Politics

DEFECTION: DON’T HIDE UNDER OLD SENTIMENTS TO FIGHT DIRI – AIDE

Published

4 months ago

November 24, 2025

Technical Adviser to the Bayelsa State governor on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Wisdom Ikuli, has taken a swipe on persons he alleged were hiding under the guise of old sentiments to fight the State Governor, Senator Douye Diri.

He said one thing politicians of various divides in the state have forgotten was that before the inception of the administration of the governor, leadership and governance in the state were made the exclusive rights and preserves of just a few political actors.

Hon. Ikuli alleged that participation in active politics, which seemed to have been the only ticket and guarantee for government patronage in the state, has changed since the inception of the Senator Diri’s administration.

“Before the ‘ASSURED Prosperity’ administration of his excellency, Senator Douye Diri, there were two broad categories of Bayelsans: politicians and beneficiaries of government patronage and spectators. But the coming into office of the prosperity governor changed all these and gave all Bayelsans equal opportunity and access to government.

“There’re incidents and situations where public officers even referred to state resources as their money. It was so because they were the then Chief Custodians of the commonwealth and patrimony of the state who were elected to hold and also manage the resources in trust.

“Few years ago, there was less emphasis on competence and performance. It was a case of ‘my turn versus wait for your turn’ to do whatever you like.

“Again, it was a known fact that Bayelsa State was regularly in the news for negative reasons. So, the lack or near absence of development and the negative impressions about the state resulted in her isolation, but the advent of the ‘ASSURED Prosperity Administration’ has changed the whole narrative.

“Under the ASSURED Prosperity administration, government and governance is all inclusive. All Bayelsans are partakers and critical stakeholders. As a matter of fact, you do not need to know anyone in government to get available benefits that are always thrown open to all, irrespective of political party affiliations”, he added.

The governor’s aide, who described him as ‘God sent’, noted that Senator Diri was specifically brought in by God for the mission to change the story of the State and her citizens.

“What is happening in Bayelsa State is exactly what happened in Akwa Ibom State, where at a point, Akwa Ibomites were ashamed to introduce themselves as Akwa Ibomites. Most of them claimed their old identity as people from Cross River State. And so it was that God brought Senator Godswill Akpabio to change the story of his state when he was governor.

“Today, Gov. Douye Diri has turned the whole of Bayelsa State to a construction site with roads and bridges criss-crossing everywhere. Government’s edifices, health centres, primary and secondary school buildings are not counted as major projects in the Diri’s administration, and I say so because they are almost countless, and are everywhere.

“Sadly and unfortunately too, some insignificant leaders without positive impacts on their people are trying to create impressions that Gov. Douye Diri left the PDP that gave him a platform to the APC. For this group of leaders and their followers that make up less than 5% of Bayelsans, their only credential is that they have remained in PDP for eternity.

“Bayelsans are not gullible. Vast majority of the people of the state know that political party is like a vehicle that conveys people from one destination to another. What is most important is the destination where available opportunities are harnessed and appropriated for the common good of the people”, Hon. Ikuli maintained.

The Governor’s Technical Adviser restated that it was no longer secret that citizens of the State were eye witnesses to the fact that investors are now relocating from many places to the State due to the conducive business and investment atmosphere that the governor has created, noting

that the State’s number one citizen has not only restored peace and unity to the state, but that he is also working with stakeholders and various security agencies to make Bayelsa the safest in the country.

“The community policing strategy of the state is so unique that many states are emulating it. Governor Diri has successfully set a leadership and development standard for successive administrations to build upon as the state is no longer among the ones that are disregarded due to the vision and leadership style of our God-sent governor.

“The earlier those who are conspiring to paint the governor in bad light wake up to the realities of the time, the better for them. Never again shall Bayelsa State be entrusted to unserious characters whose only credentials is the number of years they have played politics and also stayed in a particular political party.

“Our Governor, Senator Douye Diri, is the greatest thing that has happened to our contemporary democracy. He is a God-sent leader that is leading very well, while we are following him”, the governor’s adviser said.

