Politics
Why Wike Deserves Second Term -Mpigi
The member representing Tai/Eleme/Oyigbo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Dr. Barry Mpigi recently defected along with 37 members of the House from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He spoke to Dennis Naku on why he dumped APC, the failure of the Muhammadu Buhari government to handle insecurity in the country and why he believes Governor Nyesom Wike deserves a second term.
Excerpts.
You were a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) until recently?
I was a member of the reformed All Progressives Congress (r-APC) before defecting to the PDP and my name was number two on the list. I was presented to the Honourable Speaker of the House of Representatives to inform him of my willingness to go back to the PDP where I originally belonged.
What exactly does the R-APC represent?
The R-APC was a faction of the fictionalised APC.
That means you have defected from the APC?
Yes. I have left the APC.
So, why did you dump the APC?
I left the APC because of its factionalisation and the impunity level of the APC in Nigeria. I defected to save Nigeria. The APC is in crisis.
Can you explain what you mean by factionalisation?
In Rivers State where I come from, we have the Magnus Abe faction, the Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi faction and the R-APC faction that I hitherto belonged. The centre could no longer hold.
Can you throw more light on what you mean by impunity?
Nigeria needs to be safe for all to live in. Each day on earth, people are being killed everyday in Nigeria. Armed robbery is on the increase. Just imagine armed policemen blocking the Senate President from leaving his official residence. Autocracy is taking over as if we are in a military regime. As it is, like minds are coming together to rescue Nigeria in 2019.
Where you a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)?
Of course, yes! Most of those crying wolf now including Rotimi Amaechi because we left the APC were together with us in the PDP before we defected to the APC. We even formed the new-PDP before we joined the APC. We can always apologise to the PDP for moving over to the APC. So, we are back home.
Why did you leave the PDP?
We left the PDP in an attempt to rescue Rivers State at that time. We tried a model which we thought would work for Nigeria, but that model failed us. We can always apologise to PDP.
What were your grievances for leaving the PDP?
For me, what made me to leave the PDP in 2014 are far smaller when compared to what made me to leave the APC for the PDP. I am assuring those still out there that the PDP is a better place to belong. And that is why we have apologised to the PDP that we took a wrong step and we are now back home.
To be more specific, why did you leave the PDP?
My people were not getting anything from the PDP at that time. My people are now benefiting from the state government. Things are now happening in all 23 local government areas in Rivers State because a grassroots man is in charge of the state government.
Would you say your group gave the new National Chairman of the APC enough time to mediate in settling whatever grievances you had against the leadership of the APC?
I cannot talk about the APC and Adams Oshiomhole because I am not a member of their party anymore. I can talk of the Rivers State Chairman of the PDP, Felix Obuah; I can talk of the National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus. But I cannot talk about Oshiomhole that is bullying the whole country as we speak: claiming he is even more powerful than the President of the country. If that is what they mean by Change, good for the APC. We are more concerned with the positive change that is taking place in the PDP right now.
You were very vocal in the support of Senator Magnus Abe’s governorship ambition which has led to a glaring conflict between your camp and Amaechi’s group which could affect your chances of getting an APC’s ticket in 2019.
Senator Abe is an individual; I am also an individual. So, I don’t want to talk about Abe and his political party. I can talk about Governor Nyesom Wike who is my friend and who is doing very well for the people of Rivers State. I can talk about the 4, 432 polling units in the state; I can talk about the 319 wards and 23 local governments areas in Rivers State as it affects the PDP. I can talk about the infrastructural strides of Governor Wike because I am working with Wike. I do not want to talk about Abe and his political party.
So, you defected for purely political reasons?
I defected because democracy is at play in the PDP. You need to do what you think you are competent in doing. You need to do what you have been asked to do. I am doing it for the people of Eleme/Tai/Oyigbo Federal Constituency to be specific. I am doing it for the people of Rivers State and I am doing it for Nigerians.
Governor Wike just flagged off a road construction in Tai which was abandoned about 50 years ago; a road that was abandoned by the Amaechi administration. My people will benefit from using the road now. Members of the APC and PDP will use the road and that is because of my personal relationship with Governor Wike. So, I am not doing it for Barry Mpigi. I am doing it for my people and it is a positive change and positive development that my people can see. Our people in Tai have agreed to work for the PDP so that we can attract development to the area.
The contentious national legislative re-run of 2015, and the re-scheduled re-run elections for Rivers South East Senatorial District and the Eleme/Tai/Oyigbo Federal Constituency in 2016, pitched you and Senator Abe against the Rivers State Chairman of the PDP, Felix Obuah, leading to heated arguments from both parties at that time. How do you intend to manage this sour relationship now that you are back in the PDP?
Felix Obuah has been my long time friend and we worked tirelessly together when I was in the PDP. I was duly elected by the people and the court of law has also affirmed the legitimacy of my election. What is past is past. What is important is to move Rivers State forward.
