Politics

Gov Wike Commissions More Projects

Published

5 years ago

March 8, 2021

Last week witnessed more harvest of projects as the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, delivered more key projects in the state.

The Okoro-nu-Odo flyover, the Rumuogba flyover and the new Governmen House Clinic /Administative Bulding were commissioned. He equally commissioned the reconstructed Chief Ferdinand Alabraba Crescent and Opobo Crescent in GRA Phase Two Port Harcourt.

Apart from inaugurating the completed projects, the Rivers State Government also signed contract for the construction of two more flyover bridges to be constructed at the intersection of Olu-Obasanjo Road and Port Harcourt Aba Expressway and intersection of Olu-Obasanjo and Ikwerre Road up to the Azikiwe in Port Harcourt.

Speaking at the contract signing ceremony held in Government House Port Harcourt, Wike stated that 70 per cent of the contract sum would be paid to Julius Berger upfront while the remaining funds would be paid at the end of the project.

The one week programme attracted top political leaders, men of God, traditional rulers and captains of industry from different parts of the country.

Wike reassured Rivers people that his administration would not play polictics with any infrastructure that wiould transform the state.

Also last week, the Rivers State Chief Executive, advocated for 10 per cent oil fund to be given to the oil host communities in the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) being considered in the country.

The Governor who stated this last Thursday, when members of the National Assembly Committee on PIB visited him in Government House Port Harcourt stressed the need for the fund going to the host communities to be tied to specific developmental projects .

He regretted that communities who produce oil which is the economic life wire of the nation were made to suffer poverty and their environment destroyed.

Deputy Chairman of the Committee who led the delegation, Mr Victor Nwokolo Onyemaechi said the committee was in the state to hold a town hall meeting with stakeholders to resolve issues of what should be allocated to host communities in the PIB.

Governor Wike said despite attempts by agents of the Federal Government to cripple his administration right from the onset, he had not disappointed Rivers’ people and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the governance of the state.

“ I know what we passed through in the hands of the ruling government . No state government has been harassed like Rivers State Government. Not one, but I will never give up. I will continue to do what I think is for the best interest of the people of Rivers State because they gave me the privilege”, Wike said.

The former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki , while inaugurating the ultra-moderm Government House Clinic/Administrative Building, praised Governor Wike for investing in critical infrastructure such as healthcare which is very important in reduction of poverty.

He said that the clinic is not for the people of Rivers State only but for the nation and described him as an Ambassador of the PDP in Nigeria.

Another major event last week in Brick House was the reconciliation of Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State and his Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed by the Rivers State Governor Chief Nyesom Wike.

Both Governors who addressed the press after the peace meeting held in Governor Wike’s private residence accepted the recounciliation and attributed the missunderstanding to the poor security architecture by the Federal Government.

Governor Wike who expressed delight at the development thanked the two governors for their understanding.

“ We give God the glory today that those differences have been sorted out. We are members of the same political party. Like what the Governor of Bauchi and Governor of Benue said, we don’t want the inefficiency, we don’t want the incapacity of the Federal Government in handling the issue of insecurity in the country to rub on us.”

“ Everybody knows that the Federal Government has failed in providing security for this country. And of course, you will not blame them. They ( Otorm and Mohammed) are under pressure from their various states. It is not as if they have any personal issue”, Gov Wike said.

Also within the week under review, the Rivers State Governor announced that his administration would will build a world class treatment centre to Carter for cancer and cardiovascular diseases in the state.

Announcing this at the inauguration of Rumuogba flyover, kast Tuesday, Gov Wike said contract for the project will be signed in the next two weeks.

“ Let me tell the people of Rivers State today, in the next two weeks, Julius Berger Nigeria PLC will come back and sign a contract with Rivers State Government, a project where we are going to build a Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease Centre. It shall be the best in this country and shall be completed in 14 months”, said the Governor.

By: Chris Oluoh

Politics

LP Crisis: Ex-NWC Member Dumps Dumps Abure Faction

Published

19 hours ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

A former National Organising Secretary of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Clement Ojukwu, has expressed regret that the several legal cases brought against the party since the 2023 general elections have impacted the party’s performance.

Mr Ojukwu, who recently returned to the interim National Working Committee led by Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, noted that the party had 34 elected members in the House of Representatives, eight Senators, and 80 members at the state Houses of Assembly after the 2023 general elections.

“Now we lost all of them,” he said. “I don’t think we have as many as five members in the National Assembly.”

The former national officer of the LP talked to journalists in Abuja and said he chose to join the caretaker committee led by Senator Nenadi-Usman because they are now the officially recognized leaders of the Party.

“I chose to work with the caretaker committee to help save the Labour Party, for the benefit of the party. I also want to use this chance to ask my colleagues at the national, state, and local government levels to come together and help rebuild our party.

“Another election is around the corner. We lost everything we have. They have left to other political parties. So I’ll reach out to all my friends in the other group to get together and work on making this party stronger again.

“The caretaker committee has formed a reconciliation committee. Let’s come together and talk so that we can restore the first opposition political party in Nigeria.”

Mr Ojukwu, who was part of the Julius Abure’s group, said there are no more factions in the LP.

