Politics

Wike Delivers More Projects

Published

6 years ago

September 16, 2019

The celebration of the first 100 Days of Governor Nyesom Wike’s second term administration dominated activities last week in Government House, Port Harcourt.
The celebration which turned out to be a harvest of projects, kicked off last Monday at Old Port Harcourt Township where three roads: Bonny, Adaka Boro, and Elliot Henry streets were inaugurated by the governor.
At the event, Governor Wike declared the intention of his administration to complete the three proposed flyover bridges in sixteen months time. What this means is that by December 2020, the three flyover bridges at Rumuokoro, Artillery , Garrison would have been completed.
The Bonny, Adaka Boro, and Elliot Henry streets road project span 2.8 km and has gutters on both sides.
Last Tuesday , the celebration train was at Ubima community in Ikwerre Local Government Area where a rebranded Community Secondary School Ubima, was officially inaugurated and the name of the school changed to Government Secondary School, Ubima.
The governor assured that he would continue to deliver key projects across the state through out the period of his second term.
“ For us, we shall continue to deliver projects for our people. Our people will continue to see new projects”, he promised.
Inauguration of the world class Cinema facility at Port Harcourt Pleasure Park took place last Wednesday. The governor while commissioning the facility said it has the latest technology in the entertainment industry .
He urged people of the state and Nigeria at large to patronise the cinema instead of travelling to Europe, US and Dubai because it has the same global quality as the ones in advanced countries.
Last Thursday, Governor Wike led top government officials to Emohua Local Government Area for the funeral service in honour of Late Madam Blessing Awuse, mother of Chief Sergeant Awuse.
Describing the burial as a celebration of life, Wike remarked that the late Madam Blessing Awuse lived a fulfilled life and raised disciplined and trust worthy children..
84 Rivers State recognised traditional rulers received certificate of recognition and staff of office from Governor Wike Friday, at Alfred Diete-Spiff Sports Complex, Port Harcourt.
The 84 traditional rulers cut across the first, second, and third class traditional rulers from the 23 Local Government Areas of the state.
Wike charged them to use their authority to promote peace and to collaborate with the government in fighting crime in the state. He also warned them not to meddle in politics
At the event which was part of the first 100 Days of Governor Wike’s second term administration, the state chief executive charged the traditional rulers to work with the state government to eradicate cultism.
He warned that the state government would not hesitate to withdraw recognition from any traditional ruler using his authority to promote disharmony.
The celebration train landed at Obio/Akpor and Eleme Local Government Areas on Saturday for the commissioning of the Rumukwurusi- Elelenwo- Akpajo Road constructed by Wike’s administration.
Residents of the communities including children, youths , women and religious groups lined up the road singing praise of the governor who intervened when the area was cut off from the rest of the state as a result of the deplorable condition of the road.
Highpoint of the event was the honouring of Wike with the title of EZE OMEKWELI KIMBOM by the people of Elelenwo community in appreciation of his development agenda in the area.
The Nyeweli of Elelenwo, Sunny Weli Chukwu, also declared September 14 of every year as Elelenwo Day as a mark of remembrance of development agenda of Governor Wike.
Within the week under review, the Governing Council of the University of Port Harcourt, led by the Pro Chancellor of the institution, Prof Mvendaga Jibo, paid a courtesy visit to the governor in Government House.
The governor promised to release N200 million to complete the Faculty of Law in the institution and to install electricity and water at the Faculty of Humanities. He directed the state Surveyor General to liaise with the university authorities to map out the land belonging to the university to check encroachment.
Also last week, the committee set up by the state government on private schools approval submitted its report.

Chris Oluoh

Politics

LP Crisis: Ex-NWC Member Dumps Dumps Abure Faction

Published

1 day ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

A former National Organising Secretary of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Clement Ojukwu, has expressed regret that the several legal cases brought against the party since the 2023 general elections have impacted the party’s performance.

Mr Ojukwu, who recently returned to the interim National Working Committee led by Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, noted that the party had 34 elected members in the House of Representatives, eight Senators, and 80 members at the state Houses of Assembly after the 2023 general elections.

“Now we lost all of them,” he said. “I don’t think we have as many as five members in the National Assembly.”

The former national officer of the LP talked to journalists in Abuja and said he chose to join the caretaker committee led by Senator Nenadi-Usman because they are now the officially recognized leaders of the Party.

“I chose to work with the caretaker committee to help save the Labour Party, for the benefit of the party. I also want to use this chance to ask my colleagues at the national, state, and local government levels to come together and help rebuild our party.

“Another election is around the corner. We lost everything we have. They have left to other political parties. So I’ll reach out to all my friends in the other group to get together and work on making this party stronger again.

“The caretaker committee has formed a reconciliation committee. Let’s come together and talk so that we can restore the first opposition political party in Nigeria.”

Mr Ojukwu, who was part of the Julius Abure’s group, said there are no more factions in the LP.

He added, “There is a court ruling, and since it is valid, the right people are in the correct positions.”

He urged Barr Abure and others to drop the legal cases they have filed because they are not helping the party.

