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PDP Thanksgiving: Wike, Cleric Task LG Chairmen-Elect On Poverty Reduction
In his speech, Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike expressed gratitude to the Almighty God for the victory of the Peoples Democratic Party candidates at the April 17 Local Government polls.
He gave the advice while delivering sermon at the People Democratic Party (PDP) Thanksgiving Service for successful local government chairmanship and councillorship elections in Rivers State at St. Patrick’s Anglican Church in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Represented by his Deputy, Dr. Ipalibo Harry Banigo, the governor said, “It is not by our power, it is not by our strength, it is not by our making, but by the Holy Spirit that is what God has ordained for Rivers State”.
According to Wike, Rivers State is a PDP state and would always be, noting that it is only the PDP that could save this nation from imminent collapse.
“You can see clearly that the APC government has failed us. Insecurity everywhere, is there any day you do not hear of people being killed in one part of the country, or the other. We hear of kidnapping, we hear of all sorts of crime, poverty, people are crying, suffering everywhere because of bad government”, he further stressed.
The State Chief Executive, who urged the citizenry to be vigilant and careful, noted that the insurgency we are hearing about is targeted at the body of Christ, adding that church of God would continue to match forward and the gates of hell shall never prevail against the church.
Wike, who said God delivered the state and gave the people a peaceful local government election, thanked the bishop and the household of faith for their prayers, stressing that the negative narrative about violent elections in the state is now a thing of the past.
The Bishop of the Diocese of Niger Delta North, Rt. Rev. Wisdom Ihunwo, charged the newly-elected local government chairmen to create an enabling environment that would reduce poverty at the grassroots.
Ihunwo also tasked the chairmen-elect to always embrace God in the discharge of their duties, if they want to succeed.
He urged the newly elected chairmen to see the positions they are about to occupy as a privilege and not because they were most qualified candidates, saying that there were more qualified persons than them but because they found favour in the sight of God.
The clergy also advised the new council chairmen-elect to render selfless service and not to be selfish, saying that no selfish leader would find favour in the sight of God.
In his sermon taken from Luke 16:19, Ihunwo, who said leadership was a responsibility and not a settlement, informed the newly-elected officers that a great task was ahead of them, adding that the office is a privilege.
Ihunwo advised them not to abandon God when they get into office, stressing that without God they cannot succeed.
“Hold on to God, leadership can only succeed when God is involved, Learn how to appreciate God at all times”, he further stressed.
The clergy, who backed his sermon with Proverbs 19:17, said, “He that hath pity upon the poor, lendeth unto the LORD; and that which He hath given, will he pay him again.”
He urged them to create wealth by investing in the lives of the people to reduce poverty at the grassroots, saying that there was much poverty among people, especially at the rural areas of the state.
Speaking on the side-line of the thanksgiving service, PDP Chairman in Rivers State, Amb Desmond Akawor, charged the newly-elected local government chairmen to ensure that they deliver the dividends of democracy to their people, using the template made available by Governor Nyesom Wike.
He said the service was to thank God Almighty for making the state conduct a violence-free election, saying that it was only God alone that made the exercise hitch free.
Speaking to The Tide, the Chairman-elect of Andoni LGA, Barrister Erastus Awortu, expressed confidence in God, saying that the Lord that gave him victory in the election would surely grant him vision to develop Andoni.
He called on the stakeholders and the people of the area to support the administration, if sworn in.
By: Enoch Epelle
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, has dissolved the State Executive Council.
The governor announced the cabinet dissolution yesterday in a statement titled ‘Government Special Announcement’, signed by his new Chief Press Secretary, Onwuka Nzeshi.
Governor Fubara directed all Commissioners and Special Advisers to hand over to the Permanent Secretaries or the most Senior officers in their Ministries with immediate effect.
He thanked the outgoing members of the State Executive Council for their service and wished them the best in their future endeavours.
The three-paragraph special announcement read, “His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, Governor of Rivers State, has dissolved the State Executive Council.
“His Excellency, the Governor, has therefore directed all Commissioners and Special Advisers to hand over to the Permanent Secretaries or the most Senior officers in their Ministries with immediate effect.
“His Excellency further expresses his deepest appreciation to the outgoing members of the Executive Council wishing them the best in their future endeavours.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday told the National Assembly that it requires N873.78bn to conduct the 2027 general elections, even as it seeks N171bn to fund its operations in the 2026 fiscal year.
INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, made the disclosure while presenting the commission’s 2026 budget proposal and the projected cost for the 2027 general elections before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Matters in Abuja.
According to Amupitan, the N873.78bn election budget covers the full conduct of national polls in 2027.
