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High Court Verdict: Amaechi’s Support Base Swells

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Since the judgement of Justice Ishak Bello of Abuja High Court on Monday,  April 15, which sacked the executive of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State,led by Chief Godpower U Ake,the people have protested in many ways.

The Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) was the first to condemn the judgement,followed by the members of House of Representatives from the state,traditional rulers,Niger Delta Youth Leaders Council (NDYLC) and majority of members of the party.

Those who protested and condemned the judgement alleged that it fell short of being an empty judgement borne out of sycophantic wisdom designed to lure and lull the unwary into a false complacency and unprincipled expectation.

While majority of party members in the state vowed not to recognise the new party executive led by the former Ogba/ Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Chairman,Mr Felix Obuah,Chief G.U Ake said he would appeal the judgement.

Political analysts say  they see the voice of Jacob but the hand of Esau in the whole political saga unfolding in the state, insisting that there are greater forces fighting behind the scene.

Some of the protests came to the fore last Friday,five days after the judgement was delivered when Chief Godpower U.Ake spoke as the chairmen of the 23 local government areas of the state visited him to identify with him and pledge their support.

Chief Ake informed them that he was not the target but Governor Chibuike Amaechi.

Ake noted that the plot was to remove and destroy the political structures built by Governor Amaechi whom he believed had done well in office.

The embattled PDP chairman regretted that some people who helped build the house are joining enemies to destroy the house they built.

According to him,”it is disheartening for people to build a house and turn round to destroy it.

“I met “Go Round”, Felix Obuah sometime in the past and he told me that Wike invited him to destroy Amaechi’s political structures. Wike is however, not alone in the fight against Amaechi. There are others at the top conspiring to destroy Amaechi’s structures”, he said.

He faulted the action of the National Executive Committee of the party for swearing in the Obuah-led exco in Abuja.

“The swearing in of an exco in Abuja is wrong, it has always been the responsibility of the governor to maintain peace. I’m not a violent man and I urge PDP supporters in the state to remain calm”.

He however, said the party was actually not the target but the Rivers State governor whom the arsenal was targeting at.

The Mayor of Port Harcourt, Mr Chimbiko Akarolo, who led other council chairmen to register their solidarity as members of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON),said they were with Chief G.U Ake as the chairman of the PDP in the State.

Akarolo disclosed that they were very much concerned about the issue at stake in Rivers State, adding that they were aware that there was a judgement in Ake’s favour which had not been set aside and were also aware that the Ake-led executive had appealed the matter.

“As concerned PDP members, we frown against the unbecoming activities of disgruntled elements within the party who are bent on derailing the party. We have always seen you as a role model in the party, and in the present circumstance, we will remain calm and allow the law to take its course”,he said.

The Ogu Bolo Local Government council Chairperson,Hon Maureen Tamuno expressed confidence in Chief G U Ake as the chairman of the party in the State and pledged that members of ALGON would continue to stand behind the truth and always defend the mandate given to Ake and the Governor the Rivers State.

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Kwankwaso Agrees To Rejoin APC, Gives Terms, Conditions

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The 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has given terms and conditions to rejoin the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Sen. Kwankwaso, while addressing a gathering at his Kano residence, said any political alliance must recognise and respect the interests of his party and political movement.

The former two-term governor went down memory lane to recall how they founded the APC but were used and dumped.

In his words, “…those calling on us to join APC, we have agreed to join the APC but on clear agreement that protects and respects the interest of my party, NNPP and my political movement, Kwankwasiyya. No state where you go that you don’t have NNPP and Kwankwasiyya. We have gubernatorial candidates, senatorial candidates and others.

“We are ready to join APC under strong conditions and promises. We will not allow anyone to use us and later dump us.

“We were among the founding fathers of the APC and endured significant persecution from various security agencies while challenging the previous administration.

“Yet when the party assumed power, we received no recognition or appreciation for our sacrifices, simply because we didn’t originate from their original faction.

“We are not in a hurry to leave the NNPP; we are enjoying and have peace of mind. But if some want a political alliance that would not disappoint us like in the past, we are open to an alliance. Even if it is the PDP that realised their mistakes, let’s enter an agreement that will be made public,” Sen. Kwankwaso stated.

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I Would Have Gotten Third Term If I Wanted – Obasanjo 

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Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has dismissed long-standing claims that he once sought to extend his tenure in office, insisting he never pursued a third term.

Speaking at the Democracy Dialogue organised by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation in Accra, Ghana, Chief Obasanjo said there is no Nigerian, living or dead, who can truthfully claim he solicited support for a third term agenda.

“I’m not a fool. If I wanted a third term, I know how to go about it. And there is no Nigerian, dead or alive, that would say I called him and told him I wanted a third term,” the former president declared.

Chief Obasanjo argued that he had proven his ability to secure difficult national goals, citing Nigeria’s debt relief during his administration as a much greater challenge than any third term ambition.

“I keep telling them that if I could get debt relief, which was more difficult than getting a third term, then if I wanted a third term, I would have got it too,” he said.

He further cautioned against leaders who overstay in power, stressing that the belief in one’s indispensability is a “sin against God.”

On his part, former President Goodluck Jonathan said any leader who failed to perform would be voted out of office if proper elections were conducted.

Describing electoral manipulation as one of the biggest threats to democracy in Africa, he said unless stakeholders come together to rethink and reform democracy, it may collapse in Africa.

He added that leaders must commit to the kind of democracy that guarantees a great future for the children where their voices matter.

He said: “Democracy in Africa continent is going through a period of strain and risk collapse unless stakeholders came together to rethink and reform it. Electoral manipulation remains one of the biggest threats in Africa.

“We in Africa must begin to look at our democracy and rethink it in a way that works well for us and our people. One of the problems is our electoral system. People manipulate the process to remain in power by all means.

“If we had proper elections, a leader who fails to perform would be voted out. But in our case, people use the system to perpetuate themselves even when the people don’t want them.

“Our people want to enjoy their freedoms. They want their votes to count during elections. They want equitable representation and inclusivity. They want good education. Our people want security. They want access to good healthcare. They want jobs. They want dignity. When leaders fail to meet these basic needs, the people become disillusioned.”

The dialogue was also attended by the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Touray, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Sokoto diocese of Catholic Church among others who all stressed that democracy in Africa must go beyond elections to include accountability, service, and discipline.

 

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Rivers Assembly Resumes Sitting After Six-Month Suspension

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The Rivers State House of Assembly yesterday resumed plenary session after a six-month state of emergency imposed on the state by President Bola Tinubu elapsed on Wednesday midnight.

President Bola Tinubu had lifted the emergency rule on September 17, with the Governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and members of the state assembly asked to resume duties on September 18.

The plenary was presided over by the Speaker of the House, Martins Amaewhule, at the conference hall located within the legislative quarters in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

The conference hall has served as the lawmakers’ temporary chamber since their official chamber at the assembly complex on Moscow Road was torched and later pulled down by the state government.

The outgone sole administrator of the state, Ibok-Ete Ibas, could not complete the reconstruction of the assembly complex as promised.

Recall that on March 18, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers following the prolonged political standoff between Fubara and members of the House of Assembly loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

He subsequently suspended the governor, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and lawmakers for six months and installed a sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.), to manage the state’s affairs.

The decision sparked widespread controversy, with critics accusing the president of breaching the Constitution.

However, others hailed the move as a necessary and pragmatic step.

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