Politics

2023: Niger Delta Tables Demands Before Peter Obi

Published

3 years ago

December 24, 2022

…Says ‘Zone Will Play A Critical Role In Your Govt When You Win’

… Let’s together fix Nigeria – Obi

The leadership of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF has tabled the demand for true federalism among other things before the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi.

PANDEF made the demand at an interactive meeting held on Friday in Yenagoa when Obi visited Bayelsa State in continuation of his presidential campaign.

The group’s demand read to the Labour Party candidate which was signed by Senator Emmanuel Ibok Essien,

National Chairman and Dr Godknows B. Igali, Secretary, Board of Trustees, insisted that Obi shows commitment to a true federal structure if elected president of the country.

Senator Essien while presenting the region’s demands told Obi, “when you win you have to protect our interest because the Niger Delta is the region that produces over 80 per cent of the revenue of the country and we cannot be taken for granted. We are asking you to consider structural adjustment/devolution of power with more resources to the regions. This will help the regions to develop at their own pace and will help the country to grow.

“We also want you to look at the restructuring of NDDC, which was established to help the Niger Delta region. The policies, including regional master plan which were made have not been implemented. Also, projects like railway within the South South, referral hospitals, agricultural value chain plants, the East- West road which for over 20 years has not been completed.

“The immediate reactivation of all sea ports in the South South and creation of new ports to encourage movement of goods and services from the South South through the South East and North Central to the North East.

“This will also boost economic and employment opportunities for our young people.

“Relocation of the Headquarters of International Oil Companies, IOCs, to their areas of operation in Niger Delta.

“Supporting the setting up of modular refineries to promote employment opportunities, check security challenges in the Niger Delta and supplement local production of refined products.

“Completion of the Gas Mega City in Delta State, the Brass Fertilizer Complex in Bayelsa State, and the reactivation of ALSCON Aluminum Smelter Plant in Akwa Ibom State as well as formation of Coast Guards under the supervision of the Nigerian Navy to bolster Maritime Security.

“The I6-Point Agenda – we presented the 16-Point Demand to the present administration on 1st November 2016. We will provide copies to you and your team for your perusal and finally, we like to place on record, the desire of the South-South Zone to play a critical role in the success of your government, when you win as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Your Excellency, the South-South Geopolitical Zone hereby requests for strategic position in government.”

Responding, the Labour Party Presidential candidate promised to harken to the cry of the people of the Niger Delta.

He said: “We (the Nigerian state) have been very unfair to the Niger Delta. It is unacceptable the way the region has been treated considering their contributions to Nigeria.

“We run a country that is not productive, a country that has been churning out poverty to everybody. There is no excuse for the non-completion of the East-West road. The list is endless of what is happening in the Niger Delta.”

He decried the situation where Nigeria depend mainly on the crude oil from the Niger Delta instead of harnessing the country’s rich agricultural potential, citing countries like Malaysia whose economy is driven by palm oil.

“We have land but we cannot feed ourselves because we are sharing the money from the Niger Delta and this breeds poverty.

“We cannot continue this way, we want to remove that sharing formula with the production formula, everybody must produce something.

“We want to secure and unite Nigeria, we want to be able to ensure rule of law, and ensure an equitable and just country. We can’t have this without proper devolution of power. There is no reason we cannot have state police to secure our people. There is no reason we cannot have local government police. We need to secure ourselves.

“We want to move the country from consumption to production. We will start by ensuring those who are producing today are taken care of and we assure the Niger Delta of our commitment.”

Whatever is wrong with Nigeria, we’ll fix it

Before this, Obi had assured Nigerians that whatever was wrong with the country he and Ahmed Datti possess the mental and physical capacity to fix it.

Obi stated this at the Ox-bow Lake Pavilion, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State during the Labour Party LP, Presidential campaign rally on Friday.

Obi, who had earlier had a town hall meeting with students, an interactive meeting with the Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, and met with monarchs at the state council of traditional rulers lamented that Bayelsa State and the Niger Delta have not gotten a fair share from the Federal Government despite contributing about 80 per cent to the national coffers through crude oil.

His words: “Let me assure you, whatever is wrong with this family (country) we will fix it. Anything that I am involved in must be based on justice, fairness, and goodness for Nigeria.

“Let me assure the people of Bayelsa State, Nigeria has not treated you well, when you were under flood, Nigeria did not care, I was the first person that stopped our rally to visit Bayelsa because Bayelsa was under water. We will ensure that Bayelsa gets its fair share of what they have given to Nigeria.

“All the other parties have made promises to Bayelsa State in the past but did not fulfil it. We are not going to do that, Bayelsa State deserves more than what it is getting today from Nigeria, and I am going to give it to them. Bayelsa must have roads and the best because this is where Nigeria found its first crude oil in commercial quantity.

“Everywhere there is environmental pollution, I will clean it up, Bayelsa will be able to fish and eat fish from their rivers again. Most importantly we are going to dredge Rivers Niger and Benue to stop this flooding to Bayelsa.”

