Politics

Amaechi Mourns Former NUJ President

Published

12 years ago

June 23, 2014

The news of the successful hosting of the national convention of the nation’s rising opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) was fouled last week by Federal Government’s directive to bar Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and two other governors from Kano and Edo States from participating in the final mega guber rally of the party in Ekiti State.
News of the arrest of the governor filtered in on Thursday afternoon after Amaechi was held by soldiers at Odudu, outskirts of Ondo State on his way back to Akure Airport. It was also learnt that his chattered airplane was also grounded.
Shortly after, the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs Ibim Semenitari addressed journalists in the state with the call on the federal government to ensure that the governor was not hurt in the process.
Semenitari warned against the dangers of infringing on the constitutional rights of the governor in moving freely and associating freely.
Also, the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) through its chairman, Hon Oji Ngofa, described the actions of the security agents as “imprisonment of Rivers people”, saying the governor is the symbol of Rivers State and should not be shabbily treated.
Ngofa who is also the CTC chairman of Eleme Local Government Area, hinted of plans to institute legal suit to get redress in court, while lampooning the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of plans to rig last Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti State.
In response to the development, Human Rights Advocate and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falami has urged Governor Amaechi to seek legal address over the harassment he suffered in the hands of security agents last Thursday in Ekiti State.
But before the ugly incident on Thursday, the governor returned to the state on Tuesday and on Wednesday, the weekly State Executive Council meeting was convened with Governor Amaechi presiding.
The executive meeting ended in the evening and both Commissioner for Information and Communications and her counterpart from Youth Development, Hon Owene Wonodi addressed pressmen on decisions so far reached.
Wonodi disclosed plans by the state government to send a delegation of youths to the United States for an Exchange Programme that will attract young people into agriculture.
The foreign exchange programme which is a partnership between the state government and the United States Agency for International Development will take the youths to the University of Arkansas. They will also visit Mississipi and New Orleans to gather knowledge in modern agriculture production.
Mrs Semenitari informed State House correspondents that the meeting would continue on Monday (today) when more information will be made available on other policies and programmes endorsed by the council.
On Friday, members of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) were struck with bad news over the sudden demise of the former President of the body, Mr Ndagene Akwu. Before he became the National President of the NUJ, Mr Akwu was one time chairman of the State Council of the union.
Shortly after the news of Mr Akwu’s death was announced, Governor Amaechi sent a delegation to deceased’s family home for a condolence visit. The State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mrs Ibim Semenitari led the delegation that comprised the Managers of Radio Rivers, Rivers State Television and other ministry officials.
She said, “I am here on behalf of His Excellency, Governor Rotimi Amaechi. He was highly distraught when he heard about the loss of the former President of the NUJ, a true Rivers son. He asked me to come and express his condolence and that of Rivers people to the family of Ndagene Akwu.
“His Excellency is not around, if not, he would have been here in person. He wanted the family to know that this is a loss to Rivers State because as you know, Ndagene today is the only Rivers man who has been President of the NUJ. Therefore, this is a loss for us as Rivers people and it’s a loss to the union. And His Excellency has asked me to tell journalists that this loss is the one that he feels very deeply and will be extremely supportive in our work and Rivers State will stand behind the family through the trying period”.

Politics

LP Crisis: Ex-NWC Member Dumps Dumps Abure Faction

Published

4 days ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

A former National Organising Secretary of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Clement Ojukwu, has expressed regret that the several legal cases brought against the party since the 2023 general elections have impacted the party’s performance.

Mr Ojukwu, who recently returned to the interim National Working Committee led by Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, noted that the party had 34 elected members in the House of Representatives, eight Senators, and 80 members at the state Houses of Assembly after the 2023 general elections.

“Now we lost all of them,” he said. “I don’t think we have as many as five members in the National Assembly.”

The former national officer of the LP talked to journalists in Abuja and said he chose to join the caretaker committee led by Senator Nenadi-Usman because they are now the officially recognized leaders of the Party.

“I chose to work with the caretaker committee to help save the Labour Party, for the benefit of the party. I also want to use this chance to ask my colleagues at the national, state, and local government levels to come together and help rebuild our party.

“Another election is around the corner. We lost everything we have. They have left to other political parties. So I’ll reach out to all my friends in the other group to get together and work on making this party stronger again.

“The caretaker committee has formed a reconciliation committee. Let’s come together and talk so that we can restore the first opposition political party in Nigeria.”

Mr Ojukwu, who was part of the Julius Abure’s group, said there are no more factions in the LP.

He added, “There is a court ruling, and since it is valid, the right people are in the correct positions.”

He urged Barr Abure and others to drop the legal cases they have filed because they are not helping the party.

“Litigations are killing political parties”, he said. “They’ve seen many political parties disappear because of legal battles, and the Labor Party is losing support every day, which makes me feel sad.”

