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In an emotionally charged and historically resonant press conference in Abuja, the I-Vote Movement 2027 was officially launched on Thursday as a rallying cry for a new kind of political awakening in Nigeria. Driven by widespread national frustration, economic despair, and a deep yearning for responsible governance, leaders of The New Nigeria Movement and the newly formed electoral coalition declared the beginning of what they described as “a revolution of conscience.”

Speaking on behalf of The New Nigeria Movement, Ishaya Inuwa Durkwa issued a scathing critique of the current state of the nation and the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whom he accused of presiding over a collapsing economy and a betrayed population. He opened his address with a piercing question that now echoes across the country:

“Nigerians, are you better than you were two years ago?”

Describing the question as not just rhetorical, but “a stark, lived reality,” Durkwa said the answer is heartbreakingly clear for millions of citizens across the country:

“From the bustling arteries of Lagos to the tranquil villages of Lafia, the answer, tragically, is a resounding no.”

He said the promise of the “Renewed Hope” campaign has evaporated into hopelessness, with a suffering populace forced to endure rising prices, unaffordable living, and shattered aspirations. Since the return to democratic rule in 1999, Durkwa said, Nigeria has seen five different presidents promising change, only for each new administration to deliver more disappointment than the last.

“The very essence of democracy, upon which its foundations were laid in 1999, promised something profoundly transformative: a demonstrably better life… Instead, Nigerians have largely received a relentless succession of economic experiments, a recurring drama surrounding fuel subsidies that consistently ends in public pain, a notoriously fragile national currency, and a poverty rate that has ballooned to alarming and unprecedented levels.”

Durkwa supported his claims with historical and economic comparisons. He cited that in 1999, petrol was sold for about ₦11 per litre. Today, he lamented, that same litre costs over ₦700—a more than sixtyfold increase. In the same period, he noted, the naira has collapsed from ₦80 to the dollar to over ₦1,500, effectively wiping out savings and pushing inflation to unbearable heights.

“Inflation, a voracious and unseen predator, devours incomes with the efficiency of termites in a wooden hut… the latest figures for May 2025 indicate headline inflation hovering around 22.97%, with food inflation soaring above 40%. This means the cost of basic food items is increasing at an almost uncontrollable rate, eroding every gain.”

Even the increase in minimum wage from ₦3,000 in 1999 to ₦30,000 today has lost its meaning, he explained, because its value has been destroyed by galloping inflation. What was once enough to sustain a modest household now hardly pays for transport.

The poverty rate, he said, is the most brutal indicator of Nigeria’s failure to deliver on the democratic promise. Referring to the latest Multidimensional Poverty Index, he revealed:

“Over 133 million Nigerians, representing approximately 63% of the population, are now living in multidimensional poverty, lacking access to basic services and decent living standards.”

He decried the fact that an average family in Kogi or Kano that could feed with ₦5,000 in 2005 now needs more than ₦30,000—and even at that, the nutritional quality of the food has diminished.

Durkwa accused the Tinubu administration of worsening the crisis with unplanned and unshielded economic policies. He cited the simultaneous removal of the fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira as a double-blow that paralyzed households and businesses.

“Transport costs tripled. The price of a common loaf of bread skyrocketed. Many families were forced to pull children out of school. Markets emptied. Small businesses closed in droves. The economy, already bruised, began to fracture under the pressure.”

While the government continues to insist these reforms are necessary sacrifices for future prosperity, Durkwa questioned the logic and ethics behind such claims:

“Nigerians are profoundly tired of deferred dreams and promises of future abundance that never materialize. The pressing question remains: how long must the poor wait for the promised benefits, and how much more suffering can be endured?”

He offered a contrasting vision of what a “people-first” reform strategy should look like—one that puts social equity and community development at the centre, not elite comfort or foreign applause.

“Where the current approach removes subsidies without adequate cushioning, a people-oriented leadership would meticulously sequence reforms, implementing robust safety nets and palliative measures. Where the naira has been fully floated, a people-oriented leadership would carefully protect strategic sectors and essential commodities from volatile market forces.”

He warned that unless Nigeria consistently and genuinely puts its people first with visionary and selfless leaders, the country will remain trapped in a cycle of broken promises and poverty.

“Genuine change is not merely about new faces in power. It is about a focus on serving the people. The true measure of a nation’s progress lies not in its statistical achievements but in the tangible improvement of the lives of its most vulnerable citizens.”

The press conference climaxed with the launch of the I-Vote Movement 2027, described as a non-partisan, grassroots political mobilisation campaign. Addressing the media and stakeholders on the mission and strategy of the movement, Da Sam Odeh, National Leader of I-Vote, called the moment “a call to strategic action for national rebirth.”

“As Nigeria stands at a historic crossroads, it has become painfully evident that our democracy is under siege—not by foreign invaders, but by apathy, disillusionment, and compromised leadership.”

He explained that the I-Vote Movement 2027 is not endorsing any political party or candidate—yet—but rather laying the foundation for “a new electoral order—one driven by integrity, competence, and accountability.”

“This is not politics as usual. This is a strategic national mission.”

Odeh highlighted the dangerous state of the nation, listing insecurity, hunger, collapsed public trust, and massive youth unemployment as symptoms of a failed state. He pointed to the voter turnout in the 2023 general election—just 26.71% of registered voters—as an indictment of the entire political class and a dangerous sign of voter apathy.

“Out of over 93 million registered voters, barely 24 million votes were counted. This is unacceptable.”

Odeh described the I-Vote Movement as the response to this apathy:

“We are the bridge between online noise and polling unit action. We are the guardians of Nigeria’s 2027 destiny.”

He outlined a sweeping mobilisation strategy designed to reach deep into households, campuses, religious institutions, markets, and communities. With plans to mobilise 50 million voters and activate 10 million households, the movement seeks to transform civic frustration into coordinated electoral action.

“From our National Secretariat in Abuja, down to Polling Unit Teams in every LGA and ward, the I-Vote Movement is building a disciplined, decentralized, and determined network of citizens.”

He added that the 2023 elections exposed a lack of grassroots planning and defensive capacity against electoral fraud, something the movement is determined to correct:

“This movement is a correction and a prophetic rebirth. It is structured, spiritual, and strategic.”

In a passionate call to action, Odeh urged Nigerians across the spectrum—youths, students, mothers, faith leaders, market women, traditional rulers, and the diaspora—to take ownership of the democratic process:

“We are the generation that will not sell its birthright. We will not just vote, we will vote right. We will vote strategically. Let it be recorded in history that we rose in our time to salvage our democracy and secure our future.”

He concluded with a powerful message that captured the heart of the entire event:

“We must vote for security. We must vote for good leadership. We must vote for development. We must vote for Nigeria.”

With a rousing declaration of hope and resolve, the I-Vote Movement 2027 begins its march toward a new democratic era—one that its leaders believe will finally centre the welfare of the people, not the ambitions of the elite. Whether it can succeed where others have failed will be decided not by speeches or manifestos, but by the mobilisation and conviction of ordinary Nigerians come 2027.

StreetReporters.ng

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