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Outrage As Army Clamps Down On PDP Chieftains …Women Protest Arrest Of Wike’s Liaison Officers …PDP Demands Release Of Commissioner, Others
The Rivers State Government has accused the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and the General Officer Commanding 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Maj-Gen Jamil Sarham, of masterminding the mass arrest of innocent Nigerians and prominent members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
The government alleged that the essence of the arrests was to precipitate crisis and cause the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to postpone the elections in Rivers State.
It also alleged that the minister planned to use the vacuum created by the absence of the arrested leaders to rig the governorship election and force a candidate of his choice against the will of the people.
The state government made these accusations in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Barrister Emma Okah, following the arrest of the state Commissioner for Education, Dr Tamunosisi Gogo-Jaja and his family by soldiers, last Wednesday evening in Port Harcourt.
“We have been saying it repeatedly that the minister of transportation has been commanding the Army in Port Harcourt to do unprofessional things and the crisis are spreading.
“He has been boasting that he has brought soldiers from Sokoto and other states to carry out his political agenda of disrupting or rigging elections on Saturday,” the statement added.
According to the statement, “any arrested person would be kept behind bars till after the governorship elections in the state.
“A lot of prominent persons have been pencilled down for arrest. Some of them are, former governor of Rivers State, Sir Celestine Omehia; former deputy speaker of House of Representatives, Rt Hon Austin Opara; state PDP Chairman, Bro Felix Obuah; elder statesman and former chairman of UBA, Chief Ferdinand Anabraba; Sen Olaka Nwogu; Chief Sergeant Awuse; Sen Lee Maeba; former sports minister, Dr Tammy Danagogo; former transport minister, Dr Abiye Sekibo; former Nigerian Ambassador to South Korea, Amb Desmond Akawor; Prince Emma Anyanwu; the Secretary to the State Government, Sir Kenneth Kobani; Ejor N. Ejor, Prof Blessing Didia, members of Rivers State House of Assembly; PDP candidates and National Assembly members-elect; Alabo David Briggs, all commissioners and special advisers; local government council chairmen, Sen Thompson Sekibo, Chief Adokiye Amiesimaka, etc.
“In the light of this development, the government calls on all PDP members not to be cowed by this development but be vigilant and resist arrest by these people,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, hundreds of women have staged a protest in Rivers State following the arrest of Nathan Menabere, the liaison officer of Governor NyesomWike, in Ogu and six other members of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in Ogu, Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area of the state, by alleged military men.
The protesters, who appeared in black attires with placards bearing several inscriptions such as, ‘Army Release Our Innocent Brothers’, ‘Stop Raping the Peace of Ogu’, ‘We Say no to intimidation, ‘Oh! Security Agencies, Why the Intimidation?’ demanded the immediate release of the arrested persons. Speaking, leader of the protesting women, Mrs. Christiana Tamunobereton-Ari, disclosed that the military personnel invaded the area around 1:00am, yesterday, broke into homes and picked their victims.
Tamunobereton-Ari, who is the Vice Chairman of the LGA, alleged that the development was political, wondering why there should be arrest when there was peace in the area.
She said: “We are here to let the nation know what is happening in Ogu. We are a peaceful community. Last night some military men came into our community and picked some of our people.
“They broke into their houses and arrested them. They did not even report to the security agencies in our place. As it stands, over seven people have been arrested.
“We are condemning this act of intimidation and we call on the military to stop this unlawful arrested and release our people.”
Meanwhile, Mrs. Fyne Nathan, wife of one of the arrested persons, narrated that the military men invade their home and forced her to open the house door on gunpoint.
In her words: “The military men came to our house while we were sleeping, around 1:00am. They knocked the door and we refused to open the door, because we don’t know who was knocking.
“We asked whom they were, they said they were military men, and I refused to open the door, because it is late in the night. One of the military men opened the window glass and pointed his gun at me to open the door.
“When they entered, they arrested my husband. They broke his head and forced him to follow them. He asked then what his offence was but they shut him up. I am calling on them to bring back my husband.”
However, the Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called for the immediate release of the state Commissioner for Education, Dr. Tamunosisi Gogo-Jaja, his family members and the state Co-coordinator of Arise Nigeria, Hon. Benjamin Diri, who were allegedly arrested by the Nigerian Army, 6 Division, Port Harcourt.
