Five governorship candidates in Rivers State have signed a 13-point Citizens’ Charter of Demands at a public dialogue in Port Harcourt, committing themselves to consider residents’ priorities as they campaign for the 2027 election.
The charter was presented at the seventh Rivers We Want town hall, organised by the Rivers Peace Initiative with media, academic and labour partners. Its demands cover employment, education, healthcare, housing, agriculture, environmental protection, security and economic development.
The signatories were Ben-Gurion John Peter of the Social Democratic Party, Ivy West of the African Action Congress, Gabriel Pidomson of the African Democratic Congress, Nature Dumale Kieghe of the Peoples Redemption Party and Minaibim Harry of the National Rescue Movement. The document was presented through representatives of the Trade Union Congress and the Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta.
The gathering gave residents an opportunity to question candidates about the public services and economic conditions they would inherit if elected. Organisers said the charter was intended to establish standards against which campaign promises and eventual performance could be measured.
Rivers Peace Initiative convener Obinna Ebogidi said the exercise was not designed to endorse a candidate. He urged residents to examine political programmes and continue asking questions after elections, rather than allowing accountability to end with the ballot.
Ebogidi argued that the state’s considerable natural resources had not consistently translated into satisfactory services and economic opportunities for residents. He identified education, healthcare, jobs, safety and responsible public spending among the tests that should be applied to any incoming administration.
Several candidates outlined different approaches to those concerns. Pidomson proposed reducing dependence on oil revenue and public expenditure by encouraging production, industrial development and private investment. His proposals were presented as campaign commitments, not projects already funded or implemented.
West described a 12-point programme covering employment, peace and security, social welfare, education and environmental priorities. She also pledged to make accountability a regular feature of her administration if elected. The other signatories addressed economic opportunity, poverty and public safety during the dialogue.
The candidates’ signatures demonstrate agreement to engage with the charter’s stated demands. They do not establish that the proposals have been adopted as binding government policy, nor do they guarantee that the projects sought by residents will be delivered.
Representatives of the Rivers State Police Command also used the event to warn against political violence. Police spokesperson Blessing Agabe, representing the commissioner, urged candidates and supporters to reject intimidation, vote-buying and the recruitment of young people for political thuggery.
Agabe said political opponents should not be treated as enemies and called for cooperation between communities, political actors and security agencies. The warning came as parties and campaign groups increased their activities ahead of next year’s polls.
Rivers State Inter-Party Advisory Council chairman Nnanna Onyekwere said the council would remain neutral between candidates. Individual political parties may choose their own alliances, he explained, but the umbrella body would not endorse a particular contender.
The town hall was convened with Super 93.3 FM and the Centre for Peace and Security Studies at the University of Port Harcourt, with involvement from the Rivers State Trade Union Congress. Organisers said candidates who were unable to attend would also have an opportunity to consider the charter.
The exercise brings public attention to practical questions that will confront the next governor: how to improve schools and hospitals, create work, maintain infrastructure and protect communities while managing the state’s resources. Residents and civil society groups will be able to compare those priorities with the candidates’ detailed manifestos as the campaign develops.
The five signatories have made a public commitment to engage with the Citizens’ Charter of Demands. Whether its proposals influence budgets, legislation or service delivery will depend on decisions made after the election.
Featured photograph: Candidates displaying documents at the Rivers We Want town hall in Port Harcourt. Source: The Sun, reporting by Tony John. Individual photographer not identified. Original image source.
