Politics

2020: Major Events In Govt House (I)

Published

5 years ago

December 28, 2020

As the year 2020 winds off, it is pertinent to have a look at some major events that took place in the Rivers State Government House, Port Harcourt otherwise known as the Brick House.
The Next Governor of the State
As political pundits concern themselves with the all-important question of who becomes the next Governor of the state, the sitting Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike on various occasions has given indication that neither himself nor anybody else knows on whose head the cap would be.
While receiving the People of Kalabari and Oyigbo Ethnic nationalities who had paid him solidarity visits in various occasions, Gov. Wike explained that he has never promised any ethnic group in the state the position of Governor of the state.
He said: “ Only God has the capacity to make the next Governor, not me or any man”.
He advised ethnic groups interested in the seat to liaise with other ethnic nationalities as no single ethnic group could single-handedly produce a governor without the assistance of others.
Burial of Late High Chief O. B. Lulu- Briggs
Governor Wike has expressed worry over the continued delay of the burial of a foremost philanthropist and oil mogul, Late Chief O.B. Lulu-Briggs as a result of family feud.
He made his feelings public when the leaders and people of Kalabari Ethnic Nationality paid him a solidarity visit in Government House, this year.
The Governor promised that the state Government would honour the late philanthropist with a befitting state burial and appealed to the leaders of the area as well as the family of the deceased to set aside their differences and bury the high chief.
“ I have intervened more than three to four times, having meetings, but was disappointed by the wife. I have to say clearly to all of you, I have never received insult like that in my life”, Gov. Wike said.
RSG’ s Court Victory Over Soku Oil Well
Another major event in 2020 was the eventual victory of Rivers State on the controversial Soku Oil Wells in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area.
An Abuja High Court had declared Rivers the rightful owner of the oil wells.
Gov. Wike, who spoke during the state celebration of the victory expressed satisfaction that at last justice was done. According to him, the state does not believe in fighting but in due process.
“ Thank God the Federal High Court has affirmed and they should pay us our money which they have collected. The revenue derivation should continue to be paid into Rivers State coffers,” he said.
The Governor reiterated the determination of his administration to continue to fight towards ensuring the protection of whatever belonged to the state.
Traditional Rulers, political leaders, youth leaders, women groups and the business class in the state celebrated the victory and commended Gov. Wike for leading the state to victory.
Victory Over OML 11 & Kidney Island
In a similar vein, Rivers State Government also won her suit against the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) on the ownership of the OML 11 & Kidney Island acquired by the State Government.
Ogoni- Clean Up Programme
Rivers State Government had expressed dismay that since the flag of the exercise by Federal Government, no tangible milestone had been achieved.
Gov. Wike who disclosed this when the Minister of Environment, Dr Mohammed Mahmood Abubakar paid him a courtesy visit in February, said rather than tell the world the level of success attained, Federal Government had continued to deceive the people by circulating same story of handing over remediation sites to contractors as if handing over remediation sites to contractors was an attestation that the contractors had done the jobs.
He also accused the Federal Government of alienating the state government from the programme and maintained that until Federal Government stopped politicising the project, it would not achieve the desired results.
RSG, Labour Crisis Resolved
The protest by organised labour in the state scheduled to hold in September was averted at the eleventh hour following an agreement reached between Rivers State Government and the leadership of the unions in Government House, Port Harcourt.
President of NLC, Comrade Ayuba Waba who read the agreement before newsmen said both parties agreed to sign the agreement on implementation of the New Minimum Wage .He also said that the parties agreed to set up a tripartite committee to resolve the adjustment of Pension in line with the Constitution and payment of Pension and Gratiuty, among other contending issues.
COVID-19 Pandemic
As COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the world Rivers State Government was the first state in the country to declare a lockdown and also took pragmatic strategies towards controlling the spread of the virus.
The State Executive Council had in March, set up a five man committee mandated to embark on aggressive public enlightenment and awareness measures to check the dreaded Corona-Virus.
The committee which was headed by the Commissioner for Information and Communications Paulinus Nsirim, had as members the Commissioner for Health, Prof Chike Princewill, Commissioner for Environment, Dr Igbiks Tamuno, Commissioner for Chieftaincy Affairs, Barr Eloka Tasie-Amadi, and Commissioner for Youth Development, Mr Ohia Prince.
He also initiated a Two Billion Naira (N2 billion) Food Bank. Palliatives were distributed from Ward to Ward.
Wike Unveils More Legacy Projects
Gov. Wike whose first tenure was marked by a harvest of people-oriented projects across the twenty-three local government areas of the state, continued with more key projects in 2020.
Within the year, such uncommon projects as Real Madrid Academy, Ultramodern Mother and Child Hospital among numerous others were commissioned.
He also embarked on seven flyover projects and even delivered some before the scheduled period using the world class Julius Berger to execute the projects.
The flyover projects include: Rebisi flyover which was inaugurated before the scheduled time, Okoro-nu-Odo flyover, Rumuogba flyover, Rumuola flyover, GRA flyover, the Kaduna Street flyover and the Ikokwu flyover. Most of these projects are the completion stages.
Apart from the flyovers which cost the state multi billions of Naira, there were also numerous road projects both in the new and old GRAs in Port Harcourt.
Local Government Election:
The elections of Councillors and Council Chairmen in the 23 local government areas of the state are already by the corner as the State Governor has recently reconstituted the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).
According to the time table published by RSIEC December 21, 2010, elections campaign begins on Friday, 12th March 2021 and ends on Thursday, 15th April 15th 2021 while Ward elections hold Saturday22nd May, 2021 and Chairmanship election hold Saturday, 17th April, 2021.
Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) has announced that there would no automatic ticket for sitting council Chairmen for second time.
Gov. Wike who is the leader of the party is the state who made the pronouncement in several public fora said performance and people’s acceptance would remain the variables that would determine the faith of any chairman aspiring for second term.
RSG Promises 5000 Employment Opportunities:
Another remarkable feat of the present administration in the year under review was the decision to employ 5000 persons into the state civil service.
So far, the vacancies have been advertised and interested applicants across the 23 local government areas have also applied for the jobs. The employment scheme which has been extended to non-indigens has been lauded by the people of the state.
The step, according to many, would equally go a long way in addressing youth related crimes in the state.

