The Patriots Raise Alarm Over Insecurity, Poverty Ahead of 2027 Elections

The Patriots Raise Alarm Over Insecurity, Poverty Ahead of 2027 Elections

A prominent Nigerian socio-political group, The Patriots, has expressed deep concern over the worsening state of insecurity, poverty, and governance challenges in the country, warning that the situation now threatens national survival.

In a communiqué issued after its meeting on Thursday in Lagos, the group led by Chief Emeka Anyaoku said Nigeria was witnessing increasing killings, kidnappings, and displacement of communities by bandits across several regions of the country.

The group specifically identified the North East, North West, North Central, and more recently the South West as areas heavily affected by insecurity, noting that the growing number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the inability of farmers to access their farmlands pose a serious threat to food security.

According to the communiqué signed by Anyaoku and the Secretary-General of the group, Veteran Olawale Okunniyi, the Federal Government should immediately treat insecurity as a national protection, governance, and economic survival crisis.

“The Federal Government should now treat insecurity as a national protection, governance and economic survival crisis deserving the setting up of a special committee to advise it on measures to be taken to deal with the different ramifications of the crisis,” the communiqué stated.

While acknowledging ongoing economic reforms introduced by the Federal Government, The Patriots said the level of poverty among Nigerians, particularly in rural communities, remains alarming.

The group cited figures from the National Bureau of Statistics indicating that about 63 per cent of Nigerians are multidimensionally poor.

The Patriots also renewed their longstanding call for the restructuring of Nigeria’s governance system through the adoption of a new democratic constitution produced by representatives elected by Nigerians on a non-party basis.

The group argued that the current 1999 Constitution was imposed by the military and has failed to adequately address the country’s numerous political and socio-economic challenges.

Referencing the national summit it convened in Abuja in July 2025, the group said participants from across the six geopolitical zones, including women, youths, and cultural organisations, strongly supported the call for a people-driven constitution.

Speaking on the approaching 2027 general elections, The Patriots lamented the absence of ideology-driven politics in the country, saying frequent defections by elected officials have weakened public confidence in political parties.

The group urged political parties to focus their campaigns on issues affecting Nigerians rather than engaging in personal attacks and political hostility.

It also called on Nigerians to vote only for candidates and political parties that are committed to restructuring the nation’s governance system.

The Patriots further warned electoral stakeholders, including the Federal Government, the Independent National Electoral Commission, state governments, and local government authorities, that the international community would closely monitor the conduct of the 2027 elections.

The group equally expressed concern over the rising financial cost of contesting elections in Nigeria, warning that money politics was gradually shutting out credible Nigerians from public leadership positions.

“The Patriots therefore called on political parties to be more value-driven rather than engage in money politics to the detriment of democracy in Nigeria,” the communiqué added.