NRM’s Esther Okereke Unveils Key Priorities Ahead Of 2027 Presidential Election

The National Rescue Movement (NRM) presidential candidate, Esther Okereke, has disclosed plans to address Nigeria’s electricity crisis, insecurity, corruption and economic challenges if elected as president in 2027.

Okereke, who is a Nollywood actress and humanitarian, said her political ambition was inspired by years of working with vulnerable Nigerians, including widows, orphans and persons living with disabilities.

She rejected the idea that she was simply a celebrity candidate, defending her political credentials and stating that her grassroots experience had given her firsthand knowledge of the problems facing ordinary Nigerians.

I’m not just an actor. “I would say that I am a humanitarian in politics. I found foundations for widows, orphans, and the disabled. “I’ve run my foundations single-handedly without any support from anywhere,” she said.

She said she was a “grassroots candidate,” and her proposed policies were captured under the six-pillar ESTHER Agenda, which she referred to as a “people’s manifesto.”

The agenda includes economic development, energy, education, security, social and sustainable development, technology transformation, transparency, housing and health.

On electricity, she said her administration would prioritize the end of the power crisis through deployment of renewable energy and decentralized power generation.

She proposed a goal of 25,000 megawatts within her first 100 days in office, saying better electricity would also help to uncover and solve other problems, including insecurity.

“First is to take out the darkness in the system because when you take out the darkness, you can see. Next, you secure the system with security. Fix electricity. Remove the darkness so you can see the security issues, and fix them. We have 100 days to get to 25,000 megawatts. It’s very possible,” she said.

Corruption and personal interests were big hurdles in fixing the power sector and officials who failed to deliver on agreed targets should be replaced, she said.

On Nigeria’s debt burden and revenue problems, the NRM candidate suggested getting rid of what she described as redundant parastatals, agencies and ministries.

She said funds recovered from such restructuring and the recovery of public resources would be plowed back into the economy.

“First thing we will cut off lots of parastatals that are redundant, fake parastatals, fake agencies, fake ministries, lots of these ghost organizations. We cut them off then we go for recovery. “ she said.

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The recovery of public funds, she stated, would be part of the “R” of her ESTHER Agenda.

Okereke also suggested increased funding for security agencies and community policing as part of her strategy for tackling insecurity.

She said that if residents who know the land in their neighborhoods were trained and properly equipped, they would be in a better position to help protect them.

Finance our security. Community policing is very important. “Let the people who know the terrain protect their forest, let them protect their community,” she said.

The training and deployment of community police could be done in six months, she said, with the right expertise and support.

Corruption, Okereke said, is a major obstacle to solving Nigeria’s security and economic problems and pledged to make its elimination a priority.

‘Corruption within the system and that is something we do not take for granted in NRM. It’s our motto. Corruption kills everything; it ruins everything in a system. So that we will tackle corruption first, because that is the main problem we have,” she said.

She also called for increased investment in human capital, lamenting the loss of talented professionals and workers to other countries.

She called for investment in Nigerians and better opportunities to reverse the loss of skilled manpower.

Okereke said she expected her strongest backing to come from grassroots communities, where she believes her experience has given her a clear understanding of the problems facing Nigerians.

We have people that do have the interest and the love of the grassroots, love for people. Now, this is me coming at it from this grassroots angle, because I feel what they feel, I see what they see. At least I’d know where to start from. Basic amenities are not a luxury, these are basic rights of the citizens,” she told.

She also pointed to her work in hospitality, real estate, investments, construction and agriculture to make up for her lack of traditional government experience.

I have run businesses in different sectors, and that is the way Nigeria is. We have the power sector, we have the finance sector, we have the housing sector, we have the agricultural sector which I have invested in, run and managed,” she said.

Okereke said good leadership, he argued, ultimately depends on the ability to make hard decisions for the benefit of citizens.

“You only have to want to,” she insisted.