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2019: Rivers PDP Members ‘ll Decide Presidential Aspirant To Back -Wike …As PDP Flays INEC For Banning Smart Phone In Polling Units
The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has stated that the entire leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state would decide on the PDP presidential aspirant to support ahead of the party’s presidential primary.
In an interview in Government House, Port Harcourt, yesterday, Wike stated that the direction of Rivers delegates would not be determined by one person.
He said: “At the end of the day, the leadership of the party will meet at the state level and decide where we are heading to? Then, we will all be together. No one individual can do it alone. So, Rivers State will move as a team. I will listen to the leadership of the party, then, we will move forward.
“Who are we going to support? Where is the national survey? Who is more popular? This is how politics is played. I challenge any of the presidential aspirants from the North who have gone to other governors and they have given them campaign coordinators, I challenge them to mention if I have given them one name.”
He said that the decision on the way that Rivers State would go, would not be determined by sentiments, but on the overriding interest of Rivers State.
The governor said: “Can anybody say I have met him one day to say support so, so, and so presidential aspirant? People have been coming here and I told them I will not, and I will never, nominate anybody to be a liaison to any of the presidential aspirants. Not one person, I challenge them.
“Atiku (Abubakar) came here, (Sule) Lamido came here, Makarfi came here, Saraki came here, Tambuwal came here, (Ibrahim) Shekarau came here, (Attahiru) Bafarawa came here. Let one person say I have ever said take Joseph, take John, take JohnBull, take Beatrice as your campaign coordinator like others do. I don’t deceive people, I will not deceive people, and I will not deceive my people.”
He stated that nobody would blindfold the people of Rivers State into supporting a presidential aspirant with compromised credentials.
Wike explained that some of the presidential aspirants were under the sponsorship of President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said: “But one thing you must take home is that I cannot be misled, I cannot be blindfolded; I know what’s going on. I know what the presidency and the APC are doing to plant a presidential aspirant in the PDP.
“I have not even mentioned how a very senior official of a security agency in the country told me which of the candidates to support! You can imagine me as a governor and the head of a security agency would tell me to support one or two persons. Head of security agency who is in a government controlled by the APC! Come on, you direct me on who to support for president?”
Wike reiterated that the plot by the APC-led Federal Government to use the security agencies to rig elections in Rivers State in 2019 would fail.
He said: “It won’t happen in my state, but I know they will kill a lot of persons. I can tell you they will kill a lot of us. No problem, this is the sacrifice we have to make for democracy to thrive.”
Wike stated that he would have nothing to do with godfather politics, pointing out that when he leaves in 2023, the people of Rivers State would collectively choose his successor.
He said “I’m on record and my friends, my colleagues, they know me and I have told them. I am a student of history, mention who has survived it. That you put your life, you put your blood to bring somebody. So, as a student of History, I know it does not work that way.
“I will do what I have come to do, to serve my people and when my time has come to an end, those who want to run, let them run. Let the people of Rivers State decide, it is you, it is him. . And that is the problem we are having, people want to continue to be Godfathers, how and that is the problem we are having without development.
“When I hear some people make comments, with all due respect, I don’t want to talk about persons, when I hear about one, they call him Tonye Princewill and I laugh. The young man forgot the interview he granted the Premium Times. He forgot the interview, and people forget history. That these things are documented, so, I now hear what he’s saying, I say oh my God.”
He recalled that those struggling to play godfather are doing so to protect themselves from criminal prosecution.
He pointed out that Tonye Princewill in his 2014 interview with Premium Times outlined these issues.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, condemned the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to ban the use of smart phones in polling units.
The National Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, said the move was to prevent the global community from knowing its plan to rig the 2019 general elections in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Secondus spoke a meeting with stakeholders from Bayelsa East Senatorial District in Yenagoa.
A statement issued by the Special Adviser to Governor Seriake Dickson on Media, Fidelis Soriwei, quoted Secondus as saying that it was quite puzzling that the commission would attempt to prevent the use of smart phones.
While describing smart phones as the easiest means of communication in the society, during elections, Secondus argued that the commission by that singular act had sent the country to the dark, primitive era.
The PDP Chairman also restated his opposition of President Muhammadu Buhari’s refusal to sign the amended Electoral Act in a bid to avoid the use of card readers.
He said, “We have all heard what the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said about the decision to ban the use of smart phones in the polling units. All over the world, a smart phone is the easiest way of communication.
“What they have said clearly shows that the commission in connivance with the All Progressives Congress had perfected a rigging strategy for the next election. In fact, INEC has sent Nigeria back to the primitive days.
“The same plan to rig the 2019 elections is responsible for the refusal of the President to sign the amended Electoral Act because the card reader must be used.
“Our position is that INEC is wrong, there is nowhere in the constitution or in the electoral act where smart phones are banned. INEC, if you throw this country to crisis, you will be held responsible.”
