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Guber, Assembly Elections: There’s No Way I’ll Lose Re-Election, ’Morrow -Wike …As AAC, Rivers APC Denounce Amaechi, Reject Move …Minister’s Adoption Of Candidate, Height Of Desperation -Okah
The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has declared that there was no way that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) can lose the Governorship and State Assembly elections because Rivers people are firmly with the party.
Wike further declared that the Governorship and State Assembly elections would be used to end the illegal activities of the political monster of Rivers State.
Speaking during a town hall meeting with leaders of Rivers East Senatorial District in Port Harcourt, yesterday, Wike charged the people not to be intimidated by soldiers, as they have a duty to vote for him and other PDP Candidates on March 9, 2019.
He said: “There is no way that the PDP will lose Rivers State and they tell the world that the elections are free and fair.
“Even if we want to play politics, how would they explain to the international community that PDP lost to an unknown party that did not campaign?
“How many soldiers will they deploy to implement the rigging. I am not worried about their bringing more troops from Sokoto and Kafanchan, God is our security. During the Presidential and National Assembly elections, they struggled for 25 percent, but they did not get it”.
The governor said that Rivers State has passed the stage where a failed politician will direct the people on who to vote three days to the election, saying that nobody will play God in Rivers State
He emphasised that Rivers people must stand firm to ensure the victory of the PDP on March 9, 2019.
”Nobody should be afraid, come out and vote for the PDP. Your votes will be counted. Your votes will be protected”.
The governor urged traditional rulers to insist on credible polls across the state.
“We will win on Saturday because we know that God is with us. Those who think they have the power will face God. They want to disrupt the elections to instigate postponement. Do not fall into their hands”, he said.
He noted that the illegal arrests by the military will not stop the victory of the PDP during the Governorship and State Assembly elections.
“If they arrest 2000 persons, they will see more 10, 000. Our people should be security conscious about their movement because these people are very desperate”, the governor said.
Wike noted that he has planted key projects in all the local government areas of the state.
He said after his re-election more projects will be executed for Rivers people.
Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief Onueze Okocha said Wike has done well and will be voted in for a second term.
He described Wike as a great product that will lead the PDP to victory without noise.
He, however, said that the people of Rivers East Senatorial District will continue to promote the achievements of the governor.
He said violence is a product of the militarisation of the polity, adding that when the military is biased, it generates a serious cause for concern.
Former Rivers State Governor, Sir Celestine Omehia said everything about the election has gone smoothly for Rivers PDP because of the involvement of God.
He said that the PDP will emerge victorious on March 9, 2019, noting that the people of Rivers State are solidly behind Wike and other PDP candidates.
“Never mind, there are threats and many of us are listed for arrest, people of Rivers East will stand with you till you emerge victorious”, he said.
Prof Nsirim Nduka of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Eze Chris Nda of Port Harcourt Local Government Area and Joshua Okala of Omuma Local Government Area declared that their respective local government areas will vote massively for Wike and PDP candidates.
Also speaking, Chief Vincent Chukwu of Emohua Local Government Area, Isaiah Chuku of Etche Local Government Area, Prof O. Zeb of Okrika Local Government Area and Chief Josiah Tanuno of Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area said that they will vote for Wike because of his outstanding projects delivery.
They said their people will turnout in their numbers to re-elect Wike.
Highpoint of the occasion was the presentation of State and National Assembly Candidates to the leaders of the Senatorial District by Wike.
He asked them to vote for them on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the national leadership of the African Action Congress (AAC) has said that the party was not in any alliance or coalition with the All Progressives Congress (APC) or any other political party in Rivers State.
The Deputy National Chairman (Administration) of the AAC, Dr Malcolm Fabiyi, in a statement, however, reassured the public that the party led by Omoyele Sowore promised Nigerians a different style of governance at the national level; saying it also believes “we can bring this new promise of transparency and progress to bear at the state level”.
It would be recalled that leader of APC in Rivers State and Transportation Minister, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi while addressing party supporters in Eleme, last Wednesday, called on them to vote for the candidate of the AAC in the March 9 Governorship election in the state, saying, “This morning, (Wednesday) the leadership of the party met and agreed that we would work with a party called African Action Congress (AAC), while we are still in court to reclaim our mandate.
But Fabiyi, in his statement said, “We were made aware of the APC’s recent endorsement of the AAC’s Rivers State gubernatorial candidate in the forthcoming elections on the 9th of March. Rotimi Amaechi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has pitched his tent with Awara Biokpomabo, our governorship candidate in the African Action Congress (AAC).
