Politics

Lawmakers Mourn Oforji

Published

9 years ago

February 27, 2017

Activities at the Rivers State House of Assembly (RVHA) last week kicked off with debates on a bill to repeal the Rivers State Honours Awards Law 2000 and to re-enact the Rivers State Honours Law 2017.
The bill, which was presented by the majority leader of the House, Hon Martin Amaewhule passed its second reading during Tuesday’s plenary session.
In his contribution, Hon Amaewhule described the bill as a good one to provide for the award of State Honours by Warrant made by the Governor and for matters connected thereto.
He further explained that the bill shall confer on the state Governor the power to award state honours in the name of the government and people of Rivers State to any indigene, person or body, unit, association or corporation in the state.
He therefore urged that the bill be passed into law.
In their separate debates, the Chief Whip of the House, Hon Evans Bipi, the lawmaker representing Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Constituency, Hon Christian Ahiakwo, the Lawmaker representing Bonny Constituency, Hon Abinye Pepple , among others expressed the need for the bill to be passed into law.
The Speaker of the House, Rt Hon Ikunyi-Owaji Ibani had to announce the passage of the bill for second reading following major opinion of the House on the importance of the bill.
Last Thursday, members of the Assembly held validictory session in honour of a former lawmaker of the fourth Assembly in the state, late Hon Precious Oforji who died in January 2017 at the age of 59.
The sterling leadership qualities of the deceased lawmaker resonated at the session in which the speaker led both former and serving legislators to pour encomiums in him (Oforji).
The Speaker, who was represented by the Deputy Speaker, Hon Marshal Uwom urged the legislators to emulate the leadership style of the late Oforji, whom he described as a complete gentleman who contributed immensely to the success of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from 1999 until his demise
The Speaker who also described the late legislator as an astute politician, said Oforji had uplifted the standard of living of several people at the grassroots, especially in Oyigbo his constituency.
Before the speaker’s remark, a motion was moved by the majority leader of the House, Hon Martin Amaewhule and seconded by the Chief Whip of the House, Hon Evans Bipi for the remains of late Hon Oforji to be ushered into the hallowed chamber of the House for the valedictory session.
In his remark, Hon Amaewhule recounted how late Oforji was a Chairman of Grassroot Democracy Movement (GDM) in Oyigbo between 1996 to 1998, when all the political parties there were abolished.
He said the deceased later joined PDP and he was elected and sworn-in as a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly where he served from 1999 to 2003 and later, from 2003 to 2007.
Amaewhule said Oforji later left the Assembly to become council chairman of Oyigbo local government area of the state from 2007 to 2010, under the platform of PDP.
Same Thursday, the majority leader of the House, Hon Martin Amaewhule was honoured as the outstanding lawmaker of the month of January 2017 in the Rivers State House of Assembly by the Assembly Press Corps.
The award was presented to the majority leader in his office at the Assembly Complex in Port Harcourt.
Presenting the award, the Chairman of the Assembly Press Corps Comrade Alwell Ene commended the efforts of the lawmaker on his various inputs to ensure quality lawmaking in the House, especially in sponsoring the Rivers State Education. (Return of Schools) Amendment Bill 2017.
In his remark, the majority leader, Hon Amaewhule thanked the press corps for the honour bestowed on him.
He said the award would spur him to do what is necessary and expected from him as a legislator to improve the lives of his constitutents and Rivers people at large.

Enoch Epelle

Politics

LP Crisis: Ex-NWC Member Dumps Dumps Abure Faction

Published

18 hours 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

18 hours 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

18 hours 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.”