Obi was accompanied on the visit by the party’s National Leader, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, as they travelled beyond the Forcados River into the riverine communities of the Niger Delta.
The visit reflects the party’s stated commitment to reaching Nigerians across the country, particularly communities it believes have been left at the margins of national attention and development.
In a statement announcing the visit, the party said its leadership remained determined to take its vision of a new and better Nigeria to every part of the country, regardless of geographical location or the challenges associated with accessing remote communities.
It described the journey into the creeks as an expression of that commitment, explaining that Obi and Dickson deliberately extended their outreach beyond the more accessible areas of the state to reach residents in riverine settlements.
The party said the engagement was intended to take its message directly to people whose communities have often received limited attention in national discussions and development initiatives.
Bayelsa, like several other parts of the Niger Delta, has communities spread across waterways and difficult-to-access riverine locations. Reaching such settlements often requires travel by water, making direct political and public engagement more challenging than in urban centres.
By taking the message into the creeks, the NDC leadership sought to demonstrate that its proposed national vision was not intended only for major cities and easily accessible communities but for Nigerians in different geographical and social circumstances.
The party said its commitment was to ensure that people across the country could identify with its vision of a better Nigeria and have a sense of inclusion in the national development conversation.
Obi’s presence alongside Dickson also underscored the involvement of the party’s national leadership in the outreach to Bayelsa State. Dickson, a former governor of the state, brings familiarity with the region, while Obi is the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.
The visit comes amid efforts by political parties and their candidates to expand their grassroots presence and communicate their programmes to communities ahead of the next general elections.
For the NDC, reaching the riverine communities represents an important aspect of its stated effort to make its message national in scope and inclusive in reach.
The party reaffirmed its determination to take its vision to every nook and cranny of Nigeria, stressing that residents of remote communities should not be excluded from conversations about the country’s future.
