Politics

Rivers 2019: Amaechi, Dakuku, Abe On War Path

Published

9 years ago

April 24, 2017

Following the mass exodus of members of All Progressives Congress, (APC), in Rivers State to the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), the chances of APC in future elections in the state have become very uncertain. This uncertainty became more pronounced when over 8000 former APC members made a public declaration to join the PDP at the prestigious Sharks stadium in Port Harcourt on Thursday, April 13, 2017.
The story is also all over the place of more persons trooping to the PDP secretariat to declare for the party. We gathered that last Wednesday, April 12, 2017 another set of 372 APC members from Oyigbo and Etche local governments, as well as others from Ozuboko section of ward 20 of Port Harcourt City Local Government Area deserted their former party for the PDP.
As if to add salt to injury, the leader of APC in Rivers State and Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, in a meeting of the party’s caucus and leadership reportedly made the mistake of his life when he announced that the governorship ticket of the party in 2019 will be given to his business associate and crony, Tonye Cole, the co-founder of Sahara Energy Resource Limited, the company said to have been involved in the controversial sale and purchase of some of the assets of Rivers State during Amaechi’s tenure as governor.
This decision of the APC leader in Rivers State, we gathered has now torn the party apart as the duo of Senator Magnus Abe and Dakuku Peterside, the two contending aspirants have now vowed to teach Rotimi Amaechi a lesson of his life. Although sources close to Dakuku appear to be silent on how they feel about what an insider refers to as betrayal of the century, it is obvious that they are as hurt as the camp of Senator Magnus Abe, given the fact that their principal (Dakuku) had had the opportunity to bear the flag of the party in the 2015 governorship election.
This cannot be said to be the same in the camp of Senator Magnus Abe, as his supporters are said to be hell bent on fighting for the ticket of the party for their principal. Abe’s group, it was gathered are not hiding their anger and disappointment in the choice of Tonye Cole and have vowed to dump APC if their candidate is not given a fair chance to contest for the governorship ticket in 2019.
Meanwhile, one of Senator Abe’s supporters who pleaded anonymity had threatened that APC in Rivers State risks disintegration should the Transportation Minister jettison, for the second time the democratic process of party primaries, and goes ahead to impose his preferred governorship candidate against the wishes of the majority.
His words: “Honestly, we are not saying that Abe should be given the ticket without any contestation. Anybody who wants to emerge as the party’s governorship candidate should do so through the ballot. The era of imposition is over.
“We will not tolerate what happened in 2014 to repeat itself in 2018.To be candid, if Abe is denied the ticket this time around, the APC at this time will be her worst nightmare. The party will just become easy prey for the ruling PDP. Speaking for myself, we may be compelled to accept to get back to the senate on the platform of either the PDP or any other party that offers the opportunity”, the supporter bitterly concluded.
It would be recalled that, in 2014, the governorship candidate of APC, Dakuku Peterside, current director general of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, was foisted on the party, a bitter pill which Senator Magnus Abe and his supporters managed to swallow as Abe was compelled to redirect his attention to the senatorial ticket.
Shockingly, while APC is engrossed in internal squabbles, their leadership is losing sight of the fact that Governor Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, who has the constitutional right of second tenure is consolidating his hold on power by combing into the nooks and crannies of the state to attract the support of, not only the existing apolitical Rivers men and women but carting away APC members in their thousands. This development, it was gathered, is apart from the governor’s preoccupation and commitment in providing enduring landmark infrastructural facilities for the benefit of the good people of Rivers State, testimonials that have made his choice, both now and in the future unavoidable.
Reports say, this situation has placed Governor Wike at an advantage over and above any person that may be put forward by the APC or any other party for that matter, as the people of the state have a choice between a tested performer and a neophyte who would come to learn on the job.
Reflecting on the likely political direction of the state in 2019, a political analyst, Dr Oforika Stanley observed thus: “Rivers state is experiencing and enjoying massive infrastructural development under Governor Nyesom Wike and it will be stupid of any body to imagine that our people will ignore the high standards set by Wike and begin to look elsewhere. It will amount to the proverbial hunter who has killed an elephant and still begin to look for snail. It is certainly not possible, our people will continue to enjoy the peace, unity and progress Governor Wike had already put in place in our dear state”, Dr Oforibika emphasised.