A statement by the PDP Rivers State, signed by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Rivers State PDP Chairman, Bro. Felix Obuah, Jerry Needam, said Gogo-Jaja with his family and other members of his household were whisked away by a fleet of fierce-looking soldiers who stormed his GRA Phase 3 residence by about 2pm, last Wednesday.
The statement regretted that the military in Rivers have not only usurped the responsibility of the police but have also “been dragged into full-time politics by some anti-democratic elements and enemies of the people,” describing the development as very unfortunate.
The state PDP wondered “what could be the offence committed by the state education commissioner, his wife and children that the Army would abandon their primary duty of protecting the Nigerian territory against external invasion to carrying out the function of the police.”
The PDP said the action of the soldiers of the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army was politically motivated.
“The Army,” the state PDP noted, “should realize that their integrity is at stake as elections will come and go but the Army remains as a national institution.”
Meanwhile, huge protest hit the state, yesterday, as hundreds of women demonstrated on the streets following the arrest of the liaison officer of Governor Nyesom Wike, in Ogu, Nathan Menabere, and six other members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogu, Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area of the state, by alleged military men.
The protesters, who appeared in black attires with placards bearing several inscriptions such as, ‘Army Release Our Innocent Brothers’, ‘Stop Raping the Peace of Ogu’, ‘We Say no to Intimidation, ‘Oh! Security Agencies, Why the Intimidation?’, demanded the immediate release of the arrested persons.
Speaking, leader of the protesting women, Mrs. Christiana Tamunobereton-Ari, disclosed that the military personnel invaded the area around 1:00am, yesterday, broke into homes and picked their victims.
Tamunobereton-Ari, who is the vice chairman of the LGA, alleged that the development was political, wondering why there should be arrest when there was peace in the area.
She said: “We are here to let the nation know what is happening in Ogu. We are a peaceful community. Last night some military men came into our community and picked some of our people.
“They broke into their houses and arrested them. They did not even report to the security agencies in our place. As it stands, over seven people have been arrested.
“We are condemning this act of intimidation and we call on the military to stop this unlawful arrested and release our people.”
In her remarks, wife of one of the arrested persons, Mrs. Fyne Nathan, narrated that the military men invade their home and forced her to open the house door on gunpoint.
She said, “The military men came to our house while we were sleeping, around 1:00am. They knocked the door and we refused to open the door, because we don’t know who was knocking.
“We asked whom they were, they said they were military men, and I refused to open the door, because it is late in the night. One of the military men opened the window glass and pointed his gun at me to open the door.
“When they entered, they arrested my husband. They broke his head and forced him to follow them. He asked then what his offence was but they shut him up. I am calling on them to bring back my husband.”
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, has dissolved the State Executive Council.
The governor announced the cabinet dissolution yesterday in a statement titled ‘Government Special Announcement’, signed by his new Chief Press Secretary, Onwuka Nzeshi.
Governor Fubara directed all Commissioners and Special Advisers to hand over to the Permanent Secretaries or the most Senior officers in their Ministries with immediate effect.
He thanked the outgoing members of the State Executive Council for their service and wished them the best in their future endeavours.
The three-paragraph special announcement read, “His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, Governor of Rivers State, has dissolved the State Executive Council.
“His Excellency, the Governor, has therefore directed all Commissioners and Special Advisers to hand over to the Permanent Secretaries or the most Senior officers in their Ministries with immediate effect.
“His Excellency further expresses his deepest appreciation to the outgoing members of the Executive Council wishing them the best in their future endeavours.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday told the National Assembly that it requires N873.78bn to conduct the 2027 general elections, even as it seeks N171bn to fund its operations in the 2026 fiscal year.
INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, made the disclosure while presenting the commission’s 2026 budget proposal and the projected cost for the 2027 general elections before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Matters in Abuja.
According to Amupitan, the N873.78bn election budget covers the full conduct of national polls in 2027.
An additional N171bn is needed to support INEC’s routine activities in 2026, including bye-elections and off-season elections, the commission stated.
The INEC boss said the proposed election budget does not include a fresh request from the National Youth Service Corps seeking increased allowances for corps members engaged as ad-hoc staff during elections.
