Popular Nollywood actress and filmmaker, Esther Okereke, has emerged as the presidential candidate of the National Rescue Movement (NRM) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Naija News reports that Okereke clinched the party’s ticket on Friday after defeating former Labour Party presidential aspirant, Joseph Faduri, and UK-based businessman, Ademola Onigbokun, during the NRM presidential primary in Abuja.
Her emergence makes her one of the few female politicians to secure a presidential ticket in Nigeria’s democratic history as political parties intensify preparations for the 2027 elections.
Okereke is expected to join other opposition candidates seeking to challenge President Bola Tinubu in what is already shaping up to be a fiercely contested race.
While presenting her as the party’s flag bearer, NRM National Chairman, Chinedu Obi, stated that the party was committed to providing Nigerians with leadership capable of tackling the nation’s economic and security problems.
According to Obi, Nigeria urgently needs purposeful and visionary leadership, stressing that the party’s mission is centred on a national rescue agenda.
“For years, global reports repeatedly described Nigeria as the poverty capital of the world, a title no nation should wear with comfort and no leadership should accept with resignation,” he said.
The NRM chairman also expressed concern over the plight of Nigerians affected by insecurity, including victims of kidnapping, terrorism, banditry, insurgency, and communal clashes.
“We remember our fellow citizens presently held captive in kidnappers’ dens, uncertain of what tomorrow may bring. We remember families displaced by terrorism, banditry, insurgency and communal conflicts, many of whom remain in Internally Displaced Persons camps across our country,” Obi added.
He described the presidential primary as more than an ordinary political gathering, saying it marked the beginning of a renewed effort to provide Nigerians with a better leadership direction.
According to him, the NRM believes Nigeria can still function effectively under the right leadership.
“Today, as we elect the presidential flag bearer of our party for the 2027 election, it is not just one of those gatherings of politicians. It is a march towards providing visionary and proactive leadership for a nation in dire need of rescue and proving that Nigeria can work again,” he stated.
Obi added that the party would continue to focus on major national issues such as poverty, insecurity, unemployment, and the rising cost of living.
In her acceptance speech, Okereke described her nomination as a call to national service rather than personal ambition.
“I accept this nomination not for personal glory but as a sacred assignment. I accept it as a call to service because of my belief that Nigeria shall rise and work again,” she said.
The actress explained that her decision to accept the ticket was motivated by concern over the hardship many Nigerians are currently facing.
She painted a worrying picture of the country’s socio-economic situation, highlighting issues such as poverty, unemployment, insecurity, failing businesses, and worsening living conditions.
“Our nation is bleeding. Millions of our people are trapped in pain, poverty, fear and uncertainty,” Okereke said.
She further lamented the state of the economy, saying, “Families sleep in darkness in a nation overflowing with energy resources. Graduates roam the streets without jobs. Businesses collapse under the weight of economic hardship.”
Despite what she described as a “systemic failure,” Okereke maintained that Nigeria still has the potential to recover through hope, unity, and responsible leadership.
According to her, “Beyond the suffering, there is restoration, hope and a greater Nigerian future waiting to emerge.”