Rivers State has inaugurated the Local Government Area LGA Ambassadors of the Renewed Hope Family as part of the broader Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme (RHWDP) under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu across the state. The inauguration brought together members of the group drawn from the 23 LGAs and marked a new phase in political mobilisation within the state ahead of future elections.
The event took place in Port Harcourt and was attended by political leaders, party members, and supporters of the Renewed Hope movement.
The programme was held without the presence of the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, who declined to attend the event despite the gathering of stakeholders from across the state. Organisers said the absence of the governor did not affect the objective of the event, which was to formally inaugurate coordinators at senatorial and local government levels to strengthen grassroots engagement and support for President Tinubu’s administration.
Speaking at the event on Friday, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT, Nyesom Wike, warned that he and his supporters would forcibly enter the Yakubu Gowon Stadium for their next rally if the Rivers State Government continued to deny them access to the facility. He declared that “heaven will not fall” even if the stadium was damaged in the process. Wike issued the warning during the inauguration of senatorial and local government coordinators of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, an event organised in support of President Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Wike said his group had formally applied to the state government for the use of the Yakubu Gowon Stadium but was denied access, describing the action as unprecedented in the state’s political history. “We applied to the state government to use the Yakubu Gowon Stadium, and they refused. Next time, if we apply and they refuse again, we will break it, and nothing will happen,” Wike said. He added that denying access to public facilities would not stop political activities.
He boasted that Rivers State was setting the pace in political mobilisation and insisted that the state would continue to lead others in openly demonstrating support for President Tinubu. “I know after today, other states may inaugurate their own structures, but Rivers State will always lead the way. Support is not by mouth; we have shown commitment with action,” he added while addressing supporters at the event.
Wike declared that political activities ahead of future elections had officially commenced, noting that ward level inaugurations would soon follow. “I told you that by January, we would start playing politics. This is January, and we have started. If you don’t give us the venue, we will break it,” he reiterated. He also questioned the commitment of the Rivers State Government to supporting President Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.
“You cannot have a governor in the state while we are openly declaring support for President Tinubu, and you are not aligning. How then do you expect a reward?” Wike asked. According to him, political reward is tied to commitment and loyalty, not financial contribution. “You don’t need N600 billion. All you need is commitment. That is what brings reward, even if it brings envy,” he said.
Wike further disclosed that the rally was a coalition effort and thanked President Tinubu for supporting the Ijaw coalition in producing candidates for the February 21 by elections in Khana Constituency II and Ahoada West Constituency II. “I told you January is when politics will start. By February 21, go out and vote. We give out the buses and ensure proper mobilisation for the Renewed Hope agenda,” he urged supporters.
Also speaking at the event, Senator George Sekibo assured President Tinubu of Rivers State’s continued support and thanked him for appointments and projects. “No President has embarked on projects of this magnitude while also appointing Rivers indigenes. Tell the President we are grateful,” Sekibo said. Speaking on behalf of the National Assembly caucus, Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Okey Chinda, reaffirmed support for Tinubu and endorsed his re election bid in 2027.
“What we did in 2023 will be better in 2027. Politics is give and take,” Chinda said, adding that political developments in Rivers State were unprecedented in Nigeria.
The Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martins Amaehula, and the All Progressives Congress State Chairman, Tony Okocha, also pledged support for Tinubu. Former state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, Felix Obuah, pledged support for President Tinubu, while APC Chairman in Rivers State, Tony Okocha, assured that the party was fully mobilised ahead of the 2027 elections. The coordinators of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors in the state include Felix Obuah, Boma Iyaye and Marcus Nleji. At the event, brand new buses were handed over to the group to support mobilisation activities.
