Politics

PVC, Vote Buyers Commit Same Offence – Fubara … PDP Boss Assures On Ogoni/Andoni Unity Road Completion

Published

4 years ago

August 24, 2022

The Peoples Democratic Party’s, (PDP) gubernatorial candidate for the 2023 general elections in Rivers State, Amaopusenibo Siminialayi Fubara, has admonished the electorate not to give any information about their PVC to anyone.
The PDP standard bearer gave the admonition in his address at the Grassroots Development Initiative’s (GDI) Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) Collection Sensitization Rally that held at Mogho in Gokana Local Government Area.
AmaopuSenibo Fubara said very soon some persons would approach them with all sorts of empowerment packages in order to get their PVCs, but warned that under no circumstances should they compromise by giving them the PVC or information on the PVC.
“Some people will come and promise you empowerment. These are people who have not remembered you for these many years. Don’t give your PVC information to them. Safeguard your PVC.
“The person that will give you money for your PVC commits the same offence as the person that will give you money for vote. Please don’t fall for them for any reason “, he warned.
He thanked the people of Gokana for their support for the GDI,assuring that the support would not go unrewarded.
Describing the mammoth crowd that attended the occasion as ‘Gokana Earthquake’, the Chairman of the PDP in the state, Ambassador Desmond Akawor, said he decided to attend the rally at Gokana in order to visit his friends, especially those in Ward 16.
Ambassador Akawor, who is also the chairman of the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC), expressed gratitude to the GDI for what it is doing in enlightening the people of Rivers State on the need to collect their PVCs while thanking Gokana people for their impressive turnout.
In his own remarks, the Chief of Staff, Government House, Engr Emeka Woke, advised media houses to be objective in their reportage and avoid sensationalism.
He said he was at the event to confirm if GDI had no supporters in Gokana as was being speculated in the media but noted that the body still commands enormous support in the area.
He thanked the people of the area for believing in the administration of Governor Nyesom Wike, which has brought development to them.
The rally which attracted the creme de la creme of the Gokana political elite including Chief Kenneth Kobani, Dr Fred Kpakol, Chief /Mrs Priscillia Vikue, among others took place at Central State School field, Mogho.
The mammoth crowd at the rally from the 17 wards of Gohana was intimidating, an indication of the overwhelming support Gokana people have given to the Grassroots Development initiative, as confirmed by the stakeholders in their solidarity speeches.
The stakeholders assured GDI and, by extension the PDP, that their support remained is irrevocable.
High point of the event was a procession by the 17 wards in the local government area .
Meanwhile, the GDI PVC Collection Sensitization train landed in Andoni Local Government Area on Monday with the PDP Chairman, Ambassador Desmond Akawor assuring the people of the area that the Ogoni-Andoni Unity Road project remained a top priority project of the Wike led administration.
Ambassador Akawor who stated this while addressing the people of Andoni during the sensitization program held at State School, Asarama, said though the road is one of the most expensive projects, the present administration was determined to complete it.
While announcing that the contractor would soon move to site, IPAC Chairman in the state appealed for the cooperation of the people of the area so that the project could be completed as planned.
“The Ogoni-Andoni Unity road is one of the most expensive projects in Rivers State. The Governor has made commitment that the road must be completed. This is the desire of the Governor of Rivers state.
After the construction, Andoni will no longer be a riverine community, Andoni will become upland”, he said.

Politics

LP Crisis: Ex-NWC Member Dumps Dumps Abure Faction

Published

2 days ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

A former National Organising Secretary of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Clement Ojukwu, has expressed regret that the several legal cases brought against the party since the 2023 general elections have impacted the party’s performance.

Mr Ojukwu, who recently returned to the interim National Working Committee led by Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, noted that the party had 34 elected members in the House of Representatives, eight Senators, and 80 members at the state Houses of Assembly after the 2023 general elections.

“Now we lost all of them,” he said. “I don’t think we have as many as five members in the National Assembly.”

The former national officer of the LP talked to journalists in Abuja and said he chose to join the caretaker committee led by Senator Nenadi-Usman because they are now the officially recognized leaders of the Party.

“I chose to work with the caretaker committee to help save the Labour Party, for the benefit of the party. I also want to use this chance to ask my colleagues at the national, state, and local government levels to come together and help rebuild our party.

“Another election is around the corner. We lost everything we have. They have left to other political parties. So I’ll reach out to all my friends in the other group to get together and work on making this party stronger again.

“The caretaker committee has formed a reconciliation committee. Let’s come together and talk so that we can restore the first opposition political party in Nigeria.”

Mr Ojukwu, who was part of the Julius Abure’s group, said there are no more factions in the LP.

He added, “There is a court ruling, and since it is valid, the right people are in the correct positions.”

He urged Barr Abure and others to drop the legal cases they have filed because they are not helping the party.

“Litigations are killing political parties”, he said. “They’ve seen many political parties disappear because of legal battles, and the Labor Party is losing support every day, which makes me feel sad.”

