Politics

Oyigbo Chairmanship: Residents Decry Ex-Lawmaker’s Ambition

Published

2 years ago

October 30, 2023

As the 2024 local government elections in Rivers State draw closer, a cross section of residents of Oyigbo Local Government Area have passed a vote of no confidence on the yet to be declared chairmanship ambition of the immediate past federal lawmaker who represented the people of Oyigbo/Tai/Eleme Federal
Constituency in the National Assembly, Hon. Chisom Dike.
Some of the residents who spoke to The Tide recently in Okoloma-Ndoki urged Hon. Dike to shelve the ambition, noting that it would be an effort in futility.
They openly accused the lawmaker who recently dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC) and joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for failing to attract meaningful development projects to the Local Government Areas that make up the Federal Constituency.
They described his time even as member of the Rivers State House of Assembly as lacking in quality service delivery.
According to a scholar, Dr. Ken Jamike Okere, “Since the government of Chisom Dike in all these years, after receiving the people’s nod to represent the area, effectively nothing boastful and tangible is seen physically as development projects in the 27 communities of Oyigbo, let alone, that which involves Oyigbo/Tai/Eleme Federal Constituency in the National Assembly in the four years of past dispensation.
“His plan to aspire to the number one seat of the LGA remains a mirage, unthinkable, laughable and a plot to create more rooms for perpetual hunger, poverty and deaths”.
He asserted: “What Oyigbo is in dire need of currently is nothing short of
vibrant, development-driven, articulative and God fearing new breed politicians in the next year’s poll whose interest would be to resuscitate the worn-off LGA administratively by bringing succour and quality service to the people, where employment generation, empowerment of the people, road construction in the area, especially internal roads and other infrastructural transformation should be given priority attention”.
Also responding, a petty trader at the Okoloma Ndoki modern market, Mrs. Jessica Iwela Ekekenta, said that the promises made to market women by the former lawmaker to empower them with financial support, rebuilding of the market to global standard, among others during his electioneering campaign turned out a hoax and total disservice to Oyigbo people.
Mrs Ekenkenta stressed that “This happened during his second term bid for Oyigbo State Constituency as member representing the LGA in the Rivers State House of Assembly.
“For me, I don’t think the young man has anything to offer to the people this time around, if at all, he is coming out for the soul of Oyigbo Chairmanship under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). I therefore admonish him to bow out of politics completely because the cap does not fit him.
“This time around, we are giving our support to ‘talk-and-do’ candidates and not the type of a failed leader like Chisom Dike”.
In his own response, a PDP Chieftain in Oyigbo Ward 3, Hon. Victor Ekendia admonished Chisom Dike to shun such an interest, noting that his antecedents both in the state and national assemblies were reasons why Oyigbo people would not queue behind him in the forthcoming Local Government polls next year.
“We cannot boast of projects executed currently by his leadership all these years while in the corridors of power. There is no need bothering to come out to contest election again if at all the rumour making the round is anything to go by.
“Oyigbo people are tired of being fooled by some disgruntled political dissidents who could not vacate the system. What we are shopping for currently are leaders who have the people’s perennial problems at their hearts”.
Furthermore, Dr. Chimaraoke Emuchay enjoined Oyigbo electorate to shop for more credible and God-fearing candidates to occupy any elective positions in the next three years in the area, describing the present leadership as “most
disappointing”.
However, Hon. Dike could not be reached for his response as at the time of going to press

By: Bethel Toby

Politics

LP Crisis: Ex-NWC Member Dumps Dumps Abure Faction

Published

5 days ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

A former National Organising Secretary of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Clement Ojukwu, has expressed regret that the several legal cases brought against the party since the 2023 general elections have impacted the party’s performance.

Mr Ojukwu, who recently returned to the interim National Working Committee led by Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, noted that the party had 34 elected members in the House of Representatives, eight Senators, and 80 members at the state Houses of Assembly after the 2023 general elections.

“Now we lost all of them,” he said. “I don’t think we have as many as five members in the National Assembly.”

The former national officer of the LP talked to journalists in Abuja and said he chose to join the caretaker committee led by Senator Nenadi-Usman because they are now the officially recognized leaders of the Party.

“I chose to work with the caretaker committee to help save the Labour Party, for the benefit of the party. I also want to use this chance to ask my colleagues at the national, state, and local government levels to come together and help rebuild our party.

“Another election is around the corner. We lost everything we have. They have left to other political parties. So I’ll reach out to all my friends in the other group to get together and work on making this party stronger again.

“The caretaker committee has formed a reconciliation committee. Let’s come together and talk so that we can restore the first opposition political party in Nigeria.”

Mr Ojukwu, who was part of the Julius Abure’s group, said there are no more factions in the LP.

He added, “There is a court ruling, and since it is valid, the right people are in the correct positions.”

He urged Barr Abure and others to drop the legal cases they have filed because they are not helping the party.

