Politics
Wike, Atiku And 2019 Polls
The outcome of a recent meeting of members of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) presidential campaign council with Governor Nyesom Wike in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, had put paid to speculations that there are cracks in the party, especially following unconfirmed reports that Wike allegedly resigned his appointment as the South-South zonal coordinator of the party ahead of next year’s general elections.
Not only was that meeting held in the Rivers State Government House on Saturday, December 8, 2018 crucial to the party’s unity, it charted the way forward for the main opposition party in the country to position itself and prepare to wrest power from the incumbent, President Muhammadu Buhari and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
A major fallout of that meeting of the party’s presidential campaign council, The Tide can report authoritatively that Wike agreed to lead the party’s campaign in the zone.
Needless to say that the Governor had threatened to abandon the party and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, as it were, alleging that he was being sidelined in some of the decisions taken by the party and its presidential candidate.
One of the issues in contention, it was gathered was that Wike, had said and rightly so that as a stakeholder, he was not consulted before the party constituted its presidential campaign council, especially as other members had been visible in the activities of the Senator Bukola Saraki-led council.
But impeccable sources at that meeting said that Atiku and other leaders of the party held the olive branch and pleaded with Wike to join hands with them to make it easy for the PDP to defeat President Buhari and his party in general polls next year.
One of the reliable sources at the meeting said: “It was a tough but friendly meeting. The presidential candidate spoke like a father while Wike also listened and presented his areas of grievances.
“The governor threatened to abandon the campaign, but I think it was meant to get his attention and also register his displeasure over some of the actions he believed were taken without his knowledge.
“At the end of the day, he (Wike) agreed to lead the campaign and also play prominent roles in order to enable us sack the APC and the President in 2019. All of us agreed that the APC is evil and the best way we can defeat it is to work together as a team. We will do that.”
Apart from Atiku, other top party leaders who were at the Brick House, the seat of power in Rivers State include the PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus, Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal; former governor of the state, Attahiru Bafarawa; and Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa.
Others, according to a Government House source, are Senate President and Director General of Atiku Campaign Organisation, Bukola Saraki; Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu; Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State and his counterpart, from Cross River State, Ben Ayade.
The Tide learnt that some of the PDP heavyweights arrived in Port Harcourt the previous day, while Tambuwal and Bafarawa were seen with Governor Wike at the Government House on Saturday (December 8). Some of the politicians had attended the burial of the mother of Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State.
Only recently, as if foretold, a lawmaker in the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Tonye Adoki, captured the mood when he said that Governor Wike deserves respect and special recognition for stabilising the PDP in the country, stating with emphasis that the office of the state chief executive should not be undermined.
Adoki, who represents Port Harcourt Constituency 2 in the state legislature called for calm and urged friends of the PDP Presidential standard bearer, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar who are leaders of the party in Rivers State not to undermine the office of the governor.
He said the State Governor, Barrister Nyesom Wike deserves special recognition for stabilising the party when some bigwigs dumped the party for the ruling APC.
According to him, “PDP leaders in Rivers State should learn how to play the game by the rules. They should not be in a hurry for power because power comes from God.
“We all know how this party (PDP) was and the problem the party went through and at the same time the strength and all that Governor Nyesom Wike put in to make this party get back to this shape that we are all enjoying today.
“For those that feel that they have known the Presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar before now, and the presidential candidate himself should know that today he belongs to every member of PDP, not some group of persons that claim to be his old friends,” he noted.
Hon. Adoki further advised party leaders in the state to show restraint in their actions in order not to create disunity among party faithful in the state.
“The Governor is the leader of PDP in Rivers State, so he should be the one to call the shots. Events should not be taking place behind him. I mean, as someone that is young in politics, I do not find that so healthy or so good and I will not want to learn from such act,” the lawmaker said.
Consequent upon that meeting of the party’s presidential campaign council with Governor Wike in Port Harcourt on December 8, another parley was held where the party reiterated its unity and resolved to maintain its stronghold in the South-South.
This time around, precisely on Saturday, December 15, the party leaders in the South-South resolved to constitute the party’s Presidential Campaign Council and vowed to ensure that the zone remains under the control of the party after the 2019 general elections.
