Featured
Aftermath Of March 9 Guber, Assembly Polls: RSG Bans Public Protests …Rivers Women Tell INEC To Declare Wike, Gov-Elect …PDP Alleges Plan To Relocate Collation Centre
The Rivers State Government has placed a ban on all public protests in the state with immediate effect.
A statement issued in Port Harcourt yesterday by the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Barr. Emma Okah, directed security agencies in the state to enforce the ban and ensure that members of the public maintain peace and order.
He said the ban remains in force till further notice.
This is coming on the heels of several protests in the state by different groups since the suspension of the electoral process in the state by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Meanwhile, Rivers women from the 23 local government areas of the state have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conclude the collation process for the Governorship election, and declare Governor Nyesom Wike duly re-elected.
They also demanded that the Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in Rivers State, Mr Obo Effanga be allowed to conclude the collation process, since he conducted the 2019 general election.
The Rivers women were dressed in white to signify peace and their commitment to the peaceful conclusion of the 2019 general election.
The women, who embarked on a peaceful march to the state Headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force on Moscow Road and the Department of State Services (DSS) on Forces Avenue in Port Harcourt, warned the Nigerian Army to stop forthwith the intimidation of Rivers people.
The women, who were in their thousands, held placards with the following inscriptions: “Amaechi you cannot be governor for a third term “, “Nigerian Army should stop intimidating Rivers people”, “Leave Rivers REC alone”, and “INEC must conclude collation of Rivers Governorship Election results”.
The women also stated that the former Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi cannot govern the state for an illegal third term through the back door.
They stated that they overwhelmingly voted for Wike in across the state, and in most cases, they stayed at the collation centres to defend their votes, despite the threats by personnel of the Nigerian Army and F-SARS.
Leader of Rivers Women, Mrs Ukel Oyaghiri said that the process of collation and declaration of results must be concluded as unnecessary delay is no longer appreciated.
“We want our results to be declared. We don’t want further delays. The state is at a standstill because of the non-release of our results. This delay is becoming dangerous.
“The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Obo Effanga should be allowed to conclude the collation process. He was the one who conducted the elections. This is a process that should be concluded by him”, Oyaghiri said.
She urged the police to stand with the people by joining them to defend the votes of Rivers people, adding that the votes of Rivers people must count and there should be no further delay.
Another Rivers women leader, Chinyeru Agbaru noted that all results in the custody of INEC should be collated and declared.
She stated that there is no reason for the Resident Electoral Commissioner to be redeployed as being canvassed by the APC in Rivers State.
Also speaking, Women Leader of Rivers PDP, Mrs Victoria Allison appreciated the police for stopping the Nigerian Army’s invasion of the Rivers State Governorship Collation Centre on March 10.
Allison said that Rivers women were dressed in white to show that they support the peaceful conclusion of the 2019 general election.
She said that Rivers State successfully held the Governorship election and the votes of the people must count.
A female youth leader, Soibi Ibibo-Jack said that Wike has won the election and should be declared winner by INEC.
She warned the police against disrupting the Governorship collation exercise as currently being rumoured, stressing that the police are under obligation to be neutral.
Jack said that those calling for the transfer of the Resident Electoral Commissioner were doing so because he refused to be compromised, insisting that he should be allowed to complete the collation.
Responding on behalf of the Rivers State Police Command, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Betty Otimeye, said the message of Rivers women would be passed to the appropriate authorities for action to be taken.
At the DSS Headquarters in Port Harcourt, Rivers women said that they demand action on the declaration of all collated results within scheduled period.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has raised an alarm over alleged plot by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to move the collation centre for the governorship election from Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt, to an undisclosed location.
It said the commission was planning to do so at the behest of African Action Congress (AAC) and some extraneous forces.
The state Chairman of the party, Bro Felix Obuah, said the party has it on good authority that INEC was acceding to the demands of a political party and some forces hell bent on scuttling the outcome of the March 9 election and setting the state on fire.
Obuah warned INEC not to allow itself to be used to precipitate constitutional crisis in the state.
However, reacting to the allegation, INEC washed its hands off any plot to change the collation centre.
But while reacting to the allegation, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, said: “I can tell you categorically that there is no truth in that claim. INEC collation centre in Rivers will not be moved. Please disregard the rumour.”
Meanwhile, INEC has assured it is going ahead with the planned collation of results of March 9 governorship election in Rivers State from April 2.
