Politics
One Year In Office: Gov Fubara Answering Critics With Projects Delivery (1)
Against the surging wave of high political brinkmanship almost immediately after assuming office on May 29, 2023, Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has continued to prove his mettle as a committed and focused leader, dispensing quality governance to the State and its people.
This is evident in the harvest of projects delivered in the State as he celebrates one year in office as the Chief Executive of Rivers State in the face of unabating distraction and provocations.
Activities marking the anniversary celebration started on Monday, May 13, with the commissioning of the Ebubu, Ete-o- Aleto road, also known as old Bori Road, in Eleme Local Government Area.
Speaking during the project commissioning, Governor Fubara declared that his response to the provocations by his detractors will be to deliver good governance and execute quality projects that will have positive impact on the lives of the people.
Accompanied by his Abia State counterpart, Governor Alex Otti, who was the Special Guest of Honour, and other critical stakeholders at the event, the Rivers State Governor said he embarked on the project, which is a by pass, to lesson the burden on the East-West Road, and as such complement the efforts of the Federal Government.
He explained further that his administration has the full support of the Federal Government but was being sabotaged by self serving unpatriotic politicians, and faulted the insinuations by political dissidents in the State that his administration was not in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Against the claims of non-indebtedness by the previous administration on projects executed, Governor Fubara revealed that contractors who handled projects under the immediate past administration were still coming to demand balance of payment.
“I’ll continue to identify with good governance, I will continue to identify with those that want to better the lots of the people. We are aligning with the Renewed Hope Agenda to complement the efforts of the Federal Government with good projects”, he said.
The Governor who started his early years of career development in Eleme, thanked the people for their support to his administration and cooperation with the contractors which led to the successful completion of the project, and assured that his administration will execute more projects in the area.
He pointed out that he invited the Governor of Abia State, Dr Alex Otti, to commission the project because he is not a man of artificial integrity but a man of action who is embarking on transformational projects in his State in the face of daunting challenges as well.
In his remarks, Dr Otti said Governor Fubara came prepared to serve Rivers State as nothing would distract him from attending to the welfare needs of the citizenry and urged Rivers people to continue to support the administration of Governor Fubara.
On Thursday, May 16, Governor Fubara flagged off the 33km Elele-Egbeda-Omoku Road at Egbeda Town in Ikwerre Local Government Area, with a commitment to continue to deliver quality projects across the state.
Speaking on the occasion, Governor Fubara condemned the attack on his supporters at Eleme by some unscrupulous elements shortly after the commissioning of the Aleto, Ete-o Ebubu, (Old Bori Road ), stating that such actions intended to justify loyalty to a political overlord was totally unacceptable.
He cautioned local council chairmen across the State to guard their utterances and actions, reminding them that they were left with only a few days in office and would be made to pay for hurting anyone unlawfully.
Governor Fubara maintained that he had endured the verbal abuses of his person and attacks on his followers because he had opted to tow the path of peace based on the promise he made to President Bola Tinubu, warning that his peaceful disposition should not be taken for granted.
The Governor declared that his administration came prepared for governance and was ready to account for every money spent in projects delivery, stating that he invited Senator John Mbata as the Special Guest of Honour for the flag off because the Mbata dynasty is a repository of honour and integrity in Ikwerre in particular, and Rivers State in general.
He pointed out that the dualisation of the Elele-Egbeda- Omoku road project will be financed through Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and 50per cent of the total cost of the contract had been paid to the contractors in advance in order to avoid variations as a result of fluctuation of prices while charging the contractors to deliver the project in record time.
“Our mission isn’t different from President Tinibu’s Renewed Hope to Nigerians; we’re here to give hope, we’re doing it genuinely for the service of the people. We’ve started our journey of showcasing what we’ve done in the state.
“We’re a government that’s ready to serve the people; we’re transparent and genuinely care about the people. When the road is completed, commercial activities will become easy, that’s caring for the people. We’re ready and prepared for the task of governance”, he stated.
In his remarks, Senator John Mbata congratulated Governor Fubara on his one year in office and expressed delight that Rivers State has a governor of his caliber at this period in time.
He commended the Governor for his “humanity, humility, propensity and preference for peace and tranquility”, and assured to join force with stakeholders to support the Governor to emancipate the people and bring development to Rivers State.
On Friday, May 17, the newly constructed Emuoha – Kalabari Road was commissioned by former governor of Bayelsa State and serving Senator representing Bayelsa West Senatorial District in the 10th National Assembly, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson.
