By Emmanuella Opara Isioma | October 12th 2026
KEY POINTS
- -Tinubu Support Group media director Udengs Eradiri defends the President’s re-election bid following remarks attributed to Rotimi Amaechi.
- -Eradiri says supporters believe Tinubu deserves a second term to continue his administration’s reforms.
- -He accuses Amaechi of inconsistency over his past role in the APC’s campaign against former President Goodluck Jonathan.
- -Eradiri raises allegations concerning projects and transactions during Amaechi’s tenure as Rivers State governor.
- -He calls on INEC, the NBC and the police to enforce rules against inflammatory campaign statements ahead of the 2027 elections.
MAIN STORY
Udengs Eradiri, media director of the Tinubu Support Group (TSG) in Bayelsa State, has defended President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid, insisting that the President’s supporters remain committed to backing him in the 2027 election despite criticism from African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate Rotimi Amaechi.
Eradiri made the position known in a statement issued on Sunday in response to comments attributed to Amaechi, who reportedly described people willing to vote for Tinubu in 2027 as thieves or mad people.
He condemned the remarks as irresponsible and accused the former Rivers State governor and ex-minister of transportation of contradicting his previous political position, recalling Amaechi’s involvement in the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign against former President Goodluck Jonathan.
“We are madly in love with Tinubu and we want to vote for him. We love him, not only because he hails from the South where the presidency resides till 2031 but also because he has demonstrated uncommon courage, patriotic boldness and unselfish determination to take tough decisions that others before him shied away from to reposition this country and lay a solid foundation for a great and prosperous nation.
“We are not thieves and we do not have any mental problem. President Tinubu is our democratic choice and we will reelect him,” Eradiri said.
He argued that four years would not be sufficient to achieve the transformation he believes Tinubu has begun and maintained that the President should be allowed to continue his policies for a second term.
Eradiri also challenged opposition politicians to demonstrate how they would manage Nigeria’s resources and address the country’s challenges more effectively than the incumbent administration.
He described Amaechi’s comments as counterproductive, arguing that personal attacks could discourage voters rather than attract support for the opposition.
“You can see the inconsistency, arrogance and desperation these people are deploying to talk to Nigerians. We have resolved to vote for Tinubu because we believe that, with what he is doing to reset this country, he deserves a second term,” he said.
The TSG official further questioned Amaechi’s position, citing his previous efforts to persuade Nigerians to support the APC when Tinubu was providing national leadership for the party.
“Is he now saying that the people he convinced to vote for APC then are mad people and thieves? It means that he too is a thief and a mad man for convincing people to vote for the APC under the national leadership of Tinubu,” Eradiri said.
He also defended the principle of power rotation, arguing that the South should complete its expected turn before the presidency returns to the North.
Eradiri said Tinubu’s supporters would continue to mobilise voters behind the President and described any attempt to end the South’s turn prematurely as unjust.
The Bayelsa-based supporter also challenged Amaechi to respond to allegations previously raised by Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike concerning transactions and projects undertaken during Amaechi’s tenure as Rivers governor.
The issues cited by Eradiri included a reported $1 million concession fee associated with the Olympia Hotel transaction, an alleged outstanding balance of $28.4 billion from the sale of four state-owned power plants, expenditure on the abandoned Rivers State monorail project and funds reportedly spent on the Karibi Whyte Hospital project.
These claims were raised by Eradiri in his response and were not independently established in the statement.
He further criticised Amaechi over his opposition to the establishment of the Nigeria Maritime University in Okerenkoko, Delta State, during his tenure as transport minister, saying the issue remained important to voters in the Niger Delta.
Eradiri urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and the Nigeria Police Force to enforce applicable rules governing political campaigns and election-related statements ahead of the 2027 elections.
He called on political parties and candidates to focus on their records, policy proposals and manifestos instead of personal attacks or language that could heighten political tensions.
“Serious parties and candidates are expected to campaign with their achievements, programmes and manifesto to convince the people and show them what they will do better than the ruling party, not by making inciting statements and hate speeches,” he said.
Eradiri maintained that criticism of Tinubu would not deter the President’s supporters from campaigning for his re-election.
“We want to assure Amaechi that no amount of hate, bile and name-calling will stop the majority of Nigerians from voting for Tinubu,” he said.
He also dismissed the electoral prospects of the opposition ticket involving former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and Amaechi, describing it as “dead on arrival”.
THE ISSUES
The exchange highlights growing political disagreements ahead of the 2027 presidential election, particularly over Tinubu’s record, the role of opposition parties and the rotation of presidential power between the North and South.
Eradiri’s response focuses on defending the President’s policies and second-term bid while questioning Amaechi’s consistency and record in public office.
His references to transactions and projects during Amaechi’s tenure as Rivers governor are allegations raised in the political exchange and should not be treated as established findings without independent verification.
The call for campaign regulators and security agencies to intervene also brings attention to concerns about inflammatory political language and the conduct of electioneering activities.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
“We are madly in love with Tinubu and we want to vote for him.”
“We are not thieves and we do not have any mental problem. President Tinubu is our democratic choice and we will reelect him.”
“Serious parties and candidates are expected to campaign with their achievements, programmes and manifesto to convince the people and show them what they will do better than the ruling party, not by making inciting statements and hate speeches.”
“We want to assure Amaechi that no amount of hate, bile and name-calling will stop the majority of Nigerians from voting for Tinubu.”
WHAT’S NEXT
With the 2027 elections approaching, attention will remain on how political parties and their candidates present their records, policies and campaign messages.
Eradiri has called on INEC, the NBC and the police to enforce relevant rules governing political statements. The statement does not establish whether the agencies have taken any action over the remarks attributed to Amaechi.
BOTTOM LINE
Tinubu’s supporters in Bayelsa have defended his re-election bid following remarks attributed to Amaechi, while calling for restraint in political campaigning. The exchange reflects disagreements over the President’s performance, regional power rotation and the language political actors use ahead of the 2027 elections.
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