Politics
Rivers 2019: Amaechi, Dakuku, Abe On War Path
Following the mass exodus of members of All Progressives Congress, (APC), in Rivers State to the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), the chances of APC in future elections in the state have become very uncertain. This uncertainty became more pronounced when over 8000 former APC members made a public declaration to join the PDP at the prestigious Sharks stadium in Port Harcourt on Thursday, April 13, 2017.
The story is also all over the place of more persons trooping to the PDP secretariat to declare for the party. We gathered that last Wednesday, April 12, 2017 another set of 372 APC members from Oyigbo and Etche local governments, as well as others from Ozuboko section of ward 20 of Port Harcourt City Local Government Area deserted their former party for the PDP.
As if to add salt to injury, the leader of APC in Rivers State and Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, in a meeting of the party’s caucus and leadership reportedly made the mistake of his life when he announced that the governorship ticket of the party in 2019 will be given to his business associate and crony, Tonye Cole, the co-founder of Sahara Energy Resource Limited, the company said to have been involved in the controversial sale and purchase of some of the assets of Rivers State during Amaechi’s tenure as governor.
This decision of the APC leader in Rivers State, we gathered has now torn the party apart as the duo of Senator Magnus Abe and Dakuku Peterside, the two contending aspirants have now vowed to teach Rotimi Amaechi a lesson of his life. Although sources close to Dakuku appear to be silent on how they feel about what an insider refers to as betrayal of the century, it is obvious that they are as hurt as the camp of Senator Magnus Abe, given the fact that their principal (Dakuku) had had the opportunity to bear the flag of the party in the 2015 governorship election.
This cannot be said to be the same in the camp of Senator Magnus Abe, as his supporters are said to be hell bent on fighting for the ticket of the party for their principal. Abe’s group, it was gathered are not hiding their anger and disappointment in the choice of Tonye Cole and have vowed to dump APC if their candidate is not given a fair chance to contest for the governorship ticket in 2019.
Meanwhile, one of Senator Abe’s supporters who pleaded anonymity had threatened that APC in Rivers State risks disintegration should the Transportation Minister jettison, for the second time the democratic process of party primaries, and goes ahead to impose his preferred governorship candidate against the wishes of the majority.
His words: “Honestly, we are not saying that Abe should be given the ticket without any contestation. Anybody who wants to emerge as the party’s governorship candidate should do so through the ballot. The era of imposition is over.
“We will not tolerate what happened in 2014 to repeat itself in 2018.To be candid, if Abe is denied the ticket this time around, the APC at this time will be her worst nightmare. The party will just become easy prey for the ruling PDP. Speaking for myself, we may be compelled to accept to get back to the senate on the platform of either the PDP or any other party that offers the opportunity”, the supporter bitterly concluded.
It would be recalled that, in 2014, the governorship candidate of APC, Dakuku Peterside, current director general of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, was foisted on the party, a bitter pill which Senator Magnus Abe and his supporters managed to swallow as Abe was compelled to redirect his attention to the senatorial ticket.
Shockingly, while APC is engrossed in internal squabbles, their leadership is losing sight of the fact that Governor Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, who has the constitutional right of second tenure is consolidating his hold on power by combing into the nooks and crannies of the state to attract the support of, not only the existing apolitical Rivers men and women but carting away APC members in their thousands. This development, it was gathered, is apart from the governor’s preoccupation and commitment in providing enduring landmark infrastructural facilities for the benefit of the good people of Rivers State, testimonials that have made his choice, both now and in the future unavoidable.
Reports say, this situation has placed Governor Wike at an advantage over and above any person that may be put forward by the APC or any other party for that matter, as the people of the state have a choice between a tested performer and a neophyte who would come to learn on the job.
Reflecting on the likely political direction of the state in 2019, a political analyst, Dr Oforika Stanley observed thus: “Rivers state is experiencing and enjoying massive infrastructural development under Governor Nyesom Wike and it will be stupid of any body to imagine that our people will ignore the high standards set by Wike and begin to look elsewhere. It will amount to the proverbial hunter who has killed an elephant and still begin to look for snail. It is certainly not possible, our people will continue to enjoy the peace, unity and progress Governor Wike had already put in place in our dear state”, Dr Oforibika emphasised.
Politics
Reps Constitution Review Committee Holds Zonal Hearing For Rivers, C’River, Akwa Ibom In Calabar

A press statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Cross River State Governor, Mr Linus Obogo, disclosed that the Calabar Centre — designated as Centre B — will host representatives and stakeholders from Cross River, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom States.
The public hearing is scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 19, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at the Transcorp (Metropolitan) Hotel, Calabar.
The initiative, according to the statement, is designed to promote inclusive dialogue and capture the aspirations of Nigerians from all regions.
It aims to serve as a platform for citizens to contribute meaningfully to the ongoing national efforts to refine and strengthen the country’s legal and institutional frameworks.
“Citizens, civil society groups, professional bodies, traditional rulers, and other interest blocs are invited to participate in this landmark engagement aimed at advancing a more just, equitable, and responsive Nigerian Constitution,” the statement read.
