Politics

Gov Wike Commissions More Projects

Published

5 years ago

March 8, 2021

Last week witnessed more harvest of projects as the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, delivered more key projects in the state.

The Okoro-nu-Odo flyover, the Rumuogba flyover and the new Governmen House Clinic /Administative Bulding were commissioned. He equally commissioned the reconstructed Chief Ferdinand Alabraba Crescent and Opobo Crescent in GRA Phase Two Port Harcourt.

Apart from inaugurating the completed projects, the Rivers State Government also signed contract for the construction of two more flyover bridges to be constructed at the intersection of Olu-Obasanjo Road and Port Harcourt Aba Expressway and intersection of Olu-Obasanjo and Ikwerre Road up to the Azikiwe in Port Harcourt.

Speaking at the contract signing ceremony held in Government House Port Harcourt, Wike stated that 70 per cent of the contract sum would be paid to Julius Berger upfront while the remaining funds would be paid at the end of the project.

The one week programme attracted top political leaders, men of God, traditional rulers and captains of industry from different parts of the country.

Wike reassured Rivers people that his administration would not play polictics with any infrastructure that wiould transform the state.

Also last week, the Rivers State Chief Executive, advocated for 10 per cent oil fund to be given to the oil host communities in the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) being considered in the country.

The Governor who stated this last Thursday, when members of the National Assembly Committee on PIB visited him in Government House Port Harcourt stressed the need for the fund going to the host communities to be tied to specific developmental projects .

He regretted that communities who produce oil which is the economic life wire of the nation were made to suffer poverty and their environment destroyed.

Deputy Chairman of the Committee who led the delegation, Mr Victor Nwokolo Onyemaechi said the committee was in the state to hold a town hall meeting with stakeholders to resolve issues of what should be allocated to host communities in the PIB.

Governor Wike said despite attempts by agents of the Federal Government to cripple his administration right from the onset, he had not disappointed Rivers’ people and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the governance of the state.

“ I know what we passed through in the hands of the ruling government . No state government has been harassed like Rivers State Government. Not one, but I will never give up. I will continue to do what I think is for the best interest of the people of Rivers State because they gave me the privilege”, Wike said.

The former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki , while inaugurating the ultra-moderm Government House Clinic/Administrative Building, praised Governor Wike for investing in critical infrastructure such as healthcare which is very important in reduction of poverty.

He said that the clinic is not for the people of Rivers State only but for the nation and described him as an Ambassador of the PDP in Nigeria.

Another major event last week in Brick House was the reconciliation of Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State and his Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed by the Rivers State Governor Chief Nyesom Wike.

Both Governors who addressed the press after the peace meeting held in Governor Wike’s private residence accepted the recounciliation and attributed the missunderstanding to the poor security architecture by the Federal Government.

Governor Wike who expressed delight at the development thanked the two governors for their understanding.

“ We give God the glory today that those differences have been sorted out. We are members of the same political party. Like what the Governor of Bauchi and Governor of Benue said, we don’t want the inefficiency, we don’t want the incapacity of the Federal Government in handling the issue of insecurity in the country to rub on us.”

“ Everybody knows that the Federal Government has failed in providing security for this country. And of course, you will not blame them. They ( Otorm and Mohammed) are under pressure from their various states. It is not as if they have any personal issue”, Gov Wike said.

Also within the week under review, the Rivers State Governor announced that his administration would will build a world class treatment centre to Carter for cancer and cardiovascular diseases in the state.

Announcing this at the inauguration of Rumuogba flyover, kast Tuesday, Gov Wike said contract for the project will be signed in the next two weeks.

“ Let me tell the people of Rivers State today, in the next two weeks, Julius Berger Nigeria PLC will come back and sign a contract with Rivers State Government, a project where we are going to build a Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease Centre. It shall be the best in this country and shall be completed in 14 months”, said the Governor.

