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Beyond Partisan Politics …The Tambuwal, Wike Example

Published

10 years ago

August 29, 2016

For a country deeply enmeshed in bitter partisan bickering, political intolerance and senseless blame-game, the statesmanship displayed by Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal and Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike deserves some commendation. It indeed demonstrates the needed difference between ‘politicking’ and leadership.
Last weekend, Tambuwal, led by his host, Wike, commissioned various projects completed by Governor Wike in Rivers State after the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Conference in Port Harcourt. The host governor is of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and his guest, the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Among projects commissioned by Tambuwal were the Rumualogu-Alakahia road in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area built to ease traffic congestion in that sector of the LGA and the expanded and rehabilitated Okrika ATC Jetty and pavilion reconstructed by the government for safer water transformation in the area.
Commissioning the projects, Tambuwal described Governor Wike as a man of the people committed to the development of the state. “I see that Wike is a man of the people who is committed to the development of the state. I commission this road to the glory of God and the benefit of the people”, Tambuwal said.
Tambuwal spoke from the heart as a good leader should and not a political opponent and demonstrated very clearly, that what follows after every election is leadership and service and not the needless blame-game that has characterised governance at the centre and the bitterness that has coloured the criticisms of the opposition in the state.
Nigeria recorded one of the worst examples of opposition politics months before the 2015 general elections and did not abate even after opposition won the Presidential elections. To date, name-calling takes the place of reasonable leadership.
It was an opposition that saw nothing good in government and politicised even national security. Some examples may suffice.
When it became evident that Nigeria could no longer enrich a cartel of Independent Marketers, who through questionable refined products import claims, made non sense of the petroleum subsidy, and moved to liberalise the downstream sector, opposition kicked, even if they knew it was the right thing to do. They mobilized civil society groups, labour and the jobless lot, provided them with uniforms, foods and flyers in protest against a lofty economic move.
Months later in government, the same APC government did what they should have encouraged the Jonathan government to do when, the Naira had stronger value against other major currencies than later that more than N350 is needed to buy a dollar. Today, the official rate of fuel is N145, up from N87 while, in the open market it sells for between N200 and N300, with consequential hike in prices of basic needs.
This is in spite of the fact that there are no palliatives to cushion the effects of the drastic increase as was being contemplated by the Jonathan Presidency. Attempts to tinker such palliatives this time around were dashed, no thanks to a badly polarised labour which lost its bargaining power to needless power tussle.
In the area of security, opposition view then was that the Jonathan Presidency was too soft on Boko Haram because of the relative inexperience of the Commander-In-Chief. But when the Nigerian troops, under Jonathan’s order took the fight to the terrorists stronghold, the opposition was the first to cry genocide and ethnic cleansing, both concoctions intended to present the Commander-In-Chief as anti-North.
Even so, opposition politicians sponsored a campaign to pressure government to bring back the Chibok School girls abducted by the terrorists. Initially, Nigerians were fooled into believing that the Bringback Our Girls campaigners were apolitical Civil Society activists, genuinely moved by the plight of the girls. It was only after the elections that Nigerians indeed realised that it was a partisan crusade.
But like all monsters, the group has now grown bigger than its owner, and still pursues its agenda of pressuring the APC-government to go bring back the girls. Denied audience with the Presidency, the group staged another protest last week, although the campaigners were later disowned by parents of the abducted girls, who said they were not part of the ill-fated protest to barricade the entrance to Aso Rock Villa.
In those three instances, opposition politicians gave the impression that they had alternative answers to the problems.
First, they would make the nation’s refineries perform optimally and even build new ones. Nearly two years in the tenure, nothing has been done to stop fuel importation. Nigerians are now left on their own and at the mercy of the same importers. What government used to spend to relieve the people of the burden has been removed with no sign that new refineries would emerge to force down prices.
The second is the war on terror. The initial impression was that Buhari had a magic wand with which in three months, we would bring the terrorists to their knees. In fact, December 2015 was peddled as deadline government gave to totally dissimate Boko Haram. Yes, the troops have done well and won territories, hitherto held by the terrorists, but the war is yet to be totally won.
The third is the Chibok girls. The talk then was that a Jonathan Presidency lacked the required military intelligence to locate and bring back the girls. That a Buhari Presidency would within days, locate the girls and save them from the strangle-hold of their abductors. A year and three months after, that has not happened.
The excuses then are today the same. First, government knew where the girls were but was avoiding collateral damage. And later, there is no clear information as to their whereabouts. Just then, Shekau, the Boko Haram henchman released a new video, showing the depleted number of the girls, with an accusation that troops’ bombings were responsible for the deaths of many. The bottomline remains that the girls are yet to be brought back.
If these issues of urgent national concern were not politicised and treated patriotically through bi-partisanship, Nigeria would not be where she is today. For instance, Nigerians would have gotten used to the liberalisation and be relatively stronger to face today’s harsh economy and joblessness. Perhaps also, Boko Haram would have been history and the Chibok girls brought back home.
That is the kind of bi-partisanship that is required in addressing development concerns of the people. That indeed was what Tambuwal and Wike demonstrated when they left their different party garbs behind to celebrate service to the people. That is what electoral victory should be all about. Knowing when to stop political bickering distinguishes a leader from a political jobber.
This is the example opposition politicians in Rivers State should imbibe and not continue to make the state a battle-field, a war front of sorts, where, every political contest must be bloody and inconclusive.
My Agony is that die-hard partisan jobbers would rather than see leadership in Tambuwal’s rare demonstration of statesmanship, misinterpret it, as anti-party and a sign of voting ambition for 2019. That’s how petty some can get, but fact is, both governors deserve commendation for a rare leadership example.

