News

Open Letter To Gov Wike (1)

Published

3 years ago

August 23, 2022

What Did Rivers PDP Elders Do?

It appears there is no more love lost between Your Excellency, Chief Barr. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, CON, GSSRS, Executive Governor of Rivers and the erstwhile great Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) family in the state, the PDP elders in particular.

Though you have remained unusually taciturn since after the PDP presidential primary election which you fought gallantly but narrowly lost, it could not be hidden that you were not happy with the outcome of that election.

A pointer to that was your address to Rivers people on your arrival from Abuja after the ill-fated primary election.

You readily blamed the failure to clinch the coveted presidential ticket on betrayal by certain persons even from our dear south-south zone but you rarely mentioned names.

Your Excellency, every other Riversman including the elders of the party in the state was as pained and aggrieved on the outcome of the primary election.

We are however, taken aback by your recent outburst over the primary election, using every possible opportunity and available forum to berate those you allege were responsible for the turn-around of events in your quest to contest the presidential election on the platform of the PDP and later to become the vice presidential candidate.

More shocking is the extreme localization of the issue whereby Your Excellency seem to have singled out the Elders of the party in the state for underserved persecution.

Your Excellency have accused some of the Elders of the party in the state of ganging up against you simply because they did not scale through the primary to be the governorship candidate of the PDP in the state.

You further alleged that some of them have relocated to Abuja, gossiping you to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and plotting against you. You are yet to disclose what they are plotting against you for since you are serving out and not contesting any election.

In a feat of anger, Your Excellency recently made some sweeping changes in some of the party wards across the state, demoting some and elevating some of the Ward and Local Government Area Leaders, a move many have described as too extreme and authoritarian and seemingly so.

May be, you drew your conclusion from the visit to the PDP presidential candidate, Alh. Atiku Abubakar by some party Elders from the state. Prior to that visit, Alh. Atiku Abubakar and other PDP chieftains had visited the state to see and confer with Your Excellency severally.

The PDP Elders in the state are also stakeholders of the party in Nigeria. They are well known and respected as senior citizens of this country and have the freedom of movement and association as of fundamental right.

Most importantly, at no time had Your Excellency met with them or instructed them on who to consult or relate with which of course, could be unwise ‘to do so’.

Your Excellency, we must not lose sight of, or forget so soon the various roles played and still playing by these PDP Elders in the stability of the PDP as a ruling party in the state which has all of a sudden become a beehive for your erstwhile political detractors and critics.

Today, the PDP in the state is a party to join, some trooping in to partake in the largesse and stupendous spending being doled out to woo them while the real stakeholders who staked their lives are out there in the cold languishing in hunger and frustration.

Your Excellency, with due respect, this to us, is not how to appreciate and reward hard work and undiluted support such that you have received all these years from the persecuted PDP Elders.

The question that agitates the mind therefore, is what sin did the PDP Elders commit by visiting Alh. Atiku Abubakar whether to broker peace between their angry Governor and the PDP presidential candidate or to express their solidarity as Elders of the party from Rivers State.

How does this visit amount to, and indeed surpass all the blackmail, name calling, sabortage and defamation of character of Your Excellency by those who now dine and wine with you in the name of decampees with millions of Dollars to compensate for their insults. What an irony of fate?

Your Excellency, perhaps, it is instructive to refer you to one of the statements of Rev. Monsignor Pius Kii while delivering the sermon during the 74th Birthday Anniversary of Sir Dr Peter Odili on August 15, 2022.

According to him, “Growing up, children are for the most part dependent on parents in many ramifications. When a parent trains, nurtures and empowers a child in such a measure and manner to be able to give something of real worth to the parents subsequently, it confers on the child dignity and self-worth like no other, it provides the child with the dignity to answer love with love. It is a way of expressing thanks to parents who brought him/her into being and sheltered him or her from harm”.

By extrapolation therefore, it is expected that Your Excellency have a retrospect into the recent past and contemplate how the present place of the PDP in the Rivers State was made possible, and say without fear of castigation if the treatment being meted on the party Elders is right and justified.

Still drawing from that all illuminating homily, “Humility is the essence of royalty. Failure to remember this can be very dangerous as it were”.

Your Excellency, wisdom tells us that we are all called on, to be leaders and followers, the two concepts being of the same process and not opposites.

Leaders and followers, and in this case the Elders inclusive, must sit around the same table, engaged in the same task, asking same question: how, together, can we lift one another?

The current ostracization of the PDP Elders from their collective property (administration) and partaker in the proceeds for whatever reason is a negation of this natural justice and has the potential to destroy the hard earned party victory in the state if not now, definitely in no distant time.

The earlier therefore Your Excellency retrace your step and accord the respect and honour to whom honour is due (the Elders), the better and happier for all.

We must not allow the ‘defections of the enemies yesterday and friends today’ into the house built by persecuted Elders to delude us into self-destruction for the heart is deceptive.

The election that brought the party to power in the state was collectively won with immeasurable contributions from all, especially the party Elders who now appear to be on trial.

A good leader is not only a manager of material resources. He should also be able to manage humans with whom he works no matter their differences.

A word they say is enough for the wise.

Please Your Excellency, watch out for part 2 of this open letter.

Long live Rivers State

Long live PDP, Rivers State Chapter

Dr John B. Amadi, Spokesman, Concerned PDP Supporters, writes from Rivers state.

News

Osun, Imo, Kano Lead As INEC Reports 2.3m New Voter Registrations

Published

1 hour ago

November 17, 2025

Editor

The Independent National Electoral Commission on Sunday released the new voter registration figures totaling 2,316,232 nationwide, showing wide variation across the states, with Osun topping the list.

