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.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to submit the list of candidates for the 2027 governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections from Saturday, August 8, to Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
The commission announced the extension in a statement issued on Saturday and signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna.
According to INEC, the decision followed appeals by political parties for additional time to complete the submission process through the dedicated online portal.
“The submission window, which according to the revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the General Election was originally scheduled to close on Saturday, 8th August, 2026, has been extended to Tuesday, 11th August, 2026,” the commission said.
In a a related development, INEC announced the suspension of PVC collection in Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The commission said voters who applied for replacement of lost, damaged or defaced Permanent Voter Cards would have until midnight on Sunday, August 9, to print downloadable copies of their cards.
The electoral body explained that the deadline was necessary to enable it compile data on downloaded PVCs and produce final statistics on the total number of cards collected ahead of the election.
INEC said PVC collection in Osun commenced at the Registration Area level from July 22 to 28, 2026, but was extended to July 31 following complaints about large crowds and difficulties experienced by voters at collection centres.
The exercise subsequently moved to the local government level and ran from August 1 to 7.
The commission also disclosed that replacement downloadable PVCs had been made available to voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas following the theft of cards during attacks on the two collection centres.
It stressed that the stolen cards could not be used to vote.
INEC reassured Osun residents of its preparedness for the August 15 governorship election.
“The commission reiterates that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
“INEC reassures the people of Osun State of its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive governorship election on 15th August, 2026,” the statement said.
The commission said the deadline, initially set for Saturday, 8 August, has been extended to Tuesday, 11 August 2026, following appeals from political parties for more time.
INEC also announced that the window for voters who applied to replace lost, damaged or defaced PVCs to download their replacement cards will close at midnight on Sunday, 9 August.
The move is to enable the commission compile final PVC collection figures ahead of the 15 August Osun governorship election.
INEC said replacement downloadable PVCs have also been provided to affected voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas after hoodlums carted away cards from two collection centres, stressing that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
The commission reaffirmed its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive election in Osun State.
Gov. Kefas made the remarks over the weekend at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jalingo, during the flag-off of the second phase of the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach in Taraba State, organised as part of activities marking Prof. Yilwatda’s 58th birthday.
The governor commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing to mark his birthday by providing medical care to people in need.
“What Professor Nentawe did is a powerful demonstration of what leadership should be,” Gov. Kefas said.
He assured that his administration would continue to support initiatives that complement government efforts to improve healthcare delivery and the wellbeing of residents.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Yilwatda called on Nigerian leaders to embrace the culture of giving and use their positions to touch the lives of the less privileged.
He said his decision to celebrate his 58th birthday in Taraba State was deliberate and informed by the needs of underserved communities, particularly people who face difficulties accessing healthcare because of distance and financial constraints.
According to him, the intervention followed a needs assessment and was extended across the three senatorial districts of the state.
He said the exercise commenced on August 3 at Takum General Hospital and covered the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Wukari; First Referral Hospital, Sunkani, Ardo-Kola Local Government Area; General Hospital, Bali; General Hospital, Gembu; and FMC Jalingo.
Prof. Yilwatda said the intervention provided medical services to thousands of beneficiaries, including people who required surgical procedures.
He said sustainable national development could only be achieved when strong institutions placed Nigerians at the centre of development.
“Leadership is about service,” he said, urging political and public leaders to make giving back to society an important part of their responsibilities.
He reaffirmed his commitment to serving Nigeria and its people, saying his personal vision was to make every day of his life useful to humanity.
“Every day that I live, the vision is: let it be useful to humanity,” he said.
The Taraba State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bordiya Buma, commended the initiative, saying it was consistent with the Renewed Hope agenda and efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery in the state.
Dr Buma said the second phase followed the successful completion of the first phase, which was conducted simultaneously in six local government areas, with two LGAs selected from each of the three senatorial districts.
According to him, more than 10,000 patients were attended to during the first phase, including people with medical and surgical conditions.
He disclosed that 327 general surgeries, 71 eye surgeries and 575 dental procedures were carried out during the exercise.
The commissioner expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach and thanked Prof. Yilwatda for supporting the initiative and choosing Taraba State as a beneficiary.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, also commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing Taraba State to mark his 58th birthday through a medical outreach.
Prof. Pate said making healthcare the centrepiece of the birthday celebration was significant because health affects everyone.
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