By John Odhe
The Bayelsa State governor, Senator Douye Diri, has declared that president Bola Tinubu, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming presidential election, would garner more votes in the South-South geopolitical zone than he did in 2023.
Diri made the declaration while speaking with newsmen shortly after participating in the Edo State APC Presidential Campaign Rally flag-off in Benin City.
Represented by his deputy, Dr Peter Akpe, the Bayelsa Chief Executive maintained that the majority of South-South people would vote for Tinubu in the election scheduled for 16th January, 2027, because of the impact his administration has made in the region.
In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the deputy governor on Media, Mr. Doubara Atasin, he pointed out that, apart from the APC gaining firm control in all the South-South states, president Tinubu has equally shown love and political will towards tackling the challenges confronting the region.
Diri, who expressed delight at the massive turnout at the Benin event and similar rallies held so far, noted that the organic support the APC was enjoying from Nigerians would translate into a commanding electoral victory in 2027.
Commenting on the level of preparedness of the Bayelsa APC family in working for the re-election of Tinubu, he said that, contrary to unfounded claims by some opposition elements, the APC “is not only predominant but remains the party to beat in Bayelsa.”
His words: “You saw the mammoth crowd that thronged the Ogbemudia Stadium and its environs a moment ago. That is a mammoth crowd of organic supporters of our party. It is not a rented crowd. And it is like that all across the South-South.
“Our brothers and sisters in Edo have actually proved that Edo was the first to become an APC state in our region, and that they are determined to maintain its dominance in Edo.
“But as you can see today, all the states in the South-South are now APC, and the party has firm control of what happens in each of the states in the region. So, President Bola Tinubu will not only win, but will also win with a bigger margin of votes in 2027 than he did in 2023.
“The APC family is solid and it is working to return our leader, the President. You know that talk is cheap. Anybody can say anything or make any claims. January 16th is not far from now. Let us patiently wait for the results to determine the strength of the APC and that of other parties in Bayelsa.”
Meanwhile, the Edo State governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, reiterated his promise that Tinubu would secure not less than 2.5 million votes from the state in the upcoming election.
Okpebholo, who attributed the achievements of his administration to what he described as uncommon support from the Tinubu-led Federal Government, vowed that nothing would stop the state from fulfilling its promise to the President.
Speaker after speaker, including the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and former Edo state governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, assured Tinubu that the people of the South-South would vote massively to ensure his re-election in 2027.
Addressing the mammoth crowd, Tinubu, who was represented by vice president Kashim Shettima, urged Nigerians to objectively judge his administration by its transformational reforms, works, and its determination to complete ongoing projects.
Shettima highlighted some achievements of the administration to include the upgrade of healthcare facilities at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, infrastructural development, provision of social support for vulnerable citizens, and improved security.
He said: “We are also investing in your educational institutions and the people who sustain them. We have allocated subsidised fertilisers to your farmers and entrepreneurs… and vocational programmes through the National Directorate of Employment.
“We are providing different kinds of financial assistance to vulnerable citizens and communities affected by disasters. We have also improved the rejuvenation of our armed forces and other security agencies, and prioritised their operational capabilities.
“We have completed some works and some works are ongoing. We ask that our stewardship be judged by the lives it has touched… and the works we are determined to complete. We seek your mandate to finish the work we have begun.”
Akpe was accompanied to the Edo State APC presidential campaign rally by the state chairman of the party, Weri Warman Ogoriba, its women leader, Mrs Rose Itoko-Amadi, the South-South zonal director for youth mobilisation, APC presidential campaign council, Mrs Deme Pamooso, among other party chieftains.
