Ezekwesili Warns Nigerians: “2027 Election Talk Is Too Early

Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has criticised Nigeria’s political class, accusing some politicians of displaying patriotism only while holding public office and becoming self-serving after leaving government.

According to Ireporter Online, Ezekwesili made the remarks during an interview on Arise Television’s ‘Prime Time’, where she expressed concern over the state of governance and the repeated focus on elections as a solution to the country’s challenges.

The former minister argued that politicians in office often reject criticism of their performance and portray those who question their policies as enemies of the nation.

Ezekwesili, who founded the School of Politics, Policy, and Governance, also expressed concern about what she described as the declining value placed on human dignity and life as Nigeria continues to move from one electoral cycle to another.

She maintained that Nigerians should not make the 2027 general election their primary concern at this stage, urging citizens to pay closer attention to the country’s present condition and demand better governance.

According to her, the continued deterioration of the Nigerian state should be a source of concern, particularly when citizens appear to place too much faith in elections without addressing deeper governance challenges.

Ezekwesili urged Nigerians to begin putting their own interests at the centre of political decisions and to demand accountability from those entrusted with public office.

She argued that citizens should not assume that conducting another election alone would automatically resolve the country’s problems, stressing the need for Nigerians to become more deliberate about defending their rights, dignity and interests.

The former minister said the country had experienced significant institutional and social decline over the years and called on Nigerians to reject complacency and take greater responsibility for demanding meaningful change.