‘Like Boko Haram Campaigning For Tinubu!’ — Gbaboyor Blasts Tompolo’s 2027 Re-Election Drive, Questions Whether It Is About Governance Or Political Protection
By Passman Akpos
Engineer Jude Gbaboyor has launched a scathing criticism of High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, over his reported nationwide mobilisation campaign for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, questioning whether the political movement is genuinely about governance or an attempt to protect powerful interests in Nigeria’s oil industry.
Gbaboyor’s criticism comes as Tompolo-backed political structures intensify efforts to mobilise support for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections, with branded campaign vehicles reportedly distributed across several states to strengthen grassroots mobilisation.
In one of his most controversial remarks, Gbaboyor likened Tompolo’s reported political mobilisation for Tinubu to a terrorist organisation such as Boko Haram campaigning for a political candidate.
The comparison reflects Gbaboyor’s personal opinion and has not been established as a legal or security classification of Tompolo. However, it underscores the intensity of the controversy surrounding the Niger Delta figure’s expanding involvement in national politics.
At the centre of the dispute is a fundamental question raised by the engineer: Is Tompolo mobilising support for Tinubu because he believes in the President’s policies, or is the political alliance connected to the interests of powerful players in Nigeria’s petroleum industry?
Gbaboyor’s allegations have not been independently verified, and the individuals and institutions named in his claims deserve an opportunity to respond.
Tompolo Intensifies Nationwide Mobilisation For Tinubu
Tompolo’s political mobilisation has become increasingly visible ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Recent reports indicate that the founder of the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement has supported the distribution of campaign vehicles across several states as the organisation pursues its stated target of mobilising 10 million votes for Tinubu.
In Bauchi State, the movement reportedly distributed 32 branded vehicles to support grassroots mobilisation and inaugurated its state structure. The event was attended by political stakeholders, including former Bauchi State Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar.
The movement said the vehicles would support door-to-door campaigns across Bauchi’s 20 local government areas.
In Kogi State, Tompolo also reportedly donated 25 vehicles to strengthen the movement’s grassroots operations. The donation was announced through Kestin Pondi, the Managing Director of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, during the inauguration of the movement’s state structure in Lokoja.
The campaign has also extended to other states, including Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Yobe and Taraba, according to published reports.
Tompolo and his representatives have defended the mobilisation by pointing to what they consider the achievements of Tinubu’s administration, including petrol subsidy removal, increased resources available to state governments, direct local government allocations and changes to electricity regulation.
The movement has also argued that the administration needs another term to consolidate its economic reforms and development programmes.
These are the stated reasons behind the campaign. Gbaboyor, however, questions whether the political mobilisation also serves interests beyond the public justification being offered.
Gbaboyor Alleges Political Protection For Oil Industry Interests
According to Gbaboyor, Tompolo’s reported involvement in Tinubu’s re-election campaign raises questions about the relationship between political power, oil industry contracts and accountability.
The engineer alleged that influential individuals connected to Nigeria’s petroleum sector could be interested in maintaining existing financial arrangements and preventing scrutiny of activities associated with the former leadership of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
He specifically referenced former NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer Mele Kyari and alleged connections involving Tompolo and Mathew Tonlagha.
Gbaboyor argued that developments within the national oil company and the broader petroleum sector should prompt closer examination of the relationships between contractors, political figures and public officials.
However, the material available for this report does not establish that Tompolo, Tonlagha or Kyari engaged in wrongdoing or that Tompolo’s political mobilisation is intended to prevent investigations.
No documentary evidence was provided to substantiate the alleged connections or establish that the campaign is motivated by a desire to secure political protection.
The allegations therefore remain claims attributed to Gbaboyor, rather than established findings of misconduct.
Nevertheless, his criticism raises a broader public-interest question: What safeguards exist to ensure that political alliances do not compromise accountability in the management of public resources?
Pipeline Surveillance Contracts Under Fresh Scrutiny
Gbaboyor also called for greater scrutiny of the pipeline surveillance arrangements operating in the Niger Delta, arguing that contracts involving the protection of critical petroleum infrastructure should be subject to effective oversight.
Pipeline surveillance has significant implications for Nigeria’s oil production, government revenue and the security of communities in the Niger Delta.
The contracts have also become the subject of public debate over their costs, distribution, effectiveness and the level of transparency surrounding their implementation.
Gbaboyor questioned whether the National Assembly was adequately examining the activities and financial arrangements of contractors responsible for protecting petroleum infrastructure.
He alleged that lawmakers had given the contractors a vote of confidence instead of conducting the level of scrutiny he believes the circumstances require.
He further claimed that former NNPCL chief Mele Kyari failed to honour a legislative invitation without facing consequences.
The specific circumstances surrounding the alleged invitation, including its date, purpose and outcome, were not independently established in the material available for this report.
Nevertheless, the questions raised by Gbaboyor point to issues that can be examined through official contract records, legislative proceedings and independently verified financial information.
For oil-producing communities, the central concern is not simply which company receives a contract, but whether public resources are being spent transparently and whether the arrangements deliver measurable improvements in oil infrastructure security.
Explosive Claim: Gbaboyor Alleges 80% Of Funds Went To Political Interests
In one of his most serious allegations, Gbaboyor claimed that approximately 80 per cent of funds generated through pipeline surveillance arrangements, alongside proceeds he alleged were derived from deep-sea crude oil bunkering, ended up with politicians and influential individuals he described as an oil cabal.
He also alleged that Tompolo’s reported political mobilisation for Tinubu was being supported by powerful sponsors with interests in preserving existing financial arrangements.