Wike, who addressed newsmen after the South-South PDP Zonal meeting in Port Harcourt, said: “We have resolved to set up a presidential campaign council in South-South and then take a date for the Zonal Presidential Campaign Rally.
”South-South is the Stronghold of the PDP and we want to retain that. All the states in the zone must continue to remain under the PDP,” adding that the meeting worked out modalities for the success of the party during the forthcoming elections.
”We have set up modalities for the success of our party in the governorship, National Assembly and State Assembly elections in 2019″, he added.
As expected, the meeting, which was attended by the South-South PDP Chairman, Bro Emmanuel Ogidi, attracted governors, State PDP Chairmen, National Assembly members, Speakers of various Houses of Assembly and former federal lawmakers from the South-South.
With the foregoing, there is no gainsaying the fact that Port Harcourt is the headquarter of the South-South, if the crucial decisions and momentous meeting taking place there is anything to go by; though that fact remains incontrovertible.
Again, that former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar had himself first declared his intention to run for the highest office in the land during a visit to Governor Wike in Government House, Port Harcourt, gives credence to the important position the crude oil and gas rich city occupies in the nation as well as the role WIke played post 2015, which Hon. Adoki aptly captured in his narrative that the Governor deserves special recognition.
In the main, now that the political scene is gathering momentum for the 2019 general elections with the lifting of the ban on campaigns, Governor Wike had on Friday, December 14 this year declared for the umpteenth time that any attempt to rig the forth-coming elections in the state will be met with stiff resistance.
He also declared that aside negative assurances that there will be the rigging option, APC Rivers State would not have attempted to field candidates for the 2019 general election.
Wike, who spoke during a chat with newsmen at the Government House, Port Harcourt, warned that it is incumbent on the security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be impartial.
The Governor said: “We want free and fair elections. We are therefore prepared to resist rigging. This is a solemn responsibility. Just take that as a bank draft. The only way forward is for the votes of the people to count. It is important that the security agencies must not only be seen to be neutral, they must be neutral”.
”If not for the expectation to rig, there is no way that the APC will contemplate sponsoring candidates in Rivers State. All the hope they have is in rigging through the security forces. If they attempt to rig, there will certainly be resistance.
Wike further said that he is certain of a second term because his projects are scattered across the state and he has governed in line with his social contract with Rivers people.
“When you put all our projects together, everybody is satisfied that we have done well enough to merit a second term. The projects that earned me the title Mr. Projects speak for themselves.
”The Vice President, who conferred that name on me went beyond politics because of what he saw on the ground. There is no local government area where we do not have projects. We made promises and we have fulfilled those promises”, he said.
He further said that APC Federal Government has no meaningful projects on the ground in Rivers State, pointing out that the International Departure Terminal commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari recently was over 79 per cent completed by the Goodluck Jonathan administration, while funding was set aside through a loan.
”The good thing that will happen in 2019 is for the PDP to win the elections. No Nigerian who wants to better his life will want the APC to win”, he said.
Governor Wike said that he is still speechless that President Muhammadu Buhari refused to sign the amended Electoral bill presented to him by the National Assembly aimed at strengthening the democratic process.
On security, the Governor expressed happiness that the vice has reduced fundamentally across the state, saying the killing of notorious cultist, Don Waney and the signing of Anti-kidnapping and Anti-Cultism laws have helped in ensuring that criminals are checked.
The Spokesman of the State Police Command, Nnamdi Omoni, had corroborated the above assertion by Governor Wike very recently when he declared that Rivers State is peaceful.
Recall that a group, ‘Niger Delta Watch 2019’ had claimed that of the 44 cases of kidnapping recorded in Nigeria within the last one month, 22 occurred in the state. The said report entitled ‘Kidnap Monitoring Registry’ which said its findings indicated that Rivers has one of the highest incident of kidnappings in the country, adding that 18 of the abduction cases had occurred in seven local government areas of the state.
But Omoni, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) faulted the report, saying “They (the authors) are just impotent alarm raised by people and that cannot see the light of the day. We in the Command under the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Zaki Ahmed, are on top of the game.
“We will continue to raise the bar and do our best to ensure that the state is safe especially with the yuletide around the corner and beyond the season. As a command, we are doing our best to contain these boys (criminals). We are arresting and prosecuting them and we believe that in no time we will overrun them,” he stated.
