Politics
Rivers APC Faction Faults Call For Abe’s Expulsion
A faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has faulted calls for the immediate expulsion of the immediate past Senator representing Rivers South-East District in the National Assembly, Magnus Abe from the party.
Briefing newsmen on behalf of the group in Port Harcourt last Monday, former Rivers State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Wogu Boms described the call as unfortunate.
Boms who is Director General of Freedom House, Campaign Organisation of Senator Abe before the 2019 general election was reacting to a recent protest at the national headquarters of the party by members of the APC in Rivers State loyal to the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.
The protesters were said to have demanded Abe’s expulsion from the party if he failed to withdraw a suit stopping the conduct of congresses in the state.
But Boms described the call as mischievous and misguided, noting that Abe was not a party in the suit that stopped the conduct of the APC congresses in the state.
“We learnt that there was a protest at the APC headquarters in Abuja, calling for the suspension or expulsion of Distinguished Senator Magnus Abe from the party if he fails to withdraw the pending suit against the conduct of congresses in Rivers State.
“We see the calls for the expulsion or suspension of Senator Abe from the APC as mischievous and misguided.Senator Magnus Abe is not a party in the pending suit filed by Ibrahim Umar and others against the conduct of APC congresses in Rivers State. Senator Magnus Abe was not an aspirant in the botched APC congresses in Rivers State,” he said.
Boms, who insisted that there was nothing anti-party for a member to take the political party he or she belongs to court, saying that seeking legal redress is the right of every Nigerian.
“Senator Magnus Abe has not committed any crime against the APC for him to be expelled or suspended. If the party is looking for people to suspend for anti-party activities, the leader of the party and Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi should go first.
“Before the 2019 elections, while Magnus Abe and his followers remained in the APC, the Minister of Transportation moved with his followers into the African Action Congress (AAC). Even the National Chairman of APC declared that we were not in alliance with any political party.”
“The APC in Rivers is in comatose. If urgent steps are not taken, it may not come out of it early enough, if at all, fit and capable to make a strong showing in the 2023 elections. No one has respect for any person or group that cannot solve their problems.”
He however, said the way out for the party’s quagmire, is for it to meet in a peace meeting to resolve all issues with all stakeholders.
He maintained that the path of constitutionalism is the only viable way out of the situation it has found itself,” Boms stated.
Dennis Naku
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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