Politics
Wike Dedicates Campaign To God
As various political parties fine-tune their strategies towards the general elections set to kick-off next month in the country, issues bordering on election campaigns dominated activities in Government House, Port Harcourt, last week .
The Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) was at the Cathedral Church of Saint Paul, Garrison Junction, Port Harcourt, last Sunday to dedicate her 2019 Campaign to God.
The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, at the event, charged Rivers people to use the forthcoming election to end dictatorial tendencies.
He said that PDP decided to dedicate the campaign to God because it is a tradition that has worked for the good of the party.
Methodist Archbishop of Port Harcourt, Most Rev Sunday Agwu declared that one good term deserves another, and remarked that Governor Wike has performed credibly with the people’s mandate.
Last Saturday the Governor who was in a mobilisation meeting at Unit 7 in Ward 9 of Obio/Akpo Local Government Area, called on Rivers people to vote out the evil APC- led Federal Government come February 16th to attract benefits to the state.
He said since 2015, the Buhari administration has not initiated or executed any project in the state, hence there is mass mobilisation across the 4442 polling units in the state to carry all Rivers people along in the move to oust Buhari from the presidency.
Governor Wike told the mammoth crowd which comprised members of other political parties: “ Vote out Buhari and vote in Atiku Abubakar. Let Buhari and APC pack and leave the Presidential Villa. Buhari’s tenancy has expired “.
Another major event which took place in Brick House, last week, was the visit of the new Commissioner of Police to the state, Mr Usman Belel.
The Commissioner of Police told Governor Wike that he came to formally introduce himself and to also seek the support of the administration.
He assured the police under his command will work professionally to fight crime.
Wike who welcomed the police boss in the state expressed worry that public institutions are beginning to lose public confidence because of the way they are being run. He tasked the new Police Commissioner to improve the performance of police in the state
He informed the visitor that his predecessor, Mr Zaki Ahmed, allowed himself to be used negatively against the state.
“ Rivers State will not forget that it was Zaki Ahmed’s time that thugs invaded the Rivers State High Court which is located near the police headquarters. He didn’t bring anybody to book “, Wike said.
The Governor assured the new Police Commissioner of his administration’s support to the command to fight crime across the state and urged him to focus on ending kidnapping, cultism, and other violent crimes.
The Minister of Environment, Mr Suleiman Hassan Zarma also paid a courtesy visit to Government House last Friday.
The minister said he and his team were in the state to hand over sites to contractors for commencement of the Ogoni clean up exercise.
The Brick House landlord, Governor Wike, condemned the deliberate neglect of the Niger Delta region by the Federal Government in spite of the fact that the region remains the economic life wire of the nation.
“ We are dying because we are keeping the country alive. Nobody wants to give us attention “, he said.
Stressing that environmental degradation is worse than insurgency, the governor regretted that while the Federal Government considered it necessary to take $1billion from the Excess Crude Account to address insurgency, nothing was being done to address the environmental pollution in the region.
He chided the Ogoni clean up exercise, saying Federal Government is politicising the exercise instead of showing concern.
He said each time election draws near, Federal Government remembers the Ogoni but as election ends, nobody talks about it again.
“ Three years ago, the president represented by the VP flagged off the clean up during the rerun elections. One month to the general elections, the Minister of Environment has come to hand over the sites.
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.
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