In his speech at the commissioning ceremony, which held at Tema junction in Asari-Toru Local Government Area, Governor Fubara stated that his administration will not misappropriate funds but judiciously use the resources of the state and tax payer’s money for the development of the state.
“ Out of the total cost of N22billion, the previous administration paid N6billion. I can boldly say that the balance of N16billion, which is 70per cent of the total cost, has been completely paid, therefore we can boldly say that this project was delivered by this administration”, he said.
The Governor further approved the extension of the Emuoha-Kalabari Road from Tema junction to Abonnema Town, assuring that the Ifoko extension will be completed before the end of his administration.
In his remarks, Senator Dickson commended the Rivers State Governor for prioritising peace as the necessary recipe for development and his taste for life changing projects in Rivers State, noting that the construction of roads in the Niger Delta region is difficult and only a governor that has the love for his people can embark on such ventures.
“As a lover of Niger Delta culture and tradition, I’ve taken this road several times to most of the communities in Kalabari Kingdom. I share in the joy of those who are directly impacted”, he said.
He described Governor Fubara as a man of discipline, focus and prudence, with the capacity to rise above the altitude of distraction to dispense good governance to the people, and urged Rivers people to give the governor their unrelenting support to succeed.
From there, Governor Fubara, on Saturday, May 18, commissioned the Andoni Section of the Ogoni-Andoni-Opobo Unity Road project, completed by his administration after 24 years, declaring that the achievements recorded by his administration within the past three months have surpassed those of the previous eight years.
At the commissioning ceremony at Ngo Town, headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Governor Fubara commended the efforts of previous administrations on the project, stating that its completion and commissioning will positively impact the lives of the people of Andoni.
The governor thanked the people of Andoni for their support during his election and directed the award of contract for the extension of the road from Ngo to Oyorokoto, a coastal fishing community that is reputed to be the largest fishing settlement in West Africa.
Governor Fubara who promised to focus the attention of his administration on the development of the health, education and agriculture sectors, along other critical sectors of the state’s economy, decried a recent statistical report that scored Rivers State below benchmark in healthcare delivery, declared that his administration will carry out a total overhaul of the sector within the next six months.
By: Taneh Beemene
Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday brushed aside the order of the Court of Appeal in Abuja which ordered him to stay proceedings in a suit that sought deregistration of the African Democratic Party (ADC), Accord Party and three others.
The Court of Appeal in a unanimous decision of a panel of three Justices had on May 22, 2026 directed the Federal High Court Judge not to proceed with the suit until an appeal pending before them and filed by Accord Party is resolved.
In a Certified True Copy Enrol Order of the Superior Court, Justices Mohammed Danjuma, Adebukola Banjoko and Oyejoju Oyewumi asked the lower Court Judge to stay proceedings until all issues on the appeal filed by the Accord Party were resolved
Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State had, through the Accord Party, applied to justice Lifu to join him as a defendant in the deregistration legal battle instituted by a group of former legislators.
The contention of the Osun State governor was that he had a stake in the Accord Party, being the platform he was seeking re-election in the August 15 gubernatorial poll in the state.
In his ruling, Justice Lifu on April 27 ruled against the Osun State governor, rejecting his request to be joined in the suit to defend his own position and interest.
Not satisfied with the Federal High Court decision, the Osun State governor, through his lawyer, Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), moved to the Court of Appeal in Abuja where he challenged the Justice Lifu decision to refuse to allow him join the suit.
After listening to the argument canvassed, especially that he has interest to protect as Accord Party gubernatorial candidate for Osun State governorship election, the three Justices of the Court of Appeal, unanimously directed Justice Lifu to allow them look into the grievances of the governor.
In specific terms, the Court of Appeal Justices directed Justice Lifu not to proceed further with the matter and fixed October 27 to determine the interlocutory appeal of the appellant.
However, when the certified enroll order and notice of appeal were served on Justice Peter Lifu by Mr Adetunbi (SAN), the judge rejected it on the ground that it was a ploy to arrest his judgment in the matter.
Although the judge had adjourned his judgment delivery in the matter indefinitely, he finally made a dramatic turn around on Monday and proceeded to deliver the judgment that has now proscribed the five political parties.
Actor turned politician, Mr Kenneth Okonkwo, has rejected the choice of former Rivers State Governor, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, as the running mate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in the 2027 presidential election on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In a statement on Monday, Mallam Bolaji Abdulllahi, the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, announced the party’s choice of Mr Amaechi.
