Popular Nollywood actress Dr Esther Okereke has emerged as the Presidential Candidate of the National Rescue Movement (NRM) for the 2027 general election following the party’s presidential primary convention held in Abuja.
Dr Okereke secured the party’s ticket after successfully scaling through a rigorous screening process conducted in line with the NRM constitution and electoral guidelines.
Reports indicate that though she Dr. Okereke was widely regarded and accepted as a consensus candidate she nevertheless emerged from a field of distinguished aspirants which included former Labour Party presidential aspirant, Joseph Faduri, and UK-based businessman, Ademola Onigbokun, at the party’s presidential primary held in Abuja.
NAN reports that Esther Okereke, (fondly addressed as Dr. NEO by peers, admirers and associates), who was elected at the party’s 2027 convention and presidential primary election, on Friday, May 29, 2026, promised to prioritise responsible leadership if elected president.
The National Chairman of the NRM, Chinedu Obi, who unveiled Dr. Okereke as the party’s candidate, said she was duly cleared for the ticket after completing the party’s rigorous screening process.
Addressing delegates in Abuja during the party’s 2027 convention and presidential primary election, Mr Obi said Nigeria could work again through visionary leadership and collective sacrifice.
He described the convention as a defining national responsibility and a historic mission.
According to him, the delegates’ presence at the convention, despite prevailing insecurity across the country, demonstrated courage, patriotism, commitment, and an unwavering belief in the ideals of the NRM.
Mr Obi expressed concern over widespread insecurity in the country, while remembering victims of kidnapping, terrorism, banditry and communal clashes, as well as displaced families, widows, unemployed graduates and struggling workers.
He also sympathised with farmers unable to access their farmlands due to insecurity, and with millions of Nigerians battling hunger, poverty and economic hardship daily.
The chairman assured Nigerians that the country would rise again through responsible leadership, adding that the NRM remained committed to restoring hope, peace, prosperity and national stability.
According to him, Nigeria’s greatest tragedy is not the lack of resources or opportunities, but persistent leadership failures that have hindered national development and shared prosperity.
“Nigeria possesses abundant mineral resources, fertile land, energetic youths and entrepreneurial citizens, yet millions remain trapped in poverty because of poor governance and weak institutions,” he said.
Mr Obi said the NRM rejected narratives that portray poverty, corruption and insecurity as inevitable, insisting that Nigeria remains capable of achieving stability, growth and sustainable development.
He stated that the party was founded to promote national transformation, social justice, constitutionalism, accountability and the rule of law, rather than merely seeking political power.
The NRM chairman explained that the party’s “Rescue Nigeria Blueprint” contained 24 policy pillars addressing security, economic reforms, education, healthcare, entrepreneurship, institutional strengthening and infrastructure development.
He pledged that the NRM would modernise the country’s security architecture, strengthen intelligence gathering, revive agriculture, promote industrialisation and improve access to healthcare through deliberate policy implementation.
Mr Obi commended members of the party’s National Management Committee and state chapters for sustaining the party through discipline, sacrifice, accountability and commitment to democratic ideals.
He urged delegates and Nigerians to support the party’s rescue mission, insisting that Nigeria remained redeemable and capable of regaining its position as Africa’s beacon of hope.
Dr Esther Nkem Okereke, NRM Presidential candidate
In her acceptance speech, Dr Okereke said politics had long been reduced to struggles for power instead of governance, promising to prioritise responsible leadership if elected.
She unveiled the “ESTHER Agenda,” describing it as a framework for national rebirth anchored on transformative leadership, economic recovery, patriotism, accountability and sustainable development.
According to her, ESTHER represents Education, Security, Technology, Housing, Entrepreneurship and Restitution, aimed at restoring national values, rebuilding patriotism and promoting inclusive governance.
The emergence of Dr. Esther Nkem Okereke signals a dramatic and historic entry into Nigeria’s political landscape, as the actress prepares to challenge established political figures at the highest level of electoral competition, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar , Peter Obi and even former President Goodluck Jonathan, in the upcoming race for Aso Rock.
Party officials described Okereke’s nomination as a move aimed at attracting fresh ideas, youth participation, and wider public engagement ahead of the elections.
Her emergence places her among the few women to secure a presidential ticket in Nigeria’s very robust and male dominated political history, as parties begin early positioning for the 2027 election cycle and this development has already sparked reactions across social media, with many Nigerians debating the growing involvement of entertainers in national politics.
Additional report by Favour Nwigwe