Politics
Fynebone And The Rambling Of A Sinking Man
Last Sunday, Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike of Rivers State made a State-wide broadcast wherein he revealed moves by some frustrasted and disgruntled “political leaders” in the state to recruit cultists and ex-convicts as thugs to cause mayhem in the state during the 2023 general elections.
The Governor in the broadcast also advised harbingers of such clandestine and evil plot to desist or have themselves to blame.
Sadly enough, and regrettably too, one cannot understand why this general warning, which was not directed at any particular political party, should elicit the kind of reaction it did from Chris Fynebone, the Publicity Secretary of the ever depleting All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State.
As the saying goes, ‘when dry bones are mentioned in any conversation, the old woman is always uneasy’. This is exactly the scenario in which Chris Fynebone and his pitiable and insignificant APC members found themselves.
Come to think of it, is it only the APC that exists in Rivers state. Is it true that remnants of the fast disintegrating and scattering Special Purpose vehicle were actually planning to cause chaos in the state during the elections? If not why must Chris Fynebone be this swift in reacting to the advice given to Rivers politicians by Governor Nyesom Wike to avoid acts that could cause confusion during the 2023 Elections? It is only someone that is trying to plan evil that can react the way Chris Fynebone did. But suffice to remind Chris that if they were planning to threaten the 2023 election, they should better reconsider their plans because it can never work in Rivers State.
Another particular point of interest to me in Chief Fynebone’s response is the reference to the PDP, a very formidable party that is daily receiving people who are leaving the tattered APC in droves, as ‘crumbling”. To call the PDP that is receiving decampees from the APC from all over Rivers state crumbling is to conclude that Chief Fynebone does not know what is happening to his party or pretending all is well with it or at best does not understand the meaning of the word “Crumbling”.
But if Chris must know, only on Saturday last week over 500 members of the APC in Tai Local Government Area dumped the party for the PDP – the party he regarded as “crumbling”.
The decampees include the representative of Tai in the APC’s Elders Council, Chief (Hon) Peter Gwezia, who was also the first PDP Chairman in Tai before he was deceived to leave the PDP.
In Khana the APC has totally collapsed as all those that malter in the party have since left for the PDP. Who would I mention and who would I leave out? Is it Hon Emma Deeyah, former House of Representatives member, Gregory Nwidam former two times Council Chairman, Friday Nke-ee, former Commissioner and House of Assembly member, Marvin Yobana, former NYCN President or is it Chairman of the party in the area, Hon Celestine Akpobari with many still on their way out?
Just the other day, former Commissioner for Transport and ally of former Transportation Minister, George Tolofari parted ways with the APC. Another chieftain of the APC in Oyigbo, Hon. Bright Jacob, along with many of his supporters, left the confused party too.
In Etche, another Chieftain, Ogbonna Nwuke has since left, former Governorship candidates, Prince Tonye Princewill and Dr. Dawari George, two allies of former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi had since left the APC in the Kalabari axis.
All over the state members are leaving the APC in droves, yet Fynebone has the temerity to call PDP a crumbling party. I take it as lack of appropriate terminology, may be he wanted to say ever “growing party”. Fynebone is obviously showing his shamelessness to the public by refusing to acknowledge the bitter fact that his APC is the one that is sinking fast and soon he will be the only one remaining in the sinking ship.
Concerning the revelation made by Governor Wike over plots by some unscrupulous and evil minded politicians to cause crisis in the state during the 2023 election, the APC Spokesperson by his reaction has indeed accepted that his party was hatching such devilish plans.
However, let it be known to him that Rivers people, just as they did in 2019, will resist every attempt to make their votes not to count in the 2023 Elections. APC’s clandestine moves would be futile and the peoples’ Will must prevail.
Governor Wike’s warning should be taken seriously because there must be free, fair, peaceful and credible elections in Rivers State come 2023.
Deeyah, former Director News, Rivers State Broadcasting Corporation and Special Assistant on Media to the Rivers
By: Paul Deeyah
State Chairman of PDP, writes from Port Harcourt.
The Senate yesterday received the 2026-2028 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper from President Bola Tinubu, marking the formal launch of the 2026 federal budget cycle.