He also pledged to take Nigeria from a consuming country to a production country adding that women and youths will have sensitive positions in his administration.

“This job requires people who are competent, it requires physical and mental, go and check I and Datti’s energy and age, a new Nigeria is possible, Nigeria where people will have jobs is possible, a Nigeria that will compete in the world is possible.”

He also bemoaned the incessant strike in the nation university system promising to end the menace if elected as president.

He said: “We will ensure there is no strike again in our universities, four years will be four years, five years will be five years, I and Datti will secure Nigeria, we will make sure there is rule of law in Nigeria, police will not harass anyone on the road, police will not stop students from carrying their laptops again.

“This is time for Nigerian youths to take up their government, we want to build a Nigeria that Nigerians will be proud to say they are Nigerians, we will support our youths to be very productive.”

Earlier at an interactive meeting, the Pan Niger Delta Forum had tabled the demand for federalism before the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi.

Led by the group’s national chairman, Senator Emmanuel Ebok-Essien, Pandef insisted that he must be committed to a true federal structure if elected the president.

The group also stressed the need to consider the East-West road which for over 20years had not been completed as well as reactivation of existing sea ports and also creation of some sea ports in the region so as to boost the economy and employment opportunities for the youths.

VANGUARD

Politics

2027: NDC Unveils Electoral Committee Members For Primaries

Published

3 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

The Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, has released list of Electoral Committee Members to Conduct primary election.

The exercise is for State House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate, Governorship and Presidential Primaries across all States in Nigeria and the FCT.

This was contained in a statement posted on its verified X handle on Thursday.

The party had provided updates concerning its upcoming Presidential, National Assembly, Governorship, and State Assembly primaries.

According to the party’s National Chairman, Moses Cleopas,
and Barr. Ikenna Alex-Morgan Enekweizu, National Secretary, the primaries are confirmed to take place across the nation on May 29, 2026, adhering to the previously established timetable of May 28 and 29.

Politics

APC: Fubara Has Been Treated Badly, It’s Dangerous For Tinubu – Otubanjo

Published

4 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

The director of research at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Femi Otubanjo, has said the treatment of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, in the just concluded All Progressives Congress’, APC, primary poses political danger to President Bola Tinubu.

Otubanjo stated this on Thursday while speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show, where he also criticised the role being played by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, in the political affairs of Rivers State and the All Progressives Congress.

According to him, the handling of Fubara’s political crisis remains one of the most surprising developments in Nigeria’s political landscape.

Otubanjo further argued that Wike, who is not a member of the APC, appears to be dictating political activities within the ruling party in Rivers State.The research director warned that the current political arrangement in Rivers State could negatively affect Tinubu politically, insisting that Wike was pursuing his personal agenda rather than that of the president.

He said: “The treatment of Fubara must be one of the American wonders of Nigerian politics. Fubara has been badly treated. We have a situation in which Nyesom Wike who is not even in the APC is taking the primary decision in the APC. I hope the tactical team of President Bola Tinubu is not sleeping.

“The reality is that what they have done is very dangerous for Tinubu. What has emerged in Rivers today is that Wike is pursuing his own agenda, not Tinubu’s agenda inspite of PBAT and all of that combination.”

“If Wike really wants to pursue Tinubu’s agenda, he must retain Fubara.”

Politics

In Defence Of Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe: The Generational Shift Reshaping Edo Politics

Published

23 hours ago

May 27, 2026

Editor

By DAN Osa-Ogbegie

For decades, Edo politics remained trapped within a narrow and predictable cycle of political recycling. The same ageing actors moved endlessly from one office to another, from one administration to the next, and from one political alignment to another, as though leadership in Edo State had become the exclusive inheritance of a permanent political aristocracy.

Meanwhile, thousands of intelligent, energetic, and capable young Edo people watched helplessly from the margins while opportunities for leadership, governance, party administration, and public service remained tightly controlled by individuals whose political relevance dated back several decades.

That unhealthy political culture is now gradually changing.

Today, one of the most important political transformations taking place within the All Progressives Congress in Edo State is the deliberate transition from recycled political gerontocracy to a younger generation of political actors. That transition is unfolding under the leadership of Senator Monday Okpebholo, Governor of Edo State and Leader of the APC in Edo State, together with the State Chairman of the party, Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe.

Predictably, such a shift has unsettled entrenched interests.

Those who became accustomed to monopolising political relevance naturally feel threatened by the emergence of a younger generation that is increasingly assertive, visible, influential, and institutionally empowered. Yet, history teaches a simple lesson: no political structure survives indefinitely without renewal.

No serious political party can continue recycling the same exhausted political machinery forever while expecting innovation, grassroots energy, modern governance ideas, and long-term political sustainability.

That reality appears to be clearly understood by Governor Monday Okpebholo and Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe.

Much of the criticism unfairly directed at Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe in recent times stems from the fact that he has become one of the visible faces of this generational transition within Edo APC. Beneath the noise, propaganda, and political bitterness lies an undeniable truth: the party is consciously opening spaces for younger people in ways not seen for many years.

