Politics
PVC Is Your Tool, Fubara Tells GDI Members
As the Grassroots Development Initiative (GDI) takes the sensitisation rally for the INEC Continuous Voter Registration exercise to Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State, the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Amaopu Senibo Siminialayi Fubara, has described GDI as a PDP workshop which must have requisite tools to function properly.
Speaking at the rally which held on Saturday at State School, Ahoada, headquarters of Ahoada East Local Government Area, Amaopusenibo Fubara maintained that the only tool needed by GDI to work is the Permament Voter Card (PVC).
He urged those who have not registered to go to the nearest registration centre to do so.
The PDP standard bearer who described the PVC sensitisation rally as a very important programme for the forthcoming election, insisted that the PVC would enable the electorate in Ahoada East to make their statement during elections.
“We won’t make our mark in this local government area if we don’t have our PVC.
‘If we really have the interest of PDP’s working tools which is the GDI, then you need to have your PVC”, Fubara said.
He disclosed that the mere mention of his name is making most people jittery, saying that this is a clear sign of victory for him.
“We will win because each time you mention incoming, people get scared because I am the incoming and I will win,” he stated.
He also advised GDI members not to bring their original PVC to the rally, saying that it is possible for such cards to get lost in the process, adding that such a situation could be a great loss to the GDI.
“You can make photocopy and come with the photocopy. Each PVC that is here is a vote for us. Let’s not start losing our vote while sensitising people .
‘’Your PVC is your voice, your PVC is your vote, your PVC is your power. What we are doing is to let you know the importance of the PVC.
‘’ It is not just a jamboree, it is to tell you to go back to your unit, go back to your ward and encourage people that have not registered to register,” he emphasised.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Ahoada East Local Government Area, Hon. Ben Eke said that his administration has made the possession of the PVC a precondition for bursary payment to students of the area.
The event was attended by people from different walks of life, including the Deputy Governorship candidate of the party, Prof. Ngozi Ordu; State PDP Chairman, Ambassador Desmond Akawor, represented by the party Secretary, Dr Benibo George; members of the State Executive of the party, members of the National and State Assembly, local government chairmen, former commissioners, women, youths and student groups.
During a press conference held in Owerri, the coalition called the campaign a “dangerous and shameful display” designed to distract the public from the governor’s performance in office.
The CSOs directly linked the Greater Imo Initiative (GII) —the group that made the allegations on September 4, 2025—to Governor Uzodimma, describing the group as his “mouthpiece and attack dog.”
“Every word spoken against INEC was spoken on his behalf.
“By falsely alleging that Professor Yakubu has an alliance with Dr. Amadi to compromise the 2027 elections, Uzodimma has not only maligned a man of proven integrity but also assaulted the very foundation of our democracy”, said Dr Agbo Frederick, speaking for the coalition.
The coalition described Professor Yakubu as a “beacon of electoral professionalism” and called the attempt to soil his reputation “defamatory and a national security risk.”
They also defended Dr. Amadi, a “respected development scholar,” stating that the governor’s accusations were “laughable, desperate, and dangerous.”
The CSOs see the motive behind the campaign as an attempt to “silence the dissent, intimidate the opposition, and divert attention from the governor’s abysmal record in office.”
The coalition issued four key demands to Governor Uzodimma: An immediate retraction of the false and defamatory allegations against Professor Mahmood Yakubu and Dr. Chima Amadi.
- A public apology to both men within seven days, to be published in at least three national newspapers and broadcast on major television networks.
- An end to diversionary tactics and proxy propaganda.
- A renewed focus on governance, including addressing insecurity, unemployment, and poverty in Imo State.
The CSOs warned that failure to comply would force them to “review our position with a view to seeking legal redress from Governor Uzodimma for defamation, false accusation, and reckless endangerment of lives.”
“Governor Uzodimma must be reminded that he did not find himself in the seat of power to chase shadows.
“We call on all Nigerians to reject Uzodimma’s diversionary antics as they are nothing short of desperate plots by a government terrified of accountability”, the statement concluded.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC expressed concern that preventing the senator from resuming her legislative duties violates democratic principles and disenfranchises her constituents.
“The suspension, having been imposed by the Senate and not a court of law, has lapsed. Any further attempt to prevent her from resuming is therefore both illegal and morally indefensible,” Mallam Abdullahi said.
The party noted that denying Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan access to the chamber silences the voice of the people who elected her, adding that the withdrawal of her salary, aides, and office access during the suspension amounted to excessive punishment.
The ADC also criticised the Clerk of the National Assembly for declining to process her resumption on grounds that the matter was before the courts, arguing that the Clerk’s role was administrative, not judicial.
“Administrative caution must not translate into complicity. When the administrative machinery becomes hostage to political interests, the institution itself is diminished,” the party stated.
Highlighting that Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan is one of only four women in the 109-member Senate, the ADC warned that the handling of the case sends a discouraging signal about gender inclusion in Nigerian politics.
“Any action that resembles gender intimidation of the few women in the Senate would only discourage women’s participation. Nigeria cannot claim to be a democracy while excluding half of its population from key decision-making spaces,” Mallam Abdullahi added.
The ADC insisted that Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan be allowed to resume her seat immediately, stressing that the matter was about more than one individual.
“What is at stake here is not just one Senate seat, but the integrity of our democracy itself,” the party said.
