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Rivers Guber Poll: Stakeholders Hail AAC’s Dep Gov’s Defection To PDP …No Man’s Interest Bigger Than Rivers -Wike
Stakeholders in Rivers State have applauded the defection of the former Deputy Governorship candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Chief Akpo Bomba Yeeh to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus described the defection as a welcome development, which will help Rivers State move forward.
He said: “This is a welcome development. This is what a normal situation is supposed to be. The people will see the reason why we must work together. This is an uncommon decision. You have taken a wise decision because you have the interest of the people at heart”.
Secondus called on INEC to bring the Rivers election to a logical conclusion, so that the people can continue with their lives.
He called on the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and other persons working with him to see reason why they should stop destabilising the state and causing confusion.
Secondus called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to douse the tension in Rivers State by concluding all electoral processes in the state, while also advising Amaechi to allow peace to reign in Rivers State.
“I call on the INEC to as quickly as possible bring to a logical end this election and announce the result, so that the people can go back to work, so that people can live freely and move freely. There is heavy tension in Rivers State because of the inconclusive election.
“We want also to ask our brothers, who are on the other side, especially the Minister for Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, let him find reason why he must stop to cause confusion and destabilize our state, so that the people can live happily,” the PDP national chairman added.
In his remarks, Rivers State PDP Chairman, Bro Felix Obuah said the former AAC deputy governorship candidate has searched his conscience and decided to work with the PDP to develop the state.
The AAC Governorship Candidate, Engineer Biokpomabo Awara while speaking to The Tide in a telephone interview stated that he was yet to receive Akpo Bomba Yeeh’s resignation letter, adding that his running mate never mentioned to him about his intention to resign or defect to PDP.
He said he only saw the news of his deputy’s resignation on the social media.
Speaking to newsmen in Port Harcourt, last Monday, the Director of Information and Communications of the PDP Campaign Council, Barrister Emma Okah, in a statement, said that “although the defection of Yeeh is beneficial to PDP, but does not change the fact that the PDP overwhelmingly won the March 9 Governorship election in Rivers State.”
Okah, who doubles as the Rivers State commissioner for Information and Communications, stressed that “Yeeh is a respected elder from Ogoni Kingdom, and his action by removing himself from being used to destabilize Rivers State and cause pains to the people is commendable.”
He said: “The allegation that Governor Wike gave AAC’s deputy governorship candidate (Yeeh) N200million is not correct, it is untrue and it is absolute nonsense.
“Chief Yeeh is a respected elder from Ogoni Kingdom and his action by removing himself from being used to destabilise Rivers State and cause pain to the people is commendable.
“Everything is not about money, as there are lots of good people around.
“We should commend him (Yeeh) for taking the bold and historic step, instead of calling him names.
“Future generations of our people will remember the moral lesson of his present actions”, Okah added.
The African Action Congress (AAC) Deputy Governorship Candidate in Rivers State, Akpo Bomba Yeeh has said that the huge burden on his conscience informed his decision to withdraw his candidature, resign from the party and also defect to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Speaking to newsmen while announcing his resignation from the AAC, last Monday, in Port Harcourt, Yeeh further alleged that the desperate attempt by the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, and the APC/AAC alliance to rig the Rivers State Governorship and House of Assembly elections against all morally acceptable standards informed his decision not to toe the path of illegality.
Yeeh said: “After due consultation with my immediate family, friends and supporters, I, Chief Akpo Bomba Yeeh, the deputy governorship candidate of the AAC for the 2019 Governorship Election, hereby resign my membership of the AAC and announce my defection to the PDP to join hands with Governor Nyesom Wike to move the state forward”.
He added: “I was the deputy governorship candidate of the AAC in Rivers State up till today, 25th March, 2019, when I decided to withdraw my candidature and resign from the party with immediate effect.”
Yeeh said: “Today, I am in your midst to declare my defection to the PDP. Governor Wike is a man of vision. He is a man of compassion. It is his compassion that endears him to the people of Rivers State. I choose to identify with him to move the state forward”.
Yeeh informed Wike that he has officially withdrawn his candidacy of AAC.
“I officially announce the withdrawal of my candidacy for the AAC. My loyalty is with the PDP. I cannot afford to leave the fast lane and go to the slow lane”, he said.
He added that as retired security personnel, he would work with Wike to promote the security of the state.
