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I Didn’t Sue Atiku, Wike Clarifies …Accuses Errand Politicians Of Mischief

Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has described as untrue, reports in a section of the media that he took the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to court.
The governor rather accused some favour seekers who hang around Atiku as the masterminds of such plots in their bid to tarnish his reputation.
Wike made the clarification at the inauguration of the Rivers State House of Assembly Quarters, which was performed by the Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, in Port Harcourt, last Friday.
“People have called me throughout this morning and said all kinds of things that I went to court against Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. I want to say categorically, if I have a reason of going to court, I will go to court, but I didn’t go to court.
“Yesterday too, they said I removed all PDP flags at Rivers State Government House. But I just have to say these things for Nigerians to know that I have kept quiet, and being busy delivering dividends of democracy for my party to win election in Rivers State.
“But I want to tell the candidate, it is the candidate’s group that is doing all these things. Let the world hear, they are the ones plotting all these things, thinking that they will spoil my name, you cannot.”
Wike explained that if he wanted legal action against the outcome of the PDP presidential primary, it would have been prosecuted within two weeks after the primary, when such pre-election matters were entertained.
“I didn’t go to court; I have no reason to go to court. But those of you who are plotting and saying that I went to court instead, for you to have come out now to say Wike went to go court, I say shame on you. Shame will be on all of you.
“I have told the candidate, you will win or lose this election because of people around you. Anybody who knows me know too well that if I was going to court, I would have gone to court within two weeks after the primary because it is a pre-election matter, and after two weeks, you can’t go to court.
“The legal adviser of the party called me, and I told him that he knows that there is mischief going on. But that he knows me very well, if I’m going to court, it is not those kinds of lawyers that I would have used, and I don’t even know the lawyers.”
Wike noted that there was a bigger challenge ahead, adding that it was how to win the 2023 general election for the PDP.
“This concern should be the focus of all true lovers of PDP who want electoral victory.
“You’re supposed to be talking about how you will win election. All these rent seekers around him are not doing him any favour. Rather, they are trying to make him not to win election. But if that is what they wish, I wish them good luck.
“You see that I am not talking. I am doing my work. So, leave me to do my work. Those concocting ideas every day in the social media cannot make you to win election.
“Election is about the people and by the people. Let those in Abuja with you (Atiku), tell them to go home and campaign for you to win election. Leave Wike alone, enough is enough.”
Wike recalled that during the 2019 general election, the same people claiming to love the PDP more now in South-South, sabotaged the party’s winning chances in the region.
He lamented that instead of them, particularly the governors, to plot on how to win the 2023 elections; they were joining in wasting the time plotting accusations that they would level on him.
“When I see people talking about PDP today, I say to myself what is going on in this world. In the South-South, they all betrayed us. President Muhammadu Buhari wouldn’t have won the 2019 election because he wouldn’t have had the spread.
“But all the states in the South-South made Buhari to have 25percent. It was only Rivers State that did not give Buhari 25percent. I am challenging anybody on it.”
Wike said the action of those persons who gave Buhari the winning margin in 2019 invariably also frustrated the winning chances of the PDP candidate then.
The Rivers State governor pointed to how he had urged Atiku to look carefully at the governors around him, and understand why they worked against his victory in 2019.
“Today, I see people talk about PDP, when we were supposed to have won election in PDP under Atiku, Rivers State gave the highest votes, and Rivers State gave the highest support in terms of logistics too. Let anybody come and contradict me.
“I told Atiku the other day, I said to him, all these governors that you think they are working with you, what happened in 2019? Nobody wants to say the truth.
“I have said it, everybody, go to your state and deliver. It is ‘Operation Deliver Your State’. It is not to just talk. It is not to stay in Abuja. I don’t stay in Abuja, I don’t sleep there.
“I am here (Rivers) everyday with my people. I will tell Rivers people to demand for report card. See my report card; they are the projects we are delivering. I will tell them see why you will vote for our governorship candidate. See why you will vote for all the other (PDP) candidates.”
Wike said he was busy inaugurating projects that have been completed for the benefit of Rivers people, and would start politicking and choke his opponents soon.
The governor expressed doubt if the National Assembly members have the guts required to impeach Buhari as they have threatened to do.
This is because, he noted, they have not been firm in their role to check the excesses of the presidency, and wondered if the current threat was not another gimmick to deceive Nigerians.
Wike said it was imperative for him to have invited Gbajabiamila who, as a friend, had supported Rivers State Government to get the refund from the Paris Club.
Part of the money, Wike noted, has been expended on the Rivers State Assembly Quarters.
Inaugurating the project, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, noted that the housing facility would definitely provide conducive residences for members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Gbajabiamila described the project as a worthy achievement that would long impact the performance of the Legislature in this state and stand to the credit of the men and women who envisioned and executed it.
“The highest test of our democratic experiment lies in our ability to deliver policies and programmes that improve the lives of our people. And we achieve this objective by building ladders of opportunity that allow them to achieve the highest aspirations of their hearts.