Mr Ojukwu said he did not think joining the Senator Nenadi-Usman’s NWC was a betrayal of the Abure group, describing himself as “the oxygen” of that faction.

“I’m with this group because of the verdict. But I never betrayed anybody. Rather, I was betrayed,” he added.

Politics

2027: NIGERIANS FAULT INEC ON DIGITAL MEMBERSHIP REGISTER DIRECTIVE

Published

2 days ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

A number of Nigerians have strongly criticized the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its directive to all political parties in the country to submit digitalized membership register within 32 days.

It would be recalled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following it’s reversed timetable, directed all political parties in the country to submit their digitalized membership registers within 32 days.

Speaking on the reversed timetable in an interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt, respondents said the directive amounted to disqualifying opposition political parties from fielding candidates in all the elections next year.

They said if the directives by the commission is implemented, only the All Progressives Congress (APC) would participate in the elections since it started it’s digital membership registration since February, last year.

Responding, an elder statesman in Rivers State, Chief Sunnie Chukumele, said the revised timetable was okay, but the timeframe for submission of digital membership register was being made at the wrong time.

Chief Chukumele said, for the past two years, all opposition political parties have been battling various issues in court, adding that they did not have the time to embark on membership drive, talk less of digitalizing their membership registers.

“My reaction is that the only issue with this revised timetable is the timeframe given by INEC for parties to submit digitalize memberships register in all the states of the federation, while giving notice of Congresses and convention. That is not possible”, he said.

He said only the ruling APC is likely to meet up with the directive, since it began its registration since last year.

Chief Chukumele, who is also the National Coordinator of Coalition of Rivers State Leaders of Thought (CORSLOT), alleged that the directive of the electoral body may have been targeted to prevent other parties from fielding candidates for the elections next year.

“When you say all the parties should submit digitalized registers of membership in 32 days, how will that be possible to conclude it in 32 days”, he queried.

He noted that “APC used one year ago to do, so APC has one year in the kitty plus 30 days. This is highly regrettable”.

The CORSLOT national leader urged the election umpire to do away with stringent conditions that will make it hard for opposition political parties to field candidates in the elections.

Also speaking, Mr Jacob Enware from Edo State queried the rationale behind the directive, especially when some opposition political parties are still having cases in court.

In his words, ”What opposition political parties are you talking about, is Labour Party not in court or PDP that is yet to resolve their issues?

”For me, INEC should provide a level playing field for all, because aside the APC, no party can meet up this criteria.”

In his own response, Mr Nathaniel Ebere said he was not prepared to vote for anybody whether INEC provides a level playing field or not.

He alleged that his vote would not count, “so I will not waste my time”.

By: John Bibor

Politics

IT’S A LIE, G-5 GOVS DIDN’T WIN ELECTION FOR TINUBU – SOWUNMI

Published

2 days ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Convener of The Alternative, Otunba Segun Sowunmi, has expressed reservations about the political stance of Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, while calling for reconciliation among key party figures.

Otunba Sowunmi made the remarks during a television interview on Saturday, when asked about the relationship between Gov. Makinde and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike.

He said, “I don’t believe Seyi Makinde. Because I know them all. I’ve been in this party since it was registered. And I’ve been loyal, faithful, diligent with this party from the get-go, and I’ve never left.”

He underscored his longstanding commitment to the PDP, referencing prominent figures who had exited the party at different times: “I’ve had the grace, and the honor, and the dignity of watching even my father, Obasanjo, shed his card. As much as I love him, I didn’t leave the party”.

He added, “I’ve had the privilege of watching my beloved senior brother, Governor Gbenga Daniel, leave the party a few times. As much as I respect his vision and his ideas, I’ve never left. I’ve watched my former principal, Atiku Abubakar, leave a few times. I’ve never left.”

Otunba Sowunmi stressed that his comments were rooted in deep involvement with the party: “So when I talk about PDP, I’m not talking as an outsider, I’m talking as one of their totems, who was actually carrying them.”

He disclosed that he wrote to Makinde during the governor’s last birthday, urging reconciliation among a bloc of five governors who had formed a movement during the 2023 elections.

“At Governor Seyi Makinde’s last birthday, I wrote him a letter where I tried to say, look, you guys, the five of you, succeeded to the extent of creating a movement of your own”, he said.

He added, “And you fought very hard to make a point in the 2023 election. Although I don’t believe you won the election for the president, that’s a lie. They contributed, but I hate when people take the glory of other people’s work.”

Otunba Sowunmi warned that unresolved differences among the group could weaken the party: “You guys, you must go back to your four friends, your five friends, and you guys go and sort it out. Because not sorting it out with your five friends is going to leave the party worse off.”

He added, “But now that you’re fighting, or you’re not agreeing with yourselves, why don’t you go back to that same energy that allowed you to agree, so that you can use that energy inside to agree, and then we can lead the party.”