Political stakeholders and civil society organisations in Ebonyi State have urged voters to look beyond political manifestos, slogans and personalities and critically examine the competence, capacity, policy proposals and track records of candidates ahead of the 2027 general election.
Key Highlights
- Ebonyi stakeholders urge voters to scrutinise candidates’ competence, policies and track records ahead of the 2027 election.
- The call was made at a democratic dialogue in Abakaliki organised by CMDI and the NUJ Correspondents’ Chapel.
- Stakeholders want electoral discussions to shift from campaign slogans to measurable policy commitments.
- INEC urges registered voters to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and verify electoral information.
- Voters are cautioned against fake news, misinformation and electoral violence.
- Representatives of several political parties participated, while the APC and its candidates did not attend the dialogue.
- PDP representatives questioned the absence of APC from the event, with the party’s comments attributed to its state publicity secretary.
The stakeholders made the call on Tuesday in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, during a democratic dialogue organised by the Centre for Media and Dialogue Initiative (CMDI) in collaboration with the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ebonyi State Council.
The dialogue was held under the theme, “Beyond the Manifesto: Ebonyi 2027 Election and the People’s Interrogation of Next Leadership.”
CMDI Urges Ebonyi Voters To Look Beyond Manifestos
Programme Director of CMDI, Eze Chikodiri Igwe, said the essence of the dialogue was to provide a credible, respectful and non-partisan platform where candidates could explain their programmes while citizens, journalists and other stakeholders interrogated their policy choices and capacity to deliver.
Igwe said democracy required more than campaign promises, stressing that voters should demand clear explanations about how proposed policies would be implemented, the resources required and the mechanisms for measuring performance and holding elected officials accountable.
“A manifesto tells us what a candidate promises. Democracy, however, requires us to go further and ask: What is the problem? What is the proposed solution? How will it be delivered? What resources will it require?”
He said voters should also ask what priorities would guide candidates’ decisions, how their performance would be measured and what mechanisms would ensure accountability.
According to Igwe, the initiative was not designed to endorse any candidate or political party but to move electoral discourse from political promises to public policy, slogans to substance, personalities to capacity, and campaign rhetoric to measurable commitments.
He added that voters had the right to ask questions, candidates had the responsibility to provide answers, while the media had a duty to interrogate claims and provide citizens with credible information to enable informed choices.
Stakeholders Seek Issue-Based Campaigns In Ebonyi
Igwe said the ultimate objective was to promote a better-informed electorate and a more substantive electoral conversation ahead of the 2027 elections.
“We are not here to tell Ebonyi what choice to make. We are here to strengthen the quality of the questions that must precede that choice,” he said.
He maintained that elections were not merely about choosing who would occupy public office, but also about deciding who would be entrusted with the hopes, resources, security and future of the people.
The dialogue is part of a broader push for issue-based political discussions in Ebonyi ahead of the 2027 elections. Contemporary reports from the event similarly said organisers wanted voters to demand measurable and accountable plans from candidates.
NUJ: Media Must Interrogate Candidates’ Programmes
Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the NUJ in Ebonyi State, Uchenna Inya, said journalists had a responsibility to set the agenda for public discourse and ensure that voters were adequately informed about candidates and their programmes.
Inya said the media must question candidates about what they intended to offer the people, how they planned to implement their policies and the mechanisms they would use to address critical sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, security and the economy.
He stressed that journalists were not partisan actors in the electoral process but professional stakeholders whose responsibility was to report issues accurately and provide citizens with information needed to make informed choices.
“Our duty is to keep the public informed, educated and focused on a people-centred agenda,” Inya said.
He added that the media would continue to report electoral issues based on facts while advocating a peaceful, free and credible electoral process.
Inya also urged political actors and their supporters to shun violence and allow voters to freely exercise their democratic rights.
INEC Urges Voters To Collect PVCs, Reject Fake News
Representing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the event, Mrs Esther Idam described citizens as critical stakeholders in the electoral process and urged registered voters to collect their Permanent Voter Cards ahead of the elections.
Idam also cautioned voters and political actors against misinformation and fake news, urging citizens to verify information before sharing it on social media platforms.
She warned youths against allowing themselves to be used to perpetrate electoral violence, stressing that a peaceful environment was essential for credible participation.
According to her, voters should familiarise themselves with their designated polling units and comply with electoral guidelines rather than resort to confrontation when difficulties arise.
She further emphasised the need for political parties, candidates, agents and voters to understand the rules governing accreditation, voting and the collation process.
The INEC representative reiterated the commission’s commitment to an inclusive electoral process, noting that women, youths and persons living with disabilities were important participants in the democratic process.
She assured participants that the commission would provide a level playing field for candidates in the general election.
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Political Parties Participate In Ebonyi 2027 Dialogue
The dialogue attracted candidates and representatives of various political parties, including the Labour Party, African Democratic Congress (ADC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), New Nigeria Congress (NDC), All Reformers Movement (ARM) and others.
Participants discussed the quality of leadership required in Ebonyi State and the expectations of voters ahead of the 2027 elections.
Candidates at the event were also questioned by journalists on their programmes, policy priorities, capacity to deliver and understanding of voters’ expectations.
However, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidates did not participate in the dialogue.
PDP Questions APC Absence From Dialogue
Chairman of the PDP in Ebonyi State, Chief Chukwuma Igwe, represented by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Comrade Darlington Onwe, questioned the absence of the APC and its candidates from the event.
Onwe said the APC had been duly notified about the dialogue and questioned why neither the governor nor a representative attended.
He noted that other political figures who could not attend personally had sent representatives to participate in the programme.
“APC deliberately avoided this dialogue and they were duly notified,” Onwe said.
He further alleged that the APC had avoided debates and similar activities ahead of the 2027 election. Those comments represent the PDP’s position and are not presented as an independent finding.
The dialogue organisers, however, maintained that the initiative was designed as a non-partisan platform to improve the quality of electoral discourse rather than promote any candidate or party.
Stakeholders Call For Informed Voting Ahead Of 2027
Participants at the dialogue were given opportunities to ask questions and seek clarification from political candidates, electoral officials and other stakeholders on voter participation, electoral procedures, accountability and the delivery of campaign promises.
The discussions reinforced calls for voters to examine candidates’ programmes, policy proposals, capacity and records before making electoral choices.
With political activities building ahead of the 2027 Ebonyi election, stakeholders at the forum said informed participation, responsible media coverage, peaceful engagement and accountability should remain central to the electoral process.
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