A group of concerned Nigerians have kickstarted a movement named the I-Vote Movement 2027 to galvanize Nigerians, particularly young people and women, towards triggering a new political consciousness and reclaiming the nation from the present leadership.
Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the National Coordinator of the Movement, Comrade Ishaya Inuwa Darkwa, speaking at a press conference held in Abuja on Thursday, highlighted the high rate of poverty across Nigeria.
According to him, the pledges that were made under the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government remain unfulfilled as the economic challenges continue to make life difficult for many citizens.
Blasting what he described as “unplanned economic policies,” Ishaya insisted that all the policies have done is make life worse for the common man.
“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,” he said.
Comrade Ishaya maintained that the Tinubu-Shettima government’s simultaneous removal of fuel subsidies and the floating of the naira without proper planning led to the nationwide economic pain that Nigerians have been battling with.
Highlighting how high transport fares, school dropouts, shutdown of small businesses, and consistent hunger have become the order of the day, he declared that the I-Vote Movement represents more than just another political campaign.
He revealed that the movement will enable its structures and grassroots networks to deliver an inclusive and intergenerational coalition that will concentrate on national rebirth.
Ishaya believes the movement has what it takes to champion the interests of struggling Nigerians and marketplace traders, not only corporate boardrooms.
He further appealed to Nigerian women and youths to join the movement and be a part of the journey to make Nigeria great again.
“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 added.
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, urged citizens to embrace I-Vote Movement’s quest to wrestle Nigeria back from the current ineffective leadership.
