Politics
The Politics Of Obasanjo’s Visit To Rivers
Last week Monday,
former President Olusegun Obasanjo arrived Port Harcourt to commission various projects executed by the Rivers State government under the watch of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. The visit which lasted for two days, was on the invitation of the State Governor, Amaechi.
To keen political watchers in the last six and half years, the former President’s visit was more than a surprise, especially in view of the k-leg saga that earlier denied Amaechi the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which he won in the state in 2007. The k-leg saga was orchestrated by Obasanjo who was then the President and national leader of the PDP at that time. It, however, took the intervention of the Supreme Court before the party’s ticket and mandate were returned to Amaechi.
Since then, Obasanjo’s path and Amaechi’s had never crossed each other. The new romance between the two former political adversaries has therefore thrown many analysts off balance. The latest move by the two leaders has further confirmed the popular axiom that in politics, there are no permanent friends, no permanent enemies.
While many people have argued that Obasanjo’s visit was more political than commissioning of some state projects, some others see it as an opportunity for Amaechi to showcase his achievements.
Both positions could be said to be right. For instance, the former President’s visit to the State has straightened the k- leg that caused political mistrust between the two leaders.
Obasanjo, during the visit, admitted that he was responsible for the k-leg and that he acted based on the security report in 2007 against the governor.
He commended Governor Amaechi for acting wisely by going to court.
According to him, Amaechi did what was required in a democratic dispensation, by going to court to straighten the K-leg issue.
“I am one of those who when he (Amaechi) got the judgement, found it awkward. I did not voice it out publicly but I found it awkward. Awkward in the sense that how can a man who has not contested an election, a man who has not been voted for be declared the governor?
“But I mused over it because he got it from the Supreme Court. As far as I am concerned that was the end of that K-leg saga,” he said.
He challenged those who are not satisfied with the Supreme Court’s verdict to take their case to God.
He also appealed to Amaechi not to blame his predecessor, Dr Peter Odili for the K-leg, saying he (Obasanjo) should be held responsible.
“I phoned Amaechi not to take anything against his predecessor. Hold me responsible for whatever decision taken against you, not your predecessor”, he said.
Obasanjo’s pronouncement particularly drew reactions from the opposition who challenged the former president to tell the public why he initiated the K-leg in the first instance.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), through the Special Assistant on Media to the State Chairman, Mr. Jerry Needam said Obasanjo should make public the security report he got against Amaechi in 2007. But to Obasanjo, the k-leg issue is history.
Meanwhile, besides straightening the k-leg issue, the commissioning of some landmark projects by the former President known for his bluntness on issues, has also kept the opposition in check.
Obasanjo who commended Amaechi for his developmental strides in the area of education, health and agriculture, also gave a tacit endorsement of the monorail project which the opposition in the State, has variously criticised as a white elephant project.
According to the ex-President, many people would not appreciate the worth of the monorail now until it was completed.
Describing the monorail project as landmark and a reference point, Obasanjo stated “the only state that can do that now with the visible power that they have is Rivers State because they generate well over 700 megawatts of electricity with what I commissioned yesterday.”
Obasanjo’s assessment of the commissioned projects was far above average, going by his words.
“I am here to see development and acknowledge development, and so far, I have seen indeed.
“I am really proud over the infrastructure and particularly road network.
Amaechi had during his second tenure campaign said he was embarking on the ‘Change You Can See.’
“Our concern is to bring the projects and the policies of the government to the people and allow the people to take the decisions on the present and the past,” Amaechi said.
On why Amaechi invited the ex-President to the state, the governor told the audience at the Ambassador Nne Krubo Model School, Ebubu Community, Eleme Local Government Area of the state, that he invited Obasanjo for two reasons.
“I told my cabinet that we will achieve two things: the first is to showcase to Baba and see whether he is convinced that we have done anything at all. The second is to also showcase to the public that these young politicians who are moving around, that you can refer to them that they are my boys, even though I do not like having boys”, Amaechi said.
He continued “I tried to bring you (Obasanjo) last year, but it was impossible, but this year, I fought extremely hard. Let me tell you what my cabinet said, they said it will repair the k-leg.
“I told them that I know Baba, if he is not satisfied, he will damage the k-leg further. Don’t ever remind baba about the k-leg, but I said the only reason I am pushing Baba to come here is that we share few friends most people do not know about. They said anytime they try to convince Baba that we ar working, Baba will say ‘ I don’t know becasue I have never been there’.
