Politics

Heed Calls For Restructuring, True Federalism, Wike Urges Buhari

Published

5 years ago

November 30, 2020

The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to heed the calls from various geopolitical zones of the country for restructuring and true Federalism so as to douse brewing tension in the country.

Governor Wike gave the advice last week when he featured as a guest on Channels Television programme, Sunrise Daily monitored from Port Harcourt.

He said stakeholders in South-South and other geopolitical zones that met with the delegation led by Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari had expressed their grievances which must be genuinely addressed.

Noting that stakeholders in the South-South, on Tuesday in Port Harcourt ventilated their expectations, Governor Wike said what was required was the political will by the President to implement the demands.

He advised President Buhari that whenever the National Assembly carries out constitutional amendment as it concerns restructuring, true Federalism and Resource Control, he should be courageous enough to assent to it.

The victory of Rivers State Government Against the Dutch Oil Shell at the Supreme Court last Friday, was a major source of joy last week in Brick House.The apex court, last Friday affirmed the state’s acquisition of 45 per cent equity stake in OML 11 and the Kidney Island, Port Harcourt.

Recall that the Supreme Court had in January 2019, upheld the judgement of the Court of Appeal, which awarded N17 Billion damages against Shell for a devastating oil spill that ravaged farmlands, rivers, and streams in Ejama-Ebubu in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State decades ago.

In July 2019, Shell which was the operator of the OML11 and Kidney Island Port Harcourt, filed a suit at the Supreme Court to set aside it’s earlier judgement on the ground that the appellate court did not go into the merit of their appeal before upholding the decision of the Court of Appeal.

But the Supreme Court, in a unanimous judgement prepared by Justice Centus Nweze and delivered by Justice Samuel Oseji, asserted that the appeal filed by Shell was frivolous and lacked merit.

Another major event in Brick House in within the week under review was the courtesy visit by a delegation of Chiefs, Elders and Women leaders of Opobo led by the Amayanabo of Opobo Kingdom, King Dandeson Douglas-Jaja.

The visit was to inform that Governor and also invite him to be their Special Guest of Honour at the planned Opobo Kingdom Sesquicentenary celebration billed to hold between 24th and 28th December, 2020.

King Jaja who also is the Chairman, Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers said the people of Opobo Kingdom have lined up several activities to celebrate Opobo Kingdom as they mark 150 years of it’s establishment.

The Governor directed the State Surveyor-General to commence surveying and measuring of the land recently reclaimed by the Rivers State Government in Opobo kingdom so that the land can be allocated to the benefitting families.

He commended the Amayanabo and the people of Opobo Kingdom for being very supportive to his administration and urged them not to relent.

Governor Wike underscored the importance of the Ogoni- Opobo-Andoni Unity Road to the state and restated the determination of his administration to complete the project before his administration is over..

Also last week, Gov Wike added another feather to the long list of his awards as he emerged the Hallmark Man of The Year 2020.

Business Hallmark Newspaper, gave Governor Wike the award as it recognises outstanding individuals and institutions who have affected national development in productive ways.

Chief Told Adeniyi, a member of Business Hallmark Advisory Board, and Co-chair of it’s Public Policy Forum, said Wike was chosen in recognition of his developmental strides in the state as well as his staunch defense of democracy.

The State Government also imposed a 24 hour curfew for two weeks on the entire area around the Okoro-nu-Odo flyover in Rumuokoro due to the upsurge of cult activities and related violence.

Governor Wike also received a delegation of the Tiv People living in the state under the aegis of Mdzough U. The delegation which was led by Mr Caleb Yashi.u

By: Chris Oluoh

Politics

LP Crisis: Ex-NWC Member Dumps Dumps Abure Faction

Published

5 days 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

5 days 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

5 days 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.”