KEY POINTS
- Tein Jack-Rich warned the APC against displacing founding members in favor of new defectors flooding the party.
- The oil and gas businessman picked up nomination forms to contest the Rivers West Senate seat in the 2027 cycle.
- Jack-Rich said his more than 28 years in oil and gas would help shape energy-sector legislation if elected.
Oil and gas executive Tein Jack-Rich on Thursday warned the All Progressives Congress against pushing aside its founding members to make room for the wave of defectors streaming into the ruling party, even as he picked up nomination forms to contest the Rivers West Senate seat.
Speaking after submitting his expression of interest in Abuja, Jack-Rich, founder of indigenous energy firm Belema Oil, said legacy members who endured the party’s lean years deserved as much recognition as the new entrants drawn in by federal power.
Now his intervention lands as the APC absorbs a steady stream of high-profile defections, with critics inside the party arguing that political latecomers are securing tickets, appointments and party offices ahead of those who built the structure.
Biological children, adopted ones
Specifically, Jack-Rich framed the question as a family-balance test, urging the leadership to find space for both groups without alienating either.
“What is important to the party is to continue to recognise and honour legacy members who have been there from inception, while also accommodating new entrants for growth,” he said. “It is important to hold dearly your biological child while adopting new children. That balance must be maintained.”
Indeed, the businessman traced his loyalty to the party’s earliest, hardest days. He recalled the period when the APC sat in opposition and many wrote off its chances against the then-ruling Peoples Democratic Party.
“We were there when they called us names. I was there when they didn’t believe in us and when they tried to stop us. Today that we have a president, some people are coming in hard and trying to push us out. We will not accept it,” Jack-Rich said.
Rivers West ambition
Moreover, Jack-Rich said his decision to contest the Rivers West Senate seat reflects a desire to provide experienced representation for one of Nigeria’s most strategic oil-producing zones. He described the district as the largest in Rivers State by landmass and the country’s “oil bank.”
“My field is in Rivers West, so I understand the terrain and the issues,” he said. Additionally, he expressed confidence in winning both the APC primaries and the general election.
Jack-Rich’s pitch leans heavily on more than 28 years of work in the oil and gas industry. Furthermore, he said the upper chamber needs lawmakers who understand reservoir economics, fiscal terms and operational realities, not just political sloganeering.
“We need a senator who understands the oil industry and can support the president with bills and ideas that will help us produce more oil,” he said.
Today, Belema Oil ranks among Nigeria’s notable indigenous producers, with operations spanning Rivers State and a track record on community engagement Jack-Rich has often pointed to in earlier campaign cycles.
Defection wave tests APC
Meanwhile, the APC is wrestling with how to absorb a string of defections from the Peoples Democratic Party, the Labour Party and smaller platforms ahead of the 2027 cycle. However, the influx has bred quiet resentment among long-standing members who fear ticket allocations may favor newcomers.
Together, those tensions form the political backdrop to Jack-Rich’s appeal. Yet for now, he is focused on the primaries, telling supporters: “I am happy to say I have submitted my form, and I am going to work hard for the primaries. I believe strongly that I will win the Senate seat. Rivers West will be great again.”
Whether the party brokers his message or sidelines it will be an early test of how the APC manages its expanding tent.
