Politics
Ikpeazu, Ugwanyi Laud Wike’s Indomitable Stance On Promoting Democracy
Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu and his Enugu State counterpart, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, have expressed deep admiration for the idomitable posture of the Rivers State Governor, Chief, Nyesom Wike, in promoting democratic ideals and good governance in Nigeria.
The two governors, who hosted Governor Wike at their country homes while the Rivers State Governor and his entourage paid them special new year visits, said Governor Wike had provided exemplary and quality leadership in Rivers State through the delivery of projects and also made bold his position on national issues of critical concern.
Addressing Governor Wike and his entourage at his home town of Umuobiakwa, Abia State, the Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, said Rivers State was lucky to have Wike as their governor as he has demonstrated deep commitment towards good governance and the defence of the interest of Rivers people at all times.
He said the government and people of Abia State shared Governor Wike’s concern for a better Nigeria, and reiterated the need to join forces to salvage the country from further drift into the abyss.
Ikpeazu described Governor Wike as a determined and selfless leader who is not only focused on project delivery in his state,but providing true leadership for his colleagues to emulate. He said Nigeria needed leaders like Governor Wike to bring to the country and secure the future of the country for posterity.
In a similar vein, Enugu State was agog for Governor Wike as the government and people of the state, led by the Governor, His Excellency, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, rolled out the drums to welcome Governor Wike on the visit that was carved as essential to deepen the relationship between Rivers and Enugu states.
Speaking at the reception which was held at the Governor’s home town of Orba in Udenu LGA of Enugu State, Ugwuanyi commended Governor Wike over his sterling leadership qualities, describing him as a bold, audacious leader who has given voice to the voiceless and remained firm in defending the principles of justice in Nigeria.
The Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council, led by its Chairman, HRM, Amb Lawrence Ajubuzo, also confered on Governor Wike the Chieftaincy Title of ‘Agunechi Ibe’ of Enugu State, for his contributions to good governance and democracy.
Meanwhile, Governor Wike within the week attended the 30th Edition of the Ogoni Day celebration held in Bori, the Administrative Headquarters of the Ogoni people as a special guest of honour.
Addressing the mammoth crowd at the event, Governor Wike decried the fact that real tenets of the Ogoni struggle as propagated by late environmental and minority rights activist, Ken Saro Wiwa has been politicised by the emerging leadership class in Ogoni.
The Governor cautioned against the tendency among political leaders in Ogoni to use the Ogoni Struggle to achieve personal gains at the expense of the people,and pointed out that Ken Saro-Wiwa and other Ogoni matyres paid a huge price for the emancipation of Ogoni and the Niger Delta from the shackles of marginalisation in Nigeria.
Governor Wike also stated that the federal government was taking the Niger Delta for granted because of disunity among the people, and referred to the development crisis in the oil rich region as a product of self marginalisation, as the leaders of the region were not working in one accord.
By: Beemene Tanee
Alhaji Abubakar, who is also the 2027 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), stressed that Chief Obasanjo’s latest public outburst against him is yet another failed attempt to rewrite history.
Alhaji Abubakar specifically said that if the true history of Chief Obasanjo’s political journey is ever written—free from selective recollection and personal bitterness, he (Atiku) would feature prominently as one of those whom God used to change the course of his (Obasanjo) life and political career.
These were contained in a statement the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication to the former Vice President, Mr Phrank Shaibu, released in which Atiku said he watched the former President’s interview with profound sadness, but not anger, because it reflected the disposition of a man who has allowed personal resentment to cloud historical truth.
Alhaji Abubakar said the genesis of Chief Obasanjo’s hostility towards him is well known to Nigerians, stressing that he is proud that he stood against the third-term agenda and stood by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
In the words of Alhaji Abubakar: “I have no apology whatsoever for frustrating every attempt to subvert our democracy for personal ambition. If Chief Obasanjo’s bitterness stems from my refusal to support an unconstitutional third term, then I wear that resentment as a badge of honour.
“No individual, regardless of his status or accomplishments, is bigger than the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Constitution is supreme, and I chose Nigeria over personal loyalty”.
