Connect with us

Politics

My Administration’ll End Political Acrimony In Rivers – Chinda

Published

on

Governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Rivers State in the forthcoming 2027 election, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, has vowed to run an all inclusive administration that would ensure political harmony in the state, if elected into power.
Hon. Chinda, who is also the preferred governorship candidate of the Rainbow Coalition, said this shortly after he was unveiled along side other candidates of the political arrangement at a grand rally in Port Harcourt.
He said the coalition was committed to ending political divisions and promoting unity among the various political parties in the state.
Hon. Chinda also promised to make Rivers State experience peace, progress and development during his tenure as governor of the state.
“We are no longer divided on party lines.We are no longer playing the politics of the winner takes it all’’, he said.
Hon. Chinda, who spoke on behalf of the other candidates of the Rainbow Coalition, said the coalition’s vision extends beyond electoral victory, adding that its proposed government would accommodate people, irrespective of political affiliations, gender and religious belief.
“We are going to run a government for the people, with the best interests of Rivers people first,” he said.
Hon. Chinda also commended the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike, for bringing political stakeholders together under the umbrella of the Rainbow Coalition, while lauding Governor Siminalayi Fubara for presenting flags to the candidates.
He expressed optimism that the alliance would promote peaceful elections, a smooth transition of power and development projects capable of improving the lives of Rivers residents.
While presenting flags to chosen candidates of the Rainbow Coalition, Governor Fubara called on members of the Coalition and his supporters to put past disagreements behind them and work together under a common leadership ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He acknowledged Chief Wike’s role in his political journey and described the Minister of the FCT as the leader of the Rainbow Coalition.
Governor Fubara said the political groups had come together as one family and should no longer maintain separate camps.
He also pledged to support the coalition’s candidates and President Tinubu’s re-election bid, expressing optimism that cooperation among political stakeholders would strengthen the alliance.
Also speaking, Chief Wike urged members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other political parties across the country to support President Tinubu’s re-election.
He called on politicians to set aside party differences and work together towards the coalition’s political objectives.
Chief Wike said the Rainbow Coalition represents a common political platform for stakeholders from different parties who had agreed to support the President and candidates seeking elective offices in Rivers State.
He also urged PDP members in Rivers, Kwara, Ogun and other states to support President Tinubu, while calling for support for the coalition’s candidates contesting the governorship, National Assembly and Rivers State House of Assembly elections.
The former Rivers State governor also addressed divisions within the PDP, rejecting attempts to portray him as merely a factional leader of the party.
He further criticised some opposition figures over their political ambitions and records in public office, particularly former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.
Meanwhile, former Senator Magnus Abe has also called on Mr Amaechi to withdraw from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential arrangement with Alhaji Abubakar and support President Tinubu.
Senator Abe argued that the presidency should remain in Southern Nigeria, insisting that political leaders should respect the principle of power rotation between the North and South.
He recalled the controversy surrounding former President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election bid, arguing that Mr Amaechi had previously opposed Dr Jonathan’s ambition on the grounds of power rotation.
“Today, the same man who led us to go against our son and our brother is now trying to lead us to go and support somebody from the North when it is the turn of the South.
“On behalf of all of us here gathered in Rivers State, we want to call on Amaechi to immediately respect his own position and resign as the vice-presidential candidate to Atiku Abubakar, because it is the turn of the South, and Rivers State will stand by the agreement between the North and the South,” he said.
Senator Abe also reaffirmed the coalition’s support for President Tinubu, declaring: “We are not just with Tinubu, We are with Tinubu. We are for Tinubu. We are by Tinubu. We are in Tinubu. We are Tinubu here in this coalition”, Senator Abe declared.
The event featured the presentation of candidates for various elective positions under the Rainbow Coalition.

John Bibor, Ephraim Godslove, Lazarus Ada, Chidibem Juliet & Okugbere Oghenetijiri

Continue Reading

Politics

2027: Support Groups Pledge Grassroots Mobilisation For Tinubu, Rainbow Coalition Candidates

