2027: Group Launches ‘I-Vote Movement’ To Mobilise Nigerians For People-Centred Leadership

Ahead of the 2027 general elections, a group of concerned Nigerians on Thursday launched a movement named the I-Vote Movement 2027 to galvanise citizens, especially young people and women, towards building a new political consciousness and reclaiming Nigeria from the current leadership.

At a press conference held in Abuja on Thursday, the National Coordinator of the Movement, Comrade Ishaya Inuwa Darkwa, expressed his frustration over the high rate of poverty among Nigerians.

According to him, the promises made under the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration have largely translated into “hopelessness,” as economic realities continue to deteriorate for millions.

He criticised what he called “unplanned economic policies” that have worsened the living conditions of ordinary Nigerians, citing empirical data to back up his claims.

He said: “You will agree with me that our nation is at a standstill. Nothing is working at the moment and the Renewed Hope we were promised is now Hopeless

“Since the beginning of this year, a critical question has been resonating across Nigeria: “Am I better off today than I was yesterday?” For the vast majority of Nigerians, this is not a rhetorical exercise but a stark, lived reality, whispered in homes fractured by hunger and screamed in the silent desperation of stalled ambitions.

“From the bustling arteries of Lagos to the tranquil villages of Lafia, the answer, tragically, is a resounding no. Since the return to democratic governance in 1999, despite five presidents promising a brighter dawn, each new regime seems to bring less hope and more profound hardship.

“Instead, Nigerians have largely received a relentless succession of economic experiments, a recurring drama surrounding fuel subsidies that consistently ends in public pain, a notoriously fragile national currency, and a poverty rate that has ballooned to alarming and unprecedented levels.

“A litre of petrol that cost ₦11 in 1999 now sells for over ₦700. The naira, once at ₦80 to the dollar, now hovers around ₦1,528. Inflation is soaring above 22%, with food inflation crossing 40%. Over 133 million Nigerians live in multidimensional poverty. These are not just numbers; they are lived traumas”.

Darkwa lamented that the Tinubu-Shettima administration’s simultaneous removal of fuel subsidies and the floating of the naira without adequate safety nets triggered widespread economic pain: skyrocketing transport fares, school dropouts, closure of small businesses, and mass hunger.

He said the I-Vote Movement represents more than just another political campaign.

The movement, he explained, will activate its structures and grassroots networks to build an inclusive, intergenerational coalition focused on national rebirth. It will transcend party lines, ethnic identities, and elite interests.

Darkwa said the movement would prioritise local content development, social equity, and participatory governance while championing the interests of struggling families and marketplace traders—not just corporate boardrooms.

He urged Nigerian youths, women, and citizens of conscience to join the movement.

“The time has come for Nigeria to break free from the unending cycle of recycled promises and empty political slogans. The way forward demands more than cosmetic reforms; it requires a complete shift in how we approach leadership, governance, and nation-building. This is why the ADC Coalition is a welcome development—it presents a timely opportunity for collaboration toward a shared national vision.

“However, for it to be truly transformative, we must go beyond familiar faces and entrenched structures. The coalition must neutralise personalities and instead amplify a new generation of leaders—especially young people and women—across all party organs and strategic decision-making platforms.

“Our future must not be built around the politics of name recognition but around the passion, competence, and sincerity of those who are ready to rebuild this nation from the ground up.

“The Movement for a New Nigeria is not a campaign—it is a revolution of conscience. It is not powered by politicians, but by reformers—visionaries, grassroots organisers, policy thinkers, street educators, community mobilizers, and everyday Nigerians who are tired of waiting and ready to act.

“We will activate all our national structures to mobilise a people-driven movement unlike anything Nigeria has ever witnessed. This movement will transcend party lines and ethnic identities; it will be inclusive, intergenerational, and intentional. We will work with anyone—regardless of their background—who is genuinely committed to the transformation of our country.

“Our vision is simple but powerful: a Nigeria where leaders are accountable, where policies serve the people, and where every citizen—young, old, male, female—can live with dignity, opportunity, and hope.

“To the Nigerian youth, to every woman who bears the burden of a failing system, and to every man and woman of good conscience: this is your moment. This is your call to action. The dream of a prosperous Nigeria is not dead—it is just waiting for people like you to rise. We must refuse to be spectators in our own story. Let us link arms, lend our voices, and build a nation where our children can dream without fear”, he said.

Also speaking, Comrade Ibiang Limus, from the New Nigeria Initiative; Comrade Da Sam Odeli, the movement’s coordinator; and Prince Adebola Adekoya, the founder and Convener of the defunct Alliance For New Nigeria, called on the Nigerians to key into the movement’s objectives to wrestle from the current leadership of the country.