By: Chris Oluoh

Politics

INEC To Display Voters Register April 29 As CVR Phase II Closes Nationwide

Published

3 days ago

April 20, 2026

The Tide

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has concluded the second phase of its nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, recording a total of 3,748,704 completed registrations across the country ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Commission disclosed the figure in its weekly update for week 14 of the second phase of the exercise, which ended on Friday, April 17, 2026.

According to the breakdown, 2,259,288 Nigerians completed their registration through the online pre-registration portal, while 1,489,416 finalized their registration physically at designated centres nationwide.

INEC noted that the figures remain preliminary and are subject to further verification and data cleaning processes to ensure accuracy ahead of the consolidation of the national voter register.

With the conclusion of the registration phase, the Commission has now shifted focus to the display of the Register of Voters for Claims and Objections, a statutory stage aimed at strengthening the credibility and integrity of the voters register.

The display exercise is scheduled to hold from April 29 to May 5, 2026, across designated centres nationwide, providing citizens the opportunity to verify their details and raise objections where necessary.

The Commission urged all registered voters from the concluded phase to take advantage of the exercise to confirm the accuracy of their information and assist in identifying ineligible entries, including duplicate registrations, deceased persons, and non-citizens.

INEC explained that the Continuous Voter Registration exercise is being conducted in phases, with the first phase running from August 18 to December 10, 2025, while the second phase commenced on January 5, 2026 and ended on April 17, 2026.

The Commission further stated that the date for the commencement of the third phase will be announced in due course.

Reaffirming its commitment to credible elections, INEC stressed that maintaining a clean and accurate voter register remains central to ensuring free, fair, and transparent electoral processes in Nigeria.

Politics

Ekiti 2026: IPC Trains Journalists On Election Coverage

Published

3 days ago

April 20, 2026

The Tide

Ahead of the forthcoming 2026 gubernatorial election in Ekiti State, the International Press Council (IPC), Lagos, last Friday, commenced a two-day stakeholders’ dialogue on credible election, as part of activities to train media professionals on the best approaches to the process.

The Executive Director of IPC, Mr Lanre Arogundade, informed the journalists that the dialogue was sponsored by the European Union, under the auspices of the EU-Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN II), Component 4: Support to Media.

According to the veteran media practitioner, the programme is aimed at strengthening the capacity of the media to promote credible elections through factual, accurate and fair reporting.

He explained that the programme is part of a broader five-year intervention designed to support democratic governance and improve the role of the media in Nigeria’s electoral process, stressing that fact-checking and inclusive reporting are critical responsibilities for journalists, especially during electioneering.

He described the media as a central role agent with regard to upholding transparency and accountability in the democratic process.

A resource person and Director of Journalism Clinic, Lagos, Mr Taiwo Obe, enjoined journalists to embrace the evolving technology so that they would not be in the backwaters in the practice of the profession.

He advised journalists not to downplay Artificial Intelligence (AI) in their bid to remain relevant in the media environment by being abreast of the changing patterns of news consumption.

The journalism teacher explained that with digital transformation of the media industry, it had become imperative for journalists to constantly upgrade and update their skills, stressing the fundamental place of attitude and self-development and underscored the dynamic nature of media consumption in the digital age, thereby compelling journalists to embrace tools and platforms, but without much reliance on AI.

In his lecture, a Professor of Mass Communication at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Adebola Aderibigbe, advised journalists in Ekiti State to ensure that coverage of the upcoming governorship poll is issue-based rather than dwelling on personalities.

He added that sensationalism should not occupy the front-burner of any discussions concerning the 2026 election, admonishing that sustenance of democracy is anchored on responsible journalism.

”Journalists must prioritise accuracy, fairness and balance in their reports by verifying facts and giving all parties involved in political matters the opportunity to present their views”, he said.

According to the university don, the election will not be defined by personalities, but by issues. ”Let issues be the pivotal ring upon which every discussion should be made. Sensationalisation of issues should not be the bedrock of discussions in the 2026 election”, he added.

“Do not hear from Party A without hearing from Party B, otherwise the report will be skewed to one side and once issues of elections are skewed, problems will naturally arise”, he stressed.