Published

on

Ahead of the 2027 general elections, some political groups in Rivers State have endorsed the re-election bid of President Bola Tinubu for a second term in office.
The groups: Rivers State Door-To-Door Movement and Non Indegenes Without Borders spoke with The Tide during the unveiling of candidates of The Rainbow Coalition in Port Harcourt.
They not only reaffirmed their commitment to the re-election of President Tinubu, but pledged to work towards ensuring victory for candidates of the Rainbow Coalition in Rivers State.
Responding, Coordinator of the Rivers State Door-To-Door Movement, Mr Rayman ThankGod, said his group was committed to grassroots mobilization across the state, adding that his organization has setup it’s network across all electoral units in the state.
According to him, the group, which has established its presence across the 23 local government areas, was prepared to intensify its mobilisation efforts to promote the coalition’s agenda.
“As the name implies, we are known for our grassroots mobilisation. That is the essence of the Rivers State Door-to-Door Movement,” he said.
He added that the group had been in existence before the campaign’s official commencement and was ready to reach out to communities across the state through its network of members.
Mr ThankGod said his organization had not received support from any quarters, adding that the activities of The Rivers State Door-To-Door Movement was being financed by himself.
Speaking on the achievements of President Tinubu’s administration, he argued that four years might not be sufficient to demonstrate the full impact of its policies and projects, stressing that the administration should be given more time to implement its plans for national development.
On her part, National Leader of Non-Indigenes Without Borders, Hon. Eunice Obire, described the coalition as a welcome development, noting that it has brought people from different political parties together in support of a common political direction.
Hon. Obire said the alliance could promote unity and development in Rivers State, pointing to the turnout at the gathering as evidence of public interest in the movement.
She maintained that cooperation among the participating political parties could strengthen their collective electoral prospects, arguing that unity would give the coalition an advantage over parties contesting independently.
According to her, the coalition was not limited to the presidential election but extended to other elective positions, including governorship, senatorial and House of Representatives seats.
“The coalition is not just for the presidency alone. It covers the entire range of elective positions,” she said.
Hon. Obire added that supporters had a responsibility to work towards the success of the candidates selected under the coalition’s arrangement.
The Rainbow Coalition is seeking to consolidate support across political groups in Rivers State ahead of the forthcoming elections. However, the extent to which the alliance will influence voting patterns and electoral competition remains to be seen.

Samuel Otuogbai, Christopher Samuel, Sarah Pascal & Orlu Salvation

Continue Reading

News

Lawmaker Sets Sights On Assembly Return …As Mammoth Crowd Grace Flag Handover Rally

Published

on

The member representing Oyigbo State Constituency in the Rivers State House of Assembly,Hon. Prince Gerald Oforji, has received the All Progressives Congress (APC) Rainbow Coalition flag as he prepares to seek re-election in the 2027 general elections.
Oforji, a former Chairman of Oyigbo Local Government Council, was among the returning lawmakers unveiled as candidates of the APC Rainbow Coalition at a ceremony held at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium in Port Harcourt last Tuesday.
The event attracted prominent political leaders from within and outside Rivers State, including the National Rainbow Coalition leader, Chief Nyesom Wike, and Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara.
The presentation of the flag to Oforji was greeted with enthusiastic cheers from supporters, reflecting the political support he enjoys in Oyigbo and the wider Rivers political landscape.
His emergence as the coalition’s candidate is a significant step in his bid to return to the State Assembly, where he has continued to participate in legislative activities representing the interests of his constituency.
Oforji is also regarded as one of the lawmakers who maintained strong political loyalty to Chief Wike during periods of intense political realignment in Rivers State, a position that has remained a notable feature of his political journey.
The mammoth crowd of supporters who accompanied him to the ceremony further underscored the enthusiasm surrounding his re-election bid and the political significance of his candidacy in Oyigbo.
With the presentation of the Rainbow Coalition flag, Oforji is set to enter the 2027 electoral contest under the APC platform, seeking another mandate to represent Oyigbo State Constituency.
His candidacy also adds another chapter to the political history of Oyigbo, particularly given his previous experience as local government chairman before his election to the State Assembly.
The Oforji family equally occupies a place in the political history of Oyigbo, with the late Precious Oforji remembered for his contributions to the area’s political development. The family’s legacy continues to feature in discussions about the constituency’s political evolution.
As the 2027 elections approach, Oforji’s re-election bid will place his record in the State Assembly, political alliances and relationship with his constituents at the centre of the contest for the Oyigbo seat.

