The Rivers State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has inaugurated a 600 member governorship campaign council ahead of the 2027 elections.
The council is chaired by Senator Andrew Uchendu, while Hon. Chimbiko Akarolo serves as its Director General.
The inauguration took place in Port Harcourt on Monday, with the state chairman of the party, Chief Chukwudi Dimkpa, charging members to discharge their duties responsibly and in accordance with the party’s constitution and the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Dimkpa formally inaugurated the council after presenting its leadership, directorates, departments and membership.
“I charge every member to discharge his or her responsibilities faithfully, diligently, and in accordance with the constitution of our party, the approved terms of reference, and the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.
He subsequently handed over the responsibility for coordinating and executing the party’s governorship campaign in the state to the council, while retaining the overall authority and policy direction of the state party leadership.
The state chairman urged members to work together as a disciplined and result-oriented team to achieve the party’s objectives.
In his acceptance speech, Uchendu criticised the political situation in Rivers State, alleging that power struggles among political leaders had undermined governance and affected residents.
He accused the administration of Governor Siminalayi Fubara of failing to address key challenges facing the state, including healthcare, education, infrastructure and access to basic amenities.
“While Godfathers wage private wars of ego in Abuja and Port Harcourt, governance in Rivers State has been completely abandoned,” Uchendu said.
He also alleged that hospitals and schools were in poor condition, while residents continued to face inadequate electricity, bad roads and limited access to clean water.
The campaign council chairman maintained that the state’s political crisis had hindered development, despite Rivers State’s significant oil resources.
He said the ADC intended to promote a system of governance in which the executive, legislature and judiciary would operate independently and discharge their constitutional responsibilities in the interest of the people.
“That is why ADC is here. We want a state where the legislature will do their work, the executive will do their work, the judiciary will do their work. On behalf of the people, not on behalf of themselves,” he said.
Uchendu urged members of the campaign council to take the party’s message to all 23 local government areas of the state, stressing the need for grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
He also called for an issue-based and non-violent campaign, urging members to promote unity among the various ethnic groups in Rivers State.
“Our task is clear. We must rescue what we have before, that has been lost. We must recover and rebuild our state for ourselves and our children yet more,” he said.
Uchendu added that the party would pursue an inclusive approach to governance and called on its members to ensure that the forthcoming election was peaceful and that every vote counted.
The inauguration marks the commencement of the ADC’s campaign coordination efforts in Rivers State as political parties prepare for the 2027 general elections.