Secondus said that Nigeria was under siege as the Federal Government had introduced an obnoxious suspension of the people right to freedom in the country.
He raised the alarm that more people had been killed in the country in the past one year than those killed in the Nigerian civil war from 1967 to 1970.
The opposition party leader further lamented that the APC had introduced dictatorial tendencies that were worse than the repression witnessed under the military.
Secondus also accused the Federal Government of borrowing N11trillion in three years in spite of the huge amount of money budgeted yearly to run the government.
He said that the nation’s debt profile had hit the highest of all time under the APC-led Federal Government.
“We have borrowed N11trillion and you don’t feel the impact of the budget except in Daura. Nigeria has witnessed nepotism that has never been felt this way in this country.
“The international community is worried about Nigeria. The country is broke; our debt profile has risen to the highest level. Nigeria is under siege. Freedom and rights have denied our people.
The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has hailed the lifting of the State of Emergency in Rivers State, effective midnight, Wednesday, September 17, 2025.
In a statement signed by Board members and National Executive Committee members, yesterday, PANDEF commended President Bola Tinubu for rectifying what they described as an anomaly.
The statement was co-signed by Co-Chairmen, PANDEF Board of Trustees, Alfred Diette-Spiff and Obong Victor Attah, National Chairman Ambassador Godknows Boladei Igali, and National Secretary, Beks Dagogo-Jack.
Tinubu declared a State of Emergency in Rivers State on the 18th of March, 2025, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the Deputy Governor, and members of the state House of Assembly for six months in the first instance.
In place of the governor, the President appointed Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd) as Sole Administrator.
However, Tinubu announced the suspension of the Emergency Rule on Wednesday, stating, “It therefore gives me great pleasure to declare that the emergency in Rivers State shall end with effect from midnight today (Wednesday).”
The Forum commended Fubara’s unwavering perseverance and “faith in the divine will of Almighty God,” while also commending the Deputy Governor, Professor Ngozi Odu, the Speaker, and members of the House of Assembly, who were equally affected by the suspension.
“The Board and National Executive Committee of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, the apex socio-political organisation representing the South-South geopolitical zone, joins millions of Nigerians in welcoming the lifting of the state of emergency in Rivers State, effective midnight, Wednesday, September 17, 2025.
“While PANDEF had expressed strong reservations regarding the erstwhile emergency rule, we commend His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for taking this bold step to rectify the anomaly.
“We welcome Governor Siminalayi Fubara back to his elected office and salute his unwavering perseverance and faith in the divine will of Almighty God. We extend similar commendations to the Deputy Governor, Professor Ngozi Oduah, the Speaker, and members of the House of Assembly, who were equally affected by the suspension,” the statement read.
Addressing Rivers people, the forum declared, “Light has returned to the state and a new glorious dawn has come. A moment in which the bitter pains of the past months will inspire all to rededicate themselves to true mutual forbearance, new alignments and forward movement.”
They urged political leaders and citizens to put the past behind them and work towards the collective good of the State, while pledging to support Rivers’ developmental trajectory under Fubara.
“All hearts and hands must therefore be joined together to put the past behind us and work towards the collective good of the state.
“We look forward to the State’s return to normalcy and the resumption of its developmental trajectory under the leadership of Governor Fubara and his team. PANDEF reiterates its commitment to supporting the government and people of Rivers State in their pursuit of progress and development,” the statement added.
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RSG Approves Full Rehabilitation of State Secretariat …Unveils Housing Scheme for Civil Servants, Honours Veterans
Rivers State Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Eteh Ibas (Rtd), has approved the complete rehabilitation and modernization of the Rivers State Secretariat Complex to enhance efficiency and productivity in the civil service.
Ibas made the announcement at the 2025 Civil Service Week Gala and Awards Ceremony held at Banquet Hall, Government House, Port Harcourt, on Wednesday,.
He disclosed that “initiative is designed to transform the secretariat into a modern, efficient and conducive work environment, directly supporting the civil servants who form the backbone of the state’s governance.”
The Administrator also approved the provision of 106 housing units for civil servants in the State.
Ibas paid glowing tribute to retired Heads of Service and Permanent Secretaries, describing them as the bedrock of the state’s administration.
He stated that the awards ceremony was a symbol of deep appreciation for decades of sacrifice, resilience, and commitment.
“These interventions are designed to not only recognize your service, but also to improve your welfare in tangible and lasting ways,” the Administrator stated.
“We must build an administration that is efficient, effective, and truly citizen-centric,” he added.
The Administrator urged serving officers to draw inspiration from their predecessors and strive to make a meaningful impact in the lives of citizens.
He emphasized the importance of embracing innovation, technology, and continuous training to build a civil service equipped for the future.
