Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC Rivers State Governorship Candidate for the 2027 general elections, Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs has declared that the State can no longer afford politics without a clear purpose or continue to have political alignments and reconciliations of private individuals that don’t advance the state, stressing that the future of Rivers State is too important to be sacrificed on the altar of political ambition.
Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs made the declaration at a special NDC executive luncheon in Abuja on Tuesday, 27 October 2026, following the third National Executive Committee meeting of the Party, and also used the platform to remind party leaders and candidates that the responsibility of seeking public trust not only goes far beyond winning elections, but equally demands purpose, sacrifice, accountability and a clear commitment to the people whose mandate is being sought.
The NDC Rivers State Governorship Candidate, who noted that the fundamental question to ask at this defining moment in our country’s history is: What does politics mean if it does not improve the lives of the people?, was unequivocal in explaining that every political alignment must be measured against the simple standard of what it offers the people of Rivers State, and while maintaining that the value of genuine Reconciliation is when it produces peace, strengthens institutions and creates the conditions for development, stated quite strongly that the purpose of political arrangements must be questioned when it revolves around the redistribution of influence without a credible plan for the people.
Chief Lulu-Briggs who insisted clearly that the urgency of governance cannot be suspended while politicians negotiate their interests, saiid that in addition to political consensus, Rivers State also needs an economic direction, responsible management of public resources, functional institutions, better healthcare, quality education, infrastructure and opportunities for the people to prosper.
He then pledged his commitment to a peaceful electoral process in 2027 and a development agenda grounded in practical solutions, responsible leadership and measurable progress, and while adding that the task of resetting Rivers State was not his alone, but requires collective responsibility and demands a clear understanding that public office is a trust, not a personal possession, charged that the people must remain at the centre of every political decision.
Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs captured his comments at the special NDC executive luncheon in Abuja, in a post on his verified social media handles, which reads:
Rivers State cannot afford politics without a clear purpose. It cannot have political alignments and reconciliations of private individuals that don’t advance the state. Instead, they seek to undermine the collective rights and privileges of the entire state.
The future of Rivers State is too important to be sacrificed on the altar of political ambition.
At this defining moment in our history, we must ask ourselves a fundamental question: What does politics mean if it does not improve the lives of the people?
At our special executive luncheon in Abuja on Tuesday, 27 October 2026, following the third National Executive Committee meeting of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, I reminded our leaders and candidates that the responsibility of seeking public trust goes far beyond winning elections. It demands purpose, sacrifice, accountability and a clear commitment to the people we seek to serve.
One thought remains with me: People can go with you, but they cannot go for you. Every one of us must take personal responsibility for the future we desire. We cannot build a better society by outsourcing our duty to others or mistaking shared ambition for shared purpose.
This is why I believe that every political alignment must be measured against a simple standard: What does it offer the people of Rivers State?
Reconciliation has value when it produces peace, strengthens institutions and creates the conditions for development. But when political arrangements revolve around the redistribution of influence without a credible plan for the people, we must question their purpose.
Rivers State needs more than political consensus. It needs an economic direction, responsible management of public resources, functional institutions, better healthcare, quality education, infrastructure and opportunities for our people to prosper. We must be able to explain what we intend to build, how we intend to build it and how ordinary citizens will benefit.
The urgency of governance cannot be suspended while politicians negotiate their interests. Our public health institutions must be prepared to protect lives, particularly amid concerns about emerging health threats. Our schools, roads, communities and businesses cannot wait for political calculations to be concluded. Governance is a daily responsibility, not an activity to be resumed when the political atmosphere becomes convenient.
We must also remember that the resources entrusted to us today are held in trust for generations yet unborn. The children of Rivers State deserve to inherit more than political rivalries, neglected infrastructure and missed opportunities. They deserve a state with strong institutions, a productive economy and the capacity to turn its enormous potential into a better quality of life.
My commitment is to a peaceful electoral process in 2027 and a development agenda grounded in practical solutions, responsible leadership and measurable progress. I believe we must change the terms of our political conversation. Instead of asking only who is aligning with whom, we must ask what is being built, whose lives are improving and what future we are securing.
The task of resetting Rivers State is not mine alone. It requires collective responsibility, but it also demands a clear understanding that public office is a trust, not a personal possession. The people must remain at the centre of every decision we make.
Rivers State has the resources, talent and potential to become a stronger, more productive and more prosperous society. What we need is the courage to put purpose before ambition, development before political convenience, and the public good before personal interest.
We cannot afford politics without purpose. We cannot afford leadership without responsibility. And we cannot afford to mortgage the future of Rivers State to the ambitions of today.
It is time to reset Rivers State.
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