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2023 Presidency: Rivers PDP Reveals Amaechi’s Preferred Candidate

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The Peoples Democratic Party Campaign Council in Rivers State has alleged that a former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, is working secretly for the presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar.

This is as the state PDP campaign council said it had identified Amaechi as a member of the “wicked cabal” punishing Nigerians with the current fuel and naira scarcity.

The Director of Publicity and Communications, Rivers State PDP-CC, Chief Ogbonna Nwuke, stated this in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Monday.

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Nwuke challenged Amaechi, a former Governor of Rivers State, to deny that he was not part of those making life unbearable and a nightmare for citizens.

He further alleged that Amaechi recently reconciled with members of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council in the state and has since been working secretly and holding meetings with Atiku and others in the cabal.

READ ALSO:Zoning: Wike Speaks On Alleged Plan To Join APC, Working For Tinubu

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The statement partly read, “Nigerians have been forced to go through the eye of the needle in search of money with which to meet their daily needs and feed their families.

“Unknown to most Nigerians, the vicious cabal that has made it a duty to inflict pain and suffering on the rest of us has done so deliberately in order to influence the outcome of the forthcoming elections.

“As a political party, we have gathered credible intelligence which supports the view that the leader of the APC, Rt. Hon Rotimi Amaechi, is a member of the cabal that has caused the naira crisis as well as the fuel scarcity and brought untold hardships on ordinary Rivers people and other Nigerians.

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“Only recently, he reconciled with members of the presidential campaign council in Rivers State as part of the carefully woven plot. We equally know for certain that he has been holding secret meetings with the PDP presidential candidate.”

Continuing, Nwuke said, “We challenge the former Minister of Transportation to deny this fact. Let him deny that he is one of those that are working with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar at this time to undermine the genuine aspiration of the people of southern Nigeria.”

He dismissed claims made by the APC governorship candidate, Tonye Cole, that Governor Nyesom Wike was making moves to join his party through the back door.

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READ ALSO: Buhari To Brief Successor On Nigeria-Comoros Relationship

He said the comment attributed to Cole had portrayed him as a political neophyte, saying if Wike had such plan, he would dished the PDP a long time ago.

“The governor has maintained a principled position that he will not leave a party that he helped to build. The stance of Governor Nyesom Wike since the crisis erupted in the party at the national level is well known.

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“He has publicly maintained a principled position that he will not leave a party that he helped to build. That position has not changed.

Thugs disrupt Rivers APC rally, destroy vehicles, canopies
Wike has insisted that he and members of the G5 would remain in the PDP in order to ensure that the tenets which made the party a destination of choice are not destroyed by power mongers and selfish politicians who have little faith in the unity and stability of Nigeria.”

The statement stressed that Wike was “going nowhere” and had “no plan today, tomorrow or in the near future” to defect from the PDP to the APC “through the front or back door.”

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“Given his rabid comments,” the statement continued, “Cole has demonstrated a poor understanding of how politics works. This explains why many in the state, including politicians, think that he is an outsider.

“We believe that the APC candidate is a poor judge of circumstances, permanent interests and intervening variables in the polity which shape the present as well as the future of states and nation-states.

“From all indications, candidates of the Rivers PDP are poised to win on February 25th and again on March 11, 2023. And Rivers people who support our great party and its leadership are working tirelessly to ensure that victory is won.

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“We see his comments pertaining to Governor Wike as the product of a political neophyte whose intentions as a Southerner bear huge question marks.”

But in a swift reaction, the Amaechi-led APC in the state described the PDP and Governor Wike as “confused and clueless”.

READ ALSO: Presidential Election: Apostle Suleman Reveals Choice Candidate

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The state APC Publicity Secretary, Darlington Nwauju, pointed out that all their allegations against Amaechi had collapsed like a pack of cards.

Nwauju stated, “Nigerians can now see through the web of lies, evil machinations and sophistry of the clueless PDP administration in Rivers State as the continuous campaigns of calumny against former Governor Amaechi keep falling like a pack of cards.

“Not too long ago, Governor Wike who is the leader of the faction of PDP in Rivers State that authored these false claims, was seen on live television boasting that the former transportation minister no longer has access to Aso Rock Villa.

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“Today, the same faction of the PDP shamelessly names the former Governor as a member of the cabal.

“Should we take such persons seriously? Nigerians can easily see through these tantrums as claptraps by failed politicians who have made wrong political permutations and are now struggling to point fingers.

“Even the author of the statement does not believe in what he signed off.”

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N’Assembly committee Approves New State For S’East

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The Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Constitution Review has approved the creation of an additional state in the South-East geo-political zone.

According to a statement by the media unit of the committee, the resolution was reached on Saturday at a two-day retreat in Lagos, where it reviewed 55 proposals for state creation across the country.

The session, chaired by the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, and co-chaired by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, resolved that, in the spirit of fairness and equity, the Federal Government should create another state for the region.

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READ ALSO:Nigerian Troops Rescue 17 Kidnap Victims, Including Four Chinese Nationals

Kalu, who joined other lawmakers to champion additional state creation for the region, argued that a new state would give the people a sense of belonging.

When created, the South-East will be at par with the South-South, South-West, North-Central, and North-East zones, each having six states.

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The South-East is the only geo-political zone with five states comprising Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo.

READ ALSO:American Pilot Kidnapped In Niger Republic – Report

The North-West comprises seven states: Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, and Jigawa.

