PORT HARCOURT — The political landscape in Rivers State has taken a fresh turn ahead of the 2027 governorship election with the emergence of as a relation of Siminalayi Fubara, the State Governor; Blessing Fubara Snr. has emerged the governorship candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) for the 2027 Rivers State governorship election.
Curiously, Fubara will contest alongside the daughter of a loyalist of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, Uwuma Awala, who has been named the party’s deputy governorship candidate.
The Uwuma is the daughter of Beatrice Awala, and her late husband, Vincent Awala.
Blessing Fubara, who holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Community Development and Adult Education, is presenting his campaign around governance, economic opportunities, youth development, accountability and what his campaign describes as a political reset for Rivers State.
The YPP candidate, whose campaign slogan is “Let’s Get It Right”, had earlier entered the 2027 governorship race on the platform of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) before his emergence on the YPP platform.
Uwuma Awala, the YPP running mate, hails from Ahoada-East Local Government Area in Rivers West Senatorial District.
She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Rivers State University and began her professional career with the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation in 2014, where she rose to the position of Senior Accountant in the Audit Department, according to her profile.
Awala has also been involved in Rivers State politics since 2014. She worked with the political team of former Governor Nyesom Wike, later served as a Special Assistant on Media at the local-government level and was a member of the APC Disciplinary Committee in Rivers State under former Governor Chibuike Amaechi.
She contested the Ahoada-East Constituency I seat in the 2023 Rivers State House of Assembly election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
She is also associated with Rotary International and serves as Public Image Chair of the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Cosmopolitan.
The Fubara-Awala ticket is expected to begin engagements with stakeholders and communities across the state’s 23 local government areas as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 election.
The candidates are expected to further outline their policy priorities and development agenda as the 2027 Rivers governorship contest gathers momentum.
Amb. Blessing Fubara Snr. as the governorship candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP).
Fubara’s emergence introduces a new political platform into the evolving Rivers 2027 conversation, with his candidacy expected to centre on governance, economic opportunity, youth development, accountability and people-oriented leadership.
A professional Bachelor of Science degree holder in Community Development and Adult Education, Fubara brings more than two decades of practical experience spanning value creation, strategic innovation, enterprise development and project delivery.
He will be joined on the ticket by Comrade Uwuma Awala, an accountant, public servant, community advocate and political practitioner from Ahoada East Local Government Area, as the Deputy Governorship Candidate.
MEET UWUMA AWALA
Born on 31 December 1986 to the late Vincent Awala and Beatrice Awala, Uwuma Awala is the second of four children and hails from Ahoada East in Rivers West Senatorial District.
A Christian and Anglican, she serves as a Bishop’s Nominee in the Anglican Diocese of Ahoada, combining professional, civic and political engagement with service to her church and community.
She began her education at Bereton Montessori Nursery and Primary School, Port Harcourt, before proceeding to Federal Government Girls’ College, Abuloma, and De World International Secondary School.
Awala holds a B.Sc. in Accounting from Rivers State University and completed her National Youth Service Corps programme at Oguta Local Government Council, Imo State.
Professionally, she began her career with the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation in 2014 and rose to the position of Senior Accountant in the Audit Department.
Her professional experience covers public-sector accounting, auditing, financial management and accountability.
Her political involvement dates back to 2014. She worked with the political team of former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike and subsequently served as a Special Assistant on Media at the local-government level.
She later served on the Disciplinary Committee of the APC in Rivers State under the leadership of former Governor Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.
In the 2023 general elections, Awala contested the Rivers State House of Assembly seat for Ahoada East Constituency I on the APC platform. Independent election records list Awala Uwuma Umanta as the APC candidate for the constituency.
Beyond politics and public service, Awala has been associated with Rotary International since 2018 and serves as Public Image Chair of the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Cosmopolitan.
Her stated community-service interests include health, education, youth development, women’s empowerment, literacy and humanitarian initiatives.
A TWO-PERSON TICKET
The emergence of Blessing Fubara Snr. and Uwuma Awala brings together backgrounds in community development, public-sector engagement, financial management, political organisation and grassroots community service.
The YPP ticket now enters a new phase of political engagement as the candidates prepare to present their vision, policy priorities and development agenda to voters and stakeholders across Rivers State.
Attention will also turn to the organisation of the campaign structure, mobilisation across the 23 Local Government Areas, stakeholder engagement and the articulation of the candidates’ proposed social and economic agenda for the state.
