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Ohanaeze Declares Support For Atiku/Obi Ticket
In what appears to be a direct response to the feeble opposition of the Ebonyi State Governor, Chief Dave Umahi, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo has asked Ndigbo to accept the choice of Mr. Peter Obi, a former Governor of Anambra State, as running mate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in order not to upset the political arrangements ahead of the 2019 general elections.
President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, the apex Igbo body, Chief Nnia Nwodo made the appeal in a telephone interview with newsmen, yesterday.
He spoke against the backdrop of the claim by Umahi, who is also the Chairman of the South-East Governors’ Forum, that the zone’s leaders were not consulted before Atiku, a former Vice President, nominated Obi as his running mate.
“As the National President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, I am a father to all the political parties. My appeal is that Igbo leaders in the PDP should let bygone be bygone and accept whoever has been nominated. We should not upset the applecart. We should accept Peter Obi so that we can move ahead, politically. This is both my prayer and appeal,” Nwodo said. In a related development, Obi’s emergence as PDP vice-presidential candidate may have begun to clarify the PDP permutations of its zoning of the nation’s six top political offices.
The six offices are President, Vice-President, Senate President, Speaker, Deputy Senate President and Deputy Speaker. With the North-East and South-East already settled for the offices of President and Vice-President, there were indications that the office of Senate President had been zoned to the North-Central with Senator Bukola Saraki in pole position for it.
As part of the bargains between Afenifere, the Yoruba socio-cultural group, and Atiku, the South-West, our correspondent gathered, is to get the office of Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, in addition to the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives.
The office of Deputy Senate President is to go to the South-South while the office of Deputy Speaker could be zoned to the North-West. ‘No rift’ Also, yesterday, the PDP denied the existence of a rift within its ranks over the choice of Obi as running mate to its presidential candidate in the 2019 general elections.
A party official, who declined to be named, told newsmen”There are no issues as far as the choice of the running mate is concerned,” adding that the decision on who gets on the ballot with Atiku is exclusively the prerogative of the former Vice President to make. “There are no issues. Everything is alright. Yes, there are insinuations and speculations but there are no problems, no issues.
Our presidential candidate has the right to choose whoever he feels comfortable to work with.” ‘Breathe of fresh air’ Friends of Obi described the former governor’s nomination as vice presidential candidate as the breathe of fresh air into Nigerian politics judging by what they described as tremendous feats Obi achieved in Anambra State as a two-term governor.
Speaking on their behalf, a former Chairman of Orumba North local government area, Chief Okey Enekwa, thanked Atiku for anointing Obi as his running mate , pointing out that friends of Obi across South-East, Anambra and Orumba North would support the nomination to actualize the dream of a better Nigeria.
‘’Peter Obi is an enigma. Love him or hate him, he is an achiever and once he sets his eyes on the ball, forget the distractions because he comes out glorious judging from his Anambra experience where against all odds , he served for 8 years and demystified leadership.
Obi is an architect of good governance and democratic reformations in Nigeria when he challenged his stolen mandate, impeachment and term of office.
The records are there in public”, Enekwe said. Bishop of Awka Anglican Diocese, Most Reverend Alexander Chibuzor Ibezim, who also spoke to journalists, yesterday, described the nomination of Obi as running mate, as a good omen for Ndigbo. Ibezim, while thanking God that Obi was nominated, asked God to help him actualize his dream, insisting that it is good for Igbo nation if the joint ticket succeeds in the 2019 general elections.
‘No consultations’ Meanwhile, leaders of PDP in the South-East, yesterday, insisted that they were not consulted before Atiku picked Obi as his running mate.
The leaders, who met in Enugu, said they only heard about Obi’s choice in the social media and felt humiliated by the former vice president. The Chairman of the South-East Governors Forum, Umahi, who addressed newsmen after the meeting, however, said that Atiku will meet with Igbo leaders over the choice of his running mate.
The Ebonyi governor revealed that Atiku sent a message during their emergency meeting informing them that he was out of the country on a short period and pleaded with them to remain calm as he will be coming down to the zone to dialogue with leaders. “We saw news flying up and down saying that our presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has picked a running mate from the zone.
We were shocked because we were not consulted. While we were meeting, Atiku sent message that he travelled out of the country for a short period. He promised to come down and meet with South East leaders”, he said.
The meeting was attended by Governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu State), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia State), Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, Senators Sam Egwu, Theodore Orji and other members of the National Assembly from the zone among other major stakeholders.
A Coalition of civil society organisations has urged the Federal Government to take proactive steps towards addressing the persistent gas eruptions in Bille, Rivers.
The coalition, made up of the People’s Assembly and Bille Working Group, made the call in an open letter addressed to President Bola Tinubu, and read to journalists in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Reading the letter, the coalition’s convener, Dr Isaac Osuoka, said that the persistent gas eruption in Bille had led to serious environmental and public health challenges.
Osuoka, also the Executive Director, Social Action, urged Tinubu to establish a presidential task force to investigate and contain the gas leak in Bille.
He also called for the immediate relocation of residents to safe shelters, provision of clean water, food and healthcare services.
Dr Emem Okon, the Executive Director, Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre, stated that gas had been bubbling from the ground, creeks, boreholes and hand-dug wells in the community since October 2025.
Okon said that the gas had triggered several fires and explosions, and that residents of the community had reported respiratory problems, vomiting and other illnesses associated with exposure to the emissions.
According to her, preliminary investigations by the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) have yet to identify the source of the gas.
