By Amgbare Ekaunkumo, Yenagoa
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State has unanimously passed a vote of confidence in President Bola Tinubu, endorsing him as the party’s sole presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
The resolution was adopted during the APC’s 12th State Expanded Stakeholders’ Meeting held in Yenagoa, the state capital.
State Chairman, Chief Dennis Otiotio, said the meeting was convened to assess President Tinubu’s performance and mobilize support for his re-election.
Otiotio commended Tinubu for appointing prominent Bayelsa indigenes to key positions in his administration, describing the gesture as one deserving reciprocal support through a decisive victory in 2027. He urged party leaders to unite and strengthen the APC to secure success in the forthcoming governorship election.
He also expressed gratitude to federal appointees from the state for their loyalty and contributions to the party.
Former Governor and immediate past Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, lamented what he described as inadequate support from the APC’s national leadership.
“We did well in 2023, but not as expected. With national support, we are the strongest, and nobody will stand against us in elections,” Sylva said, insisting that with proper backing, the party’s 2027 victory is assured.
Prince Ebitimi Amgbare, Chairman of the Bayelsa State Reconciliation Committee and Managing Director of the Niger Delta Basin Development Authority, described the meeting as a milestone in promoting unity and progress within the party. He praised Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for transforming the national narrative and urged members to back the president’s second-term bid.
Chief Samuel Ogbuku, Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), dismissed claims that the APC in Bayelsa was weak, stressing that the party remained strong and committed to reconciliation.
“The party is alive and strong, with members hungry for victory,” Ogbuku said.
Minority Leader of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Hon. Timi Agala Omubo, speaking on behalf of APC lawmakers in the state, called for collective efforts to return the party to power by 2027.
Representing APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, the Deputy National Chairman (South), Chief Emma Eneukwu, reaffirmed the party’s commitment to securing victory in Bayelsa. He described the state as strategically important to the APC and urged aggrieved members to reconcile in the interest of unity.
Eneukwu added that the national leadership would support ongoing reconciliation efforts in the state, while urging Sylva to lead the process. He further noted that South-South governors had already endorsed Tinubu’s re-election bid, expressing confidence that others across the country would soon follow.
“The president is on a mission to take Nigerians to the promised land, and unity is the key,” Eneukwu said, urging leaders to promote tolerance and inclusivity.
The meeting concluded with the formal endorsement of President Tinubu as the APC’s sole presidential candidate for 2027, sealing the Bayelsa APC’s backing for his leadership.
