Politics
INEC: Preparing For March 19 In Rivers
L-R: Head of Departement,Voters Education, INEC, Rivers, Mr Godfrey Achebe; Administrative Secretary, Rivers, Mr Tom Ongele and Rivers Resident Electoral Commissioner, Elder Aniedi Ikoiwak, during a meeting with Rivers INEC Staff in preparations for the March 19 re-run Election in Port Harcourt, recently
From Abua to Andoni,
Opobo/Nkoro to Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, from Khana to Akuku Toru, Etche to Eleme, they converged on the state headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Aba Road Port Harcourt. The date was Tuesday, March 8, 2016.
They said their gathering was to have a family meeting and when the roll call was taken, not one of the Electoral Officers (EOS) of the 23 Local Government Areas of Rivers State was missing. They came in their full number. They came in their full strength with an appreciable compliment of their staff at the local government offices.
This was not the first time the premises of the INEC Office on Aba Road was hosting critical stakeholders in the electoral process in Rivers State in preparation for this week’s re-run legislative elections in the state. A meeting of all the political parties and their candidates for the elections with the management of INEC had held earlier.
Ditto for security agencies and their operations, and civil society groups in those meetings, INEC engaged with the stakeholders as the one of the helm of affairs, to acquaint them once again with the guiding rules and regulations of process and to extract from them a commitment to abide by the rules of engagement for a free, fair and credible exercise . In talking about expectations from the stakeholders, the commission was also mindful to make commitments with regard to its own expectations.
The meeting of March 8, was therefore part of the commission’s own strategy of equipping and organising itself to face the challenges of delivering its own side of the bargain to achieve a successful outcome of the March 19 outing. To underline the importance of the meeting, all offices were ordered to be closed and all officers surmounted to be part of the gathering. Little time was spared for any protocol except a brief praise, worship, and prayer session to invite the Spirit of God for direction and divine enablement for the enormous task shead.
Like a responsible head of the family who has a firm grasp of the issues confronting the group, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Elder Aniedi Ikoiwak, did not only resolve to speak the truth with his members but to render it bare and undecorated.
Indeed, he spoke like one with the conviction that only the acquaintance with the truth of how far they had deviated and thereby put themselves in much jeopardy could bring them back to the path of rectitude and redemption.
In no uncertain terms, the REC told his staff that they had strayed from their core values of independence and non-partisanship. He said it was unacceplable that division along political lines had been allowed to creep into the commission thereby weakening the commission and making it vulnerable to the intrusion and manipulation of politicians.
Elder Ikoiwak said elections will remain a mirage if INEC personnel find it difficult to distance themselves from politicians and desist from aiding and abetting them to corrupt the system, noting that it was no longer hidden that staff of the commission sometimes engage in delivering electoral materials to politicians in hotel rooms and such other unlawful places to their shame and damnation.
The INEC boss charged them to derobe themselves of all vestiges of bias and allegiance to any other interest and work as officers who are proud of their job and worthy of their engagement by the commission. He said that, beginning from the coming elections, staffers of the commission will continually be under surveillance by independent monitors whose reports will determine their fate.
He emphasized that he will not hesitate to deal decisively with any recalcitrant personnel whose conduct or misconduct compromises the responsibility of the electoral umpire, adding that sanctions will include but not hinted to, dismissal from office of such staff.
“At the end of this election, I hope nobody will come to my office and roll on the ground begging for forgiveness because I will personally see to it that any staff who engages in anything unlawful to embarrass the commission and compromise the fidelity of the electoral process is taken out of the system,” he warned.
To demonstrate the commission’s resolve to strictly adhere to its guiding rules, Elder Ikoiwak said the old practice of receiving application from intending adhoc staff had been jettisoned.
In its place, he said, requests had been made to the heads of federal institutions including the NYSC, University of Port Harcourt, Federal College of Education, Otuoke, and the Federal University. Otuoke, Bayelsa State for personnel to undertake the assignment.
He explained that even though INEC was not involved in the direct recruitment of the adhoc, staff, the commission retains the responsibility of protecting and being accountable for its materials and charged his staff to rise up to the challenge of safe keeping of the materials and ensuring that they are delivered only to those whose duty it is to handle them.
He assured the staff that everything necessary and needful was being done to enhance their effective and efficient performance and implored them to also prepare themselves to make necessary sacrifices to achieve success. The REC urged them to take no satisfaction in any other than the pride of delivering on the mandate of the commission to superintend over a free, fair and credible poll.
At the end of his address, there was total agreement and endorsement of all he had said. Ass it were, the REC did not only succeed in correctly identifying the gaps that exist within the electoral body and how to bridge them, he also succeeded in bringing the staff to making a commitment to turning a brand new leaf towards achieving the overall goal of a transparent, open, and acceptable conduct of the March 19, 2016 re-run legislative polls in Rivers State in particular.
