Politics
Wike, Most Ogoni Friendly Governor -Hon Loolo
Against the claims of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) of having a strong followership in Ogoni and other parts of Rivers State, major stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Ogoni exaction have insisted that Ogoni and by extention, Rivers State in general is a strong hold of the PDP.
A stalwart of the ruling party in the state and former state lawmaker, Hon Dinebari Loolo has faulted the APC’s claim declaring the Party as dead and bareft of functional activities in Ogoni and the entire Rivers State.
Hon Loolo, who represented Khana Constituency II, and served as Deputy Leader of the State Legislature during his brief stint in the Assembly, said Ogoni people have rejected the APC because they have nothing to offer the people.
The Ogoni born politician and lawyer, who spoke with The Tide in an exclusive interview in Port Harcourt recently, said Ogoni have witnessed a more visible state of infrastructural transformation within the past three years of Governor Wike’s administration than at any other time their history.
Loolo who described Governor Wike as the most Ogoni friendly Governor noted that the immediate past administration in Rivers State used the Saakpenwa-Bori road as a basis of political campaign but the road remained in a deplorable state throughout that administration.
The former lawmaker vehemently rebuffed the APC over their boasts of offering a better alternative for the political emancipation of Rivers State.
According to him such claims of political propriety is self serving and evidently exposed by the “lacklustre political posture of the party in the country.
He said the APC has offered lies to Ogoni people, as exemplified in the indifference and lack of commitment of the Federal Government towards the implementation of the United Nations Environmental Project, (UNEP) report on the Ogoni clean up exercise.
Loolo who commended GovernorWike for fulfilling his promise to the Ogoni people, said the soaring political profile of the Rivers State Governor earned through his passion to cater for the interest of the people, this he said the Governor has demonstrated through his numerous people oriented projects across the state.
He explained that the construction of Kpobie-Bodo road, Bori General hospital, Saakpenwa-Bori road, Birabi Memorial Grammar school, and the planned construction of the Kira-Eteo and Wiyaakara-Kono roads has opened up Ogoni for development.
The PDP Chieftain called on Ogoni people to take advantage of the strategic importance of the projects to promote economic development in the area.
“Of all the projects executed by the Rivers State Governor, in the State, the drive towards the transformation of the rural areas to economic hubs is more important. Rivers people should take advantage of the opportunities created to enhance economic activities in the rural areas. This will make the people earn quality living in the rural areas and stem unnecessary urban migration”, he said while accusing the APC in Rivers State of contending themselves with belching fire and boasting of federal might, he said the PDP in the State is rooted in active grassroots involvement and mobilis-ation.
Loolo whose foray into partisan politics was shortlived in December 2016, following what he described as “the stealing of my mandate by brute force and military invasion”, pointed out that such abrasive insult on the sensibilities of the people will not repeat itself, as the people have learnt their lessons, and were already cautious of the “planned political perfidy of the APC, against the will of the people in the 2019 general elections”.
He said Ogoni people were adequately mobili-sed to defend their mandate from, “political scavengers whose primary objective in to seize political power through the barrels of the gun and not the ballot box”
According to him the penchant for autocracy on the part of the APC has plunged the party into debasing the country’s hard earned democracy.
He however urged Nigerians to be cautious against such “Viscious political unslaughts and morbid desires to set Nigeria on the path of political gloom and anarchy”.
“Nigerians are still battling with the inglorious years of military rule which observed the democratic landscape, it will be a thing of shame for the APC to plunge the country to anarchy through their desperate political misadventure. Nigerians should take it as a national emergency to vote out the APC at all levels of government. 2019 should mark the total eclipse of APC”, he insisted.
Loolo expressed dismay over the conduct of the Ekiti governorship election which he said was fraught with the use of military force to subdue the people’s will.
He noted that the Ekiti debacle was a rehearsal of the plot of the institutional conspiracy by the ruling APC , to set the security agencies against the people and upturn Popular Political will. The former lawmaker was also particularly impressed about the inauguration of substantive executive governments at the Local Government System in Rivers State.
He advised the council chairmen in the 23 Local Government Areas to complement the development efforts of the Governor through the execution of people oriented projects in the rural areas.
“It is a thing of joy that we now have executive Chairmen at the Local Governments, the various Local Government the various Local Government Chairmen and councilors should ensure that they manage the available resources to create the desired development impact at this important level of government.
The essence of holding political officer is to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people.
The Local Government Chairmen must maintain regular interface with the people and build popular confidence, through credible leadership”, he said.
Commenting on the security situations in the country, Hon. Loolo emphasized the need for state police as a panacea for the country’s security challenges. He commended the National Assembly over their recent endorsement of State police and called for the implementation of the policy.
Hon Loolo is also a strong adherent of restructuring and devolution of power as the yardstick for true fiscal federalism in the country.
He said the constitution in operation in the country lacked the imput of Nigerians as it is an improvised document forced on Nigeria by a ruling cabal of vested interests.
