2027: Broken pockets, broken dreams — Ezeh decries rising hardship

By Uchenna Okeh

The Labour Party candidate for Abakaliki/Izzi Federal Constituency in the 2027 general election, Dr Ezeh Emmanuel Ezeh, has raised concerns over the economic hardship facing Nigerians.

He said the rising living costs and declining purchasing power are taking a toll on households, businesses and families.

Ezeh, in a political commentary on the state of the nation, described what he sees as the progression of economic hardship from “broken pockets” to “broken dreams” and, ultimately, “broken homes and a broken society.”

He attributed the hardship to what he described as policy failures and inadequate accountability under the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government, 

Eze argued that the consequences of economic pressure were now extending beyond household finances to employment, businesses and Nigerians’ confidence in the future.

“Broken pockets, broken dreams, broken homes, broken society. That is the apt description of everyday life in Nigeria today,” Ezeh said.

The Labour Party candidate particularly criticized the impact of the petrol subsidy removal and other economic reforms introduced by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He said the measures had imposed substantial short-term pressure on households and businesses.

President Tinubu announced the end of the petrol subsidy at his inauguration on May 29, 2023. 

The Federal Government has consistently defended the decision as necessary to address fiscal pressures and redirect resources towards infrastructure and other areas of national development.

Ezeh, however, argued that low-income households, small businesses and young Nigerians had borne a disproportionate share of the immediate consequences of the reforms.

He cited the experience of a businessman, Felix Onyia, whom he said operated an electronics retail business in Abakpa Nike, Enugu, before economic pressures forced him to consider relocating to his village.

He also recalled a conversation with a tomato seller at Ketu Market, Lagos, who, according to him, complained that increasing wholesale costs were forcing traders to raise retail prices, thereby putting them at odds with consumers whose purchasing power had weakened.

“The trader blames the wholesaler, the wholesaler blames the rising cost of transportation and inputs, while the consumer bears the ultimate burden,” he said.

Ezeh expressed concern over the impact of the economic environment on businesses and employment, particularly for young Nigerians seeking jobs and opportunities to establish themselves.

According to him, the closure, downsizing or relocation of businesses could have wider consequences for families and communities, especially where household incomes depend on small and medium-sized enterprises.

“When pockets are broken, dreams are broken too. And when dreams are broken, the family becomes the next casualty,” he said.

He alleged that many households were increasingly being forced to make difficult choices between food, healthcare, education, transportation and other basic necessities, 

The LP Reps candidate, Eze warned that prolonged economic pressure could contribute to social dislocation and increased migration.

The Federal Government, however, has maintained that the reforms were undertaken against the background of severe fiscal and structural challenges inherited by the Tinubu administration in 2023.