“If we can accomplish this, we have justified our public service. If we fail, nothing else will matter. With this project, Governor Nyesom Wike, has demonstrated his recognition of the vital role of the legislators in a functioning democracy.
“It now falls to the present and future legislators to live up to the high expectations of their office, and justify the confidence reposed in them.”
In his address, Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani, said in his 16 years now in the assembly, he had not seen such gesture shown to the legislative arm of government in the state.
“I have not seen anything like this. Governor Wike also built an iconic residence for speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly. This is added to these 32-unit four-bedroom duplexes.
“This is what he does, as a leader, who does not attack democratic institutions that have benefitted him. Governor Wike is a leader that can encourage, improve and bring about superior status to democratic institutions for the good of the nation.”
Providing the description of the project, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Housing, Mrs Patience Whyte Amakiri, said while the civil work was done by Lubrik Construction Company, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc handled the furnishing of the flats.
According to her, there are 16 blocks of four bedroom duplexes, making 32 units in total; an ancillary building that has multipurpose hall, conveniences, and leisure spaces. There are also three guest houses, 150-meter capacity water tanks and a generator house.
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Reps Propose Creation of 31 New States

The House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review has proposed the creation of 31 new states in the country.
If the proposal scales through, the Nigerian state will be made up of 67 sub-national governments.
The proposal for new states was contained in a letter read during yesterday’s plenary session by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the session in the absence of the Speaker, Mr Tajudeen Abbas.
The committee chaired by Kalu proposed six new states for North Central, four in the North East, five in the North West, five in the South East, four in the South-South and seven in the South West.
The letter read in part, “The committee proposes the creation of 31 new states. As amended, this section outlines specific requirements that must be fulfilled to initiate the process of state creation, which include the following:
New state and boundaries
“An act of the National Assembly for the purpose of creating a new state shall only be passed if it requires support by at least the third majority of members.
“The House of Representatives, the House of Assembly in respect of the area, and the Local Government Council in respect of the area are received by the National Assembly.
“Local government advocates for the creation of additional local government areas are only reminded that Section 8 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, applies to this process.
“Specifically, in accordance with Section 8 (3) of the Constitution, the outcome of the votes of the State Houses of Assembly in the referendum must be forwarded to the National Assembly for fulfillment of state demands.
“Proposals shall be resubmitted in strict adherence to the stipulations. Submit three hard copies of the full proposal of the memoranda to the Secretariat of the Committee at Room H331, House of Representatives, White House, National Assembly Complex, and Abuja.
“Sub-copies must also be sent electronically to the Committee’s email address at info.hccr.gov.nj. For further information or contact, please contact the Committee Clerk at 08069-232381.
“The committee remains committed to supporting the implementing efforts that align with the Constitutional provisions and would only consider proposals that comply with the stipulated guidelines. This is coming from the Clerk of the Committee on Constitutional Review.”
The proposed new states are Okun, Okura and Confluence states from Kogi; Benue Ala and Apa states from Benue; FCT State; Amana State from Adamawa; Katagum from Bauchi State; Savannah State from Borno, and Muri State from Taraba.
Others are New Kaduna and Gujarat from Kaduna State; Tiga and Ari from Kano; Kainji from Kebbi State; Etiti and Orashi as the 6th state in the South East; Adada from Enugu, Orlu and Aba from the South East.
Also included are Ogoja from Cross River State; Warri from Delta; Ori and Obolo from Rivers; Torumbe from Ondo; Ibadan from Oyo; Lagoon from Lagos; Ijebu from Ogun State, as well as Oke Ogun/Ijesha from Oyo/Ogun/Osun States.
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TUC Opposes FG’s Proposed Toll Gate On Federal Roads, Rejects Electricity Tariff Hike

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, (TUC), yesterday, opposed the plans by the Federal Government to toll selected federal roads in the country, as a means of revenue generation.
The TUC also kicked against any attempt to increase telecom tariff, saying it will compound the present economic hardship Nigerians are going through.
President of TUC, Comrade Festus Osifo, while presiding over the 1st Quarter 2025 National Administrative Council (NAC) of the Union in Abuja, yesterday, condemned the proposed reintroduction of toll gates on some federal highways without first of all ensuring that the roads are in good condition.
Osifo, who blamed the hardship in the country as a result of the government policies like the flotation of the naira, wondered why the Federal Government should initiate policies bothering on the citizens without due consultations with relevant stakeholders.
He said its is annoying that most of the roads which are unpaved, dilapidated, and riddled with potholes should be open for collecting tolls.
A communique issued at the end of the meeting partly read: “NAC deliberated on the proposed introduction of toll gates on selected federal roads and strongly condemned it in its entirely. While we acknowledge that tolling is a globally recognized method of generating revenue for road maintenance, it is unacceptable to impose tolls on roads that are unpaved, dilapidated, and riddled with potholes.
“The NAC views this as an insult to Nigerians, who are being asked to pay tolls on roads that are in total disrepair. Our highways are death traps unsafe, abandoned, and filled with potholes. Rather than fulfilling its responsibility to fix and maintain these roads, the government is resorting to shameless extortion.
