Politics
2015: Ijaw Women, PDP Chieftain Reject Wike
Cross section of participants during the International Conference on Democracy and Good Governance, organised by the Rivers State Government in Port Harcourt, recently. Photo: Egberi .A. Sampson
Reactions have started
trailing the purported endorsement of the supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike for the 2015 governorship election in Rivers State.
Some groups at a meeting in Omoku, in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers, last Monday, threw their weight behind the alleged governorship ambition of the minister on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Some of the groups, according to sources, include the Etche, Ndoni, Ogoni Alliance which endorsed Wike as the PDP’s sole candidate.
But in a quick response to the endorsement, a chieftain of PDP, Chief Sara Igbe, warned that the party might lose Rivers State if it endorses Wike as its governorship candidate for the 2015 governorship election.
Igbe said the party should not make a mistake of endorsing a candidate from Ikwerre ethnic nationality, particularly when the incumbent Governor Chibuike Amaechi is from Ikwerre ethnic nationality and he is about to end his eight years tenure.
According to him, it would be a disservice to other ethnic groups in the state for another Ikwerre man to become governor and serve another eight years, saying Rivers people were not comfortable with such arrangement.
“If Wike is fielded as the PDP governorship candidate in 2015 election in Rivers State, then, there will be a protest vote and that protest vote might affect PDP’’, he warned.
Meanwhile, Ijaw women under the aegis of Ijaw Women Forum (IWF) in Rivers State, have vowed to mobilise Rivers people against the governorship ambition of the supervising Minister of Education. Chief Wike who according to reports, was eyeing Rivers State governorship position in 2015.
The spokesperson of the IWF and women leader of the Ijaw Youth Congress, (IYC), Eastern zone, Rivers State, Mrs. Recheal Erastus Adasi said that, it was unacceptable, unfair, and against commonsense that Wike, an Ikwerre man would succeed another Ikwerre man in person of Rt Hon Chibuike Amaechi after ruling for eight years.
Speaking at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NNDC) regional conferemce in Port Harcourt, the women’s spokesperson stated that rather than another Ikwerre man, the next governor of the state should come from the Ijaw extraction which comprises Kalabari, Okrika, Bonny, Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas of the state.
However, Rivers Mainstream Coalition (RMC), has advised members of the PDP and the public to disregard the alleged endorsement of Wike by the PDP, saying, the party has not endorsed a candidate for the 2015 governorship election.
According to RMC’s coordinator, Mr Sotonye Ijuye Dagogo, the minister’s friends can support his ambition,that does not mean the party has endorsed him as the party’s candidate”.
The Rivers State Chairman of the PDP,Brother Felix Obuah has, also dismissed the reports that the party may have endorsed Wike as its governorship candidate, saying, the party would give all interested candidates a level playing ground to contest the primaries.
According to him,everybody has the right to contest for any position in the state, adding that the party would not restrict any candidate from contesting.
Enoch Epelle
The Tide source reports that the committee, reportedly backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike, is making moves to reclaim the Wadata Plaza headquarters months after it was sealed following a violent clash between rival factions of the party.
Senior officers at the FCT Police Command told our source that while they had not received an official briefing, police personnel would be stationed at the secretariat and other key locations to maintain peace.
The Acting National Secretary of the Mohammed-led committee, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, announced last week that the secretariat would reopen for official activities on Monday (today).
He dismissed claims that ongoing litigation would prevent the reopening, saying, “There are no legal barriers preventing the caretaker committee from resuming work at the party’s headquarters.”
However, the Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC) has fiercely rejected the reopening move, insisting that Sen. Anyanwu and his group remain expelled from the PDP and have no authority to act on its behalf.
Speaking with The Tide source, the committee’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, declared: “They are living in fool’s paradise. The worst form of deceit is self-deceit, where the person knows he is deceiving himself yet continues with gusto.
“Even INEC, which they claim has recognised them, has denied them. They are indulging in a roller coaster of self-deceit.”
Mr Ememobong further revealed that letters had been sent to both the Inspector-General of Police and the FCT Commissioner of Police, stressing that the matter was still in court and warning against any attempt to “resort to self-help.”
“The case pending before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik was instituted by the expelled members. They cannot resort to self-help until judgment is delivered,” he said.
He warned that reopening the secretariat would amount to contempt of court.
A senior officer at the FCT Police Command, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that officers would be deployed to the area to avert a repeat of the November 19 violence that led to the secretariat’s initial closure.
“The command would not stand by and allow a breakdown of peace and order by the party or anyone else. Definitely, the police will have to be on the ground,” he said.
Another officer added, “There will definitely be men present at the secretariat, but I can’t say the number of police officers that would be deployed.”
When contacted, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh, said she had not been briefed on the planned reopening and declined to comment on whether officers would be deployed.
Asked to confirm whether the secretariat was initially sealed by police, she responded, “Yes,” but refused to say more about the current deployment plans.
The Kano State House of Assembly has debunked the purported impeachment plan against the Deputy Governor, Aminu Gwarzo.
The Tide source recalls that the Kano State Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Ibrahim Waiya, recently sparked controversy during an interview session with a local radio station.
Mr Waiya called on the deputy governor to resign for failing to follow his principal, Gov. Abba Yusuf, in defecting from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
However, the spokesperson to the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Kamaluddeen Shawai, while addressing journalists in Kano on Saturday, described reports circulating in some media outlets about Mr Gwarzo’s impeachment as baseless and misleading, emphasising that no such plan is underway.
Mr Shawai further stated that the House remains focused on its legislative duties and oversight functions rather than engaging in speculative political manoeuvres.
The spokesperson urged members of the public and the media to verify information before sharing it, stressing the importance of accurate reporting in maintaining political stability in the state.
He said, “There is absolutely no motion or initiative within the House to remove the deputy governor.
“These reports are false and should be disregarded by the public. The deputy governor continues to serve in his capacity with full support from the House.
“Our priority is good governance and serving the people of Kano, not circulating rumours.”
She made the declaration during an interview with Nigerian football legend, Mr Segun Odegbami, during a live radio interview on Saturday.
Prof. Obasanjo, who is also former commissioner in the state, ruled out a return to the Senate, stating that her focus was firmly on the governorship race.
“So, moving ahead, I’m not going to be Commissioner. Like I said, I’m not even going back to the same party because I think that’s old and I don’t see the use of it. And I’m not going to go back to the Senate,” she said.
“Like the Americans would say, there’s no need. And this is what I told my associates, when this all started. I said, the only thing I’ll come back to do is the governorship.
“And we have started that journey. We are going to see it through. And so that’s the journey I’m on. And we are very serious about it. I mean we are very dedicated to it.”
The politician also confirmed that she recently joined the APC, explaining that her return to active politics followed persistent calls from supporters.
“Like I told you, a group of people who I did not bring together, have been working, I think, for two years now. And then they started talking to me about a year ago, saying, ‘Look, we think you are the best candidate. We want you back,’” she added.
Her declaration sets the stage for what may become a keenly contested governorship race in Ogun State ahead of the 2027 elections.
-
Sports2 days agoArsenal Women End Man City’s Invincibility
-
Sports2 days agoU-20 WWC: Falconets claim qualifier win
-
Sports2 days agoInsurance Deepen Enyimba’s Trouble
-
Sports2 days agoYouth Olympics preparation Gears up
-
Sports2 days agoCologne Youth Team Set Crowd Record
-
Sports2 days agoTornadoes Set For NPFL exit over Stadium Ban
-
Sports2 days agoPalmer Stars As Chelsea Compound Wolves Woes
-
Sports2 days agoBarca Pull Out Of Super League Project