2027: Make Your Manifestos Known, Ehime Mbano Group Tells Political Candidates
Photo: Sir. Dom Ekeigwe, National Coordinator and founder Ehime Mbano First Movement
By Everest Ezihe, Ehime Mbano
As political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections, a socio-political organisation, Ehime Mbano First Movement, has called on political parties and candidates seeking elective positions in Ehime Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State to openly present their manifestos and programmes to the electorate.
The group, in a statement endorsed by its Founder and Coordinator, Sir. Dom Ekeigwe, said the era when political candidates emerged without adequate consultation with the people should end.
Ekeigwe said the movement would insist that candidates seeking the mandate of the people make themselves known, engage the electorate and subject their programmes and records to public scrutiny.
He said, “Enough is enough. Days are gone when political candidates seeking the representative mandates of the people are not known by the people and the people’s inputs are not considered.
“Never again should the people of Ehime Mbano be taken for granted in determining those that will represent them. It can never be business as usual where one or two men will determine the people’s political interest or fate.
“They have to come to us for consultations and discussions. We must know them and they should know us, despite political party affiliation. We are not interested in political parties; we are only interested in individuals’ integrity and pedigree as well as patriotism, compassion and doggedness.”
According to him, the Movement would support candidates based on their perceived commitment to quality representation, accountability and the interests of the people.
“Definitely, we will only vote those we know, those who genuinely believe in the power of the people and can be guaranteed of their quality representation,” he stated, adding that the Movement has members across the political wards in the Council Area.
Ekeigwe, who hails from Umueleke community of the council area, described Ehime Mbano First Movement as a vanguard for promoting political discipline and responsible leadership in the area.
He said one of the objectives of the Movement is to advocate for free, fair and credible elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), so that, according to him, persons with integrity and commitment to public service would have the opportunity to emerge as political leaders.
“The people of Ehime Mbano have gone through a lot politically. We have suffered so much and we have had series of sleepless nights of political activities, but at the end of the day, we gained nothing,” he said.
He explained that the experiences informed the establishment of the Movement as a grassroots-oriented socio-political platform committed to demanding accountability from elected representatives.
“All to be elected political leaders from the area should be accountable to the people and carry the people along as it concerns their activities in government,” Ekeigwe added.
He further called for inclusive and participatory governance, insisting that elected representatives should periodically account to their constituents.
“It is no longer business as usual. As an elected leader of the people, you should from time to time render accounts of your stewardship and run an inclusive and participatory governance. We are no longer ready to accept political blank cheques. Never again should we be taking for granted by people aspiring to represent us, we need servant leaders” he said.
Ekeigwe said the Movement was prepared to support credible individuals whose programmes and conduct align with what he described as the collective aspirations of the people of Ehime Mbano.
He maintained that the name “Ehime Mbano First Movement” reflected the group’s emphasis on putting the interests of the council area and its people at the centre of sociopolitical engagements.
“The electorate should be the boss, while elected political leaders are merely civil servants entrusted to serve the people. Having received the people’s mandates, they are duty-bound to demonstrate capacity, accountability, prudence, patriotism and respect for the people,” he said.
Ekeigwe further described the Movement as a platform seeking greater scrutiny of political candidates and stronger citizen participation in the electoral process.
He said candidates seeking elective offices should as a matter of necessity and democratic respect engage with the Movement and the wider electorate to present their programmes and positions for public consideration.
According to him, his decision to establish the organisation for over a year now was also influenced by his personal political experiences, having contested for the State House of Assembly constituency seat on three occasions, as well as his observations of political and developmental practices in other communities.
He urged the people of Ehime Mbano to reject what he described as excessive money politics and instead pay greater attention to integrity, accountability and developmental programmes.
Ekeigwe said infrastructural development, improvement on the welfare of the people as well as transformation of the council area remained central to what he described as the generational aspirations of the Ehime Mbano First Movement.
He also appealed to the electorate to support the Movement’s call for greater citizen participation, saying its establishment was aimed at protecting the interests of the people and reducing the influence of what he observed as political godfathers whom he also accused of placing personal interests above those of the people.
