Politics

Edison Ehie: Clearing The Doubts

Published

3 years ago

April 26, 2024

I read with rapt attention an article on page 17 of The Tide Newspaper of 25th March, 2024, captioned: ‘”Can Rivers Assembly Remove Governor’s Powers To Appoint Executive Officers?” written by no less a personality than one of Rivers State’s renowned lawmakers, politician and youth leader, Rt. Hon. Edison Ogaranya Ehie who is also the Chief of Staff, Rivers State Government House.
I am sure that the teeming supporters of the present administration, as well as members of the Simplified family in the 23 local government areas of the State including me, heaved a sigh of relief when the Chief of Staff used his legal expertise as a lawyer and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria to explain through points of law, and citing precedence, the powers of the governor to appoint executive officers.
He did this to let the unsuspecting public know that the 27 pro-Wike lawmakers were simply doing the bidding of their paymaster(s) without reason when they attempted to strip the governor of his constitutional powers, leading to the heating up of political tension in the state.
Evidently, their aim was to distract the present administration. It was, therefore, cheering that this matter, which gained a lot of traction, was finally put to rest. Now, we know and I say a big thank you to the Chief of Staff.
Be that as it may, there are yet a couple of concerns troubling the minds of well-meaning Rivers people. Among the many unsettling questions that have welled up in most discerning minds are:
1. Why heat up the political atmosphere of a state you were given mandate by your constituents to lead for your paymaster(s) selfish reasons?
2. Is it not fool hardy for any responsible person to put his one and only state on fire?
Recall that until the macabre dance of these lawmakers, they were useful. The question then is what went wrong?
It has become crystal clear that with Rt Hon. Edison Ehie’s treatise that Governor Sim Fubara is God sent to unite this State, a detribalised and 21st century leader with peaceful deposition who operates within the Constitution and the rule of law in tandem with civilised realities.
The truth must be told that no governor with executive powers like Sim Fubara in Nigeria and elsewhere can tolerate the shenanigans being perpetrated by the pro-Wike lawmakers led by Rt. Hon. Martin Amaehule in Rivers State. It is a show of shame to even imagine that this set of lawmakers are bereft of the legal implications of their blunder in their inordinate quest to satisfy their godfather.
Though I stand to be corrected, I dare say that many of our lawmakers are lawyers. The question that arises then is: how come, were they not able to align their actions on this matter with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria?
According to the submission of Rt Hon. Ehie, what the Rivers State House of Assembly, on Thursday, 15th February, 2024, did at its 109th legislative sitting, viz; the law passed concerning the Rivers State House of Assembly Service Commission (Amendment) Bill 2024, was after all a nullity.
It would be recalled that the embattled lawmakers had earlier amended the law and sent to His Excellency, Sir Sim Fubara, for his assent. However, because the governor withheld his assent, the House decided to re-pass the bill into law after 30 days, on 22nd March, 2024.
Of course, Rt. Hon. Edison Ehie supported his assertion by quoting relevant laws, cases and authorities to answer the burning matter and prove that the action by the pro-Wike lawmakers lacked the powers, legal and otherwise, to remove the power of appointment of the Chairman and members of the Rivers State of Assembly Service Commission from the Governor and vest same on themselves.
Contending that the provision in the Rivers State House of Assembly (Amendment) Law 2024 seeking to vest the power of appointment on the House of Assembly is in clear contravention of the 1999 Constitution and therefore a nullity in the eyes of the law.
This singular clarification by the Chief of Staff, Government House, makes me describe him as a round peg in a round hole. Rivers people and the teeming supporters of His Excellency through this publication of 25th March, 2024 now have a clearer and proper knowledge of the matter and affirm also from the case of Lord Denning that “if an act is void, then, it is a nullity. It is not only bad but incurably bad. There is no order of Court to set it aside. It is automatically null and void without much ado”. You cannot put something on nothing and expect it to stay there, it will collapse.
Rivers people cannot be deceived any longer on this matter. Up or down, victory is assured for the administration of Sir Sim Fubara. He is the leader we need to take us to the next level and no amount of intimidation can deter him from building on the foundation laid by the founding fathers of our great Rivers State. No one man can be God to our people but the Almighty God alone will be our God forever, as far as our State is concerned.