By: Chris Oluoh

Politics

Parties’ Deregistration: How Justice Lifu Overruled Appeal Court Justices

Published

3 days ago

June 17, 2026

The Tide

Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday brushed aside the order of the Court of Appeal in Abuja which ordered him to stay proceedings in a suit that sought deregistration of the African Democratic Party (ADC), Accord Party and three others.
The Court of Appeal in a unanimous decision of a panel of three Justices had on May 22, 2026 directed the Federal High Court Judge not to proceed with the suit until an appeal pending before them and filed by Accord Party is resolved.
In a Certified True Copy Enrol Order of the Superior Court, Justices Mohammed Danjuma, Adebukola Banjoko and Oyejoju Oyewumi asked the lower Court Judge to stay proceedings until all issues on the appeal filed by the Accord Party were resolved
Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State had, through the Accord Party, applied to justice Lifu to join him as a defendant in the deregistration legal battle instituted by a group of former legislators.
The contention of the Osun State governor was that he had a stake in the Accord Party, being the platform he was seeking re-election in the August 15 gubernatorial poll in the state.
In his ruling, Justice Lifu on April 27 ruled against the Osun State governor, rejecting his request to be joined in the suit to defend his own position and interest.
Not satisfied with the Federal High Court decision, the Osun State governor, through his lawyer, Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), moved to the Court of Appeal in Abuja where he challenged the Justice Lifu decision to refuse to allow him join the suit.
After listening to the argument canvassed, especially that he has interest to protect as Accord Party gubernatorial candidate for Osun State governorship election, the three Justices of the Court of Appeal, unanimously directed Justice Lifu to allow them look into the grievances of the governor.
In specific terms, the Court of Appeal Justices directed Justice Lifu not to proceed further with the matter and fixed October 27 to determine the interlocutory appeal of the appellant.
However, when the certified enroll order and notice of appeal were served on Justice Peter Lifu by Mr Adetunbi (SAN), the judge rejected it on the ground that it was a ploy to arrest his judgment in the matter.
Although the judge had adjourned his judgment delivery in the matter indefinitely, he finally made a dramatic turn around on Monday and proceeded to deliver the judgment that has now proscribed the five political parties.