Speaking on the development, the Rivers State Director of the National Orientation Agency, NOA, Mr Oliver Wolugbom, expressed the view that the March 19, re-run elections present INEC with a golden opportunity to redeem its badly smeared image in the state.
Mr Wolugbom said it was encouraging that INEC was talking to itself and reviewing its activities and performances in the past with a view to making amends and rededicating itself to delivering on its core mandate.
“INEC must stand its ground and take responsibility and charge over this election,” he said adding that to this end, the commission should have only its personnel as collation officers in all the 319 electoral wards in the state.
For the purpose of accountability, the NOA boss proffers that the bulk of the adhoc staff should be staffers of INEC so that the commission can have a greater grip of the activities and performance of the personnel. To achieve this objective, he said, it would not be out of place for the electoral body to empty itself into Rivers State from Surrounding states.
According to Mr Wolugbom, the more non-staffers of the commission are engaged in the exercise the greater the chances of comprise in the system, insisting that whosever is engaged must be impressed upon to do only that which is fit and proper to deliver a desirable outcome.
The NOA Director reiterated that the groundswell of misgivings against the commission has aggravated the need for it to acquit itself creditably and enjoined the electoral umpire to adequately equip and educate all its personnel to be deployed for duty.
In truth, the eventual outcome of the March 19, re-run elections in Rivers State is a shared responsibility among the stakeholders including the security agencies, civil society organizations, the political parties and their candidates and the Independent National Electoral Commission. However, it cannot be gainsaid that no one singular role or function is as vital as that of the umpire whose statutory responsibility is to coordinate all others to achieve the desired end.
It is worthy of commendation that the Resident Electoral Commissioner and his staff realise and appreciate this fact. But just being aware and appreciating the task in only the half of the job. The other and the most important part is the practical demonstration of the rhetoric. Nigerians are watching and Rivers people cannot wait for INEC to either redeem itself and shame its critics or to disappoint itself and prove the critics right and earn the damnation of condemnation of the people.
Opaka Dokubo
Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State has approved the release of N15.6 billion for the payment of outstanding severance gratuities, accommodation, and leave allowances owed to over N3,000 former councillors across the State’s 44 local government areas.
The approved payment covers councillors who served during the periods of 2014–2017, 2018–2020, and 2021–2024 under the administration of former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje. The entitlements, which remained unpaid for years, will now be disbursed in three installments between April and June 2025.
In a statement issued by the Special Adviser on Information to the Governor, Ibrahim Adam, the administration described the move as a corrective measure to address the neglect of past leadership and fulfil a promise to ensure fairness to public office holders.
“The approval of N15.6 billion is in fulfilment of Governor Abba K. Yusuf’s commitment to ensuring that all outstanding entitlements owed to our dedicated public servants are fully paid. It is a matter of principle and justice to uphold the dignity of those who have served in elected positions”, Mr Adam said.
He noted that the financial intervention reflects the governor’s broader vision of governance rooted in fairness, accountability, and public trust.
“His Excellency recognises the sacrifices and dedication of these former councillors. This action is part of a larger effort to right the wrongs of the past and restore faith in public administration,” he added.
Local government officials and affected former councillors have welcomed the decision, describing it as long overdue and a step toward healing the financial frustrations of many grassroots leaders.
Governor Yusuf’s administration, elected on a different political platform than his predecessor, continues to draw commendation for its proactive efforts to resolve inherited liabilities and improve the welfare of public servants.
As the payment schedule begins, it is expected that this intervention will offer financial relief to thousands and stimulate local economic activity across the state.
Politics
Gunmen Disrupt Political Rally In Bayelsa ….As Turnah, Others Emerge New Associates’Leaders
Scores of spectators and political faithful were hospitalised after a yet to be identified gunmen invaded a rally organised by a group loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike and President Bola Tinubu in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.
Part of the activities scheduled to hold at the occasion was the inauguration ceremony of the Bayelsa State chapter of the ‘New Associates’, a pro-Wike political forum.
The Tide which monitored the event reports that trouble started just at the preparatory stages of the event, when the unidentified gunmen launched sporadic gunshots from a farm close to the venue of the event, injuring unsuspecting spectators and party faithful across party lines.
However, calm was restored after a swift intervention by men and officers of the Nigeria Police Force and other security formations which enabled the event to go on as planned.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after restoration of calm, factional South-South zonal Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Chairman, Caretaker Committee of the State’s chapter of the party, Barrister George Turnah, commended security operatives for their timely response.
He noted that the plan of detractors had been defeated as forces loyal to certain individuals in the State never wanted the rally to hold as scheduled.
Turnah, who doubles as Convener of the ‘New Associates’ in the State, commended President Tinubu and Chief Wike for the appointment and facilitating the same for Ijaws across the Niger Delta region.
