THE Delta State Coordinator of Renewed Hope Ambassador, Delta State Chapter, Rt. Hon. Funkekeme Solomon, has warned opposition parties against relying on rallies and crowd mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections, saying elections are won through effective campaigns, policies and convincing Nigerians.
Funkekeme, who is the Policy Adviser to Delta State Governor,spoke during an interview on the political situation in Delta State and the country, said the opposition might appear increasingly vocal, but that the real test would be its ability to present Nigerians with credible alternatives to the policies of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
According to him, “Elections are not won by noise. Elections are won by campaigns. What are they going to do differently? What is their agenda? What is their manifesto? Nobody knows.”
He challenged the opposition parties to explain what they would do differently if elected, rather than relying principally on rallies and the size of crowds.
Funkekeme said the Renewed Hope Ambassador campaign in Delta State was focused on grassroots engagement and explaining the policies and reforms of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to the people.
“The Bible says people perish for lack of knowledge. So, we are providing that necessary knowledge for Deltans and Nigerians to be better armed with the right information. That is our public strategy,” he said.
Defending the Tinubu administration against criticism over the economic hardship in the country, Funkekeme said the current crisis was inherited by the present government.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu inherited an economy that required fundamental reforms.
He said the removal of fuel subsidy and other economic measures had freed resources to the three tiers of government, enabling states and local governments to pay salaries, pensions and embark on infrastructure projects.
While acknowledging the hardship associated with the reforms, Funkekeme said the Federal Government had introduced measures to cushion their impact, including CNG initiatives, cash transfers, education funding and other interventions.
He maintained that the APC had enough policy achievements to campaign with in 2027, citing NELFUND, education reforms, infrastructure development, tax reforms and efforts to stabilise the naira and improve the business environment.
On the growing concerns over political violence ahead of the elections, Funkekeme urged opposition parties and the ruling party alike to campaign on issues and avoid intimidation.
“I appeal to Nigerians not to be intimidated and not to resort to violence. Every party should campaign based on issues. That would be the right approach to it,” he said.
Funkekeme further disclosed that he had embarked on extensive grassroots mobilisation across Delta State, saying his team had visited the nine local government areas in Delta North and all the local government areas in Delta Central, while engagements had commenced in Delta South.
He added that religious and traditional institutions as well as about various support groups had been engaged on campaign messaging ahead of the 2027 elections.
On concerns over the absence of CNG buses in Delta State, Funkekeme said the state government was working on the initiative, assuring residents that the process was ongoing.
He said economic recovery could not happen overnight, stressing that governance is a process and I urged Nigerians to assess both the immediate difficulties and the longer-term objectives of the reforms.