He explained that, although the details of specific line items were not exhaustively presented, the almost N1tn election budget is structured across five major components.
“N379.75bn is for operational costs, N92.32bn for administrative costs, N209.21bn for technological costs, N154.91bn for election capital costs and N42.61bn for miscellaneous expenses,” Amupitan said.
The INEC chief noted that the budget was prepared “in line with Section 3(3) of the Electoral Act 2022, which mandates the Commission to prepare its election budget at least one year before the general election.”
On the 2026 fiscal year, Amupitan disclosed that the Ministry of Finance provided an envelope of N140bn, stressing, however, that “INEC is proposing a total expenditure of N171bn.”
The breakdown includes N109bn for personnel costs, N18.7bn for overheads, N42.63bn for election-related activities and N1.4bn for capital expenditure.
He argued that the envelope budgeting system is not suitable for the Commission’s operations, noting that INEC’s activities often require urgent and flexible funding.
Amupitan also identified the lack of a dedicated communications network as a major operational challenge, adding that if the commission develops its own network infrastructure, Nigerians would be in a better position to hold it accountable for any technical glitches.
Speaking at the session, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) said external agencies should not dictate the budgeting framework for INEC, given the unique and sensitive nature of its mandate.
He advocated that the envelope budgeting model should be set aside.
He urged the National Assembly to work with INEC’s financial proposal to avoid future instances of possible underfunding.
In the same vein, a member of the House of Representatives from Edo State, Billy Osawaru, called for INEC’s budget to be placed on first-line charge as provided in the Constitution, with funds released in full and on time to enable the Commission to plan early enough for the 2027 general election.
The Joint Committee approved a motion recommending the one-time release of the Commission’s annual budget.
The committee also said it would consider the NYSC’s request for about N32bn to increase allowances for corps members to N125,000 each when engaged for election duties.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Simon Along, assured that the National Assembly would work closely with the Commission to ensure it receives the necessary support for the successful conduct of the 2027 general elections.
Similarly, the Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Bayo Balogun, also pledged legislative support, warning INEC to be careful about promises it might be unable to keep.
He recalled that during the 2023 general election, INEC made strong assurances about uploading results to the INEC Result Viewing portal, creating the impression that results could be monitored in real time.
“iREV was not even in the Electoral Act; it was only in INEC regulations. So, be careful how you make promises,” Balogun warned.
The N873.78bn proposed by INEC for next year’s general election is a significant increase from the N313.4bn released to the Commission by the Federal Government for the conduct of the 2023 general election.
President Bola Tinubu yesterday expressed grief over the death of a former President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities and one of Africa’s foremost literary scholars, Professor Emeritus Biodun Jeyifo.
Jeyifo passed away on Wednesday, drawing tributes from across Nigeria and the global academic community.
In a condolence message to the family, friends, and associates of the late scholar, Tinubu in a statement by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, described Jeyifo as a towering intellectual whose contributions to African literature, postcolonial studies, and cultural theory left an enduring legacy.
He noted that the late professor would be sorely missed for his incisive criticism and masterful interpretations of the works of Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka.
The President also recalled Jeyifo’s leadership of ASUU, praising the temperance, foresight, and wisdom he brought to the union over the years.
Tinubu said Jeyifo played a key role in shaping negotiation frameworks with the government aimed at improving working conditions for university staff and enhancing the learning environment in Nigerian universities.
According to the President, Professor Jeyifo’s longstanding advocacy for academic freedom and social justice will continue to inspire generations.
He added that the late scholar’s influence extended beyond academia into political and cultural journalism, where he served as a mentor to numerous scholars, writers, and activists.
Tinubu condoled with ASUU, the Nigerian Academy of Letters, the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, the University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University, Oberlin University, Cornell University, and Harvard University—institutions where Jeyifo studied, taught, or made significant scholarly contributions.
“Nigeria and the global academic community have lost a towering figure and outstanding global citizen,” the President said.
“Professor Biodun Jeyifo was an intellectual giant who dedicated his entire life to knowledge production and the promotion of human dignity. I share a strong personal relationship with him. His contributions to literary and cultural advancement and to society at large will be missed.”
Jeyifo was widely regarded as one of Africa’s most influential literary critics and public intellectuals. Among several honours, he received the prestigious W.E.B. Du Bois Medal in 2019.
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