Politics

ADC: Okonkwo Rejects Amaechi As Presidential Running Mate, Withdraws Support

Published

3 days ago

June 17, 2026

The Tide

Actor turned politician, Mr Kenneth Okonkwo, has rejected the choice of former Rivers State Governor, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, as the running mate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in the 2027 presidential election on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In a statement on Monday, Mallam Bolaji Abdulllahi, the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, announced the party’s choice of Mr Amaechi.
However in a statement, Mr Okonkwo said that the choice of Mr Amaechi from the South South strengthens the continued marginalization of people from the South East.
According to the former spokesperson of the Labour Party, any arrangement that would not factor a person from the South East either as president or vice president in the party is anti-Igbo.
He contended that Chief Raph Nwosu, who founded the ADC in 2005 and willingly surrendered it’s leadership to Senator David Mark did not do so to entrench Igbo marginalization in the party.
The former actor said: “I heard from the social media that ADC has picked its vice presidential candidate from the South-South. If this is true, it is unfortunate, as this will continue the crude marginalisation of the South-East.
“This geo-political zone has neither produced a president or vice president since 1999. To deny the South-East the opportunity to produce the president or vice president in the ADC in 2027, will amount to perpetuating the marginalisation.
“The ADC was founded by Ralphs Nwosu from the South-East in 2005. He made the sacrifice to give up the party in 2025 for the coalition to usher in a better Nigeria. He couldn’t have made that sacrifice to marginalise his own people.
“I did not join the coalition to assist in marginalisation of my own people further. I am of the opinion that if we made a sacrifice to give up the national chairman and the president, it will amount to unpardonable injustice to deny us the vice president in 2027.
“I joined politics to fight for a better Nigeria where no region, geo-political zone, or person will be marginalised.
“The only favour I asked Atiku Abubakar, who openly declared that he is the pathway to the presidency of the South-East, is to show it by choosing someone from the South-East to be his vice.
“If it is confirmed that he has chosen a candidate from the South-South, I wish him well. I am not favourably disposed to campaigning for any presidential ticket that does not have a person of South-East origin as president or vice in 2027”

Politics

2027: Tinubu’s Projects Give APC Edge In South East – Yilwatda

Published

3 days ago

June 17, 2026

The Tide

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, on Monday said that the numerous projects being executed by President Bola Tinubu across the states in the southeast will give him upper hand over other presidential candidates during next year’s general elections.
Prof. Yilwatda stated this at the Abakaliki Township Stadium during a mega rally organized by the Ebonyi State government and Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, during which President Tinubu and other APC candidates for the 2027 general elections were adopted.
According to the APC National Chairman, no President had done for the southeast region what President Tinubu has done for them and expressed the confidence that the president would not only win in Ebonyi State but in the entire South East.
Prof. Yilwatda also used the occasion to address growing insinuations in some quarters that Ebonyi State had been conceded to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Dismissing the claim, Prof. Yilwatda said the state would not allow the PDP to win any position in the forthcoming general election.
“We will return President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Francis Nwifuru as Governor of Ebonyi State in 2027.
“We want to return all APC senators, members of the House of Representatives and House of Assembly candidates in 2027.
“Nobody has conceded Ebonyi to the PDP. Therefore, there is no vacancy in Ebonyi State. Ebonyi PDP has no place, and there is no vacancy at all in the Government House come 2027,” the APC National Chairman declared.
He commended the people of the state for their support for President Tinubu and urged them to re-elect him in the next presidential election in appreciation of what he has done for the state and the entire South-East through infrastructural transformation and human capital development.
Governor Francis Nwifuru, who also spoke at the event, said the state had no other presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections apart from President Tinubu.

He declared that Ebonyi remained a stronghold of the APC and vowed that the party would deliver the President in the state.

Gov. Nwifuru said President Tinubu had shown exceptional commitment to the state and deserved total support for appointing Senator Umahi as Minister of Works, a role he said Senator Umahi had performed creditably.

“Ebonyi has no other presidential candidate apart from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and we will return him in the presidential election.

“We are standing here today to tell the whole world, especially those using the President’s name to orchestrate division and confusion in this great state, that we have only one party, and that is the APC.

“This statement became necessary because some people are going around claiming they have discussed with Mr President and that he has handed Ebonyi over to the PDP. They are also saying that Chief Nyesom Wike is their leader and that Wike said the President has given Ebonyi to him.

“Ebonyi is not for sale. We are restraining ourselves because the people are with us. Nobody should push us because we have what it takes to confront anyone trying to destabilise us.

“We want to tell Mr President that he has earned our votes. He gave us what we had never had in Eastern Nigeria — the office of the Minister of Works. And this Minister of Works is not sitting idle; he is working,” he stated.

Senator Umahi, in his remarks, said President Tinubu had done what no other President had done for Ebonyi State and the entire South-East by executing numerous projects across the state and the region.

“Ebonyi State is a one-party state under Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru. We are not going to repeat the mistakes of the past.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has done a lot, not just for Ebonyi State but for the entire South-East and other geopolitical zones,” he said.