THE Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, has raised the alarm over elected leaders shifting their focus to the 2027 general elections while millions of Nigerians continue to face hunger, poverty, and insecurity.
Speaking at the 2025 Ofala Festival in Onitsha, Anambra State, on Friday, October 17, the monarch criticised the political class for prioritising early election alliances over effective governance. He said the neglect worsened the country’s economic and social crises.
The monarch cautioned that abandoning governance for political ambition could worsen hardship and instability across the nation, adding that ordinary citizens suffered most as living costs continued to soar despite ongoing reforms.
”The attention of the political class has become literally diverted to the 2027 general elections. New alliances are being forged as political fortunes rise and fall. There is a distinct impression that these efforts are largely for self-preservation and material benefit.
“Ordinary Nigerians are paying the price of neglect as hardship deepens nationwide despite ongoing economic reforms. Our poverty rate has risen from 40 per cent in 2018 to 46 per cent in 2023, translating to about 104 million Nigerians now classified as poor, according to the World Bank Development Report on Nigeria”, he stated.
Achebe noted that the situation in the country remained dire, with persistent violence in many regions severely affecting the agricultural sector.
He acknowledged the Federal Government’s efforts to implement commendable macroeconomic stabilisation measures but urged the authorities to ensure transparency and fairness in distributing palliatives to vulnerable citizens. The monarch further advised that relief materials should reach the rightful beneficiaries directly and not be hindered by corruption or bureaucracy.
Addressing the challenges in the South-East, the monarch voiced concern over the growing insecurity and its damaging impact on the region’s economy, describing the recent conviction of Finland-based separatist agitator Simon Ekpa as a possible turning point.
Quoting an SBM Intelligence report titled Four Years of Disruption, he noted that the South-East had lost an estimated ₦7.6 trillion since 2021 due to insecurity and the sit-at-home orders.
Achebe said violence and kidnapping in the region continued to take new forms and expressed hope that Ekpa’s conviction would help reduce criminal activities. He urged Ndigbo to reflect deeply on the situation, warning that Nigeria and the rest of the world were moving ahead while the region lagged behind because of the actions of a few violent elements.
Speaking on the forthcoming Anambra governorship election scheduled for November 8, he appealed for peace, transparency, and active voter participation, expressing concern over the low turnout in the ongoing voter registration exercise.
Celebrating his 24th Ofala since becoming monarch in 2002, Achebe called on Nigerians to remain strong and united.
Fatimah Quadri is a Journalist and a Fact-checker at The ICIR. She has written news articles, fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy in an effort to combat information disorder.
She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or fquadri@icirnigeria.org