Politics
Wike Declares War On Cultists, Kidnappers
Last week, activities in Government House, Port Harcourt
began with a special security meeting convened by the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike.
The meeting was held in the Banquet Hall last Monday and in attendance were the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Usman Belel, the State Director of Department of State Services, Tosin Ajayi, Commander S O G 115,Nigerian Air Force, Air Commander E O E Ebiowei, Commander N N S Pathfinder, Commodore S J Bura and state Commander of Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, M L Haruna.
Also in attendance were local government chairmen, traditional rulers, Community Development Committee Chairmen and all youth leaders in the state.
Governor Wike briefed the stakeholders of determination of his administration to fight against cultism and kidnapping in the state and noted that the battle would involve all to be won.
He declared that areas where cultism is entrenched would have their traditional rulers dethroned, not attract projects and all youth groups found to be involved in cultism and kidnapping would be dissolved by the state government.
He said: “ Enough is enough. Nobody arrested by security agencies on cultism will see the light of the day. If you say we will not sleep, you also will not sleep”.
He also stated that any top government official caught trying to work for the release of arrested cultist will face full weight of the law.
Recall that Governor Wike had few days earlier addressed traditional rulers council in the state and Honourable members of the Rivers State House of Assembly on the determination of his administration to take the war to cultists and kidnappers in the state when each of the groups paid him a congratulatory visit.
The Commissioner of Police , Usman Belel, in his remarks, assured the state of the preparedness of security agencies to fight towards reducing cultism and kidnapping to the barest minimum.
He solicited for the collaboration of other stakeholders by way of information as he promised to treat their information will confidentiality.
Governor Wike hosted the Charge D’Affairs, Embassy of Netherlands, Mrs Marian Van De Cappello, Wednesday in Government House, Port Harcourt.
The governor attributed insecurity in the country to its politicisation by the federal government, stressing that once opposition states have security challenges, politics is brought into it.
He also accused oil multinationals of encouraging insecurity by patronising cultists for surveillance jobs.
He urged Netherlands government to attract agricultural investors to the state for the purpose of agriculture.
Mrs Cappello congratulated Wike on his reelection victory and also commended his reconciliation between political gladiators in the state , saying the move would enhance peace and development.
Another major event in Brick House, last week was the visit of another high profile personality, the Group Managing Director of Zenith Bank PLC, Mr Ebenezer Onyeagwu.
The GMD congratulated the governor on his reelection. He recalled the successful 20 years business translations the bank enjoyed with the state government and reassured the governor that the bank remains committed to even bigger partnership.
Wike informed him that EFCC lacks the legal impetus to investigate Rivers State Government because of an existing judgment by a Federal High Court.
Wike urged the GMD not to open the Bank’s transaction documents to EFCC. He equally urged the bank to consider indigenes of Rivers State for Managerial positions in view of the contributions the state has made in the bank.
Last Monday, the joint House of Representatives Committee on Army , Police , Human Rights and Justice was in Government House.
The leader of the delegation and Chairman, House Committee on Army, Rimande Shawule Kwewum said they were in the state to investigate killings by F-SARs on the basis of a motion by the member representing Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency, Hon Kingsley Chinda on the killing of Dr Ferry Gberegbe during 2019 election.
Addressing the delegation,Governor Wike said the Army staged a coup against Rivers State during the election. He said the army acted illegally because they worked to impose a predetermined leadership in the state.
The governor said that F-SARs murdered Ferry Gberegbe, a PhD holder and Chartered Accountant, in cold blood because they wanted to subvert the will of the people.
Chris Oluoh
Rt Hon. Abbas secured the party’s ticket through an affirmation exercise conducted across the 13 electoral wards in the constituency.
The wards involved include Kwarbai A, Kwarbai B, Limancin-Kona, Unguwar Fatika, Unguwar Juma, Dutsen Abba, Gyallesu, Kufena, Dambo, Wuchichiri, Tudun Wada, Tukur-Tukur, and Kaura.
The exercise, which began simultaneously in all wards at about 10 a.m., recorded large turnout of APC members who gathered at various party offices across the constituency.
At Kwarbai B Ward, the Speaker’s ward, the process was conducted peacefully under the supervision of the ward APC Returning Officer, Malam Iliyasu Muhammad Balarabe, in the presence of Rt Hon. Abbas.
According to the ward APC secretary, Nafiu Sabo, the ward has over 10,000 registered members, but 220 members were accredited for the exercise.
Before the affirmation, Mallam Balarabe informed members that Rt Hon Abbas was the only aspirant who purchased nomination forms, underwent screening, and was cleared by the APC national leadership to contest the Zaria Federal Constituency seat.
Following a voice vote by accredited members, the Speaker was affirmed as the party’s candidate in the ward, a process replicated across the remaining 12 wards.
At the constituency collation centre, the APC Returning Officer for the House of Representatives primary in Zaria Federal Constituency, Dr. Hamisu Ibrahim Kubau, announced that 1,376 APC members across the 13 wards endorsed Rt Hon. Abbas as the party’s flag bearer.
He explained that although thousands of party members participated in the exercise, only accredited delegates were allowed to vote.
Dr. Kubau declared: “There are 13 wards in Zaria Federal Constituency, and only one aspirant purchased a form, was screened, and cleared. He is Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen. After due process, we conducted affirmations across all wards.”
He added that the process was peaceful and monitored by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and party representatives.
