Politics

Atiku Raises Team To Woo Wike, Rivers Gov’s Camp Adamant

Published

3 years ago

June 22, 2022

The Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has set up a committee to pacify and woo the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike and some other aggrieved members of the party.

The initiative was instituted by Atiku based on the need to go into the 2023 general elections with a united front.

The PUNCH reports that the opposition party has been rocked by crisis following the choice of the Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as Atiku’s running mate.

Wike, Okowa and Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa-Ibom had appeared before the screening panel set up by the PDP to nominate a vice-presidential candidate to the PDP presidential flagbearer.

Okowa was nominated by the PDP presidential candidate after rumours had it that Wike had been selected by the party advisory committee as the vice-presidential candidate the day before.

But findings indicate that the PDP feared Wike might work against Atiku’s ambition following his loss as the party presidential candidate and running mate to Atiku.

Signs that the PDP might run into stormy waters became pronounced with the defection of some of Wike’s supporters from the party in the last 24 hours.

Aside from the resignations of two allies of the Rivers state governor-a former minister of Niger Delta, Godsday Orubebe and an ex-commissioner in Edo State, Kassim Afegbua, a mass exodus of party members was also said to be looming.

Sequel to the ominous signs in the party, Atiku was said to have constituted a team to appease and fully bring back Wike into his campaign council, ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a PDP chieftain who was privy to the decision, said, “Atiku wanted to tell Wike about his choice of Okowa one-on-one but then, he heard that Wike had returned to Rivers. That clearly showed good faith. Even though Wike was not the selected candidate, Atiku wanted to accord him respect by letting him know before the news got to the public.

“Atiku has set up a reconciliatory committee to reach out to Wike and mend the cracks. Atiku understands the need to go to the 2023 elections with a united front. Everyone will be pacified. Not only Wike but every aggrieved person within the party.”

Corroborating the development, a top Atiku confidant stated, “Our people (PDP members) are still aggrieved and when you are doing mediation, you don’t give the impression that you are not sincere but it is a serious undertaking.“His Excellency, Governor Wike is strategic to Atiku’s victory, make no mistake about it. Whatever anybody may say, that is a party man through and through. He understands the times we are in and that was why he threw his hat in the ring; that is why he wants to be president because he feels that he has what it takes to lead the country so also the other candidates who contested.

“Now, that the contest is over, we really have a responsibility to bring everybody together. You don’t go to a battle with a disunited army. Wike is the kind of man you can go to battle with, you don’t leave him behind. You do all you can to bring him on board. The enemy is not within PDP; the enemies are those who have enslaved us; people that have impoverished us.”

Asked about the composition of the reconciliation panel, the source declined to release their names, noting that the job of the members was sensitive.

According to him, the team would approach those known to have Wike’s ears and get them to talk to the Rivers State Governor to close ranks with Atiku.

On the timeframe for the committee’s work, the source added, “No timeframe, it is an ongoing process. We are working very hard and I can assure you that a lot of work is going on. I know because I have spoken with one of those involved.”

The media adviser to Atiku, Mr Paul Ibe, could not be reached for comment while the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, declined to speak.

Wike’s camp

Meanwhile, the peace moves by Atiku may, however, be heading for the rocks as the loyalists of the Rivers State Governor have dismissed the initiative as unnecessary.

A PDP chieftain in Rivers State and former member of the House of Representatives, Ogbomna Nwuke, described the Atiku reconciliation committee as a contradiction.

Speaking to The PUNCH on Tuesday, he said, “On one hand, somebody says he (Wike) is one who talks too much, who probably is uncontrollable. And then, on the other hand, you want him to help your cause. You want victory and you think he can contribute to your victory. Is that not a contradiction?

“There was an attempt to draft a man who was not interested in the vice-presidency into the vice-president; a committee set up, the caucus spoke, the national working committee of the party spoke favourably about Wike and it was not honoured.”

Nwuke further stated, “Atiku did what he wanted to do. So what committee is he setting up again? To do what? It doesn’t make sense.

“When the convention was over, nobody showed him the way to Wike’s house. If he wants Wike to work with him, he should walk to the Governor of Rivers State and speak with him. We don’t need committees, what will the committee do? It doesn’t make sense to me.

“I don’t know why relationships shouldn’t be exploited. What is this committee thing? You have something else in your mind, you set up a committee to do something else. What is the meaning of that?”

“For the avoidance of doubt, Governor Wike had said no matter what happens he would not leave the PDP. That was what he said.

“The implication is that a man who is committed to the PDP will work for the PDP, whether you set up a committee or not. And that is my personal opinion,” Nwuke stated.

Nwuke, who was also a former commissioner for Information and Communications in Rivers State, also took a swipe at a former governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu, who accused Wike of being loquacious and rude.

Aliyu had in an interview on Channels Tv on Tuesday said that the PDP presidential candidate did not pick Wike as his running mate because he wanted someone that could complement him, rather than one that talks too much like Wike.

But Nwuke, who represented Etche-Omuma federal constituency in the National Assembly, dismissed Aliyu’s criticisms, saying he didn’t understand the difference between politicking and administration.

