Politics
Speaker Harps On Good Conduct
The Rivers State House of Assembly (RVHA) held only one Plenary Session last week.
The Session which was held last Tuesday at the hallowed chamber of the Assembly commenced with the consideration of two separate letters sent to the House by the Governor of the state, Chief Nyesom Wike.
The letters which were read by the Speaker of the Assembly Rt Hon Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani requested the confirmation of Commissioner-nominees submitted to the House in line with Section 192 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
Ibani also reads a letter requested the approval of the House for the state Governor to appoint 23 Special Advisers pursuant to Section 196 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
However, the Assembly confirmed all the nominees after grilling them one after the other.
The House also screened and confirmed a one time commissioner in the state, Rodaford LongJohn, whose name was later added to the pack on the floor of the House.
The Assembly further gave its nod to the Governor’s request to appoint 23 Special Advisers to assist him in the running of the affairs of the state.
The commissioner nominees, who made the list include Barrister Emma Okah, Charles Nwogu, Walter Ibibia, Dr Tamunosis Gogo-Jaja, Ukel Oyaghiri and Isaac Kamalu.
The rest are Damiete Albert Miller, Boma Iyaye, Emeka Onowu, Prof Princewill Chike, Elder Tasie Chinedu Nwobueze, Barrister Sylvanus Nwankwo and Kaniye Ebeku.
Meanwhile, Okah, Ibibia, Oyaghiri and Kamalu were former Commissioners for Housing, Water Resources, Women Affairs and Budget and Economic Planning respectively.
Similarly, Ebeku, Iyaye, Miller and Onowu were also in Wike’s former Cabinet.
Speaking after the confirmation session, the Speaker said the lawmakers acted in compliance with the provision of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
He directed the Clerk of the House, Chief Standford Oba to forward letters of confirmation and approval to the office of the state Governor for Swearing-in.
At the same plenary, Ibani warned that the Assembly leadership would no longer tolerate unguarded utterances of any member likely rubbish the name of the 8th Assembly in the state.
He said, the House by next its plenary session, will restructure House Committee on Ethics and privileges to carry out its over-sight function on any member who drags the name of the Assembly in the mud.
Last Friday, the House Committee on Information denied allegations by an APC Chieftain in Emohua Local Government Area, Mr Mtata Mtata that each PDP member in the Assembly collected N30 million from Governor Nyesom Wike to clear the 13 Commissioner-nominees recently screened in the House.
The Chairman of the Committee, Hon Samuel Ogeh said the insinuation was baseless and larked substance.
Ogeh, who also the lawmaker representing Emohua Constituency said Mtata should not be taken seriously, explaining that the APC Chieftain was only making nosie to make himself relevant to APC leadership.
He said there was no time any member of the legislative arm collected money from any person to screen and clear any appointee by the state governor.
The Assembly’s Information Chairman further explained that screening and confirmation of nominees are statutory legislative that do not require financial inducement of any kind.
According to him, the Commissioner-nominees were duly screened in accordance with the provision of the law and the House was divided with majority of the lawmakers including APC lawmakers to confirm and clear the nominees as commissioner designates.
He called on the general public to disregard the allegation, saying the APC leader in Emohua does not understand anything about legislative business.
Enoch Epelle
In a statement issued on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Obiora Ifoh, the party said it had taken note of Mr Obi’s defection alongside some of his supporters, as well as what it called a “lacklustre speech” delivered by the former Anambra State governor at the defection event.
“We wondered what new he intends to sell to Nigerians,” the party said, adding that it was not surprised by the move, having “since September 2024, parted ways with Peter Obi and some of his blind supporters in the National Assembly.”
According to the statement, the faction said it had patiently awaited Mr Obi’s exit, describing it as a blessing.
“The party is finally liberated by this defection and as party leaders, we count it as a blessing,” the party said.
The faction further disclosed that it had previously urged Mr Obi and his supporters to leave if they were unable to work with the party leadership.
It claimed that several lawmakers had been suspended for anti-party activities and that similar action would have been taken against Mr Obi but for the intervention of “some well-meaning Nigerians.”
It also blamed its internal crisis on Mr Obi and Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, accusing them of sponsoring what it described as an insurrection against the Julius Abure-led leadership.
“The crisis we had in the Labour Party was caused by Peter Obi and the Abia State governor, Alex Otti,” the statement alleged, adding that it was surprising Dr Otti had not followed Mr Obi out of the party despite his suspension.
Reacting to Mr Obi’s defection event in Enugu, the faction claimed the gathering was largely boycotted by prominent political and traditional institutions in the South East, insisting that those present were “political spent forces who cannot win in their wards should there be an election today.”
It warned that this development signalled the failure of any future Mr Obi presidential or vice-presidential ambition, claiming he had “clearly lost the charm that had endeared him to the people prior to 2023.”
The faction also accused Mr Obi of misleading the South East during the 2023 elections, alleging that the region suffers political marginalisation under President Bola Tinubu’s administration as a result.
“He must be told that the South East lost out completely in President Ahmed Tinubu’s government because they trusted and believed in him in 2023,” the statement said, alleging disparities in ministerial appointments and infrastructure allocation to the zone.