Alhaji Abubakar noted that the struggle against the third-term agenda was never about two individuals, but about preserving Nigeria’s constitutional democracy for future generations.
He said: “The Nigerian people won that battle. Democracy won that battle. History has already delivered its verdict. It Is therefore unfortunate that the same man whose unconstitutional ambition was resisted now seeks to sit in judgment over those who defended the Constitution”.
The ADC Presidential candidate said it was particularly instructive that barely twenty-four hours before Chief Obasanjo’s latest outburst, the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, publicly paid glowing tribute to the economic management team he led, describing it as “the best Nigeria has ever had”.
“Whether or not the timing is merely coincidental is for Nigerians to judge. What is beyond dispute, however, is that while distinguished Nigerians who served at the highest levels continue to acknowledge my contributions to one of Nigeria’s most successful periods of economic management, Chief Obasanjo appears determined to diminish them.
“Chief Obasanjo may choose not to appreciate my role in building one of Nigeria’s most prosperous economic eras, but history has been far kinder. The record speaks for itself, and so do the testimonies of those who worked closely with that administration,” he said.
Alhaji Abubakar further stated that Nigerians also deserve to remember the other side of history which Chief Obasanjo conveniently omits, saying: “History records that while Chief Obasanjo was in prison, I stood firmly by him. I supported his family, worked tirelessly with other patriots for his release and never wavered in my belief that he deserved his freedom”.
He further said: “When he eventually regained his freedom, he had little to his name. I received him, clothed him, ensured he was properly cared for and extended every support necessary to help him regain his footing.
“Beyond that, I mobilised political structures, built alliances and made enormous personal and political sacrifices that culminated in his emergence as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
Alhaji Abubakar, however, said he harbours no regrets over any of those acts.
According to him: “Do I regret helping Chief Obasanjo? Absolutely not. When God gives you the opportunity to lift another human being, you do so without expecting repayment. Acts of kindness are matters of conscience, not commercial transactions”.
He added, however, that gratitude should never be replaced with revisionism.
Alhaji Abubakar particularly expressed disappointment that, at a time when Nigeria is battling economic hardship, mass unemployment, insecurity and widespread despair, a former President would devote so much energy to recycling old grudges instead of contributing solutions to the country’s challenges.
In the words of Atiku: “The 2027 election should be about rebuilding Nigeria, restoring security, reviving the economy and giving hope to the next generation—not reopening old political wounds”.
The former Vice President said he had deliberately maintained restraint over the years out of respect for the office Chief Obasanjo once occupied and in deference to the relationship they once shared.
He said: “That restraint should never be mistaken for weakness or docility. There comes a point when silence in the face of repeated distortions of history ceases to be a virtue. While I have no desire to engage in a public quarrel with a man I once stood beside in his most difficult moments, neither will I permit falsehoods, half-truths and calculated attempts to rewrite history to go unanswered.
“Chief Obasanjo is entitled to his opinions. He is entitled to his personal grievances. What he is not entitled to, are his own facts,” Alhaji Abubakar insisted.
The ADC presidential candidate reaffirmed that his attention remains firmly fixed on Nigeria’s future.
According to him; “I have chosen the path of service over resentment, vision over vendetta and national renewal over personal recrimination. Those who mistake my civility for capitulation, or my restraint for weakness, make a grave mistake.
“History is stubborn. It cannot be rewritten by bitterness, nor erased by repeated falsehoods. In the end, history will render its verdict—and so will the Nigerian people,” he stated.
According to the electoral umpire, campaigns for the presidential and National Assembly elections will commence on August 19, 2026, and end on January 15, 2027, exactly 24 hours before the elections scheduled for January 16, 2027.
INEC also announced that campaigns for governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will begin on September 9, 2026, and conclude on February 5, 2027, ahead of the polls slated for February 6, 2027.
The commission explained that the campaign schedule complies with the Electoral Act 2026, which stipulates that electioneering activities must not begin earlier than 150 days before an election and must end at least 24 hours before voting.
INEC urged political parties, candidates and other stakeholders to strictly adhere to the approved timetable and conduct their campaigns in accordance with the law, while encouraging the public to obtain electoral information only from its official communication channels to avoid misinformation.