The New National Chairman of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), Chief Edozie Njoku, on Friday engaged the South-West party’s stakeholders and members in Lagos State ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Njoku, who was accompanied by some NRM National leadership, said that he was paying an official visit to the South-West as part of efforts to build a formidable structure for the party.

The meeting, held at Okota Area of Lagos, brought together some NRM members and leaders from Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, Oyo, Ogun and Lagos States.

Addressing the stakeholders, Njoku, who emphasised the need for members to be committed to building structures for the party from the ward level to the national level, said all politics remained local.

The England-born Nigerian politician, who traced his involvement in politics to the National Republican Convention (NRC) in 1992, said there was a need for members to focus on building the party rather than looking for pecuniary gains.

“Politics is not the way many of us see it, politics is a grassroots thing. It is something we play from the grassroots. If you can’t mobilise the grassroots, you have no business in leadership.

“Let us build NRM as a partnership. There is no way the party can work without being organised. The most important thing in NRM is to build the structure.

“Any political party that seriously goes into the grassroots will take over as a competitive party because most parties are hollow as everyone is looking for positions.

“So let us believe in ourselves that we will go and build a structure that we can use to demand for a better Nigeria,” he said.

He said that NRM, if elected would negotiate and talk for the people rather than looking for personal gains.

“That will not happen in NRM. Let NRM collapse at the beginning and let God stop this movement we are providing if that is that direction we are going,” the chairman added.

Promising that the party would elevate internal democracy in its dealings, Njoku encouraged the best hand to come out for positions at the grassroots.

The Chairman urged the members to show capacity in the swing states, including Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano, Kastina and others.

He said that his team would continue to visit other states, starting from the East and then to the North, to build a formidable structure that could win elections for the party.

Earlier, Chief Freedom Ukwuchukwu, the Deputy National Chairman (South), who applauded the National Chairman’s commitment to moving the country forward, said that the meeting had become imperative to reposition the party.

According to him, the Njoku-led leadership was in the state to observe and interact with party stakeholders in the South West to motivate members.

“In this party, we have freedom and we are committed to rescue not only the South-West but Nigeria as a whole. NRM will move Nigeria forward.

Speaking, the NRM Chairman for Oyo State, Mr Oluwaseyi Nusi-Omonusi told NAN that the future of the party remained very bright with Njoku at the helm of affairs.

Also, Prince Yemi Alli, the Ogun Chairman of the party, said, ” this meeting has become very important and for us to bring ourselves together. It implies that the fortune of our party is bright.”

Njoku was accompanied by Dr Festus Ukwu, the NRM Deputy National Treasurer; Mrs Oby Ezenna, Deputy National Woman Leader; Primate Henry Amike; Chief Adegboyega Adeniji; Amb. Prince Adesina, among others.

Meanwhile, Mrs Temilola Akinade, the Lagos State NRM Chairperson, in a statement on Wednesday, said that the party in the state was not aware of the meeting, hence the boycott.

Akinade, also the Chairperson of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (NRM) in Lagos State, said that she remained the Lagos State chairman of the party.