The state police image maker further said that night life and business activities in the state have increased as compared to the past. He said that those are indications that Rivers State is safe contrary to speculations that it is not, though there were some security challenges.
“Rivers State is safe. As far as we (Police) are concerned, there is night life in Rivers State. People go about their social activities at night unmolested,” DSP Omoni declared.
Commenting on the crisis in Rivers APC, Governor Wike said that though it is not his business, it is obvious that it a fallout of the impunity perpetrated by the Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, saying that whatever the outcome, the PDP in the state will emerge victorious as it has effectively used the mandate given to the party by Rivers people.
Dennis Naku
Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State has approved the release of N15.6 billion for the payment of outstanding severance gratuities, accommodation, and leave allowances owed to over N3,000 former councillors across the State’s 44 local government areas.
The approved payment covers councillors who served during the periods of 2014–2017, 2018–2020, and 2021–2024 under the administration of former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje. The entitlements, which remained unpaid for years, will now be disbursed in three installments between April and June 2025.
In a statement issued by the Special Adviser on Information to the Governor, Ibrahim Adam, the administration described the move as a corrective measure to address the neglect of past leadership and fulfil a promise to ensure fairness to public office holders.
“The approval of N15.6 billion is in fulfilment of Governor Abba K. Yusuf’s commitment to ensuring that all outstanding entitlements owed to our dedicated public servants are fully paid. It is a matter of principle and justice to uphold the dignity of those who have served in elected positions”, Mr Adam said.
He noted that the financial intervention reflects the governor’s broader vision of governance rooted in fairness, accountability, and public trust.
“His Excellency recognises the sacrifices and dedication of these former councillors. This action is part of a larger effort to right the wrongs of the past and restore faith in public administration,” he added.
Local government officials and affected former councillors have welcomed the decision, describing it as long overdue and a step toward healing the financial frustrations of many grassroots leaders.
Governor Yusuf’s administration, elected on a different political platform than his predecessor, continues to draw commendation for its proactive efforts to resolve inherited liabilities and improve the welfare of public servants.
As the payment schedule begins, it is expected that this intervention will offer financial relief to thousands and stimulate local economic activity across the state.
Politics
Gunmen Disrupt Political Rally In Bayelsa ….As Turnah, Others Emerge New Associates’Leaders
Scores of spectators and political faithful were hospitalised after a yet to be identified gunmen invaded a rally organised by a group loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike and President Bola Tinubu in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.
Part of the activities scheduled to hold at the occasion was the inauguration ceremony of the Bayelsa State chapter of the ‘New Associates’, a pro-Wike political forum.
The Tide which monitored the event reports that trouble started just at the preparatory stages of the event, when the unidentified gunmen launched sporadic gunshots from a farm close to the venue of the event, injuring unsuspecting spectators and party faithful across party lines.
However, calm was restored after a swift intervention by men and officers of the Nigeria Police Force and other security formations which enabled the event to go on as planned.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after restoration of calm, factional South-South zonal Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Chairman, Caretaker Committee of the State’s chapter of the party, Barrister George Turnah, commended security operatives for their timely response.
He noted that the plan of detractors had been defeated as forces loyal to certain individuals in the State never wanted the rally to hold as scheduled.
Turnah, who doubles as Convener of the ‘New Associates’ in the State, commended President Tinubu and Chief Wike for the appointment and facilitating the same for Ijaws across the Niger Delta region.
He said, but for the love of the duo for the Ijaw people of various extractions, the Presidency would not have given preferential political portfolios in the Federal Government’s Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to Ijaws even though the ethnic nationality produces bulk of the natural resources for the economic mainstay of the nation.
The PDP chieftain reiterated that the reason for the event which was attended across party lines was to say ‘thank you’ to the two political leaders, stressing that to ‘whom much is given, much was expected’.
“For me, I’m of the larger opposition party, PDP. But I’ve decided to support and work for President Tinubu for what he is doing for the Ijaw nation, Niger Delta region in particular and Nigeria in general.
