Politics
Rivers Governorship: The Imperative Of Fubara And Odu
The momentum is indeed building up as Ni-gerians braise themselves up to go to the polls to elect a new president and another set of National Assembly members on Saturday, February 25, 2023.
On Saturday, March 11, 2023, it will be the turn of the states to elect new governors (except for Edo, Ekiti, Anambra, Imo, Kogi and Osun States) and another league of state legislators who will take over from the present set of political leaders.
In Rivers State, there is a pervasive atmosphere of excitement about the Consolidation Team put together by His Excellency, Governor, Chief Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, CON, GSSRS, POS (Africa), Life Bencher and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with Sir Sim Fubara as the Governorship Candidate, his Deputy leading the pack of other State and National Assembly flag bearers, who I simply refer to as the ‘Winning Team’ in the elections.
It is an incontrovertible fact known to everyone, including nay sayers as well, that Rivers State has remained the strong hold of the PDP since the inception of the present democratic administration in 1999. This position has since been further solidified by the excellent performance of the present administration in the past eight years in the areas of infrastructural development, education, healthcare, provision of social amenities and welfare services .
In obvious demonstration of his intentions for the welfare and wellbeing of the state, Governor Wike has presented a credible personality who can build on his unbeatable developmental foundation in these areas mentioned above, to take over the baton of leadership for the post of gov-ernor in Rivers State.
The personality so identified happens to be a God-fearing son of the soil from the great Opobo Kingdom of Riverine Ijaw, Amaopusenibo, Sir Siminialayi Fubara (KSC) aka Sir SIM, a tried, tested and proven career civil servant with excellent track record of performance, who handled the very sensi-tive position of Accountant General of the State, with Prof. Ngozi Odu, his Deputy, herself a well known educationist and administrator par excellence, to continue his good works.
Against the backdrop of the fact that government is a continuum, it is not out of place that these former public office holders who had been tried and tested as Accountant General of Rivers State and former Education Commissioner are eminently capable to consolidate and build on the already laid foundation by the NEW Rivers Vision, the brainchild of His Excellency, Governor Nyesom Wike.
Sir Sim Fubara and Prof. Odu’s consolidation team of the PDP in Rivers State is seen by political pundits as most preferred to win the governorship election on March 11th because unlike contenders from other parties, the duo have been identified as youths who, in the midst of the resonating clamour for continuity of the present administration’s enviable record of superlative performance, understand the dreams and aspirations of Rivers people, and therefore capable of articulating their agenda, their expectations and able to deliver on the demands within the Nigerian construct.
They are also from Senatorial Districts that have not produced a Governor or Deputy respectively in the Rivers project since the beginning of this political dispensation. Therefore, for purposes of political equilibrium in governance of Rivers State, leaders of thought find it apt to allow the senatorial Districts to produce the Governor and Deputy in the next dispensation.
The duo of Sir Fubara and Prof. Odu are personalities who are described by political observers in their different Opobo/Nkoro and Ogba /Egbema /Ndoni local government area respectively, and the State in general, as those who can deliver on their campaign promises because they have the fear of God and great respect for party elders, members and leaders in the 23 local government areas.
Rivers people have no reason, therefore, to look elsewhere, at this point in time, for any other political tag team because Sir Sim and Prof. Odu remain the best choice for the governorship of our state.
Political observers have studied the personal profiles and pedigree of all the contenders aspiring for the governorship position of all the political parties and decided to be more pungent and make direct appeal that the state needs the best represen-tatives for continuity and development and not politics of party lines.
So, the 2023 elections in Rivers State should not be seen as any aspirant’s personal War. It is a battle for Rivers people to get the best representatives for the state to continue to enjoy the dividends of Democracy which the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has so far done with Sir Sim Fubara and Prof. Odu as the surest bet.
It is my ernest belief that Rivers people will throw their weight behind this ticket and deliver it come 11th March with ease.
