Politics
2019: Ex-Lawmakers Endorse Wike
Former lawmakers from Rivers State last Friday joined the foray in the call for the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike to go for a second term in office.
The forum of Ex-Legislators led by Senator Adawari Pepple who also passed a confidence vote on Wike said the decision was premised on the governor’s massive roll out of people-oriented projects executed across the state.
Pepple said at a solidarity visit in the Government House, Port Harcourt that the forum of former lawmakers in the state is convinced by Wike’s excellent performance and is urging him to lead Rivers State beyond 2019.
“As a forum, we call on the governor to present himself to contest the 2019 Governorship election. We believe that the Rivers State Governor deserves a second term”, he said, noting that Wike has promoted the image of the state across the globe, hence his several prestigious awards.
Wike also played host to the leadership of Eckankar Nigeria at Government House, Port Harcourt last Thursday and pledged to sustain religious to tolerance in the state for peaceful co-existence.
He said every Nigerian is constitutionally empowered to practice the religion of his/her choice and promised that at his watch nobody will discriminate against any religion as people have different was to reach God.
Earlier, leader of Eckankar Nigeria and the Regional ECK Spiritual Aide (RESA) Ifeatu John Areh declared that Wike would govern Rivers State till 2023 because of his achievements.
Areh stated that the state has experienced good governance under Wike’s leadership and urged him to sustain the tempo.
He said the visit was part of activities marking their seminar last weekend in Port Harcourt.
The governor also celebrated his 50th birthday last Wednesday. At a birthday service and dinner organized at his country home in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Wike reiterated that he would never do anything that would bring the PDPdown.
He assured that he will rather continue to work for the party to meet expectations of Nigerians and stressed that Nigerians earnestly expect the PDP to rise and salvage them.
Some prominent leaders of PDP as National Chairman Uche Secondus, former Chairman Caretaker Committee, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, Taraba State PDP, Dairus Ishaku and Ekiti State Governor and PDP Governors Forum Chairman, Ayo Fayose joined other friends, associates and well-wishes to celebrate Wike’s birthday and eulogized him for his huge achievements in the state and prominent role in the sustenance of the party.
Wike had earlier joined his Delta State counterpart, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa to inspect ongoing construction of the Asaba Flood Control Project in Delta State.
Last Friday he flagged off the construction of new projects in Port Harcourt, Ikwerre, Ogba/Egbeme/Ndoni, Abua Odual, Ahoada West, Asari-Toru and Ahoada East LGAs in the state.
One of the projects was the construction of an Ultra-Modern Cinema and Restaurants at Port Harcourt Pleasure Park.
The Governor said he would also build a Five-Star Hotel at the park to attract international guests. He gave the contractor, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc June 2018 to complete the cinema and chain of restructure ranks at the park.
By: Chris Oluoh.
Politics
Reps Constitution Review Committee Holds Zonal Hearing For Rivers, C’River, Akwa Ibom In Calabar

A press statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Cross River State Governor, Mr Linus Obogo, disclosed that the Calabar Centre — designated as Centre B — will host representatives and stakeholders from Cross River, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom States.
The public hearing is scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 19, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at the Transcorp (Metropolitan) Hotel, Calabar.
The initiative, according to the statement, is designed to promote inclusive dialogue and capture the aspirations of Nigerians from all regions.
It aims to serve as a platform for citizens to contribute meaningfully to the ongoing national efforts to refine and strengthen the country’s legal and institutional frameworks.
“Citizens, civil society groups, professional bodies, traditional rulers, and other interest blocs are invited to participate in this landmark engagement aimed at advancing a more just, equitable, and responsive Nigerian Constitution,” the statement read.
The hearing forms part of the broader review process of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), and is seen as a strategic move toward fostering national unity and addressing structural legal issues within the federation.
Politics
Tinubu’s Contribution To Buhari’s Presidency Marginal – Ex-SGF

For the first time since 2022, when then-presidential aspirant Alhaji Bola Tinubu declared he made former President Buhari Nigeria’s President in 2015, Mr Mustapha dismissed the claims, stressing that the merger only contributed about three million votes in addition to Buhari’s existing 12 million votes in the North.
He insisted that former President Buhari’s integrity, national stature, and disciplined messaging were central to the breakthrough, not the three million votes from the merging parties, which he described as insignificant.