“Litigations are killing political parties”, he said. “They’ve seen many political parties disappear because of legal battles, and the Labor Party is losing support every day, which makes me feel sad.”

Mr Ojukwu said he did not think joining the Senator Nenadi-Usman’s NWC was a betrayal of the Abure group, describing himself as “the oxygen” of that faction.

“I’m with this group because of the verdict. But I never betrayed anybody. Rather, I was betrayed,” he added.

Politics

2027: NIGERIANS FAULT INEC ON DIGITAL MEMBERSHIP REGISTER DIRECTIVE

Published

5 days ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

A number of Nigerians have strongly criticized the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its directive to all political parties in the country to submit digitalized membership register within 32 days.

It would be recalled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following it’s reversed timetable, directed all political parties in the country to submit their digitalized membership registers within 32 days.

Speaking on the reversed timetable in an interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt, respondents said the directive amounted to disqualifying opposition political parties from fielding candidates in all the elections next year.

They said if the directives by the commission is implemented, only the All Progressives Congress (APC) would participate in the elections since it started it’s digital membership registration since February, last year.

Responding, an elder statesman in Rivers State, Chief Sunnie Chukumele, said the revised timetable was okay, but the timeframe for submission of digital membership register was being made at the wrong time.

Chief Chukumele said, for the past two years, all opposition political parties have been battling various issues in court, adding that they did not have the time to embark on membership drive, talk less of digitalizing their membership registers.

“My reaction is that the only issue with this revised timetable is the timeframe given by INEC for parties to submit digitalize memberships register in all the states of the federation, while giving notice of Congresses and convention. That is not possible”, he said.

He said only the ruling APC is likely to meet up with the directive, since it began its registration since last year.

Chief Chukumele, who is also the National Coordinator of Coalition of Rivers State Leaders of Thought (CORSLOT), alleged that the directive of the electoral body may have been targeted to prevent other parties from fielding candidates for the elections next year.

“When you say all the parties should submit digitalized registers of membership in 32 days, how will that be possible to conclude it in 32 days”, he queried.

He noted that “APC used one year ago to do, so APC has one year in the kitty plus 30 days. This is highly regrettable”.

The CORSLOT national leader urged the election umpire to do away with stringent conditions that will make it hard for opposition political parties to field candidates in the elections.

Also speaking, Mr Jacob Enware from Edo State queried the rationale behind the directive, especially when some opposition political parties are still having cases in court.

In his words, ”What opposition political parties are you talking about, is Labour Party not in court or PDP that is yet to resolve their issues?

”For me, INEC should provide a level playing field for all, because aside the APC, no party can meet up this criteria.”

In his own response, Mr Nathaniel Ebere said he was not prepared to vote for anybody whether INEC provides a level playing field or not.

He alleged that his vote would not count, “so I will not waste my time”.

By: John Bibor

Politics

IT’S A LIE, G-5 GOVS DIDN’T WIN ELECTION FOR TINUBU – SOWUNMI

Published

5 days ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Convener of The Alternative, Otunba Segun Sowunmi, has expressed reservations about the political stance of Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, while calling for reconciliation among key party figures.

Otunba Sowunmi made the remarks during a television interview on Saturday, when asked about the relationship between Gov. Makinde and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike.

He said, “I don’t believe Seyi Makinde. Because I know them all. I’ve been in this party since it was registered. And I’ve been loyal, faithful, diligent with this party from the get-go, and I’ve never left.”

He underscored his longstanding commitment to the PDP, referencing prominent figures who had exited the party at different times: “I’ve had the grace, and the honor, and the dignity of watching even my father, Obasanjo, shed his card. As much as I love him, I didn’t leave the party”.

He added, “I’ve had the privilege of watching my beloved senior brother, Governor Gbenga Daniel, leave the party a few times. As much as I respect his vision and his ideas, I’ve never left. I’ve watched my former principal, Atiku Abubakar, leave a few times. I’ve never left.”

Otunba Sowunmi stressed that his comments were rooted in deep involvement with the party: “So when I talk about PDP, I’m not talking as an outsider, I’m talking as one of their totems, who was actually carrying them.”

He disclosed that he wrote to Makinde during the governor’s last birthday, urging reconciliation among a bloc of five governors who had formed a movement during the 2023 elections.

“At Governor Seyi Makinde’s last birthday, I wrote him a letter where I tried to say, look, you guys, the five of you, succeeded to the extent of creating a movement of your own”, he said.

He added, “And you fought very hard to make a point in the 2023 election. Although I don’t believe you won the election for the president, that’s a lie. They contributed, but I hate when people take the glory of other people’s work.”

Otunba Sowunmi warned that unresolved differences among the group could weaken the party: “You guys, you must go back to your four friends, your five friends, and you guys go and sort it out. Because not sorting it out with your five friends is going to leave the party worse off.”

He added, “But now that you’re fighting, or you’re not agreeing with yourselves, why don’t you go back to that same energy that allowed you to agree, so that you can use that energy inside to agree, and then we can lead the party.”