By Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe, Esq.
As Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections, effective grassroots engagement, policy communication and sustained interaction with citizens will remain important elements of democratic participation.
In Delta State, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s unveiling of MORE Plus as the theme of his re-election campaign provides an opportunity to connect the administration’s development agenda with the broader political message of the All Progressives Congress (APC), including the programmes and policies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The inauguration of the Delta State APC Campaign Council in Asaba is therefore more than an organisational exercise. It establishes a platform for communicating the priorities of the APC-led governments, engaging communities and coordinating campaign activities across the three senatorial districts, local government areas and wards ahead of 2027.
Governor Oborevwori’s directive that campaign council members take President Tinubu’s message to the grassroots reflects the importance of reaching citizens beyond rallies and major political gatherings. Market women, youths, workers, farmers, traders and other community stakeholders constitute essential audiences for public policy communication, making direct engagement an important means of explaining government programmes and their intended benefits.
For the campaign council, this approach calls for a well-coordinated communication strategy that brings together party leaders, ward coordinators, support groups and community-level structures. Door-to-door engagement and direct conversations with citizens can provide opportunities to explain policies, communicate development priorities and encourage informed participation in the democratic process.
At the centre of the governor’s campaign message is MORE Plus, which builds on the administration’s M.O.R.E Agenda: Meaningful Development, Opportunities for All, Realistic Reforms and Enhanced Peace and Security. Its focus areas include infrastructure, education, healthcare, workers’ welfare, youth empowerment and security. These priorities provide the administration with a framework for communicating its development programmes and explaining the direction of governance to Deltans.
A key consideration in government communication is the connection between policy announcements, project implementation and the public’s understanding of government interventions. Governor Oborevwori’s assurance that ongoing projects and development programmes will continue during the campaign period reinforces the administration’s stated commitment to maintaining governance responsibilities alongside political activities.
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The campaign council also has an opportunity to communicate the relationship between federal and state development priorities. Deputy Governor Sir Monday Onyeme highlighted initiatives of the Tinubu administration in areas such as local government autonomy, education funding, grassroots development, security, electricity and road infrastructure. Communicating these policy areas within their appropriate context can help citizens understand the respective responsibilities of the federal and state governments.
Similarly, the remarks by Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, placed the Federal Government’s economic reforms within the context of addressing structural challenges, including the cost of fuel subsidies. As the campaign message reaches different communities, clear explanations of the objectives, implementation and intended outcomes of economic policies will remain important to public understanding.
The APC’s political realignment in Delta State also gives the campaign council a broader coordination responsibility. Since the movement from the Peoples Democratic Party to the APC in April 2025, party leaders have emphasised the importance of consolidating the party’s structures and engaging citizens across the state. Former Governor Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, speaking for Delta North, accordingly stressed direct voter engagement, while Olorogun O’tega Emerhor and Comrade Ovuozourie Macaulay expressed support for the party’s mobilisation efforts in Delta Central and Delta South, respectively.
Women’s participation is another important dimension of grassroots mobilisation. Former APC National Woman Leader and Executive Director of the Nigerian Export-Import Bank, Stella Okotete, called on women to intensify their engagement in support of Tinubu and other APC candidates. Her remarks highlight the contribution women can make through community networks, political organisation and participation in electoral activities.
The campaign council’s leadership structure provides a basis for coordinating these responsibilities. With Governor Oborevwori as chairman, Senator James Manager as Director-General and Mr Chiedu Ebie as Deputy Director-General, the council brings together political leaders and stakeholders to organise outreach, align campaign messages and facilitate engagement across the state.
For the council to communicate effectively, consistency of message will be essential. Federal government policies, the Delta State Government’s development agenda and the campaign theme should be presented in clear language, with appropriate distinctions between federal and state responsibilities. This will enable campaign representatives to explain the programmes they discuss and provide citizens with relevant information about their implementation.
Equally important is the governor’s appeal for peaceful political engagement. His call on politicians and supporters to avoid hate speech and preserve the unity of Delta State places responsible communication within the campaign framework. Political competition and democratic participation can proceed alongside respect for differing opinions, peaceful community engagement and compliance with applicable electoral guidelines.
The emphasis on grassroots communication also presents an opportunity for sustained interaction between political representatives and communities. Direct engagement allows campaign teams to explain government priorities while listening to questions and concerns from citizens. Such interaction can help ensure that communication is responsive to local realities and that public programmes are discussed in terms people can readily understand.
The responsibility of the campaign council, therefore, extends beyond coordinating political meetings. It includes organising a structured communication process through which the APC can present the Tinubu administration’s policy priorities, explain the Oborevwori administration’s M.O.R.E Agenda and communicate the MORE Plus campaign theme across Delta State.
As preparations for the 2027 general elections progress, the continuity of governance, effective communication of development priorities and peaceful political participation will remain central considerations. The governor has already assured Deltans that ongoing projects and programmes will continue, while the campaign council has been charged with taking the party’s message to communities throughout the state.
Ultimately, MORE Plus provides the organising theme for Governor Oborevwori’s re-election campaign, while the directive to take President Tinubu’s message to the grassroots establishes the wider communication responsibility of the Delta APC Campaign Council.
Through coordinated outreach, clear policy communication and sustained engagement with citizens, the council is positioned to organise the party’s campaign activities in support of President Tinubu, Governor Oborevwori and other APC candidates ahead of 2027.