Sandy Onor, a professor of history and former senator, has announced he is qualified and ready to run for Nigeria’s presidency in 2027, saying he is the best person to lead the country to the progress citizens expect. Onor is currently the sole contender in his party’s presidential contest.
Onor’s political career began as a two-term local government chairman in Cross River State. He now serves as Deputy National President of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria and has held several state-level posts, including chairman of the Cross River State Local Government Service Commission, commissioner for agriculture and commissioner for environment.
Elected to the Senate in 2019, Onor said that experience completes what he describes as a distinctive professional profile. He emphasized his service across all three tiers of government and argued that few other aspirants possess comparable breadth of experience. He also pointed to his dual experience in executive and legislative roles as “double-barrelled,” drawing a parallel with the current president’s background.
Onor said his campaign will be rooted in grassroots engagement, arguing that Nigerians want change and that the People’s Democratic Party remains the right vehicle for his ambitions. Despite recent internal crises within the party, he expressed confidence in its capacity to win under his leadership.
Onor urged that opposition to the current administration should not be automatic or indiscriminate, calling blanket condemnation “intellectually and socially incorrect.” He said leaders must tell the truth to sustain public trust and praised the president’s decision to remove the fuel subsidy, which he described as a “bastion of corruption.”
At the same time, Onor criticized how the funds freed by subsidy removal have been distributed, saying “downliners” have failed to make proper use of the resources. He pledged to enforce accountability at the grassroots so citizens can directly feel the benefits of fiscal reforms.
Addressing party disputes, Onor said the Supreme Court has settled the issue and identified Alhaji Abdulrahman as the leader of the legitimate party structure. On national security, he linked rising insecurity to poverty at the grassroots and a lack of constructive opportunities for young men.
Onor proposed properly funding local governments as a central security strategy. While he commended the president for seeking Supreme Court backing to guarantee local government autonomy, he warned that many state governments still divert those funds. He vowed that, if elected, his administration would ensure well-funded local institutions and community vigilantes are equipped to neutralize security threats before they take root.
