The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has decblared former Rivers State Secretary to the Government, Gabriel Pidomson, as its governorship candidate for the 2027 election, after the statewide primary conducted across the 23 local government areas of the state.
Pidomson emerged winner after securing 112,068 votes in the party’s governorship primary held on Friday through the Option A4 voting system, a process that required party members to queue openly behind their preferred aspirants at ward level.
The exercise, supervised by the ADC National Election Committee, produced one of the clearest margins so far in the build-up to the Rivers governorship race, with Pidomson defeating five other aspirants by a wide gap.
Chairman of the ADC Primary Election Committee in Rivers State, Obaro Uloho, announced the results at the party secretariat in Port Harcourt on Saturday night after the collation of votes from the 319 wards across the state.
According to the figures announced by the committee, Sekonte Davies came second with 16,872 votes, while former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant, Farah Dagogo, polled 2,369 votes to finish third.
Other aspirants recorded lower figures, with Leloonu Nwibubasa scoring 1,476 votes, Henry Ogbonna securing 546 votes, and Allen Ezekiel Hart polling 268 votes.
Pidomson’s emergence comes during a politically sensitive period in Rivers State, where alignments and counter-alignments ahead of the 2027 election are already reshaping the state’s political environment subsequent to weeks of tensions within major parties.
Despite the fact that the ADC is outside the traditional power blocs that have dominated Rivers politics for years, the scale of participation announced by the party suggests a deliberate attempt to project organisational strength and widen its political relevance ahead of the election cycle.
The use of the Option A4 system also appeared designed to strengthen internal legitimacy within the party at a time when allegations of imposition, manipulated delegate lists, and leadership interference have trailed primaries in several political parties across the country.
In his acceptance speech shortly after his declaration, Pidomson described his victory as “a sacred trust” handed to him by party members and supporters across the state.
He said the outcome represented “the voice of hope” and called for unity among party members ahead of the governorship contest.
He stated, “Today, the voice of hope has defeated fear. The voice of unity has defeated division. The voice of the people has defeated political intimidation.”
Without directly mentioning rival parties or individuals, Pidomson also attempted to position his candidacy around governance issues rather than personality battles, a tone that may reflect growing voter fatigue with prolonged political confrontations in the state.
He promised to pursue improvements in infrastructure, security, healthcare and transparency in governance if elected governor.
According to him, his administration would focus on creating a state where businesses can operate under stable conditions supported by improved infrastructure and security.
Pidomson further said his campaign would avoid bitterness and political hostility, insisting that the ADC would pursue what he described as “people-centred solutions.”
He said, “Our campaign will not be built on hatred. It will not be built on violence. It will not be built on bitterness.”
He also pledged inclusiveness across ethnic and geographical lines in Rivers State, while promising that no local government or community would be sidelined if elected.
The emergence of Pidomson adds another major figure to the growing list of aspirants and candidates positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 governorship election in Rivers State, where political calculations have intensified following recent developments across party lines.
While the ADC may still face questions about its electoral strength against larger parties in the state, the outcome of its governorship primary signals an effort by the party to present itself as an organised alternative in what is expected to become one of the country’s most closely watched governorship contests.
