Actress Esther Okereke emerges NRM presidential candidate

The National Rescue Movement (NRM) has announced Nigerian actress and producer Esther Okereke as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.

Okereke emerged as the party’s candidate on Friday through a consensus arrangement during the NRM primary election held in Abuja.

Speaking at the event, the NRM National Chairman, Chinedu Obi, said Okereke was the only aspirant who successfully passed the party’s screening process and fulfilled the required conditions.

“While some aspirants were unable to satisfy the requirements established by our screening process, their participation enriched our democratic culture and strengthened our internal processes,” Obi said.

“I congratulate each of them for their courage, commitment, and belief in the mission of national rescue. Their contributions remain valuable to our collective journey.

“We appreciate the diaspora’s interest in rebuilding Nigeria, and we believe that our partnership and resolve will rebuild and restore the dignity of the once-giant of Africa,” he added.

In her acceptance speech, Okereke outlined her vision for the country, saying her administration would focus on national rebirth through reforms in education, energy, security, healthcare, housing, technology, economic development, and job creation.

She said her framework would also prioritise transparency, entrepreneurship, human capital development, restitution, reorientation, and recovery.

“The NRM positions itself as a generational vanguard. By mobilising the youths, championing ethical leadership, and advocating for structural re-engineering, the movement seeks to transition Nigeria from a state of survival to one of sustainable development,” she said.

Okereke added that the party believes “true national rescue” cannot happen without a generational and gender-balanced transfer of power and the establishment of a governance system rooted in equity, accountability, and sustainable development.