The African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Rivers State, Dr Gabriel Pidomson, has declared that the people of the state will reject any attempt to impose a governor on them in the 2027 election.

Pidomson made the declaration on Thursday in Port Harcourt while speaking with journalists on his campaign preparations and his expectations for the forthcoming governorship election.

The ADC candidate criticised the political arrangement known as the “Rainbow Coalition”, which is associated with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and former Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike.

Pidomson argued that the coalition would not prevent Rivers voters from choosing their preferred candidate, insisting that the 2027 election would be a referendum on who the people want to govern the state.

He said the contest would go beyond individual candidates and political blocs, declaring that it would ultimately be between Rivers people and those seeking to determine the outcome of the election.

“The 2027 election is not just between Pidomson and the others. It is going to be Rivers people versus others,” he said.

Taking aim at the political camp associated with Wike, Pidomson said Rivers State belonged to all its citizens and could not be treated as the property of any individual or political organisation.

“Rivers State is nobody’s private estate. It is our common patrimony,” he declared.

‘We shall eclipse their rainbow’
Pidomson also dismissed claims that the Rainbow Coalition had gained significant influence ahead of the election, saying the ADC would defeat the political arrangement at the polls.

“On the so-called Rainbow Coalition, well, they have the right to boast everywhere. I can assure you that the real people are not with them. And we shall eclipse their rainbow next year,” he said.

The ADC candidate alleged that many Rivers residents were dissatisfied with what he described as the prolonged domination of the state’s politics by one political figure.

He challenged Wike’s political camp to identify projects the former governor had attracted to Rivers since becoming FCT minister.

“As a minister of the FCT, tell me one project that Nyesom Wike has brought to the state,” Pidomson asked.

He also alleged that appointments influenced by Wike had largely benefited his political associates.

Pidomson said his campaign had conducted consultations across Rivers State, engaging ethnic groups, community leaders and other stakeholders.

According to him, the consultations showed a desire among residents for what he described as a more responsive and responsible government.

He said his 10-point policy agenda was focused on the welfare and development of Rivers residents.

The ADC candidate also expressed confidence that his party would withstand any attempt to manipulate the election.

“They cannot rig us out,” he said.

ADC promises polling-unit monitoring
Pidomson said the ADC would deploy agents to polling units across the state to monitor voting and the collation of results.

“Our agents will be on red alert to monitor the units across the state,” he stated.

He urged voters to remain at their polling units after casting their ballots until the results were announced, arguing that such vigilance would help protect the integrity of the process.

“With that it will be impossible for them to rig us out,” he said.

Pidomson further urged Rivers voters not to be intimidated by political groups, insisting that the 2027 election should provide an opportunity for voters to freely choose their preferred candidate.

“The votes of the people will count. The vote will be protected. No amount of rigging will prevail in the state,” he said.

Calls for security agencies to protect political activities
The ADC governorship candidate also condemned what he described as restrictions on political activities and alleged attacks on perceived political opponents in some local government areas.

He called on the Inspector-General of Police, the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, the Department of State Services and other security agencies to ensure that citizens and political parties were allowed to exercise their constitutional rights.

“It is therefore unlawful, unconstitutional and barbaric for anybody, no matter how politically placed, to stop anyone from participating or organising political activities in any part of the state,” he said.

Pidomson alleged that members of the ruling All Progressives Congress had disrupted some ADC activities and called on security agencies to investigate the incidents and prosecute anyone found responsible.

Pidomson dismisses opposition from some Ogoni leaders
On reports that some Ogoni leaders were opposed to his candidacy, Pidomson said he was confident that voters would make their own decisions rather than automatically follow the positions of political leaders.

“The so-called leaders you are talking about are just a handful of those who have benefitted from this current system. They cannot sway the position or choice of the people,” he said.

He claimed that the ADC had established structures across Rivers State and that his support base cut across ethnic divisions.
“The entire Rivers people are my structures,” he declared.

Pidomson also urged voters to collect any inducement offered during the campaign but vote according to their conscience.

“They will come to bribe you with money, collect it but vote for ADC,” he added.

The ADC candidate said he was prepared for the 2027 governorship contest, noting that he had been working towards becoming governor of Rivers State since 2014.

“I am intellectually, emotionally and physically prepared,” he declared.

Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, Ireti Kingibe, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure that the votes of Nigerians count in the 2027 general election 

Kingibe made the call in a statement issued on Wednesday to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary, stressing that the essence of independence would be undermined if citizens were unable to freely choose their leaders through credible elections.

The senator urged INEC to maintain its independence and conduct the 2027 elections in a manner that reflects the choice of voters.

She also called on security agencies, political leaders, the electorate and young Nigerians to play their respective constitutional roles in ensuring peaceful and credible elections.

“I wish to use the opportunity offered by this annual event to passionately appeal to INEC to be truly independent in action and name by conducting the 2027 General Elections in a manner that would reflect the will of the people,” Kingibe said.

“I also appeal to security agencies, political leaders, the electorates and the youth to play their respective constitutional roles at the elections, noting that the entire world is watching us.”

The 2027 general elections are expected to attract significant political activity as political parties and prospective candidates prepare for presidential, governorship and legislative contests.

Kingibe said the October 1 Independence Anniversary should serve as a reminder of the sacrifices made by Nigeria’s founding fathers and the responsibility of citizens and leaders to preserve the country’s democratic values.

According to her, independence represents “freedom, sacrifice, and the resilience of our founding fathers who fought for the liberty we enjoy today.”

