Rivers and Bayelsa governors pledge millions of votes for Tinubu in 2027 campaign

Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has committed to securing a minimum of three million votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections. The governor made this commitment on Saturday during the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally held at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt. Fubara assured the president that the state would deliver the candidates fielded by the APC-PDP Rainbow Coalition, despite the candidates belonging to different political parties. He stated that the mobilisation efforts would be coordinated under the leadership of Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, who is leading the Rainbow Coalition in Rivers State. Fubara declared that the coalition’s slate, which includes members from both the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), would secure a decisive victory in the state by January 2027.

Background

The political landscape in Rivers State has been marked by recent tensions, which President Tinubu addressed during the rally. The president commended Governor Fubara for maintaining peace and stability within the state amid a political crisis that had impacted his administration. Tinubu described the situation as a misunderstanding within the political family and praised Fubara for demonstrating maturity and respect for the intervention of elders. The president stated that he had intervened on Fubara’s behalf and acknowledged the governor’s decision to accept this mediation to preserve peace. In response, Governor Fubara lauded President Tinubu for acting as a statesman, stating that the president’s conciliatory role helped sustain his government and allowed it to remain focused on delivering promises to the people. Fubara also highlighted the president’s appointment of individuals from the region to positions of authority in the federal government as a positive development.

Why it matters

The pledges from Rivers and Bayelsa states are significant for the APC’s 2027 electoral strategy, particularly in the South-South geopolitical zone. In Bayelsa State, Governor Douye Diri, a Senator, has separately vowed to deliver at least one million votes for President Tinubu. Diri revealed this information while launching the Bayelsa APC campaign council over the same weekend. He charged members of the council and other stakeholders to mobilise support for the president and all APC candidates across all communities and wards. Diri characterized the party's electoral goals as an all-encompassing strategy covering everything from the presidency to state-level seats, insisting that the APC would defend its hold on power against the opposition and was ready to bargain from a strong stance. To support the request for votes, he pointed to various infrastructure and policy successes, such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the second stage of the Nembe-Brass Road, actions taken in the power sector, and the creation of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy. Diri specifically noted that the coastal highway project was an initiative not undertaken by previous Nigerian presidents, emphasising the development needs of coastal communities. The Bayelsa APC campaign council, chaired by Hon. Warman Weri Ogoriba, has appointed Chief Robert Enogha Ayalla as Director-General and Chief Timi Alaibe as Chairman of the Campaign Advisory Council to coordinate these efforts.