The Ebonyi State Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dr (Mrs.) Jennifer Adibe-Nwafor, has called for a comprehensive leadership audit ahead of the 2027 governorship election, urging the electorate to look beyond political manifestos and interrogate the capacity, vision and accountability of candidates seeking to govern the state.
Adibe-Nwafor made the call at the Ebonyi 2027 Elections Democratic Dialogue organised by the Centre for Media and Dialogue Initiative (CMDi) in collaboration with the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ebonyi State.
The dialogue, held at Monabliss Hotel, Abakaliki, had as its theme, “Beyond the Manifesto: Ebonyi 2027 Election and the People’s Interrogation of Next Leadership.”
The ADC chairman said the political process in the country had witnessed several elaborate manifestos over the years, stressing that the more critical question was whether elected officials would translate campaign promises into measurable programmes and remain accountable to the electorate after assuming office.
She said, “Ebonyi needs a leadership audit, not another booklet of promises.”
According to her, the 2027 electoral conversation should therefore focus on the credentials, policy direction and accountability mechanisms of candidates, rather than being driven exclusively by campaign rhetoric and political slogans.
Adibe-Nwafor identified capacity, vision and accountability as the three major parameters through which the electorate should interrogate candidates aspiring to lead the state.
On capacity, she argued that the next governor must demonstrate the ability to invest in human capital development alongside physical infrastructure.
She said the state required sustained attention to quality education, healthcare delivery, agricultural productivity and the security of farmers and other productive sectors of the economy.
“Does the next governor have the capacity to build our people, not just our roads? We need human capital, quality teachers, equipped health workers and secured farms,” she said.
The ADC chairman also advocated the adoption of what she described as a Citizens’ Compact, a public agreement between candidates and the electorate containing specific and measurable commitments on critical sectors of governance.
She listed security, education, primary healthcare and employment opportunities for youths and women among the areas that should form part of such a compact.
According to her, a Citizens’ Compact would provide the electorate with a basis for assessing the performance of elected officials against clearly stated commitments, rather than leaving campaign promises open-ended.
She said, “We must move from manifesto to a Citizens’ Compact, a simple, public agreement between the candidate and the people on security, education, primary healthcare, and jobs for our youths and women.”
On accountability, Adibe-Nwafor advocated greater openness in public administration, including regular engagement between elected officials and citizens as well as improved access to information on public expenditure.
She proposed quarterly town-hall meetings and the publication of Local Government Area budgets to enable residents to monitor public spending and ask questions concerning the implementation of government programmes.
“ADC believes power must return to the people. That means open government — quarterly town hall meetings and open LGA budgets that our people can see and question,” she said.
The ADC chairman further pledged that the party would promote issue-based political engagement as the 2027 elections approach, saying the party would not support violence or political intolerance.
She said the party would “play politics without bitterness and without violence”, while respecting the rules governing the electoral process.
“We will respect the rules of a free, fair and credible election, and seek redress only through lawful means,” she added.
Adibe-Nwafor also pledged the commitment of the ADC to the continuation of the democratic dialogue, saying the party would partner with CMDi to extend the interrogation of leadership programmes and candidates to the 13 Local Government Areas of Ebonyi State.
She said such engagements would provide citizens with opportunities to ask questions about the policy priorities, implementation strategies and accountability mechanisms of those seeking elective office.
The ADC chairman's position came against the backdrop of increasing political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections, with political parties and aspirants expected to present their programmes and policy propositions to the electorate.
She urged the media and civil society organisations to sustain platforms that would enable voters to scrutinise candidates and assess competing policy propositions before casting their ballots.
Earlier, the organisers said the dialogue was designed to deepen democratic participation and shift electoral discourse from personality-driven campaigns towards policy, competence, accountability and citizens’ expectations.
The engagement also provided an opportunity for political actors and other stakeholders to articulate their perspectives on the 2027 electoral process and the responsibilities of citizens, political parties, the media and electoral institutions in ensuring a credible contest.
Adibe-Nwafor expressed appreciation to CMDi and the NUJ Correspondents’ Chapel for convening the dialogue, describing it as an important platform for placing the electorate at the centre of discussions about the future leadership of the state.
She said the ADC would continue to advocate peaceful political participation, adherence to electoral laws and greater citizen involvement in governance.
The party's commitments, she maintained, would be pursued within the framework of constitutional democracy and lawful political engagement as Ebonyi prepares for the 2027 elections.
