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).
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has begun deploying non-sensitive materials to the zones as it prepares for the 2027 general election.
Acting Chairman of the commission, Prof. Rhoda Gumus, disclosed this in Abuja, yesterday at a bench-marking meeting with a delegation of Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
“Right now, all non-sensitive materials are almost ready. In fact, today as we speak here, the non-sensitive materials have been lifted to some zones now,” Gumus said.
She said the commission had completed nine of its scheduled activities and was preparing for the next phase.
“We are preparing for the election next year and we have activities lined up. So far, we have been able to complete nine activities and we are still preparing for the next level of activities,” she said.
Gumus said the commission’s leadership had just concluded a tour of the country’s six zones to assess their level of preparedness.
“The purpose was to go round the zones to see how prepared we are, assess what the zones have put in place, their challenges and what to do. We concluded last week and we can see from our tour that we are really going towards the election proper,” she said.
On Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), the acting chairman said production had been completed and distribution to the states was well advanced.
“As of today, we can say that PVCs have been produced and the first, second batches, most of the states have received them. Their PVC collection is ongoing. All those who are supposed to be the voters are supposed to receive their PVCs, and if they don’t have them, it is also another challenge,” Gumus said.
She added that capacity building was under way for staff at the headquarters and in the states, and that the procurement and deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System BVAS devices were also ongoing.
On diaspora voting, Gumus said the commission could not proceed for now because the law did not provide for it.
“Here, because we go by the law, in our electoral law, it is not included there, so we cannot go on for the diaspora voting for now until we amend the electoral law,” she said.
The acting chairman said the commission had arranged for its directors to hold an interactive session with the Kenyan team and present papers on the work of their departments.
Leading the delegation, the Kenyan High Commissioner to Nigeria, Isaac Parashina, said the IEBC team was in Nigeria to benchmark ahead of Kenya’s general election in August 2027.
He said the team was studying how Nigeria handled its diaspora population and special voting groups, as Kenya sought to widen voting rights for citizens living abroad.
“Currently we have about 12 of them who voted in the last general election, but there is intention to expand to around, I think, 26,” Parashina said, referring to the countries where Kenyans abroad vote.
He said the expansion was a constitutional requirement backed by Kenyan court rulings, and would be enforced progressively.
Parashina said Nigeria’s election, which he noted would come in two rounds, would be closely watched across Africa.
“Everyone is looking at what Nigeria will do because it is the biggest democracy in Africa. The success of Nigeria remains a great success to Kenya and indeed to the continent,” he added.
The High Commissioner thanked INEC for receiving the team despite a tight schedule and wished the commission success.
Governor Douye Diri has set a target of at least one million votes for President Bola Tinubu in Bayelsa State in the 2027 presidential election, while charging the newly inaugurated All Progressives Congress (APC) State Campaign Council to prioritise reconciliation, party unity and collective electoral mobilisation.
Governor Diri gave the charge at the inauguration of the 20-member campaign council at the APC secretariat in Yenagoa, where he warned that internal divisions could undermine the party’s efforts to secure victory for President Tinubu and other candidates at the federal and state levels.
Governor Diri urged party members who were not appointed to the council to support its activities by taking the APC’s message to communities, wards and polling units across the state.
He specifically charged the campaign team to mobilise at least one million votes for President Tinubu, arguing that Bayelsa’s voting strength had increased and should be reflected in the 2027 election results.
“I give you a target that in Bayelsa, we must not bring less than one million votes for Mr President. You are going to campaign, and you have a lot to talk about the President. He has done so much for our people,” the governor said.
He listed the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the second phase of the Nembe-Brass Road, interventions in the power sector, federal appointments for Bayelsa indigenes and the establishment of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy among the achievements the campaign should present to voters.
The governor particularly praised President Tinubu for the coastal highway project, arguing that it reflected federal attention to the development needs of coastal communities.
“No president, alive or dead, has remembered the coastal people and coastal states to say let us do this signature project from Lagos to Calabar. The first president to think about it is Bola Tinubu, and those were the demands of the Ijaw people,” he said.