Politics

Alleged Defamation: Umahi Directs Legal Processes Against Tracy Ohiri

Published

22 hours ago

March 23, 2026

The Tide

Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has directed his legal team to resume all court proceedings against Mrs. Tracy Ohiri over her repeated allegations of indebtedness and other claims against him.

Mrs Ohiri had publicly accused Senator Umahi of owing her N280 million for campaign materials from his tenure as party chairman in Ebonyi State.

The allegations went viral on social media, where she also accused the Minister of sexual harassment.

Security agencies arrested Mrs Ohiri, and she was subsequently prosecuted. Her lawyer, Barrister Marshall Abubakar, intervened, leading to the deletion of all posts and a public apology, which also gained widespread attention online.

However, days after the apology, Mrs Ohiri resumed her claims against Senator Umahi.

In a statement issued on Saturday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Francis Nwaze, Senator Umahi said he had informed Barrister Abubakar during the intervention that if Mrs Ohiri could provide verifiable evidence, logs, and communications from the period in question, some of his associates were willing to contribute a sum of One Billion Naira (N1billion) to her, evidence which, he said, she had yet to provide.

“The Honourable Minister of Works, Senator Engr. David Umahi, has been monitoring the ongoing public discourse surrounding the claims and counterclaims by Mrs. Tracy Ohiri.

“Ordinarily, this would have been ignored, but in the interest of truth and public clarity, it is necessary to address the issues directly”, the statement read.

The statement clarified that Barrister Abubakar acted in good faith and without any financial interest, motivated solely by a desire to assist Mrs Ohiri.

At no point did the lawyer discuss or negotiate any payment with the minister, although some well-meaning associates independently offered support”, the statement added.

Senator Umahi reiterated the conditions for resolving the matter: either the claims must be tested in court, or Mrs Ohiri must provide credible evidence, including all relevant communications, to substantiate her allegations.

The minister emphasised that Barr Abubakar conducted himself with integrity throughout the process.

“Following the failure to meet these conditions, particularly the inability to provide verifiable evidence, the Minister has directed his legal team to proceed with all court processes to ensure the truth is fully established,” the statement said.

Senator Umahi said despite years of public provocations and attacks, he chose to remain silent, focusing on national and state services.

He thanked Nigerians who had taken time to assess the facts and noted that “not everyone who presents themselves as a victim truly is one, and in some cases, narratives are deliberately inverted.”

The Minister affirmed that he will not be distracted by Mrs Ohiri’s allegations and remained committed to his mandate at the Ministry of Works.

“The focus remains on results, service, and ensuring that Nigerians continue to benefit from projects that improve connectivity, economic growth, and national development. This administration will continue to pursue its transformation agenda with dedication, transparency, and an unwavering sense of responsibility,” he concluded.

Politics

COURT ADJOURNS RIVERS PDP LEADERSHIP SUIT TO APRIL 14

Published

22 hours ago

March 23, 2026

The Tide

A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has adjourned proceedings in a suit filed by three aggrieved members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to April 14, 2026, for the hearing of all pending motions.

Justice Stephen Jumbo made the pronouncement during a recent sitting in Port Harcourt.

The suit, which borders on the legitimacy of the party’s leadership structure in the state, was instituted against the factional State Chairman of the PDP, Chief Aaron Chukwuemeka, alongside the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) and other respondents.

Also joined in the matter are the PDP as a corporate entity, the Rivers State Government, as well as Obio/Akpor, Port Harcourt City and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Areas, including their respective Vice Chairmen and Councillors.

The claimants, Enyi Uchechukwu, Wisdom Kalio and Uche Amadi, approached the court via an originating summons seeking judicial interpretation on the validity of actions taken by the Chief Chukwuemeka-led state executive committee of the party.

