News
Wike, PDP Govs Celebrate Udom’s Victory …Congratulates Ishaku On Victory
Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike on Wednesday joined other PDP Governors to celebrate the Supreme Court victory of the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel at Uyo.
The event was the Thanksgiving Service held in honour of Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State.
The governor, who was accompanied to Uyo by the Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly, Mr Dabo Adams, Rivers State PDP Chairman, Bro Felix Obuah and PDP chieftain, Chief Sergeant Awuse took time to interact with the people of the Niger Delta who celebrated him as he moved the state.
Governor Wike, a firm believer in the defence of the heritage of the Niger Delta assured that the interest of the geo-political zone will always be his priority.
Other governors who attended the thanksgiving service include: Governors Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State.
It would be recalled that Governor Wike’s victory at the Supreme Court on January 27, 2016 opened the floodgates of victories for other PDP Governors across the country.
Meanwhile, Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has congratulated the Governor of Taraba State, Darius Ishaku on the affirmation of his election by the Supreme Court, saying that the rule of law has come to stay in the democratic process of the country.
In a statement issued yesterday by Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor on Electronic Media, Simeon Nwakaudu, Governor Wike also congratulated the good people of Taraba State whose preference for the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), has been affirmed by the Supreme Court.
Governor Wike stated that the judgement of the Apex Court has further strengthened the nation’s democracy and enhanced the confidence of the people in the judiciary.
He noted that the rule of law has been consolidated by the judgments of the Supreme Court on the appeals that it adjudicated upon.
He said that with the Supreme Court’s judgment, the votes cast by the people of Taraba State for Governor Darius Ishaku have been upheld.
The governor urged the Taraba State governor to consolidate on his numerous achievements and also extend a hand of cooperation to his opponents for the greater good of the people of the state.
In a related development, the Supreme Court upheld the election of Darius Ishaku as the Governor of Taraba State, affirming an earlier decision of the Court of Appeal, yesterday.
The court dismissed an appeal by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Aisha Alhassan, saying it lacked merit.
The reason for the judgement is to be given on February 22, the Supreme Court said.
“I am firmly of the view that there is no merit in this appeal. It is hereby refused,” said Justice Bodeh-Rhode Vivore, who read the lead judgement of a seven-member panel. “The judgement of the Court of Appeal is affirmed and the return of the first respondent as the Governor of Taraba State is affirmed.”
Mrs. Alhassan had approached the highest court through with four applications to challenge the decision of the Appeal Court, which nullified the victory given her by the Taraba State Election Tribunal.
A five-member panel of the Appeal Court in Abuja had on December 31 nullified the ruling of the Taraba State Election Tribunal on November 7, which declared Mrs. Alhassan winner of the April 11 election of the state.
The tribunal ruled that the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. Ishaku, was not nominated by his party, and therefore not qualified for the said election.
The counsel to the APC and its candidate, Abiodun Owonikoko, told the Supreme Court yesterday that the reason for the judgement of the tribunal, was that the important determinant for the sponsorship of a candidate for election, under the Nigerian Constitution, remained the conduct of a primaries by the sponsoring party.
“What is decisive of this appeal is the sponsorship as a ground to qualify for contesting in an election, by the constitution,” said Mr. Owonikoko.
Citing the previous judgements of the Supreme Court in the case against, Benue State’s Tarsus and Ortom, which was held on January 15, and another judgement regarding the case of Zamfara State’s Yari and Shinkafi, Mr. Owonikoko said the applicants in the aforementioned appeals founded their application on an alleged lack of conduct of primaries, by the respondents.
He further said that their argument was that no primaries was conducted at all by the PDP, which would have resulted in the emergence of Mr. Ishaku as its candidate.
But counsel to Mr. Ishaku, Kanu Agabi, said the Appeal Court had in its ruling stated that the APC and its candidate were bound by their pleas.
He said the appellants had admitted in the third paragraphs of their applications that Mr. Ishaku was a member of the PDP and a candidate of the party in the April 11 elections of the state.
“The second respondent is a duly registered party and ‘sponsored’ by the first respondent,” he stated, citing a quote from the appellant’s brief.
