Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State has said it would be “evil” for residents of the state to vote against President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, citing the president’s family ties to the state through First Lady Oluremi Tinubu.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television aired on Tuesday, Oborevwori described Tinubu as the only likely presidential candidate with a direct affiliation to Delta State.
“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.”
Oborevwori also credited the First Lady with strengthening support for the president in the state, especially 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 added.
The governor further defended the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms, saying the policies had improved revenue generation for states across the country.
“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 said.
The remarks come months after 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, described the honour as a reaffirmation of her commitment to national unity and public service.
