Politics
Next President’ll Spend Entire Tenure Fixing Rot Created By APC -Wike
The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, says the next President of the country would spend his tenure fixing the ethnic, religious and socio-economic problems created by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The governor noted that since the APC administration assumed office in 2015, religious intolerance and ethnic division have deepened, adding that worst still, was the politicisation of security.
He stated this during the official presentation of letter of nomination to him for the “2020 Extra-Ordinary Personality of the Year Award” by the management of Silverbird Group at the Government House, Port Harcourt, last Wednesday.
Wike said that despite the glaring insecurity, religious and ethnic division in the country, officials of the Federal Government have continued to live in denial that Nigeria was now more united and secure than ever.
The Rivers State governor maintained that whoever becomes President in 2023 would spend his entire tenure trying to resolve the various socio-economic crisis caused by the present administration.
Wike expressed appreciation on behalf of the government and people of the state to the management of Silverbird for the recognition.
However, he said it was disturbing that the Nigerian Media have failed in their responsibility to hold the present administration accountable for the failure to provide much desired good governance.
“The problem in Nigeria, which I have always said, is that the Press, the media is part of our headache. The media have lost their voice. I remember when Goodluck Jonathan was the President; it was as if the media wanted to pull down the whole of Nigeria.”
Speaking on the issue of insecurity, the governor attributed the seeming inability of the military to end insurgency in the North-East and other parts of the country to the involvement of sacked service chiefs, particularly former Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, in politics.
“You were witnesses to how under Buratai, the Army was exposed to politics, which has never happened in the history of this country. Army began to carry ballot boxes. I have never seen that. Before, we used to talk about police, now it’s no longer the police.
“Professionalism is no longer there, and that is why it is difficult to fight insecurity. Instead of them to concentrate and map out strategies; what they are interested in is Rivers State. Who will we send there to make sure the election is rigged. The former Chief of Army Staff will even call INEC to cancel Rivers State election because of his interest. I have never seen this kind of thing in my life”, Wike said.
The governor said it was regrettable that the former Chief of Army Staff failed to condemn his personnel who invaded INEC office in Port Harcourt a day after the Rivers State governorship election in 2019 in an attempt to subvert the wishes of the people; instead, he chose to shield them from prosecution.
“If it is a country that really means well for its citizens, the former GOC in Rivers State would have been dismissed from the Army, but because he was sent by his so-called leaders, they have to protect him. That is the country that we are in, and that is why we think the media should come up and tell the world some of these stories”, he argued.
The governor noted that the inability of the media to scrutinise those in authority was partly responsible for the lack of accountable by those in office.
For instance, he stated that the President had promised to fight corruption and bring to book those he accused of killing the economy.
But, ironically, he said that those he accused of killing the economy are now members of his political party and free from prosecution.
Wike thanked the management of Silverbird for the honour bestowed on him and the people of Rivers State.
He stated that his administration would continue to deliver developmental projects and improve the wellbeing of Rivers State people, particularly pensioners, till the very last day of his tenure.
“Our state pays not less than N1.8billion every month for pensioners. People told me that there is news that the government does not pay pensioners. I cannot spend N1.8billion every month to pay pensioners, and you will say I don’t pay pensioners. It is not true.”
He further said, “From February 10, we are trying to do the second round of commissioning. It is not just flagging off, come and see if we have done the projects. I have just approved the 8th flyover as at yesterday.”
In his remarks, the General Manager, Silverbird Creative Development, Jacob Akinyemi Johnson, said the award was to let the governor know that he was doing a fantastic job for the people of Rivers State, adding that his efforts have not gone unnoticed.
He explained that Wike was nominated as the Silverbird Extra-Ordinary Personality of the Year 2020 because of the projects he has embarked upon and his fearlessness.
“Your boldness made you the first prominent Nigerian to raise the alarm over the atrocities of the now disbanded SARS. And you also spoke against the politicisation of security. Now, your forthrightness in telling the truth to power, including the Presidency when you think things are going wrong, is worthy of emulation. You did not hesitate to commend when necessary also. On political issues, you are not afraid to tell even your own party, the PDP, the whole truth when necessary.
“There are very few governors like you who work the work and talk the talk, and there are very few governors like you who have the passion and not dwell on sentiments. You say things the way they are, and you also say the things that you believe in.
“So, we sat back, and we said the person we can think of this year is Your Excellency, Nyesom Wike. Also in the area of projects, the last time I was here, you were referred to as ‘Mr. Projects’. Now, you have been elevated to ‘Mr. Quality Projects’.
“You promised on the day you were sworn in for second term that you will work for Rivers people to the very last day, and you are living up to that task. Seven bridges in a record period of time and all these are embarked upon in 2020 when the country, and indeed, the entire world were greatly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, but you still delivered despite all these things”, the Silverbird chief added.
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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