Politics
Rivers NASS Caucus Backs Wike On IPOB
Members of Rivers State caucus of the National Assembly, last week declared their total support to the re-inforced ban of the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike on the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB.
The leader of the caucus, Senator George Sekibo who disclosed this on Friday when the group paid a courtesy visit to Governor Wike in Government House, Port Harcourt also affirmed that they unconditionally stand with Gov Wike on every actions he has taken to protect lives and property of all residents in the state.
Sekibo explained that while the governor had ensured that the EndSARS protest was peaceful, intruders and enemies of the state, masquerading as the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB decided to cause mayhem , kill innocent residents, especially security officers in Oyigbo, Obio/Akpor and Port Harcourt Local Government Areas of the state.
“As a caucus, we want to state our unalloyed support for your re-affirmation of the proscription of the IPOB in line with the categorisation of the group as a terrorist organisation by the federal government.
“ We also want to unequivocally state that Rivers State cannot and will not be annexed by any group, organisation or persons whatsoever, as we are Niger Delta people and will always stand for the cause of the Niger Delta”.
Governor Wike had in a state- wide broadcast to the state, announced that he had signed an Executive Order to re-inforce the ban on IPOB and its activities in the state.
The governor said while Rivers State remains the home to all tribes, and ethnic nationalities , the state government is opposed to the presence and activities of the legally proscribed IPOB and whatever it stands for in the state.
The governor said: “ Let it be understood that we have nothing against all or any specific tribe and will continue to live in peace with people of all other tribal extractions residing or doing business in River State.
“ But we have everything against the presence and the activities of the legally proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra IPOB and whatever it starts for in Rivers State.
“ This is clearly terrorist group which existence , creed, mission and activities are strongly denounced even by the government and people of South- Eastern states of the country”.
The governor held a crucial meeting, last week Monday with the 23 council chairmen in the state, Community Development Committees and youth leaders in Government House, Port Harcourt during which he charged them to fish out members of the proscribed IPOB in the state.
He warned that any council chairman that allows IPOB to hold processions and hoist its flag within their jurisdiction in Rivers State would be sacked.
“ There is one terrorist group they call IPOB. I didn’t declare them terrorist group, the court declared them terrorist group, not me. The federal government declared them a terrorist group. IPOB cannot use Rivers State to be a place where they will be launching attack. If you allow that, your future, your children’s future is gone”, he said.
He expressed dismay over the unlawful activities of the group in the state, especially its involvement in destruction of public and private property, burning of courts and police stations as well as killing of security personnel in Oyigbo Local Government Area of the state and called on people of the state to be vigilant and report any attempt by the group to hold any of its activities in any part of Rivers State.
Governor Wike , on Wednesday,paid a condolence visit to the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mukan and families of the slain policemen allegedly killed during the EndSARS protest in Oyigbo Local Government Area.
The governor announced that the state government would pay the sum of N20 million compansation to each of the families of the soldiers and policemen killed by the proscribed IPOB in Oyigbo Local Government Area.
In addition, the governor promised to rebuild the police stations burnt down in the area.
Another major event in Brick House in the week under review was the courtesy visit to the Governor by the leadership of the Nigeria Guild of Editors( NGE) .
National President of NGE, Mustapha Isha, thanked the Governor for his support to the body especially for sponsoring it’s annual conference back to back.
He equally commended the Gov for his massive infrastructure which according to him has transformed the state, good handlitof the COVID-19 pandemic and peaceful handling of the EndSARS.
The Governor charged members of NGE to always hold public officers accountable to the people instead of singing their praises when they are not even performing.
According to the Governor, by holding them accountable, they would sit up and discharge their duties in the interest of the populace.
The NGE delegation was taken round to sites of some ongoing projects in the state.
At the last Executive Council meeting held last Wednesday, the council approved the employment of 5000 youths into the Rivers State Civil Service.
The youths who should not be above 35 years would fill existing vacancies in the service.
The council further approved the resumption of duties by civil servants from Grade Level 1 to 10 who were directed to remain at home because of the COVID-19 pandemic. They were directed to resume work from Monday.
The council also announced a minor cabinet reshuffle .
By: Chris Oluoh
Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has directed his legal team to resume all court proceedings against Mrs. Tracy Ohiri over her repeated allegations of indebtedness and other claims against him.
Mrs Ohiri had publicly accused Senator Umahi of owing her N280 million for campaign materials from his tenure as party chairman in Ebonyi State.
The allegations went viral on social media, where she also accused the Minister of sexual harassment.
Security agencies arrested Mrs Ohiri, and she was subsequently prosecuted. Her lawyer, Barrister Marshall Abubakar, intervened, leading to the deletion of all posts and a public apology, which also gained widespread attention online.
However, days after the apology, Mrs Ohiri resumed her claims against Senator Umahi.
In a statement issued on Saturday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Francis Nwaze, Senator Umahi said he had informed Barrister Abubakar during the intervention that if Mrs Ohiri could provide verifiable evidence, logs, and communications from the period in question, some of his associates were willing to contribute a sum of One Billion Naira (N1billion) to her, evidence which, he said, she had yet to provide.
“The Honourable Minister of Works, Senator Engr. David Umahi, has been monitoring the ongoing public discourse surrounding the claims and counterclaims by Mrs. Tracy Ohiri.
“Ordinarily, this would have been ignored, but in the interest of truth and public clarity, it is necessary to address the issues directly”, the statement read.
The statement clarified that Barrister Abubakar acted in good faith and without any financial interest, motivated solely by a desire to assist Mrs Ohiri.
At no point did the lawyer discuss or negotiate any payment with the minister, although some well-meaning associates independently offered support”, the statement added.
