The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has declared that President Bola Tinubu’s supporters in Rivers State do not require the backing of a sitting governor to mobilise votes ahead of the 2027 general election.
Wike made the assertion on Saturday in Port Harcourt during the commissioning of the Rivers State Renewed Hope Ambassadors’ headquarters, which houses a radio station, situation room, offices and operational buses.
The former Rivers governor said the political structure backing Tinubu in the state was already strong and self-sustaining, boasting of grassroots mobilisation across the 23 local government areas.
“Desmond Akawor, you have shown enough capacity to mobilise. You have moved to all the nooks and crannies of Rivers to talk about Tinubu for president in 2027,” Wike said while commending the group’s state coordinator.
He insisted that Rivers had been firmly positioned to deliver votes for Tinubu, describing the state as a “no-go area” for opposition forces.
“I have said before that Rivers State is totally for Tinubu. We have made sure that all the 23 local governments and zonal coordinators were inaugurated. Nigerians all over the world watched that Rivers State is a no-go area,” he said.
Wike challenged critics to assess the level of organisation of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, describing the facilities unveiled as unprecedented in the state.
“I challenge anybody to come to Rivers and learn. Our commitment is not by mouth or newspaper headlines; ours is by showing that we are working for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he added.
The minister stressed that support for Tinubu in the state was being driven by elected officials and party leaders rather than external influence.
“We don’t need a governor to mobilise for Mr President. We have senators, assembly members, council chairmen, National Assembly members, and party chairmen of both APC and PDP. We have mobilised ourselves,” he said.
Recalling the 2023 elections, Wike said Rivers people had taken their political decision without coercion and remained committed to sustaining that direction in 2027, should Tinubu seek re-election.
“If the President indicates interest, our support is not negotiable,” he said.
He also urged the Renewed Hope Ambassadors to deepen their grassroots structures by inaugurating ward and unit coordinators to strengthen mobilisation efforts across communities.
Earlier, Akawor said coordinators had been appointed in all 23 local government areas of the state, crediting Wike’s leadership for shaping what he described as a distinctive political strategy.
The development comes amid ongoing political realignments in Rivers State, with Wike positioning himself as a key mobiliser for the ruling All Progressives Congress and President Tinubu ahead of the next electoral cycle.
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