Rivers

Okeke Calls For Presidential Run-Off Election …Faults Primary School Certificate For Presidency

Published

10 months ago

May 27, 2025

A lecturer with the Federal University, Otueke, Bayelsa State, Prof Okechukwu Edward Okeke, has advocated for a constitutional provision for the conduct of run-off elections in situations where the President did not win the majority votes of the people in an election.
Prof. Okeke made the suggestion recently in a keynote lecture delivered at an annual conference of the Department of History and Diplomatic Studies, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUOE) in Port Harcourt.
In the lecture titled, “Leadership, Security and National Development”, Okeke said the criteria in which the winner of the presidential election in the country emerges by a simple majority does not command the respect of the people.
He advocated for a constitutional provision to allow for a run-off election to ensure that the President of the country has the majority mandate and popular votes of the people.
According to him, a situation where the incumbent, President, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu was declared winner by just 37percent of the voting populations, puts his legitimacy in doubt and may not command the respect and obedience of the people.
He, therefore, called for a constitution amendment to allow for run-off election in order to strengthen the legitamacy of the President of the country.
“The President’s authority can be challenged, but if he has the majority votes, he can always get the needed support of the people.
“We need to strengthen the legitimacy and authority of the President by conducting run-off elections between the leading candidate and the runners-up in an election to ensure that the winner obtained the popular and majority mandate of the people”, Prof.Okeke stated.
The lecturer also called for a review of the adoption of just a primary school certificate as the educational qualification for the Nigerian Presidential candidates and other contestants in elections in the country.
According to him, the country and the world has advanced in education and technological transformation, expressing the need for the adoption of higher qualifications to qualify candidates to run an election to the office of the President, Governor and National Assembly of Nigeria.
Prof Okeke harped on the inevitable need to also review the age limits for presidential and governorship aspirants in the country’s elections, suggesting that all those above the 75 years age mark should not be allowed to run for the office of the President and Governor in Nigeria.
The university teacher also frowned at a situation where the issues of rotational presidency is only at the whims and caprices of political parties, expressing the need for rotational presidency to be entrenched in the democratic Constitution of the country to ensure traditional compliance by all political parties’ primaries and other relevant way of constituting legal government in the country.
He recalled that under Sani Abacha’s regime in1995, there was a constitutional amendment with a provision for rotational presidency, and expressed regrets as to why the 1999 Constitution did not capture it.
He further explained that “The state of origin of the President or the Governor matters a lot under the Nigerian setting.
“For power rotation to be effective, both the President and his Vice should be chosen from the same zone. It will remove the fears of another zone taking over the slot in the case of the death in office of an incumbent President of Nigeria or the Governor of a State.
“The idea of balancing of ticket by political parties during selections of candidates for the office of President and Governors is a threat to the nation’s democracy, especially by zoning the office of the President and Vice President to difference zones.
“It happened in 2010 when President Yara Adua passed on and his Vice President, Goodluck Jonathan, took over and even contested for another term in office to the detriment of the North.
“That, to an extent, threatened the political stability of Nigeria. So, I’m advising that parties should get somebody from the same zone as the running mate to the President or Governor so that if the incumbent dies in office or is found wanting by impeachment or resignation, the next person from the same area will assume the position as it is done in parliamentary democracies”, the Prof. stated.
On security, the lecturer restated his support for the decentralization of the Nigerian Police to allow for State Policing model, emphasising that there is a consensus among the state Governors for state-owned police organization.
He, therefore, called on National Assembly to expedite actions on the amendment to the constitution to allow for States’ participation in the security of the nation.

Enoch Epelle

Rivers

Insecurity: Paramount Ruler Seeks Profiling Of Residents

Published

3 days ago

March 23, 2026

The Tide

A Paramount Ruler in Rivers State, Nyenweli Elele-Alimini, in Emohua Local Government Area, Eze Peter Wagbara CP (rtd.), has called for the profiling of residents in his domain in order to forestall security threats and challenges.

The Nyenweli made the call at the weekend during the Ogbakor Elele Alimini 2026 first meeting held at their Kingdom Civic Centre in Elele, Alimini.

According to him, the step would help relevant authorities to keep tabs on residents and curtail criminality in the area.

The Paramount Ruler promised indigenes and non-indigenes living and doing business in the area of adequate security of their lives and properties.

“Inspite of the negative reports about insecurity in part of the country, I want to assure the people and residents of Elele Alimini of adequate protection of their lives and properties, hence the need for water-tight security throughout the nooks and crannies of Elele Alimini.

“Following the influx of people into Rivers State, particularly Elele Alimini right now, I want to charge chiefs and landlords in our kingdom to profile their tenants, religious leaders of the various faith-based organizations and commercial transporters in our domain”, Eze Wagbara said.

The retired Commissioner of Police stated that despite the violence and banditry in parts of the country, chiefs and elders as well as leaders of thoughts within his area would work closely to ensure peaceful co-existence among residents of Elele Alimini, adding that “it is one God, one Elele Alimini, and one destiny” under his reign.

He commended members of Elele Alimini Council of Chiefs and Elders as well as the CDC Chairman and the Youth President for their contributions toward the socio-economic development of the area.

Also speaking, the Chairman of Elele Alimini Gospel Ministers Forum (EAGMF), Apostle Hope Abikari, said there were a lot of churches serving God in Elele Alimini with different doctorines and practices and stressed on the need for confidentiality in handling of religious matters and related issues in the area.