Of a truth, no politician wins any election than one on ground, who the people describe as nice and close to their hearts .This is what Sir Sim and Prof. Odu mean to many, politicians well respected by their constituents and as strategists, they will certainly become the bridge of common interest between Rivers people and others across diverse local and state matters in office as Governor and Deputy.
Over the years, Sir Fubara and Deputy have been identified as personalities who see leadership as service to the people and not to enrich themselves, a fact this writer corroborates with their associates.
Sir Fubara and Prof. Odu are avowed grassroots mobilisers who are described as loyal, focused and highly committed personalities to any cause they believe in. They tenaciously hold the belief that leaders should be servants who are accountable to the people and should strive relentlessly to put smiles on the faces of those they lead at all times.
They are motivators and role models of the people, using their resources and wealth of experience as public servants to employ, build capacity, provide life line equipment etc, to the youth, orphans, the physically challenged, women, widows, widowers, traditional, religious organisations etc, in their local government areas and beyond, even as public servants. They possess the qualities to lead with ideas that are capable of fighting against any identifiable reasons for the people’s political set back in the years ahead .
Many political observers have also identified the duo of Sir Fubara and Prof. Odu as people whose courage and convictions, combined with ruthless grasp of local politics, have endowed them with some level of political relevance to deliver to Rivers people with dividends of democracy as they represent the state as governor and deputy.
It is also on record, that nobody who comes close to these public servants turned politicians, even at first sight, can ignore their intelligence, magnanimity and philanthropic gestures, no matter their political affiliations.
While their political associates see them as grassroots mobilisers and ambitious personalities who have studied in diligence to better the lot of people as well as generational anchors endowed with divine humility and blessings, others see them as the much needed ones who can advance Rivers people to the next level developmentally without being hampered.
On the whole, the duo are visionary leaders that stand out tall in our time. Congratulations to His Excellency and Deputy, by God’s grace come May 29th 2023. May God Almighty protect them continually and give them wisdom of King Solomon in the years ahead in Jesus Mighty name. Amen.
By: Odinaka Osundu
Osundu, a public affairs commentator, writes from Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
Politics
Reps Constitution Review Committee Holds Zonal Hearing For Rivers, C’River, Akwa Ibom In Calabar

A press statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Cross River State Governor, Mr Linus Obogo, disclosed that the Calabar Centre — designated as Centre B — will host representatives and stakeholders from Cross River, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom States.
The public hearing is scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 19, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at the Transcorp (Metropolitan) Hotel, Calabar.
The initiative, according to the statement, is designed to promote inclusive dialogue and capture the aspirations of Nigerians from all regions.
It aims to serve as a platform for citizens to contribute meaningfully to the ongoing national efforts to refine and strengthen the country’s legal and institutional frameworks.
“Citizens, civil society groups, professional bodies, traditional rulers, and other interest blocs are invited to participate in this landmark engagement aimed at advancing a more just, equitable, and responsive Nigerian Constitution,” the statement read.
The hearing forms part of the broader review process of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), and is seen as a strategic move toward fostering national unity and addressing structural legal issues within the federation.
Politics
Tinubu’s Contribution To Buhari’s Presidency Marginal – Ex-SGF

For the first time since 2022, when then-presidential aspirant Alhaji Bola Tinubu declared he made former President Buhari Nigeria’s President in 2015, Mr Mustapha dismissed the claims, stressing that the merger only contributed about three million votes in addition to Buhari’s existing 12 million votes in the North.
He insisted that former President Buhari’s integrity, national stature, and disciplined messaging were central to the breakthrough, not the three million votes from the merging parties, which he described as insignificant.
Speaking on the role of the merging parties, particularly President Tinubu, the leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Mr Mustapha, who was the keynote speaker at the launch of the book ‘According to the President: Lessons from a Presidential Spokesman’s Experience’ authored by Mallam Garba Shehu, described the impact of the votes from other merging parties as very insignificant.