“President Tinubu has given Bayelsans and other Ijaws across the Niger Delta region several juicy political appointments. He appointed our brother and son, Heineken Lokpobiri as Minister of Petroleum even though former President Muhammadu Buhari had previously appointed a Bayelsan as Petroleum Minister in his government.
“Apart from the Petroleum Minister, Tinubu has also appointed Ijaw sons, Chief Boma Iyaye as Executive- Director, Finance, and Dr Samuel Ogbuku as Managing-Director and CEO of the Niger Delta Development Commission.
“Though former President Buhari had appointed Ogbuku initially in Acting capacity, when President Tinubu came, even after sacking all board members of the Commission, he still kept our brother, the MD and upon the completion of his tenure in Acting capacity, the President again reappointed him as substantive MD/CEO.
“But there’s one man who has made all these appointments for Ijaws possible. He is the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike. Ijaw people, Bayelsans are we not enjoying these appointments?
“Has the NDDC not lit up the entire Niger Delta region? Are you not feeling the impact of the Ogbuku-led NDDC? So for me and all the members of the New Associates we’ve decided to support President Tinubu for a second tenure so that our state and region can benefit more from his government”, he said.
“We want Governor Douye Diri to tell us his stand on the forthcoming 2027 general election. He should tell us whether he is supporting the President or not. If he’s supporting the President, we’ll work with him. After all, Diri was the first Governor from the South-South zone that benefitted from the President’s magnanimity during the 2023 elections and even in terms of infrastructure projects and appointments of Bayelsans at the Federal level”, Barr Turnah added.
In his remarks, Chairman of the occasion, and leader, Rivers Ijaw Peoples Congress (RIPCO), Senator George Sekibo, lauded President Tinubu and the FCT Minister for their love and friendship with the Ijaw people.
Represented by former Chairman of Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, Dr Roland Sekibo, Senator Sekibo said the ‘New Associates’ political forum was to galvanize support for the President for his 2027 election.
He said while President Tinubu had performed well as Nigeria’s leader, the FCT Minister had continued to show leadership from the federal level after showing the same in Rivers State while serving as governor.
“I like to thank the convener of the ‘New Associates’ political forum in Bayelsa State, Barr. George Turnah (MON) and the Coordinators for standing firm in spite of threats from highly placed political leaders not to hold this event.
“Love is not theoretically, but must be expressed, which explains why they have gathered to celebrate their Excellencies, President Tinubu and Barr. Ezewon Nyesom Wike for the various roles they have played and have continued to play to ensure the appointment of Ijaw sons and daughters to positions of trust and authority at the federal level.
“The ‘New Associates’ is in synergy with President Tinubu and will continue to follow directives from the FCT Minister who has openly declared support for Mr. President”, he said.
Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
The Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party (LP) in Enugu State, Mr Titus Odo, has defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Mr Odo defected to the PDP on Wednesday alongside the former Commissioner for Chieftancy Affairs in the State, Emeka Mamah, who was the state Coordinator of the Peter Obi Presidential Campaign in the 2023 presidential election.
The duo dumped the PDP during the 2023 general elections for the Labour Party.
Receiving the defectors at the party’s state secretariat, the state PDP Chairman, Martin Chukwunwike, expressed happiness over their decision to return to their former party.
He explained that Governor Peter Mbah gave them the directive to do everything possible to bring back aggrieved party members who left the party.
“We are happy to have them in our midst, and God has set this party on a good footing, as 2027 is already assured,” he said.
The PDP chairman, however, called for unity within the party to package themselves ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking during their presentation to the party state chairman, Mr Odo expressed joy for returning to his former party, revealing that Mr Mbah’s massive development in the State informed his decision.
“I am happy to tell you that I am back to my home. I came back because of the giant development strides of Governor Mbah and I say kudos to him.
“The second reason is the defection of my immediate boss, the LP governorship candidate for the 2023 election in Enugu State, Dr Chijioke Edeoga.
“Another reason is that the council chairman in Igboeze North, Mr Uchenna Ogara, is turning the council area into a township,” he said.
Mr Mamah also thanked the PDP leadership in Igboeze North, Enugu North Senatorial zone and the state chapter of the party for receiving him back to the party.
He extolled Mr Mbah for extending hands of fellowship to those who had left the party, saying, “Personally, I am pleased with the performances of our governor.”