Ogbia People Urge Tinubu To Seek Re-election, Pledge Total Support

The Ogbia Kingdom in Bayelsa and Rivers States has formally called on President Bola Tinubu to contest the 2027 presidential election, pledging the total political support of the kingdom in appreciation of what it described as his inclusive leadership and development interventions in the Niger Delta.

The appeal was made on Wednesday at the State House, Abuja, during an official thank-you visit by a high-powered delegation of the Ogbia Kingdom, led by its paramount ruler, Obanobhan III, King Dumaro Charles Dwaba.

Speaking on behalf of the delegation, King Collins Daniel said the Ogbia people were convinced that President Tinubu had served them well and deserved to continue in office beyond 2027.

“In light of the above, we firmly believe that Mr President has served us well. As such, we cannot help but reciprocate your kind gesture by inviting him to contest the next presidential election, backed by the full support of the Ogbia Kingdom. Mr President, we are behind you,” he said.

The delegation said its visit was to express gratitude for the President’s leadership style and the confidence he had reposed in sons and daughters of Ogbia through key national appointments, which it said had rekindled hope and strengthened faith in his administration.

They cited, among others, Justice Moore Abraham Aseima Adumein of the Supreme Court; Dr Samuel Ogbuku, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC); Sir Tonye Okio, Federal Character Commission commissioner representing Bayelsa State; and Barrister Fernandez Marcus-Obiene, Special Assistant to the President on Justice Reform and ICT/Digital and Innovative Technology.

According to the delegation, the appointments reflected President Tinubu’s commitment to inclusive governance and recognition of Ogbia’s contributions to national development.

They particularly commended the performance of the NDDC under Dr Ogbuku, noting that since his appointment on August 29, 2023, communities across Ogbia Kingdom and the wider Niger Delta had witnessed what they described as unprecedented infrastructural and human capital development.

They said solar lighting projects had reached virtually every community in Ogbia Kingdom and across the Niger Delta, boosting economic activities and helping to curb insecurity in the region.

The delegation also listed road construction, ecological interventions, improved health facilities and youth empowerment initiatives such as Project HOPE in technology, agriculture, arts and green energy as key achievements of the commission, describing President Tinubu’s appointment of Dr Ogbuku as “not misplaced.”

They further commended ongoing federal projects in the area, including the Oloibiri Oil Museum and Research Centre, the rehabilitation of the Ogbia section of the Ogbia–Nembe–Brass Road, and the construction of the Otuogori–Otuegwe Bridge along the Ekole River.

Recalling Ogbia’s historical role in Nigeria, the delegation described the kingdom as the cradle of the nation’s oil industry, noting that crude oil was first discovered in commercial quantity at Oloibiri in 1956, an event they said transformed Nigeria’s economic destiny.

They also referenced what they described as defining sacrifices for national unity, including the 1959 pre-independence political alliance led by Chief Melford Okilo and the 2015 concession of defeat by former President Goodluck Jonathan.

According to them, these actions underscored Ogbia’s long-standing commitment to one indivisible Nigeria.

On that basis, the delegation appealed for greater federal attention to the kingdom, presenting requests that included the establishment of an Institute of Energy and Petroleum Studies in Ogbia, partnership on the Akaba–Emadike Road project, and shoreline protection for coastal communities threatened by erosion.

The Ogbia leaders concluded by assuring President Tinubu of their unalloyed loyalty and support, inviting him to visit the kingdom and praying for wisdom, strength and good health as he continues to lead the country.