Ogoni Coalition Mobilises Support For ADC Gov’ship Candidate

A political pressure group in Ogoniland, Rivers State, the Legbo Coalition, has begun the mobilisation of support for the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dr Gabriel Pidomson, ahead of the 2027 general election.

To this end, the group has inaugurated its ward and unit executives across the four local government areas in Ogoniland as part of efforts to establish a grassroots political structure.

During the inauguration of the executives on Saturday, the chairman of the coalition, Comrade Felix Kpaedee, said the inauguration was not merely a political gathering but the beginning of a coordinated grassroots campaign aimed at strengthening the coalition’s presence across Ogoniland.

He said the executives had been given the responsibility of taking the coalition’s message to households, compounds and communities through door-to-door campaigns, one-on-one engagements and voter sensitisation.

“Today, we have chosen to speak. Today, we have chosen to meet. Today, we have chosen to build,” Kpaedee said.

He said the coalition’s objectives were to unite its members, support Pidomson’s candidacy and position Legbo to play a more active role in the political process ahead of the 2027 election.

“2027 is not far. If we don’t choose who speaks for us, others will choose for us,” he said.

Kpaedee urged members to remain united and ensure that the coalition’s activities were driven by grassroots engagement rather than political rhetoric.

The founder of the Legbo Coalition, Chief Anthony Waadah, who is also the Gbenemene of Legbo Kingdom and President of the Ogoni Business Owners Association in America, charged members to make justice, equity and competence the foundation of their political activities.

Waadah said the candidacy of Pidomson, as viewed by the coalition, represented those principles and urged members to focus on the qualities and development agenda of the candidate rather than reducing the campaign to ethnic considerations.

“For me, the candidacy of Sir Dr. Gabriel Pidomson represents these principles. There are several people who want the office of Governor of Rivers State, and that is their constitutional right, but we must also recognise that political leadership is not merely about wanting a position. It is about having the character, competence, vision and commitment required to serve the people,” he said.

He stressed that the coalition should not present the Pidomson project as an exclusively Ogoni political agenda, arguing that the governorship of Rivers State concerns all communities and ethnic groups in the state.

“Rivers State belongs to all of us. We do not want a leader who will govern Rivers State through ethnic sentiment. We want a governor who will see Rivers State as one state, with diverse peoples, communities and interests that deserve fairness and equal attention,” Waadah said.

According to him, Pidomson’s development blueprint should be subjected to public discussion and taken to communities so that voters can assess the candidate’s plans for the state.

“Our responsibility is not simply to carry a name. Our responsibility is to take a message to the people. We must go to our communities and explain why justice matters, why equity matters and why competence matters,” he said.

Waadah also urged members of the coalition to extend their mobilisation beyond Ogoniland and engage other ethnic groups and communities across Rivers State.

He said the future of the state could not be built by one ethnic nationality alone, urging the coalition to promote an inclusive message capable of attracting support across the state’s diverse population.

The founder further charged the ward and unit executives to conduct their activities peacefully and within the law, warning against insults, threats, provocation and violence during political engagements.

“Do not insult anybody. Do not threaten anybody. Do not provoke anybody. Do not engage in violence. Go out and convince the people through ideas, facts and genuine engagement,” he said.

He added that members should remain steadfast and disciplined, assuring them that citizens who believe in justice, equity, competence and democratic participation would support peaceful political engagement.

The coalition’s Women Coordinator, Hon. Nuka Mercy, said women would play an important role in the mobilisation effort, describing them as builders who could influence political participation at the family and community levels.

“The women are playing a very important role because we are builders. We are here to build part of the family, so we are fully involved,” Nuka said.

She said the coalition’s mobilisation strategy would not be limited to Ogoniland, adding that members were prepared to take their message to communities across Rivers State.

“We are launching out to all the LGAs in Rivers State because we Ogonis cannot do it alone. It is a collective effort,” she said.

Nuka’s remarks underscored the coalition’s intention to involve women in its grassroots structure and mobilisation activities as the 2027 election approaches.

Also speaking, Comrade James Burabari expressed confidence in the ability of the coalition to mobilise grassroots support for Pidomson in Ogoniland and other parts of Rivers State.

Burabari said the coalition had established relationships with people at the grassroots and would rely on those connections in its mobilisation efforts.

“We have a longstanding relationship and commitment with the grassroots, not the mirage of those politicians who only come after four years to campaign and canvass for votes without any direct impact on the people,” he said.

He assured the ADC that the coalition would work to mobilise support for the party’s candidates in Ogoniland and use its relationships with other ethnic groups to engage communities outside the area.

The coalition also said its campaign would focus on communicating what it described as Pidomson’s development agenda, including free education, accessible healthcare and broader transformation of Rivers State.

The inauguration therefore brings the coalition’s political structure to the ward and unit levels, with its executives expected to coordinate grassroots engagement, voter sensitisation and mobilisation ahead of the 2027 Rivers State governorship election.

The leaders of the coalition called on members to remain united, peaceful and committed to democratic principles as they begin their grassroots assignment, while emphasising justice, equity, competence and inclusive development as the central themes of their mobilisation.