South-South Governors Lock In 100% Support For Tinubu 2027, Vow Economic Takeover

By Tunde Okoro | Najia Pulse

CALABAR -- The South-South Governors' Forum (SSGF) has thrown its full weight behind President Bola Tinubu's 2027 re-election bid, declaring the region is ready to become Nigeria's most formidable economic bloc. The governors, meeting in Calabar on Monday, pledged a united front to transform the region into an integrated powerhouse through rail connectivity, seaport rehabilitation, and industrialisation.

This is not just talk. The communiqué from the second SSGF meeting, chaired by Bayelsa State Governor Senator Douye Diri, lays out a clear roadmap. The forum identified regional rail development, the rehabilitation of the Calabar, Port Harcourt, and Warri seaports, and the massive opportunities from the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as strategic priorities. They also agreed to institutionalise quarterly meetings, with Uyo hosting the next session from November 6 to 8, 2026.

One Voice, One Region: The South-South Strategy

Host Governor Senator Bassey Otu of Cross River State set the tone, insisting the region's future depends on speaking with one voice.

“We must come together as a people; we must cooperate, and we must ensure that our voice is heard and respected,”

Otu said, adding that the South-South has “everything it takes” to become one of Nigeria's most formidable economic blocs.

Otu pushed for a common regional position on fiscal equity, covering Value Added Tax, oil and gas revenues, and the 13 per cent derivation benchmark. He also sought backing for Cross River State's campaign to regain its oil-producing status. Beyond that, he proposed a regional economic corridor linking the Bakassi Deep Seaport with the East-West Road and ports in Bayelsa and Delta. The goal? Move beyond raw resource exploitation to value addition, especially in cassava processing and ethanol production.

From Rhetoric to Results: Diri's Challenge

Governor Diri made it clear the forum must be judged by results, not words.

“We cannot afford to remain a region of meetings and communiqués. The meeting must produce movement,”

he said, demanding resolutions translate into “measurable progress.”

Diri painted a bold vision for the South-South as “Nigeria's gas-industrial hub, West Africa's maritime gateway, and the country's leading blue-economy zone.” But he also sounded the alarm on the Niger Delta's environmental crisis.

“We cannot continue to produce the wealth while communities remain surrounded by environmental devastation,”

the governor warned, calling for expanded remediation efforts.

Security, Investment, and the 2027 Pledge

The communiqué followed presentations from BRACED Commission Director-General Ambassador Joe Keshi on regional rail development and PANDEF National Chairman Ambassador Godknows Igali, who pushed for a regional investment fund and a sharper focus on youth-driven economic transformation.

The governors also resolved to strengthen intelligence-sharing and coordinated security operations across the six states to protect oil and gas assets, communities, and economic corridors. They agreed to engage directly with President Tinubu on infrastructure and environmental priorities.

On the 2027 election, the forum's stance is unambiguous: “100 per cent” support for Tinubu's re-election bid, alongside a firm commitment to advancing the economic and developmental interests of the South-South. This is a region positioning itself not as a spectator, but as a decisive player in Nigeria's political and economic future.

Photo: Vanguard