Politics
Amaechi Presents Scorecard …Says We’ve Been Prudent With Rivers Resources
Rivers State Gover
nor and Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has attributed the successful implementation of projects in the state to well-defined and purposeful use of finance.
Speaking during the 2015 New Year State Banquet Amaechi said: “We’ve been very prudent, we’ve managed our resources in such a way that we can stand our ground and tell people like Tonye Princewill that we can’t steal money. I will publish the transaction of our power assets and I tell Tonye Princewill and he knows that I don’t like money. Tonye Princewill had a problem with Tonye Cole. It is peer jealousy. Why I said peer jealousy, Tonye Princewill suspected that I was going to make Tonye Cole deputy governor in 2011 and I never had that at the back of my mind and he approached me and said, ‘why was I going to do that’ and I said it wasn’t part of my agenda.”
“If that is the reason for which he is attacking Sahara Oil and attacking me, I wish him luck. Let him tell the state why he’s trying to malign my character and I am open for a debate with him. But like I said he’s my young friend whose ambition is to be governor, I wish him luck. I thank God I had been governor even if he becomes governor, he will be a junior governor to me because I had already become governor before him”, he added.
He urged people of the state to appreciate and support the need for power shift in the state’s forthcoming governorship poll.
He said “I think that the battle for Rivers soul starts now. You are all here seated, go home and get your brothers and sisters to learn that power has to shift hands. It would be wrong to look at myself, an Ikwerre man and support a greedy and ambitious young boy from the same Ikwerre when you have Kalabari, you have Ogoni and other parts of Rivers State that have not served in the office of the governor’.
It is the responsibility of Rivers people to vote for the party that has put forward change on their agenda. If the reason for which they are puting Ikwerre candidate forward is because of the population of Ikwerre then the rest of Rivers State should forget governorship because it is after one Ikwerre man to another Ikwerre man until they are tired,” he added.
According to the governor, “it will not be fair that the mainland will take governorship for 16 years and the riverine won’t take for even four years. I think as a people that we should support that shift so that it will go one day from the riverine to the mainland, back to the riverine, back to the mainland until we begin to talk about merit alone”.
He thanked Rivers people for the opportunity to serve the state and especially thanked elders and leaders of the state including his wife for their supportive roles. He said his wife has been a source of great strength and encouragement.
Amaechi said, “today will be the last New Year Banquet that we hold in office and today I wish to thank my lovely wife for marrying me. From the day she stepped into my house, she has not known peace because she met me a politician and I have been playing politics until today and she has been able to manage me from that day till today and I want to publicly thank you for that”.
He recalled efforts made by his administration during inception to combat insecurity in the state, saying, “I don’t want to bore you with what we met in office but you knew that in our first year by this time, this banquet would have been over because everybody would be running back to his or her house. There was a dinner we had in Government House, by the time the Israelis left here to the hotel, they were kidnapped on the way. The Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria was in Port Harcourt for almost one week looking for them until they were released”.
Amaechi appreciated members of the State House of Assembly and the Judiciary and National Assembly members for effectively supporting his administration and ensuring survival of democracy in the state.
“I want to thank members of the State House of Assembly who stood their ground despite the challenges that we faced. In fact, people went as far as collecting money, assuring the President that I would be removed from office and I told them the contract I have with God is not over. To remove me, you need to first go to God but beyond God, it was the fact that members of the State House of Assembly stood by us, so I thank the Speaker and all the members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
“I also thank members of the judiciary. You will agree that they are supposed to be non-partisan but some became partisan in the course of our work. Leave them to God. Don’t leave them to human beings. Let God be their Judge. But majority of them were non-partisan and I thank them for being non-partisan and for standing their ground to support Rivers State.
“I thank members of the National Assembly. Out of 13 in the House of Representatives, eight are with us. Out of three in the Senate, two are with us. Only one went his way”, he said.
He also thanked state chapters of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) for their understanding over salient issues and co-operation with his government.