Senator Umahi reiterated the conditions for resolving the matter: either the claims must be tested in court, or Mrs Ohiri must provide credible evidence, including all relevant communications, to substantiate her allegations.
The minister emphasised that Barr Abubakar conducted himself with integrity throughout the process.
“Following the failure to meet these conditions, particularly the inability to provide verifiable evidence, the Minister has directed his legal team to proceed with all court processes to ensure the truth is fully established,” the statement said.
Senator Umahi said despite years of public provocations and attacks, he chose to remain silent, focusing on national and state services.
He thanked Nigerians who had taken time to assess the facts and noted that “not everyone who presents themselves as a victim truly is one, and in some cases, narratives are deliberately inverted.”
The Minister affirmed that he will not be distracted by Mrs Ohiri’s allegations and remained committed to his mandate at the Ministry of Works.
“The focus remains on results, service, and ensuring that Nigerians continue to benefit from projects that improve connectivity, economic growth, and national development. This administration will continue to pursue its transformation agenda with dedication, transparency, and an unwavering sense of responsibility,” he concluded.
A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has adjourned proceedings in a suit filed by three aggrieved members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to April 14, 2026, for the hearing of all pending motions.
Justice Stephen Jumbo made the pronouncement during a recent sitting in Port Harcourt.
The suit, which borders on the legitimacy of the party’s leadership structure in the state, was instituted against the factional State Chairman of the PDP, Chief Aaron Chukwuemeka, alongside the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) and other respondents.
Also joined in the matter are the PDP as a corporate entity, the Rivers State Government, as well as Obio/Akpor, Port Harcourt City and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Areas, including their respective Vice Chairmen and Councillors.
The claimants, Enyi Uchechukwu, Wisdom Kalio and Uche Amadi, approached the court via an originating summons seeking judicial interpretation on the validity of actions taken by the Chief Chukwuemeka-led state executive committee of the party.
Central to the dispute is whether the said executive committee, whose emergence the claimants contend has been nullified by a subsisting court judgment, retains the legal authority to act on behalf of the party in critical electoral matters.
The plaintiffs specifically urged the court to determine whether the factional leadership could validly submit a list of candidates to RSIEC for the purpose of participating in local government elections.
They further questioned the legitimacy of the PDP’s participation in the August 30, 2025 local government elections, contending that any list purportedly submitted by the factional leadership was invalid and of no legal consequence.
In addition to the declaratory reliefs sought, the claimants also prayed the court to grant consequential orders addressing the outcome and conduct of the said elections across the affected local government areas.
At the resumed hearing, counsel representing the PDP and the affected local government councils informed the court that they had only recently been served with the originating processes and accompanying documents.
The defence team, comprising several Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), disclosed that service of the court processes was effected on March 13, 2026, leaving them with limited time to adequately prepare their responses.
Consequently, the defence counsel applied for an adjournment to enable them study the processes and address the legal issues raised, particularly as they relate to jurisdictional questions and points of law.
Counsel to the claimants, Glory Chizim-Chinda, did not oppose the application, following which the presiding judge granted the request and adjourned the matter to April 14, 2026, for the hearing of all pending motions, with a possible ruling expected ahead of the substantive suit.
By: King Onunwor
A former state lawmaker in the old the Rivers State, Professor Alex Eseimokumo, has described Nigerian opposition political parties as mere preposition political parties.
He also advised the country’s electorate against selling their votes during next year’s general elections.
The former legislator, who is also the president of the Institute for Peace, Conflict Resolution and Entrepreneurial Research, said this in an exclusive interview with The Tide on the sidelines of an event organized by the institute in Port Harcourt.
He said opposition political parties in Nigeria have been reduced to preposition political parties as most of them are not only dinning with the government but advising government on what to do to win election.
“The problem in Nigeria is we are not practicing politics the way it is supposed to be.The opposition are more in preposition.
“You see, opposition is supposed to find out things that are wrong in government but in our present day politics, you see opposition even dinning with the other group. So, there is basically nothing like opposition in Nigeria “, he said.
He lamented a situation where some individuals within the opposition are allegedly working hard to prevent their parties from fielding presidential candidates in the forthcoming election, adding that such individuals were only there to protect their personal interest.
Prof. Eseimokumo said as a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), he could not wish his party to fail in the election, even though nothing is impossible in Nigeria.
He noted that though the government in power has been trying it’s best, there was more to be done.
In his words, “I’m an APC member, so I don’t have the right to criticize my party but a word of advice: we still need to do more, more people oriented leadership where everybody will feel carried along.
“For now, I’m campaigning for APC to be re elected and if I stand here to say APC is not doing well, I’m not being fair to myself. But I think, with God all things are possible, there can be changes”.
On his assessment of the performances of governors of the Niger Delta states, Prof Eseimokumo said the governors were doing well within the limit of their resources.
” I don’t know what is given to them as allocation, but if what we are seeing in terms of window dressing is not window shopping, then they are doing well”, he said.
Meanwhile, Prof. Eseimokumo has advised Nigerian electorates against selling their votes during the forthcoming elections.
He said credible election could only be achieved when the electorates refuse financial inducement during the elections.
According to him, though Nigerian voters had been difficult to persuade, the time had come for them to stop selling their votes.
Prof. Eseimokumo said the forthcoming elections will serve as a litmus test for the Nigerian electorate to demonstrate their desire for changes in the country, stressing that free and fair elections will continue to be a mirage in the country until the was a change in the attitude of the electorate.
“If you want your vote to count, don’t take money from anybody; if you want your votes to count, don’t collect money for your vote. The moment you collect money for your vote, you have sold your conscience”, he warned.
He said his institute will continue to work for peace, not just in the Niger Delta region but across Nigeria.
By: John Bibor
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