Convener of the CountryFirst Movement, Prof. Chris Mustapha Nwaokobia Jnr, has called on Nigerian politicians preparing for the 2027 general elections to put the interest of the country above personal ambition.
In a statement made available to journalists, Nwaokobia said the nation requires “urgent redemptive surgical attention,” insisting that Nigeria’s political class must rise above individual interests to salvage the country.
“With the flurry of politicians indicating interest to run for the high office of President come 2027, and the incumbency of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Presidency, one would expect politicians to prioritize the call to put country before individual politics and ambition,” he said.
According to him, Nigeria under the current administration has fared poorly. “If we agree that Nigerians are poorer and hungrier today than before, if we agree that corruption under the present administration has become intractable and Olympic, and if we agree that except something drastic and urgent is done to save Nigeria now, we are all in trouble, then we must rise above ambition and put country first,” Nwaokobia stated.
The activist lamented what he described as “underwhelming and underperforming governance,” stressing that 2027 must not be about fragmented opposition candidacies but about building consensus around a formidable alternative.
“We must call out those seeking the high office of President come 2027. We must insist that they come together, that they work together, and that they all elect to support and work with the most formidable candidate that can trounce Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the polls. We must berth a ballot-based people’s revolution, not a bullet-based one,” he said.
Nwaokobia also called on Nigerians to resist those who exploit ethnic, religious, and regional divisions for political gain.
“Do not allow those who prey on our fault lines to determine what happens in 2027. Do not side with men and women of ambition whose conscience is dead to our collective humanity. The power of the people is stronger and mightier than the power of those in power,” he said.
He noted that his intervention will be the first in a series examining potential 2027 presidential aspirants, their politics, passion, ambition, and character.
“This is a clarion call to countrymen and women. We must rise up and challenge for the soul of our country. The present challenge is about Nigeria, not just politics. Together, we can decide on the best person for the high office of President,” Nwaokobia added.