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Fubara Reads Riot Act To New SSG, CoS …Warns Against Unauthorized Meetings

Published

19 hours ago

February 27, 2026

The Tide

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has charged the newly appointed Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and Chief of Staff (CoS) to carry out their duties with discipline, loyalty and a firm commitment to the success of the administration and the wellbeing of the people of Rivers State.

The governor warned that any involvement in unauthorised nocturnal meetings or any conduct capable of embarrassing the government will attract immediate dismissal.

Fubara gave the warning yesterday shortly after the newly appointed Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr Dagogo S.A. Wokoma and the new Chief of Staff (CoS), Barrister Sunny Ewule, were sworn in at the Executive Council Chambers of Government House, Port Harcourt.

As part of the ceremony, the Chief Registrar of the State High Court, David Ihua-Maduenyi administered the Oath of Allegiance and Oath of Office on the duo before the governor gave his charge.

Addressing the appointees, Fubara reminded them that their elevation to the new positions was a call to service and not a platform for political grandstanding or the pursuit of personal ambition.

He stressed that their foremost responsibility should be to themselves and to the people of Rivers State, stressing that their conduct must always reflect integrity, restraint and dedication to public good.

Speaking directly to Dr. Wokoma, whom he described as an accomplished academic and mathematician, the governor expressed confidence in his intellectual depth and capacity to deliver on the new assignment.

The office of the Secretary to the State Government, Fubara stressed, demands thoroughness, discipline and a deep sense of responsibility. He charged the SSG to represent the State with honour at all times.

“Your duty includes representing the state government. You need to represent us in a way and manner that will bring honour to us.

“What is important to this administration is to see that the good works that we started and the ones that we met, are concluded in a way that will bring progress and development to our dear state,” he stated.

Turning to the new Chief of Staff, the governor explained that he is expected to ensure smooth administrative coordination, managing official engagements effectively and safeguarding the image of the Government House.

He underscored the sensitive and personal nature of the role and emphasised that the position operates strictly under the authority of the governor.

Fubara stressed that the role does not permit independent political engagements or private strategy meetings without his knowledge and consent.

“Let me sound it here very clearly. Your duty is to make sure that you handle the administrative duties and image making roles perfectly well, liaising with whoever is coming for any official assignment here.

“If you involve yourself in nocturnal meetings and all those things, I will sack you. I’m very serious. What is important to me today is peace, progress and prosperity of this state. I’m not going to compromise anything for it,” he said.

The governor cautioned that involvement of the new appointees in any action capable of bringing the government or his office to disrepute would attract appropriate sanctions.

While congratulating the new appointees, Fubara expressed optimism that they would justify the confidence reposed in them.

He called on all public officials to work together in unity, observing that collective success is stronger and more enduring than individual achievement.

The governor who also addressed the Permanent Secretaries present at the ceremony, directed those of them who have reached retirement age to start preparing their handover notes without delay.

The notice, he said, was not intended to scare anybody but to prepare their minds towards the inevitability of exiting the service one day and to pave way for an orderly transition.

