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Massive APC Faithful’s Defection To PDP Excites Obuah
As members and chieftains of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State continue to dump the party for the Peoples Democratic Party, the Chairman, Rivers State chapter of the PDP, Bro Felix Obuah has expressed excitement and happiness over the development, describing it as positive and a confirmation of the enthronement of good governance by the Party as well as the success of Gov. Wike administration in the State.
The PDP Chairman explained that the massive defections by APC faithful taking place daily in the State are clear signs that the APC has collapsed and will in the coming days leave the trio of Rotimi Amaechi, Dakuku Peterside and Magnus Abe with the challenge of managing only the carcass of the party in Rivers State.
Bro Obuah further emphasized that this latest political event is an obvious testimony and confirmation of the second- to- none effective leadership in the State, particularly in the areas of infrastructure, human capacity building, resource and economic re-invigoration, as well as institutional growth not only in Port Harcourt, the capital city, but across the 23 local government areas of the State.
He particularly welcomed the recent defection of over 2000 members of the APC, including former councilors of the APC, who were sacked by the court over the unlawful LG polls purportedly conducted by former Gov Amaechi in the twilight of his exit, and have decided to discontinue with the case, and other APC leaders, which include former Special Adviser to Amaechi on Internal Revenue, Nwankwo Nwankwo, former Commissioner under Amaechi, Sunny Wokekoro, etc, noting that the list is appreciating by the day.
While assuring the decampees of better deal and full reintegration into the PDP, in terms of enjoying all the rights and privileges, Bro Obuah urged them to feel at home and be ready to make their positive contributions to the rapid development of the State, as that is the cardinal objective of the PDP government in the State under the indefatigable Gov Nyesom Wike.
According to Obuah, the fact and the truth can no longer be disputed and hidden as Governor Wike is doing exceptionally well in Rivers State, adding that the PDP family is proud of him and always supporting him to do more for Rivers people, who gave the PDP their mandate to preside over the affairs of the State.
He reassured that the peoples’ mandate will not be compromised or taken for granted as there will be total brand new Rivers State, where all residents will be proud of.
He called on the people of the State to continue to support the Wike administration and commit themselves to making Rivers State safe, clean, peaceful and developed; the ideals and philosophy of the New Rivers Vision.
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.