In a letter addressed to the upper chamber, Tinubu said the submission complies with statutory requirements and sets out the fiscal parameters that will guide the preparation of the 2026 Appropriation Bill.
He explained that the MTEF/FSP outlines the macroeconomic assumptions, revenue projections, and spending priorities that will shape Nigeria’s fiscal direction over the next three years.
The letter was read during plenary by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North), who urged lawmakers to expedite consideration of the document.
“It is with pleasure that I forward the 2026 to 2028 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper for the kind consideration and approval of the Senate.
“The 2026 to 2028 MTEF and FSP were approved during the Federal Executive Council meeting of December 3, 2025, and the 2026 budget of the Federal Government will be prepared based on the parameters and fiscal assumptions therein,” the President stated.
Last week, the Federal Executive Council approved the fiscal projections, pegging the oil benchmark price at $64.85 per barrel and adopting a budget exchange rate of ?1,512/$1 for 2026—figures expected to significantly shape revenue forecasts and expenditure planning.
After reading the President’s letter, Jibrin referred the document to the Senate Committee on Finance, chaired by Senator Sani Musa (APC, Niger East), with a directive to submit its report by Wednesday, December 17.
The Senate adjourned shortly after to allow committees to commence scrutiny of the fiscal framework and continue the ongoing screening of ambassadorial nominees.
Tinubu’s communication to the Senate came less than 24 hours after he transmitted the same MTEF/FSP documents to the leadership of the House of Representatives.
The letter was read on the House floor by the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, who also urged timely legislative action as required by law.
The MTEF and FSP are statutory instruments mandated by the Fiscal Responsibility Act and serve as the blueprint for Nigeria’s annual budgets.
They outline the government’s fiscal stance, macroeconomic assumptions, revenue frameworks, projected deficits, and sectoral priorities over a three-year period.
The Tide reports that approval by the National Assembly is a prerequisite for the executive to present the Appropriation Bill for the next fiscal year.
In a statement on Saturday, the former Senate Leader stated that the allocation of nominees across states and geopolitical zones falls short of the constitutional requirement for fair representation in the composition of the Federal Government.
The ex-Senate Whip warned that allowing the list to pass could deepen ethnic suspicion at a time when the administration should be consolidating national unity.
He highlighted disparities in the spread of nominees, noting that while some states have three or four slots, others have none. He also cited the inclusion of Senator Adamu Garba Talba from Yobe, who reportedly died in July.
“The entire North-East states have seven nominees in the list. Further checks revealed that the South-West geo-political zone has 15 nominees, while North-West and South-East have 13 and 9, respectively.
“North-Central region has 10 nominees in the list of career and non-career ambassadorial nominee while South-South parades 12 nominees,” Senator Ndume said.
According to him, such imbalances could heighten tensions and undermine Section 14(3) of the Constitution.
“My sincere appeal to President Tinubu is to withdraw this list. At this critical juncture in his administration, he should avoid missteps that could undermine national unity and foster ethnic distrust.
“I know him to be a cosmopolitan leader who is at home with every segment and stakeholder in the country. He should withdraw that list and present a fresh set of nominees that will align with the spirit of the Constitution on the Federal Character Principle,” Senator Ndume added.
He accused the legislators of undermining the sanctity of the legislature and acting as instruments of destabilization.
“The members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have, by their actions since they assumed office, shown that they are political puppets and a clog in the wheels of democratic progress,” Comrade Ememobong stated, adding that “They will go down in history as enemies of democracy and those who made mockery of the legislature.”
“So the easiest way to describe their action is a defection from APC to APC,” he said.
Comrade Ememobong announced that the party would deploy constitutional provisions to reclaim its mandate from those who have “ignobly and surreptitiously” abandoned the platform on which they were elected.
“Consequently, the PDP will take legal steps to activate the provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999 as amended) to recover the mandate gained under the banner of our party which these people have now switched to another platform,” he said.
He urged party members in Rivers State to remain calm and steadfast.
“We urge all party members in Rivers State to remain faithful and resolute, as efforts are underway to rebuild the party along the path of inclusiveness, fairness and equity,” Comrade Ememobong assured.
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