Citizens of Rivers State have presented a Charter of Demands to 19 governorship candidates ahead of the 2027 election, urging them to prioritise economic fairness, social justice, transparency and accountable governance.
The charter was presented at the Rivers We Want Town Hall Series, tagged Rivers 2027 Governorship Dialogue: The People’s Agenda, held on Friday, October 30, in Port Harcourt.
The dialogue was convened by the Rivers Peace Initiative in partnership with Super 93.3 FM, the Centre for Peace and Security Studies, University of Port Harcourt, the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Rivers State, and other stakeholders.
The charter outlines citizens’ expectations on healthcare, education, housing, electricity, road infrastructure, environmental protection, security, employment, workers’ welfare, pensions and transparent management of public resources.
Speaking at the event, Convener of the Rivers Peace Initiative, Obinna Ebogodi, said the dialogue was designed to give citizens a voice in shaping the state’s future rather than endorsing any political candidate.
He urged the candidates to adopt the charter, incorporate its demands into their four-year programmes and submit themselves to regular public assessments.
Ebogodi maintained that Rivers State’s wealth should be measured by the quality of life of its people, adding that citizens must remain actively involved in governance beyond election periods.
In her remarks, spokesperson of the Rivers State Police Command, ASP Blessing Kaborlo, urged political parties, candidates and their supporters to maintain peace and tolerance ahead of the 2027 elections.
She warned youths against political violence, thuggery and electoral malpractice, while advising voters to reject vote-buying, hate speech and other acts capable of threatening the electoral process.
Meanwhile, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate, Dr Gabriel Pidomson, endorsed the charter, identifying unemployment, poverty and insecurity as major challenges confronting the state.
Pidomson promised reforms in education, agriculture, infrastructure, housing and workers’ welfare. He also pledged to publish an implementation roadmap within his first 100 days, ensure equitable development across the 23 local government areas and hold regular town hall meetings.
He further supported the establishment of an independent, citizen-led committee to monitor implementation of the charter and promised annual reports on government performance and public spending.
Similarly, the African Action Congress (AAC) candidate, Ivy West, pledged to sign the charter and publish annual performance reports if elected.
West outlined a development agenda covering security, job creation, women’s empowerment, education, healthcare, climate action, agriculture, housing and good governance.
Among her proposed first 100-day priorities were an audit of state finances and contracts, at least 35 per cent women’s representation in her cabinet, skills development centres, free maternity and elderly care services, and a timetable for clearing outstanding salary and pension arrears.
The National Rescue Movement (NRM) governorship candidate, Reverend Minaibim Harry, identified security and economic expansion as priorities, promising to promote peace, reunite the state and ensure public spending translates into tangible development.
The governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prof. Ben-Gurion Peter, pledged to end godfatherism and politics of personal interest in Rivers State if elected governor in 2027.
Peter said his administration would prioritise the interests of the people, ensure equitable distribution of resources and create opportunities for residents, irrespective of their ethnic backgrounds.
Also, governorship candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Chief Nature Kieghe, identified drug abuse among youths as a major factor contributing to insecurity, violence and criminality in Rivers State.
Kieghe said his administration would prioritise rehabilitation, skills development and human capacity building to address the problem. He drew from his experience with the Youth Rescue International Development Organisation, where he said thousands of young people had been rehabilitated from drug addiction, violence and criminal activities.
Kieghe further pledged to provide loans for skills acquisition, particularly in agriculture, describing the sector as a major avenue for employment creation through production, processing, packaging and export.
On education, he proposed reducing tuition fees in state-owned tertiary institutions to a maximum of N80,000, promising to sanction any institution head who failed to implement the policy. The PRP candidate also pledged to grow the state’s internally generated revenue to over N300 billion monthly, while prioritising workers’ welfare, payment of salaries and pensions.
Our correspondent reports that five governorship candidates were present at the dialogue, including representatives of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), National Rescue Movement (NRM), African Action Congress (AAC), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP).