The hearing forms part of the broader review process of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), and is seen as a strategic move toward fostering national unity and addressing structural legal issues within the federation.
Politics
Tinubu’s Contribution To Buhari’s Presidency Marginal – Ex-SGF

For the first time since 2022, when then-presidential aspirant Alhaji Bola Tinubu declared he made former President Buhari Nigeria’s President in 2015, Mr Mustapha dismissed the claims, stressing that the merger only contributed about three million votes in addition to Buhari’s existing 12 million votes in the North.
He insisted that former President Buhari’s integrity, national stature, and disciplined messaging were central to the breakthrough, not the three million votes from the merging parties, which he described as insignificant.
Speaking on the role of the merging parties, particularly President Tinubu, the leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Mr Mustapha, who was the keynote speaker at the launch of the book ‘According to the President: Lessons from a Presidential Spokesman’s Experience’ authored by Mallam Garba Shehu, described the impact of the votes from other merging parties as very insignificant.
In attendance were former Head of State Yakubu Gowon, chair of the event; immediate past Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; SGF George Akume, who represented President Tinubu; PDP’s 2023 presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar; former Chief of Staff to Buhari Ibrahim Gambari; elder statesman Babagana Kingibe; former governors Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Chris Ngige (Anambra), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Raji Babatunde Fashola (Lagos); former ministers Solomon Dalung and Sunday Dare; former Army Chief Tukur Buratai, and Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu’s spokesman, among others.
According to Mr Mustapha, “I do not intend to stir up any controversy. The merger in 2013 was midwifed to create a Buhari presidency. Let us look at the statistics. In the 2003 election, it was the Obasanjo-Buhari presidential contest where Buhari recorded 12.7 million votes. In 2007, it came to 6.6 million, and it went back to 12.2 million in 2011.
“When we were conceptualising the merger, what would give us a headstart? Obviously, it was at the back of our consciousness that the merger with the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), though it had only one state, the ACN had six states, ANPP three states, and when you sum up the total votes that we had as the presidency in 2015, the aggregate of the total votes was 15.4 million.
“So, basically, what we brought to the table after the merger outside the Buhari 12.5 million votes was three million. Before turning to that presidency, it is important to recognise the former President’s role in reshaping Nigeria’s political trajectory.
“In early 2013, as the leader of the CPC, Buhari formally requested and supported the creation of a CPC merger committee, part of a broader coalition-building process that brought together the ACN, ANPP, APGA faction, and elements of the ruling party through the breakaway ‘new PDP’ group. His endorsement and participation, along with other party leaders such as President Tinubu and Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, lent credibility and direction to the merger, helping to unify disparate party factions under the banner of the APC. That coalition-building paved the way for the first democratic defeat of an incumbent ruling party in Nigeria’s history.
“President Buhari’s integrity, national stature, and disciplined messaging were central to that breakthrough. No account of President Buhari’s tenure would be complete without acknowledging the extended periods he spent on medical leave. These moments, while politically delicate, were also telling of his leadership philosophy and personality,” he said.
In his remarks, President Tinubu promised to build on the legacies of former President Buhari, stressing that “nation-building is a relay. The efforts of one administration lay the foundation for the next.
“In this regard, I acknowledge the efforts of my predecessor, President Buhari, and assure all Nigerians that the reform-oriented path he initiated will be consolidated and strengthened under this administration. Our Renewed Hope Agenda is inspired by the desire to build a resilient, just, and inclusive Nigeria—a nation that delivers dividends of democracy to all its citizens”.
Politics
Your Lies Chasing Investors From Nigeria, Omokri Slams Obi
Speaking during an appearance on live television on Wednesday, Mr Omokri alleged that Mr Obi’s statements were misleading and damaging to the country’s economic prospects.
Mr Omokri said some investors currently operating in Nigeria were considering exiting the market due to Mr Obi’s remarks.
“That is not true. He doesn’t rile me up. I rile him up. The reason why I came here is because I’m a patriot. Peter Obi lied. You know, foreign direct investors are watching your programme, who are making investment decisions not to come to Nigeria. There are foreign investors in Nigeria that are making investment decisions to leave Nigeria because of the lie he told.
“One of the lies he told is that President Tinubu has borrowed more than the administrations of Yar’Adua, Jonathan, Buhari. That is a blatant lie”, Mr Omokri said.
To buttress his claims, Mr Omokri referenced figures from the Debt Management Office (DMO), maintaining that President Tinubu had actually reduced Nigeria’s external debt burden since assuming office.
“I have here with me data from the Debt Management Office, and Nigerians who are watching can go to DMO.com and search Debt Management Office, Nigeria State of Indebtedness 2015.
“As of 2015, Nigeria was owing a total of $63 billion. When Buhari was leaving office, Nigeria was owing $113 billion. Today, from the DMO, our debt has gone from $113 billion to $97 billion, meaning that Tinubu has reduced our debt by over $14 billion.
“We should be appreciating this man. Yet Peter Obi came here and lied to the Nigerian people. He took the debts and translated them into naira to make it look like the debts have increased”, he said.
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