By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

Politics

Alleged Defamation: Umahi Directs Legal Processes Against Tracy Ohiri

Published

3 days ago

March 23, 2026

The Tide

Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has directed his legal team to resume all court proceedings against Mrs. Tracy Ohiri over her repeated allegations of indebtedness and other claims against him.

Mrs Ohiri had publicly accused Senator Umahi of owing her N280 million for campaign materials from his tenure as party chairman in Ebonyi State.

The allegations went viral on social media, where she also accused the Minister of sexual harassment.

Security agencies arrested Mrs Ohiri, and she was subsequently prosecuted. Her lawyer, Barrister Marshall Abubakar, intervened, leading to the deletion of all posts and a public apology, which also gained widespread attention online.

However, days after the apology, Mrs Ohiri resumed her claims against Senator Umahi.

In a statement issued on Saturday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Francis Nwaze, Senator Umahi said he had informed Barrister Abubakar during the intervention that if Mrs Ohiri could provide verifiable evidence, logs, and communications from the period in question, some of his associates were willing to contribute a sum of One Billion Naira (N1billion) to her, evidence which, he said, she had yet to provide.

“The Honourable Minister of Works, Senator Engr. David Umahi, has been monitoring the ongoing public discourse surrounding the claims and counterclaims by Mrs. Tracy Ohiri.

“Ordinarily, this would have been ignored, but in the interest of truth and public clarity, it is necessary to address the issues directly”, the statement read.

The statement clarified that Barrister Abubakar acted in good faith and without any financial interest, motivated solely by a desire to assist Mrs Ohiri.

At no point did the lawyer discuss or negotiate any payment with the minister, although some well-meaning associates independently offered support”, the statement added.

Senator Umahi reiterated the conditions for resolving the matter: either the claims must be tested in court, or Mrs Ohiri must provide credible evidence, including all relevant communications, to substantiate her allegations.

The minister emphasised that Barr Abubakar conducted himself with integrity throughout the process.

“Following the failure to meet these conditions, particularly the inability to provide verifiable evidence, the Minister has directed his legal team to proceed with all court processes to ensure the truth is fully established,” the statement said.

Senator Umahi said despite years of public provocations and attacks, he chose to remain silent, focusing on national and state services.

He thanked Nigerians who had taken time to assess the facts and noted that “not everyone who presents themselves as a victim truly is one, and in some cases, narratives are deliberately inverted.”

The Minister affirmed that he will not be distracted by Mrs Ohiri’s allegations and remained committed to his mandate at the Ministry of Works.

“The focus remains on results, service, and ensuring that Nigerians continue to benefit from projects that improve connectivity, economic growth, and national development. This administration will continue to pursue its transformation agenda with dedication, transparency, and an unwavering sense of responsibility,” he concluded.

Politics

COURT ADJOURNS RIVERS PDP LEADERSHIP SUIT TO APRIL 14

Published

3 days ago

March 23, 2026

The Tide

A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has adjourned proceedings in a suit filed by three aggrieved members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to April 14, 2026, for the hearing of all pending motions.

Justice Stephen Jumbo made the pronouncement during a recent sitting in Port Harcourt.

The suit, which borders on the legitimacy of the party’s leadership structure in the state, was instituted against the factional State Chairman of the PDP, Chief Aaron Chukwuemeka, alongside the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) and other respondents.

Also joined in the matter are the PDP as a corporate entity, the Rivers State Government, as well as Obio/Akpor, Port Harcourt City and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Areas, including their respective Vice Chairmen and Councillors.

The claimants, Enyi Uchechukwu, Wisdom Kalio and Uche Amadi, approached the court via an originating summons seeking judicial interpretation on the validity of actions taken by the Chief Chukwuemeka-led state executive committee of the party.

Central to the dispute is whether the said executive committee, whose emergence the claimants contend has been nullified by a subsisting court judgment, retains the legal authority to act on behalf of the party in critical electoral matters.