Odinaka Osundu
Osundu, a media professional, writes from Port Harcourt.

Politics

Tinubu Flags Off 2027 Re-election Campaign In Kaduna

Published

1 day ago

October 26, 2026

The Tide

President Bola Tinubu, on Saturday, launched the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign in Kaduna State, beginning the ruling party’s mobilisation for the 2027 general elections.

The campaign rally, held at the Kaduna Township Stadium, attracted Vice-President Kashim Shettima, APC governors, party leaders, federal and state lawmakers, political stakeholders and supporters from across the country.

The flag-off marks the beginning of the APC’s drive to secure a second presidential term for President Tinubu, with the party expected to promote its achievements, defend its economic reforms and outline its policy priorities under the proposed Renewed Hope 2.0 agenda.

Kaduna’s selection for the campaign launch underscores the strategic importance of the North-West, a region with a substantial voting population and considerable influence on presidential election outcomes.

The APC faces a significant challenge in Kaduna, where the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, defeated President Tinubu in the 2023 election. The rally therefore provides the ruling party an opportunity to strengthen its grassroots structures and regain electoral support in the state.

Addressing supporters, Vice-President Shettima appealed to Northern voters, highlighting President Tinubu’s political relationships with prominent Northern leaders, including Alhaji Abubakar, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and the late President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Vice-President’s appeal reflects the APC’s determination to consolidate its support in the North as the party intensifies preparations for the presidential contest.

The Renewed Hope 2.0 agenda is expected to feature prominently in the campaign, providing a platform for President Tinubu to explain his administration’s economic policies and outline plans for another term.

However, the President’s record on economic reforms, rising living costs, petrol prices, employment, infrastructure and insecurity is expected to attract considerable scrutiny during the electioneering period.

Politics

LP ASSEMBLY CANDIDATE WELCOMES POLITICAL RECONCILIATION IN KELGA

Published

1 day ago

October 26, 2026

The Tide

The Labour Party (LP) standard-bearer for Ikwerre State Constituency in Rivers State, Hon. Stasi Amadi, has described the ongoing political reconciliation in Ikwerre Local Government Area as a welcome development capable of promoting unity, understanding and peaceful coexistence among political stakeholders.

Hon. Amadi stated this while speaking with newsmen in the area at the weekend, noting that genuine reconciliation remained necessary for strengthening relationships among political leaders and creating an atmosphere conducive for democratic participation.

She said the reconciliation initiative was borne out of goodwill and should not be interpreted as a setback for the Labour Party’s determination to win the Ikwerre State Constituency seat and bring positive changes to the people of the area.

According to her, the party remained committed to its political aspirations and would continue to mobilise support among the electorate through constructive engagement, people-oriented programmes and a determination to provide effective representation.

Hon. Amadi observed that the Rainbow Coalition was a broad political platform capable of accommodating different interests and tendencies, expressing optimism that the arrangement could provide opportunities for participating political parties to secure elective positions.

The LP candidate said the coming together of political brethren should be celebrated rather than criticised, adding that reconciliation would be more beneficial if it encouraged mutual respect, cooperation and a shared commitment to the development of Ikwerre Local Government Area.

She maintained that the leadership of the Rainbow Coalition was focused on achieving positive changes for the people, stressing that the LP would not abandon its political principles or aspirations because of the ongoing reconciliation process.

According to her, political unity should not prevent individual parties from pursuing their legitimate electoral ambitions, but should, instead, encourage healthy competition, issue-based campaigns and a collective commitment to the welfare of the electorate.

