Politics
Tambuwal Hails Wike On Projects
The just concluded Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) 56th
Conference took the lead among other activities in Government House last week. The bar conference which commenced on Sunday last week witnessed the presence of over 5,000 lawyers nationwide and lasted for one week in Port Harcourt.
On Sunday, when the NBA Conference opened, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice Abuubakar Malami with his Rwandan counterpart, Busigye Johston were present.
Governor Wike used the opening session to list the achievements of his administration, which include opening the courts after one year it was shut down, appointing a new Chief Judge of the state and inaugurating the legislature among others.
He said the hosting of the lawyers conference was among other national and international events being hosted by the state to show that the myriads of negative media reports on the state of security were false and deliberate attempt to show Rivers State in bad light.
The NBA Conference continued on Tuesday last week with Governor Nyesom Wike hosting the bar to a dinner in Government House. In attendance were legal luminary Onueze Okocha, Olisa Akpakoba, Chairman of the NBA Technical Committee, Oladejoh Laminkara, all Senior Advocates of Nigeria.
Last Wednesday, Governor Wike attended the Executive Intelligence Management Course (EIMC) 9 at the Institute of Security Service, Abuja, where he addressed participants and picked holes in what he described as overbearing federal powers which slow down development in the states. But before then his wife, Justice Suzette Wike had played host to international Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) where she called for the enforcement of laws protecting Women and Children. Justice Wike spoke at a special session of FIDA during the 56th NBA Conference.
The Rivers State first lady had repeated the same call last week Friday in Government House when she granted audience to African Women Layers Association. She said, “the time has come for African Women to look towards moving things forward for ourselves. We have done well for ourselves, but there is still much to do”.
Last Thursay, hundreds of Nigerian lawyers attending the bar conference in Port Harcourt joined Chief Wike to inspect completed and ongoing project sites in the state.
Projects visited by the lawyers include, the NBA Law Centre, Federal High Court, the upgraded Dr Nabo Graham Douglas Faculty of Law building in the State University of Science and Technology, the Port Harcourt Pleasure Park among others. The lawyers who were impressed with the governor’s milestones a year after assuming office spoke glowingly of Chief Wike. A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Jibrin Okutepa observed that the governor has lived up to expectations of the people of the state.
The 56th NBA Conference came to a close last week Friday and Governor Wike, his counterpart from Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal and former Governor Rabiu Kwakwanso attended the closing ceremonies.
Shortly after the NBA conference ended, Governor Tambuwal joined Chief Wike to inaugurate completed projects. The first for the day was the Rumualoghu/Alakahia Link Road. From there both governors headed to Okrika Town to unveil the expanded and refurbished Okrika ATC landing jetty.
During the inauguration of the newly refurbished jetty Governor Tambuwal remarked that, “I see that Governor Wike is a man of the people who is committed to the development of the state”.
Saturday last week witnessed the presence of Governor Wike to attend the burial ceremonies of Sub-Chief Josiah Minakam at Okrika in Okrika Local Government Area. The burial also had in attendance former first lady, Dame Patience and former Governor Peter Odili.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to submit the list of candidates for the 2027 governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections from Saturday, August 8, to Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
The commission announced the extension in a statement issued on Saturday and signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna.
According to INEC, the decision followed appeals by political parties for additional time to complete the submission process through the dedicated online portal.
“The submission window, which according to the revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the General Election was originally scheduled to close on Saturday, 8th August, 2026, has been extended to Tuesday, 11th August, 2026,” the commission said.
In a a related development, INEC announced the suspension of PVC collection in Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The commission said voters who applied for replacement of lost, damaged or defaced Permanent Voter Cards would have until midnight on Sunday, August 9, to print downloadable copies of their cards.
The electoral body explained that the deadline was necessary to enable it compile data on downloaded PVCs and produce final statistics on the total number of cards collected ahead of the election.
INEC said PVC collection in Osun commenced at the Registration Area level from July 22 to 28, 2026, but was extended to July 31 following complaints about large crowds and difficulties experienced by voters at collection centres.
The exercise subsequently moved to the local government level and ran from August 1 to 7.
The commission also disclosed that replacement downloadable PVCs had been made available to voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas following the theft of cards during attacks on the two collection centres.
It stressed that the stolen cards could not be used to vote.
INEC reassured Osun residents of its preparedness for the August 15 governorship election.
“The commission reiterates that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
“INEC reassures the people of Osun State of its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive governorship election on 15th August, 2026,” the statement said.
The commission said the deadline, initially set for Saturday, 8 August, has been extended to Tuesday, 11 August 2026, following appeals from political parties for more time.
INEC also announced that the window for voters who applied to replace lost, damaged or defaced PVCs to download their replacement cards will close at midnight on Sunday, 9 August.
The move is to enable the commission compile final PVC collection figures ahead of the 15 August Osun governorship election.
INEC said replacement downloadable PVCs have also been provided to affected voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas after hoodlums carted away cards from two collection centres, stressing that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
The commission reaffirmed its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive election in Osun State.
Gov. Kefas made the remarks over the weekend at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jalingo, during the flag-off of the second phase of the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach in Taraba State, organised as part of activities marking Prof. Yilwatda’s 58th birthday.
The governor commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing to mark his birthday by providing medical care to people in need.
“What Professor Nentawe did is a powerful demonstration of what leadership should be,” Gov. Kefas said.
He assured that his administration would continue to support initiatives that complement government efforts to improve healthcare delivery and the wellbeing of residents.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Yilwatda called on Nigerian leaders to embrace the culture of giving and use their positions to touch the lives of the less privileged.
He said his decision to celebrate his 58th birthday in Taraba State was deliberate and informed by the needs of underserved communities, particularly people who face difficulties accessing healthcare because of distance and financial constraints.
According to him, the intervention followed a needs assessment and was extended across the three senatorial districts of the state.
He said the exercise commenced on August 3 at Takum General Hospital and covered the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Wukari; First Referral Hospital, Sunkani, Ardo-Kola Local Government Area; General Hospital, Bali; General Hospital, Gembu; and FMC Jalingo.
Prof. Yilwatda said the intervention provided medical services to thousands of beneficiaries, including people who required surgical procedures.
He said sustainable national development could only be achieved when strong institutions placed Nigerians at the centre of development.
“Leadership is about service,” he said, urging political and public leaders to make giving back to society an important part of their responsibilities.
He reaffirmed his commitment to serving Nigeria and its people, saying his personal vision was to make every day of his life useful to humanity.
“Every day that I live, the vision is: let it be useful to humanity,” he said.
The Taraba State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bordiya Buma, commended the initiative, saying it was consistent with the Renewed Hope agenda and efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery in the state.
Dr Buma said the second phase followed the successful completion of the first phase, which was conducted simultaneously in six local government areas, with two LGAs selected from each of the three senatorial districts.
According to him, more than 10,000 patients were attended to during the first phase, including people with medical and surgical conditions.
He disclosed that 327 general surgeries, 71 eye surgeries and 575 dental procedures were carried out during the exercise.
The commissioner expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach and thanked Prof. Yilwatda for supporting the initiative and choosing Taraba State as a beneficiary.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, also commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing Taraba State to mark his 58th birthday through a medical outreach.
Prof. Pate said making healthcare the centrepiece of the birthday celebration was significant because health affects everyone.
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