“The Congress, therefore, demands that all roads earmarked for tolling must first be fixed, properly tarred, and repaired to international standards before any discussion on tolling can be entertained”.
Although the Federal Government recently debunked plans to increase electricity tariff by 65 percent, TUC said it was alarming that the government even considered the hike in the first instance.
Osifo lamented that the previous increment already inflicted severe hardship on citizens.
He said, “This proposed increase is not only ill-timed but also a deliberate act of economic oppression against Nigerians, who are already struggling under unbearable economic conditions.
“The improved service quality promised during the last tariff hike, particularly for consumers under the so-called “Band A” category, has not been realized. Most consumers, regardless of their tariff band, continue to live in perpetual darkness”.
TUC observed that the root cause of escalating prices and galloping inflation was the devaluation of the Naira.
Going down memory lane, Osifo said in February 2024, the TUC addressed a world press conference, where it clearly stated that the excessive devaluation of the naira was the primary cause of rising inflation and the continuous increase in the prices of goods and services.
He said Congress also warned that this trend would worsen inflation in 2024, impacting virtually every sector of the economy and severely affecting the social and economic well-being of Nigerian workers and the masses if the solutions it canvassed were not adopted.
The TUC President said 12 months later, the Congress position remained unchanged, alleging that the symptoms of the root cause have manifested clearly.
According to him: “These include the skyrocketing prices of essential goods, the escalating costs of social services, the proposed hike in telecom tariffs, the increase in electricity tariffs (with plans for further increments), the rising prices of petroleum products amongst others.
“The TUC remains focused on addressing the root cause of these economic challenges rather than merely reacting to the manifested symptoms. To this end, the TUC demands a better foreign exchange (FX) management regime from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as the naira is currently undervalued, as confirmed by both local and international experts.”
He warned that if the policies were not reviewed to favour the citizens, the TUC may be compelled to mobilise for mass protest.
“The NAC, on behalf of the Congress, strongly advises the government to refrain from introducing policies that would further exacerbate the current economic hardship faced by hardworking Nigerians.
“If the administration insists on implementing these policies, the TUC will have no choice but to mobilize the working class, civil society, and the oppressed masses for a nationwide action. This level of exploitation is unacceptable. A stitch in time saves nine,” he warned.
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Africa Must Stop Depending On Foreign Blueprints -Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu has charged African leaders to stop clinging to their old habit of depending on foreign plans, saying the continent is in dire need of leaders who wield policy as a surgical blade instead of a slogan.
Tinubu lamented what he described as “the tragedy of our time” whereby African leaders do not only confine themselves to foreign blueprints but refused to emancipate themselves from client-state mentalities and governance by hashtag activism.
The President made these remarks in Abuja, yesterday, during the Dr. Kayode Fayemi commemorative symposium and launch of the Amandla Institute for Policy and Leadership Advancement, with the theme “Renewing the Pan-African Ideal for the Changing Times: The Policy and Leadership Challenges and Opportunities.”
The symposium was organised to commemorate the 60th birthday of the former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi.
Represented at the event by the Vice-President, Senator Kashim Shettima, the President said, “Whatever our differences across the continent, one fact that can’t be eroded by our infighting is that we are in the age of machines, and we can’t fight our development dilemma with spears and arrows while the rest of the world is fighting the same battle with missiles and tanks. The world is not waiting for Africa to catch up.
“While we parse political rivalries, others parse datasets. While we litigate history, others engineer futures. The train of progress accelerates, yet too many of our leaders cling to old carriages. These are our client-state mentalities, our dependency on foreign blueprints, and our governance by hashtag activism. This is the tragedy of our time.
“The founding of Amandla Institute emerges as an antidote to this paralysis. We are here not only to generate more ideas but to create executors. We need leaders who wield policy as a scalpel, not a slogan. We need visionaries who see AI as a collaborator, not a competitor. We need a generation of Africans who recognise that Pan-Africanism, renewed for this age, must be rooted in actionable sovereignty.”
Tinubu pointed out that it would be wishful thinking to hope that the renaissance of Africa will happen as a gift, maintaining that it must be built.
He regretted that for too long, leaders in Africa have outsourced their thinking, relying on institutions and ideologies that treat countries on the continent “as consumers, not creators,” just as he insisted that the youth must be empowered to innovate in tech hubs across the continent.
“But the post-idea world dissolves excuses. With the democratisation of knowledge, we must empower our youth to innovate in tech hubs across the continent, from Cairo, down through Nairobi, to Lagos, building unicorns without the permission of any gatekeepers. What they lack is not ideas but ecosystems—systems where policy, funding, and political will converge to scale their genius,” he noted.
The Nigerian leader further urged African leaders to “evolve from custodians of power to architects of platforms,” adding that their “imagination of Africa must be one where every government ministry houses.
“AI strategists, where continental trade policies are drafted by homegrown think tanks like Amandla Institute, not foreign consultants, and where “Made in Africa” signifies not raw materials but algorithms, green tech, and cultural capital.”
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