Are you sure that the PDP will retain the governorship seat in Rivers State in 2019?
Governor Wike is doing very, very well and his projects will speak for him. For a governor that has done so much for his people, the only way to appreciate him is to return him to Government House in 2019. Governor Wike has already covered 50 per cent of the 100 metres race for the 2019 governorship election.
The other parties are yet to even pick a governorship candidate. They are bickering among themselves. They are factionalised while the PDP and Governor Wike remain focused on developing Rivers State and impacting in the lives of the people.
The Senate yesterday received the 2026-2028 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper from President Bola Tinubu, marking the formal launch of the 2026 federal budget cycle.
In a letter addressed to the upper chamber, Tinubu said the submission complies with statutory requirements and sets out the fiscal parameters that will guide the preparation of the 2026 Appropriation Bill.
He explained that the MTEF/FSP outlines the macroeconomic assumptions, revenue projections, and spending priorities that will shape Nigeria’s fiscal direction over the next three years.
The letter was read during plenary by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North), who urged lawmakers to expedite consideration of the document.
“It is with pleasure that I forward the 2026 to 2028 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper for the kind consideration and approval of the Senate.
“The 2026 to 2028 MTEF and FSP were approved during the Federal Executive Council meeting of December 3, 2025, and the 2026 budget of the Federal Government will be prepared based on the parameters and fiscal assumptions therein,” the President stated.
Last week, the Federal Executive Council approved the fiscal projections, pegging the oil benchmark price at $64.85 per barrel and adopting a budget exchange rate of ?1,512/$1 for 2026—figures expected to significantly shape revenue forecasts and expenditure planning.
After reading the President’s letter, Jibrin referred the document to the Senate Committee on Finance, chaired by Senator Sani Musa (APC, Niger East), with a directive to submit its report by Wednesday, December 17.
The Senate adjourned shortly after to allow committees to commence scrutiny of the fiscal framework and continue the ongoing screening of ambassadorial nominees.
Tinubu’s communication to the Senate came less than 24 hours after he transmitted the same MTEF/FSP documents to the leadership of the House of Representatives.
The letter was read on the House floor by the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, who also urged timely legislative action as required by law.
The MTEF and FSP are statutory instruments mandated by the Fiscal Responsibility Act and serve as the blueprint for Nigeria’s annual budgets.
They outline the government’s fiscal stance, macroeconomic assumptions, revenue frameworks, projected deficits, and sectoral priorities over a three-year period.
The Tide reports that approval by the National Assembly is a prerequisite for the executive to present the Appropriation Bill for the next fiscal year.
In a statement on Saturday, the former Senate Leader stated that the allocation of nominees across states and geopolitical zones falls short of the constitutional requirement for fair representation in the composition of the Federal Government.
The ex-Senate Whip warned that allowing the list to pass could deepen ethnic suspicion at a time when the administration should be consolidating national unity.
He highlighted disparities in the spread of nominees, noting that while some states have three or four slots, others have none. He also cited the inclusion of Senator Adamu Garba Talba from Yobe, who reportedly died in July.
“The entire North-East states have seven nominees in the list. Further checks revealed that the South-West geo-political zone has 15 nominees, while North-West and South-East have 13 and 9, respectively.
“North-Central region has 10 nominees in the list of career and non-career ambassadorial nominee while South-South parades 12 nominees,” Senator Ndume said.
According to him, such imbalances could heighten tensions and undermine Section 14(3) of the Constitution.
“My sincere appeal to President Tinubu is to withdraw this list. At this critical juncture in his administration, he should avoid missteps that could undermine national unity and foster ethnic distrust.
“I know him to be a cosmopolitan leader who is at home with every segment and stakeholder in the country. He should withdraw that list and present a fresh set of nominees that will align with the spirit of the Constitution on the Federal Character Principle,” Senator Ndume added.
He accused the legislators of undermining the sanctity of the legislature and acting as instruments of destabilization.
“The members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have, by their actions since they assumed office, shown that they are political puppets and a clog in the wheels of democratic progress,” Comrade Ememobong stated, adding that “They will go down in history as enemies of democracy and those who made mockery of the legislature.”
“So the easiest way to describe their action is a defection from APC to APC,” he said.
Comrade Ememobong announced that the party would deploy constitutional provisions to reclaim its mandate from those who have “ignobly and surreptitiously” abandoned the platform on which they were elected.
“Consequently, the PDP will take legal steps to activate the provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999 as amended) to recover the mandate gained under the banner of our party which these people have now switched to another platform,” he said.
He urged party members in Rivers State to remain calm and steadfast.
“We urge all party members in Rivers State to remain faithful and resolute, as efforts are underway to rebuild the party along the path of inclusiveness, fairness and equity,” Comrade Ememobong assured.
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