Tinubu woos youths as Fubara pledges three million votes

President Bola Tinubu and the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara. Photo: State House

President Bola Tinubu on Saturday urged youths to collect their Permanent Voter Cards and participate in the 2027 general elections, declaring that their future depended on the outcome of the poll.

The President made the appeal at the All Progressives Congress presidential campaign rally organised by the Rainbow Coalition in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where Governor Siminalayi Fubara pledged to deliver at least three million votes for Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

Addressing a large gathering of supporters at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Tinubu said the election was about the future of young Nigerians and not his personal ambition, urging them to use their voter cards to determine the country’s leadership.

“To the youth of Nigeria, I’m looking at you. This election is about you. It’s not about me. Your future depends on this election,” he said.

Describing the PVC as a weapon against poverty and a tool for political participation, the President urged eligible voters who had yet to collect their cards to do so.

“It is left for you to use the weapon you have, and that weapon is the PVC. If you have not collected yours, please go ahead and collect it,” the President said.

He also linked economic development to the fight against poverty, telling young Nigerians that the government had begun laying the foundation for prosperity.

“The weapon you have against poverty is to elect progressive development of our economy,” he said.

Tinubu thanked Rivers residents for their support during the 2023 presidential election and expressed appreciation to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for mobilising supporters for the rally.

The President also commended Wike for his contributions to infrastructure development, describing him as a development partner of his administration.

The rally was attended by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, APC National Chairman Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, and former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, among other political leaders.

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In his address, Fubara pledged that the state would deliver no fewer than three million votes for Tinubu, crediting Wike’s leadership of the Rainbow Coalition for the political arrangement.

The governor’s pledge underscored the renewed alliance between the two political camps following their prolonged disagreement over the control of the state’s political structure.

Tinubu praised Fubara for embracing reconciliation, saying the governor had demonstrated maturity by respecting the intervention of political elders.

“Siminalayi Fubara, Your Excellency, the host governor of today, I want to thank you specifically for your maturity, understanding, and respect for the wisdom of elders.

“When we intervened, you respected our position. You maintained peace. You are a committed democrat. Fubara, you will not regret what you have done as long as all of us are alive. I want to thank you also again for maintaining peace and stability during the seeming crisis created by misunderstanding in the family,” the President said.

The political crisis between Fubara and Wike began in October 2023, months after the governor succeeded the minister.

The disagreement over control of the state’s political structure led to a division in the Rivers State House of Assembly, an impeachment attempt against Fubara, and several legal battles.

The crisis escalated on March 18, 2025, when Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending the governor, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and members of the state House of Assembly.

The emergency rule was lifted on September 17, 2025, restoring the elected officials to office.

The two camps subsequently moved toward reconciliation, with Fubara publicly recognising Wike’s leadership of the Rainbow Coalition and declaring support for Tinubu’s second-term ambition.

At the unveiling of the coalition’s preferred candidates in Port Harcourt on October 27, Fubara urged his supporters to recognise Wike’s leadership and work with the political bloc ahead of the 2027 elections.