Gbaboyor argued that, if substantiated, such arrangements would raise serious questions about the relationship between public contracts, political financing and the management of Nigeria’s petroleum resources.
However, the engineer did not provide independently verifiable financial records in the material available for this report to establish the alleged 80 per cent distribution, identify the supposed beneficiaries or demonstrate the movement of the funds.
The allegation must therefore be treated with caution.
Establishing whether public funds or proceeds from illegal activities were diverted to political interests would require credible financial documentation, evidence from relevant institutions and, where appropriate, investigations by competent authorities.
Neither the seriousness of the allegation nor the political controversy surrounding it is a substitute for evidence.
Tarakirivoice maintains that any credible evidence of financial misconduct involving public contracts should be investigated impartially, regardless of the individuals or organisations concerned.
Is Tinubu’s Re-Election Campaign About Governance Or Protection?
Gbaboyor urged the Presidency to consider the political and reputational implications of Tompolo’s prominent role in the emerging re-election campaign.
His argument centres on whether the involvement of powerful business interests in political mobilisation could raise legitimate questions about the relationship between electoral support and the management of public contracts.
The engineer maintained that presidential campaigns should be assessed not only by the number of influential backers they attract but also by the transparency of the interests surrounding them.
However, Tompolo’s support for Tinubu does not, by itself, establish that the campaign is designed to secure protection from investigation or prosecution.
Tompolo’s publicly reported justification has focused on supporting Tinubu’s policies and giving the administration additional time to implement its programmes.
In its October 12, 2026, report on the Bauchi campaign, Trust Radio reported that Tompolo’s representative, Kestin Pondi, cited infrastructure development and other sectors as reasons for supporting the President’s re-election.
The difference between the movement’s stated justification and Gbaboyor’s allegations highlights the need to examine verifiable evidence rather than assume that either political support or criticism automatically proves a particular motive.
Ultimately, questions about the management of public contracts should be addressed through transparent records, effective legislative oversight and independent investigations where credible evidence warrants them.
Gbaboyor Raises Alarm Over Missing Persons In Bayelsa
Beyond the political controversy, Gbaboyor also expressed concern about the alleged disappearance of several people in Bayelsa State.
He claimed that some individuals had been kidnapped more than two years ago and remained unaccounted for.
The engineer criticised what he described as the silence of the Bayelsa State Government, arguing that families affected by disappearances deserved answers and that credible reports of abduction required appropriate investigation.
He further alleged that some security personnel were being manipulated or used in connection with kidnappings, killings and other abuses in the Niger Delta.
These are grave allegations that require careful and independent examination.
The material available for this report did not provide a verified list of the missing persons, details of the circumstances surrounding their disappearances, relevant police reports or the status of any official investigations.
Nor was independently verified evidence provided to establish the alleged involvement of security personnel in the incidents.
The allegations should therefore not be treated as proof of criminal conduct by any individual or institution.
However, the concerns raised underscore the importance of investigating reported disappearances, providing families with credible information about the progress of investigations and holding anyone found responsible for criminal offences accountable under the law.
Tarakirivoice calls for credible reports of missing persons in Bayelsa and other parts of the Niger Delta to receive appropriate attention from the relevant security agencies.
What This Means For The Niger Delta
The controversy surrounding Tompolo’s political mobilisation has implications beyond the 2027 election.
For many residents of the Niger Delta, debates about pipeline surveillance contracts are closely connected to longstanding concerns about resource control, environmental damage, public accountability, insecurity and the distribution of oil wealth.
The region remains strategically important to Nigeria’s petroleum industry, yet communities across the Niger Delta continue to demand answers about the benefits they receive from the resources extracted from their environment.
The growing visibility of Tompolo’s political activities therefore raises questions about the relationship between influence in the petroleum sector and participation in national politics.
Supporters of the movement may view the campaign as an expression of political choice and an effort to sustain policies they consider beneficial.
Critics such as Gbaboyor, meanwhile, argue that the interests surrounding major public contracts deserve closer scrutiny, particularly where substantial public resources are involved.
These positions can be examined without presuming that political mobilisation proves wrongdoing or that criticism automatically establishes the truth of an allegation.
The critical issues remain transparency, accountability, the effectiveness of public expenditure and the protection of citizens.
Tarakirivoice’s Position: Serious Allegations Require Serious Evidence
Tarakirivoice believes that public contracts, political financing and security concerns in the Niger Delta deserve sustained public scrutiny.
However, allegations involving crude oil, public expenditure, political interests and missing persons must be distinguished from facts established through credible evidence.
Gbaboyor’s allegations concerning Tompolo, Mathew Tonlagha, Mele Kyari and other influential interests have not been independently substantiated in the material available for this report.
The claim that approximately 80 per cent of pipeline surveillance funds went to political interests also requires documentary evidence before any conclusion can be reached.
Similarly, the allegations concerning missing persons and possible misconduct by security personnel require independent investigation.
Tompolo, Tonlagha, the Presidency, the relevant NNPCL authorities, the National Assembly and the Bayelsa State Government should be given a fair opportunity to respond to the specific allegations attributed to Gbaboyor.
The central question is not whether a political supporter is controversial or influential. It is whether public resources are being managed transparently, whether the law is applied equally and whether credible allegations of wrongdoing receive impartial investigation.
As the 2027 election approaches, Nigerians deserve verifiable information about political financing, public contracts and the performance of institutions entrusted with protecting the nation’s resources.
For the Niger Delta, where oil wealth and community grievances have shaped decades of political debate, accountability must remain a public priority—regardless of who holds political influence.
