By Onyeche Igwe
Ahead of the 2027 general elections, leaders from the Ogoni and Oyigbo zones in Rivers State are seeking a replacement for incumbent Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
They converged on Nonwa in the Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State on Saturday at an event tagged “Ogoni, Oyigbo People’s Assembly.”
The gathering was attended by prominent politicians, most of whom are loyalists of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Wike, the immediate past governor of Rivers State, is currently in a running battle with Fubara, his estranged political godson, and has vowed not to support Fubara again.
Among the attendees were personalities such as Senator Barinada Mpigi, Senator Magnus Abe, Ambassador Desmond Akawor, and Chief Victor Giadom.
The Assembly emphasized unity and cooperation between the two ethnic nationalities, which fall under the same senatorial district (Rivers South-East) that produced Fubara as governor.
As part of their resolution, read by Senator Mpigi, they demanded the Ogoni/Oyigbo governorship slot in 2027 and called for unity and cooperation between the Ogoni and Oyigbo people.
They also called on major political parties to consider Ogoni/Oyigbo candidates for the governorship, while condemning the activities of Governor Fubara.
Senator Mpigi alleged that some political actors were visiting Aso Villa at night to declare their support for President Bola Tinubu and urged them to do so openly during the day.
He called on President Tinubu to contest the 2027 general election to consolidate his efforts in improving the economy and complete his developmental projects.
The resolution reads: “The Ogoni and Oyigbo Peoples Assembly, a multi-political convergence of five Local Government Areas within the Rivers South-East Senatorial District, met today to reaffirm their support for the President Bola Tinubu-led administration and pledged total loyalty to the former Governor of Rivers State and current Minister of FCT, Chief Nyesom Wike, as the political leader of Rivers State. They also reiterated the obvious fact that the senatorial district’s upland is due for a governor and should produce the next governor of Rivers State come 2027.”
Mpigi further stated: “I call on Mr. President to contest the 2027 election and finish the numerous projects, including the Coastal Roads, Badagry Express Road, and others.”
The leaders commended the FCT Minister for uniting Ogoni and Oyigbo politically and condemned recent comments by the Ijaw leader and elder statesman Edwin Clark against Wike.
Speaking earlier, Ambassador Akawor, who was the chairman of the occasion, said that since the Ijaw people within the senatorial district had segregated themselves from the upland, the upland would make a statement that would change the political history of the state come 2027.
Chief Victor Giadom, South-South Deputy National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, thanked President Tinubu for his people-oriented reforms and urged major parties to consider Ogoni/Oyigbo for the governorship slot in 2027.
On his part, Senator Abe emphasized the importance of peace and unity, while Dumnamene Dekor, the member representing Khana/Gokana Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, stressed Ogoni/Oyigbo’s capacity to produce the next governor.
Former federal lawmaker Emmanuel Deeyah also praised President Tinubu and Wike for their love for the Ogoni people and their developmental strides in the country.