INEC’s National Commissioner in charge of Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye, reacting to a petition by the African Action Congress (AAC) in which the party asked the commission to shelve plans to collate results of the governorship election in Rivers State, dismissed such request as inappropriate.
He said no political party can stop it from carrying out its constitutional responsibility.
Insisting that no party can order the commission around, Okoye said there is no changing of plans in the April 2 collation of results decision.
He said: “No party or individual can stop us from carrying out our constitutional responsibility. We will commence collation of election results from April 2, we are going ahead with that.”
He added “Our advice to all the parties is to work with INEC to conclude the exercise.”
It would be recalled that the AAC governorship candidate in Rivers State, Biokpomabo Awara, had last Tuesday, told newsmen in Abuja that he had submitted a petition to INEC, demanding the stoppage of the collation of the governorship election results scheduled to kick off on April 2.
Rather than go ahead with the collation of the results, he urged INEC to conduct a fresh governorship election in Rivers.
Awara’s AAC is backed by the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi and a faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
The deputy governorship candidate of the party, Akpo Bomba Yeeh, last weekend, resigned his membership of the party and joined the PDP.
Just last Wednesday, the deputy chairman of the AAC, Prince Amezhinim Atuma also resigned his membership of the party and decamped to the PDP.
In the same vein, thousands of leaders and members of 85 registered political parties, yesterday, marched through the streets of Port Harcourt, celebrating the re-election of Governor Nyesom Wike in the March 9 governorship election.
They also urged INEC to diligently conclude the official collation and declaration of the state governorship election results.
Leaders and members of the registered political parties, who gathered under the aegis of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), at the Isaac Boro Park, in Port Harcourt, at about 7:30a.m., declared that the peace walk was aimed at telling the world that Rivers people, irrespective of political affiliations, voted overwhelmingly for governor Wike on March 9.
They sang pro-Wike songs as they marched through the streets, insisting that on no account should the votes of Rivers people be manipulated.
Also, IPAC passed a vote of confidence in the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Rivers, Obo Effanga.
The protesters displayed several placards indicating their preference for governor Wike, and the need for the collation process to be concluded as outlined in the timelines of INEC.
In his address, IPAC Chairman in Rivers State, Precious Baridoo, said the political parties were calling on INEC to continue with the collation and declaration of the governorship election results.
He said: “Let the election process continue in Rivers State. We are telling INEC to go ahead with the process. We condemn, in totality, calls, by a few persons, for the removal of Effanga. We want him to continue and conclude his job.”
In a related development, thousands of leaders and members of 85 registered political parties, last Wednesday, marched through the streets of Port Harcourt, celebrating the re-election of Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike while urging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to diligently conclude the official collation and declaration of the state Governorship Election results.
The leaders and members of the registered political parties, who gathered under the aegis of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) at the Isaac Boro Park in Port Harcourt by 7. 30am, declared that the peace walk was aimed at telling the world that Rivers people, irrespective of political affiliation, voted overwhelmingly for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on March 9, 2019.
They sang pro-Nyesom Wike songs as they marched through the streets, insisting that on no account should the votes of Rivers people be manipulated.
They passed a vote of confidence on the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Rivers State, Obo Effanga.
The Rivers people on peaceful march displayed several placards indicating their preference for Wike and the need for the collation process to be concluded as outlined in the timelines of INEC.
Some of the placards read: “Army Stop Disrupting the Collation Process in Rivers State”, “Army Please Allow INEC Conclude the Collation Process”, “Rivers People Overwhelmingly Voted for Governor Wike on March 9”, “We Shall Continue to Defend our Votes” and “Obo Effanga is a Professional and we are confident in his capacity to deliver”.
Other placards read: “Amaechi leave Rivers State Alone”, “Federal Might has failed woefully in Rivers State”, “Prosecute Major General Jamil Sarham for attempting to rob Rivers Mandate” and “We condemn APC elders for their illegal letter to President Muhammadu Buhari”.
The peaceful march moved to the Rivers State Police Command where the leaders of the 85 political parties relayed the position of the people.
In his address, Chairman of IPAC Rivers State, Sir Precious Baridoo, said that the political parties were calling on INEC to continue with the collation and declaration of the Governorship election results.
Baridoo said: “Let the election process continue in Rivers State. We are telling INEC to follow through with the process. We condemn in totality, the calls by a few persons for the removal of the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Obo Effanga. We want him to continue and conclude his job”.