However in a statement, Mr Okonkwo said that the choice of Mr Amaechi from the South South strengthens the continued marginalization of people from the South East.
According to the former spokesperson of the Labour Party, any arrangement that would not factor a person from the South East either as president or vice president in the party is anti-Igbo.
He contended that Chief Raph Nwosu, who founded the ADC in 2005 and willingly surrendered it’s leadership to Senator David Mark did not do so to entrench Igbo marginalization in the party.
The former actor said: “I heard from the social media that ADC has picked its vice presidential candidate from the South-South. If this is true, it is unfortunate, as this will continue the crude marginalisation of the South-East.
“This geo-political zone has neither produced a president or vice president since 1999. To deny the South-East the opportunity to produce the president or vice president in the ADC in 2027, will amount to perpetuating the marginalisation.
“The ADC was founded by Ralphs Nwosu from the South-East in 2005. He made the sacrifice to give up the party in 2025 for the coalition to usher in a better Nigeria. He couldn’t have made that sacrifice to marginalise his own people.
“I did not join the coalition to assist in marginalisation of my own people further. I am of the opinion that if we made a sacrifice to give up the national chairman and the president, it will amount to unpardonable injustice to deny us the vice president in 2027.
“I joined politics to fight for a better Nigeria where no region, geo-political zone, or person will be marginalised.
“The only favour I asked Atiku Abubakar, who openly declared that he is the pathway to the presidency of the South-East, is to show it by choosing someone from the South-East to be his vice.
“If it is confirmed that he has chosen a candidate from the South-South, I wish him well. I am not favourably disposed to campaigning for any presidential ticket that does not have a person of South-East origin as president or vice in 2027”
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, on Monday said that the numerous projects being executed by President Bola Tinubu across the states in the southeast will give him upper hand over other presidential candidates during next year’s general elections.
Prof. Yilwatda stated this at the Abakaliki Township Stadium during a mega rally organized by the Ebonyi State government and Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, during which President Tinubu and other APC candidates for the 2027 general elections were adopted.
According to the APC National Chairman, no President had done for the southeast region what President Tinubu has done for them and expressed the confidence that the president would not only win in Ebonyi State but in the entire South East.
Prof. Yilwatda also used the occasion to address growing insinuations in some quarters that Ebonyi State had been conceded to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Dismissing the claim, Prof. Yilwatda said the state would not allow the PDP to win any position in the forthcoming general election.
“We will return President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Francis Nwifuru as Governor of Ebonyi State in 2027.
“We want to return all APC senators, members of the House of Representatives and House of Assembly candidates in 2027.
“Nobody has conceded Ebonyi to the PDP. Therefore, there is no vacancy in Ebonyi State. Ebonyi PDP has no place, and there is no vacancy at all in the Government House come 2027,” the APC National Chairman declared.
He commended the people of the state for their support for President Tinubu and urged them to re-elect him in the next presidential election in appreciation of what he has done for the state and the entire South-East through infrastructural transformation and human capital development.
Governor Francis Nwifuru, who also spoke at the event, said the state had no other presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections apart from President Tinubu.
He declared that Ebonyi remained a stronghold of the APC and vowed that the party would deliver the President in the state.
Gov. Nwifuru said President Tinubu had shown exceptional commitment to the state and deserved total support for appointing Senator Umahi as Minister of Works, a role he said Senator Umahi had performed creditably.
“Ebonyi has no other presidential candidate apart from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and we will return him in the presidential election.
“We are standing here today to tell the whole world, especially those using the President’s name to orchestrate division and confusion in this great state, that we have only one party, and that is the APC.
“This statement became necessary because some people are going around claiming they have discussed with Mr President and that he has handed Ebonyi over to the PDP. They are also saying that Chief Nyesom Wike is their leader and that Wike said the President has given Ebonyi to him.
“Ebonyi is not for sale. We are restraining ourselves because the people are with us. Nobody should push us because we have what it takes to confront anyone trying to destabilise us.
“We want to tell Mr President that he has earned our votes. He gave us what we had never had in Eastern Nigeria — the office of the Minister of Works. And this Minister of Works is not sitting idle; he is working,” he stated.
Senator Umahi, in his remarks, said President Tinubu had done what no other President had done for Ebonyi State and the entire South-East by executing numerous projects across the state and the region.
“Ebonyi State is a one-party state under Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru. We are not going to repeat the mistakes of the past.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has done a lot, not just for Ebonyi State but for the entire South-East and other geopolitical zones,” he said.