Ogbia leaders endorse Tinubu for 2027, hail Niger Delta interventions

 

Leaders of Ogbia Kingdom in Bayelsa and Rivers states have endorsed President Bola Tinubu for a second term in 2027, citing what they described as inclusive leadership and sustained development interventions in the Niger Delta.

The endorsement was made on Wednesday during a courtesy visit to the President at the State House, Abuja, led by the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Samuel Ogbuku.

Speaking for the delegation, a traditional ruler, Collins Daniel, said the kingdom’s support was in appreciation of Tinubu’s policies and the confidence reposed in sons and daughters of Ogbia through key national appointments.

He said the appointments reflected the President’s commitment to fairness and inclusion, describing them as a strong affirmation of the people’s trust in the administration.

Among those acknowledged were Justice Moore Abraham Aseima Adumein of the Supreme Court; Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, Managing Director of the NDDC; Tonye Okio, Federal Character Commission commissioner representing Bayelsa State; and Fernandez Marcus-Obiene, Special Assistant to the President on Justice Reform and ICT/Digital Innovation.

The monarch praised the performance of the NDDC under Ogbuku, noting that communities across Ogbia Kingdom and the wider Niger Delta had witnessed unprecedented infrastructural and human capital development since his appointment in August 2023.

He listed solar street lighting, road construction, ecological projects, upgraded health facilities and youth empowerment programmes — including Project HOPE in technology, agriculture, arts and green energy — as key interventions that have boosted economic activities and helped reduce insecurity in the region.

Daniel also commended ongoing federal projects in the area, including the Oloibiri Oil Museum and Research Centre, the rehabilitation of the Ogbia axis of the Ogbia–Nembe–Brass Road, and the construction of the Otuogori–Otuegwe Bridge across the Ekole River.

Describing Ogbia as the cradle of Nigeria’s oil industry, where crude oil was first discovered in commercial quantity in 1956, he said the community had made historic sacrifices for national unity, including the 2015 concession of defeat by former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The delegation urged the Federal Government to give greater attention to the area, requesting the establishment of an Institute of Energy and Petroleum Studies in Ogbia, partnership on the Akaba–Emadike Road project and shoreline protection for erosion-prone coastal communities.

Responding, President Tinubu assured the delegation of his administration’s commitment to working closely with Niger Delta indigenes, particularly through the NDDC, to deepen development in the region.

He said while past neglect could not be ignored, the focus must remain on consolidating current efforts to deliver lasting progress to the Niger Delta.