_...A thought-provoking statement on the power of voters to reshape Nigeria’s political landscape in 2027_
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Senatorial Candidate for Enugu East Senatorial Zone, Princess Ada Ogbu, has offered a pointed assessment of Nigeria’s economic situation and its possible implications for the 2027 general elections, arguing that the true measure of progress must be reflected in the daily experiences and purchasing power of ordinary Nigerians.
Ogbu spoke during an exclusive interview with AFIA TV on State of the Nation – Eastern Eye, where she was confronted with the question of whether the opposition faces a more difficult task in winning the presidency because it is challenging an incumbent administration.
In her response, the NDC candidate questioned the growing political attention surrounding opposition figures, particularly Peter Obi, and suggested that the intensity of the political contest was itself an indication that the 2027 election could be more competitive than anticipated.
“Why are they still afraid and struggling to win Osun by all means?” she asked, before questioning why there appeared to be heightened concern over Peter Obi’s political movements.
“Why are they jittering everywhere Peter Obi goes? Why are they chasing him up and down to every party he goes from one party to the other?”
According to Ogbu, the political developments should be viewed against the backdrop of the prevailing economic realities confronting Nigerians.
“The answer is not far-fetched,” she said. “It’s obvious that they already know that the 2027 election is not going to go towards the direction they wish.”
Ogbu argued that the economic difficulties Nigerians experienced during the 2023 election period had, in her assessment, become more severe, particularly in terms of purchasing power and household welfare.
“And besides, the economy was very bad in 2023, but now it’s worse,” she stated.
“It’s very bad that people’s purchasing power has drastically reduced. Economic lifestyle and people’s lifestyle have been eroded.”
She further described what she sees as a downward movement across Nigeria’s socioeconomic structure, saying the pressures of the economy have affected not only the poorest citizens but also the middle and upper classes.
“The middle classes are now the lower class, the lower classes are now below poverty lines, the upper classes have moved down,” she said. “Things are worse and they know that things are worse.”
For Ogbu, this economic reality could become an important factor in how Nigerians assess the performance of the government and make decisions at the polls.
The NDC candidate also spoke about the appeal of Peter Obi, attributing part of his attraction among Nigerians to his personal lifestyle and what she described as his preference for simple and practical solutions.
“Now, people are looking up to Peter Obi because he has that simple lifestyle,” Ogbu said. “He has that common-sense solution to everything that people want.”
She subsequently questioned why a ruling party that is confident of its political strength would be unsettled by the activities of opposition figures.
“Now, if the ruling party is so sagacious, why are they jittering?” she asked.
Her argument, she said, was about ensuring that all political actors are given a fair opportunity to compete.
“Why can’t they allow people to run for election?” she asked. “Why can’t they allow a level playing field and let people decide on whom to govern them?”
Ogbu also drew from her own political experience, recalling the period leading to the formation of the APC and the widespread desire for political change at the time.
“In 2013, 2014, when APC was being formed, I was on that side, and we wanted change after 15 years of PDP in power,” she recalled.
According to her, the political movement at the time was driven by dissatisfaction with the prevailing state of affairs and a desire for an alternative.
“We were fed up and things were not going well,” she said, describing the period as “a period of motion without movement.”
Ogbu believes that a similar feeling of dissatisfaction may be emerging again.
“And that’s exactly where we are again now,” she stated. “We haven’t moved as much as we should.”
She argued that the political mood of Nigerians today bears similarities to the mood that preceded the emergence of the APC as a major political force, maintaining that voters who previously demanded change could once again make their dissatisfaction known through the ballot box.
“The same way people were tired then is the same way people are tired now,” she said.
Looking ahead to the 2027 elections, Ogbu expressed the belief that the Nigerian electorate could ultimately determine the direction of the country irrespective of the advantages that come with incumbency.
“So it is definitely a different kettle of fish,” she said, adding that she believes voters will play a decisive role in determining the outcome of the next general election.
“I believe in this election, the electorates will push for the change that they know they need,” Ogbu declared.
She concluded with an appeal for voters to make their preferences clear at the polls, saying: “They should be desperate enough to say, ‘Enough is enough.’”
Her comments have added another voice to the growing political conversation ahead of 2027, particularly on the relationship between economic performance, public sentiment, incumbency and the ability of opposition forces to translate voter dissatisfaction into electoral change.