By Israel Adebiyi
Governors and leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South South region have endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term in office.
The endorsement was announced during the APC stakeholders’ interactive session held in Benin City, Edo State, on Saturday, June 28, 2025. The event brought together prominent party figures who praised President Tinubu’s leadership and pledged support for his Renewed Hope Agenda to continue beyond 2027.
Among the key attendees were Senator Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, representing Edo North Senatorial District; Hon. Abubakar Momoh, Minister for Regional Development; Governor of Cross River State, Bassey Edet Otu, who spoke on behalf of the Progressive Governors’ Forum; former Bayelsa State Governor, Timipre Sylva; Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Samuel Ogbuku; Deputy Governor of Edo State, Hon. Dennis Idahosa; Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Blessing Agbebaku; Secretary to the Edo State Government, Barr. Umar Musa Ikhilor; APC National Woman Leader, Mary Idele Alile; and Chairman of APC in Edo State, Jarret Tenebe.
The stakeholders passed a vote of confidence in both Governor Monday Okpebholo and President Tinubu, citing several ongoing reforms such as the student loan initiative and the exemption of low-income earners from tax payments as key achievements of the current administration.
Governor Okpebholo, in his address, expressed gratitude to his fellow governors and party leaders for their show of unity and support. He noted that the gathering marked a historic moment of solidarity among South South governors, saying, “This is the first time we are seeing unity among the governors coming together in a single room to discuss the progress of this country.”
He praised President Tinubu as a “capacity working president” who has provided the necessary support to enable state governments to function effectively. Highlighting the president’s economic reforms, Governor Okpebholo said, “Things you think are difficult are made easy through his policies.”
The governor commended Tinubu’s courage in taking tough decisions that have benefitted national development and reiterated his pledge to deliver 2.5 million votes for the president in Edo State in 2027. Addressing opposition critics, he stated, “How will it not happen when I am already working, constructing good roads?”
He pointed to ongoing road construction projects across eight communities in Uhunmwonde, including areas neglected during the tenure of former Governor Godwin Obaseki. “If the president is not behind us, such development cannot happen,” he asserted, adding that “2027 is settled in Edo State as a way to pay him back.”
Reflecting on the challenges Tinubu faced during his initial bid for the presidency, Okpebholo recalled, “They seized the economy of the nation. They seized petrol. They seized everything to frustrate him, yet he won the election.”
He reaffirmed his unwavering support for the president, describing Tinubu as a man with a “big heart” whose ongoing reforms and infrastructural developments show his deep commitment to Nigeria’s growth. “Anywhere he goes, we go,” the governor concluded.
