Politics
Gen Abubakar, Wike Bag Honorary Doctorate Degrees
Former Head of State, General Abdulsalami A. Abubakar and Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike have been conferred with honorary doctorate degrees by PAMO University of Medical Sciences, PUMS, Port Harcourt.
General Abubakar, who is also the Chancellor and Chairman, Board of Trustees of the University was conferred with Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.) Honoris Causa, while Governor Wike bagged honorary degree of Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) Honoris Causa.
The awardees were on Saturday conferred with the honorary doctorate degrees during the first PUMS convocation ceremony in Port Harcourt, for their distinct contributions to the development, peace, democracy and general good of Nigeria.
General Abubakar in his remarks commended Governor Wike’s administration for offering scholarship to students of Rivers extraction studying in PAMO University.
According to him, the governor’s unrivalled contribution to the development of the University will forever be in the annals of her history.
The former Head of State noted that the success of PUMS is a demonstration of what can be achieved when State Governments come in to support the provision of private education in their respective States.
He urged the Federal Government to extend similar support to private universities through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund and other agencies of government through the various initiatives currently being enjoyed only by public institutions.
Governor Wike in his acceptance speech said the government and people of Rivers state are delighted with the establishment of PUMS, and the vast opportunities it has availed youths in the State to become highly educated and skillful medical professionals and practitioners.
He said the state government has maintained and sustained a close, symbiotic and mutually beneficial relationship with the University from its inception to date, by identifying with and contributing materially to its steady growth and progress.
“Back in 2017, we instituted a special public scholarship, covering tuition, accommodation and feeding to encourage our indigenous students to take advantage of the University and become graduates and professionals of the areas of interest.
“We have religiously implemented this scholarship programme for four consecutive years with almost 600 beneficiaries as at the last academic session.
“Today, I am very pleased to note that all the graduating students of Rivers State origin are scholars of the Rivers State Government educated and trained with public funds.
“In addition to the scholarship, which now costs well over 2.9 billions of Naira to implement annually, we have also made several generous financial donations towards the infrastructural development of the University.”
He commended former Rivers State governor, Dr. Peter Odili, for establishing the first and only private medical university in the entire South-South geo-political region of Nigeria.
The governor, who attributed his success in life to his faith in God and education, said his political life, just like that of Odili, has been a lesson in devotion, hard work and passion for success and service.
He narrated how his predecessor and current Minister of Transportation, under whose administration he served as Chief of Staff, tried to truncate his political career. “But midway into his first tenure, I got the signal early enough that I have become a foe and penciled down to be politically, brought down, extinguished or terminated.”
Governor Wike explained that although his predecessor had reluctantly included his name among those he nominated to former President Goodluck Jonathan to be appointed as minister, he was never his first or preferred choice.
“He therefore worked twice as hard behind the scene to truncate my confirmation by the Nigerian Senate but failed because God said otherwise. “Moving further forward and when he noticed my ambition to succeed him as the Governor of Rivers State; he immediately drew the battle line and vowed that I could only succeed him over his dead body.
“Our contest was as intense and jugular as typical political enemies. Ultimately, I won and prevailed over him; but he acted the coward by refusing to commit the suicide he had promised if I became the Governor of Rivers State. Thank God he chickened out and did not die.”
Governor Wike announced a N500 million grant to PAMO University; a post graduate scholarship to the overall best graduating student, and N5million reward for each of the best departmental graduating students.
The Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Professor Abubakar Adamu Rasheed, who delivered the convocation lecture, said private universities have continued to play a vital role in the national development of Nigeria.
He said PAMO University is currently the 19th best private university, and 35th best out of 200 universities in the country.
The Pro- Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Dr. Peter Odili, said the management of the institution remain unapologetically committed to total compliance to the rules and sanctions for any breaches by staff and students.
He lauded Governor Wike for offering scholarship to over 600 Rivers State students to study medicine and allied medical courses in PAMO University.
The Vice Chancellor of PAMO University, Professor Michael F.E. Diejomaoh announced that the university graduated 21 students from the Department of Anatomy, Biochemistry, Pharmacology and Physiology.
He explained that all courses in the faculties of Basic Medical Sciences and Allied Health Sciences have been fully accredited by the NUC with high scores.
By: Beemene Tanee
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.
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”
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.