“The March 9, Governorship election in Rivers State has been lost and won; lost by my party, African Action Congress (AAC) and its candidate, Engineer Biokpomabo Awara, and undoubtedly and overwhelmingly won by the Governor of Rivers State, the candidate of PDP, Nyesom Wike”.
He said that despite the interference of the security agencies, Rivers people stood their ground and voted for Wike.
Yeeh said: “The collated results further show that contrary to the false claim of fictitious lead by the AAC/APC alliance, the PDP overwhelmingly won all the elections in 18 out of the 19 LGAs, culminating in the declaration and return of the party’s candidates for the 26 House of Assembly Constituencies by the Returning Officers.
He said that though the AAC campaign was never serious and never campaigned for the office of the position of governor of Rivers State, Amaechi during the adoption of the party, said that he would fund the elections and do everything under the sun to give AAC victory at the polls.
Yeeh said: “Amaechi disclosed to us that he had already assembled security personnel drawn from the Nigerian Army, the Police, DSS and FSARS to provide adequate security cover and enablement for members of the AAC and APC to effectively rig the governorship election and have us declared as winners on March 9, 2019”.
He stated that the adoption and promise to deliver AAC was with conditions that conferred de facto governance on the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.
Yeeh outlined the conditions: “First, he (Amaechi) must be the one to appoint 90 per cent of all political office holders, including commissioners, special advisers, and chairmen and members of government agencies and parastatals.
“Second, he must be the one to nominate and produce all the 23 local government council chairmen and other principal officers of the councils.
“We, that is, Engr Awara and my humble self, must consult and take instructions from him on all financial, policy and fiscal matters, as well as award and payment of all contracts and other financial transactions upon inauguration as governor and deputy governor of the state”.
He added: “As a practicing Christian, I have come to the conclusion that the actions and desperate attempts by Amaechi and the AAC/APC alliance to rig the Governorship and State Assembly elections in Rivers State are both morally and legally wrong, reprehensible and inimical to the collective interest of the people of Rivers State.
“The Almighty God will not forgive me if I continue to lend my support to Rotimi Amaechi’s perfidy against the democratic rights of the people of Rivers State to freely elect their own leaders”.
He condemned the minister for unleashing violence on Rivers people in his failed attempt to rig the 2019 Rivers Governorship election.
The former deputy governorship candidate of AAC stated that he has informed Engr Awara in writing of his withdrawal and resignation from the governorship race and the AAC.
He showed a copy of the letter, indicating, “I write to most respectfully notify you of my resignation from the membership of the African Action Congress (AAC) with effect from today, 25 March, 2019, and subsequent defection to the Peoples Democratic Party.
He also alleged that the adoption and promise to deliver AAC was with conditions that would have made Minister for Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, the de facto governor, as according to him, Amaechi would have been responsible for all appointments, contracts, and awards just as the government would be taking orders from the minister.
“Giving Rotimi Amaechi his unconcealed desperation to remove Nyesom Ezenwon Wike from office and install his stooge in the person of Engr Awara against all odds,” he added.
While receiving Yeeh, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike declared that no one man’s interest is bigger than the state’s, declaring that all leaders must work together to move Rivers State forward.
Speaking during a solidarity visit by the former African Action Congress (AAC) Deputy Governorship Candidate, Chief Akpo Bomba Yeeh at the Government House, Port Harcourt, last Monday, Wike said history will be kind to the former AAC deputy governorship candidate for placing Rivers interest above personal consideration.
Wike received the former AAC deputy governorship candidate alongside PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, Rivers State PDP Chairman, Bro Felix Obuah, former Rivers State Governor, Sir Celestine Omehia, Senator-elect, Barry Mpigi and other leaders of Rivers State.
Wike said: “History will be on your side. You have shown that the interest of the state is above personal consideration. God will not only protect you, He will reward you for this decision.
“Rivers State is the only state we have. Everyone must work together to move this state forward. It is important to take this state to greater heights.
“It is not everyone that can take this kind of decision. It requires maturity to take this kind of decision”.
The governor said all leaders of Rivers State irrespective of their political affiliations must work in unity to develop the state.
Wike said: “All of us must work together in order to forge ahead. No one man’s interest is bigger than that of the state”.
He welcomed the Rivers State deputy governorship candidate into PDP, noting that he will be part of the group to consolidate the development of the state.
“You are welcome to the party that will move the state forward. Those on the other side must understand that you cannot kill people, just to be in power. With this bold decision, our brothers on the other side know that the end has come”, he said.
“All of us, who are from this state, we have no other state to go to. We only have one state and that is Rivers State and so every one of us must work together to see that we move the state forward. Today, deputy governorship candidate of the opposition party having seen the circumstances and everything decided to withdraw and even defect to the Peoples Democratic Party it is not everybody that can take such a decision, it requires maturity as so many people will say a lot of things, but no doubt what you have done is for the interest of this state.”
Wike thanked the former AAC deputy governorship candidate for refusing to allow himself to be a tool for the destabilisation of the state.
Meanwhile, the Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned the suit filed last Wednesday, by the Rivers State Governorship candidate of the AAC, Engineer Biokpomabo Awara, claiming that he was the winner of the March 9, 2019 election.
Justice Eyang Ekpo adjourned the case, last Monday, to tomorrow for hearing.
Fubara gave the charge on Wednesday while declaring open the 126th, 127th and 128th Combined Quarterly Meeting of the Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council, in Port Harcourt.
The governor said the primary function of traditional rulers is to administer justice and ensure fairness, saying their conduct must not lead to division and unmanageable crises.
“Let me therefore, request, if that is the right word to use, that please, as we are entering into this political season actively, everyone should ensure that your conduct promoted peace in your place. Your actions should not be what would lead to the division and multiple crisis that we cannot manage as a government.
“I think with that, we can all live as one and we can also continue to make this progress that we are trying with all our mind, our body and our soul, to ensure that we deliver to our dear State,” he said.
Fubara urged the royal fathers to abide by the oath and constitution they swore to before ascending their respective stools, in the interest of stability and progress of the State.
He also enjoined them to set aside individual sentiments and place the interest of Rivers State above personal considerations, noting that this principle has guided his own day-to-day governance of the State.
“I want to enjoin everyone to keep aside issues of individual sentiments and ensure that the interest of our state supersedes whatever thing that we have in our mind. This is not just what I’m saying here, it is what I’ve also practiced and displayed in my day-to-day life in the governance of our dear State,” he said.
On the appeal for improved welfare for traditional rulers, the governor clarified that the delay in actualising some of the requests they made in the past was not from the government but from the inability of the Council to put its house in order.
Fubara explained that the issue of stipends paid to the traditional rulers by the local government councils, was a statutory benefit provided for in the constitution and not what a state governor can change by mere verbal pronouncements.
He assured that he remains a man of his word and will fulfill his promises to the traditional rulers before leaving office, next year.
He reaffirmed his respect for the traditional institution as custodians of culture and the closest link to the people, thanking them for their prayers and support.
The governor urged the royal fathers to ensure that the combined quarterly meeting featured fruitful deliberations that will strengthen peace and development in the State.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers and Paramount Ruler of Apara Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Eze Chike Amadi Worlu Wodo, expressed profound gratitude to the State Government for its efforts in maintaining a cordial relationship with the traditional institution.
Wodo highlighted the importance of traditional rulers in conflict resolution, noting that their closeness to the people places them in a strategic position to mediate in disputes involving chieftaincy matters, family disputes and land ownership in their respective communities.
The royal father drew the attention of the State Government to some challenges affecting the performance of the traditional institution, particularly the lack of official utility vehicles and logistical support needed to discharge its responsibilities effectively.
He also appealed for improved monthly stipends and better welfare provisions to reflect prevailing economic realities.
The Airbus A330-200 carrying the president took off at 2:20 pm local time, yesterday.
Tinubu was seen off at the airport by the Governors of Kwara, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; Borno, Babagana Zulum; Kaduna, Uba Sani; Sokoto, Ahmad Aliyu; Jigawa, Umar Namadi; and Yobe, Mai Mala Buni.
Also present were the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume; the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi; and Nigeria’s Ambassador to Mexico, Reno Omokri, alongside other government officials.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, had revealed this in a statement signed Wednesday titled ‘President Tinubu departs Abuja for Makkah to pray for the nation.’
According to the statement, the visit will afford the President an opportunity for spiritual reflection, devotion, and prayers for Nigeria’s peace, unity, stability, and continued progress.
“While in Makkah, President Tinubu will perform the religious rites associated with Umrah, seeking Allah’s guidance and blessings for Nigeria and its people,” the statement said.
Before departing Abuja, Tinubu commissioned some equipment acquired by the Nigerian Air Force for its operations at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
The President is expected to return to the country next week after completing the spiritual exercise.
Thursday’s visit to Makkah marks the second time Tinubu is performing Umrah since assuming office.
The President had previously visited the holy city in November 2023, shortly after the Saudi-African Summit held in Riyadh, where he also prayed for divine guidance in leading Nigeria.
The trip to Saudi Arabia is the latest in a series of foreign engagements by the President since he was sworn in on May 29, 2023.
Tinubu has visited more than 30 countries in over 50 unique and recurrent trips.
They include countries across Africa, Europe, Asia, the Americas, and the Middle East, including France, the United Kingdom, the United States, China, India, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Senegal, and several others, on a combination of bilateral, multilateral, and diplomatic assignments.
Meanwhile, Tinubu has unveiled PenCare, a national healthcare initiative designed to provide free medical services to pensioners, beginning with low-income retirees.
Tinubu, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, at the opening of the National Pension Week in Abuja, yesterday, said the initiative formed part of his administration’s welfare package for senior citizens.
PenCare is designed as a national retiree well-being programme aimed at improving access to essential healthcare, particularly for pensioners with limited financial resources.
In his address, themed “Pensions for All: Building a Secure Future Together,” the President said a strong pension system was both a social protection necessity and a pillar of economic transformation under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
He said the pension system could also mobilise long-term domestic savings, deepen financial markets and support productive investments.
Tinubu described pensions as an obligation to workers who had served the country, rather than a favour from the government.
“A pension is not a favour granted by Government. It is a wage earned, deferred and held in trust. It is a promise. And this Administration has resolved that the promise will be kept,” he said.
He added that the success of the pension system should be measured by the security and dignity it provided retirees, rather than the volume of funds accumulated.
“Above all, no Nigerian who has served this nation will be forgotten in retirement. Nigeria will keep faith with those who kept faith with Nigeria,” he said.
The President said his administration had taken steps to restore dignity, security and value to the Contributory Pension Scheme.
He also said he had approved a N758 billion Federal Government Pension Bond to settle accrued pension rights and strengthen the Pension Protection Fund.
“That was not an accounting exercise. It was an act of restitution to Nigerians who served their country and were made to wait for what they had earned,” Tinubu said.
Meanwhile, the Director-General of the National Pension Commission (PenCom), Omolola Oloworaran, has insisted that the June 30, 2027 deadline for pension fund administrators and custodians to complete their recapitalisation remains unchanged.
Oloworaran said the exercise was necessary to strengthen institutions responsible for safeguarding the retirement savings of millions of Nigerian workers.
“We are not changing our minds. The industry must move beyond the growth in pension assets to building institutions strong enough to safeguard the savings of millions of Nigerian workers.
“Size is what we have achieved. Strength is what we now demand,” she said.
The Rivers State Government has called on stakeholders, community leaders, parents and relevant education authorities to intensify efforts to identify and enrol out-of-school children across Nigeria, stressing that every child deserves access to quality and inclusive education.
Governor Siminalayi Fubara made the call, yesterday, during the regional campaign on engaging community structures to promote the enrolment of out-of-school children and the regional flag-off of the 2026/2027 enrolment drive for southern states, held in Port Harcourt.
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Dagogo Wokoma, Governor Fubara reaffirmed that education remains a fundamental pillar of sustainable development and emphasised the need to ensure that no child is left behind because of economic hardship, social background or other barriers to schooling.
He noted that expanding access to education was essential to promoting sustainable development, social inclusion and equal opportunities, enabling children to reach their full potential and contribute meaningfully to society.
The governor urged participating states and communities to translate their commitments into concrete and measurable actions by reaching vulnerable children, strengthening community engagement and encouraging parents and guardians to make their children’s education a priority.
He reiterated the state government’s commitment to initiatives aimed at expanding access to education, particularly for children excluded from formal schooling.
“Rivers State remains committed to supporting initiatives that expand access to inclusive and quality education, particularly for vulnerable children who may have missed the opportunity to attend formal schools,” Fubara stressed.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Aisha Garba, described the growing number of out-of-school children as one of the major challenges confronting the education sector.
She called for a collective and collaborative approach among governments, communities, parents and other stakeholders to address the problem, stressing the need to ensure that no Nigerian child is denied the fundamental right to education.
The programme was organised by the Universal Basic Education Commission in collaboration with the Rivers State Government, as part of efforts to strengthen community participation and promote school enrolment across the southern states for the 2026/2027 academic session.
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