Politics

PDP Crisis: Your Men Behind Purported Legal Suit, Not Me, Wike Tells Atiku

Published

3 years ago

August 12, 2022

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, Friday dismissed the trending story that he dragged the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State to court as untrue.

Wike rather said it was Atiku’s political minders who planned and planted the purported story of a legal action in the media only to discredit him.

The governor made this refutation at the inauguration of the Rivers State House of Assembly Quarters performed by the Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila in Port Harcourt, state capital.

In his words, “People have called me throughout this morning and said all kinds of things that I went to court against Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. I want to say categorically, if I have a reason to go to court, I will go to court, but I didn’t go to court.

“Yesterday too, they said I removed all PDP flags at Rivers State Government House.

“But I just have to say these things for Nigerians to know that I have kept quiet, and I am busy delivering dividends of democracy for my party to win election in Rivers State.

“But I want to tell the candidate, it is the candidate’s group that are doing all these things. Let the world hear, they are the ones plotting all these things, thinking that they will spoil my name, you cannot.”

Wike even explained that if he had wanted legal action against the outcome of the PDP presidential primary, it would have been prosecuted within two weeks after the primary, when such pre-election matters could be entertained.

“I didn’t go to court. I have no reason to go to court. But those of you who are plotting and saying that I went to court instead, for you to have come out now to say Wike went to court, I say shame on you.

“Shame will be on all of you. I have told the candidate, you will win or lose this election because of the people around you. Anybody who knows me knows too well that if I was going to court, I would have gone to court within two weeks after the primary because it is a pre-election matter and after two weeks, you can’t go to court.

“The legal adviser of the party called me and I told him that he knows that there is mischief going on. But he knows me very well, if I’m going to court, it is not those kinds of lawyers that I would have used and I don’t even know the lawyers.”

However, the governor also noted that the bigger challenge ahead of the PDP should be how to win the 2023 general elections.

“You’re supposed to be talking about how you will win the election. All these rent seekers around him are not doing him any favour.

“Rather they are trying to make him not win the election. But if that is what they wished, I wish them good luck.

“You see that I am not talking. I am doing my work, so leave me to do my work. Those concocting ideas every day, social media cannot make you win any election.

“Election is about the people and by the people. Let those in Abuja with you (Atiku), tell them to go home and campaign for you to win election. Leave Wike alone, enough is enough.”

Besides, Wike recalled that during the 2019 general elections, the same people claiming to love the PDP more now in South-South, sabotaged the party’s winning chances in the region.

He also lamented that instead of some PDP governors loyal to Atiku to strategize on how to win the 2023 elections, they are busy joining other stalwarts in wasting the time plotting accusations.

Politics

Obasanjo, Atiku, Obi Meet In Abuja

Published

2 days ago

January 10, 2026

Editor

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi met in Abuja on Saturday.

The trio were among prominent political figures who attended the Tambuwal Colloquium, titled “Leadership, Service and Statesmanship at 60,” held at the New Event Hall of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, in honour of the 60th birthday of former Sokoto State Governor and Senator, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.

Atiku confirmed his presence at the event in a post on his X handle, stating that he had arrived at the venue for the colloquium organised to mark Tambuwal’s milestone birthday.

The former vice president also shared images of himself, Obasanjo and Obi at the event.

The event attracted political leaders, statesmen and stakeholders from across the country.

Politics

PANDEF Wades Into Rivers Crisis, Sets Up Seven-member Mediation Team

Published

2 days ago

January 10, 2026

Editor

The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has intervened in the political crisis in Rivers State, calling on all actors to sheathe their swords and embrace peace in the interest of the development of the state and the region in general.

Expressing concern that the political disagreement involving the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the State House of Assembly might degenerate to total lawlessness, the Board and National Executive Committee of PANDEF set up a seven-member reconciliation team to resolve the issues.

The team, which is headed by a former Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Kanu Agabi, has six other members.

They are Senator Obende Domingo (Vice Chairman); Chief Essien Nduese; Dr Timiebi Koripamo-Agari; Chief Mike Ejiofor; Mrs Nella Rabana-Andem, SAN; and Prince Godwin Okotie, the Deputy National Secretary of PANDEF, who will serve as the secretary of the team.

Politics

Wike: Why Removing Fubara Will Be Difficult – Ex-Commissioner

Published

3 days ago

January 9, 2026

Editor

A former Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Austin Tam-George, has said that attempts to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara would be difficult to sustain, citing what he described as the governor’s performance record and the lack of concrete allegations against him.

Tam-George made the remarks on Thursday while speaking on Prime Time on Arise Television, arguing that the impeachment process being initiated against Fubara was to scuttle his chance for a second term.

According to him, Governor Fubara has continued to place the needs of the people at the centre of his administration, with visible interventions in rural development, housing, education and healthcare.

He said this, in his view, has made it difficult for opponents to justify moves to remove the governor from office.

Tam-George also called on the All Progressives Congress, APC, to intervene, arguing that the party should not allow what he described as the humiliation of a sitting governor.

He said: “Well, all I think he needs to do is to do exactly what he’s been doing from the beginning, which is to place the people at the center of gravity of his administration, prioritize the needs of the people, so that the people can see the direct impact of government action in their lives.

“And that’s exactly what he’s doing in terms of rural development, in terms of housing sector transformation, which I mentioned that he is doing the same in education sector and in health.

“So if he continues, if he persists in placing the people’s need at the center of focus of his administration, there is no way they are going to be able to justify this kind of shenanigans.

“Because, if you look very carefully at the so called articles of impeachment, you will see that there is no specificity in terms of any infraction by the governor or his deputy.

“What they are trying to do is to make sure they scuttle the administration so that the governor doesn’t then get to the point where he will be seeking a second term.

“Let me be clear, just two days ago, Nyesom Wike was at one of the local governments, and he made it clear in a moment of epiphany, he made it clear that, look, if Governor Fubara were to get a second term in office, it will amount to his own political burial.

“So all of these things that we are seeing the so called impeachment proceedings they’ve initiated, it’s actually an effort to try to scuttle the prospects of the governor coming for a second term, and I don’t see how they will succeed.

“If you look at the so called articles of impeachment, as I said, they lack specificity in terms of the kind of infraction that they allege that the governor has committed. He has done nothing wrong, and they will see how the process will play out.

“My sense, and in fact, if I were to advise the governor, my sense is that he should just maintain the people, retain the people at the center of gravity of his administration, meet their needs, run a transparent administration as he always done, and then the truth will come out, and he will be able to defend the administration.

“I think the the governing APC should also step in because they can’t possibly allow the governor of the office with probably one of the best performance records in the country to be humiliated by some of these members of the assembly.”