Mr Ojukwu said he did not think joining the Senator Nenadi-Usman’s NWC was a betrayal of the Abure group, describing himself as “the oxygen” of that faction.

“I’m with this group because of the verdict. But I never betrayed anybody. Rather, I was betrayed,” he added.

Politics

2027: NIGERIANS FAULT INEC ON DIGITAL MEMBERSHIP REGISTER DIRECTIVE

Published

4 days ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

A number of Nigerians have strongly criticized the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its directive to all political parties in the country to submit digitalized membership register within 32 days.

It would be recalled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following it’s reversed timetable, directed all political parties in the country to submit their digitalized membership registers within 32 days.

Speaking on the reversed timetable in an interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt, respondents said the directive amounted to disqualifying opposition political parties from fielding candidates in all the elections next year.

They said if the directives by the commission is implemented, only the All Progressives Congress (APC) would participate in the elections since it started it’s digital membership registration since February, last year.

Responding, an elder statesman in Rivers State, Chief Sunnie Chukumele, said the revised timetable was okay, but the timeframe for submission of digital membership register was being made at the wrong time.

Chief Chukumele said, for the past two years, all opposition political parties have been battling various issues in court, adding that they did not have the time to embark on membership drive, talk less of digitalizing their membership registers.

“My reaction is that the only issue with this revised timetable is the timeframe given by INEC for parties to submit digitalize memberships register in all the states of the federation, while giving notice of Congresses and convention. That is not possible”, he said.

He said only the ruling APC is likely to meet up with the directive, since it began its registration since last year.

Chief Chukumele, who is also the National Coordinator of Coalition of Rivers State Leaders of Thought (CORSLOT), alleged that the directive of the electoral body may have been targeted to prevent other parties from fielding candidates for the elections next year.

“When you say all the parties should submit digitalized registers of membership in 32 days, how will that be possible to conclude it in 32 days”, he queried.

He noted that “APC used one year ago to do, so APC has one year in the kitty plus 30 days. This is highly regrettable”.

The CORSLOT national leader urged the election umpire to do away with stringent conditions that will make it hard for opposition political parties to field candidates in the elections.

Also speaking, Mr Jacob Enware from Edo State queried the rationale behind the directive, especially when some opposition political parties are still having cases in court.

In his words, ”What opposition political parties are you talking about, is Labour Party not in court or PDP that is yet to resolve their issues?

”For me, INEC should provide a level playing field for all, because aside the APC, no party can meet up this criteria.”

In his own response, Mr Nathaniel Ebere said he was not prepared to vote for anybody whether INEC provides a level playing field or not.

He alleged that his vote would not count, “so I will not waste my time”.

By: John Bibor

Politics

IT’S A LIE, G-5 GOVS DIDN’T WIN ELECTION FOR TINUBU – SOWUNMI

Published

4 days ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Convener of The Alternative, Otunba Segun Sowunmi, has expressed reservations about the political stance of Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, while calling for reconciliation among key party figures.

Otunba Sowunmi made the remarks during a television interview on Saturday, when asked about the relationship between Gov. Makinde and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike.

He said, “I don’t believe Seyi Makinde. Because I know them all. I’ve been in this party since it was registered. And I’ve been loyal, faithful, diligent with this party from the get-go, and I’ve never left.”

He underscored his longstanding commitment to the PDP, referencing prominent figures who had exited the party at different times: “I’ve had the grace, and the honor, and the dignity of watching even my father, Obasanjo, shed his card. As much as I love him, I didn’t leave the party”.

He added, “I’ve had the privilege of watching my beloved senior brother, Governor Gbenga Daniel, leave the party a few times. As much as I respect his vision and his ideas, I’ve never left. I’ve watched my former principal, Atiku Abubakar, leave a few times. I’ve never left.”

Otunba Sowunmi stressed that his comments were rooted in deep involvement with the party: “So when I talk about PDP, I’m not talking as an outsider, I’m talking as one of their totems, who was actually carrying them.”

He disclosed that he wrote to Makinde during the governor’s last birthday, urging reconciliation among a bloc of five governors who had formed a movement during the 2023 elections.

“At Governor Seyi Makinde’s last birthday, I wrote him a letter where I tried to say, look, you guys, the five of you, succeeded to the extent of creating a movement of your own”, he said.

He added, “And you fought very hard to make a point in the 2023 election. Although I don’t believe you won the election for the president, that’s a lie. They contributed, but I hate when people take the glory of other people’s work.”

Otunba Sowunmi warned that unresolved differences among the group could weaken the party: “You guys, you must go back to your four friends, your five friends, and you guys go and sort it out. Because not sorting it out with your five friends is going to leave the party worse off.”

He added, “But now that you’re fighting, or you’re not agreeing with yourselves, why don’t you go back to that same energy that allowed you to agree, so that you can use that energy inside to agree, and then we can lead the party.”