He added, “There is a court ruling, and since it is valid, the right people are in the correct positions.”

He urged Barr Abure and others to drop the legal cases they have filed because they are not helping the party.

“Litigations are killing political parties”, he said. “They’ve seen many political parties disappear because of legal battles, and the Labor Party is losing support every day, which makes me feel sad.”

Mr Ojukwu said he did not think joining the Senator Nenadi-Usman’s NWC was a betrayal of the Abure group, describing himself as “the oxygen” of that faction.

“I’m with this group because of the verdict. But I never betrayed anybody. Rather, I was betrayed,” he added.

Politics

2027: NIGERIANS FAULT INEC ON DIGITAL MEMBERSHIP REGISTER DIRECTIVE

Published

19 hours ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

A number of Nigerians have strongly criticized the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its directive to all political parties in the country to submit digitalized membership register within 32 days.

It would be recalled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following it’s reversed timetable, directed all political parties in the country to submit their digitalized membership registers within 32 days.

Speaking on the reversed timetable in an interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt, respondents said the directive amounted to disqualifying opposition political parties from fielding candidates in all the elections next year.

They said if the directives by the commission is implemented, only the All Progressives Congress (APC) would participate in the elections since it started it’s digital membership registration since February, last year.

Responding, an elder statesman in Rivers State, Chief Sunnie Chukumele, said the revised timetable was okay, but the timeframe for submission of digital membership register was being made at the wrong time.

Chief Chukumele said, for the past two years, all opposition political parties have been battling various issues in court, adding that they did not have the time to embark on membership drive, talk less of digitalizing their membership registers.

“My reaction is that the only issue with this revised timetable is the timeframe given by INEC for parties to submit digitalize memberships register in all the states of the federation, while giving notice of Congresses and convention. That is not possible”, he said.

He said only the ruling APC is likely to meet up with the directive, since it began its registration since last year.

Chief Chukumele, who is also the National Coordinator of Coalition of Rivers State Leaders of Thought (CORSLOT), alleged that the directive of the electoral body may have been targeted to prevent other parties from fielding candidates for the elections next year.

“When you say all the parties should submit digitalized registers of membership in 32 days, how will that be possible to conclude it in 32 days”, he queried.

He noted that “APC used one year ago to do, so APC has one year in the kitty plus 30 days. This is highly regrettable”.

The CORSLOT national leader urged the election umpire to do away with stringent conditions that will make it hard for opposition political parties to field candidates in the elections.

Also speaking, Mr Jacob Enware from Edo State queried the rationale behind the directive, especially when some opposition political parties are still having cases in court.

In his words, ”What opposition political parties are you talking about, is Labour Party not in court or PDP that is yet to resolve their issues?

”For me, INEC should provide a level playing field for all, because aside the APC, no party can meet up this criteria.”

In his own response, Mr Nathaniel Ebere said he was not prepared to vote for anybody whether INEC provides a level playing field or not.

He alleged that his vote would not count, “so I will not waste my time”.

By: John Bibor

Politics

IT’S A LIE, G-5 GOVS DIDN’T WIN ELECTION FOR TINUBU – SOWUNMI

Published

19 hours ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Convener of The Alternative, Otunba Segun Sowunmi, has expressed reservations about the political stance of Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, while calling for reconciliation among key party figures.

Otunba Sowunmi made the remarks during a television interview on Saturday, when asked about the relationship between Gov. Makinde and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike.

He said, “I don’t believe Seyi Makinde. Because I know them all. I’ve been in this party since it was registered. And I’ve been loyal, faithful, diligent with this party from the get-go, and I’ve never left.”

He underscored his longstanding commitment to the PDP, referencing prominent figures who had exited the party at different times: “I’ve had the grace, and the honor, and the dignity of watching even my father, Obasanjo, shed his card. As much as I love him, I didn’t leave the party”.

He added, “I’ve had the privilege of watching my beloved senior brother, Governor Gbenga Daniel, leave the party a few times. As much as I respect his vision and his ideas, I’ve never left. I’ve watched my former principal, Atiku Abubakar, leave a few times. I’ve never left.”

Otunba Sowunmi stressed that his comments were rooted in deep involvement with the party: “So when I talk about PDP, I’m not talking as an outsider, I’m talking as one of their totems, who was actually carrying them.”

He disclosed that he wrote to Makinde during the governor’s last birthday, urging reconciliation among a bloc of five governors who had formed a movement during the 2023 elections.

“At Governor Seyi Makinde’s last birthday, I wrote him a letter where I tried to say, look, you guys, the five of you, succeeded to the extent of creating a movement of your own”, he said.

He added, “And you fought very hard to make a point in the 2023 election. Although I don’t believe you won the election for the president, that’s a lie. They contributed, but I hate when people take the glory of other people’s work.”

Otunba Sowunmi warned that unresolved differences among the group could weaken the party: “You guys, you must go back to your four friends, your five friends, and you guys go and sort it out. Because not sorting it out with your five friends is going to leave the party worse off.”

He added, “But now that you’re fighting, or you’re not agreeing with yourselves, why don’t you go back to that same energy that allowed you to agree, so that you can use that energy inside to agree, and then we can lead the party.”