By Ayobami Okerinde
Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State has said it would be “evil” for Deltans to vote against President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, citing the president’s ties to the state through First Lady Oluremi Tinubu.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television aired on Tuesday, Oborevwori said Tinubu remains the only likely presidential contender with a direct affiliation to Delta State and should therefore enjoy the support of the people.
“Among the candidates that emerged, Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the only one that has an affiliation to Delta State,” the governor said.
“The man is an in-law here, and it would be evil to vote against your in-law. It’s a family affair. In the South-South, the people in Delta are saying this is their own. They were deceived before; now they can’t.”
The governor also credited the first lady with strengthening the president’s support base in the state, particularly among the Itsekiri ethnic group.
“The First Lady is holding the state strong, and no Itsekiri person will vote against Tinubu. No Urhobo man will because their son is the governor,” he said.
Oborevwori further defended the Tinubu administration’s economic policies, arguing that recent reforms have boosted revenue available to states.
“The confidence we have is in the people. His reforms and programmes are working very well. Sometimes when I commission projects and tell people we have money, it’s because of the reforms. If they are not working, we won’t get money,” he added.
The governor’s remarks come months after First Lady Oluremi Tinubu was conferred with the traditional title of Utukpa-Oritse of the Warri Kingdom, also known as Ugbone, meaning “Light of God”, by the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, during a ceremony in Warri in February 2026.
At the event, the First Lady, whose mother is of Itsekiri descent from Warri while her father was Yoruba, described the honour as a reaffirmation of her commitment to service and national unity.
