Politics

Amaechi Speaks On PDP Reconciliation

Published

13 years ago

March 25, 2013

Last week the Government House was full of activities. Sunday set the tone of a busy week with Governor Chibuike Amaechi receiving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee on a reconciliatory town hall meeting in Port Harcourt.

Amaechi, while playing host to the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, said the state will still be largely PDP, while lauding the reconciliation meeting as welcome, since it will reconstruct and rebuild the party.

“We are in PDP, I have told my cabinet members that if we want to win election, we must work in such a way that the people are happy with us. Currently, we are popular in Rivers State, we have to maintain our popularity while in office and thereafter, and the only way to maintain that popularity is to continue to do what we are doing now, putting the people first”, Amaechi said.

Both Tukur and Amaechi later proceeded to the Civic Centre where the party had a town hall meeting with party faithful. Governor Uduaghan of Delta State and Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom were present at the forum, while Governor Liyel Imoke and Bayelsa Governor, Seriake Dickson sent their representatives.

Proceeding to Abuja on Monday for National Council of State meeting, Governor Amaechi delegated State Commissioner for Agriculture, Emma Chindah to represent him at the 38th Annual Conference and 40th Anniversary of the Nigerian Society for Animal Production (NSAP) held in the State University of Science and Technology (RSUST).

Amaechi who spoke through Chindah tasked NSAP on evolving practical ways of achieving sustainable development in animal production.

He said, “we are happy to share with you some of our strides in the area of economic development which agriculture cannot be removed from. We believe that we can develop infrastructure to the best extent that we can do to stimulate our economy”.

Governor Amaechi presided over the State Executive Council meeting on Tuesday on returning from Abuja. The meeting which sat for about six hours decided and announced the appointment of Prof. Otonti Nduka as the first Chairman of the State Education Quality Assurance Agency Board.

Also discussed and approved by the Exco is the Education Summit to be held on 25th and 26th of March and the body also announced the plan to set up the Garden City Private Equity Investment Corporation Law of 2013.

With the announcement of the Garden City Private Equity Investment Corporation, the State Executive Council directed the Secretary to the State Government and Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General to work on the law to be forwarded to the House of Assembly for approval.

The Governor on rising from the Exco meeting proceeded immediately to receive three Scandinavian envoys from Norway, Finland and Austria.

The Ambassadors expressed their desire to enter into multilateral agreements with Rivers State in the areas of education, commerce and energy, Mrs Riita Korpivaara of Finland said, “we plan to visit the University of Port Harcourt to discuss education development in Rivers State and how our countries could partner with Rivers State in the field of education which is an area that is especially dear to me and my country, Finland”.

On Wednesday, Governor Amaechi played host to Committee on Finance, led by its Chairman, Senator Ahmed Makarfi.

The State Governor used the visit to demand for a new revenue sharing formula in the country, arguing that the current revenue sharing formula does not give states fair share of the country’s revenue and urged the National Assembly to amend the constitution.

Aside asking for a better revenue formula, Amaechi decried the poor use and tariff in the Port Harcourt and Onne Ports. “Ordinarily you should expect people from Anambra, Imo, Abia State to import through Port Harcourt, than import through Lagos. So, we will be glad if you can either investigate or find a way to appeal to those who collect those monies to please try and pity the Rivers people”.

On hearing the death of Nigeria’s literary icon, Prof Achebe on Thursday, Governor Amaechi through his Chief Press Secretary, David Iyofor sent condolence messages to the family.

The Chairman of Nigeria Governor’s Forum (NGF) who presided over a meeting of the body (NGF) on Thursday made public results of study of Polio eradication in the various states.

Amaechi also on Thursday received the state share of certificate in the disbanded Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) alongside other states.

Lamenting the demise of Prof. Achebe in a statement on Friday, the governors said, “As the nation mourns this irreparable loss, I pray that God grants his family the strength to bear this great loss and to all of us”.

Politics

LP Crisis: Ex-NWC Member Dumps Dumps Abure Faction

Published

18 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

18 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

18 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.”