The Civil Liberties Organization, CLO, Anambra State Branch, has called on all political aspirants ahead of the 2027 General Election, particularly incumbent office holders, to convene town hall meetings and give a transparent account of their stewardship to the electorate.
The call was made by the Anambra State Chairman of the CLO, Comrade Vincent Ezekwueme, in an exclusive chat with newsmen in Awka.
According to the CLO, the days of ‘business as usual politics’ are over.
Across the state, latent political activity has commenced, with incumbents seeking re-election and fresh aspirants declaring their interest.
In his words, Ezekwueme condemned the recurring pattern in which political office holders embark on ‘emergency empowerments’ and last-minute philanthropy solely to sway voters, then abscond after elections and reappear in the next electoral cycle.
Describing the development as unacceptable, Ezekwueme insisted that accountability must be demonstrated before any renewal of mandate.
He noted that incumbents and aspirants must publicly explain how they have judiciously implemented their mandates, including the use of statutory allocations, internally generated revenue, and constituency project funds.
“The electorate deserves to know how public resources entrusted to leaders have impacted lives.
“The CLO calls on all Anambra political gladiators to subject themselves to scrutiny by convening town hall meetings across their constituencies. Such platforms will enable citizens to interrogate performance records and ask critical questions,” he said.
The Anambra CLO boss emphasized that the electorate are masters and kings, noting that Anambra voters are now wiser, more versatile, and more determined than ever to use their votes to enthrone overarching, benevolent, selfless, and servant leaders.
Emphasizing the criteria for leadership, the CLO boss maintained that the 2027 ballot must be guided by Capacity, Character, Conscience, Competence, and Integrity.
Leadership, he stressed, exists to improve the lives and living conditions of citizens, not to serve personal interests.
Warning that docility to political activities result in the emergence of docile leaders, Ezekwueme said citizens must rise to ask questions about how their commonwealth is utilized, and participate actively in the electoral process.
“Only through active citizenship can inept, corrupt, putrefy and decadent officials be rejected via a ‘ballot box revolution,’ while credible stewards have their mandates renewed.
“The aim of leadership is to impact positively on the lives of the people. We can no longer tolerate a system where representatives vanish after victory and only return with wrappers and rice four years later. 2027 must be about track records, not tricks. Give an account of your stewardship, or do not bother to seek renewal.
“Anambra electorate must interrogate every aspirant. What did you do with the last mandate? Where are the constituency projects? How did statutory allocations improve our schools, hospitals, roads, and security? Democracy is not a lottery. The ballot box is our power to reward service and punish failure.
“CLO reaffirms unwavering commitment to voter education, civil rights advocacy, and entrenching a culture of accountability ahead of the 2027 General Elections,” he said.
