Nigerians are disconnected from government, Okowa says

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