A new civic platform, the Village Boys Movement, was unveiled in Abuja on Thursday, signaling the formation of fresh political lines ahead of the 2027 presidential contest as supporters of President Bola Tinubu and former Anambra State governor Peter Obi step up rival grassroots mobilisation efforts.
Addressing supporters at the launch, the convener, Maazị Tochukwu Ezeoke, who styles himself as National Village Headmaster, described the initiative as a disciplined nationwide movement based on “earned prosperity and service-driven leadership”, rather than proximity to power or displays of affluence.
Ezeoke positioned the movement as a moral alternative to what he called the “City Boy culture”, a political tendency he criticised for thriving on access to state resources and celebrating wealth without measurable productivity. “We represent a Nigeria that works before it earns and earns before it spends,” he declared.
The movement’s philosophy rests on three core principles: wealth must follow value, power must follow service, and leadership must follow accountability. Ezeoke argued that Nigerian politics has long rewarded closeness to government instead of innovation and enterprise. “This is not hostility toward cities. It is a moral contrast. The issue is not geography but the source of wealth, the ethics of leadership, and the structure of accountability,” he clarified.
In outlining the group’s political leanings, Ezeoke cited Peter Obi as an example of disciplined governance, praising his record on fiscal prudence and transparency, while framing the endorsement as value-based: “He is not a messiah. Nigeria does not require a saviour figure. Nigeria requires standards.”
The convener unveiled the movement’s motto, “Unbought. Unafraid. Unstoppable”, representing citizen resistance to vote-buying, political intimidation, and patronage politics. Early mobilisation plans include a Two Million Man March across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory in the coming weeks, with rallies described as peaceful, lawful, and volunteer-funded.
Beyond rallies, the movement outlined an organisational model building 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.”
The long-term goal of the Village Boys Movement is to shift Nigeria’s political culture away from patronage toward productivity and ethical governance.
