By Isaac Samuel
Members of the Rivers State Caucus in the National Assembly have declared their full support for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.
The caucus, made up of two Senators and seven members of the House of Representatives all from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), urged other presidential aspirants to shelve their ambitions.
In a joint statement signed by all members on Saturday, they described Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda as Nigeria’s best path to prosperity and progress.
The caucus members who signed the statement are Senator Barry Mpigi, Senator Allwell Onyesoh, Rt. Hon. Dumnamene Dekor, Solomon Bob, Hon. Felix Nwaeke, Hon. Kelechi Nwogu, Cyril Hart, Victor Obuzor, and Blessing Amadi.
The lawmakers said their decision was based on the visible successes of Tinubu’s administration, which they described as “working and on course.”
They also commended Tinubu’s economic policies, saying they are targeted at repositioning Nigeria’s ailing economy and addressing years of decay inherited from the previous administration.
The statement said: “We, the members of the National Assembly from Rivers State, comprising Senators and Members of the House of Representatives, extend our heartfelt gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his trust and confidence in our leader, His Excellency Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, following his appointment as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. We are gladdened by the President’s public acknowledgement and commendation of the exceptional performance of the Minister of FCT, whom he described as the ‘Master of Infrastructure.’
“Now, having carefully reviewed the President’s economic policies which are targeted at repositioning our once moribund economy through his Renewed Hope Agenda, and taking into account the massive rot and decadence he inherited on the 29th of May, 2023—including our unenviable debt profile and the terrible inflationary figures occasioned by the printing of N22.7 trillion by the Central Bank of Nigeria through Ways and Means overdraft for the Federal Government between 2015 and 2023 under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“And the near-absence of critical infrastructure to support food production; we have come to the conclusion that the President’s economic plan is the surest way out of our country’s social and economic morass. Further, our assessment is firm that the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda is very much on track with already visible results and a credible basis that offers greater improvement in the economic wellbeing of Nigerians if given the necessary time. Still, we are convinced that the declining inflation figures, the substantial reduction in our foreign debt profile, and an IMF-backed promising growth figure all bode well for the economy in the years ahead.
While applauding Tinubu for his “swift” intervention in the political crisis in Rivers State, they said the President’s action “has set the process of peace in motion, even as we pray and hope to see a clear path to an enduring peace built on sincerity of purpose.”
The NASS Rivers Caucus reminded that in 2023, “we worked assiduously under the leadership of Nyesom Wike for the election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. And we were victorious in that assignment.”
ALSO READ ADC woos Jonathan as Mark, Atiku insist on primaries Isaac Samuel The race to the 2027 presidency took a dramatic turn this week as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) intensified efforts to lure former President Goodluck Jonathan into its fold. Jonathan, it was gathered is also taking decisive moves to reset opposition strategy and mount a formidable challenge against President Bola Tinubu. The former President held a closed-door meeting held in Abuja on Thursday with ADC National Chairman, Senator David Mark. Jonathan, who publicly met with politicians and party leaders for the first time since his rumoured bid to return to power, met the ADC stakeholders at the home of Mark. Seen in a viral video as he walked into the expansive residence of the former Senate President in Abuja, others with Mark were former Minister of Sports and ADC spokesperson, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi as well as a former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, among others. Sources claimed the former president has begun consultations ahead of the 2027 polls following increasing pressure to get in the ring and ‘save’ the nation. But it was learnt that the former President's bid to return to Aso Rock on the platform of the opposition coalition may have hit an early stumbling block. At Thursday’s meeting, Mark was said to have told the former president in clear terms that the only path to the party’s presidential ticket was through the front door by formally joining the party and submitting himself to a transparent primary election. Unable to secure any guarantees, Jonathan and Mark agreed to meet again soon to review the situation. It was learnt that the ADC is moving to draft Jonathan into the race beccause he is seen as a compromise candidate, but his strong base used to be the South-East which is now the political fortress of Obi. But Jonathan is not alone in seeking assurances. Both former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, are also pressing the ADC leadership for firm commitments before they take the plunge. The party’s new leadership, however, has refused to make such promises, a development that explains why all three leading contenders are still holding back from declaring for the party. For them, early commitment without certainty could prove politically fatal. Aligning with the ADC and then losing its ticket could leave any of the trio stranded and without a viable political vehicle ahead of 2027. Obi has consistently insisted that power must remain in the South for equity, even pledging to serve a single term if elected. But his camp remains opposed to any vice-presidential offer, warning that such a move would be politically suicidal after his strong showing in 2023. For Atiku, who resigned from the PDP in July, the plan is to complete ongoing grassroots mobilisation before formally collecting his ADC membership card in Adamawa. While Atiku insists he is ready for an open primary, his increasing influence within ADC backed by significant political investments is fuelling fears that the presidential ticket may already be tilted in his favour. That dynamic, party figures say, could force Jonathan and Obi to reconsider their strategies. Meanwhile, the ADC leadership is trying to project unity. After a caucus meeting in Abuja attended by Mark, Atiku, former governors Nasir El-Rufai, Aminu Tambuwal and Rotimi Amaechi, the party directed all undecided members to resign from their existing parties. Peter Obi, a member of the coalition party, had yet to disclaim his membership of Labour Party (LP). Atiku is also yet to get his ADC membership even though he has resigned from PDP. National Publicity Secretary of ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, disclosed the new directive while addressing journalists in Abuja, after a caucus meeting attended by top party leaders and political figures. Abdullahi said, “Though final order has been given to all members to resign membership of other political parties, the caucus was silent on the timeline.” The caucus also announced that all issues concerning African Democratic Association (ADA) had been concluded. According to Abdullahi, “The coalition has rested everything concerning the ADA. That means they are not interested in the registration or otherwise of the association.” On the 2027 presidential race, Abdullahi said ADC’s presidential aspirants had agreed to back whoever emerged winner of the primaries. “All the presidential aspirants have agreed to support whoever wins the primaries election,” he stated. The ADC spokesman further revealed that the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) would soon announce dates for primaries in Osun and Ekiti states ahead of the off-cycle governorship elections in both states. Those present at the meeting included National Chairman, David Mark; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai; former Sokoto State Governor, Senator Aminu Tambuwal; and former Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi.
The statement added: “As members of the National Assembly from Rivers State, we declare unequivocally our unconditional resolve to work again for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu come 2027.
“As legislators who are closest to the people, we shall begin the mother of all mobilizations of our people to repeat in greater measure what we did in 2023 in order to re-elect President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“Finally, we call on all Nigerians to support the consolidation of the Renewed Hope Agenda as the surest panacea for the prosperity and progress of Nigeria.
“And, in this connection, we appeal to would-be presidential candidates, especially those with desperate and never-ending presidential ambitions, to jettison such ambition and rally round our dear President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) in 2027.”
