2027: Obi of Onitsha urges Igbos’ to shake off historical apathy towards elections

By EMMANUEL NDUKUBA, Awka

Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, the Obi of Onitsha has urged Igbos to shake off historical apathy towards elections, a wake up call ahead of 2027 general election.

Igwe Achebe made the call on Friday in Onitsha, Anambra State at the Ofala 2026 in his Royal message on “Celebrating 500+Years of the Onitsha Monarchy”.

The monarch speaking on Ofala theme for 2026 “The theme for this year’s Ofala is “Igba mbo, Iga n’iru: Strive and Advance. This is sequel to the previous themes”, said the South East cannot stay away from elections and turn around to complain of marginalization.

“In Democracy, all votes count. Therefore, we must come out and vote for our candidates,” he said.

According to him, the national elections are barely three months away. Expectedly, the attention of the political class has increasingly turned to political positioning, and away from governance.

“Democratic elections are opportunities for the electorate to select the candidates that would deliver the best governance.

“It is, therefore, imperative for non-partisan stakeholder groups, including the traditional and religious institutions, town unions, and the civil society organizations, to intensify their advocacy, mobilization and enlightenment for free and fair elections.

“Also, the political parties must abhor violence and engage in healthy, issues-based campaigns to enable the electorate make the right choices,” he added.

Speaking further on the state of the nation, Igwe Achebe, stressed his 2024 Ofala address that he remarked the previous twelve months ahead of the 2027 elections were marked by uncertainties following the general elections.

“I noted that the wellbeing of the polity has declined even more steeply in 2014. Unfortunately, the hardship has further deepened by 2025 thereby throwing more people below the poverty line.

“I referred to the World Bank development update on Nigeria that stated that some 104 million people had become classified as poor in 2023. The situation was worsened by unending insecurity in most parts of the country. I then called on the government to make urgent provisions for the poorest in our society,” he affirmed.

Igwe Achebe also noted the visit on July 28, 2026 by the leadership of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria to Mr. President and raised the persistent issues of national security and severe economic plight of the majority of our citizens.

“Unfortunately, some government officials politicized the visit by claiming that the bishops spoke only for their congregation. The officials asserted that all was well in the country.

“But truth be told, the issues raised transcend political, religious and ethnic partisanship. Hunger, unemployment, poor and inaccessible medical service, insecurity, and such other inadequate factors of human development are pervading in the country. We plead with Mr. President to give urgent attention to the dire situation on the ground,” he stated

..Laments hunger, unemployment and insecurity, calls for provisions of amenities for the poorest

By EMMANUEL NDUKUBA, Awka

Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, the Obi of Onitsha has urged Igbos to shake off historical apathy towards elections, a wake up call ahead of 2027 general election.

Igwe Achebe made the call on Friday in Onitsha, Anambra State at the Ofala 2026 in his Royal message on “Celebrating 500+Years of the Onitsha Monarchy”.

The monarch speaking on Ofala theme for 2026 “The theme for this year’s Ofala is “Igba mbo, Iga n’iru: Strive and Advance. This is sequel to the previous themes”, said the South East cannot stay away from elections and turn around to complain of marginalization.

“In Democracy, all votes count. Therefore, we must come out and vote for our candidates,” he said.

According to him, the national elections are barely three months away. Expectedly, the attention of the political class has increasingly turned to political positioning, and away from governance.

“Democratic elections are opportunities for the electorate to select the candidates that would deliver the best governance.

“It is, therefore, imperative for non-partisan stakeholder groups, including the traditional and religious institutions, town unions, and the civil society organizations, to intensify their advocacy, mobilization and enlightenment for free and fair elections.

“Also, the political parties must abhor violence and engage in healthy, issues-based campaigns to enable the electorate make the right choices,” he added.

Speaking further on the state of the nation, Igwe Achebe, stressed his 2024 Ofala address that he remarked the previous twelve months ahead of the 2027 elections were marked by uncertainties following the general elections.

“I noted that the wellbeing of the polity has declined even more steeply in 2014. Unfortunately, the hardship has further deepened by 2025 thereby throwing more people below the poverty line.

“I referred to the World Bank development update on Nigeria that stated that some 104 million people had become classified as poor in 2023. The situation was worsened by unending insecurity in most parts of the country. I then called on the government to make urgent provisions for the poorest in our society,” he affirmed.

Igwe Achebe also noted the visit on July 28, 2026 by the leadership of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria to Mr. President and raised the persistent issues of national security and severe economic plight of the majority of our citizens.

“Unfortunately, some government officials politicized the visit by claiming that the bishops spoke only for their congregation. The officials asserted that all was well in the country.

“But truth be told, the issues raised transcend political, religious and ethnic partisanship. Hunger, unemployment, poor and inaccessible medical service, insecurity, and such other inadequate factors of human development are pervading in the country. We plead with Mr. President to give urgent attention to the dire situation on the ground,” he stated