Mr. Agabi further said the appellants repeatedly fielded the first respondent as being sponsored by the PDP.
He further told the court that they had presented 51 witnesses before the tribunal, who were not reviewed.
Also in his address, counsel to the PDP, Solo Ahmed, said the party had never denied sponsoring Mr. Ishaku.
He said the appellants had submitted that there was no primary election, but went ahead to state that it (the primaries) was conducted in Abuja.
He further told the court that the previous judgements cited by Mr. Owonikoko had indicated that issues relating to the conduct of primaries in an election were pre-election matters that could only be contested by members of the party in question, or by INEC.
The counsel to INEC, Joseph Daudu, reiterated the point made by Mr. Ahmed, regarding the position of the APC on the conduct of primaries by the PDP.
According to Mr. Daudu, the APC’s claim that there was no primary election was premised on the contention that the primaries was conducted in Abuja.
A Coalition of civil society organisations has urged the Federal Government to take proactive steps towards addressing the persistent gas eruptions in Bille, Rivers.
The coalition, made up of the People’s Assembly and Bille Working Group, made the call in an open letter addressed to President Bola Tinubu, and read to journalists in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Reading the letter, the coalition’s convener, Dr Isaac Osuoka, said that the persistent gas eruption in Bille had led to serious environmental and public health challenges.
Osuoka, also the Executive Director, Social Action, urged Tinubu to establish a presidential task force to investigate and contain the gas leak in Bille.
He also called for the immediate relocation of residents to safe shelters, provision of clean water, food and healthcare services.
Dr Emem Okon, the Executive Director, Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre, stated that gas had been bubbling from the ground, creeks, boreholes and hand-dug wells in the community since October 2025.
Okon said that the gas had triggered several fires and explosions, and that residents of the community had reported respiratory problems, vomiting and other illnesses associated with exposure to the emissions.
According to her, preliminary investigations by the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) have yet to identify the source of the gas.
Mr Kentebe Ebiaridor, the Coordinator, Oilwatch International, called for the publication of results from preliminary soil and water tests conducted in Bille for the residents to know the nature and extent of the contamination.
Ebiaridor urged the Federal Government to deploy medical teams to screen and treat affected residents, and immediately commence an independent study on the health impacts of the leak.
He further called for the suspension of oil and gas operations around OML 18 and 24 until the source of the gas leak was identified and the affected areas declared safe.
Ebiaridor urged the government to hold current and former operators of the oil leases accountable for environmental damage on the community.
Another speaker, Dr Bieye Briggs, urged the National Assembly to fast-track the NOSDRA Amendment Bill, 2025 to provide the agency with statutory funding and stronger enforcement powers.
Briggs urged the Federal Government to activate the regional Spill Command Centre, and make the Upstream Remediation Fund accessible for the Bille crisis and other affected communities in the Niger Delta.
The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has banned drone operations and fireworks in Uyo and announced temporary traffic restrictions ahead of President Bola Tinubu’s visit to the State today.
The state Commissioner of Police, Baba Mohammed Azare, announced the measures yesterday while briefing journalists at the Police Headquarters in Ikot Akpan Abia, Uyo.
He said the restrictions were part of security arrangements to maintain public order, protect strategic locations and ensure the smooth movement of the President’s convoy during his engagements.
“There will be total restriction on the operation and flying of drones within Uyo metropolis throughout the period of the visit. Members of the public, drone operators and service providers are advised to strictly comply with the directive,” he said.
The police commissioner also announced a ban on fireworks, knockouts and other explosive sound-producing devices within the state capital during the visit.
He said the measure would prevent panic and allow security personnel to respond effectively to genuine security threats.
The command also announced temporary restrictions on public access to designated routes and locations in Uyo to facilitate the movement of the presidential convoy.
The affected areas are Airport Road, Shelter Afrique Junction, Oron Road, Nung Oku Junction, Mbierebe Junction and Godswill Akpabio International Stadium.
“Motorists are urged to plan their journeys, exercise patience and cooperate with traffic and security personnel deployed along the corridors.
“Members of the public are advised to avoid the routes during the restriction and use alternative routes,” Azare said.
