The Southern Ijaw Local Government Area chapter of the Diri/Akpe Believers, a non-governmental political organisation, has commenced grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections with a courtesy visit to the Special Adviser to the Governor on Political Matters I, Hon. Ebitei Tonyon.
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The group paid the visit to Hon. Tonyon at his office on Monday, September 7, 2026, as part of its engagement with political leaders and stakeholders in Southern Ijaw.
Addressing the delegation, Tonyon commended the group for commencing its activities early, stressing that the task ahead required the collective efforts of party members, political groups and candidates.
“This is the season. Once we come to this season, groups are going to spring up, and all the aim is just for one goal: for us to succeed,” he said.
He explained that while the Bayelsa State governorship election would come later, the immediate focus should be on ensuring the success of the party’s candidates in the presidential and National and State Assembly elections.
Tonyon urged members of the group to work closely with candidates, particularly those contesting elections in areas where difficult terrain makes political mobilisation expensive and challenging.
“I want to suggest that you should not just look at only the political office holders alone to be visited, but those candidates that really have the election at hand. We have to visit them,” he said.
He further encouraged candidates to support grassroots mobilisation efforts with logistics, noting that several communities in Southern Ijaw are accessible only by boat.
According to him, the Diri/Akpe Believers could serve as an important grassroots mobilisation network for candidates who may not be able to reach every community personally.
“Areas that you cannot go, they can go. You cannot pay transport somewhere, but MTN call can cover somewhere for you. So that is the same way for Diri/Akpe Believers. Please contact them and use them as a tool for your success.”
Tonyon described grassroots supporters as the “foot soldiers” of political campaigns and urged members to remain committed to their responsibilities.
“If our aspirant succeeds, we succeeded. If our candidate succeeds, we succeeded. If they don’t succeed, we did not succeed. Success is all of us’ contribution, not only one person,” he stated.
He also urged the group to develop measurable targets at the polling-unit level, stressing the importance of understanding the voting strength of each community.
Tonyon said Southern Ijaw has about 510 polling units and challenged the group to work towards realistic targets in each unit.
“So it’s better we start now. As you go home, while in your meetings, you should be able to educate members of the units that we have in our localities,” he said.
He cautioned supporters against assuming victory before the final results are declared, emphasising the importance of monitoring the electoral process through to the collation and declaration of results.
“Until the result is announced, nobody is a winner. Somebody can be leading, but until it’s announced. That’s the system,” he said.
The Special Adviser also advocated the establishment of mechanisms to protect votes from the polling unit through the final stage of collation.
“Now that Diri/Akpe has come to stay, not only just canvassing for voting, but also come up with plans, how the votes can be protected till the final point,” Tonyon said.
Earlier, the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area Coordinator of Diri/Akpe Believers, Deacon Tobon Princewill, explained that the organisation was established as a statewide political support structure for the administration and the All Progressives Congress (APC), rather than as a platform for an individual candidate.
He said the name “Diri/Akpe Believers” could be misunderstood by people unfamiliar with the organisation, adding that it was created to promote the “Assured Prosperity” administration and galvanise grassroots support for the APC.
Princewill disclosed that the organisation had embarked on sensitisation activities, including an outreach at Swali Market where members distributed aprons to traders free of charge while educating them on government programmes and encouraging support for the APC.
He said the organisation had established structures at the state, local government and ward levels, with representation extending to the grassroots.
“We are out to spread this news down to the grassroots, and politics has to do with numbers,” Princewill said.
According to him, the Southern Ijaw chapter considered it important to engage political leaders directly and keep them informed about its activities rather than limiting its operations to social media.
He said the organisation would mobilise support for APC candidates across the various levels of government, from the presidency and National Assembly to the State House of Assembly, local government chairmen and councillors.
“We believe in the prosperity administration, and every candidate the assured prosperity government has given to us, we believe in their capacity. Hence, it is our duty to also galvanise support for every one of them down to the grassroots,” he said.
Princewill assured the Special Adviser that the group was available to support political mobilisation activities whenever called upon.
“You can call upon the Diri/Akpe Believers any day, any time. Any time you call upon us, we are here to work,” he added.
He also described the APC as a party with a presence across the grassroots, using the group’s chant, “APC, everywhere we go, everywhere we go, APC,” to underscore its mobilisation strategy.
Princewill thanked Tonyon for receiving the delegation and described him as the first Southern Ijaw political leader visited by the organisation as part of its ongoing engagement with stakeholders.
He disclosed that the group would continue its courtesy visits to other government officials and political leaders, including a planned meeting with the Commissioner for Women Affairs.
The visit marked an early phase of the group’s grassroots mobilisation programme as political stakeholders begin preparations for the 2027 elections.
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