Speaking on the role of the merging parties, particularly President Tinubu, the leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Mr Mustapha, who was the keynote speaker at the launch of the book ‘According to the President: Lessons from a Presidential Spokesman’s Experience’ authored by Mallam Garba Shehu, described the impact of the votes from other merging parties as very insignificant.
In attendance were former Head of State Yakubu Gowon, chair of the event; immediate past Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; SGF George Akume, who represented President Tinubu; PDP’s 2023 presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar; former Chief of Staff to Buhari Ibrahim Gambari; elder statesman Babagana Kingibe; former governors Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Chris Ngige (Anambra), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Raji Babatunde Fashola (Lagos); former ministers Solomon Dalung and Sunday Dare; former Army Chief Tukur Buratai, and Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu’s spokesman, among others.
According to Mr Mustapha, “I do not intend to stir up any controversy. The merger in 2013 was midwifed to create a Buhari presidency. Let us look at the statistics. In the 2003 election, it was the Obasanjo-Buhari presidential contest where Buhari recorded 12.7 million votes. In 2007, it came to 6.6 million, and it went back to 12.2 million in 2011.
“When we were conceptualising the merger, what would give us a headstart? Obviously, it was at the back of our consciousness that the merger with the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), though it had only one state, the ACN had six states, ANPP three states, and when you sum up the total votes that we had as the presidency in 2015, the aggregate of the total votes was 15.4 million.
“So, basically, what we brought to the table after the merger outside the Buhari 12.5 million votes was three million. Before turning to that presidency, it is important to recognise the former President’s role in reshaping Nigeria’s political trajectory.
“In early 2013, as the leader of the CPC, Buhari formally requested and supported the creation of a CPC merger committee, part of a broader coalition-building process that brought together the ACN, ANPP, APGA faction, and elements of the ruling party through the breakaway ‘new PDP’ group. His endorsement and participation, along with other party leaders such as President Tinubu and Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, lent credibility and direction to the merger, helping to unify disparate party factions under the banner of the APC. That coalition-building paved the way for the first democratic defeat of an incumbent ruling party in Nigeria’s history.
“President Buhari’s integrity, national stature, and disciplined messaging were central to that breakthrough. No account of President Buhari’s tenure would be complete without acknowledging the extended periods he spent on medical leave. These moments, while politically delicate, were also telling of his leadership philosophy and personality,” he said.
In his remarks, President Tinubu promised to build on the legacies of former President Buhari, stressing that “nation-building is a relay. The efforts of one administration lay the foundation for the next.
“In this regard, I acknowledge the efforts of my predecessor, President Buhari, and assure all Nigerians that the reform-oriented path he initiated will be consolidated and strengthened under this administration. Our Renewed Hope Agenda is inspired by the desire to build a resilient, just, and inclusive Nigeria—a nation that delivers dividends of democracy to all its citizens”.
Politics
Your Lies Chasing Investors From Nigeria, Omokri Slams Obi
Speaking during an appearance on live television on Wednesday, Mr Omokri alleged that Mr Obi’s statements were misleading and damaging to the country’s economic prospects.
Mr Omokri said some investors currently operating in Nigeria were considering exiting the market due to Mr Obi’s remarks.
“That is not true. He doesn’t rile me up. I rile him up. The reason why I came here is because I’m a patriot. Peter Obi lied. You know, foreign direct investors are watching your programme, who are making investment decisions not to come to Nigeria. There are foreign investors in Nigeria that are making investment decisions to leave Nigeria because of the lie he told.
“One of the lies he told is that President Tinubu has borrowed more than the administrations of Yar’Adua, Jonathan, Buhari. That is a blatant lie”, Mr Omokri said.
To buttress his claims, Mr Omokri referenced figures from the Debt Management Office (DMO), maintaining that President Tinubu had actually reduced Nigeria’s external debt burden since assuming office.
“I have here with me data from the Debt Management Office, and Nigerians who are watching can go to DMO.com and search Debt Management Office, Nigeria State of Indebtedness 2015.
“As of 2015, Nigeria was owing a total of $63 billion. When Buhari was leaving office, Nigeria was owing $113 billion. Today, from the DMO, our debt has gone from $113 billion to $97 billion, meaning that Tinubu has reduced our debt by over $14 billion.
“We should be appreciating this man. Yet Peter Obi came here and lied to the Nigerian people. He took the debts and translated them into naira to make it look like the debts have increased”, he said.
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