The Acting Head of Rivers State Civil Service, Dr. (Mrs.) Inyingi Brown, in her welcome address, described the civil service as the “engine room of government” and expressed profound gratitude to the Administrator for his unwavering support and commitment to its modernization.“
“A society that does not honour its heroes is not worthy of emulation,” Dr. Brown remarked, lauding the retirees as torchbearers of discipline and loyalty.
She pledged to build on their legacy through reforms and innovation, projecting that the Rivers State Civil Service would become a model of efficiency and transparency by 2030.
Speaking on behalf of the retirees, President of the Association of Retired Permanent Secretaries, Sir Promise Njowhor,
expressed heartfelt appreciation for the historic recognition.
“For once, since the creation of the State, we are being honoured,” Njowhor said, adding, “Our morale has been lifted.”
He pledged the association’s continuous support for government programmes, describing the body of experienced retirees as a resource available to contribute to state development.
The rehabilitation of the State Secretariat and the new housing scheme represent a major investment in the infrastructure and dignity of public service in Rivers State, signaling a new era of support for the civil servants who drive the government’s policies and programmes.
The Tide reports that the Administrator also conferred awards of meritorious service on retired Heads of Service and Permanent Secretaries in the State
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has won 20 out of the 23 local government areas in the just concluded local government election in the State, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) clinched three local governments.
According to the results released by the Rivers State independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), yesterday, the APC won the chairmanship seats in Abua/Odual, Andoni, Opobo Nkoro, Ahoada East, Ahoada West, Okrika, Ogu/Bolo and Khana local government areas.
APC also won in Gokana, Tai, Oyigbo, Bonny, Eleme, Etche, Omuna, Akuku Toru, Asari Toru, Degema, Ikwerre and Emohua local government areas.
The Commission, however, said the PDP won in Port Harcourt City, Obio/Akpor, and Ogba Egbema Ndoni local government areas.
Chairman of the Commission, Dr Michael Odey, who announced the results at the Commission headquarters in Port Harcourt, said Ofori Owolabi of the APC scored 28,755 votes to emerge winner of the election for Abua Odual while Solomon Ochomma, also of the APC, emerged chairman elect for Ahoada East after scoring 54,509 votes.
Odey said Eugene Epelle also of the APC scored 84,125 votes to emerge winner in Ahoada West, while Bob Fubara was elected the chairman-elect for Akuku Toru after scoring 63,593 votes.
Similarly APC chairmanship candidate Lucky Otuo Promise emerged chairman-elect for Andoni after scoring a total of 126,181 votes, APC’s George Onengiyeofori emerged winner in Asari Toru after scoring 56,383 votes, while Pepple Blessing Abinye garnered 13,543 votes to emerge winner in Bonny Local Government Area.
Other APC candidates elected include Michael John Williams who scored 16,536 votes to emerge chairman-elect for Degema Local Government; Obarlllormate Ollor (77,452) for Eleme; Dr Chidi Julius Lloyd (114,380) for Emohua; Njoku Boniface (100,649) for Etche; Confidence Deekor (96,478) for Gokana, while Wobodo Charles got 62,746 votes to emerge winner in Ikwerre Local Government Area.
Other APC winners from the APC include Akuro Tobins (32,285 votes) for Okrika; Hon Obasi Uchechukwu (38,530) for Omuma; James A James (38,822) for Opobo Nkoro; Vincent Nemieboka (36,374) for Ogu/Bolo; Hon Mbakpone Okpe (70,080) for Tai LGA, while in Oyigbo, Okechukwu Akara scored 101,495 votes to emerge winner.
Meanwhile, the RSIEC chairman announced Dr Gift Worlu of the PDP with 328,823 votes to emerge winner in Obio Akpor; Shedrack Ogbogu, also of the PDP, scored 51,051 votes for Ogba Egbema Ndoni Local Government Area, while in Port Harcourt City, Sir Alwell Ihunda garnered 235,054 votes for PDP to emerge winner.
The APC also cleared the councillorship seats in Abua/Odual, Andoni, Ahoada East, Ahoada West, Okrika, Ogu/Bolo and Khana, Oyigbo, Bonny, Eleme, Etche,Tai, Khana Opobo/Nkoro and Degema local government areas.
Similarly APC councillorship candidates also emerged winners in Asari Toru, Degema, Akuku Toru, Gokana and Khana while PDP cleared the councillorship seats in Obio/Akpor, Port Harcourt city, and Ogba Egbema/ Ndoni Local Government Areas
Meanwhile, the Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions has passed a vote of confidence on the just concluded local government election in the State.
National Chairman of the forum, Hon. Mamman Nda Eri, said this in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt.
Eri said all the chairmen across the country were in Port Harcourt to monitor the election as well as gain experience in an election under emergency rule.
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