No Office of the First Lady Under My Presidency, Vows Omoyele Sowore

The AAC candidate pledges to slash governance costs by ₦4 trillion, abolish gubernatorial security votes, and end unconstitutional spending.

African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has pledged to eliminate the Office of the First Lady if he wins the 2027 presidential election, describing the ceremonial post as an unconstitutional drain on national resources. Sowore emphasized that Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution provides no legal standing or budgetary allocation for the spouse of the head of state.

Consequently, Sowore clarified that while entering the State House will not alter his marriage, his administration will refuse to assign official duties, staff, or public funds to his spouse.

Instead, he promised to champion women’s voices across all levels of government by appointing qualified female leaders to legitimate, constitutional offices rather than maintaining a ceremonial platform.

He condemned the continued allocation of taxpayer revenue to unofficial positions, arguing that such expenditures divert critical capital from infrastructure and social welfare.

Furthermore, the AAC candidate outlined a comprehensive austerity framework intended to slash the cost of governance by approximately ₦4 trillion. Central to this strategy, Sowore vowed to initiate constitutional amendments to outlaw discretionary security votes for state governors, a long-debated pool of funds historically shielded from public accounting.

Ultimately, he insisted that transferring these discretionary funds directly into state treasuries will help governments pay public sector wages consistently and fund vital public services.

No Office of the First Lady Under My Presidency, Vows Omoyele Sowore

Otti: I Won’t Become Political Godfather After Leaving Office

Abia State Governor Alex Otti has said he will not become a political godfather or impose a successor on the state after completing his second term in 2031.

Otti spoke in Umuahia on Thursday while receiving former Social Democratic Party governorship candidate Ngozi Johnson-Chukwunenye and her supporters into the Labour Party.

The governor said he would prefer a successor to emerge based on merit and competence rather than what he described as a “sit-tight” approach to political leadership.

“I don’t want to be a godfather, and I don’t tolerate godfathers” Otti said, adding that political stakeholders should consider those capable of doing the job before supporting a candidate.

He also reiterated that he does not plan to seek another elective position after his second term, saying younger people should be given opportunities to take up leadership roles.

Otti Highlights Youth Leadership Programme

The governor said his administration was already preparing young people for future leadership through initiatives such as the Abia Leadership Academy.

According to him, more than 1,080 people aged between 16 and 25 had recently graduated from the academy.

Otti said the programme was intended to help prepare a new generation of leaders rather than encourage prolonged political control by individuals.

Meanwhile, he said his administration would continue extending its development projects beyond Aba and Umuahia into other parts of the state.

He said the government initially focused on the two major cities before moving into the hinterland with additional projects.

Otti: I Won’t Become Political Godfather After Leaving Office

2027: Sowore Says He’d Rather Die Than Travel Abroad For Medical Treatment

Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has said he would not travel outside Nigeria for medical treatment if elected President in the 2027 presidential election, declaring that any illness he could not treat in the country should be left to fate.

Sowore made the statement during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he discussed his views on healthcare, governance and the privileges associated with political office.

“Any sickness that I can’t treat in Nigeria when I become president should better kill me,” Sowore said.

The statement reflects Sowore’s campaign position on medical treatment and his argument that Nigeria’s political leaders should rely on and strengthen domestic institutions rather than depend on privileges such as medical treatment abroad.

Sowore has also proposed making healthcare a right under an AAC administration, arguing that access to quality medical services should not be restricted to people who can afford to travel abroad for treatment.

However, his pledge not to seek treatment abroad should be understood as a personal and political commitment rather than evidence that all forms of specialised medical treatment are currently available in Nigeria.

Beyond healthcare, Sowore has outlined a number of campaign proposals for the 2027 election. These include a proposed ₦500,000 monthly living minimum wage for Nigerian workers and a pledge to pursue 24-hour electricity if elected.

He has also proposed making education free and accessible at all levels, including a plan to remove public examination fees such as WAEC and NECO charges under his proposed administration. His education blueprint also includes student grants, improved school infrastructure, digital learning and reforms to tertiary and technical education.

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On housing, Sowore has proposed the construction of one million public mixed-income homes and reforms to tenancy regulations aimed at reducing the burden of large advance-rent payments on tenants. These are proposals contained in his campaign agenda and are not existing government programmes.

He has further proposed industrialisation, increased agricultural production and processing, infrastructure development and job creation as part of his economic programme.

On security, Sowore has proposed reforms to the security agencies, including improved welfare and compensation for personnel and greater use of drones and advanced intelligence technology in tackling insecurity.

He has separately outlined proposals to use artificial intelligence and blockchain technology in the fight against corruption and to increase transparency in public financial management. Under one of his proposals, AI would be used to monitor government transactions and identify suspected fraud and procurement irregularities, while blockchain would provide an immutable record of government transactions.

On political alliances ahead of the 2027 election, Sowore has maintained that the AAC is not part of the opposition coalition discussions and intends to contest on its own political platform.

He has described the AAC‘s programme as being focused on what he calls social and economic justice, equal rights and redistribution of political and economic power.

During the same Channels Television interview, Sowore also said an administration led by him would not establish an official Office of the First Lady.

That position is also a stated Sowore policy position, rather than an existing change to Nigeria’s constitutional structure. He argued that the Nigerian Constitution does not create an official Office of the First Lady and said his wife would not occupy a government office simply because he became President.

“There is no office of First Lady in the Nigerian Constitution. Becoming the president will not abolish my marriage, but I will not have the office of First Lady,” he said.

Sowore said women would continue to have a voice in his administration but questioned the use of public funds to maintain an office he considers unconstitutional.

His comments on medical treatment abroad, therefore, form part of a wider set of campaign positions through which the AAC candidate is presenting his proposed approach to healthcare, public services, economic policy and governance ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The various measures he has announced — including the ₦500,000 living minimum wage, 24-hour electricity, free education, one million homes, healthcare reform, industrialisation, security reforms and technology-driven anti-corruption measures — are proposals that he says an AAC administration would pursue if elected. They should not be presented as already implemented policies or guaranteed outcomes.

His pledge to remain in Nigeria for medical treatment if elected President similarly represents his stated campaign position and his argument that Nigeria should develop sufficient healthcare capacity to serve citizens, including those occupying the highest political offices.

2027: Sowore Says He’d Rather Die Than Travel Abroad For Medical Treatment