Politics
Next President’ll Spend Entire Tenure Fixing Rot Created By APC -Wike
The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, says the next President of the country would spend his tenure fixing the ethnic, religious and socio-economic problems created by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The governor noted that since the APC administration assumed office in 2015, religious intolerance and ethnic division have deepened, adding that worst still, was the politicisation of security.
He stated this during the official presentation of letter of nomination to him for the “2020 Extra-Ordinary Personality of the Year Award” by the management of Silverbird Group at the Government House, Port Harcourt, last Wednesday.
Wike said that despite the glaring insecurity, religious and ethnic division in the country, officials of the Federal Government have continued to live in denial that Nigeria was now more united and secure than ever.
The Rivers State governor maintained that whoever becomes President in 2023 would spend his entire tenure trying to resolve the various socio-economic crisis caused by the present administration.
Wike expressed appreciation on behalf of the government and people of the state to the management of Silverbird for the recognition.
However, he said it was disturbing that the Nigerian Media have failed in their responsibility to hold the present administration accountable for the failure to provide much desired good governance.
“The problem in Nigeria, which I have always said, is that the Press, the media is part of our headache. The media have lost their voice. I remember when Goodluck Jonathan was the President; it was as if the media wanted to pull down the whole of Nigeria.”
Speaking on the issue of insecurity, the governor attributed the seeming inability of the military to end insurgency in the North-East and other parts of the country to the involvement of sacked service chiefs, particularly former Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, in politics.
“You were witnesses to how under Buratai, the Army was exposed to politics, which has never happened in the history of this country. Army began to carry ballot boxes. I have never seen that. Before, we used to talk about police, now it’s no longer the police.
“Professionalism is no longer there, and that is why it is difficult to fight insecurity. Instead of them to concentrate and map out strategies; what they are interested in is Rivers State. Who will we send there to make sure the election is rigged. The former Chief of Army Staff will even call INEC to cancel Rivers State election because of his interest. I have never seen this kind of thing in my life”, Wike said.
The governor said it was regrettable that the former Chief of Army Staff failed to condemn his personnel who invaded INEC office in Port Harcourt a day after the Rivers State governorship election in 2019 in an attempt to subvert the wishes of the people; instead, he chose to shield them from prosecution.
“If it is a country that really means well for its citizens, the former GOC in Rivers State would have been dismissed from the Army, but because he was sent by his so-called leaders, they have to protect him. That is the country that we are in, and that is why we think the media should come up and tell the world some of these stories”, he argued.
The governor noted that the inability of the media to scrutinise those in authority was partly responsible for the lack of accountable by those in office.
For instance, he stated that the President had promised to fight corruption and bring to book those he accused of killing the economy.
But, ironically, he said that those he accused of killing the economy are now members of his political party and free from prosecution.
Wike thanked the management of Silverbird for the honour bestowed on him and the people of Rivers State.
He stated that his administration would continue to deliver developmental projects and improve the wellbeing of Rivers State people, particularly pensioners, till the very last day of his tenure.
“Our state pays not less than N1.8billion every month for pensioners. People told me that there is news that the government does not pay pensioners. I cannot spend N1.8billion every month to pay pensioners, and you will say I don’t pay pensioners. It is not true.”
He further said, “From February 10, we are trying to do the second round of commissioning. It is not just flagging off, come and see if we have done the projects. I have just approved the 8th flyover as at yesterday.”
In his remarks, the General Manager, Silverbird Creative Development, Jacob Akinyemi Johnson, said the award was to let the governor know that he was doing a fantastic job for the people of Rivers State, adding that his efforts have not gone unnoticed.
He explained that Wike was nominated as the Silverbird Extra-Ordinary Personality of the Year 2020 because of the projects he has embarked upon and his fearlessness.
“Your boldness made you the first prominent Nigerian to raise the alarm over the atrocities of the now disbanded SARS. And you also spoke against the politicisation of security. Now, your forthrightness in telling the truth to power, including the Presidency when you think things are going wrong, is worthy of emulation. You did not hesitate to commend when necessary also. On political issues, you are not afraid to tell even your own party, the PDP, the whole truth when necessary.
“There are very few governors like you who work the work and talk the talk, and there are very few governors like you who have the passion and not dwell on sentiments. You say things the way they are, and you also say the things that you believe in.
“So, we sat back, and we said the person we can think of this year is Your Excellency, Nyesom Wike. Also in the area of projects, the last time I was here, you were referred to as ‘Mr. Projects’. Now, you have been elevated to ‘Mr. Quality Projects’.
“You promised on the day you were sworn in for second term that you will work for Rivers people to the very last day, and you are living up to that task. Seven bridges in a record period of time and all these are embarked upon in 2020 when the country, and indeed, the entire world were greatly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, but you still delivered despite all these things”, the Silverbird chief added.
Politics
Reps Constitution Review Committee Holds Zonal Hearing For Rivers, C’River, Akwa Ibom In Calabar
A press statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Cross River State Governor, Mr Linus Obogo, disclosed that the Calabar Centre — designated as Centre B — will host representatives and stakeholders from Cross River, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom States.
The public hearing is scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 19, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at the Transcorp (Metropolitan) Hotel, Calabar.
The initiative, according to the statement, is designed to promote inclusive dialogue and capture the aspirations of Nigerians from all regions.
