The Orashi National Congress (ONC) has endorsed Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs, the Governorship Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), for the 2027 Rivers State Governorship Election, in what could become a significant moment in the emerging political conversation across the state.
The endorsement was made at the ONC Special Convention held in Erema on Saturday, 15 August 2026, following deliberations on the political, developmental and security realities of the Orashi Region and Rivers State.
For the Orashi people, the decision is anchored largely on political equity and the belief that the Rivers West Senatorial District should have the opportunity to produce the next governor of Rivers State.
But beyond senatorial rotation, the endorsement sends a broader message about the growing desire of communities to have a meaningful voice in determining who leads them.
The decision comes at a time when the 2027 political conversation is already dominated by powerful political structures, alliances, defections and questions about godfatherism and internal party democracy.
Against this backdrop, the ONC’s decision represents a region making its own political statement and asserting that the people should have a say in determining their political future.
Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs has continued to position his political ambition around the principles of putting the people first, equitable opportunity across the state’s Senatorial Districts and allowing the people to decide their leadership.
His emergence as the NDC governorship candidate has also survived political and legal challenges, including a suit at the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt which was dismissed after the plaintiff discontinued the case.
For his supporters, the Orashi endorsement is therefore more than an endorsement of a political candidate. It is an expression of confidence in an alternative political pathway at a time when many Rivers people are asking what kind of leadership the state truly needs.
The 2027 election is still ahead, and much will undoubtedly change before voters head to the polls.
But with the Orashi National Congress now firmly behind Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs, another voice has joined the growing political conversation in Rivers State.
And that voice is clear: put the people first, and let the people decide.
