By Nkechinyere Ewa
The Centre for Media and Dialogue Initiative (CMDI) has urged Ebonyi voters to look beyond campaign promises and demand clear, measurable and accountable plans from candidates seeking elective positions in the 2027 elections.
The call was made on Monday in Abakaliki during the Ebonyi 2027 Elections Democratic Dialogue, organised by CMDI in collaboration with the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ebonyi State Council.
The dialogue, with the theme “Beyond the Manifesto: Ebonyi 2027 Election and the People’s Interrogation of Next-Leadership,” brought together political stakeholders, journalists, electoral officials, civil society representatives and other members of the public.
Programme Director of CMDI, Igwe Eze Chikaodiri, said the essence of the dialogue was to shift electoral discussions from personalities, slogans and political promises to issues of policy, capacity, delivery and accountability.
He said voters should demand answers from candidates on the problems they intended to address, the solutions they were proposing, the resources required and how citizens would be able to measure their performance if elected.
Chikaodiri said the dialogue was designed as a non-partisan platform where candidates could explain their programmes while citizens, journalists and other stakeholders interrogated their ideas.
He said democracy did not end on election day, stressing that an informed electorate was essential to meaningful democratic participation.
“Before Ebonyi votes, Ebonyi must ask questions,” he said, adding that political leadership involved entrusting individuals with the resources, security and future of the people and therefore required more than campaign applause.
Also speaking, Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel, NUJ Ebonyi State Council, Inya Uchenna, said the media had a responsibility to set the agenda for public discourse ahead of the 2027 elections.
Uchenna said journalists must interrogate candidates on critical issues including agriculture, health, governance and development, while giving citizens sufficient information to make informed decisions.
Meanwhile, Esther Idiam of the INEC Voter Education Unit urged registered voters to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) when distribution begins, stressing that voters must actively participate in the electoral process.
Idiam also warned voters against spreading unverified information, particularly through WhatsApp and other social media platforms, saying fake news and rumours could create tension, trigger violence and discourage citizens from voting.
She urged voters to verify information before forwarding messages and called on political parties to properly educate their agents on electoral procedures to prevent avoidable disputes at polling units.
According to her, voters should also confirm their designated polling units and avoid insisting on voting at locations where they had previously voted if their current electoral information assigns them elsewhere.
She further explained that while voting would commence at 8:30 a.m., the 2:30 p.m. deadline relates to joining the queue, noting that voters already on the queue before the deadline would still be allowed to cast their ballots.
Idiam called on youths and other stakeholders to resist attempts to use them to disrupt the electoral process, urging all participants to conduct themselves peacefully and allow election officials to perform their duties.
She also emphasised the inclusive nature of the electoral process, noting that women, youths and persons living with disabilities have the right to participate both as voters and, where eligible, as party agents.
The dialogue therefore provided a platform for stakeholders to emphasise the need for issue-based campaigns, informed voting, responsible media coverage and greater accountability from political candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.
Highlight of the event was presentation of their manifesto by the different political candidates as well as questions from journalists