He warned against any attempt to engage in financial misconduct or last-minute irregularities, stressing that he was closely monitoring the system to ensure strict enforcement of accountability rules.

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Fubara Dissolves Rivers Executive Council

Published

2 weeks ago

February 13, 2026

The Tide

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, has dissolved the State Executive Council.

The governor announced the cabinet dissolution yesterday in a statement titled ‘Government Special Announcement’, signed by his new Chief Press Secretary, Onwuka Nzeshi.

Governor Fubara directed all Commissioners and Special Advisers to hand over to the Permanent Secretaries or the most Senior officers in their Ministries with immediate effect.

He thanked the outgoing members of the State Executive Council for their service and wished them the best in their future endeavours.

The three-paragraph special announcement read, “His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, Governor of Rivers State, has dissolved the State Executive Council.

“His Excellency, the Governor, has therefore directed all Commissioners and Special Advisers to hand over to the Permanent Secretaries or the most Senior officers in their Ministries with immediate effect.

“His Excellency further expresses his deepest appreciation to the outgoing members of the Executive Council wishing them the best in their future endeavours.”

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INEC Proposes N873.78bn For 2027 Elections, N171bn For 2026 Operations

Published

2 weeks ago

February 13, 2026

The Tide

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday told the National Assembly that it requires N873.78bn to conduct the 2027 general elections, even as it seeks N171bn to fund its operations in the 2026 fiscal year.

INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, made the disclosure while presenting the commission’s 2026 budget proposal and the projected cost for the 2027 general elections before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Matters in Abuja.

According to Amupitan, the N873.78bn election budget covers the full conduct of national polls in 2027.

An additional N171bn is needed to support INEC’s routine activities in 2026, including bye-elections and off-season elections, the commission stated.

The INEC boss said the proposed election budget does not include a fresh request from the National Youth Service Corps seeking increased allowances for corps members engaged as ad-hoc staff during elections.

He explained that, although the details of specific line items were not exhaustively presented, the almost N1tn election budget is structured across five major components.

“N379.75bn is for operational costs, N92.32bn for administrative costs, N209.21bn for technological costs, N154.91bn for election capital costs and N42.61bn for miscellaneous expenses,” Amupitan said.

The INEC chief noted that the budget was prepared “in line with Section 3(3) of the Electoral Act 2022, which mandates the Commission to prepare its election budget at least one year before the general election.”

On the 2026 fiscal year, Amupitan disclosed that the Ministry of Finance provided an envelope of N140bn, stressing, however, that “INEC is proposing a total expenditure of N171bn.”

The breakdown includes N109bn for personnel costs, N18.7bn for overheads, N42.63bn for election-related activities and N1.4bn for capital expenditure.

He argued that the envelope budgeting system is not suitable for the Commission’s operations, noting that INEC’s activities often require urgent and flexible funding.

Amupitan also identified the lack of a dedicated communications network as a major operational challenge, adding that if the commission develops its own network infrastructure, Nigerians would be in a better position to hold it accountable for any technical glitches.

Speaking at the session, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) said external agencies should not dictate the budgeting framework for INEC, given the unique and sensitive nature of its mandate.

He advocated that the envelope budgeting model should be set aside.

He urged the National Assembly to work with INEC’s financial proposal to avoid future instances of possible underfunding.

In the same vein, a member of the House of Representatives from Edo State, Billy Osawaru, called for INEC’s budget to be placed on first-line charge as provided in the Constitution, with funds released in full and on time to enable the Commission to plan early enough for the 2027 general election.

The Joint Committee approved a motion recommending the one-time release of the Commission’s annual budget.

The committee also said it would consider the NYSC’s request for about N32bn to increase allowances for corps members to N125,000 each when engaged for election duties.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Simon Along, assured that the National Assembly would work closely with the Commission to ensure it receives the necessary support for the successful conduct of the 2027 general elections.

Similarly, the Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Bayo Balogun, also pledged legislative support, warning INEC to be careful about promises it might be unable to keep.

He recalled that during the 2023 general election, INEC made strong assurances about uploading results to the INEC Result Viewing portal, creating the impression that results could be monitored in real time.

“iREV was not even in the Electoral Act; it was only in INEC regulations. So, be careful how you make promises,” Balogun warned.

The N873.78bn proposed by INEC for next year’s general election is a significant increase from the N313.4bn released to the Commission by the Federal Government for the conduct of the 2023 general election.