An additional N171bn is needed to support INEC’s routine activities in 2026, including bye-elections and off-season elections, the commission stated.
The INEC boss said the proposed election budget does not include a fresh request from the National Youth Service Corps seeking increased allowances for corps members engaged as ad-hoc staff during elections.
He explained that, although the details of specific line items were not exhaustively presented, the almost N1tn election budget is structured across five major components.
“N379.75bn is for operational costs, N92.32bn for administrative costs, N209.21bn for technological costs, N154.91bn for election capital costs and N42.61bn for miscellaneous expenses,” Amupitan said.
The INEC chief noted that the budget was prepared “in line with Section 3(3) of the Electoral Act 2022, which mandates the Commission to prepare its election budget at least one year before the general election.”
On the 2026 fiscal year, Amupitan disclosed that the Ministry of Finance provided an envelope of N140bn, stressing, however, that “INEC is proposing a total expenditure of N171bn.”
The breakdown includes N109bn for personnel costs, N18.7bn for overheads, N42.63bn for election-related activities and N1.4bn for capital expenditure.
He argued that the envelope budgeting system is not suitable for the Commission’s operations, noting that INEC’s activities often require urgent and flexible funding.
Amupitan also identified the lack of a dedicated communications network as a major operational challenge, adding that if the commission develops its own network infrastructure, Nigerians would be in a better position to hold it accountable for any technical glitches.
Speaking at the session, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) said external agencies should not dictate the budgeting framework for INEC, given the unique and sensitive nature of its mandate.
He advocated that the envelope budgeting model should be set aside.
He urged the National Assembly to work with INEC’s financial proposal to avoid future instances of possible underfunding.
In the same vein, a member of the House of Representatives from Edo State, Billy Osawaru, called for INEC’s budget to be placed on first-line charge as provided in the Constitution, with funds released in full and on time to enable the Commission to plan early enough for the 2027 general election.
The Joint Committee approved a motion recommending the one-time release of the Commission’s annual budget.
The committee also said it would consider the NYSC’s request for about N32bn to increase allowances for corps members to N125,000 each when engaged for election duties.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Simon Along, assured that the National Assembly would work closely with the Commission to ensure it receives the necessary support for the successful conduct of the 2027 general elections.
Similarly, the Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Bayo Balogun, also pledged legislative support, warning INEC to be careful about promises it might be unable to keep.
He recalled that during the 2023 general election, INEC made strong assurances about uploading results to the INEC Result Viewing portal, creating the impression that results could be monitored in real time.
“iREV was not even in the Electoral Act; it was only in INEC regulations. So, be careful how you make promises,” Balogun warned.
The N873.78bn proposed by INEC for next year’s general election is a significant increase from the N313.4bn released to the Commission by the Federal Government for the conduct of the 2023 general election.
President Bola Tinubu yesterday expressed grief over the death of a former President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities and one of Africa’s foremost literary scholars, Professor Emeritus Biodun Jeyifo.
Jeyifo passed away on Wednesday, drawing tributes from across Nigeria and the global academic community.
In a condolence message to the family, friends, and associates of the late scholar, Tinubu in a statement by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, described Jeyifo as a towering intellectual whose contributions to African literature, postcolonial studies, and cultural theory left an enduring legacy.
He noted that the late professor would be sorely missed for his incisive criticism and masterful interpretations of the works of Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka.
The President also recalled Jeyifo’s leadership of ASUU, praising the temperance, foresight, and wisdom he brought to the union over the years.
Tinubu said Jeyifo played a key role in shaping negotiation frameworks with the government aimed at improving working conditions for university staff and enhancing the learning environment in Nigerian universities.
According to the President, Professor Jeyifo’s longstanding advocacy for academic freedom and social justice will continue to inspire generations.
He added that the late scholar’s influence extended beyond academia into political and cultural journalism, where he served as a mentor to numerous scholars, writers, and activists.
Tinubu condoled with ASUU, the Nigerian Academy of Letters, the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, the University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University, Oberlin University, Cornell University, and Harvard University—institutions where Jeyifo studied, taught, or made significant scholarly contributions.
“Nigeria and the global academic community have lost a towering figure and outstanding global citizen,” the President said.
“Professor Biodun Jeyifo was an intellectual giant who dedicated his entire life to knowledge production and the promotion of human dignity. I share a strong personal relationship with him. His contributions to literary and cultural advancement and to society at large will be missed.”
Jeyifo was widely regarded as one of Africa’s most influential literary critics and public intellectuals. Among several honours, he received the prestigious W.E.B. Du Bois Medal in 2019.