The plaintiffs specifically urged the court to determine whether the factional leadership could validly submit a list of candidates to RSIEC for the purpose of participating in local government elections.

They further questioned the legitimacy of the PDP’s participation in the August 30, 2025 local government elections, contending that any list purportedly submitted by the factional leadership was invalid and of no legal consequence.

In addition to the declaratory reliefs sought, the claimants also prayed the court to grant consequential orders addressing the outcome and conduct of the said elections across the affected local government areas.

At the resumed hearing, counsel representing the PDP and the affected local government councils informed the court that they had only recently been served with the originating processes and accompanying documents.

The defence team, comprising several Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), disclosed that service of the court processes was effected on March 13, 2026, leaving them with limited time to adequately prepare their responses.

Consequently, the defence counsel applied for an adjournment to enable them study the processes and address the legal issues raised, particularly as they relate to jurisdictional questions and points of law.

Counsel to the claimants, Glory Chizim-Chinda, did not oppose the application, following which the presiding judge granted the request and adjourned the matter to April 14, 2026, for the hearing of all pending motions, with a possible ruling expected ahead of the substantive suit.

By: King Onunwor

Politics

NIGERIA HAS NO VIABLE OPPOSITION, RIVERS EX-LEGISLATOR LAMENTS

Published

3 days ago

March 23, 2026

The Tide

A former state lawmaker in the old the Rivers State, Professor Alex Eseimokumo, has described Nigerian opposition political parties as mere preposition political parties.

He also advised the country’s electorate against selling their votes during next year’s general elections.

The former legislator, who is also the president of the Institute for Peace, Conflict Resolution and Entrepreneurial Research, said this in an exclusive interview with The Tide on the sidelines of an event organized by the institute in Port Harcourt.

He said opposition political parties in Nigeria have been reduced to preposition political parties as most of them are not only dinning with the government but advising government on what to do to win election.

“The problem in Nigeria is we are not practicing politics the way it is supposed to be.The opposition are more in preposition.

“You see, opposition is supposed to find out things that are wrong in government but in our present day politics, you see opposition even dinning with the other group. So, there is basically nothing like opposition in Nigeria “, he said.

He lamented a situation where some individuals within the opposition are allegedly working hard to prevent their parties from fielding presidential candidates in the forthcoming election, adding that such individuals were only there to protect their personal interest.

Prof. Eseimokumo said as a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), he could not wish his party to fail in the election, even though nothing is impossible in Nigeria.

He noted that though the government in power has been trying it’s best, there was more to be done.

In his words, “I’m an APC member, so I don’t have the right to criticize my party but a word of advice: we still need to do more, more people oriented leadership where everybody will feel carried along.

“For now, I’m campaigning for APC to be re elected and if I stand here to say APC is not doing well, I’m not being fair to myself. But I think, with God all things are possible, there can be changes”.

On his assessment of the performances of governors of the Niger Delta states, Prof Eseimokumo said the governors were doing well within the limit of their resources.

” I don’t know what is given to them as allocation, but if what we are seeing in terms of window dressing is not window shopping, then they are doing well”, he said.

Meanwhile, Prof. Eseimokumo has advised Nigerian electorates against selling their votes during the forthcoming elections.

He said credible election could only be achieved when the electorates refuse financial inducement during the elections.

According to him, though Nigerian voters had been difficult to persuade, the time had come for them to stop selling their votes.

Prof. Eseimokumo said the forthcoming elections will serve as a litmus test for the Nigerian electorate to demonstrate their desire for changes in the country, stressing that free and fair elections will continue to be a mirage in the country until the was a change in the attitude of the electorate.

“If you want your vote to count, don’t take money from anybody; if you want your votes to count, don’t collect money for your vote. The moment you collect money for your vote, you have sold your conscience”, he warned.

He said his institute will continue to work for peace, not just in the Niger Delta region but across Nigeria.

By: John Bibor