DEGEMA – In a significant move to consolidate grassroots momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections, high-profile Niger Delta activist High Chief Sobomabo Jackrich, popularly known as Egberipapa, has pledged his full support for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu and Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The declaration came on Friday night when Jackrich hosted the National President of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Musiliu “MC Oluomo” Akinsanya, at his residence in the Usokun community, Degema Local Government Area. The meeting, which included top national leaders of the union, was described as a strategic effort to deepen cooperation between regional power brokers and national transport structures.
The ‘Seyi Tinubu’ Factor
Addressing the delegation, Egberipapa attributed much of the rising confidence in the current administration to the accessibility of the President’s son, Seyi Tinubu. He praised the younger Tinubu’s youth-oriented approach, noting that his direct engagement with the grassroots has significantly strengthened the “Renewed Hope” brand in the Niger Delta.
“This is the first time we have seen the son of a president so genuinely close and accessible to grassroots people,” Egberipapa stated, noting that such engagement is vital for long-term political stability.
Rivers State ‘Block Vote’
The activist, who commands a vast network across all 23 local government areas of Rivers State, commended President Tinubu for his “fatherly backing” of Governor Fubara during the state’s recent political turbulence. Crediting the President with restoring order in the state, Egberipapa vowed to partner with the Governor to deliver Rivers State “in block” for the President in 2027.
The move is seen as a major win for the Tinubu re-election machinery, especially as the President has identified Rivers as the fourth-largest voter-populated state in Nigeria.
NURTW Alignment
In his response, MC Oluomo thanked the Niger Delta leader for his reception and reaffirmed the union’s commitment to an inclusive working relationship. As a key political figure in the South West and a staunch Tinubu loyalist, Oluomo’s mission to the Niger Delta is viewed by analysts as a strategic “bridge-building” exercise to align transport unions and regional influencers ahead of the next electoral cycle.
Last night’s meeting signals a growing convergence of pro-Tinubu forces in the South-South, aimed at creating an airtight grassroots defensive for the ruling administration.
Will this alliance between the NURTW and Niger Delta agitators succeed in neutralising the opposition’s influence in Rivers State before the 2027 campaign officially kicks off?