“So I said the best thing for me to do is to bring Baba here, to see for himself, and if you know Baba very well, I am a smaller version of Baba, so if we are doing well, baba will say it and he will tell me in the car that Amaechi, I am not impressed. If you give him microphone, he will say it in the open”.
The implication of Obasanjo’s visit to Rivers State, is however, not far-fetched. While his visit has laid to rest the k-leg issue, it has also debunked the speculations that the ex-President was in the state to do the yeo-man’s job for Amaechi and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
During his two-day visit, Chief Obasanjo restrained himself from making political statements capable of labelling him as Amaechi’s supporter against President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP which is the main opposition party in the state. Even when Governor Amaechi pleaded with the former President to intervene on behalf of the state over the alleged attempt by the Federal Government to stifle development in the state, Obasanjo turned down the request.
He said, “If people oppose you, leave them in the court of God, provided you are doing the right thing. Let us have politics with principles, love and not politics with bitterness. All those requests you want to send me, take it and deliver them yourself”.
The implication of this is that Chief Obasanjo only came to the state “to see development and acknowledge development”, and he has indeed seen development, to paraphrase Obasanjo’s words.
And for a man of Obasanjo’s standing to describe Amaechi as a visionary leader who understands the needs of his people, it goes to say that the former President’s assessment of Amaechi’s administration is far above average. So, even if you do not like Amaechi as a person, you cannot take the credit away from him.
Boye Salau
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo (2nd left), cutting the tape to commission Prof Kelsey Harrison Hospital in Diobu, Port Harcourt recently. With him are Rivers State Governor, Rt Hon Chibuike Amaechi (left), his wife, Dame Judith Amaechi and Rivers State Commissioner for Health, Hon Sampson Parker (right).
Amid the seemingly intractable crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike, has accused Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, of betrayal, accusing the governor of instigating party members against him.
In a statement at the week-end, Chief Wike said the party had been enmeshed in a protracted crisis due to dishonesty and lack of trust amongst key stakeholders, with efforts to address issues and “enthrone fidelity to agreements” for the party’s progress.
“To this end, a meeting of the G5 was held in Lagos. In that meeting, I made it clear to the governor of Oyo State, HE Seyi Makinde, that he was the architect of our problems, pointing out to him that non-adherence to agreements reached was the bane of the party and that he was the chief culprit of this anomaly. At the end of the meeting, we resolved to bury the hatchet and make progress,” Chief Wike said.
The minister referenced an expanded meeting attended by the party’s key stakeholders, where he alleged that Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State was serially reneging on agreements.
“At the end of the meeting, we came to some resolutions, including (a) That Senator Samuel Anyanwu remains the national secretary of the PDP in tandem with the Supreme Court judgment; (b) All legal matters relating to Rivers State must be withdrawn by the national legal adviser; (c) The suit on the state of emergency be withdrawn forthwith; and (d) Nobody should deviate from the agreements so reached,” he said.
Chief Wike claimed he was begged to attend the stakeholders’ meeting at the Bauchi Government Lodge, which led to the formation of the reconciliation committee headed by former Senate President Bukola Saraki.
Alleging the violation of agreements reached before the Saraki-headed committee was constituted, the minister accused Mr Makinde of conniving with Peter Mbah of Enugu State to orchestrate the meeting of South-East leaders to recommend that if Ude Okoye was not adopted as secretary, they would pull out of the PDP.
The former Rivers State governor said, “Again, Seyi Makinde organised some people in the national secretariat to insist that the deputy national secretary should act as national secretary, in violation of the agreement earlier reached. To attempt to give credence to this farce, a letter was written by the deputy national secretary, calling for a meeting of the NEC of the party.
“Furthermore, the letter confirming the candidacy of the governorship candidate of the party in the forthcoming governorship elections in Anambra State, duly signed by the national secretary, Senator Anyanwu and the acting national chairman, was portrayed as rejected by the party through a rebuttal letter signed by the national publicity secretary, acting on the orders of Seyi Makinde and Peter Mbah.”
Chief Wike said a well-publicised and properly attended zonal elective congress of the PDP slated to be held on May 24, 2025, was aborted because the party’s deputy national secretary signed the letter inviting INEC to the congress.
He added, “INEC refused to attend because the proper signatory recognised by law, that is, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, was not a signatory to the invitation notice.”
