2027: Citizens Must Own Back Power to Hire, Fire Representatives– LP Presidential Candidate Okereke

Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Dr Chibuzor Okereke, has urged Nigerians to reclaim their democratic power by holding elected leaders accountable ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Okereke said the citizens must understand that sovereignty belongs to them and exercise their constitutional rights to determine who governs them.
Okereke, who stated this in an interview on Tuesday in Abuja, said that political parties must mobilise the citizens to take ownership of Nigeria’s democracy and strengthen democratic participation.
Okereke stressed that citizens’ collective power would surpass that of political officeholders if they remained organised and adequately informed about their rights.
“When we talk about sovereignty, it belongs to the people; it is not offered. It is a fundamental right that is enshrined, which must be exercised by the citizens. To exercise it, you need knowledge of that right.
“It is time for citizens to realise that the power of the people will always be greater than the people in power, only if the citizens are organised.
“Remember, the people in power are just a subset of a small group of the citizens; therefore, we must not allow the less of us to be in charge of all of us and still complain when we can all come together and make our democracy work.
“Every employee has reverential fear for his organisation and the chief executive. The people that were put in power must have reverential fear for the citizens.
“To achieve this, the citizens must own back the power to hire and fire. And that means our electoral process must have integrity,” he said.
Okereke added that electoral integrity required citizens’ active participation in protecting the electoral process and ensuring that their votes reflected their choices.
According to him, LP’s manifesto prioritised the welfare of Nigerians, adding that people-centred governance should guide infrastructure development, economic policies, budgeting and job creation.
“If we invest in our people, if we focus on our people, it will affect the design of our infrastructure. It will affect the design of our economic policies. It will affect even our budgeting system.
“Budget has a face; it has a character. When you look at a budget, you will know if it is designed to empower and improve the well-being of the people. So across all policy value chains, across all sectors, there is a new thinking we are bringing on board.”
The presidential candidate said governance must address citizens’ needs rather than treat opposition voices as the only alternative perspectives deserving consideration in policymaking.
He noted that the party was well prepared to take over the reins of government come 2027, adding that Nigerians across political divides wanted governments that would improve their living conditions, create opportunities and promote economic prosperity.
Okereke described the Labour Party as the political platform of Nigerian workers, citing its links with the labour movement and organised labour.
He said workers’ welfare, including the payment of salaries, pensions and gratuities, remained central to its vision of governance.
Okereke expressed confidence that its people-focused policies could be extended nationally, citing improvements in workers’ welfare in Abia, governed by the party, as an example.
He added that improving citizens’ happiness and well-being would encourage innovation, productivity and sustainable national development.