AHEAD OF 2027: Chief CBN Onwuasoanya Ezendigbo Warns Against “Weaponized Poverty,” Calls for Radical Economic Shift

 A presidential aspirant in the last general elections, Chief CBN Onwuasoanya Ezendigbo, has declared that Nigeria is already preparing for the 2027 elections, urging leaders to focus on structural reforms rather than political theatrics.

Speaking in a brief interview with Oriontimes on February 22, 2026,

Ezendigbo said recent economic signals show that progress is possible if leadership prioritizes productivity, particularly in agriculture and manufacturing.

“Food is becoming cheaper now,” he noted. “I have always said that we can feed the entire Africa if we focus on mechanized farming.”

Mechanized Agriculture as Economic Backbone

According to him, Nigeria possesses the land, manpower, and climate advantage to become a continental food hub. However, he stressed that the failure to adopt large-scale mechanized farming has limited the nation’s agricultural potential.

He argued that beyond subsistence farming, Nigeria must invest in technology-driven agriculture capable of producing surplus for export, creating jobs, and stabilizing food prices across the region.

Poverty and Insecurity: A Leadership Failure

Ezendigbo took a swipe at what he described as a culture of flamboyance among political elites, accusing some leaders of prioritizing luxury over national development.

“The problem we have is that most people who have opportunities think they can enslave the masses,” he said. “They park different cars they cannot drive. Some of those vehicles have no papers; they cannot even service them. It is all for a flamboyant lifestyle.”

He warned that poverty has been “weaponized,” pushing many young people into desperation.

“When they keep blaming the youth, the question is: are they made to be productive?” he asked. “It is the right of every human being to live and to eat. But when you deny them opportunities and weaponize poverty, once they break from that slavery system, they resort to illegality.”

He linked the country’s insecurity challenges to unemployment and lack of empowerment, stressing that leadership must take responsibility for failing to equip young people with skills and opportunities.

“If youths are the leaders of tomorrow and they are not trained to be doctors, who will treat us when we are sick?” he queried. “No matter how wealthy you are, if no one is trained to drive you to the airport or pilot the plane, how will you travel for medical care because you refused to build standard hospitals at home?”

Vote Buying and the Politics of Convoys

The former aspirant also criticized vote-buying and excessive political displays during election periods.

“We don’t need to hoard money to buy votes,” he said. “You watch people’s lives waste away, but when it is election time, you move in convoys to show power, to show you can buy them at the polling unit. That is not how to grow a country.”

His Presidential Aspiration

Speaking on his ambition, Ezendigbo promised sweeping reforms if given the mandate to lead the country.

“If I am president, there will be a radical change,” he declared. “We need to be manufacturing. Look at countries like Singapore and Malaysia, where they started from. We must set examples for Africa.”

He maintained that his philosophy has always been centered on innovation and unconventional thinking.

“It has been my philosophy to do things differently to get different results,” he added.

As political calculations quietly intensify toward 2027, Ezendigbo’s message underscores a growing demand for economic restructuring, youth empowerment, and leadership accountability in Nigeria’s evolving democratic landscape.