Notable Nollywood actress and film producer Esther Okereke has emerged as the presidential candidate of the National Rescue Movement (NRM) ahead of the 2027 general election.
It was reported that Okereke secured the party’s ticket on Friday after defeating former Labour Party presidential aspirant, Joseph Faduri, and UK-based businessman, Ademola Onigbokun, at the NRM presidential primary held in Abuja.
Her emergence places her among the few women to secure the presidential ticket of a political party in Nigeria’s democratic history, as political parties begin early preparations for the 2027 election cycle.
Okereke is now expected to join other opposition figures seeking to challenge President Bola Tinubu in what is shaping up to be a highly competitive presidential contest.
Presenting Okereke to delegates as the party’s flag bearer, the National Chairman of the NRM, Chinedu Obi, said the party was determined to offer Nigerians a leadership that could address the country’s economic and security challenges.
Obi said the state of the nation required urgent and purposeful leadership, adding that the party’s mission was anchored on what he described as a national rescue agenda.
He said, “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.”
The NRM chairman also spoke about the plight of Nigerians affected by insecurity across the country, including those kidnapped, displaced or forced to live in fear because of violence.
He said, “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 said the primary was more than a regular political gathering, describing it as a step towards offering Nigerians a new leadership direction.
According to him, the NRM wants to prove that the country can still work if the right leadership is put in place.
He added, “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.”
The party chairman said the NRM would continue to focus on issues affecting ordinary Nigerians, including poverty, insecurity, unemployment and the high cost of living.
In her acceptance speech, Okereke described her nomination as a call to national service and not a platform for personal ambition.
She said, “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.”
The actress and filmmaker said her decision to accept the ticket was driven by her concern about the hardship faced by many Nigerians.
She painted a grim picture of the country’s socio-economic situation, citing poverty, unemployment, insecurity, failing businesses and worsening living conditions.
Okereke said, “Our nation is bleeding. Millions of our people are trapped in pain, poverty, fear and uncertainty.”
She added, “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.”
Okereke said Nigeria was facing what she called “systemic failure,” but insisted that the country still had the capacity to recover if citizens embraced hope and responsible leadership.
She maintained that the suffering in the country should not be treated as permanent, saying there was still room for restoration and a better future.
According to her, “Beyond the suffering, there is restoration, hope and a greater Nigerian future waiting to emerge.”
