Patriots Raise Alarm Over Insecurity, Poverty Ahead of 2027 Elections

 

By oluwaseyi fadoro 

The Patriots, a non-partisan group of elder statesmen and prominent Nigerians led by Emeka Anyaoku, have expressed deep concern over the worsening insecurity, rising poverty, and the state of Nigeria’s political system ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In a communiqué issued after their meeting in Lagos on Thursday, the group lamented the continued killings, kidnappings, and displacement of communities by bandits across several parts of the country, particularly in the North-East, North-West, North-Central, and recently the South-West regions.

According to the group, the growing number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the inability of many farmers to access their farmlands pose a serious threat to national food security.

The Patriots urged the Federal Government to treat insecurity as a “national security, governance and economic survival crisis,” and called for the establishment of a special committee to advise government on practical measures to tackle the situation.

While acknowledging recent economic reforms introduced by the Federal Government, the group expressed concern over the persistently high level of poverty in the country, especially in rural communities. Citing figures from the National Bureau of Statistics, the communiqué noted that about 63 per cent of Nigerians remain multidimensionally poor.

The group also renewed its call for the restructuring of Nigeria’s governance system through the adoption of a new democratic constitution produced by representatives elected specifically for that purpose on a non-party basis.

The Patriots argued that the current system, derived from the 1999 Constitution, was imposed by the military and has failed to adequately address the nation’s challenges.

Referring to the 2027 elections, the group criticised the absence of ideology-driven politics among political parties, noting that frequent defections by elected officials had reinforced public perception that political parties merely serve as platforms for acquiring power and public office.

The group urged political parties to focus their campaigns on issues rather than personal attacks and called on Nigerians to support candidates and parties committed to restructuring the country’s governance framework.

The communiqué further warned that the international community would closely monitor the conduct of the 2027 elections, urging the Federal Government, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and other relevant authorities to ensure a credible electoral process.

The Patriots also condemned the rising cost of contesting elections, saying it was shutting out many credible Nigerians from political participation and leadership opportunities.

They called on political parties to become more value-driven and to reject money politics, which they said continues to undermine democracy in Nigeria.