He called for the amendment of the Nigerian Constitution to be more reflective of democratic tenants and principles in the process of National Administration.
“Nigeria is a country of diverse ethnic and socio-political interest. The various component units that make up the country should be allowed to participate actively in the process of their economic development . The prevalence of a unitary and behemoth federal system is a disincentive to democracy. The constitution should guarantee the rights of the component units to explore their natural resources for comprarative economic development. It is wrong for the states to go to Abuja on monthly basis for sharing of federal allocation,” he said, adding that. “The Nigerian Constitution must be reflective of the yearning and aspirations of the various component units, in pursuance of their inalienable rights to good life and economic freedom”.
Taneh Beemene
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to submit the list of candidates for the 2027 governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections from Saturday, August 8, to Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
The commission announced the extension in a statement issued on Saturday and signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna.
According to INEC, the decision followed appeals by political parties for additional time to complete the submission process through the dedicated online portal.
“The submission window, which according to the revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the General Election was originally scheduled to close on Saturday, 8th August, 2026, has been extended to Tuesday, 11th August, 2026,” the commission said.
In a a related development, INEC announced the suspension of PVC collection in Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The commission said voters who applied for replacement of lost, damaged or defaced Permanent Voter Cards would have until midnight on Sunday, August 9, to print downloadable copies of their cards.
The electoral body explained that the deadline was necessary to enable it compile data on downloaded PVCs and produce final statistics on the total number of cards collected ahead of the election.
INEC said PVC collection in Osun commenced at the Registration Area level from July 22 to 28, 2026, but was extended to July 31 following complaints about large crowds and difficulties experienced by voters at collection centres.
The exercise subsequently moved to the local government level and ran from August 1 to 7.
The commission also disclosed that replacement downloadable PVCs had been made available to voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas following the theft of cards during attacks on the two collection centres.
It stressed that the stolen cards could not be used to vote.
INEC reassured Osun residents of its preparedness for the August 15 governorship election.
“The commission reiterates that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
“INEC reassures the people of Osun State of its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive governorship election on 15th August, 2026,” the statement said.
The commission said the deadline, initially set for Saturday, 8 August, has been extended to Tuesday, 11 August 2026, following appeals from political parties for more time.
INEC also announced that the window for voters who applied to replace lost, damaged or defaced PVCs to download their replacement cards will close at midnight on Sunday, 9 August.
The move is to enable the commission compile final PVC collection figures ahead of the 15 August Osun governorship election.
INEC said replacement downloadable PVCs have also been provided to affected voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas after hoodlums carted away cards from two collection centres, stressing that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
The commission reaffirmed its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive election in Osun State.
Gov. Kefas made the remarks over the weekend at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jalingo, during the flag-off of the second phase of the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach in Taraba State, organised as part of activities marking Prof. Yilwatda’s 58th birthday.
The governor commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing to mark his birthday by providing medical care to people in need.
“What Professor Nentawe did is a powerful demonstration of what leadership should be,” Gov. Kefas said.
He assured that his administration would continue to support initiatives that complement government efforts to improve healthcare delivery and the wellbeing of residents.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Yilwatda called on Nigerian leaders to embrace the culture of giving and use their positions to touch the lives of the less privileged.
He said his decision to celebrate his 58th birthday in Taraba State was deliberate and informed by the needs of underserved communities, particularly people who face difficulties accessing healthcare because of distance and financial constraints.
According to him, the intervention followed a needs assessment and was extended across the three senatorial districts of the state.
He said the exercise commenced on August 3 at Takum General Hospital and covered the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Wukari; First Referral Hospital, Sunkani, Ardo-Kola Local Government Area; General Hospital, Bali; General Hospital, Gembu; and FMC Jalingo.
Prof. Yilwatda said the intervention provided medical services to thousands of beneficiaries, including people who required surgical procedures.
He said sustainable national development could only be achieved when strong institutions placed Nigerians at the centre of development.
“Leadership is about service,” he said, urging political and public leaders to make giving back to society an important part of their responsibilities.
He reaffirmed his commitment to serving Nigeria and its people, saying his personal vision was to make every day of his life useful to humanity.
“Every day that I live, the vision is: let it be useful to humanity,” he said.
The Taraba State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bordiya Buma, commended the initiative, saying it was consistent with the Renewed Hope agenda and efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery in the state.
Dr Buma said the second phase followed the successful completion of the first phase, which was conducted simultaneously in six local government areas, with two LGAs selected from each of the three senatorial districts.
According to him, more than 10,000 patients were attended to during the first phase, including people with medical and surgical conditions.
He disclosed that 327 general surgeries, 71 eye surgeries and 575 dental procedures were carried out during the exercise.
The commissioner expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach and thanked Prof. Yilwatda for supporting the initiative and choosing Taraba State as a beneficiary.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, also commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing Taraba State to mark his 58th birthday through a medical outreach.
Prof. Pate said making healthcare the centrepiece of the birthday celebration was significant because health affects everyone.