By Chris Eze, Port Harcourt, and Amos Okioma, Yenagoa
The Niger Delta Progressive Alliance (NDPA), a community-based group in the Niger Delta, has called on residents of the region to support President Bola Tinubu’s second-term bid in the 2027 general elections, citing his economic reforms and infrastructure development agenda. The group’s convener, Ambassador Nse Udoh, said the endorsement followed an assessment of the administration’s policies and their implications for sustainable development in the Niger Delta.
Key Highlights
- The Niger Delta Progressive Alliance (NDPA) has declared support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
- The group cited the removal of the petrol subsidy and the administration’s infrastructure agenda as reasons for its position.
- NDPA wants the Niger Delta’s oil revenue derivation formula increased from 13 per cent to 25 per cent.
- Convener Nse Udoh argued that Tinubu had demonstrated a willingness to take difficult policy decisions.
- The group said it was establishing structures to mobilise support for Tinubu across the Niger Delta ahead of the 2027 elections.
Why Niger Delta Group Is Backing Tinubu in 2027
Udoh made the declaration at an event organised by the group in Bayelsa State, themed “The Legacy of Bold Reforms: Evaluative Review of the Tinubu Reforms in Three Years in Relation to the Quest for Sustainable Development for Niger Deltans.”
He said the group’s decision to support Tinubu’s re-election bid was based on what it described as the president’s strategic reforms and the need for political leadership capable of taking difficult decisions.
Udoh also cited the Niger Delta background of the president’s wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, as another consideration informing the group’s position.
According to him, political participation and decisions taken at the national level have significant implications for resource management and development in the region.
He said Niger Delta communities were seeking an increase in the oil revenue derivation formula from 13 per cent to 25 per cent, acknowledging that such a change would require difficult policy decisions.
“We have looked at the three frontline candidates in the forthcoming elections, and we think that Tinubu, with the boldness that he has displayed, the decisions that he has taken, from the removal of fuel subsidy, it is clear that he is the one that can align with this kind of decision,” Udoh said.
NDPA Cites Fuel Subsidy Removal and Infrastructure Development
The group’s convener argued that the removal of the petrol subsidy had increased the funds available to government for infrastructure and other development projects.
He maintained that Tinubu’s decisions over the first three years of his administration demonstrated his capacity to implement policies that could support national development.
Udoh said the group was more persuaded by the administration’s record of decisions than by promises made by political contenders ahead of the 2027 elections.
“Niger Delta people are interested in the real deal, and the real deal that has guaranteed availability of funds for infrastructural development is what we will go with,” he said.
“The second one is that all of the candidates are only saying what they will do. This president in three years has demonstrated what he can do through tough decisions. And that tough decision is what will guarantee the development of our country,” he added.
The comments reflect the NDPA’s assessment of the administration’s economic policies. The wider effects of the reforms, including their implications for living costs and household incomes, remain important issues in the national debate.
Group Demands Increase in Niger Delta Derivation Formula
Udoh said the demand for an increase in the derivation formula remained a major concern for the Niger Delta, an oil-producing region that has long called for a greater share of revenue from its natural resources.
The group’s position links its support for Tinubu to its expectation that the administration could consider the region’s demands as part of its broader resource-allocation and development policies.
However, the proposed increase from 13 per cent to 25 per cent would require relevant policy and constitutional considerations. The group did not outline a specific timetable or mechanism for achieving the proposed change.
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NDPA Rejects Return of Petrol Subsidy
Addressing the controversy surrounding petrol subsidy removal, Udoh said the NDPA opposed a return to the former subsidy regime, which he described as vulnerable to widespread fraud.
He maintained that the group preferred policies that would make government revenue available for infrastructure and development initiatives.
The subsidy removal remains a significant economic policy issue in Nigeria, with debate continuing over its fiscal benefits and its effects on transport costs, food prices and household purchasing power.
Niger Delta Group Plans Tinubu Mobilisation Ahead of 2027
Udoh disclosed that the NDPA was putting structures in place to mobilise support for Tinubu across the Niger Delta ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He said the group intended to engage communities throughout the region to canvass support for the president’s second-term bid.
The endorsement adds to the political activity building ahead of the 2027 elections, as political parties, interest groups and community organisations position themselves around competing candidates and policy priorities.
The NDPA’s declaration represents the group’s political position; the extent of support it can attract across the diverse communities of the Niger Delta remains to be seen.
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