“While we have no influence over who other parties might choose to endorse, we wish to make it unequivocally clear that we have not entered into any alliance or coalition with the APC or any other party in Rivers State, neither have we made any decisions to dovetail parties or seek strategic alliances as we approach the state elections in a few days.
“We urge all PVC-bearing Nigerians to come out en masse on the 9th of March and vote for transformation and a true paradigm shift, the kind that only the African Action Congress can bring,” Fabiyi said.
Meanwhile, the Magnus Abe-led faction of the APC has denounced the alleged alliance of the party with the AAC governorship candidate in tomorrow’s election.
A statement, yesterday, the Factional Chairman of the APC in the state, Prince Peter Odike, reads, “The Attention of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Rivers State Chapter has been drawn to a directive from the Minister for Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, to members of the party in the state to vote for the Candidates of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the Governorship and House of Assembly elections on Saturday, March 9, 2019.
“I, Prince Peter Odike, the State Chairman of The All Progressives Congress (APC), Rivers State chapter, On behalf of the State Working Committee of the party hereby calls on all members and supporters of the party in Rivers State to discountenance the said directive of Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.
“Let me inform our members and supporters that the matter of the All Progressive Congress (APC), in Rivers State is presently pending before the Supreme Court and that the party never held any meeting in which the decision to enter into any alliance with any other party was reached. Let it also be known that the Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, is completely acting as an individual on this matter.
“Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi cannot play the ostrich and cannot be allowed to be next governor or Rivers State through the back door after attempting to destroy the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
“I am, therefore, calling on all Faithful members and supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State to continue to remain steadfast and to maintain their faith in the Supreme Court of Nigeria to restore our candidates on the ballot for the Governorship and House of Assembly Elections in Rivers State,” the statement added.
Reacting to the endorsement of the African Action Congress (AAC) candidate in Rivers State by the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi ahead of tomorrow’s Governorship election has been described as the height of desperation and an insult to people of the state.
The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) Campaign Council in Rivers State stated this in a statement issued by its Director of Information and Communications, Barrister Emma Okah, and made available to newsmen in Port Harcourt.
This is as the council alleged that Amaechi’s recent boast that he would install a governor in the state and dissolve the 23 local government councils in few months shows that his choice of the AAC candidate was purely to satisfy his personal ambition and desires.
The Tide reports that Amaechi while addressing supporters of his faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Eleme, Rivers State, last Wednesday, urged them and people of the state to vote for the candidate of the AAC in the governorship election scheduled for tomorrow.
But Okah, who is also the state commissioner for information and communications while reacting to the directive by Amaechi, described him as selfish, just as he accused him of trying to go for a third term as governor of the state by proxy; saying such scheming was dead on arrival.
The statement reads, “Rivers State PDP Campaign Council says the endorsement of African Action Congress (AAC) governorship candidate in Rivers State by the Transportation Minister, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is the height of desperation, selfishness and an insult to the people of Rivers State.
“Worse still is his empty boasts that after installing a governor in May, he would dissolve the local government councils in June, 2019, an evidence that the minister’s choice of AAC is purely to satisfy his inordinate ambition and desires,” it said.
The council said Rivers State was too big and sophisticated to be led by a ‘political kindergarten’ from a political party that was unknown in the state and chosen by the minister to serve as his stooge.
Okah further said, “It is even more irritating that the said candidate is an adopted houseboy of the minister and a candidate of a political party that neither campaigned nor opened office in any part of the state.”
While describing the action of the minister as a joke taken too far, the PDP advised Amaechi to try another trick as the present one was dead on arrival.
The council further advised the minister to stop his desperation to overwhelm Rivers State, learn from history and save himself from endless embarrassment.
Okah added that “Desperation caused the crisis in the APC, desperation robbed the APC of reconciliation, and today, desperation has caused a former governor to beg a candidate who did not print posters, let alone campaign in Rivers State, to present himself for forceful installation as governor of Rivers State.”
He pointed out that the minister cannot do a third term by proxy no matter how he schemes and pretends, pointing out that Rivers people were not ready to allow him (Amaechi) return to the Brick House through the back door.
Similarly, the Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has described as a charade and inconsequential, news making the rounds that the factional leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State and Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has adopted a candidate of one of the political parties for tomorrow’s Governorship Election in the state.
The Chairman of PDP in the state, Bro. Felix Obuah, in a statement, yesterday, said the so-called adoption of a candidate by Amaechi was laughable, as according to him, the destiny of Rivers State was not tied to him.
Obuah said that Amaechi, by his inordinate actions, was only heating up the polity in his sustained attempts to destroy the state.
The PDP chairman reminded Amaechi that his deceitful pranks were no longer new to Rivers people who have unanimously decided to re-elect Governor Nyesom Wike for a second term.