It aims to serve as a platform for citizens to contribute meaningfully to the ongoing national efforts to refine and strengthen the country’s legal and institutional frameworks.
“Citizens, civil society groups, professional bodies, traditional rulers, and other interest blocs are invited to participate in this landmark engagement aimed at advancing a more just, equitable, and responsive Nigerian Constitution,” the statement read.
The hearing forms part of the broader review process of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), and is seen as a strategic move toward fostering national unity and addressing structural legal issues within the federation.
For the first time since 2022, when then-presidential aspirant Alhaji Bola Tinubu declared he made former President Buhari Nigeria’s President in 2015, Mr Mustapha dismissed the claims, stressing that the merger only contributed about three million votes in addition to Buhari’s existing 12 million votes in the North.
He insisted that former President Buhari’s integrity, national stature, and disciplined messaging were central to the breakthrough, not the three million votes from the merging parties, which he described as insignificant.
Speaking on the role of the merging parties, particularly President Tinubu, the leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Mr Mustapha, who was the keynote speaker at the launch of the book ‘According to the President: Lessons from a Presidential Spokesman’s Experience’ authored by Mallam Garba Shehu, described the impact of the votes from other merging parties as very insignificant.
In attendance were former Head of State Yakubu Gowon, chair of the event; immediate past Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; SGF George Akume, who represented President Tinubu; PDP’s 2023 presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar; former Chief of Staff to Buhari Ibrahim Gambari; elder statesman Babagana Kingibe; former governors Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Chris Ngige (Anambra), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Raji Babatunde Fashola (Lagos); former ministers Solomon Dalung and Sunday Dare; former Army Chief Tukur Buratai, and Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu’s spokesman, among others.
According to Mr Mustapha, “I do not intend to stir up any controversy. The merger in 2013 was midwifed to create a Buhari presidency. Let us look at the statistics. In the 2003 election, it was the Obasanjo-Buhari presidential contest where Buhari recorded 12.7 million votes. In 2007, it came to 6.6 million, and it went back to 12.2 million in 2011.
“When we were conceptualising the merger, what would give us a headstart? Obviously, it was at the back of our consciousness that the merger with the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), though it had only one state, the ACN had six states, ANPP three states, and when you sum up the total votes that we had as the presidency in 2015, the aggregate of the total votes was 15.4 million.
“So, basically, what we brought to the table after the merger outside the Buhari 12.5 million votes was three million. Before turning to that presidency, it is important to recognise the former President’s role in reshaping Nigeria’s political trajectory.
“In early 2013, as the leader of the CPC, Buhari formally requested and supported the creation of a CPC merger committee, part of a broader coalition-building process that brought together the ACN, ANPP, APGA faction, and elements of the ruling party through the breakaway ‘new PDP’ group. His endorsement and participation, along with other party leaders such as President Tinubu and Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, lent credibility and direction to the merger, helping to unify disparate party factions under the banner of the APC. That coalition-building paved the way for the first democratic defeat of an incumbent ruling party in Nigeria’s history.
“President Buhari’s integrity, national stature, and disciplined messaging were central to that breakthrough. No account of President Buhari’s tenure would be complete without acknowledging the extended periods he spent on medical leave. These moments, while politically delicate, were also telling of his leadership philosophy and personality,” he said.
In his remarks, President Tinubu promised to build on the legacies of former President Buhari, stressing that “nation-building is a relay. The efforts of one administration lay the foundation for the next.
“In this regard, I acknowledge the efforts of my predecessor, President Buhari, and assure all Nigerians that the reform-oriented path he initiated will be consolidated and strengthened under this administration. Our Renewed Hope Agenda is inspired by the desire to build a resilient, just, and inclusive Nigeria—a nation that delivers dividends of democracy to all its citizens”.
Speaking during an appearance on live television on Wednesday, Mr Omokri alleged that Mr Obi’s statements were misleading and damaging to the country’s economic prospects.
Mr Omokri said some investors currently operating in Nigeria were considering exiting the market due to Mr Obi’s remarks.
“That is not true. He doesn’t rile me up. I rile him up. The reason why I came here is because I’m a patriot. Peter Obi lied. You know, foreign direct investors are watching your programme, who are making investment decisions not to come to Nigeria. There are foreign investors in Nigeria that are making investment decisions to leave Nigeria because of the lie he told.
“One of the lies he told is that President Tinubu has borrowed more than the administrations of Yar’Adua, Jonathan, Buhari. That is a blatant lie”, Mr Omokri said.
To buttress his claims, Mr Omokri referenced figures from the Debt Management Office (DMO), maintaining that President Tinubu had actually reduced Nigeria’s external debt burden since assuming office.
“I have here with me data from the Debt Management Office, and Nigerians who are watching can go to DMO.com and search Debt Management Office, Nigeria State of Indebtedness 2015.
“As of 2015, Nigeria was owing a total of $63 billion. When Buhari was leaving office, Nigeria was owing $113 billion. Today, from the DMO, our debt has gone from $113 billion to $97 billion, meaning that Tinubu has reduced our debt by over $14 billion.
“We should be appreciating this man. Yet Peter Obi came here and lied to the Nigerian people. He took the debts and translated them into naira to make it look like the debts have increased”, he said.
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