He argued, “The Wike that this man (Aliyu) is talking about has been chief of staff. As chief of staff, he never went against his principal. He spoke and did not go beyond his brief.

READ 2023: Atiku’s Promise To PDP Governors Before Picking Okowa As Running Mate Revealed

“This same man (Wike) had served as the Minister of Education. While serving as minister he did not also speak out of tune. Of course, he knew who the boss was, he knew what his role was and he played his role.

“And so people should draw a fine line between politicking and administration. They are not the same thing.

“Everybody who knows Wike knows that he is a team player. In trying to help build the PDP he worked with a team of committed PDP people. And together, they were able to bring the PDP from where it was, in defeat to where it is today.”

Efforts to reach the chairman of the River State PDP, Desmond Akawor, and the party’s spokesman, Sydney Gbara, proved abortive as they did not respond to calls.

PUNCH

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Politics

Coalition: Otti Speaks On Report Of Leaving LP

Published

6 hours ago

July 2, 2025

Editor

Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has denied rumours suggesting he is planning to defect from the Labour Party to either the All Progressives Congress or the proposed opposition coalition party ahead of the 2027 elections.

Speaking at a dinner in Umuahia on Tuesday to mark the start of the 2025 mid-year retreat for government appointees, Otti reaffirmed his commitment to the Labour Party, insisting he has not attended any coalition meeting and remains focused on delivering his mandate to Abians.

‎He said, ‎“I will just spend a few minutes talking about what some members of the Global Economic Council have been asking me. One of them is the report about five governors decamping to the APC. I’m still a member of the Labour Party and I’m not looking for where to decamp to.

‎“The second point is about coalition, and a lot of people have been asking me, are you a member of the coalition? And my response is, have you seen my name? Have you seen me attending the coalition meeting?

‎“We are just busy doing the work that Abia people have given us. So, we are not attending any coalition meeting, I have not attended any one, and nobody has invited me.

‎“I am happy where I am. Yes, we had issues. If you don’t have issues, you are dead So, you wake up and there is one problem or the other, you solve the problem. You don’t run away from a problem and pretend to have solved it.”

The governor added that while the party had faced internal challenges, those issues were resolved at the Supreme Court.

Otti also dismissed claims that his administration had been borrowing to run the state, saying Abia has not taken any new loans since he assumed office in May 2023.

‎Otti said, “There is nothing wrong with criticising the government, but you must criticise with facts. Opinions are free, but facts are sacred.

‎“Some people have come out to say that we are borrowing; they are lying. Did I borrow from them? I saw a report yesterday that says that 26 out of the 36 states have actually reduced loans in the last 12 months, and Abia came first, having reduced its debt profile by 57.20% in one year.
‎
‎“So, when we say we have not borrowed, we know what we are talking about. But that we have not borrowed doesn’t mean we will not borrow. We will borrow when we need to borrow. We will borrow for regenerative investments. We will not borrow to eat. We will not borrow to consume. We will borrow for capital expenditure.”

The governor announced that providing potable water is the next major focus of his administration, with projects set to be flagged off in Aba and Umuahia in the coming weeks.

“We want to get to that level where you open your tap and you have public water running. In the next few weeks, we are going to flag off the water project in Aba around CKC. There is also another one in Umuahia and a lot of other places. We will get there,” the governor added.

He said a new Project Implementation Bureau has been established, headed by Onyinye Nwosu, a former General Electric employee in Canada who returned to contribute to Abia’s development.

The event also marked the first anniversary of the Abia Global Economic Advisory Council, a 20-member team of professionals guiding the state’s development strategy.

Earlier in her speech on behalf of the Council, the Co-Chair of the Abia Global Economic Advisory Council, Prof. Ms. Arunma Oteh, said that it was a pleasure to serve in the Economic Advisory Council.
‎
‎The Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Kenneth Kalu, thanked the members of the Council for their sacrifices to help the administration succeed.

Some members of the Council present during the event were Prof. Ms Arunma Oteh – Co-Chair, Mrs Ifueko Okauru – Chair, M&E Committee, Mr Victor Onyenkpa – Chair, Financing/roadshow Committee, ⁠Mrs Ezinwa Okoroafor – Member, Mr Chidi Ajaegbu – Member, and Dr Olugbenda Adesida – Member, including members of the State Executive Council and political appointees.

Politics

Coalition Won’t Be Easy, But We’re Ready – Mark

Published

6 hours ago

July 2, 2025

Editor

The newly unveiled National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress, David Mark, has acknowledged that the efforts by the 2027 coalition to unseat President Bola Tinubu will be challenging.

However, he emphasised that they are ready to make sacrifices for Nigeria’s survival and progress.

Mark made this statement on Wednesday at the Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja during the unveiling of the ADC as the 2027 opposition coalition platform to challenge Tinubu.

He said, “This coalition goes beyond seeking power; it is about rebuilding Nigeria.

“We are under no illusion that it will be an easy task. However, we are ready to embark on this journey as a sacrifice for our fatherland.

“This coalition aims to prevent our country from descending into a one-party state.

“Today marks the beginning of what we believe will be a long, difficult and tedious journey.