Continue Reading

Politics

Court Dismisses Emeka Ike’s N10bn Privacy Suit Against INEC, Olayinka

Published

on

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday dismissed N10 billion rights suit filed by Nollywood actor, Mr Emeka Ike, against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Senior Special Assistant to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Lere Olayinka.
Justice Salim Ibrahim, in a judgment, upheld the preliminary objections of the respondents on the grounds that the suit was incompetent and improperly constituted.
Justice Ibrahim also dismissed the main suit on the ground of lack of proof.
The Tide source reports that Mr Ike, who aspired to vie for the House of Representatives’ seat for AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency, Abuja, for the 2027 general elections on the platform of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), lost the bid in a primary poll.
The FCT minister’s aide, through a post on X (formerly Twitter) in May, was alleged to have mocked Mr Ike by leaking his confidential voter registration details on social media.
The post was said to have shown details of Mr Ike’s voter registration transfer from Imo State to the nation’s capital.
Meanwhile, Mr Ike, in the suit filed by L. T. Adeh, sued Mr Olayinka and INEC as 1st and 2nd respondents in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1272/2026.
He asked the court to declare that Mr Olayinka’s publication of his personal details on INEC’s database on X without his approval “amounts to gross breach and violation of the applicant’s fundamental right to privacy and the protection of personal data”.
Mr Ike argued that Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution, Article 12 of the universal declaration of human rights, and Sections 24 & 39 of the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023 guaranteed his right to privacy and protection of personal data.
The actor asked the court to declare that INEC owed him and other voters a “statutory duty of care” to protect their private data against unauthorised access.
The applicant, therefore, prayed the court to award him N10 billion against Mr Olayinka and INEC as aggravated and general damages, to be paid jointly and severally for violating his fundamental right to privacy.
But responding in separate counter-affidavits, INEC and Mr Olayinka prayed the court to dismiss the suit in its entirety.
INEC, in its response, said the issue complained about in the suit filed by Mr Ike was neither classified, sensitive nor confidential information.
The Commission, in the counter affidavit deposed to by Anthonia Makwe, an Assistant Director/Data Protection Officer in the Legal Drafting and Clearance Department, said that such information is displayed and published in accordance with the Electoral Act, 2026.
It stressed that the electoral body has the “statutory and constitutional power to make available information of its voters to the general public without the consent of any registered voter.”
It said its “statutory responsibility includes the compilation, maintenance, display, publication, certification and management of the register of voters in accordance with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), the Electoral Act 2026, and the National Data Protection Act 2023.
According to the electoral umpire, what was alleged to be posted by Mr Olayinka on his X handle did not emanate from the Commission.
“The 2nd respondent, as a data controller, has never breached its statutory duty of care, custody and protection of personal voter information and data; it owes the applicant and other voters under its secured portal and restricted database”, INEC said.
On his part, Mr Olayinka, in the counter-affidavit he deposed to, said the reliefs Mr Ike sought were in bad faith.
He said the only information contained in the document he published was Mr Ike’s name and passport photograph and that the information was already in the public domain.
He said, contrary to Mr Ike’s averment, the information he published was not only in the public domain but was not accessed through any unlawful means.
Mr Olayinka stated that he did not owe the actor any duty of care and confidentiality and did not require his consent to publish his name and passport photograph that was already in the public domain.
He said Mr Ike, who brought himself to contest election into the National Assembly, cannot be traumatised by the circulation of his name and passport photograph, which he personally presented to the public when seeking to contest election and as a Nollywood star.
He argued that information supplied in voters’ cards is not private data because, by the provision of Section 19(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026, INEC is mandated to publish this, no later than 90 days to a general election.
He said contrary to Mr Ike’s deposition, the only information contained in the document published by him was his name and passport photograph.
He said the publication was done when Mr Ike led a team of hoodlums to the INEC office to disrupt INEC’s activities immediately after he declared his intention to contest the election.
According to him, the publication was to remind him that he just transferred his voter registration area.
He said it was also to draw the public attention to the statutory provision to avoid any breach of the law.
He said contrary to Mr Ike’s submission, the applicant who submitted his personal data and information to INEC and to general public when he decided to contest cannot feel unsafe and traumatised by the publication of his name and passport photograph.
Mr Olayinka said contrary to Mr Ike’s averment, INEC admitted in its press release that “there was no external breach of its CVR database, no hacking incident and no unauthorised external access to the commissions ICT infrastructure.”
He argued that the purported injury suffered by Mr Ike was not caused by him, who is not a data controller under the Nigerian Data Protection Act, 2023, and who does not owe him any obligation to safeguard his documents.
Mr Olayinka stated that the reliefs sought, including the N10 billion, were in bad faith and “an indication that the applicant is a gold digger who wants to reap where he did not sow.”
He insisted that he cannot pay damages for information that was already publicly accessible at the time of the publication.
He, therefore, urged the court to dismiss the suit in the interest of justice.

Continue Reading

Trending