Get Guardian on GoogleBy Godfrey Gabriel
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has pledged to mobilise at least three million votes for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, declaring that the state would repay the President’s support during its political crisis with votes and loyalty.
Fubara made the pledge on Saturday at the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt, where he assured Tinubu that the Rainbow Coalition would mobilise support across the state to secure his victory.
The governor said Tinubu had stood by Rivers State during a period of political uncertainty, intervening to restore peace and ensure that his administration remained in office.
“Mr President, we all know that a good gesture calls for reciprocity. As you have stood for us, we will stand for you. As you have supported Rivers State, Rivers State will support you equally,” Fubara said.
He added that his administration, which he described as firmly in control of the grassroots, would repay the President’s support with votes and mobilisation.
“We will campaign, mobilise our people to secure and deliver a decisive victory with a vote not less than three million for Mr President,” he said.
Fubara also explained that the political arrangement in Rivers would extend beyond the APC, with different parties working together under the Rainbow Coalition.
“Notwithstanding that I am an APC member, we are doing Rainbow Coalition. And in Rainbow Coalition, we have a slate,” he said, adding that the coalition’s candidates would be delivered in the 2027 elections.
The pledge comes amid renewed political mobilisation in Rivers State, where Wike, a former governor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), is coordinating the Tinubu campaign.
Wike, in his remarks, declared that political parties and stakeholders in the state had united behind the President, insisting that the rally reflected the political strength of Rivers.
He said the gathering was organised by Rivers political stakeholders and not through mobilisation from other states.
“We did not mobilise anybody from any other state,” Wike said.
The former governor also used the rally to launch a fresh attack on his predecessor, Rotimi Amaechi, questioning his record in office and challenging him to account for projects he said were not completed during his administration.
Wike particularly referred to the proposed Caribbean White Specialist Hospital, alleging that $39m had been spent on the project without a visible foundation.
“Come and show us where Caribbean White Specialist Hospital is, where we paid 39 million US dollars. Come and show us where the foundation is,” he said.
He also questioned the outcome of a malaria eradication exercise in the state, saying the project had failed to eliminate the disease.
“You fumigated Rivers State that there would be no mosquito. Has mosquito gone? Is mosquito not biting you?” Wike asked.
On the Port Harcourt monorail project, he challenged the former governor over its completion, asking: “Have you completed the monorail?”
Wike further criticised Amaechi’s political performance, referring to his role as Director-General of the presidential campaigns of the All Progressives Congress in the 2015 and 2019 elections.
He claimed that Amaechi failed to secure significant electoral support for the party during those campaigns and argued that the former governor should account for his record before making political claims about Rivers State.
Wike also dismissed suggestions that the opposition did not need to campaign in the state, insisting that electoral victory would be determined by votes rather than political declarations.
He urged Rivers residents to support Tinubu, citing federal projects and appointments involving people from the state as evidence of the President’s commitment to the region.
Among the projects he mentioned were the Bori-Bodo Road and the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road, as well as the establishment of the Federal University of Marine Technology in the state.
President Tinubu, in his address, thanked Rivers residents for supporting his emergence in the 2023 election and appealed for their backing in the forthcoming presidential poll.
He recalled the support he received from the state during the previous election, saying his visit was to appreciate the people and seek a renewed mandate.
“Give me the mandate. The mandate that I use to govern today, you are a positive contributor. I must thank you for going out there to vote,” Tinubu said.
The President also defended his administration’s economic policies, including the removal of petrol subsidy and the changes to the foreign exchange system, arguing that the country was moving towards economic recovery.
He said that when he assumed office, 27 of the 36 states were unable to pay salaries, describing the situation as a major burden on families and the economy.
“27 of the 36 states. But ever since, we have reversed the decade. We are on the move for prosperity,” he said.
President Tinubu urged Nigerians to remain patient with the reforms, insisting that the country had begun to experience progress.
He also highlighted the payment of outstanding pensions and gratuities, saying retired workers were beginning to receive their entitlements.
The President commended Fubara for maintaining peace during the political crisis in Rivers, describing the governor’s response to the intervention as a demonstration of maturity and respect for the wisdom of elders.
“I want to thank you specifically for maturity, understanding, respect for the wisdom of elders. When we intervened, you respected our position. You maintained peace,” Tinubu said.
He appealed particularly to young people to participate in the 2027 election by collecting their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), describing the poll as important to their future.
“This election is about you. It is not about me. Your future depends on this election,” he said.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima also urged Rivers residents to renew Tinubu’s mandate, arguing that the administration had laid the foundation for economic growth and needed another term to consolidate its policies.
Shettima said the President had taken difficult decisions to stabilise the economy, including the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of multiple exchange rate systems.
He claimed that Nigeria’s foreign reserves had improved significantly under Tinubu and predicted that the country could become a $1tn economy within five to 10 years.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio commended the turnout at the rally and expressed confidence that Rivers would again support Tinubu.
He also praised Wike’s role in the campaign and urged residents to support the APC’s political candidates in the state.
Former Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, defended the administration’s policies, saying Tinubu’s second term would focus on job creation, security, agriculture, transportation and infrastructure.
He said the President was committed to inclusive growth that would generate employment rather than economic expansion without jobs.
The rally brought together APC leaders, governors, political stakeholders and supporters as the party intensified mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general election.