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According to the statement, Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) moved a motion for the creation of the new state, which was seconded by Ibrahim Isiaka (Ifo/Ewekoro, Ogun State) at the retreat.

“The motion received the unanimous support of committee members and was adopted,” the statement read in part

READ ALSO:Reps Move To Regulate Cryptocurrency, POS Operations

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Similarly, the committee also established a sub-committee to consider the creation of additional states and local government areas across all six geo-political zones, noting that a total of 278 proposals were submitted for review.

Speaking at the event, Jibrin urged members to rally support among their colleagues at the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly to ensure the resolutions sail through during voting.

We need to strengthen what we have started so that all parts of the country will key into this process.

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“By the time we get to the actual voting, we should already have the buy-in of all stakeholders—from both chambers and the state Houses of Assembly,” the Deputy Senate President was quoted as saying.

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PDP Unveils 13-member Screening Panel For National Convention

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According to a statement issued on October 25, 2025, by the National Convention Organising Committee (NCOC) and signed by its Chairman, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, who is also the Governor of Adamawa State, the screening exercise will take place on Tuesday, October 28, 2025.

The committee will be chaired by Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), a former Ondo State governorship candidate and respected legal luminary.

He will be assisted by Hon. Mohammed L.S. Diri (SAN) as Deputy Chairman, while Mr. Asue Ighodalo, Esq., will serve as Secretary. Jacob Otorkpa was named Deputy Secretary.

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READ ALSO:Jonathan’s Ex-aide Dumps PDP For APC

Other members of the committee include: Emmanuel Enoidem (SAN), Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Chief Mrs. Aduke Maina, Iyom Josephine Anenih, Achike Udenwa, Haj. Maryam Inna Ciroma, HM. Felix Hassan Hyat, HM. Zainab Maina, and Chinedu Nwachukwu, who will also serve as Administrative Secretary.

The statement noted that the selection reflected the PDP’s commitment to transparency, integrity, and internal democracy in the build-up to its national convention.

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The NCOC notes and expects that the exemplary conduct and strict adherence to rules and regulations during this very crucial assignment will justify the confidence reposed by the Party in members of the Committee,” the statement read.

READ ALSO:BREAKING: PDP Dismisses Anyanwu’s Forgery Claim, Says He Signed Convention Letters

Fintiri assured party members that the screening process will be conducted with the highest standards of fairness and impartiality, underscoring the PDP’s resolve to strengthen its democratic institutions ahead of the 2027 general elections.

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“This exercise is crucial in ensuring that only credible, competent, and loyal members emerge to steer the affairs of our great party,” Fintiri stated.

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Why I Refused To Endorse El-Rufai As My Successor — Obasanjo

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Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed how he turned down a suggestion to endorse former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, as his successor.

Speaking on Friday in Abeokuta, Ogun State, during the second edition of the annual Ajibosin Platform symposium themed “Importance of Leadership in Governance”, Obasanjo disclosed that former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, had recommended El-Rufai for the presidency, but he rejected the idea.

Chidoka, who delivered the keynote address at the event, had earlier narrated how El-Rufai introduced him to Obasanjo at the age of 34, an encounter that led to his appointment as the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

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Addressing the audience, Obasanjo took a playful jab at Chidoka for leaving out the El-Rufai story.

“Let him tell you. He didn’t mention that. He was pushing when I was leaving government that his friend, El-Rufai, should be brought in as my successor,” Obasanjo said.

READ ALSO:Four Miners Feared Dead, Others Trapped As Illegal Mining Site Collapses In Plateau

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Turning to Chidoka, who was seated among the panelists, he asked, “No be so (Is that not true)?” The former minister nodded in agreement.

Obasanjo explained that he dismissed the suggestion because he believed El-Rufai still needed time to grow politically.

“I did not yield to the pressure. Later, he said, ‘I suggested this person, why didn’t you agree?’ I said El-Rufai needs to mature. You remember?

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“When I left government and, many years later, he saw the performances of El-Rufai, he came back to me and said, ‘You’re absolutely correct. El-Rufai needed to mature.’”

The former president, however, commended Chidoka, El-Rufai, and other former aides for their “special attributes,” which he said contributed to the success of his administration.

READ ALSO:Nigeria Not Difficult To Govern If… – Obasanjo

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Speaking further on leadership, Obasanjo emphasised character, exposure, experience, and training as essential qualities of effective governance.

Obasanjo said, “It’s only in politics that I found out there is no training for leadership. Even among armed robbers, I was told there is apprenticeship.

“But it’s only in politics that there is no training in leadership. That’s not good enough.”

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El-Rufai served under Obasanjo’s administration as the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) before becoming the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) between 2003 and 2007. When Obasanjo was leaving office in 2007, he instead backed the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua as his preferred successor.

In his address, Chidoka blamed Nigeria’s development setbacks on excuses and what he described as the politics of alibi.

READ ALSO:Provide Evidence Of My Third Term Ambition’, Obasanjo Challenges Nigerians

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“Leadership finds its true measure not in speeches or charisma but in the systems it leaves behind.

“Moral conviction must translate into the everyday machinery of governance—rules, routines, and institutions that make competence predictable and corruption difficult.

“Nigeria’s problem has never been a shortage of ideas; it is the absence of systems strong enough to outlive their authors,” he said.

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He urged leaders to prioritise accountability and measurable results.

“We must therefore make leadership accountable not to rhetoric but to results: measure by building national dashboards and accountability systems that track every promise, every budget, every outcome. Monitor by strengthening the institutions that evaluate government performance and expose complacency,” he said.

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