Central to the dispute is whether the said executive committee, whose emergence the claimants contend has been nullified by a subsisting court judgment, retains the legal authority to act on behalf of the party in critical electoral matters.

The plaintiffs specifically urged the court to determine whether the factional leadership could validly submit a list of candidates to RSIEC for the purpose of participating in local government elections.

They further questioned the legitimacy of the PDP’s participation in the August 30, 2025 local government elections, contending that any list purportedly submitted by the factional leadership was invalid and of no legal consequence.

In addition to the declaratory reliefs sought, the claimants also prayed the court to grant consequential orders addressing the outcome and conduct of the said elections across the affected local government areas.

At the resumed hearing, counsel representing the PDP and the affected local government councils informed the court that they had only recently been served with the originating processes and accompanying documents.

The defence team, comprising several Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), disclosed that service of the court processes was effected on March 13, 2026, leaving them with limited time to adequately prepare their responses.

Consequently, the defence counsel applied for an adjournment to enable them study the processes and address the legal issues raised, particularly as they relate to jurisdictional questions and points of law.

Counsel to the claimants, Glory Chizim-Chinda, did not oppose the application, following which the presiding judge granted the request and adjourned the matter to April 14, 2026, for the hearing of all pending motions, with a possible ruling expected ahead of the substantive suit.

By: King Onunwor

Politics

NIGERIA HAS NO VIABLE OPPOSITION, RIVERS EX-LEGISLATOR LAMENTS

Published

22 hours ago

March 23, 2026

The Tide

A former state lawmaker in the old the Rivers State, Professor Alex Eseimokumo, has described Nigerian opposition political parties as mere preposition political parties.

He also advised the country’s electorate against selling their votes during next year’s general elections.

The former legislator, who is also the president of the Institute for Peace, Conflict Resolution and Entrepreneurial Research, said this in an exclusive interview with The Tide on the sidelines of an event organized by the institute in Port Harcourt.

He said opposition political parties in Nigeria have been reduced to preposition political parties as most of them are not only dinning with the government but advising government on what to do to win election.

“The problem in Nigeria is we are not practicing politics the way it is supposed to be.The opposition are more in preposition.

“You see, opposition is supposed to find out things that are wrong in government but in our present day politics, you see opposition even dinning with the other group. So, there is basically nothing like opposition in Nigeria “, he said.

He lamented a situation where some individuals within the opposition are allegedly working hard to prevent their parties from fielding presidential candidates in the forthcoming election, adding that such individuals were only there to protect their personal interest.

Prof. Eseimokumo said as a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), he could not wish his party to fail in the election, even though nothing is impossible in Nigeria.

He noted that though the government in power has been trying it’s best, there was more to be done.

In his words, “I’m an APC member, so I don’t have the right to criticize my party but a word of advice: we still need to do more, more people oriented leadership where everybody will feel carried along.

“For now, I’m campaigning for APC to be re elected and if I stand here to say APC is not doing well, I’m not being fair to myself. But I think, with God all things are possible, there can be changes”.

On his assessment of the performances of governors of the Niger Delta states, Prof Eseimokumo said the governors were doing well within the limit of their resources.

” I don’t know what is given to them as allocation, but if what we are seeing in terms of window dressing is not window shopping, then they are doing well”, he said.

Meanwhile, Prof. Eseimokumo has advised Nigerian electorates against selling their votes during the forthcoming elections.

He said credible election could only be achieved when the electorates refuse financial inducement during the elections.

According to him, though Nigerian voters had been difficult to persuade, the time had come for them to stop selling their votes.

Prof. Eseimokumo said the forthcoming elections will serve as a litmus test for the Nigerian electorate to demonstrate their desire for changes in the country, stressing that free and fair elections will continue to be a mirage in the country until the was a change in the attitude of the electorate.

“If you want your vote to count, don’t take money from anybody; if you want your votes to count, don’t collect money for your vote. The moment you collect money for your vote, you have sold your conscience”, he warned.

He said his institute will continue to work for peace, not just in the Niger Delta region but across Nigeria.

By: John Bibor