“However, it is a journey that we are prepared to undertake, united in our collective belief that no price or sacrifice is too high in the service of our fatherland.”

Mark and former Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, were unveiled at the event as interim national chairman and interim national secretary of the ADC respectively.

Their appointments followed the resignation of the party’s founding National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, and other national officers to pave the way for the coalition’s takeover of the party structure.

Mark said, “The blatant destabilisation and infiltration of all major opposition political parties is aimed at achieving only one objective: to enhance total state capture and leave Nigerians with no alternative or options in 2027.

“This coalition is to prevent our country’s descent into a one-party state.

“We have never seen a government so much at home with corruption, a government that disdains accountability in all ramifications. A government more concerned with the next election rather than the survival of the ordinary Nigerians.

“A government so totally consumed with politicking that governance is abandoned, while the majority of our people wallow in hunger and poverty.

“We have never seen this level of insecurity across the length and breadth of our nation. Bandits and kidnappers kill Nigerians at will and on a daily basis. Yet, this ongoing tragedy has not moved the government to any action that would stop these mindless killings and stem the tide of needless bloodshed.”

Mark stated that Nigerians deserve a government that ensures their safety and makes them feel secure in their own homes.

He added, “Equally disturbing is the total emasculation of the legislative institution. Never in our history have we witnessed a National Assembly where legislators, the trustees of the very bastion of our democracy, saddled with the sacred duty to protect Nigerians from misuse of executive power, are reduced to cheerleaders and praise singers of the President, head of the executive arm.

“Without doubt, the transformation of Nigeria’s National Assembly to a mere appendage of presidential authority is a dangerous conspiracy against the Nigerian people.

“It is the reason why the government is able to get away with various whimsical, unconstitutional policies and actions or inactions that have reduced more Nigerians to abject poverty and widened the boundaries of insecurity and fear.”

The ADC Interim National Chairman accused the APC-led government of undermining the sacrifices of Nigeria’s founding heroes and affirmed that the coalition party belongs to all Nigerians.

He stated, “This coalition is determined to offer Nigerians a path to security, prosperity, peace and progress.

“Coming from various party affiliations, we are united in our resolve to present a constructive alternative to the hardship, insecurity and waste that has become the hallmark of the current APC government.

“As we proceed this day, we acknowledge the practical implications of imminent bye-elections and one state governorship election for some of our coalition partners in their respective legacy political parties. However, all of us remain firmly united under the ADC banner for the 2027 general elections and beyond.”

Among those present at the unveiling and involved in the coalition effort are the 2023 presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar and the Labour Party, Peter Obi.

Other key figures include the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Victor Umeh; former PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus; Labour Party’s 2023 Vice Presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed; former APC National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun; and former Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar.

Others present include Senator Dino Melaye, former Youth Minister Solomon Dalung, former Ekiti Deputy Governor Kolapo Olushola, media mogul Chief Dele Momodu, Senators Enyinnaya Abaribe, Suleiman Nazif, Lee Maeba, and Alhaji Kashim Iman.
(PUNCH)

Politics

Coalition: Why ADC Leaders Stepped Down — Nwosu

Published

6 hours ago

July 2, 2025

Editor

The founding National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress, Ralph Nwosu, said leaders of the party voluntarily resigned to allow former Senate President, David Mark, and ex-Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, to take charge and lead efforts to reposition both the party and the country.

Nwosu stated this on Wednesday at the unveiling of the ADC as the platform for the 2027 opposition coalition to challenge President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

The event was held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.

Mark and Aregbesola have been announced as the interim National Chairman and Secretary of the ADC-backed coalition, respectively.

Nwosu stated, “We all decided to resign so that Mark, Aregbesola and others can lead us to the Villa.

“We also approved Mark as National Chairman and Aregbesola as the National Secretary of the party.

“When you look at the two of them and their commitment to this country, you’ll see that this is a new beginning. They will reposition the party and Nigeria.”

Coalition leaders at the venue of the meeting on Wednesday, July 2, 2025
Nwosu said the opposition coalition was not about seeking power but moving Nigeria to “global reckoning.”

He added, “The ADC has always been about the rejuvenation of Nigeria and Africa. This journey started about 18 months back, and we have had over 12 NEC meetings.

“When we were consulted, we said we have also been consulting because we are a party that believes in coalition.

“A day like this shows that we are ready to sacrifice anything for Nigeria. We don’t have any doubt in the man, we all have decided to resign.”

Among those present at the unveiling and involved in the coalition effort are the 2023 presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar; the Labour Party, Peter Obi; and former Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola.

Also in attendance were former Governors Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Gabriel Suswam (Benue), Abdulfattah Ahmed (Kwara), Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (Sokoto), Oserheimen Osunbor (Edo), and Celestine Omehia (Rivers), along with former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal. Others present include Senator Dino Melaye, former Youth Minister Solomon Dalung, former Ekiti Deputy Governor Kolapo Olushola, media mogul Chief Dele Momodu, Senators Enyinnaya Abaribe, Suleiman Nazif, Lee Maeba, and Alhaji Kashim Iman, among others.
(PUNCH)