The chairman of IPAC Rivers State noted that nothing should be done outside the law because the INEC process is constitutional.
He said: “INEC process is constitutional and must be allowed to take place. It should be done normally for the peaceful co-existence of Rivers State”.
Also speaking, immediate past Chairman of IPAC Rivers State and Chairman, Independent Democrats (ID), Pastor Samuel Ihunwo, said Rivers people no longer want the militarisation of the polity because Rivers people were slaughtered by soldiers on March 9, 2019 because some persons wanted to rig the elections.
He reiterated the position of the 86 registered political parties that Rivers people want the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Obo Effanga, to conclude the 2019 Governorship election collation process.
“Effanga is a professional and should be allowed to conclude the process. We condemn the few APC elders who want to place the state in jeopardy while their children are studying abroad. We urge the President to ignore their letter”, he said.
He said Rivers people have voted for Wike and their votes will count as the collation process was brought to a logical conclusion.
Responding on behalf of the Rivers State Police Command, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Victor Erewere commended the members of IPAC for their peaceful conduct.
He said that he would convey their message to the appropriate authorities for necessary action.
The procession later moved to the Rivers State Headquarters of the Department of State Services (DSS) where they reiterated their demands for the conclusion of the collation and declaration of the Governorship Election results of Rivers State.
They also re-affirmed their position that the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Rivers State be allowed to conclude the collation process.
Susan Serekara-Nwikhana
The Governor stated this yesterday when he received in audience, the World President of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Pastor Erton Kohler; his wife, Andriene Marques Kohler; daughter Mariana Marques Kohler and a retinue of ministers of the church at Government House, Port Harcourt.
Fubara who hailed the Seventh Day Adventist Church for its contributions to education and the grooming of future leaders in Nigeria, expressed delight that the Church had over the years, been investing in education at various levels and currently runs two universities in the country.
He commended the church for not only using its institutions to spread the gospel of Christianity but to groom future leaders for the country.
According to him, religion should not be just about defending one’s faith, but also making meaningful impact on the lives of the people.
He said that by floating these educational institutions, the church has demonstrated capacity to support Nigeria in the task of producing not only educated people but a breed of God-fearing leaders.
“Our country is where it is today because we lack the fear of God. If you have the fear of God, there should be a limit to what you can do because you understand the supremacy of God. But when God is not in your equation, you’ll go beyond the line and that is what has brought us to where we are today.
“So, I feel very happy that you are contributing to the development of our future leaders in this country. We need the right people being in the right place; prepared properly with good minds; that is what we need, not just in Nigeria but round the whole world.,” he said.
Governor Fubara further observed that the absence of God-fearing people in high places to take the right decisions that could impact positively on the society, has also given rise to other problems such as social inequality, poverty, corruption and criminality. According to him, Nigeria needs a system where the average parent could afford quality education for their children and a guarantee that upon graduation, the average child will have the capacity to compete favourably with anybody, anywhere in the world.
“If we have a situation where the little money that you’re being paid as wage can also afford you quality healthcare and after working at least for 15-20 years, you have a roof over your head, tell me why you should be involved in any kind of crime? At that point, you’ll feel secured and this attitude of insecurity about the future that leads to all the social vices we have today won’t be there,” he said.
Governor Fubara expressed appreciation to the delegation for the visit and for their prayers for Rivers State, assuring them of his continued support for their programmes in the state.
Leader of the delegation and World President of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Pastor Erton Kohler said he was in Nigeria for a special conference of the church during which thousands of the church’s ministers will be undergoing an empowerment programme to further equip them for the task of herding their flocks and serving the society.
He expressed gratitude to the Governor for the warm reception accorded his entourage, saying the memory of the visit will linger in his mind for a lifetime.
Kohler disclosed that the Church has over twenty -four million (24,000,000) members and more than 182,000 places of worship, spread across 212 countries of the world.
This reaffirms the lawmakers’ commitment to enacting laws and taking legislative actions geared towards the overall development of the State.
The Assembly gave the approval during its Second Legislative Sitting of the Fourth Session held last Friday.
Speaking on the MTEF document during plenary, the House Speaker, Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule, noted that by the provision of Section 10(1)(b) of the Rivers State Fiscal Responsibility Law No. 8 of 2010, the MTEF ought to have been laid before the House in September 2025.
Amaewhule explained that traditionally, the document is expected to be presented four months before the commencement of the next financial year and immediately after the expiration of every three-year fiscal cycle.