“Litigations are killing political parties”, he said. “They’ve seen many political parties disappear because of legal battles, and the Labor Party is losing support every day, which makes me feel sad.”

Mr Ojukwu said he did not think joining the Senator Nenadi-Usman’s NWC was a betrayal of the Abure group, describing himself as “the oxygen” of that faction.

“I’m with this group because of the verdict. But I never betrayed anybody. Rather, I was betrayed,” he added.

Politics

2027: NIGERIANS FAULT INEC ON DIGITAL MEMBERSHIP REGISTER DIRECTIVE

Published

1 day ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

A number of Nigerians have strongly criticized the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its directive to all political parties in the country to submit digitalized membership register within 32 days.

It would be recalled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following it’s reversed timetable, directed all political parties in the country to submit their digitalized membership registers within 32 days.

Speaking on the reversed timetable in an interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt, respondents said the directive amounted to disqualifying opposition political parties from fielding candidates in all the elections next year.

They said if the directives by the commission is implemented, only the All Progressives Congress (APC) would participate in the elections since it started it’s digital membership registration since February, last year.

Responding, an elder statesman in Rivers State, Chief Sunnie Chukumele, said the revised timetable was okay, but the timeframe for submission of digital membership register was being made at the wrong time.

Chief Chukumele said, for the past two years, all opposition political parties have been battling various issues in court, adding that they did not have the time to embark on membership drive, talk less of digitalizing their membership registers.

“My reaction is that the only issue with this revised timetable is the timeframe given by INEC for parties to submit digitalize memberships register in all the states of the federation, while giving notice of Congresses and convention. That is not possible”, he said.

He said only the ruling APC is likely to meet up with the directive, since it began its registration since last year.

Chief Chukumele, who is also the National Coordinator of Coalition of Rivers State Leaders of Thought (CORSLOT), alleged that the directive of the electoral body may have been targeted to prevent other parties from fielding candidates for the elections next year.

“When you say all the parties should submit digitalized registers of membership in 32 days, how will that be possible to conclude it in 32 days”, he queried.

He noted that “APC used one year ago to do, so APC has one year in the kitty plus 30 days. This is highly regrettable”.

The CORSLOT national leader urged the election umpire to do away with stringent conditions that will make it hard for opposition political parties to field candidates in the elections.

Also speaking, Mr Jacob Enware from Edo State queried the rationale behind the directive, especially when some opposition political parties are still having cases in court.

In his words, ”What opposition political parties are you talking about, is Labour Party not in court or PDP that is yet to resolve their issues?

”For me, INEC should provide a level playing field for all, because aside the APC, no party can meet up this criteria.”

In his own response, Mr Nathaniel Ebere said he was not prepared to vote for anybody whether INEC provides a level playing field or not.

He alleged that his vote would not count, “so I will not waste my time”.

By: John Bibor

Politics

IT’S A LIE, G-5 GOVS DIDN’T WIN ELECTION FOR TINUBU – SOWUNMI

Published

1 day ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Convener of The Alternative, Otunba Segun Sowunmi, has expressed reservations about the political stance of Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, while calling for reconciliation among key party figures.

Otunba Sowunmi made the remarks during a television interview on Saturday, when asked about the relationship between Gov. Makinde and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike.

He said, “I don’t believe Seyi Makinde. Because I know them all. I’ve been in this party since it was registered. And I’ve been loyal, faithful, diligent with this party from the get-go, and I’ve never left.”

He underscored his longstanding commitment to the PDP, referencing prominent figures who had exited the party at different times: “I’ve had the grace, and the honor, and the dignity of watching even my father, Obasanjo, shed his card. As much as I love him, I didn’t leave the party”.

He added, “I’ve had the privilege of watching my beloved senior brother, Governor Gbenga Daniel, leave the party a few times. As much as I respect his vision and his ideas, I’ve never left. I’ve watched my former principal, Atiku Abubakar, leave a few times. I’ve never left.”

Otunba Sowunmi stressed that his comments were rooted in deep involvement with the party: “So when I talk about PDP, I’m not talking as an outsider, I’m talking as one of their totems, who was actually carrying them.”

He disclosed that he wrote to Makinde during the governor’s last birthday, urging reconciliation among a bloc of five governors who had formed a movement during the 2023 elections.

“At Governor Seyi Makinde’s last birthday, I wrote him a letter where I tried to say, look, you guys, the five of you, succeeded to the extent of creating a movement of your own”, he said.

He added, “And you fought very hard to make a point in the 2023 election. Although I don’t believe you won the election for the president, that’s a lie. They contributed, but I hate when people take the glory of other people’s work.”

Otunba Sowunmi warned that unresolved differences among the group could weaken the party: “You guys, you must go back to your four friends, your five friends, and you guys go and sort it out. Because not sorting it out with your five friends is going to leave the party worse off.”

He added, “But now that you’re fighting, or you’re not agreeing with yourselves, why don’t you go back to that same energy that allowed you to agree, so that you can use that energy inside to agree, and then we can lead the party.”