Prince Ebitimi Amgbare, Action Congress AC governorship candidate for Bayelsa State in 2007 and current Managing Director/CEO of the Niger Delta Basin Development Authority NDBDA, has hailed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his contributions to democratic governance in Nigeria.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja in commemoration of
Democracy Day, Prince Amgbare recalled contesting the 2007 Bayelsa governorship election and challenging the flawed process through the courts. With the backing of then AC National Leader, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, the Bayelsa Election Appeal Court sitting in Port Harcourt annulled the election in February 2008.
“As a follower of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I have continued to uphold the tenets and principles of democracy,” he said. “The best way to choose leaders in a democratic system is through the ballot. On this Democracy Day, I am reminded that democracy is not just about casting votes. It is about what happens after the votes are cast.”
“In 2007, I contested on the platform of the Action Congress. The process was flawed. The will of the people was threatened. But we did not take up arms. We did not burn tyres. We went to court,” he stated.
“That judgment proved three things. First, that the ballot is the only legitimate path to power in a democracy. Second, that the rule of law is alive in Nigeria when leaders have the courage to defend it. President Asiwaju Tinubu and the AC showed us then that opposition is not about abuse. It is about using the Constitution to check power.
We fought PDP dominance not with thugs, but with petitions and evidence. Lagos, Osun, Ekiti, Edo, and Bayelsa all won cases in court.
“That era taught Nigerians: ‘If your vote does not count at the polling unit, let it count in court.’ Third, that democracy requires sacrifice and patience. The court process was long and the pressure was high. But we stayed the course because we believed Nigeria was worth it. Today, that same commitment to constitutionalism is what President Tinubu is bringing to Aso Rock.”
Prince Amgbare added: “Democracy dies when citizens are afraid of courts. Democracy grows when leaders respect judgments, even when they lose. I am proud that my small role in Bayelsa 2007 became part of AC’s larger story: building a Nigeria where no president, no governor, no party is above the law. May God continue to guide our nation, and may His hand hold us fast as we build a stronger democracy. Happy Democracy Day.”
Prince Amgbare, who served on the steering committee of the Coalition of Democrats for Electoral Reform – CODER under convener Pa Ayo Opadokun, also praised President Tinubu’s support for CODER. Founded in 2009 by individuals and CSOs committed to ensuring “every vote counts,” CODER was a non-partisan watchdog for credible elections.
CODER played a key role in the first phase of electoral reform that culminated in President Umaru Yar’Adua’s reforms following the Uwais Committee recommendations. The coalition helped push for the 2010 Electoral Act amendments on voter register integrity, introduction of card readers, and stronger INEC independence – provisions that governed the 2011 and 2015 elections.
On February 15, 2008, the Bayelsa Governorship Election Appeal Court sitting in PH, nullified Governor Timipre Sylva’s election for non-compliance with the Electoral Act and widespread irregularities. A rerun was ordered for May 24, 2008. While Sylva won the rerun, the case became part of AC’s narrative of confronting rigging through the judiciary, not violence. Tinubu’s backing of Prince Amgbare reinforced his image as an opposition leader who bankrolled legal battles against PDP dominance.
AC was formed in 2006, mainly from the Alliance for Democracy AD bloc in Southwest Nigeria. It became the main opposition to PDP from 2007 to 2013, controlling Lagos, Edo, Ekiti, Osun, Oyo, and Ogun at various times. In 2013, AC merged with CPC, ANPP, and a faction of APGA to form the All Progressives Congress APC, which ended PDP’s 16-year rule in 2015.