He also urged residents to plan their journeys, exercise patience and cooperate with traffic and security personnel deployed along the affected corridors.
The commissioner said the command, working with other security agencies, had put in place security arrangements to ensure a peaceful and hitch-free visit.
He appealed to residents to understand that the temporary restrictions were necessary security measures and not intended to cause hardship.
Azare urged members of the public to remain law-abiding, avoid restricted areas and report suspicious movements to the nearest police station or through police emergency channels.
Tinubu’s visit to Akwa Ibom is a working visit during which he is expected to inaugurate major infrastructure projects executed by Governor Umo Eno’s administration under its ARISE Agenda. The projects cut across aviation, road infrastructure, tourism, healthcare, land administration and security.
Among the projects scheduled for inauguration are the international terminal building and airport hospital at Victor Attah International Airport, Aviation Village, ARISE Palm Resort, the 14.5-kilometre Nsit Atai–Okobo Road, Ring Road 3, the Command and Control Centre and the AkwaGIS building.
The state government had earlier announced plans for the President to inaugurate projects as part of activities marking Akwa Ibom’s 39th anniversary in September.
The airport projects are particularly significant to the state’s ambition to expand aviation, tourism and investment.
The international terminal is expected to strengthen the airport’s capacity to handle international operations, while the Aviation Village is intended to provide accommodation for aviation workers. The airport hospital is also among the facilities lined up for inauguration.
The road projects are also expected to improve connectivity. The 14.5-kilometre Nsit Atai–Okobo Road links communities in the two local government areas, while Ring Road 3 is designed to improve movement within Uyo and ease pressure on existing roads. The Command and Control Centre, meanwhile, is intended to strengthen security surveillance and coordination in the State.
The Rivers State Ministry of Culture and Tourism has floated a culture content platform in collaboration with digital television group, Multichoice.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Mr. Freddy Ndigbara, disclosed this after a meeting with MultiChoice Head of Content Acquisition, Don Dotun Ojon, in Port Harcourt.
He assured that content entrepreneurs and film makers would enjoy the platform by promoting culture and other contents to sell the states tourism potentials.
He said MultiChoice M-net was now open to increase its patronage for content shots on locations in Rivers State, describing the State as one that has numerous potentials for film tourism.
“We were privileged to have Don Ojon with us at the Rivers International Film Festival (RIFF) at the weekend in Bonny and he saw, first hand, the numerous sites and opportunities that are open to creatives in the State. After that, we felt it was important to deepen the conversation and he obliged. This is a cheering news for the sector in the State,” he said.
Ndigbara stated that “Rivers State has many more untold stories to tell, many more contents to reel out and the assurances from the M-net Acquisition Manager is an indication that the industry in the state will soon enjoy a new lease of life”.
The Permanent Secretary thanked Ojon for the visit and assured that creatives in the State would grap this opportunity and show the world that Rivers State is a major hub for film tourism in Nigeria.
On his part, Ojon said the visit was to discuss on ways of promoting tourism in the State using creatives and film.
Ojon said although the company has recently been acquired by canal+ France and is undergoing restructuring, he would promote the chances of Rivers State to host the MultiChoice talent factory in the State.
With Asaba, capital of Delta State, being saturated, Ojon said the next port is Rivers State, which he said is capable of building fresh crop of creatives, new locations, new story lines and concepts.
He, therefore, called for collaboration from stakeholders in the State.
Kevin Nengia
-
Rivers2 days ago
NUJ Set To Attend UNIPORT’s 217th Inaugural Lecture
-
News2 days agoNJC Suspends Three Judges, Sanctions Eight Others
-
Politics2 days ago
Atiku Kicks-Off 2027 Campaign, Promises To Tackle Nigeria’s Challenges
-
Featured2 days agoAPC Presidential Campaign Storms PH, ‘Morrow
-
News2 days ago
FG Explains Supply Disruption As Power Generation Drops To 3,659MW
-
Metro2 days ago
Port Harcourt Prepares For 10,000 Runners As International Marathon Returns
-
News2 days agoBille Gas Leak: Coalition Tasks FG On Proactive Measures
-
News2 days agoIGP Orders Arrest, Prosecution Of Campaign Billboard Vandals