Chairman of the APC House of Representatives Primary Elections in Kaduna State, Senator Yakubu Oseni, described the outcome as a reflection of the Speaker’s popularity and acceptance among constituents.
He expressed confidence that Rt Hon Abbas would secure victory in the 2027 general elections.
Speaking after his declaration, Rt Hon. Abbas expressed appreciation to APC members for reaffirming their confidence in him.
The incumbent Reps including Emily Inyang and Godwin Offionio, in separate interviews
protested the handling of the primaries conducted by the leadership of the party in the state, saying it was skewed against them.
The aspirants further described the primaries as a charade and an embarrassment to the state.
According to them, the House of Representatives primaries fell short of the provisions of both the Electoral Act as amended in 2026 and the party’s constitution.
They accused the leadership of the party in the state, backed by Governor Bassey Otu, of violating the party’s constitution in the conduct of the House of Representatives primaries across the state on Saturday.
Hon. Godwin Offiono, representing Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency, particularly expressed disappointment with the primary that allegedly disenfranchised registered members of the party in his constituency.
Hon. Offiono asserted that having failed to arrive at a consensus, the party leadership opted for a direct primary to decide the candidate for the 2027 election.
“But what I witnessed today was not only alarming, but quite disheartening that our electoral system have not shown any improvement, especially now that we have a man of God in the person of the governor as the leader of the party.
“How do you declare a result by 9:00am even when the electoral materials were yet to arrive at Yala.
“As an aspirant, I couldn’t even vote or see the materials for my own primary at my Okuku ward in Yala Local Government Area, where I come from. But no matter what happens I am still in the race and have not stepped down for anybody.
“The governor had all the time in the world to drive the process of consensus but he never did. As a representative, I cannot even see my governor. I called, no response. I sent text no reply. I am treated as an out cast,” he lamented.
In an emotion laden tone during a telephone interview, Hon. Offiono further said: “I could not believe that first term NASS members like me can be treated in this shoddy manner even when I don’t know my offence.
“I have been a loyal party man. I appeal to the governor to do the right thing, follow the Electoral Act and party constitution in electing representatives.”
Similarly, Hon. Emil Inyang of Akamkpa/Biase Federal Constituency said he still remained in the race and had not stepped down for anybody.
According to him, “If this shenanigan called primary is allowed to stand, it would affect the party’s fortune in the general elections.
“My appeal to the governor is to allow the people to decide. And if they so voted against me, I will rest and not fight over anything.
“There was no stakeholders meeting held to decide on anything before now, and someone can not be unilaterally imposed on us all in the name of compromised primary,” he stated.
A coalition of support groups within the All Progressives Congress (APC) has protested the disqualification of former presidential aspirant, Mr Tein Jack-Rich, from the Rivers West Senatorial race ahead of the party’s primaries for the 2027 general elections.
The groups, in a statement issued on Saturday morning in Abuja, described the action of the party’s screening committee as unjust and capable of worsening internal divisions within the APC in Rivers State.
The statement, signed by the coalition’s National Coordinator, Dr. Bilal Galadima, and General Secretary, Hon. James Ogenyi, accused the party leadership in Rivers State of favouring politicians loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, while sidelining long-standing members of the APC.
The coalition alleged that only aspirants aligned with Chief Wike were cleared to contest for elective positions in the state.
“How can our party allow only one man who is not a member of our party to make decisions or dictate the direction of our party?”, the group queried.
The coalition specifically faulted the exclusion of Mr Jack-Rich, describing him as a loyal party member who had supported the APC for more than 13 years and previously contested the party’s presidential ticket.
It also questioned the alleged clearance of Chief Felix Obua, whom it described as a recent entrant into the party and an ally of Chief Wike.
“How can our party disqualify Jack-Rich, a former presidential aspirant who has been loyal and supported our party for the last 13 years, only for our party to choose Felix Obua, a Wike loyalist who only joined the party three months ago?”, the statement read.
The group warned that failure by the APC leadership and National Working Committee (NWC) to address the matter as it could weaken the party’s structure in Rivers State ahead of the 2027 elections.
It called on party leaders to uphold internal democracy, reward loyalty and ensure a level playing field for all aspirants.
INEC TO BEGIN MEMBERSHIP VERIFICATION AS POLITICAL PARTIES SUBMIT REGISTER
All 22 registered political parties have successfully submitted their membership registers to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in compliance with the Electoral Act 2026, the Commission has said.
In a statement issued on Friday, Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr Mohammed Haruna, said the submission followed the extension granted by the Commission after political parties raised concerns during a meeting on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, regarding the timeline provided in the Revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2027 general elections.
He said, “The Commission is pleased to note that all registered parties submitted their registers as of 8th May 2026, two days before the extended deadline.”
He recalled that following a meeting with political parties, the Commission, in a statement issued on the 27th of March, 2026, adjusted the deadline for the submission of party registers from 21st April 2026 to 10th May 2026 to align with the provisions of Section 77(4) of the Electoral Act 2026 and the actual dates fixed by political parties for their primaries.
Mr Haruna noted that political parties were accordingly allowed to conduct their primaries within the approved period from 23rd April 2026 to 30th May 2026, while the register of party members was required to be submitted to the Commission not later than 21 days before the conduct of their respective primaries.
He added, “INEC wishes to state that all registered political parties complied with the requirement within the extended timeframe and will subject the submitted registers to the necessary verification processes in line with the law.”
The Commission restated its commitment to the conduct of free, fair, credible and inclusive elections.