Politics
Rivers People’ll Decide Their Gov – Abe
A former lawmaker, Senator Magnus Abe, has said that Rivers people will decide who will govern them in 2023 as their fate does not lie in the hands of any individual.
Abe made the declaration in Port Harcourt while addressing some party faithful and returnees of the All Progressives Congress (APC), from different political parties in the Rivers West Senatorial District of the State.
He commended their decision to reunite with other members of the party in order to build purposefully, describing them as men of honour and integrity who have placed the interest of the state and interest of the party above parochial sentiments.
The Senator maintained that, for Rivers State to actualize the dreams and aspirations of its founding fathers, the people need to come together regardless of whatever may have transpired in the past and focus on the future, as the project is about the future of Rivers State.
Abe said: “Let me thank each and every one of you for the decision you have taken; our brothers and friends from Rivers West who left the course and have decided to come back for us to join hands together, to get this boat to the shore.
“I also want to assure you that what you have done is what is expected of men of honour and integrity to put the interest of the state and interest of the party above every other interest.
“I want you to know that to take Rivers State to where it needs to be, all of us must come together regardless of what we have done before, regardless of what we have said, regardless of what we have felt before.
“This project is about the future of Rivers State not about the past. Whatever is past let it remain in the past. For what is in front of us is more important than what is behind us.
“Once again, I am very, very happy to welcome you all back into the party and to say, that I will like to invite all men and women of goodwill across Rivers State, those who have the courage, those who have the knowledge, those who have intuition to be able to see what has not happened that can happen.
“Those who have the capacity, those who have the quality to be able to understand what people say, that the time is now.
“It is important for people to realize that the APC in the State is made up of people, who have brains and could think for themselves. And so, we must learn to do things differently.
“That is why the purpose of consultation is important, so that we will not make mistake. All of you that have been the strength of this party, that have been the strength of the Rivers West Senatorial District, all of you that have come to say that you are coming back to join us to work together, you are also part of the consultation and we will listen to you”.
Earlier, leader of Rivers West Senatorial District Plus One, Lucky Ottos, said they took the decision to reunite with party members in the interest of a better Rivers State.
“We cannot hand over Rivers State to people who are not qualified to govern and that’s why we sat down and decided that we will work with you; Senator Magnus Ngei Abe”.
The group urged him to contest for governor in Rivers State come 2023.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to submit the list of candidates for the 2027 governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections from Saturday, August 8, to Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
The commission announced the extension in a statement issued on Saturday and signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna.
According to INEC, the decision followed appeals by political parties for additional time to complete the submission process through the dedicated online portal.
“The submission window, which according to the revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the General Election was originally scheduled to close on Saturday, 8th August, 2026, has been extended to Tuesday, 11th August, 2026,” the commission said.
In a a related development, INEC announced the suspension of PVC collection in Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The commission said voters who applied for replacement of lost, damaged or defaced Permanent Voter Cards would have until midnight on Sunday, August 9, to print downloadable copies of their cards.
The electoral body explained that the deadline was necessary to enable it compile data on downloaded PVCs and produce final statistics on the total number of cards collected ahead of the election.
INEC said PVC collection in Osun commenced at the Registration Area level from July 22 to 28, 2026, but was extended to July 31 following complaints about large crowds and difficulties experienced by voters at collection centres.
The exercise subsequently moved to the local government level and ran from August 1 to 7.
The commission also disclosed that replacement downloadable PVCs had been made available to voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas following the theft of cards during attacks on the two collection centres.
It stressed that the stolen cards could not be used to vote.
INEC reassured Osun residents of its preparedness for the August 15 governorship election.
“The commission reiterates that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
“INEC reassures the people of Osun State of its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive governorship election on 15th August, 2026,” the statement said.
The commission said the deadline, initially set for Saturday, 8 August, has been extended to Tuesday, 11 August 2026, following appeals from political parties for more time.
INEC also announced that the window for voters who applied to replace lost, damaged or defaced PVCs to download their replacement cards will close at midnight on Sunday, 9 August.
The move is to enable the commission compile final PVC collection figures ahead of the 15 August Osun governorship election.
INEC said replacement downloadable PVCs have also been provided to affected voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas after hoodlums carted away cards from two collection centres, stressing that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
The commission reaffirmed its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive election in Osun State.
Gov. Kefas made the remarks over the weekend at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jalingo, during the flag-off of the second phase of the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach in Taraba State, organised as part of activities marking Prof. Yilwatda’s 58th birthday.
The governor commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing to mark his birthday by providing medical care to people in need.
“What Professor Nentawe did is a powerful demonstration of what leadership should be,” Gov. Kefas said.
He assured that his administration would continue to support initiatives that complement government efforts to improve healthcare delivery and the wellbeing of residents.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Yilwatda called on Nigerian leaders to embrace the culture of giving and use their positions to touch the lives of the less privileged.
He said his decision to celebrate his 58th birthday in Taraba State was deliberate and informed by the needs of underserved communities, particularly people who face difficulties accessing healthcare because of distance and financial constraints.
According to him, the intervention followed a needs assessment and was extended across the three senatorial districts of the state.
He said the exercise commenced on August 3 at Takum General Hospital and covered the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Wukari; First Referral Hospital, Sunkani, Ardo-Kola Local Government Area; General Hospital, Bali; General Hospital, Gembu; and FMC Jalingo.
Prof. Yilwatda said the intervention provided medical services to thousands of beneficiaries, including people who required surgical procedures.
He said sustainable national development could only be achieved when strong institutions placed Nigerians at the centre of development.
“Leadership is about service,” he said, urging political and public leaders to make giving back to society an important part of their responsibilities.
He reaffirmed his commitment to serving Nigeria and its people, saying his personal vision was to make every day of his life useful to humanity.
“Every day that I live, the vision is: let it be useful to humanity,” he said.
The Taraba State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bordiya Buma, commended the initiative, saying it was consistent with the Renewed Hope agenda and efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery in the state.
Dr Buma said the second phase followed the successful completion of the first phase, which was conducted simultaneously in six local government areas, with two LGAs selected from each of the three senatorial districts.
According to him, more than 10,000 patients were attended to during the first phase, including people with medical and surgical conditions.
He disclosed that 327 general surgeries, 71 eye surgeries and 575 dental procedures were carried out during the exercise.
The commissioner expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach and thanked Prof. Yilwatda for supporting the initiative and choosing Taraba State as a beneficiary.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, also commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing Taraba State to mark his 58th birthday through a medical outreach.
Prof. Pate said making healthcare the centrepiece of the birthday celebration was significant because health affects everyone.
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