“This thing about Amaechi and so-called adoption of a guber candidate is another attempt to make himself a laughing stock before his gullible followers in the APC”, Obuah said, and chided the APC for condoning such anti-party action by Amaechi, when the big hammer has already fallen on the APC governors of Imo and Ondo states as well as ministers for aligning with candidates of other political parties.
Obuah wondered why Amaechi’s APC was keeping silent while he behaves rashly as someone above the law, openly supporting candidates of other political parties and breaking all known party rules.
The Rivers PDP boss, however, affirmed that the said adoption of candidate by Amaechi does not in any way put Rivers people off their track in their resolve to re-elect Wike.
“All we are appealing is for security agencies to be apolitical, neutral and allow Rivers people to freely elect their leaders. They should not be at the whims and caprices of Amaechi”, Obuah submitted.
The state PDP chairman expressed confidence that if the security agencies remained neutral and conduct themselves professionally during the elections, Amaechi, according to him, would get the embarrassment of his life as Rivers people would prove the point with their votes.
He further appealed to the security agencies not to allow Amaechi use them to manipulate the process, as he (Amaechi) has repeatedly boasted that he would use security agencies to scuttle the elections in the state because they are at his ‘beck and call’.
“If the security agencies refuse to interfere with the election, Amaechi would then know that Rivers people and the gods of the land have since abandoned him for desecrating the land”, Obuah said.
President Bola Tinubu yesterday signed into law four tax reform bills aimed at transforming Nigeria’s fiscal and revenue framework.
The four bills include: the Nigeria Tax Bill, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill.
They were passed by the National Assembly after months of consultations with various interest groups and stakeholders.
The ceremony took place at the Presidential Villa, yesterday.
The ceremony was witnessed by the leadership of the National Assembly and some legislators, governors, ministers, and aides of the President.
The presidency had earlier stated that the laws would transform tax administration in the country, increase revenue generation, improve the business environment, and give a boost to domestic and foreign investments.
“When the new tax laws become operational, they are expected to significantly transform tax administration in the country, leading to increased revenue generation, improved business environment, and a boost in domestic and foreign investments,” Special Adviser to the President on Media, Bayo Onanuga said on Wednesday.
Before the signing of the four bills, President Tinubu had earlier yesterday, said the tax reform bills will reset Nigeria’s economic trajectory and simplify its complex fiscal landscape.
Announcing the development via his official X handle, yesterday, the President declared, “In a few hours, I will sign four landmark tax reform bills into law, ushering in a bold new era of economic governance in our country.”
Tinubu made a call to investors and citizens alike, saying, “Let the world know that Nigeria is open for business, and this time, everyone has a fair shot.”
He described the bills as not just technical adjustments but a direct intervention to ease burdens on struggling Nigerians.
“These reforms go beyond streamlining tax codes. They deliver the first major, pro-people tax cuts in a generation, targeted relief for low-income earners, small businesses, and families working hard to make ends meet,” Tinubu wrote.
According to the President, “They will unify our fragmented tax system, eliminate wasteful duplications, cut red tape, restore investor confidence, and entrench transparency and coordination at every level.”
He added that the long-standing burden of Nigeria’s tax structure had unfairly weighed down the vulnerable while enabling inefficiency.
The tax reforms, first introduced in October 2024, were part of Tinubu’s post-subsidy-removal recovery plan, aimed at expanding revenue without stifling productivity.
However, the bills faced turbulence at the National Assembly and amongst some state governors who rejected its passing in 2024.
At the NASS, the bills sparked heated debate, particularly around the revenue-sharing structure, which governors from the North opposed.
They warned that a shift toward derivation-based allocations, especially with VAT, could tilt fiscal balance in favour of southern states with stronger consumption bases.
After prolonged dialogue, the VAT rate remained at 7.5 per cent, and a new exemption was introduced to shield minimum wage earners from personal income tax.
By May 2025, the National Assembly passed the harmonised versions with broad support, driven in part by pressure from economic stakeholders and international observers who welcomed the clarity and efficiency the reforms promised.
In his tweet, Tinubu stressed that this is just the beginning of Nigeria’s tax evolution.
“We are laying the foundation for a tax regime that is fair, transparent, and fit for a modern, ambitious Nigeria.
“A tax regime that rewards enterprise, protects the vulnerable, and mobilises revenue without punishing productivity,” he stated.
He further acknowledged the contributions of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform Committee, the National Assembly, and Nigeria’s subnational governments.
The President added, “We are not just signing tax bills but rewriting the social contract.
“We are not there yet, but we are firmly on the road.”
The Senate has issued a 10-day ultimatum to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) over its failure to appear before the Senate Committee on Public Accounts probing alleged financial discrepancies amounting to over ?210 trillion in its audited reports from 2017 to 2023.