She added, “Their labour must not be in vain.”
The FCT senator urged Nigerians to reflect on the state of the country’s democracy, arguing that the ideals of independence should include the right of citizens to freely determine who governs them.

She further reaffirmed her commitment to supporting legislative measures aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s electoral system and representing the interests of her constituents in the Senate.

Kingibe said she would continue “to being a voice for the voiceless in the Senate.”

In Nigerian politics, some contributions are made from the podium, while others happen quietly through conversations, relationships and the painstaking work of bringing people together.

For Seyi Tinubu, Patron of the City Boy Movement, the emerging political story is increasingly one of building bridges, expanding conversations and connecting his father’s political project with a new generation of Nigerians.

The significance of that role lies not only in political mobilisation but also in the breadth of constituencies being reached.

Under Seyi Tinubu’s patronage, the City Boy Movement has continued to expand its engagements with young people, community leaders, professional groups, religious organisations and ethnic constituencies, creating a wider network around youth participation and political engagement.

One of the notable examples came recently when the Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria and the National Council of Muslim Youth Organisations signed a Peace Accord ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The accord commits both groups to religious tolerance, peaceful coexistence and responsible youth participation while rejecting political violence.

The initiative comes against the backdrop of Nigeria’s religious diversity, where political disagreements can sometimes become entangled with religious identities.

Its message is straightforward: political differences should not become religious conflict, while young Nigerians should be encouraged to embrace dialogue and peaceful participation.

Reaching across ethnic and professional constituencies
The engagement with the Ohanaeze Ndigbo FCT Chapter, led by its President, Chief Hon.

Andrew Okonkwo Ugwu, represents another dimension of the bridge-building effort.

The meeting provided an avenue for engagement with the Igbo community in the Federal Capital Territory, coming amid broader efforts by the City Boy Movement to strengthen relationships with Igbo stakeholders.

Earlier, Ndigbo for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu 2027 Forum entered into a partnership with the movement to deepen political engagement, economic empowerment and national integration.

Another engagement involved the Association of Nigerian Artisans and Technicians.

The significance of such an engagement goes beyond the meeting itself. Artisans and technicians constitute a large and economically important constituency whose concerns often become prominent during elections but require sustained engagement well before voting day.

The emerging philosophy behind the City Boy Movement’s outreach appears to be straightforward: go to the people, listen to them and build relationships with them.

It reflects an understanding that modern political mobilisation cannot be sustained by social media activity alone.

City Boy moves beyond campaign platform
Seyi Tinubu has also spoken about the evolution of the movement.

At the City Boy Movement’s maiden National Retreat in Abuja, he described the organisation as having evolved beyond its original role as a campaign platform into a national movement focused on youth participation, democratic engagement and service.

He urged members to serve as communicators, educators, mobilisers and ambassadors of hope, while engaging citizens with facts, empathy and responsibility.

The emphasis gives political mobilisation a more community-oriented dimension.

Rather than simply communicating political messages, members are expected to reconnect citizens with government and explain policies within communities, wards, markets and campuses.

Seyi Tinubu specifically charged the movement to serve as a bridge between government and the people.

The organisational work supporting that ambition has also been significant.

The July 2026 National Retreat brought together the movement’s Governing Board, National Working Committee, national directors, state directors and stakeholders from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The retreat was used to strengthen structures, inaugurate leadership and prepare the organisation for intensified grassroots mobilisation.

Targeting 10 million youth votes
The City Boy Movement has also announced an ambitious target of mobilising 10 million youth votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

Its leadership has stressed that such a target cannot be achieved through slogans or social media activity alone.

Instead, the movement says it requires real people, membership expansion, ward structures and sustained community engagement.

The strategy places young Nigerians at the centre of the movement’s political mobilisation efforts.

In June, The Bridge for Renewed Hope, a youth mobilisation platform, formally aligned with the City Boy Movement after its national inauguration in Abuja.

The group said its objectives included deepening youth participation in governance and mobilising support for President Tinubu.

Together, these developments point to an effort to construct a political network that reaches beyond traditional party structures and established political actors.

Building a broad coalition
The range of engagements also illustrates the diversity of constituencies being targeted.

Christians and Muslims. Igbo and non-Igbo communities. Artisans and professionals.

Young people and community leaders.

Established political actors and a new generation of politically active Nigerians.
For Seyi Tinubu, the assignment also carries a personal political dimension.

As the President’s son, his public activities naturally attract attention. However, his involvement with City Boy places him in a different arena, where he is helping to build relationships, organisational structures and youth networks around his father’s political project.

The effectiveness of that effort, however, will ultimately depend on what happens beyond meetings, photographs and public declarations.

The more significant test will be whether the engagements produce lasting relationships, responsible political participation and stronger connections between citizens and public institutions.

That is where political mobilisation can acquire a broader meaning.

The road to 2027
For now, the City Boy Movement is expanding its engagement with different groups and communities, with Seyi Tinubu increasingly associated with efforts to connect those constituencies.

The approach places conversation, inclusion and grassroots relationships at the centre of political mobilisation.

The road to the 2027 general elections is expected to generate intense political activity across Nigeria.

But before voters cast their ballots, political organisations and movements will also be competing for something less tangible: trust, relationships, membership and influence within communities.

It is in that space that Seyi Tinubu and the City Boy Movement are seeking to establish themselves.

Their evolving strategy is not simply about building a campaign structure.

It is about building bridges between political actors and constituencies, between government and citizens, and between Nigeria’s established political networks and a younger generation seeking a greater role in the country’s democratic process.