance system derived from a new democratic people’s constitution,” the communiqué read.

The group also criticised the lack of ideology among political parties, warning that constant defections by politicians had weakened public confidence in the democratic process.

“With the approaching 2027 national elections, The Patriots decried the absence of ideologically driven politics among the country’s political parties, resulting in constant defections of elected representatives from one party to another,” it stated.

The Patriots urged political parties to focus on issue-based campaigns rather than personal attacks and called on Nigerians to support candidates committed to restructuring the country’s governance system.

“Finally, The Patriots called on the Nigerian electorate to vote in 2027 for candidates of political parties whose manifestoes contain a clear commitment to the restructuring of the country’s present governance system,” the communiqué added.

The group further warned that the international community would closely monitor the conduct of the 2027 elections.

“The Patriots concluded by stressing to the Federal Government, INEC, and all concerned at the state and local government levels that the international community will be watching and passing judgment on the entire conduct of the 2027 national elections,” it stated.

The Patriots also expressed concern over the high cost of political participation in Nigeria, saying it was shutting out credible citizens from leadership positions.

“The Patriots also expressed concern over the high cost of seeking public office and electoral participation, to the point of excluding a large section of credible Nigerians from political leadership in the country,” the group said.

It therefore urged political parties to embrace value-driven politics rather than money-driven campaigns.