Despite being summoned, no officials or external auditors from NNPCL showed up yesterday.
However, representatives from the representatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and Department of State Services were present.
Angered by the NNPCL’s absence, the committee, yesterday, issued a 10-day ultimatum, demanding the company’s top executives to appear before the panel by July 10 or face constitutional sanctions.
A letter from NNPCL’s Chief Financial Officer, Dapo Segun, dated June 25, was read at the session.
It cited an ongoing management retreat and requested a two-month extension to prepare necessary documents and responses.
The letter partly read, “Having carefully reviewed your request, we hereby request your kind consideration to reschedule the engagement for a period of two months from now to enable us to collate the requested information and documentation.
“Furthermore, members of the Board and the senior management team of NNPC Limited are currently out of the office for a retreat, which makes it difficult to attend the rescheduled session on Thursday, 26th June, 2025.
“While appreciating the opportunity provided and the importance of this engagement, we reassure you of our commitment to the success of this exercise. Please accept the assurances of our highest regards.”
But lawmakers rejected the request.
The Committee Chairman, Senator Aliyu Wadada, said NNPCL was not expected to submit documents, but rather provide verbal responses to 11 key questions previously sent.
“For an institution like NNPCL to ask for two months to respond to questions from its own audited records is unacceptable,” Wadada stated.
“If they fail to show up by July 10, we will invoke our constitutional powers. The Nigerian people deserve answers,” he warned.
Other lawmakers echoed similar frustrations.
Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) insisted that NNPCL’s Group CEO, Bayo Ojulari, must personally lead the delegation at the next hearing.
The Tide reports that Ojulari took over from Mele Kyari on April 2, 2025.
Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi (Ebonyi North) said the two-month request suggested the company had no answers, but the committee would still grant a fair hearing by reconvening on July 10.
Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) warned the NNPCL against undermining the Senate, saying, “If they fail to appear again, Nigerians will know the Senate is not a toothless bulldog.”
Last week, the Senate panel grilled Segun and other top executives over what they described as “mind-boggling” irregularities in NNPCL’s financial statements.
The Senate flagged ?103 trillion in accrued expenses, including ?600 billion in retention fees, legal, and auditing costs—without supporting documentation.
Also questioned was another ?103 trillion listed under receivables. Just before the hearing, NNPCL submitted a revised report contradicting the previously published figures, raising more concerns.
The committee has demanded detailed answers to 11 specific queries and warned that failure to comply could trigger legislative consequences.
The National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA) said over 17 million Nigerians travelled out between 2023 and 2024.
This is as the association announced that it would be organising a maiden edition of Eastern Travel Market 2025 in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital from 27th to 30th August, 2025.
Vice Chairman of NANTA, Eastern Zone, Hope Ehiogie, disclosed this during a news briefing in Port Harcourt.
Ehiogie explained that the event aims to bring together over 1,000 travel professionals to discuss the future of the industry in the nation and give visibility to airlines, hospitality firms, hospitals and institutions in the South-South and South-East, tagged Eastern Zone.
He stated that the 17 million number marks a significant increase in overseas travel and tours.
According to him, “Nigerian travel industry has seen significant growth, with 17 million people traveling out of the country in 2023”.
Ehiogie further said the potential of tourism and travel would bring in over $12 million into the nation’s economy by 2026, saying it would be a major spike in the sector, as 2024 recorded about $4 million.
“The potential of tourism and travel is that it can generate about $12 million for the nation’s economy by 2026. Last year it was $4 million.
“In the area of travels, over 17 million Nigerians traveled out of the country two years ago for different purposes. This included, health, religious purposes, visit, education and others,” Ehiogie said.
While highlighting the potential of Nigeria’s tourism, he said the hospitality industry in Nigeria has come of age, saying it is now second to none.
The Vice Chairman of NANTA, Eastern Zone further said, “We are not creating an enabling environment for business to thrive. We need to support the industry and provide the necessary infrastructure for growth.”
He said the country has a lot of tourism potential, especially as the government is now showing interest in and supporting the sector.
Ehiogie emphasized that NANTA has been working to support the industry with initiatives such as training schools and platforms for airlines and hotels to sell their products.
He added, “We now have about four to five training schools in the region, and within two years, the first set of students will graduate. We are helping airlines sell tickets and hotels sell their rooms.”
Also speaking, former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of NANTA, Stephen Isokariari of Dial Travels, called for more support from the industry.
Isokariari stated, “We need to work together to grow the industry and contribute to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product.
“With the right support and infrastructure, the Nigerian travel industry has the potential to make a significant contribution to the nation’s economy.”