He attributed the drastic fall in allocations to the state from the Federation Account to corruption in the government at the centre and falling world oil price, and noted that the President Jonathan-led federal administration took oil wells from the state and gave to neighbouring states.
Amaechi expressed disappointment over lack of federal presence in the state, argued that Nigerians need a new lease of life.
He said he would ensure full payment for any loan taken by the state government and will not leave backlog of debts for the incoming administration.
According to him, the APC governorship candidate in the state when elected in the forthcoming governorship election, would sustain his achievements and solicited support for the party’s governorship candidate, Dakuku Peterside.
Politics
Makinde Renames Polytechnic After Late Ex-Gov

Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has renamed The Polytechnic, Ibadan as Omololu Olunloyo Polytechnic, Ibadan, in honour of a late former governor of the State, Dr Omololu Olunloyo.
Dr Olunloyo, who died on April 6, 2025, was the pioneer Principal of the Polytechnic, Ibadan, while he also served as Governor of Oyo State between October 1 and December 31, 1983.
Governor Makinde made the announcement at the state interdenominational funeral service held yesterday in honour of the late former governor at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Liberty Road, Ibadan.
Governor Makinde said Dr Olunloyo lived an eventful life, adding that his attainment and personality could not be summarised in one sentence.
“He was not a man we could summarise in one sentence. He was a scholar, a statesman, a technocrat, a lover of culture and, above all, a man of deep conviction.
“While giving the exhortation, I was listening to Baba Archbishop Ayo Ladigbolu and he said in 1983, Baba became Governor of Oyo State. Though his time in office was brief, his election victory over a popular incumbent remains a powerful testament to the trust people gave him.
“I talked about preserving and digitising his library yesterday [Wednesday] as a mark of honour to Baba Olunloyo.
“Today, we will be giving Baba another honour to immortalise him. He was the first Principal of The Polytechnic, Ibadan; that institution will now be named Omololu Olunloyo Polytechnic, Ibadan.”
Earlier in his sermon, a retired Methodist Archbishop of Ilesa and Ibadan, Ayo Ladigbolu, described the late Olunloyo as a role model with intellectual inspiration and unassailable integrity.
The cleric said the deceased also demonstrated leadership in most superior quality during his lifetime.
In attendance were the state Deputy Governor, Chief Abdulraheem Bayo Lawal; wife of a former Military Governor of the old Oyo State, Chief (Mrs) Dupe Jemibewon; wife of a former Governor of Oyo State, Chief (Mrs) Mutiat Ladoja; former Deputy Governor and PDP Deputy National Chairman (South), Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja; and former Deputy Governor, Hazeem Gbolarumi.
Others were the member representing Ibadan North-East/South-East Federal Constituency, Hon Abass Adigun Agboworin; Chief of Staff to the Governor, Otunba Segun Ogunwuyi; Oyo State Exco members; Chairman of Oyo State Elders’ Council, Dr Saka Balogun; Chairman of All Local Government Chairmen in Oyo State, Hon Sikiru Sanda; President-General of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), Chief Adeniyi Ajewole; religious leaders and family members, among other dignitaries.
Politics
10 NWC Members Oppose Damagum Over National Secretary’s Reinstatement
Ten members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee (NWC) have countered the Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, on the reinstatement of Senator Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary.
The dissenting members, led by the Deputy National Chairman ( South), Taofeek Arapaja, in a joint statement, said no organ of the opposition party could overturn the decision of the 99th meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC).
The dissenting NWC members include Arapaja; Setonji Koshoedo, Deputy National Secretary; Okechukwu Obiechina-Daniel, National Auditor; Debo Ologunagba, National Publicity Secretary; Ologunagba; Woyengikuro Daniel, National Financial Secretary and Ahmed Yayari Mohammed, National Treasurer.