He, however, stated that in the interest of the State and its people, the House considered it necessary to deliberate on the document, describing it as a precursor to the 2026 Budget Estimates.
The Speaker expressed concern that the year had already progressed significantly before the presentation of the framework.
During deliberations on the document, members examined the assumptions and projections contained in the MTEF and observed that strict adherence to the outlined fiscal parameters would ultimately serve the interest of Rivers people.
The lawmakers maintained that effective implementation of the framework would promote prudent financial management and enhance developmental planning across the State.
Following the debate and positive consideration by members, the Speaker put the question to the House and members voted overwhelmingly in support of the approval of the MTEF.
Meanwhile, during the same sitting last Friday, the House also received a petition from the Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Council, Dr. Gift Worlu.
The petition was presented by the member representing Obio/Akpor Constituency II, Hon. Emilia Amadi.
According to the petition, concerns were raised over an imminent security breach, threats to lives, destruction of property and alleged forceful takeover of property by some lawless persons within parts of the Local Government Area.
Presenting the petition before the House, Hon. Amadi appealed to the lawmakers to revisit the matter and take necessary steps aimed at safeguarding lives and property in the affected communities.
The House is expected to further deliberate on the petition and consider measures to address the concerns raised in order to sustain peace and security in the area.
King Onunwor
Featured
JUNE 12: Democracy Remains Nigeria’s Strongest Path To Unity, Progress, Says Fubara ….Extols Abiola, Wife
Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has reaffirmed that democracy remains the most effective system of government for Nigeria, given the country’s rich diversity of ethnic, religious, and cultural identities.
In a goodwill message to Nigerians on the occasion of the 2026 Democracy Day celebration, Governor Fubara said June 12 represents far more than a historic date; as it embodies the enduring struggle, sacrifice, and collective aspiration of Nigerians for freedom, justice, and representative governance.
The Governor extended warm felicitations to Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora, paying tribute to the heroes and heroines of the democratic struggle, particularly Chief MKO Abiola, his wife, Kudirat Abiola, and countless others whose courage and sacrifices helped secure the democratic freedoms Nigerians enjoy today.
According to him, “June 12 is a reminder of the price paid for the democracy we enjoy today. The sacrifices made by Chief MKO Abiola, Kudirat Abiola, and many other patriots who laid the foundation for the democratic journey we continue to enjoy today. Their commitment to the principle that power must ultimately reside with the people remains a source of inspiration for every generation of Nigerians.”
Governor Fubara noted that thirty-three years after the historic June 12, 1993 election, Nigeria’s democratic experiment has continued to evolve despite challenges and setbacks.
“Our democratic journey has not been without difficulties, but the resilience of our institutions and the determination of our people have kept the nation moving forward. The ability to express differing opinions, engage in constructive debate, and peacefully choose leaders through the ballot remains one of the greatest achievements of our nation,” he said.
Governor Fubara stressed that democracy provides the best framework for managing Nigeria’s diversity and transforming it into a source of national strength.
“Nigeria’s diversity should never be seen as a weakness. Properly harnessed, it is our greatest asset. Democracy offers us the opportunity to build consensus, promote inclusion, strengthen national unity, and create the conditions for sustainable development and shared prosperity,” he said.
Governor Fubara commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his commitment to the Renewed Hope Agenda and ongoing efforts aimed at economic revitalization, strengthening security, and deepening democratic institutions across the country.
He reiterated the readiness of Rivers State to continue partnering with the Federal Government in advancing policies and programmes that improve the lives of citizens through infrastructure development, job creation, enhanced security, quality education, healthcare delivery, and good governance.
The Governor further called on Nigerians, regardless of political affiliation, ethnic background, or religious belief, to use the occasion of Democracy Day to renew their commitment to the Nigerian project and the ideals that underpin democratic governance.
“Democracy must not be viewed merely as a periodic electoral exercise. It must be reflected in our daily commitment to accountability, transparency, tolerance, justice, respect for the rule of law, and responsible leadership. As citizens and leaders, we all share a collective responsibility to strengthen our democracy and build a nation that future generations will be proud to inherit,” he said.
Governor Fubara expressed optimism about Nigeria’s future, urging citizens to remain united, hopeful, and committed to the values of peace, dialogue, and national development.
“Together, we can build a stronger, more inclusive, and more prosperous Nigeria where every citizen has the opportunity to thrive and contribute meaningfully to national progress,” he said.