Politics

2023: Rivers Yet To Decide On Atiku, Says Wike

Published

3 years ago

October 31, 2022

… Vows To Win Gov’ship, NASS, House Of Assembly For PDP

The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Monday, said the state was yet to decide on next year’s presidential election.

He declared that the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate, all the House of Representatives, Senate and State House of Assembly will win in the 2023 general elections, saying the state was yet to determine what to do concerning the presidential election.

Wike spoke during the inauguration 319 Ward and 32 Constituency Liaison Officers in Government House, Port Harcourt on Monday.

This was contained in a statement issued by Kelvin Ebiri, Special Assistant on Media to Governor Wike and made available to newsmen.

“PDP will win our state. I am not hiding it as far as the governorship, House of Reps, Senate and State Assembly are concerned. The other one (presidency), we have not decided until the right thing is done,” the Rivers governor said.

This is as Wike also took a swipe at the former Minister of Transport, Dr. Abiye Sekibo, saying he does not fill such a leadership position to speak on behalf of the state.

Dr. Sekibo is the Director General of the Peoples’ Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Council in Rivers State.

The PUNCH reports that Sekibo, former governor of the state (now derecognized), Sir Celestine Omehia, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Austin Opara and the former senator who represented the Rivers South-East district, Senator Lee Maeba, had fallen out of favour after they pitched their tent with the PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, for the 2023 poll.

Wike said Sekibo was a self-seeking politician who has been unable to attract democratic dividend, of whatever kind, to the State while he served as minister and also to his hometown, Okrika local government area of the state.

“I watched a video when one Dr. Abiye Sekibo, while he was addressing people in his house yesterday (Sunday), said he is the director of Atiku’s Supporters in Rivers.

“I have no problem about that. But he does not have the capacity to speak on behalf of Rivers State.

“In that video, he said that Rivers State has been having a close relationship with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and that Rivers State has always benefitted from Atiku Abubakar.

“I want to correct one impression, Dr. Abiye Sekibo has a personal relationship with Alhaji Atiku, not Rivers State.

“Dr. Abiye Sekibo was Minister of Transport when Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was the Vice president of Nigeria. Can you people mention one project in Okrika, I don’t even want to talk about Rivers State, in Ogu/Bolo, one project that he brought down to Rivers State. Is there anyone?”

Wike said leadership was not about personal aggrandizement, but serving the people, protecting their interests while building up others as competent successors.

He stated that people like Dr. Sekibo number among those who are never satisfied with the fortunes they have enjoyed in life, otherwise, he should have been silent in the public sphere for his failure in leadership.

“I was a minister, junior minister in that matter. But I am proud to say anywhere I go in this state (Rivers), I brought a dividend of democracy to Rivers.

“As a junior minister, I brought the Oil and Gas Polytechnic to Rivers State that is sited in Bonny. There was no Faculty of Law at the University of Port Harcourt since the creation of that institution, but I brought it.

“As a minister, I made sure Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic and the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, even if they are state institutions, I made sure they got a grant of N500M each,” Wike stated.

Wike also listed his several educational interventions at the primary-secondary school levels, which depict what true leadership should be.

He stressed that Dr. Sekibo as Secretary to the Rivers State government did not also execute any project of note in Okrika, saying while he, as Chief of Staff, delivered several road projects in Rumuepirikom.

Related Topics:2023 elections Atiku Wike

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Politics

PDP Issues Certificate Of Expulsion To Wike, Fayose, Anyanwu, Others

Published

2 days ago

December 3, 2025

Editor

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said it has issued certificate of expulsion from the party to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and other 10 members earlier expelled from the party.

The party National Chairman, Tanimu Turaki, disclosed this while speaking with newsmen after the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) meeting in Abuja on Tuesday.

The other members, according to him, include the embattled National Secretary, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, the Legal Adviser, Kamarudeen Ajibade, former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose.

They also included Sen. Mao Ohuabunwa, Austin Nwachukwu, Abraham Amah Nnanna, George Turna and Chief Dan Orbih, expelled during the party National convention in Lagos.

Turaki said that the original copies of the certificate had been dispatched to the owners through a courier service to serve as proof that they were expelled from the PDP.

“We have taken note of the fact that Nigerian law frowns on dual membership of political parties, and so we have sought to make it easy for them.

“Now that they are no longer members of our party, and now that the National Convention, which is the highest decision-making organ of our party, has expelled them, we have decided to issue them certificates of expulsion.

“So, when they go to register with other political parties in Nigeria, they will show these certificates as proof that they are no longer members of the PDP.

“By that, those parties will not accuse them of trying to belong to more than one political party,” he said.

He called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies, including the Nigeria Police, the Department of State Services, and other government agencies, to take note.

“Very soon, members of the society will be informed via proper disclaimers that any person henceforth who decides to do business with them, any or all of them, does so at his or her own risk.

“They are no longer members of the PDP. They have been expelled,” he added.

He added that the NWC also reviewed some of the cases filed against the party and lawsuits instituted by the party, particularly the one that related to the “unlawful and illegal” closure of the party’s national Secretariat, the Legacy House, and the Wadata Plaza.

“The brief we received from our lawyers is that we are on sound ground, and that very soon, the law will take its course,” he said.

Turaki said the NWC was prepared to be saddled with the responsibility of performing its functions as the leading opposition party in Nigeria.

“We are going to provide a credible alternative to Nigerians. We are going to provide credible leadership to Nigerians by the special grace of God from 2027,” he said.

Politics

Adebayo Adedamola Wins Osun PDP Governorship Primary

Published

3 days ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

Adebayo Olugbenga Adedamola, popularly known as FRYO, has emerged as the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate for the August 8, 2026 governorship election in Osun State.

The primary election took place in Osogbo on Tuesday amid heavy security presence.

Announcing the result, chairman of the primary election committee, Humphrey Abba, stated that Adebayo secured 919 votes out of 957 accredited ballots, giving him a clear victory in the contest.

Explaining that there were 20 void votes following the withdrawal of one of the candidates, believed to be Governor Ademola Adeleke, Abba added, “The candidate that got the remaining votes is Adebayo Adedamola with 919 votes and he stands elected and returned.”

DAILY POST reports that despite announcing his resignation from the party, Adeleke’s name appeared on the ballot paper for the PDP governorship primary.

Party officials said the exercise was conducted in accordance with established guidelines, with accredited delegates participating in the voting process.

Adeleke announced his resignation in a letter dated November 4, 2025, and addressed to the PDP leadership at his ward.

On Monday, Osun PDP chairman, Sunday Bisi, had announced that the governorship primary slated for Tuesday, December 2, 2025, has been postponed due to leadership crisis at the national level.

But a faction of the party went ahead with the exercise in Osogbo on Tuesday.

Politics

Gov Adeleke Resigns From PDP

Published

3 days ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2026 gubernatorial primaries of the party.

Adeleke’s resignation letter, dated November 4, 2025, sighted by Tribune Online was addressed to the PDP ward chairman for Ward 2, Sagba Abogunde, Ede, Osun State.

According to the letter, the governor’s resignation was based on “the current crisis of the national leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).”

According to the letter, titled: “Resignation of my membership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)’ read, “Due to the current crisis of the national leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), I hereby resign my Membership of the People’s Democratic Party with immediate effect.

“I thank the People’s Democratic Party for the opportunities given to me for my elections as a Senator (Represented Osun West) and as Governor of Osun State under the People’s Democratic Party.”