2027: PANDEF Chieftain Foresees Tinubu’s Defeat, Says APC Faces Uphill Battle in Rivers

By Ayodele Oni 

A chieftain of the Pan Niger Delta Elders Forum (PANDEF), Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe, has observed that the level of poverty  under this government may cost President Bola Tinubu victory in next year’s election.

The PANDEF chieftain also dismissed claims that President Tinubu is assured of victory in Rivers State in the 2027 presidential election, predicting instead that opposition candidate Peter Obi will secure a decisive win.

Sara-Igbe, an Ijaw elder statesman, speaking during an interview in Port Harcourt noted that the political climate in Rivers has changed and that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and his allies in the All Progressives Congress (APC) could face a backlash at the polls.

Wike, a former Rivers State governor who has been associated with the APC’s presidential campaign structure, has reportedly expressed confidence that Tinubu will dominate the state in 2027. 

He has also questioned the need for opposition figures, including Obi and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, to campaign in Rivers, arguing that their efforts would be fruitless.

Sara-Igbe rejected that position, accusing Wike and his allies of failing the people of Rivers and arguing that voters would use the election to express their dissatisfaction with the state’s political leadership.

“Rivers State remains for Peter Obi and Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs. We shall repeat what we did in 2023, but this time, let Wike come and do that his political abracadabra at his own risk.”

The PANDEF chieftain also predicted that the APC would struggle to win the governorship election, alleging that the party’s position was undermined by legal and electoral issues. 

He argued that Rivers voters would ultimately determine the outcome, regardless of the ruling party’s influence at the federal level.

“APC has no candidate in Rivers State going by the Supreme Court judgment and the Electoral Act. But if because they are in government and they think they can do whatever they like, the people will decide whether they will vote for them or not.”

His comments come amid manoeuvring among political parties and groups ahead of the 2027 elections, with competing interests seeking to build alliances across Rivers State’s ethnic and political blocs.

Sara-Igbe pointed out that an informal understanding has emerged between Ogoni and Kalabari stakeholders to support a governorship candidate of Ijaw extraction in 2027, with the expectation that the governorship would subsequently rotate to an Ogoni candidate in the interest of equity and political inclusion.

He added that the arrangement was intended to strengthen support for Dumo Lulu-Briggs, whom he identified as the governorship candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), and to challenge the political influence of Wike and his Rainbow Coalition.

According to Sara-Igbe, the alliance would bring together Ijaw, Ogoni, Kalabari and other communities in support of a candidate he believes can reset the state’s economy and create opportunities for young people.

“Ijaws in Rivers State are going to work with a Kalabari candidate, their own son. Ogonis and Kalabaris are parleys. They are going to work together with the candidate that will reset the state. Thereafter, it will be an Ogoni governor.”

He added that the composition of Lulu-Briggs’s campaign team reflected the proposed alliance, pointing to the reported involvement of Ogoni figures in the deputy governorship and campaign structures.

Sara-Igbe also criticised Wike for his role in the prolonged political conflict involving Governor Siminalayi Fubara, arguing that the minister’s recent efforts to secure political support contradicted his earlier show of dominance in Rivers.

“You can see that one man who boasted that he owned Rivers State is now running from pillar to post begging people for support,” he said, adding that Wike has repeatedly sought support from Fubara, whom he alleged had previously been treated dismissively.

He further claimed that Wike’s Rainbow Coalition has lost political momentum and accused the Tinubu administration of mismanaging Nigeria’s economy.

“People are hungry and angry. How much is the cost of fuel? I spend N2 million monthly on fuel. The level of poverty is high under this government. I’m afraid President Bola Tinubu will not get re-elected.”

He argued that Obi was better positioned to manage the national economy and predicted that the opposition figure would win decisively in Rivers. 

He also spoke of an ambition to expand the state’s economy from an estimated $20 billion to $30 billion to $200 billion or more, while creating jobs and empowering young people.

In a further appeal, Sara-Igbe called on the international community, including the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), African Union, European Union, United States and United Kingdom, to closely monitor Nigeria’s 2027 elections.

He warned that electoral violence or a disputed process could have consequences beyond Nigeria’s borders, urging international partners to support a credible and peaceful election.

“If there is crisis in this election, it will affect the neighbouring countries negatively. They must ensure that things are done properly in this election. People are angry and agitated.”