Politics

GROUP BLASTS ATIKU CRITICAL COMMENTS AGAINST JONATHAN … SAYS EX-VP CAREER ASPIRANT

Published

3 days ago

April 20, 2026

The Tide

The National Coordinator of the Goodluck Jonathan Legacy Project (GJLP ), Engr Juan Amechee, has described as unfortunate and revisionist, recent remarks by former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who attributed governance challenges during former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration to inexperience.

The GJLP Coordinator and technocrat, in a statement, noted that the ex-Vice President’s claim was faulty and lacks merit, describing him as a ‘career presidential candidate’ who has repeatedly sought power without being tested at the highest level of national leadership.

“To describe Dr. Jonathan as inexperienced is a flight from reality. Before assuming the presidency, Jonathan served as Deputy Governor, Governor, Vice President, and Acting President.

“If this distinguished résumé qualifies as ‘inexperience,’ one wonders what standard the former Vice President considers adequate, perhaps his own record of serial aspirations which, by his own argument, should have translated into opportunity but has never been tested at the helm”, the group said.

Engr Amechee further noted that Alhaji Atiku lacks the tact to govern at the highest level, citing the political division and self-centeredness that have characterised his presence in every political party he has joined.

The statement captioned ‘Atiku’s Revisionism and Jonathan’s Records: a response to claims of inexperience’ read in part: “Our attention has been drawn to the recent remarks by former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, in which he attributed governance challenges during the Jonathan administration to inexperience.

“Ordinarily, such a claim would not merit a response because the truth is self-evident. However, when historical revisionism is presented as analysis, it becomes necessary to correct the record.

“It is unfortunate that this statement is coming from a career Presidential candidate who lacks the moral authority to speak about experience where globally respected leaders are discussing leadership.

“If experience is defined by being a serial Presidential candidate, a role he seemingly hopes to reprise in 2027, then one must ask why such experience has failed to translate into national leadership for him”.

The Statement added: “To describe Dr. Jonathan as ‘inexperienced’ is not only misleading, it is demonstrably false. Before assuming the presidency, he served as Deputy Governor, Governor, Vice-President, and Acting President during the constitutional crisis following the illness of his former boss, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. If that résumé qualifies as “inexperience,” one wonders what standard the former Vice-President considers adequate.

“Throughout his years in politics, Atiku has shown a lack of the tact and experience required to govern at the highest level, proving to be a figure of political division in every party he finds himself.

“Jonathan presided over an administration with one of the most reform-driven periods in Nigeria’s history. Under his watch, Nigeria became Africa’s largest economy, attracted the highest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) on the continent, and kept inflation at a single digit”.

The group’s leader said data obtained from the World Bank indicated that Nigeria recorded its lowest poverty rate since 1999 under Dr Jonathan, saying the former President’s administration brought down poverty to 35.8%—making his tenure the most prosperous of the Fourth Republic.

“Jonathan’s achievements in agriculture were equally notable. In 2013, he was honoured by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in Rome for meeting the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on hunger eradication well ahead of the 2025 target.

“Furthermore, a leader’s credibility is measured by their international influence. Nigeria has served as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council only five times since 1960; remarkably, two of those terms occurred during Jonathan’s administration.

“Similarly, it was Jonathan who facilitated the emergence of Dr. Akinwumi Adesina as the first Nigerian President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) in 2015.

“On democracy, Jonathan set a standard that remains unmatched: he conceded power peacefully, placing national stability above personal ambition. That singular act, born of his far-reaching electoral reforms, did more to strengthen our democracy than decades of political rhetoric”, the GJLP said.

The Pro-Jonathan group noted that Nigerians were discerning enough to distinguish between those who have held power and delivered measurable progress, and those who have repeatedly sought it while offering retrospective critiques.

“Dr. Jonathan’s record is public, measurable, and enduring. No amount of convenient revisionism can erase it”, the group stated.

By Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa