A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led coalition in Bayelsa State has unveiled a campaign timetable for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid, positioning itself as a grassroots mobilisation partner to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) despite its traditional opposition affiliation.
The coalition has commenced its campaign for Tinubu’s re-election with a fasting and prayer programme, which it said is aimed at seeking divine guidance and support for the President’s second-term ambition, as well as praying for sustained peace and development in the state and the country.
The Bayelsa State Rainbow Coalition said it would use the PDP’s reach across the state’s 105 wards to mobilise voters for Tinubu.
It urged the Bayelsa APC leadership to treat it as a partner rather than a rival in the President’s re-election effort.
State PDP Publicity Secretary Ikaebimo Mark announced the schedule in a statement signed by the coalition’s State Organising Secretary, T. Godspower.
Godspower said the plan begins with three days of fasting, prayers and a solemn assembly from November 5 to 7, followed by a dedication and thanksgiving service on November 8.
He added that formal campaign activities are scheduled to begin on November 9 with the inauguration of the coalition’s campaign council, the commissioning of its secretariat and the unveiling of campaign buses donated by Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike.
Campaign materials, including T-shirts, face caps and banners, are to be distributed across local government areas from November 10 to 15, he said.
The coalition plans senatorial district flag-offs and the presentation of flags to candidates in Bayelsa Central, West and East between November 17 and 21.
Its grand finale, set for December 12, is expected to feature the formal adoption and endorsement of Tinubu as the presidential candidate of the Bayelsa PDP and other coalition parties.
Alabh Turnah, the Bayelsa PDP leader and state coordinator of the National Rainbow Coalition, said the alliance could broaden Tinubu’s support beyond the APC’s traditional base.
He praised Wike’s inclusion in the national presidential campaign structure, arguing that the minister’s influence could help galvanise votes in Bayelsa and other states.
Turnah said the coalition would promote the benefits of the Tinubu administration’s development agenda, especially projects executed by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in Bayelsa.
He argued that the PDP retains the strongest grassroots appeal in the state and that its members are prepared to back Tinubu under the Rainbow Coalition platform.
Turnah warned that leaving the President’s Bayelsa campaign solely to the state APC could weaken its electoral prospects, citing what he described as the party’s limited grassroots presence in several communities.
He urged APC leaders to cooperate with the coalition and work jointly to defeat opposition parties in the state.
“President Bola Tinubu has demonstrated pragmatic leadership with the inclusion of our national leader and patron, Nyesom Wike, in the national Presidential Campaign Council,” Turnah said.
“His inclusion shows the abiding confidence of President Bola Tinubu in the capacity of the Rainbow Coalition to galvanise votes for him across party lines.”
The timetable signals an early intensification of political activity in Bayelsa ahead of the 2027 elections.
Still, the coalition’s claims of superior grassroots strength—and its ability to deliver votes for Tinubu—remain political assertions that will be tested at the ballot box.
