Rivers State Governorship Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC in the 2027 general elections, Opuda (Alabo) Dumo Lulu-Briggs, has enjoined Rivers people to embrace the occasion of this year’s Democracy Day celebration, June 12, 2026, as a reminder that power belongs to the people and should take collective ownership of the state, even as he admonished that Democracy is not a gift, but a responsibility, adding that the founding fathers fought for the creation of the state so that their children can live freely, vote without fear, speak without threat, and build without being inhibited.
Opuda (Alabo) Dumo Lulu-Briggs, whose Democracy day message was posted on his verified social media handles, urged them not to give up but to renew their faith in the unity and progress of Rivers State, and while noting that Democracy becomes real when the right to choose, the right to demand accountability, and the right to know are guaranteed, assured that he has heard and he understands the disappointments and weariness in the people’s voices and his answer is not to walk away, but to reclaim what belongs to Rivers people.
The Democracy Day message reads:
DEMOCRACY IS NOT A GIFT, IT IS A RESPONSIBILITY
~ A message from Opuda (Alabo) Dumo Lulu-Briggs on the occasion of the 2026 Democracy Day. ~
It is another democracy day when we celebrate the sacrifices of our heroes past in the enthronement and sustenance of democracy in our country.
For us in Rivers State, democracy has in the last 27 years, since 1999, impacted us in different ways. It carried both promise and pain, sometimes in the same election cycle.
But democracy is the only system where the fisherman in Bille, the market woman in Mile 3, the farmer in Emohua and the teacher in Bori has just one vote, one voice and one stake. Democracy is not perfect but it remains the best form of government.
On a day like this, we only need to remind ourselves that power belongs to the people. It is a day to remind us that we own Rivers State together – Ikwerre, Ijaw, Ogoni, Etche, Ogba, Ndoki, Ndoni, Omuma, Abua, Ekpeye etc.
Our founding fathers fought for the creation of this state so that we and our children can live freely, vote without fear, speak without threat, and build without being inhibited.
Today, the disappointments and weariness in our people’s voices are loud and I understand it. My answer, and I hope yours too, is not to walk away but to reclaim what belongs to us.
Our forebears fought for it and we must not trade that inheritance for division. We have the responsibility to protect and preserve our state.
Rivers State sits on enormous wealth. Our waterways, our blue economy, our brilliant and restless young people who deserve better. Democracy becomes real when the right to choose, the right to demand accountability, and the right to know are guaranteed.
On this day, I urge us not to give up but to renew our faith in the unity and progress of Rivers State. We will disagree without violence, we will compete without hate, we will protect our state, its people, its unity, its wealth and its future.
Rivers State shall rise again.
Happy Democracy Day.
God bless Rivers State.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Yours ceaselessly,
Opuda (Alabo) Dumo Lulu-Briggs
#DLBLegacy #NDC