Ahead of the 2027 elections, the Care & Transformation Network (CTN) has urged politicians to “lead in fairness” and stop heating up the polity for selfish reasons, warning that national interest must come before political ambition.
Speaking at the CTN International Conference 2026 in Abuja on Thursday, Convener/Director-General Hon. Kovie Andrew Epetuku said the responsibility for peace rests on all Nigerians, not just the President.
“Outside politics we have a nation and our primary goal must be our nation. How do we make it better?” Epetuku said. “Beside the position they are looking for, they must understand that we have one Nigeria and we all have a responsibility to ensure that Nigeria is at peace. It is not the responsibility of Mr. President, neither is it the responsibility of any particular individual. It is our collective responsibility.”
Addressing the electorate, he added: “The days of policies of self-aggrandizement has come and gone. This is the days of policies where achievement and results are attainable. So we must focus and concentrate in that regard to ensure that we have a successful election.”
The conference, themed “United Nigeria Summit,” drew participants from across the globe to “interact, engage, and discuss the way forward” on governance achievements and challenges.
Epetuku acknowledged widespread hardship linked to subsidy removal and concerns over marginalization and insecurity. He noted that some insecurity is “artificial” and tied to forthcoming elections, with political actors seeking campaign talking points.
“Our focus at CTN is not whether there are challenges. Our focus is primarily concentrated on the way forward,” he said. “Yes, we understand that we have the challenges. Like in Nigeria, we have challenges of insecurity… but there is so much we have here in place today.”
He stressed that peace requires every individual to “be on deck,” adding: “It is essential that every individual must be on deck to see to it that there is peace, not just within our nation, but across the globe.”
*Book Launch, Student Loan Awareness Gap*
The conference featured the launch of a book described by Epetuku as “dear to my heart” and a potential policy document for government. The book details ongoing programs and solutions to national challenges.
Epetuku expressed concern over low public awareness of key initiatives, citing the student loan scheme. “Millions of Nigerians are benefiting, but surprisingly, there are still a lot of people who don’t even know,” he said. “I have personally engaged over hundreds of individuals who say they are not aware of anything like that… So we deemed it necessary because of these lapses to put detailed information into a book.”
*CTN: Non-Partisan, Focused on Inclusion*
In his formal welcome address, Epetuku described CTN as a non-partisan global network with chapters in several countries, promoting inclusion of women, youth, and persons with disabilities through mentorship, skills development, and civic engagement.
“We believe that the nation’s challenges are systemic, not merely political, tribal, or religious,” he said. The organization runs scholarship programs, drug abuse sensitization, leadership training, and humanitarian services. Six individuals currently benefit from CTN scholarships.
He congratulated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on “three years of progressive governance” while noting Nigerians “continue to look up to you for greater progress” on infrastructure, security, education, healthcare, and human capital development.
Epetuku said the summit aims to promote national unity, active citizen participation, youth and women empowerment, democratic accountability, economic growth, and patriotism.
“The future of Nigeria cannot be left in the hands of a few. It requires the collective effort of all stakeholders,” he said. “Let us embrace dialogue over division, collaboration over conflict, and national service over personal, regional, or religious interests.”
The conference also featured the unveiling of a book titled _“The Architect of Modern Nigeria.”_
CTN appealed to nations currently at war to “embrace dialogue to foster peaceful conflict resolution and achieve lasting global peace for the benefit of humanity.”
That is true my leader sir