“Eze Sir, I want to inform you that there are a lot of churches at Elele Alimini today serving God. In fact, this invite to religious leaders at Elele Alimini is very crucial. There is need to arrange for a fresh private meeting with religious leaders in Elele Alimini, which should be confidential. I suggest that a committee be set up to look into the activities of churches in Elele-Alimini”, he added.

He described Eze Wagbara as a Monarch who has the interest of his subjects at heart, and lauded Eze Wagbara and his Council of Chiefs, as well as members of Ogbakor Elele Alimini for their quality leadership in the kingdom.

On his part, the Chairman of Motor Cycle Operators Union of Nigeria, Elele Alimini Branch, Comrade Obuah Emeka, said members of the union who operate within Elele Alimini and Elele Okinali would render efficient services to commuters/passengers in the area.

Comrade Emeka explained that members of the union were not involved in crimes, noting that they do not constitute nuisance to the society.

He, however, promised to co-operate with the leaders of Elele Alimini in order to ensure safety within the area.

Rivers

KENPOLY Matriculates 4,350 Students

Published

3 days ago

March 23, 2026

The Tide

The management of Kenule Beeson Saro Wiwa Polytechnic (KENOOLY), Bori, has matriculated a total of 4, 350 students into the 2025/2026 academic session.

The management said the matriculation ceremony is officially admitting students into various National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) courses in sciences, Engineering, Environmental and Management Technology, spreading in five different schools of the institution

Speaking at the event, the Acting Rector of the school, Dr. George Chile Wadike, told the matriculants that “the matriculation marks the beginning of a long and challenging, but fulfilling journey in your academic development. I implore you to be resilient, focused and dedicated to the primary reasons you are here”.

The polytechnic, Wadike said, “does not tolerate any form of indecency from students, social vices like examination malpractice, theft, cultism and other violences in any form, which attract outright expulsion.

“The Polytechnic is a place where you enjoy a lot of freedoms, but that freedom often comes with some corresponding obligations as your freedom ends where another person’s freedom begins.

“So, not only must you protect your rights, privileges and freedom, you must also ensure that you do not trample on the rights, privileges and freedom of Others.

“I, therefore, recommend that you emulate the examples of your mentors and lectures in self discipline, self care, good mode of dressing, fedelity to studies and work and general comportment so that you will not be found wanting.”

He continued that “Kenpoly is positioned to be a trailblazer in good governance, accountability and transparency within the firmament of Nigeria’s educational system.

“We have no doubt that this polytechnic is strongly positioned to solve some of the nations problems of unemployment by graduating not only self-employable youths, but also youths that are themselves employers of labour.”

He announced to the matriculants and parents that the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has introduced a new intervention line with the Career Development Centers.

Wadike said the new intervention is purposely for the initiation, taking-up and continuous maintenance of Student Career Guidance.

By: Chinedu Wosu

Rivers

Group Seeks Traditional Medicine Hospital Establishment In Rivers

Published

3 days ago

March 23, 2026

The Tide

A group under the aegis of the Modern Traditional Medicine Practitioners of Nigeria (MTMPN), Rivers State Branch, has called on the state government to build a designated traditional medicine hospital in the state.

They said this will enable the state government actualise full realisation of its healthcare service delivery programmes and maximize the potentials of its members in the state’s health sector.

The State Chairman of the MTMPN, Eze Stanley Munoye Ogbu, made the call after the group’s general meeting in Port Harcourt, weekend, noting that the modern traditional medicine practitioners in the state are ready to partner with the government to contribute their own quota towards the development of the health sector.

Eze Ogbu, who is a member of the Rivers state government approved Board of Traditional Complimentary and Alternative Medicine (TCAM), urged members to choose area of specialisations and not be jack of all trade, while also exhibiting a high sense of professionalism in their practice, and conducting their operations in a clean environment.

The Onye Ishi Agwuru of Okehi Kingdom in Etche Local Government Area of the state hinted that a committee has been set up by the TCAM Board to clamp down on unlicensed practitioners and use the opportunity to call on the state government to invest in traditional medicine to boost revenue and create jobs.

Also speaking, the Chairman of MTMPN, Obio/Akpor LGA Chapter, Dr. Dede Temple Owhadah, said the association is training members on modern practices in order to improve their efficiency in the treatment of patients across the state.

He called on herbal and traditional medicine practitioners in the state to get trained and be educated in their areas of specialisation to remain relevance in the practice

Owhadah warned that the taskforce will go after unlicensed practitioners after the training period and urged governments at all levels to work with the registered professionals in their domain to flush out unqualified practitioners and to tap into the profession’s human resources to improve the healthcare delivery system in the state.

He stressed that members of the group are celebrated researchers who have manufactured certified drugs as cures for various diseases and ailments.

“What we are doing is that we are training and educating our members to improve on their proficiency and modern practices they desire to operate with. After this, we are going to come after those unqualified practitioners and clampdown on them across the entire state.

“Whether you are selling herbal medicine in the street, bone setters, or using any form of herbs and alternative medicine to treat people, we are going to shut such areas down without any recognised government approval at the end of the training session”, he stated

On her own. Dr. Gorgeous Chinyere Adichie commended the group for the education and training of their members to update them with the needed professional experience in the practice.

By: Akujobi Amadi