President Bola Tinubu told supporters in Rivers State that their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) are a weapon they can use against poverty, according to Channels Television.
The president made the remark during the visit to the state, the outlet reported on Saturday. Channels Television did not publish further details of the speech in the material available.
The trip comes amid a political realignment in Rivers. TheCable reported that Governor Siminalayi Fubara praised Tinubu for stepping in "as a father" to help resolve the state's political crisis.
Punch Newspapers reported that Fubara has thrown his weight behind a "rainbow coalition" and promised Tinubu three million votes in the 2027 elections. Daily Post Nigeria, meanwhile, quoted the president reflecting on the 2023 race, saying he "looked very hopeless" at the time.
Taken together, the reports point to a warming relationship between the presidency and Rivers State's leadership after a period of friction. Tinubu's message to the crowd framed the voter card less as a routine electoral requirement than as leverage for economic improvement, though the outlet's account did not elaborate on how he linked the two.
What to watch next: whether the promised Rivers support translates into formal backing for Tinubu's 2027 bid, and how the coalition Fubara has endorsed takes shape.
