…to counter City Boys’ narrative
Following the unveiling of a new civic platform, the Village Boys Movement in Abuja on Thursday, fresh political lines are forming ahead of the 2027 presidential contest as supporters of President Bola Tinubu and Peter Obi step up rival grassroots mobilisation efforts.
Addressing supporters at the launch, the convener, Maazị Tochukwu Ezeoke, who styles himself National Village Headmaster, described the initiative as a disciplined nationwide movement anchored on “earned prosperity and service-driven leadership”, rather than proximity to power or displays of affluence.
According to Ezeoke, the movement represents what he called a moral alternative to the “City Boy culture”, which he criticised as a political tendency that thrives on access to state resources and celebrates wealth without measurable productivity.
“We represent a Nigeria that works before it earns and earns before it spends,” he declared.
He said the guiding philosophy of the platform rests on three core principles: that wealth must follow value, power must follow service, and leadership must follow accountability.
Ezeoke argued that Nigerian politics has for too long rewarded closeness to government instead of innovation and enterprise.
“This is not hostility toward cities,” he clarified. “It is a moral contrast. The issue is not geography but the source of wealth, the ethics of leadership, and the structure of accountability.”
In outlining the movement’s political leanings, Ezeoke cited former Anambra State governor Peter Obi as an example of what he described as disciplined governance, praising Obi’s record on fiscal prudence and transparency.
He was, however, careful to frame the endorsement as value-based. “He is not a messiah. Nigeria does not require a saviour figure. Nigeria requires standards,” Ezeoke said.
The convener also unveiled the group’s motto, “Unbought. Unafraid. Unstoppable”, which he said symbolises citizen resistance to vote-buying, political intimidation, and patronage politics.
As part of its early mobilisation plan, the movement announced a proposed Two Million Man March to be held across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory in the coming weeks, stressing that the rallies would be peaceful, lawful, and funded by volunteers.
“They will be powered by conviction, organised by volunteers, and sustained by citizens who are unbought, unafraid, and unstoppable,” he said.
Beyond rallies, he outlined an organisational model that would build networks “village by village, ward by ward, polling unit by polling unit”, with emphasis on civic education, budget monitoring, and election integrity.
Ezeoke appealed to young Nigerians to resist electoral inducement and intimidation.
“If you refuse to sell your vote, you are unbought. If you refuse to be intimidated, you are unafraid. If you organise lawfully and consistently, you are unstoppable,” he said.
He added that the long-term objective of the Village Boys Movement is to shift Nigeria’s political culture away from patronage toward productivity and ethical governance.
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