Mr Kentebe Ebiaridor, the Coordinator, Oilwatch International, called for the publication of results from preliminary soil and water tests conducted in Bille for the residents to know the nature and extent of the contamination.
Ebiaridor urged the Federal Government to deploy medical teams to screen and treat affected residents, and immediately commence an independent study on the health impacts of the leak.
He further called for the suspension of oil and gas operations around OML 18 and 24 until the source of the gas leak was identified and the affected areas declared safe.
Ebiaridor urged the government to hold current and former operators of the oil leases accountable for environmental damage on the community.
Another speaker, Dr Bieye Briggs, urged the National Assembly to fast-track the NOSDRA Amendment Bill, 2025 to provide the agency with statutory funding and stronger enforcement powers.
Briggs urged the Federal Government to activate the regional Spill Command Centre, and make the Upstream Remediation Fund accessible for the Bille crisis and other affected communities in the Niger Delta.
The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has banned drone operations and fireworks in Uyo and announced temporary traffic restrictions ahead of President Bola Tinubu’s visit to the State today.
The state Commissioner of Police, Baba Mohammed Azare, announced the measures yesterday while briefing journalists at the Police Headquarters in Ikot Akpan Abia, Uyo.
He said the restrictions were part of security arrangements to maintain public order, protect strategic locations and ensure the smooth movement of the President’s convoy during his engagements.
“There will be total restriction on the operation and flying of drones within Uyo metropolis throughout the period of the visit. Members of the public, drone operators and service providers are advised to strictly comply with the directive,” he said.
The police commissioner also announced a ban on fireworks, knockouts and other explosive sound-producing devices within the state capital during the visit.
He said the measure would prevent panic and allow security personnel to respond effectively to genuine security threats.
The command also announced temporary restrictions on public access to designated routes and locations in Uyo to facilitate the movement of the presidential convoy.
The affected areas are Airport Road, Shelter Afrique Junction, Oron Road, Nung Oku Junction, Mbierebe Junction and Godswill Akpabio International Stadium.
“Motorists are urged to plan their journeys, exercise patience and cooperate with traffic and security personnel deployed along the corridors.
“Members of the public are advised to avoid the routes during the restriction and use alternative routes,” Azare said.
He also urged residents to plan their journeys, exercise patience and cooperate with traffic and security personnel deployed along the affected corridors.
The commissioner said the command, working with other security agencies, had put in place security arrangements to ensure a peaceful and hitch-free visit.
He appealed to residents to understand that the temporary restrictions were necessary security measures and not intended to cause hardship.
Azare urged members of the public to remain law-abiding, avoid restricted areas and report suspicious movements to the nearest police station or through police emergency channels.
Tinubu’s visit to Akwa Ibom is a working visit during which he is expected to inaugurate major infrastructure projects executed by Governor Umo Eno’s administration under its ARISE Agenda. The projects cut across aviation, road infrastructure, tourism, healthcare, land administration and security.
Among the projects scheduled for inauguration are the international terminal building and airport hospital at Victor Attah International Airport, Aviation Village, ARISE Palm Resort, the 14.5-kilometre Nsit Atai–Okobo Road, Ring Road 3, the Command and Control Centre and the AkwaGIS building.
The state government had earlier announced plans for the President to inaugurate projects as part of activities marking Akwa Ibom’s 39th anniversary in September.
The airport projects are particularly significant to the state’s ambition to expand aviation, tourism and investment.
The international terminal is expected to strengthen the airport’s capacity to handle international operations, while the Aviation Village is intended to provide accommodation for aviation workers. The airport hospital is also among the facilities lined up for inauguration.
The road projects are also expected to improve connectivity. The 14.5-kilometre Nsit Atai–Okobo Road links communities in the two local government areas, while Ring Road 3 is designed to improve movement within Uyo and ease pressure on existing roads. The Command and Control Centre, meanwhile, is intended to strengthen security surveillance and coordination in the State.
The Rivers State Ministry of Culture and Tourism has floated a culture content platform in collaboration with digital television group, Multichoice.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Mr. Freddy Ndigbara, disclosed this after a meeting with MultiChoice Head of Content Acquisition, Don Dotun Ojon, in Port Harcourt.
He assured that content entrepreneurs and film makers would enjoy the platform by promoting culture and other contents to sell the states tourism potentials.
He said MultiChoice M-net was now open to increase its patronage for content shots on locations in Rivers State, describing the State as one that has numerous potentials for film tourism.
“We were privileged to have Don Ojon with us at the Rivers International Film Festival (RIFF) at the weekend in Bonny and he saw, first hand, the numerous sites and opportunities that are open to creatives in the State. After that, we felt it was important to deepen the conversation and he obliged. This is a cheering news for the sector in the State,” he said.
Ndigbara stated that “Rivers State has many more untold stories to tell, many more contents to reel out and the assurances from the M-net Acquisition Manager is an indication that the industry in the state will soon enjoy a new lease of life”.
The Permanent Secretary thanked Ojon for the visit and assured that creatives in the State would grap this opportunity and show the world that Rivers State is a major hub for film tourism in Nigeria.
On his part, Ojon said the visit was to discuss on ways of promoting tourism in the State using creatives and film.
Ojon said although the company has recently been acquired by canal+ France and is undergoing restructuring, he would promote the chances of Rivers State to host the MultiChoice talent factory in the State.
With Asaba, capital of Delta State, being saturated, Ojon said the next port is Rivers State, which he said is capable of building fresh crop of creatives, new locations, new story lines and concepts.
He, therefore, called for collaboration from stakeholders in the State.
Kevin Nengia
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