The Abure-Led LP apologised to Nigerians for its decision in the last election.
“We gave Nigerians a candidate we thought was good for the nation in 2023, but time has since proved that we made the greatest political mistake. We plead for forgiveness from Nigerians,” the party said.
It urged Nigerians to watch out for a rebranded Labour Party, promising to present “the best prospect” capable of returning Nigeria to what it described as its “glorious days.”
steadily toward unity, justice, and shared prosperity”, he said.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday at his country home in Ikere-Ekiti, Dr Oluyede said the development came as a shock, stressing that INEC supervised and monitored the PDP governorship primary that produced him as the party’s candidate.
According to him, INEC officials documented the process, completed all required forms, and even affirmed his candidacy in court through sworn affidavits arising from cases linked to the primary election.
He maintained that no court order or injunction currently restrains INEC from listing his name as the PDP candidate, arguing that the electoral body lacks the constitutional power to determine who emerges as a party’s nominee.
Dr Oluyede described such decisions as the exclusive responsibility of political parties, not the electoral umpire.
While playing down panic over the released list, Dr Oluyede noted that electoral processes often involve reviews and corrections.
He disclosed that he had commenced wide consultations, including engagements with PDP leadership and formal correspondence with INEC, to seek clarification on the omission and determine the next line of action.
The PDP candidate assured his supporters across Ekiti State that he would appear on the ballot, expressing confidence that the situation would be resolved in his favour.
He described attempts to exclude candidates from elections as dangerous and undemocratic, warning that such tactics undermine the people’s right to freely choose their leaders.
Dr Oluyede called on the people of Ekiti to reject any form of disenfranchisement, insisting that elections should be contests of ideas, records, and acceptance by the electorate rather than exclusionary maneuvers.
He also declared that the PDP in Ekiti had resolved its past internal crises and was now united, focused, and ready to win the forthcoming governorship election.
He urged party members and supporters to remain calm and focused, expressing optimism that, with divine grace and the will of the people, the PDP would emerge victorious at the polls.
Mr Obi spoke while formally declaring for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) at a well-attended event in Enugu on Wednesday, where he outlined what he described as a fresh roadmap for rescuing the country from its socio-economic challenges.
Addressing party members, supporters and other stakeholders, the former governor stressed that leadership must be driven by integrity and accountability, warning against the culture of double standards in public office.
“We cannot continue to deceive our people. Leadership is about telling the truth and leading by example. You cannot promise one thing in public and do another in private. That is not leadership, and that is not the change Nigeria needs”, Mr Obi said.
He maintained that genuine national rebirth would only be possible if entrenched wrongs were corrected, adding that governance must be guided by competence, discipline and a clear sense of purpose.
Mr Obi also underscored the need for fresh thinking in the nation’s political space, urging political actors to move away from recycled ideas that have failed to deliver sustainable development.
“We must come with new ideas,” he said, adding that “Nigeria’s problems are not mysterious; what has been lacking is the courage and competence to address them differently. We need a new approach that puts people first and focuses on production, not consumption.”
Calling for a broad based political collaboration, Mr Obi appealed to parties and stakeholders across ideological divides to work together in the national interest.
“This country is bigger than any party or individual. All parties must come together to change the present trend. What matters is not the platform, but the future of Nigeria and the wellbeing of its citizens”, he declared.
Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, Mr Obi challenged aspirants seeking elective offices to ensure transparency in their credentials, warning that the era of falsified certificates was drawing to a close.
“Anyone contesting for any position in 2027 must come with genuine certificates. All the machinery is now in place to verify what is genuine and what is not. Integrity must start from the very foundation of leadership”, he stated.
Drawing lessons from international development models, Mr Obi cited Rwanda and Indonesia as examples of countries that rose from difficult beginnings to become thriving economies through disciplined leadership and sound policies.
“These countries were once behind us,” he noted, adding that “Today, they are moving ahead because they chose competent leadership, clear vision and policies that support local production and human capital development.”
He also criticised the economic policies of the present administration, particularly the continued importation of food items that can be produced locally, describing such practices as inimical to national development.
“You cannot grow an economy by killing local production. Importing food that we can produce in Nigeria destroys jobs, weakens our farmers and drains our foreign exchange. A serious country must produce what it consumes”, he argued.
The event featured renewed calls from ADC supporters for sustained engagement and mobilisation, as Mr Obi reiterated his belief that Nigeria remains redeemable if led with honesty, competence and a commitment to shared national progress.
In his remarks, the National Chairman of the ADC, Senator David Mark, expressed confidence in the emerging coalition, assuring Nigerians that the party would deliver good governance at all levels of administration if entrusted with power.
The gathering also witnessed the defection of several prominent politicians from different political parties across the South-East and beyond.
The motion endorsing the defection was moved by a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, and seconded by former economic adviser to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, Prof. Osita Ogbu.
Goodwill messages from notable political figures, including Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Mrs. Aisha Yesufu, Chief Sam Egwu, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, Chief Achike Udenwa, Mr Onyema Ugochukwu and Senator Gilbert Nnaji among others, further underscored the growing momentum within the ADC.
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