Nigerians Are Disconnected from Government, Okowa Says

Ifeanyi Okowa, former governor of Delta State and former PDP vice-presidential running mate, said on Tuesday in Abuja that Nigerians are disconnected from government at every level. Speaking at the 2026 conference of the Forum of Former Deputy Governors of Nigeria, he pointed to a gap between policy formulation, implementation and citizens’ daily lives. Okowa cited a lack of trust, weak public participation and inadequate services, as well as feelings of exclusion among young people, women, people with disabilities and disadvantaged communities. He said these problems are weakening the social contract between the state and its citizens.