By: George Uchendu, Abakaliki
The Centre for Media and Dialogue Initiative (CMDI), in partnership with the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ebonyi State Council, has organised a media dialogue with candidates and representatives of various political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.Shop African Art
The dialogue, held on Monday in Abakaliki, was designed to provide a credible, respectful and non-partisan platform for candidates to explain their programmes and policy proposals to the electorate.
It had its theme, “Beyond the Manifesto: Ebonyi 2027 Election and the People’s Interrogation of Next Leadership.”
Speaking at the event, Programme Director of CMDI, Eze Chikodiri Igwe, said the initiative would enable citizens, the media and other stakeholders to interrogate candidates’ policy choices and their capacity to deliver on their promises.
Igwe said democracy required more than campaign promises, stressing that voters should demand clear explanations on how proposed policies would be implemented, the resources required and mechanisms for measuring performance and holding elected officials accountable.
“A manifesto tells us what a candidate promises. Democracy, however, requires us to go further and ask: What is the problem? What is the proposed solution? How will it be delivered? What resources will it require?
“What priorities will guide the choices? How will citizens measure performance? And what mechanisms will make leadership accountable to the people?” he asked.
He explained that the objective of the initiative was not to endorse any candidate or political party, but to shift electoral discourse “from political promises to public policy; from slogans to substance; from personalities to capacity; and from campaign rhetoric to measurable commitments.”
According to him, the electorate has the right to ask questions, candidates have a responsibility to provide answers, while the media has a duty to interrogate claims and provide citizens with credible information to enable them to make informed choices.
“Ultimately, the objective of this programme is to help create a better-informed electorate and a more substantive electoral conversation ahead of the 2027 elections.
“We are not here to tell Ebonyi what choice to make. We are here to strengthen the quality of the questions that must precede that choice,” Igwe said.
He added that elections were not merely about choosing individuals to occupy public offices, but also about deciding who would be entrusted with the hopes, resources, security and future of the people.
In his remarks, Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel, NUJ, Ebonyi State Council, Comrade Uchenna Inya, said journalists had a responsibility to set the agenda for public discourse and ensure that voters were adequately informed about candidates and their programmes.
Inya said the media must interrogate candidates on what they intended to offer the people, how they planned to implement their policies and the mechanisms they would deploy to address critical sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, security and the economy.
He stressed that journalists were not partisan actors in the electoral process, but professional stakeholders whose responsibility was to report issues accurately and enable citizens to make informed choices.
“Our duty is to keep the public informed, educated and focused on a people-centred agenda,” Inya said.
He added that the media would continue to report electoral issues based on facts while advocating a peaceful, free and credible electoral process.
Inya also urged political actors and their supporters to shun violence and allow the electorate to freely exercise their democratic rights.
Representing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the event, Mrs Esther Idam described citizens as critical stakeholders in the electoral process and urged registered voters to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the elections.
Idam also cautioned voters and political actors against misinformation and fake news, urging citizens to verify information before sharing it on social media platforms.
She warned youths against allowing themselves to be used to perpetrate electoral violence, stressing that a peaceful environment was essential for credible participation.
According to her, voters should familiarise themselves with their designated polling units and comply with electoral guidelines rather than resort to confrontation when faced with difficulties.
She further emphasised the need for political parties, candidates, agents and voters to understand the rules governing accreditation, voting and the collation process.
The INEC representative reiterated the commission’s commitment to an inclusive electoral process, noting that women, youths and persons living with disabilities were important participants in the democratic process.Shop African Art
She assured participants that the commission would provide a level playing field for all candidates in the general election.Check Voting Info
The dialogue attracted candidates and representatives of various political parties, including the Labour Party, African Democratic Congress (ADC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), African Renaissance Movement (ARM) and others.Check Voting Info
They participated in discussions on the quality of leadership required in Ebonyi State and the expectations of voters ahead of the 2027 elections.
However, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidates were absent from the dialogue.
Reacting to the absence, Chairman of the PDP in the state, Chief Chukwuma Igwe, who was represented by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Comrade Darlington Onwe, called on the APC to explain its absence from the event.
Onwe alleged that the APC had deliberately avoided the dialogue despite being duly notified.Shop African Art.
“APC deliberately avoided this dialogue and they were duly notified. The Governor was personally invited and if he was too busy, he was supposed to send a representative like our principal, Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, the governorship candidate of PDP, who sent someone to represent him,” Onwe said.
He said Odii was out of the country but still sent a representative, while the PDP state chairman, who was also unavoidably absent due to flight issues, sent the party’s publicity secretary.
Onwe further alleged that the APC had avoided previous calls for a debate, claiming that the party had no record to present to the electorate.
“APC is not around here, they ran away from the dialogue because they don’t have anything to show. PDP has been challenging them to debate but they have continued to run away because they don’t have something to show,” he said.
The APC’s position on its absence from the dialogue was not contained in the statement.
Participants were given opportunities to ask questions and seek clarification from candidates, electoral officials and political stakeholders on issues relating to voter participation, electoral procedures, accountability and the implementation of campaign promises.
The dialogue ended with a call on the electorate to look beyond political manifestos, slogans and personalities and critically assess the competence, capacity, policy proposals and track records of candidates and political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.(The Cabal)