Others are Chief Ali Odefa, National Vice Chairman (South East); Emmanuel Ogidi, Caretaker Committee Chairman (South South); Mrs. Amina Darasimi D. Bryhm, National Woman Leader and Ajisafe Kamoru Toyese, National Vice Chairman (South West).
The group also insisted that contrary to the position of the acting National Chairman, the 100th NEC meeting of the party would be held on June 30 as earlier scheduled.
The statement read: “The attention of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been drawn to a press briefing by the acting National Chairman, Amb. Umar Damagum, today Wednesday, June 25, wherein he attempted to overturn the resolution of the 99th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting which scheduled the 100th NEC meeting for Monday, June 30.
“The acting National Chairman in the said press briefing also reportedly announced that Senator Samuel Anyanwu has been asked to resume as National Secretary of the party contrary to the resolution of the 99th NEC meeting, which referred all matters relating to the office of the National Secretary to the 100th NEC meeting.
“The pronouncements by the acting National Chairman have no foundation as no organ of the party (including the NWC), individual or group has the power to cancel, overrule, veto or vary the resolution of the National Executive Committee (NEC) under the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017).
“For the avoidance of doubt, the NEC is the highest decision-making organ of the party, second only to the National Convention. By virtue of Section 31 (3) of the PDP Constitution, the resolution of the NEC to hold its 100th meeting on Monday June 30, is binding on all organs, officers, chapters and members of the party and no organ, group or individual can vary or veto this resolution of NEC.
“Furthermore, the claim by Damagum that Sen Anyanwu has been asked to resume office as the National Secretary of the party is, therefore, misleading being contrary to the resolution of NEC.
“In the light of the foregoing, the 100th NEC meeting as scheduled for Monday, June 30, has not been canceled or postponed.”
Politics
Presidency Slams El-Rufai Over Tinubu Criticism …Says He Suffers From Small Man Syndrome
The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has fired back at former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, following the latter’s scathing criticism of President Tinubu’s administration and his 2027 re-election prospects.
In an interview on live television, Mallam El-Rufai said it would take a “miracle” for President Tinubu to be re-elected in 2027, citing an internal poll that purportedly shows a 91 percent disapproval rating for the president across key regions in the country, including the South-East and the North. He also claimed that President Tinubu’s disapproval rating in Lagos stood at 78 percent.
Reacting on Wednesday via a post on X (formerly Twitter), Mr Onanuga took a swipe at the ex-governor, quoting a harsh assessment of Mallam El-Rufai’s character from former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s memoir, My Watch.
“Nasir’s penchant for reputation savaging is almost pathological,” Mr Onanuga wrote, citing Chief Obasanjo’s words. “Why does he do it? Very early in my interaction with him, I appreciated his talent. At the same time, I recognised his weaknesses; the worst being his inability to be loyal to anybody or any issue consistently for long, but only to Nasir El-Rufai.”
The presidential adviser emphasised Chief Obasanjo’s remarks that Mallam El-Rufai often tries to elevate himself by diminishing others. “He lied brazenly, which he did to me, against his colleagues and so-called friends,” Mr Onanuga continued, quoting the former President. “I have heard of how he ruthlessly savaged the reputation of his uncle, a man who, in an African setting, was like a foster father to him.”
Chief Obasanjo, who appointed Mallam El-Rufai as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory between 2003 and 2007, did not mince words in the memoir, describing Mallam El-Rufai as suffering from “small man syndrome.”
Mr Onanuga’s post is seen as a direct rebuttal to Mallam El-Rufai’s recent criticism and growing opposition role. The former governor is reportedly playing a central role in forming a new coalition to challenge President Tinubu in the 2027 general election.
In March 2025, El-Rufai officially dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC) and joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP), intensifying speculations about his 2027 political ambitions.
As the political rift deepens, Mallam El-Rufai remains one of the most vocal critics of the Tinubu administration, while Mr Onanuga and other presidential allies continue to push back against what they describe as “reckless” opposition rhetoric.
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