Residents of Rivers State have challenged governorship candidates in the 2027 elections to present clear plans for tackling unemployment, poor infrastructure, declining public services and other economic challenges facing the state.

The call was made at the seventh edition of the ‘Rivers We Want’ town hall meeting in Port Harcourt, on Sunday, where five governorship candidates from different political parties signed a 13-point Citizens’ Charter of Demands.

The candidates were Ben-Gurion John Peter of the Social Democratic Party; Ivy West of the African Action Congress; Dr Gabriel Pidomson of the African Democratic Congress; Dumale Kieghe of the Peoples Redemption Party; and Minaibim Harry of the National Rescue Movement.

The charter calls for urgent government intervention in education, youth employment, environmental protection, housing, agriculture and economic development, among other areas.

Speaking at the event, Convener of the Rivers Peace Initiative, Obinna Ebogidi, said the engagement was aimed at shifting political discussions from campaign promises to citizens’ expectations and the responsibilities of whoever emerges as governor.

Ebogidi said the initiative was not intended to influence voters’ choices but to provide an opportunity for residents to examine the candidates’ programmes and hold elected officials accountable after the elections.

“This is not an attempt to choose a candidate for the people. It is an effort to ensure that the people have a meaningful place in the choices before them,” he explained.

He said the state’s abundant natural resources and economic potential had not translated into improved living conditions for many residents, adding that the next administration should be assessed by the quality of public services and opportunities available to the people.

“The true measure of our wealth is not merely what lies beneath our soil, or flows through our waterways. It is what our people can see, feel and experience in their everyday lives,” he said.

Ebogidi identified quality education, accessible healthcare, employment opportunities, community safety, responsible management of public resources and accountable institutions as key indicators of good governance.

He urged candidates who did not attend the meeting to also engage with the charter, noting that the responsibility of governing Rivers State went beyond winning elections.

He also called on residents to sustain their participation in governance beyond election periods by asking questions and demanding accountability from elected officials.

Meanwhile, the Rivers State Police Command warned political parties, candidates and their supporters against violence as the 2027 elections approach.

The command’s spokesperson, Blessing Agabe, who represented the police at the meeting, cautioned politicians against allowing political competition to degenerate into hostility capable of endangering lives.

“An election is not a war and political opponents are not your enemies. No political ambition is worth the loss of a single life,” she said.

Agabe warned youths against being recruited for political thuggery, violence and electoral malpractice, urging them to reject financial inducements from politicians.

“Your future is far more valuable than temporal financial inducements,” the police spokesperson stated.

She also urged eligible voters to reject vote-buying, hate speech and misinformation, while calling on political actors and community leaders to cooperate with security agencies.

The Rivers State Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, Nnanna Onyekwere, said the council would not endorse any individual governorship candidate.

He explained that although political parties could independently endorse candidates or form alliances, IPAC would maintain its neutrality.

“For us, IPAC, we have endorsed all of them together. Whoever emerges is a candidate. It doesn’t matter. And that is our stand,” he said.

Presenting his development proposals, the ADC governorship candidate, Dr Pidomson, outlined an economic blueprint aimed at reducing the state’s dependence on government spending and oil revenue through production, industrialisation, private investment and job creation.

He said that despite Rivers State’s oil and gas resources, maritime assets, agricultural potential and strategic location, the state continued to face unemployment, poverty, inadequate infrastructure, unreliable electricity and environmental degradation.

Pidomson said his proposed administration would restructure the state’s economy around production, enterprise and private-sector investment.

Similarly, the AAC candidate, West, presented a 12-point development agenda focused on peace, employment generation, security and social welfare.

She said her vision was to transform Rivers State into a smart, green and industrial city while ensuring inclusive development.

The town hall was organised by the Rivers Peace Initiative in collaboration with Super 93.3 FM and the Centre for Peace and Security Studies at the University of Port Harcourt, with support from the Trade Union Congress.

The organisers said the engagement was intended to strengthen citizens’ participation in governance and establish benchmarks for assessing the next administration.