Hon. Amadi said the people of Ikwerre deserved a political environment where leaders prioritised development, improved living conditions, employment opportunities and effective representation rather than allowing political differences to undermine the common interest.

She also called on the police and other relevant security agencies to deploy adequate tactical intelligence before, during and after the 2027 general elections to prevent security breaches and ensure that the electoral process was peaceful and credible.

The LP standard-bearer urged security agencies to remain professional, impartial and vigilant in the discharge of their responsibilities, particularly in identifying potential threats, preventing political violence and protecting voters, electoral officials and other stakeholders.

Hon. Amadi expressed hope that the reconciliation among political stakeholders would strengthen democratic participation in Ikwerre Local Government Area, while assuring the electorate that the LP remained determined to contest the forthcoming election and pursue a positive political future for the people.

By: King Onunwor

Politics

2027: DICKSON’S EX-ALLY VOWS TO WORK AGAINST NDC INTEREST IN BAYELSA

Published

1 day ago

October 26, 2026

The Tide

A former ally of Senator Seriake Dickson, the National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Hon. Godpower Keku, has vowed to work against the interest of his erstwhile political leader and kinsman in the 2027 general elections.

Hon. Keku also faulted the duo of former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and former governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), over their consistent presidential ambitions.

Hon. Keku, who is the Commissioner for Culture in Bayelsa State, served as Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State during Senator Dickson’s tenure as governor of the state.

The Tide further gathered that Hon. Keku hails from the same State Constituency, local government area, and Senatorial District as Senator Dickson.

He described Mr Obi as a destroyer of political parties and alleged that the NDC’s presidential candidate does not build parties, but instigates problems and backs out of them when internal wranglings become aggravated to the detriment of any party he belongs to.

According to him, politicians should be grateful to their political parties and remain consistent to avoid being stereotyped as untrustworthy and disloyal members in order to grow politically.

He also alleged that the National Leader of the NDC once affirmed that he would not field a presidential candidate for the party in the 2027 polls, saying Senator Dickson had been reported to have said, during the initial stages of formalizing the registration of his party, that he was only interested in producing Assembly and governorship candidates prior to the entrance of Mr Obi and Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso into the NDC.

The ex-PDP scribe, who described himself a “party man”, restated his loyalty to the Governor Douye Diri-led leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state and vowed to deliver all candidates of the party in his constituencies.

“I wonder why Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar still want to contest this election. In fact, Obi is the easiest to win in this election. And I’m begining to suspect that it’s either he is a friend of President Tinubu or he is an enemy. One of these two things must be factual, if not why is he still contesting in the 2027 polls?

“What surprises me most in Obi’s behaviour is the way and manner he destroys political parties with his over- ambitious political interest. After destroying one party he quickly moves to another without helping to rebuild the party he helped destroy.

“My brother and friend, Senator Dickson said he wasn’t interested in fielding presidential candidate for the NDC prior to the registration of Obi and Kwankwaso as members of the NDC.

“Dickson had also said he was only going to field States, National Assembly and governorship candidates in the NDC and work with President Tinubu before the entrance of Obi and Kwankwaso into the NDC”, he said.

“For Atiku, he should remember that it’s the turn of the South to complete their eight years of two terms. Buhari, a Northerner just completed eight years of two terms before handing over to President Tinubu, a Southerner.

Speaking on the performance of the Bayelsa State governor, the Commissioner boasted about the achievements of Governor Diri’s administration, stating that the infrastructural and human capital development projects of the governor would campaign for the APC and ensure victory for the party in the forthcoming elections.

“I’m a party man, and even my brother and friend, Senator Dickson would attest to that fact. I don’t betray and don’t relent in my support for any party I belong to. The APC is my party and Dickson is an NDC member. I can’t work for him or any candidate of his party. I have my integrity and interest to protect as a party man.

“We’ll deliver all APC candidates in my political enclave, because, like I said earlier, Dickson himself knows me as a party man”, he stressed.

By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells