Actress Esther Okereke becomes Nigeria's NRM presidential candidate for 2027

Nollywood actress and film producer Esther Okereke has made history by emerging as the presidential candidate for Nigeria's National Rescue Movement (NRM) for the 2027 general election. She secured the party's ticket at the NRM National Convention and presidential primary held in Abuja on Friday, becoming the party's first-ever female presidential flag bearer. Okereke's candidacy marks a significant moment, as she is the first actress in Nigeria's history to vie for the nation's highest office.

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For years, global reports repeatedly described Nigeria as the poverty capital of the world, a title no nation should wear with comfort and no leadership should accept with resignation.

Her nomination places her among other prominent presidential candidates, including incumbent President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress, and Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress. The NRM also highlighted other women securing party tickets for the 2027 election, such as Anita Zugwai-Chukwu of the YPP and Ada Fredrick Okwori of the NDP. The party sees Okereke's nomination as a step towards providing the leadership needed to address Nigeria's deep-rooted economic and security challenges.

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We remember our fellow citizens presently held captive in kidnappers’ dens, uncertain of what tomorrow may bring. We remember families displaced by terrorism, banditry, insurgency and communal conflicts.

NRM National Chairman, Chinedu Obi, unveiled Okereke, emphasizing the party's commitment to "visionary leadership and decisive action." He pointed to global reports describing Nigeria as the "poverty capital of the world" and highlighted the ongoing insecurity, including kidnappings and displacement due to terrorism and banditry. Obi stated that the 2027 election offers a chance to "chart a new course for the nation" and provide "visionary and proactive leadership." In her acceptance speech, Okereke described her nomination as a "sacred assignment" and a call to national service, expressing her belief that "Nigeria shall rise and work again."

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Today, as we elect the presidential flag bearer of our party for the 2027 election, it is not just one of those gatherings of politicians. It is a march towards providing visionary and proactive leadership for a nation in dire need of rescue and proving that Nigeria can work again.