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 former two-term governor went down memory lane to recall how they founded the APC but were used and dumped.
In his words, “…those calling on us to join APC, we have agreed to join the APC but on clear agreement that protects and respects the interest of my party, NNPP and my political movement, Kwankwasiyya. No state where you go that you don’t have NNPP and Kwankwasiyya. We have gubernatorial candidates, senatorial candidates and others.
“We are ready to join APC under strong conditions and promises. We will not allow anyone to use us and later dump us.
“We were among the founding fathers of the APC and endured significant persecution from various security agencies while challenging the previous administration.
“Yet when the party assumed power, we received no recognition or appreciation for our sacrifices, simply because we didn’t originate from their original faction.
“We are not in a hurry to leave the NNPP; we are enjoying and have peace of mind. But if some want a political alliance that would not disappoint us like in the past, we are open to an alliance. Even if it is the PDP that realised their mistakes, let’s enter an agreement that will be made public,” Sen. Kwankwaso stated.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has dismissed long-standing claims that he once sought to extend his tenure in office, insisting he never pursued a third term.
Speaking at the Democracy Dialogue organised by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation in Accra, Ghana, Chief Obasanjo said there is no Nigerian, living or dead, who can truthfully claim he solicited support for a third term agenda.
“I’m not a fool. If I wanted a third term, I know how to go about it. And there is no Nigerian, dead or alive, that would say I called him and told him I wanted a third term,” the former president declared.
Chief Obasanjo argued that he had proven his ability to secure difficult national goals, citing Nigeria’s debt relief during his administration as a much greater challenge than any third term ambition.
“I keep telling them that if I could get debt relief, which was more difficult than getting a third term, then if I wanted a third term, I would have got it too,” he said.
He further cautioned against leaders who overstay in power, stressing that the belief in one’s indispensability is a “sin against God.”
On his part, former President Goodluck Jonathan said any leader who failed to perform would be voted out of office if proper elections were conducted.
Describing electoral manipulation as one of the biggest threats to democracy in Africa, he said unless stakeholders come together to rethink and reform democracy, it may collapse in Africa.
He added that leaders must commit to the kind of democracy that guarantees a great future for the children where their voices matter.
He said: “Democracy in Africa continent is going through a period of strain and risk collapse unless stakeholders came together to rethink and reform it. Electoral manipulation remains one of the biggest threats in Africa.
“We in Africa must begin to look at our democracy and rethink it in a way that works well for us and our people. One of the problems is our electoral system. People manipulate the process to remain in power by all means.
“If we had proper elections, a leader who fails to perform would be voted out. But in our case, people use the system to perpetuate themselves even when the people don’t want them.
“Our people want to enjoy their freedoms. They want their votes to count during elections. They want equitable representation and inclusivity. They want good education. Our people want security. They want access to good healthcare. They want jobs. They want dignity. When leaders fail to meet these basic needs, the people become disillusioned.”
The dialogue was also attended by the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Touray, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Sokoto diocese of Catholic Church among others who all stressed that democracy in Africa must go beyond elections to include accountability, service, and discipline.
The Rivers State House of Assembly yesterday resumed plenary session after a six-month state of emergency imposed on the state by President Bola Tinubu elapsed on Wednesday midnight.
President Bola Tinubu had lifted the emergency rule on September 17, with the Governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and members of the state assembly asked to resume duties on September 18.
The plenary was presided over by the Speaker of the House, Martins Amaewhule, at the conference hall located within the legislative quarters in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
The conference hall has served as the lawmakers’ temporary chamber since their official chamber at the assembly complex on Moscow Road was torched and later pulled down by the state government.
The outgone sole administrator of the state, Ibok-Ete Ibas, could not complete the reconstruction of the assembly complex as promised.
Recall that on March 18, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers following the prolonged political standoff between Fubara and members of the House of Assembly loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
He subsequently suspended the governor, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and lawmakers for six months and installed a sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.), to manage the state’s affairs.
The decision sparked widespread controversy, with critics accusing the president of breaching the Constitution.
However, others hailed the move as a necessary and pragmatic step.
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