In attendance were former Head of State Yakubu Gowon, chair of the event; immediate past Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; SGF George Akume, who represented President Tinubu; PDP’s 2023 presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar; former Chief of Staff to Buhari Ibrahim Gambari; elder statesman Babagana Kingibe; former governors Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Chris Ngige (Anambra), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Raji Babatunde Fashola (Lagos); former ministers Solomon Dalung and Sunday Dare; former Army Chief Tukur Buratai, and Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu’s spokesman, among others.
According to Mr Mustapha, “I do not intend to stir up any controversy. The merger in 2013 was midwifed to create a Buhari presidency. Let us look at the statistics. In the 2003 election, it was the Obasanjo-Buhari presidential contest where Buhari recorded 12.7 million votes. In 2007, it came to 6.6 million, and it went back to 12.2 million in 2011.
“When we were conceptualising the merger, what would give us a headstart? Obviously, it was at the back of our consciousness that the merger with the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), though it had only one state, the ACN had six states, ANPP three states, and when you sum up the total votes that we had as the presidency in 2015, the aggregate of the total votes was 15.4 million.
“So, basically, what we brought to the table after the merger outside the Buhari 12.5 million votes was three million. Before turning to that presidency, it is important to recognise the former President’s role in reshaping Nigeria’s political trajectory.
“In early 2013, as the leader of the CPC, Buhari formally requested and supported the creation of a CPC merger committee, part of a broader coalition-building process that brought together the ACN, ANPP, APGA faction, and elements of the ruling party through the breakaway ‘new PDP’ group. His endorsement and participation, along with other party leaders such as President Tinubu and Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, lent credibility and direction to the merger, helping to unify disparate party factions under the banner of the APC. That coalition-building paved the way for the first democratic defeat of an incumbent ruling party in Nigeria’s history.
“President Buhari’s integrity, national stature, and disciplined messaging were central to that breakthrough. No account of President Buhari’s tenure would be complete without acknowledging the extended periods he spent on medical leave. These moments, while politically delicate, were also telling of his leadership philosophy and personality,” he said.
In his remarks, President Tinubu promised to build on the legacies of former President Buhari, stressing that “nation-building is a relay. The efforts of one administration lay the foundation for the next.
“In this regard, I acknowledge the efforts of my predecessor, President Buhari, and assure all Nigerians that the reform-oriented path he initiated will be consolidated and strengthened under this administration. Our Renewed Hope Agenda is inspired by the desire to build a resilient, just, and inclusive Nigeria—a nation that delivers dividends of democracy to all its citizens”.
Politics
Your Lies Chasing Investors From Nigeria, Omokri Slams Obi
Speaking during an appearance on live television on Wednesday, Mr Omokri alleged that Mr Obi’s statements were misleading and damaging to the country’s economic prospects.
Mr Omokri said some investors currently operating in Nigeria were considering exiting the market due to Mr Obi’s remarks.
“That is not true. He doesn’t rile me up. I rile him up. The reason why I came here is because I’m a patriot. Peter Obi lied. You know, foreign direct investors are watching your programme, who are making investment decisions not to come to Nigeria. There are foreign investors in Nigeria that are making investment decisions to leave Nigeria because of the lie he told.
“One of the lies he told is that President Tinubu has borrowed more than the administrations of Yar’Adua, Jonathan, Buhari. That is a blatant lie”, Mr Omokri said.
To buttress his claims, Mr Omokri referenced figures from the Debt Management Office (DMO), maintaining that President Tinubu had actually reduced Nigeria’s external debt burden since assuming office.
“I have here with me data from the Debt Management Office, and Nigerians who are watching can go to DMO.com and search Debt Management Office, Nigeria State of Indebtedness 2015.
“As of 2015, Nigeria was owing a total of $63 billion. When Buhari was leaving office, Nigeria was owing $113 billion. Today, from the DMO, our debt has gone from $113 billion to $97 billion, meaning that Tinubu has reduced our debt by over $14 billion.
“We should be appreciating this man. Yet Peter Obi came here and lied to the Nigerian people. He took the debts and translated them into naira to make it look like the debts have increased”, he said.
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