He said, but for the love of the duo for the Ijaw people of various extractions, the Presidency would not have given preferential political portfolios in the Federal Government’s Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to Ijaws even though the ethnic nationality produces bulk of the natural resources for the economic mainstay of the nation.
The PDP chieftain reiterated that the reason for the event which was attended across party lines was to say ‘thank you’ to the two political leaders, stressing that to ‘whom much is given, much was expected’.
“For me, I’m of the larger opposition party, PDP. But I’ve decided to support and work for President Tinubu for what he is doing for the Ijaw nation, Niger Delta region in particular and Nigeria in general.
“President Tinubu has given Bayelsans and other Ijaws across the Niger Delta region several juicy political appointments. He appointed our brother and son, Heineken Lokpobiri as Minister of Petroleum even though former President Muhammadu Buhari had previously appointed a Bayelsan as Petroleum Minister in his government.
“Apart from the Petroleum Minister, Tinubu has also appointed Ijaw sons, Chief Boma Iyaye as Executive- Director, Finance, and Dr Samuel Ogbuku as Managing-Director and CEO of the Niger Delta Development Commission.
“Though former President Buhari had appointed Ogbuku initially in Acting capacity, when President Tinubu came, even after sacking all board members of the Commission, he still kept our brother, the MD and upon the completion of his tenure in Acting capacity, the President again reappointed him as substantive MD/CEO.
“But there’s one man who has made all these appointments for Ijaws possible. He is the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike. Ijaw people, Bayelsans are we not enjoying these appointments?
“Has the NDDC not lit up the entire Niger Delta region? Are you not feeling the impact of the Ogbuku-led NDDC? So for me and all the members of the New Associates we’ve decided to support President Tinubu for a second tenure so that our state and region can benefit more from his government”, he said.
“We want Governor Douye Diri to tell us his stand on the forthcoming 2027 general election. He should tell us whether he is supporting the President or not. If he’s supporting the President, we’ll work with him. After all, Diri was the first Governor from the South-South zone that benefitted from the President’s magnanimity during the 2023 elections and even in terms of infrastructure projects and appointments of Bayelsans at the Federal level”, Barr Turnah added.
In his remarks, Chairman of the occasion, and leader, Rivers Ijaw Peoples Congress (RIPCO), Senator George Sekibo, lauded President Tinubu and the FCT Minister for their love and friendship with the Ijaw people.
Represented by former Chairman of Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, Dr Roland Sekibo, Senator Sekibo said the ‘New Associates’ political forum was to galvanize support for the President for his 2027 election.
He said while President Tinubu had performed well as Nigeria’s leader, the FCT Minister had continued to show leadership from the federal level after showing the same in Rivers State while serving as governor.
“I like to thank the convener of the ‘New Associates’ political forum in Bayelsa State, Barr. George Turnah (MON) and the Coordinators for standing firm in spite of threats from highly placed political leaders not to hold this event.
“Love is not theoretically, but must be expressed, which explains why they have gathered to celebrate their Excellencies, President Tinubu and Barr. Ezewon Nyesom Wike for the various roles they have played and have continued to play to ensure the appointment of Ijaw sons and daughters to positions of trust and authority at the federal level.
“The ‘New Associates’ is in synergy with President Tinubu and will continue to follow directives from the FCT Minister who has openly declared support for Mr. President”, he said.
Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
The Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party (LP) in Enugu State, Mr Titus Odo, has defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Mr Odo defected to the PDP on Wednesday alongside the former Commissioner for Chieftancy Affairs in the State, Emeka Mamah, who was the state Coordinator of the Peter Obi Presidential Campaign in the 2023 presidential election.
The duo dumped the PDP during the 2023 general elections for the Labour Party.
Receiving the defectors at the party’s state secretariat, the state PDP Chairman, Martin Chukwunwike, expressed happiness over their decision to return to their former party.
He explained that Governor Peter Mbah gave them the directive to do everything possible to bring back aggrieved party members who left the party.
“We are happy to have them in our midst, and God has set this party on a good footing, as 2027 is already assured,” he said.
The PDP chairman, however, called for unity within the party to package themselves ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking during their presentation to the party state chairman, Mr Odo expressed joy for returning to his former party, revealing that Mr Mbah’s massive development in the State informed his decision.
“I am happy to tell you that I am back to my home. I came back because of the giant development strides of Governor Mbah and I say kudos to him.
“The second reason is the defection of my immediate boss, the LP governorship candidate for the 2023 election in Enugu State, Dr Chijioke Edeoga.
“Another reason is that the council chairman in Igboeze North, Mr Uchenna Ogara, is turning the council area into a township,” he said.
Mr Mamah also thanked the PDP leadership in Igboeze North, Enugu North Senatorial zone and the state chapter of the party for receiving him back to the party.
He extolled Mr Mbah for extending hands of fellowship to those who had left the party, saying, “Personally, I am pleased with the performances of our governor.”
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