The minister described the development as provocative and annoying, stating the actions completely violated agreements.
Meanwhile, Chief Wike announced his withdrawal from all the agreements reached earlier and insisted on fighting until justice was served.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Atlas Oranto Petroleum, Chief Arthur Eze, has described President Bola Tinubu as “God’s gift to Nigeria,” commending his leadership style, reform-driven governance, and dedication to national unity.
In a statement over the weekend, the Special Adviser to the President, Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, said Chief Eze praised Tinubu in an upcoming State House documentary commemorating President Tinubu’s second anniversary in office.
Chief Eze noted that President Tinubu represents the bold, God-ordained leadership Nigeria requires at this critical juncture in its history.
“God doesn’t make mistakes. That man, Tinubu, was created for a purpose. God gave him the power to change lives.
“Tinubu has no enemies. He is a unifier. He speaks with humility and honesty; that’s why we admire him”, he said.
Drawing from his experiences during the Nigerian civil war and his strong ties to the south-east, Chief Eze said President Tinubu has shown unparalleled dedication to inclusivity and development in the region.
“What Tinubu has done for the Southeast, nobody else has. He gave us the Minister of Works, the Minister of Science and Technology, and the Southeast Development Commission. This is an opportunity for the Igbo to unite with the rest of Nigeria,” he said.
Commenting on the Renewed Hope Agenda, the business leader expressed confidence that President Tinubu has honoured his commitments.
He emphasised that the president assumed office during a period of economic fragility and political uncertainty but has displayed the wisdom and determination needed to guide the nation toward progress.
“God has given him the wisdom to change Nigeria for the good of the present and future generations,” Chief Eze said.
The Atlas Oranto CEO called on Nigerians to support the president in fostering stability, growth, and future prosperity.
“He’s not a man of division — whether Christian or Muslim, he respects all. All he asks is that we pray to God and work together,” he said.
Additionally, Eze prayed that “may God guide Nigeria and President Tinubu,” adding that “he gave him this power and will help him complete the job”.
A civil society organisation, Kimpact Developmental Initiative (KDI), has briefed the national leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) on various initiatives it (KDI) has undertaken to engage critical stakeholders such as the National Assembly members with regard to the implementation of the much needed electoral reforms for the advancement of the democratisation process in the country.
The Programme Director of KDI, Sannom Sarki, accompanied by the Senior Programme Officer, Gbemisola Adebowale, said this when the National Democratic Institute of the United States and the KDI paid a courtesy visit to the National Secretariat of the NUJ in Abuja, recently.
Lady Sannom explained that KDI has been collating feedbacks from its engagements across the six geopolitical zones, part of which included a national survey of over 4,000 youths across the country that focused on the youths evaluation and assessments of key aspects of the country’s electoral processes which has the ultimate goal of promoting electoral reform and effective governance.
She solicited the support and collaboration of the NUJ in achieving these objectives, emphasising the importance of enhanced relationship between the two organisations.
According to the leaders of the NDI Nigeria and the KDI, Mr Bem Aga and Sannom Sarki, the visit was aimed at strengthening the existing collaborative relationship between their organisations and the NUJ, and to explore ways of discovering new frontiers, especially in the area of electoral reforms.
Mr Aga, Programmes Director of the NDI Nigeria, who led the delegation, expressed his organisation’s readiness to work closely with the Alhassan- led administration of the NUJ to achieve shared collective goals.
He also emphasised the importance of the mutual relationship between the NDI and the NUJ and stressed the need to further strengthen the partnership to achieve greater shared objectives.
Mr Aga also underscored the significance of the developmental initiatives being undertaken through its partnership with KDI which is aimed at orientating Nigerian youths towards participating actively in the democratic governance of the country.
In his response, the NUJ National President, Comrade Alhassan Yahya, who warmly welcomed the KDI and DNI delegations, pledged to work closely with the two organisations.
Comrade Yahya gave the assurance that NUJ would do all it could to fully collaborate with the NDI and the KDI, leveraging on the Union’s structures across the 36 States of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
Comrade Yahya also extended an invitation to the NDI and KDI to the upcoming National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Union for the purpose of making a presentation.
It is hoped that this successful visit will mark the beginning of a renewed partnership between the NUJ, NDI, and KDI. It is expected that the renewed collaboration will yield positive outcomes, particularly in the areas of governance, youth development, and robust media engagements.
The highpoints of the occasion included presentation of mobilisation materials and group photographs.