INEC reiterated in its notice that “registration is suspended in Anambra State until after the governorship election on 8th November 2025 in line with Section 9 (6) of the Electoral Act 2022,” leaving the state without figures in the latest update.

INEC described the update as part of its ongoing effort to maintain transparency in the continuous voter registration process, stating that the figures represent “completed online and physical registration for Week 12.”

According to the commission, Osun posted the highest total with 185,089 completed registrations, followed by Imo with 143,386. Kano recorded 132,290, while Sokoto reached 123,320.

Lagos followed at 109,693; the Federal Capital Territory at 106,855, and Borno at 106,376. Kogi registered 91,573; Jigawa, 88,209; Zamfara, 84,268; and Katsina, 80,425. Kaduna recorded 78,282; Kebbi 74,159; Delta 72,311, and Ogun 71,091. Niger posted 69,739; Akwa Ibom 65,446, and Oyo 64,561.

Adamawa recorded 49,853; Kwara, 47,241; and Yobe 46,986. Rivers documented 57,251, placing it above many mid-range states, while Benue had 42,557, and Bayelsa had 38,627. Bauchi recorded 36,166; Ekiti 32,096; Gombe 31,542, and Nasarawa 30,348.

Ebonyi followed with 28,310; Edo with 27,130, and Plateau with 24,077. Taraba recorded 17,803; Enugu 16,304; Ondo 16,012; Cross River 14,559, and Abia 12,297.

The CVR is scheduled to end in August 2026. Since the exercise began on August 18, 2025, states in the South-West, particularly Osun and Lagos, have consistently led in registration numbers.

Recent updates indicated a rising trend in participation from northern states, driven by intensified mobilisation efforts.

Community-based organisations, religious leaders, and local officials in several northern states have been actively promoting voter awareness and encouraging eligible residents to register.

News

Netizens Seek Probe Of Assassination Attempt On Yerima

Published

1 hour ago

November 17, 2025

Editor

Nigerians were last night divided over the report that Navy Lieutenant Ahmad M. Yerima narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in Abuja, with many now questioning whether the incident happen exactly as described.

Initial reports from multiple news platforms claimed Yerima was trailed by two unmarked Hilux vans without number plates, prompting a high-speed chase and a “tactical manoeuvre” that allegedly saved his life.

The report quoted military sources who said the vehicles allegedly followed him from the NIPCO Filling Station off the Line Expressway to Gado Nasco Way at about 6:30p.m.

The source added that the matter is under investigation and is receiving “the seriousness it deserves,” noting that further details are being withheld so as not to compromise the process.

The development comes days after Yerima, while on duty with other security personnel, engaged in a tense confrontation with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike over a disputed land site in Gaduwa District. The clash, captured on viral videos, sparked widespread public debate and prompted intervention from the Presidency, which subsequently halted the demolition exercise at the site.

But as the story spreads, so do doubts. Critics argue that the details remain vague and rely heavily on Yerima’s personal account, with no confirmed CCTV footage, eyewitness statements, or official security briefings to back the claims. Some security analysts say the descriptions sound “too cinematic,” raising the possibility of misinterpretation or exaggeration.

Adding to the skepticism is the timing of the report, coming just days after Yerima’s viral confrontation with Wike over a halted demolition exercise. While social media users have tried to link both events, officials insist there is no evidence connecting Wike or any political figure to the alleged chase.

Already, military veterans nationwide have criticised Wike for verbally insulting the officer and rejected calls for disciplinary action against Yerima. Spokesman for the Coalition of Retired Veterans, Abiodun Durowaiye-Herberts, warned that ex-service members would “occupy the office and residence of the FCT Minister” if the officer faced any punishment.

Many others want clarity: Was the officer truly targeted, or is this a case of panic amplified by public emotion and online speculation? Investigators are yet to provide answers.

News

FCT Police Reacts To Alleged Assassination Attempt On Naval Officer Yerima

Published

2 hours ago

November 17, 2025

Editor

The FCT Police Command has dismissed publications circulating on social media alleging an attempted assassination on Lt. Ahmed Yerima, the naval officer who engaged in a confrontation with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Nyesom Wike, over a disputed land in Abuja.

In a statement on Monday, the Police Public Relations Officer for the command, SP Josephine Adeh, said no such incident was reported or recorded anywhere within the Federal Capital Territory.

Adeh advised the public to disregard the information as false and desist from spreading unverified claims capable of causing unnecessary panic.

“For the safety of all residents, the Command urges the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the nearest Police Division. You may also reach the Command Headquarters through our emergency lines: 08032003913 and 08068587311 for prompt response,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Defence, Hon. Bello Matawalle, Yerima will not be punished for any offence concerning the confrontation with Wike, which was captured in a video.

In an interview with DCL Hausa, monitored in Gusau by The Guardian, the minister dismissed public assertions that the soldier might face disciplinary action, noting the incident was being exaggerated.

The video, which surfaced on Tuesday, showed Wike in a heated exchange with Lt. Ahmed Yerima at a disputed land site in Abuja.

The minister was seen trying to defuse tension between the security operatives and the soldiers present at the location.

Matawalle explained that the Defence Ministry values mutual respect between civil authorities and the military, adding that the matter has been resolved without any need for punitive measures.

In the video, the FCT Minister was heard demanding to see the approval granted to the landowner, insisting the development must have official authorisation.

In other news, human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has tasked President Bola Tinubu to compel the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to apologise for using uncomplimentary comments against a serving naval officer, A. M. Yerima, over a disputed piece of land in Abuja.

While saying that the Minister was lucky not to have been shot during his confrontation with the soldier, the senior lawyer, however, stressed that both parties erred in law.

This is even as he faulted the Federal Government’s move to have former Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, serve the remainder of his prison sentence in Nigeria.