From the youthful Deputy Chairman of APC in Edo State, Sylvester Aigboboh, to several younger commissioners, Special Advisers, members of the State Executive Council, board chairmen, local government administrators, and strategic appointees across government, the evidence of deliberate political renewal is becoming increasingly impossible to ignore.

In Uhunmwode Local Government Area, Hon. Austin Imafidon has emerged as one of the young faces of focused governance and grassroots administration. Beyond politics, he has already established himself successfully in business, bringing into governance the mindset of productivity, enterprise, and modern administrative engagement.

In Etsako, Hon. Sunny Ekpeson has continued to attract national attention as the youngest ALGON Chairman in Nigeria, representing a clear departure from the era where local government leadership was treated as the permanent preserve of ageing political operators disconnected from younger demographics.

In Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area, Hon. Eric Osawaru represents another example of the younger political generation now entrusted with leadership responsibilities, while in Oredo Local Government Area, Engr. Gabriel Iduseri equally reflects the growing confidence being reposed in younger administrators within the APC structure.

In Owan, Hon. Aitalegbe Ernest, popularly known as “China Boy,” has also emerged as one of the prominent young political figures gaining traction as the incoming Chairman of the local government, further reinforcing the expanding generational transition currently taking shape across Edo State.

The same pattern is visible across government institutions and strategic agencies.

Pastor Stanley Dave Ighodaro, a successful entrepreneur with thriving business interests in Europe, now heads the Edo State Parks and Gardens Agency. His emergence reflects an increasingly important shift towards bringing professionally exposed and globally minded younger individuals into governance and public administration.

Similarly, Kassim Otono, who serves as Special Adviser on Oil and Gas to the Executive Governor of Edo State, represents another example of younger technocratic involvement within the present administration. His inclusion within such a strategic sector underscores the growing confidence being placed in younger professionals and politically aware technocrats within government.

This is how enduring institutions are built.

A political party that refuses to regenerate itself eventually becomes intellectually stagnant, structurally weak, and electorally disconnected from evolving social realities.

Governor Monday Okpebholo deserves commendation for recognising that governance in a rapidly changing society cannot remain permanently tied to political methods and leadership assumptions developed several decades ago. Contemporary governance demands adaptability, technological awareness, stronger grassroots engagement, administrative energy, and a deeper connection with younger populations.

Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe equally deserves credit for helping stabilise the party while managing this difficult but necessary transition process. Generational shifts are never easy within political systems historically dominated by established interests. Resistance is inevitable. Political resentment is expected. Internal anxieties naturally emerge whenever old monopolies begin to weaken.

Leadership, however, requires courage.

The recently concluded primaries further revealed this evolving direction within the APC. The emergence of candidates such as Rt. Hon. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, Osazee Igbinovia, Dr. Emmanuel Paddy Iyamu, Omosede Igbinedion, Sir Lucky Eseigbe, and Odianosen Okojie reflects a growing political philosophy that increasingly values capacity, grassroots relevance, contemporary appeal, and generational continuity.

Equally symbolic is the emergence of several young Acting Local Government Council Chairmen who are now candidates of the party in the forthcoming local government elections. That development sends a powerful message across Edo State that political participation is gradually becoming more accessible to younger people with competence, commitment, and organisational value.

For too long, many young people in Edo politics were reduced to political spectators, social media defenders, praise singers, or election-day foot soldiers while actual power remained tightly guarded elsewhere. Such a model was never sustainable.

A society that continuously sidelines its younger generation ultimately weakens its own political future.

The ongoing transition within Edo APC does not amount to hostility towards elders or experienced political actors. Experience remains valuable. Elder statesmen still possess institutional memory and political wisdom that younger actors can benefit from immensely. Mentorship, however, must never become political suffocation. Guidance must never evolve into permanent political domination.

Every generation deserves the opportunity to participate meaningfully in shaping the future it will eventually inherit.

That is precisely why the current direction of the APC leadership in Edo State deserves objective acknowledgement rather than emotional hostility.

Many of those attacking Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe today are not truly angry about party administration. Their deeper discomfort arises from the reality that political influence is gradually shifting away from old centres of control towards a newer generation of actors who may no longer depend entirely on traditional political gatekeepers for relevance or survival.

Societies evolve.

Political cultures evolve.

Leadership itself evolves.

No generation owns political power forever.

Ultimately, the future of Edo State cannot be built exclusively around recycled political veterans whose greatest political moments belong largely to the past. A forward-looking society must continuously create room for younger leadership, newer ideas, fresh administrative energy, and modern political thinking.

That future is already unfolding within the APC in Edo State.

History may eventually remember Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe and Governor Monday Okpebholo as central figures in the difficult but necessary political transition that began moving Edo away from recycled political dominance towards a broader and younger leadership culture capable of preparing the state for a different era.

Daniel Aroren Noah Osa-Ogbegie is a Benin based legal practitioner and public intellectual from Uhunmwode Local Government Area.