Governor Diri also expressed hope that a second term for President Tinubu would provide an opportunity to advance demands for fiscal federalism, greater resource control and state policing, which he described as longstanding aspirations of the Niger Delta.
He said the President had shown indications of addressing some of the demands of younger Nigerians and argued that re-election would allow the administration to consolidate its reforms.
The governor further cautioned campaigners against personal attacks and abusive exchanges with political opponents, insisting that the APC should focus its campaign on issues, policies and achievements.
The governor’s mobilisation directive comes amid criticism from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which has questioned his commitment to President Tinubu’s re-election campaign, alleging that APC campaign billboards erected across Yenagoa promote other party candidates without featuring the President.
The PDP, through its Publicity Secretary, Mr Ikaebimo Mark, said the billboards showed Governor Diri urging voters to support APC candidates for the National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections without identifying President Tinubu as the party’s presidential candidate.
Mr Mark described the omission as an indication that the governor was not fully aligned with the APC’s national leadership.
“When we said that the governor, Senator Douye Diri, is not supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we knew exactly what we were saying. Now Governor Douye Diri has erected APC campaign billboards across Bayelsa State without Tinubu’s picture. He is even afraid to associate himself with the photograph of the presidential candidate of his own party. How can this governor claim to be supporting President Tinubu?” he said.
The PDP, however, maintained that the governor’s public campaign posture raised questions about his commitment to the President’s re-election bid. Its allegation over the billboards now places the issue of the relationship between the state APC leadership and the party’s national campaign among the political questions likely to feature in Bayelsa’s preparations for 2027.
The PDP’s allegation has introduced a fresh political dimension to the APC’s preparations in Bayelsa, even as Governor Diri publicly called on party leaders and members to close ranks and mobilise support for all its candidates.
“Every person picked as a member of this campaign council was carefully scrutinised. I want to tell you that our campaign team is loaded. We parade the best candidates among all the parties in Bayelsa State, and there is no doubt about that,” he said.
He urged members to remain focused and united, warning that political opponents could exploit any divisions within the party.
“Our unity is very important because they would want to feast on our disunity. We will not give them that opportunity. Please, as you carry out this assignment, do not take your eyes off the target,” Hon. Ogoriba said.
SP Edafe explained that during the meeting, the organisers were briefed on the identified security threats and advised against embarking on an open-road procession.
Instead, the police reportedly recommended that the political activities be conducted at a designated venue where adequate security arrangements could be provided.
However, the Command alleged that the organisers disregarded the security advice and proceeded with the road procession.
Meanwhile, the Delta State Government has condemned the political violence that erupted in Asaba, the state capital, on Saturday, confirming that one person was killed while four others sustained serious injuries.
The government described the incident as unfortunate and unacceptable, warning political parties and their supporters against actions capable of threatening public peace, security and democratic participation in the state.
In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, the government reiterated its zero tolerance for political violence, intimidation and other forms of political misconduct.
Mr Aniagwu said the government had repeatedly cautioned political parties against engaging in activities capable of disrupting the peace, insisting that the incident could have been avoided if the organisers had followed security advice.
According to him, the police had advised the organisers to cancel the proposed street march and instead conduct their political campaign at a designated venue where adequate security arrangements could be provided.
He expressed concern that the advice was allegedly disregarded, resulting in a confrontation that claimed one life and left four other people seriously injured.
The government subsequently called on the police to conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the violence and ensure that anyone found culpable is brought to justice.
Mr Aniagwu further warned that the state government would not tolerate politically motivated attacks against any individual, regardless of political affiliation.
He maintained that Delta State remained safe for residents and visitors, stressing that the government would not allow the actions of individuals or groups to undermine the prevailing peace and security in the state.
The government also urged political parties, their leaders and supporters to conduct their political activities within the confines of the law and demonstrate respect for human life, public order and the rights of other citizens.
The latest development follows an attack on supporters of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) during a political procession in Asaba, which reportedly left several participants injured and campaign vehicles vandalised.
The government’s condemnation comes amid growing concerns over political violence and the safety of opposition supporters as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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