The presidential candidate of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), Esther Okereke, has backed the death penalty as a punishment for corruption if elected president in the 2027 election.

Okereke made the statement during an interview on AIT’s Democracy Today while outlining her approach to tackling corruption in Nigeria.

She said Nigeria could adopt the Chinese system of fighting corruption, arguing that severe punishment would deter people from engaging in corrupt practices.

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Asked whether she would push for death sentence as a penalty for corruption, Okereke said anyone who continued to engage in corruption would have to face the consequences.

“So why would you want to do that when you already know the penalty?” she said.

“Would you want to continue corruption? If you want to continue corruption, then fine, continue. The sentence is waiting for you, the penalty is waiting for you.”

Okereke also said the fight against corruption should begin with state governors, arguing that the government knows where public funds are being controlled.

“That means you know where to start fighting the corruption from—the governors. It’s as simple as that. You start from the head,” she said.

She rejected claims that state funds should be regarded as the personal resources of those controlling them, insisting that public money belongs to the people.

“No, it is not your money, it is the people’s money. The people own it, use it for them,” Okereke said.

According to her, basic amenities provided with public funds should be regarded as citizens’ rights rather than acts of charity.

“These basic amenities that we’re talking about, it’s not charity—it is their right. It is the citizens’ right,” she said.

Okereke said effective action against corruption would, however, require reforms to the system itself.

“But first of all, before you fight corruption, make it right,” she added.

Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. Kingsley Udeh, has said President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms have put Nigeria on a path towards development despite persistent inflation and hardship.

Udeh made the statement while discussing the 2027 presidential contest and the argument being advanced by supporters of the Tinubu administration.

According to the minister, the full impact of the reforms has not yet been realised, but he argued that Nigeria’s economic performance has improved compared with 2023 and 2024.

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“It is not yet fully realised, but you can even tell that we are no longer as bad as we were in 2023–2024,” Udeh said.

He acknowledged that Nigerians were still dealing with inflation and economic hardship but maintained that the country had been placed on a development path.

“We know that there’s inflation. We know that there’s still hardship. But we also know that Nigeria has been put on track for development, to come out from economic hardship,” he said.

Udeh also argued that state governments now have more resources to pursue development, pointing to projects in Enugu State as an example.

“Go to Enugu State, you’ll see massive transformation,” he said, citing developments in infrastructure and transportation.

The minister further said Nigeria’s economic growth had improved from about two per cent in 2023 to around four per cent, while arguing that the increased resources available to sub-national governments could create opportunities to improve the lives of citizens.

His comments came during a wider discussion on the 2027 presidency. Udeh, who is from the South East, said he would want the presidency to go to the region at the appropriate time but stressed that presidential elections require engagement across Nigeria’s various regions.

The dust is yet to settle on the issue of ₦11.2 trillion receivables debited to the Federation by state oil major, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) raised by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

A pressure group, the Transparency Network and Public Interest Initiative has tackled the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), over the questions he raised on the possibility of the fund being coded for government contractors, pipeline protection and President Bola Tinubu’s re-election campaign.

According to the group, the figure recorded in the NNPC Ltd’s accounts represents obligations owed to the company for advances and costs incurred on behalf of the Federation, rather than evidence that the money was funnelled into political activities.

Its spokesperson, Dr Ehizojie Emmanuel Anderson, made the remarks in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday.

Recall that Atiku, running the presidency under the ADC had called for greater disclosure concerning the ₦11.2 trillion recorded in NNPC Ltd’s 2025 accounts as other receivables from the Federation.

In a statement issued on his behalf by the Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Phrank Shaibu, the former Vice President asked the national oil company to disclose how much of the receivables related to protecting Nigeria’s oil and gas infrastructure, the payments made, contractors involved and services provided.

He separately raised questions about whether government contractors had provided financial or material support to Tinubu’s re-election activities.

The allegations of a connection between government contracts and political campaign financing have not been independently established.

Responding to Atiku’s comments, Anderson argued that the accounting treatment of the ₦11.2 trillion needed to be distinguished from payments made to individual contractors.

“These are not hidden campaign funds. They are recorded Federation obligations, disclosed by the company itself, accumulated over time, and tied to advances and the cost of protecting national oil and gas assets under an approved framework,” Anderson said.

He accused the former Vice President of politicising the NNPC Ltd’s financial disclosures and said scrutiny of the national oil company’s operations should be based on its accounts and other documentary evidence.

The NNPC Ltd’s 2025 financial statements recorded approximately ₦11.2 trillion under other receivables from the Federation.

The company’s accounts describe such receivables as relating to advances to the Federation and costs incurred in securing the country’s oil and gas assets.

The figure does not, by itself, establish that ₦11.2 trillion was paid to pipeline surveillance contractors.

Atiku’s argument was that the aggregate figure did not provide sufficient detail to determine how much was specifically spent on pipeline security, who received payments and what results were achieved.

The Transparency Network maintained that NNPC’s disclosure of the receivables showed that the transactions were captured in its financial records.

READ ALSO: Atiku Blows Lid on NNPC Ltd’s ₦11.2trn Receivables, Pipeline Contracts

Anderson also defended the company’s management under Group Chief Executive Officer Bayo Ojulari, arguing that the publication of financial information should encourage evidence-based scrutiny of its operations.

He said the ₦11.2 trillion figure should not be interpreted as evidence of campaign financing without documentary proof establishing such a connection.

“A man who has read the report would not be asking Nigerians to treat a multi-year receivable as proof that NNPC is bankrolling a political campaign,” Anderson said.

Atiku’s statement, however, sought a more detailed disclosure of the components of the receivable and separately questioned the relationship between government contractors and political campaign financing.

He specifically called for the publication of relevant contracts, payment records, procurement information and outcomes associated with oil and gas infrastructure protection.

The former Vice President also raised questions about Tantita Security Services, which has been involved in pipeline surveillance, and demanded disclosure of any financial or material support government contractors may have provided to Tinubu’s re-election activities.

The Transparency Network rejected attempts to draw a connection between the NNPC Ltd’s receivables and political campaign financing without evidence.

Anderson said the company’s reforms under Ojulari should instead be assessed against its financial disclosures, operating performance and compliance with applicable accountability requirements.

“The attack on the oil giant is unnecessary and unwarranted,” he said.

The group also criticised Atiku’s previous position on restructuring and private-sector participation in the national oil industry, while arguing that the NNPC Ltd should be allowed to continue its current reforms.

It called for public debate over the company’s finances to focus on documented expenditure, contractual arrangements and audited financial information rather than political allegations.

The dispute places renewed attention on the level of detail contained in the NNPC Ltd’s financial disclosures.

While the company’s accounts identify the broad nature of its receivables from the Federation, Atiku has argued that Nigerians should be provided with a more detailed breakdown of expenditure associated with protecting oil and gas infrastructure.

The Transparency Network, on the other hand, maintains that the existence of the receivable in the NNPC Ltd’s accounts should not be presented as evidence of political campaign financing without further proof.