Yenagoa, Bayelsa State — Member representing Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Engr. Rodney Ebikebina Ambaiowei, has charged the executives of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area to place the interest of the party above personal and family considerations as they mobilise for the 2027 general elections.
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Ambaiowei gave the charge on Friday in Yenagoa during a meeting with the APC Southern Ijaw Local Government Executive Committee, where he commended the executives for their grassroots mobilisation and commitment to the party.
The lawmaker, who expressed appreciation for the visit and support from the party executives, acknowledged their efforts in mobilising support for APC across the constituency.
He said: “I am still thanking you because, in my absence, you people have been making the work easier for me, moving from one place to the other, from one person’s house to the other, preaching the gospel of APC.”
Ambaiowei noted that the executives’ grassroots engagements had become particularly important ahead of the formal commencement of campaign activities, adding that their efforts demonstrated commitment to the party.
He said: “So I am very happy, and I thank you for that too.”
‘Your party is supreme’
The lawmaker urged the executives to remain loyal to the APC and avoid allowing personal relationships to undermine the party’s chances at the polls.
According to him, political loyalty sometimes requires members to put party interest ahead of personal relationships, stressing that disagreements arising from such decisions should not become permanent.
He said: “APC is strong, but politics in election proper, even though we are strong, we have to be faithful to the party. If we are not faithful to the party, don’t be surprised at the outcome of it. In party politics, you don’t look at brother. Your party is supreme.”
Ambaiowei further charged the executives, from the local government chairman to the least-ranking member, to take ownership of the party and defend its interests at all times.
“I am charging everybody, from chairman to the least member of the executive: dream of the party, take care of the party, eat the party. If we don’t do that, I assure you, the victory we are preaching, the large number we have and the strength we have, we will be disappointed,” he said.
He advised members not to allow family ties or personal affiliations to influence their political choices during the election.
“Sometimes you have to offend your brother to reconcile with him after the election. I have done that before. I offended my brother, but at the end of the day, my brother was the one who carried my hand to everywhere and showed that he had forgiven me. Party fights are not everlasting,” Ambaiowei stated.
Calls for support across constituencies
The federal lawmaker also urged the party executives across the four state constituencies in Southern Ijaw to work collectively towards victory for APC candidates from the State House of Assembly to the National Assembly and the presidency.
He said: “Your party is very, very important. I want to urge everyone from Constituency Four to Three, to Two, to One, hold your party firmly; support your party firmly.”
Ambaiowei expressed confidence in the capacity of the Southern Ijaw APC structure to deliver electoral victories, saying the executives had the strength to defend and promote the party at the grassroots.
“I know that all of you, you have that strength to defend the party for our party to be victorious, from House of Assembly, to Reps, to Senate, to the Presidency,” he said.
He also promised to work with the party executives to address some of their challenges, particularly those relating to the limited financial resources available for grassroots party activities.
“I know party politics is not all that easy because the finances required by you people are limited. So that is a big problem to you, but I assure you, as time goes on, we will see what we can do for you so that it will be of great help to you,” he assured.
Guans: Rancour-free primary a plus for APC
Earlier, Chairman of the APC in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Barr. Woko Timi Guans, said the meeting marked the first formal engagement between the local government party executives and Ambaiowei since the conclusion of the party’s primary election.
Guans congratulated Ambaiowei on what he described as a rancour-free primary and his emergence as the party’s candidate for the Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency.
He said his participation in the harmonisation and selection process gave him an appreciation of the calibre of aspirants who contested the position.
“When you look at the calibre of persons in the party who were aspiring for that position, you can appreciate the fact that this victory becoming rancourless is something that is a plus to the party,” Oguan said.
He disclosed that the party executives had also engaged other political leaders and former aspirants in Southern Ijaw in an effort to build unity and secure victory for all APC candidates.
According to him, the party’s objective is to mobilise support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senator Konbowei Benson, Ambaiowei and other APC candidates in the 2027 elections.
Guans said the party executives had already begun reaching out to supporters, including members of the Southern Ijaw community in the diaspora.
MP, if you see support coming from abroad, from within the party Exco, don’t be surprised. We are working, and we assure you that we’ll do our best,” he said.
APC hails Ambaiowei’s legislative agenda
The Southern Ijaw APC chairman also commended Ambaiowei for his legislative initiatives, particularly bills aimed at establishing institutions that could have long-term developmental impacts on the constituency.
Guans cited the proposed establishment of a Federal Technical College at Eniware, a College of Midwifery and Nursing at Amassoma, and another educational institution at Oporoma.
“We believe that with those bills alone, we are satisfied because establishment bills have a way of impacting the people for a long period of time,” he said.
He expressed hope that the National Assembly would give the proposed legislation the necessary consideration and support for the bills to become law.
Guans assured Ambaiowei that the Southern Ijaw APC executive would work across the wards and constituencies to support his re-election bid and those of other party candidates.
“The Southern Ijaw APC Exco is very ready to work with you and to support you in every ward and every constituency to give you maximum support,” he said.
He added: “Those that are going back and those that are new will all be victorious at the polls. And we know that we have the capacity as a party.”
The meeting ended with a renewed commitment by the Southern Ijaw APC leadership and the lawmaker to strengthen grassroots mobilisation, party unity and coordinated efforts ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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