Politics

Why We Concede Ministerial Appointment To Wike — Rivers APC

Published

2 years ago

July 4, 2023

Major stakeholders of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers state, have urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to strongly consider the former governor of River State, Nyesom Wike, in his Ministerial appointments.

The stakeholders under the aegis of Amalgamated Bola Tinubu Campaign Council Rivers State, led by former Chief of Staff to the Rivers State Government and stalwart of the party, Chief Tony Okocha, explained that the call was premised on the ‘enormous’ roles played by Wike which ensured Tinubu’s sustained victory in the state, during the February 25 presidential election.

Furthermore, he called on the general public, at a briefing with pressmen, Tuesday, in Abuja, to disregard what he described as cheap political stunt by presidential candidate of Social Democratic Party, SDP, Magnus Abe, to suddenly take the front seat in Tinubu’s political veranda, after he left the APC at a time he was most needed.

Attributing the victory of the APC in the state to the effort of Governor Nyesom Wike, Okocha also said he played the role of keeping the party together when major stakeholders of the party turned their backs.

He said: “When Ameachi had left, Magnus had left what remained was the little I could control with an amalgamation of support groups. Since 1999, PDP has been in control of Rivers State back to back. Even in 2015, when I was Chief of staff, Ameachi was governor and during that Presidential election, APC scored about 69,000 votes, PDP scored about 2 million votes and we were in charge and he doubled as the DG of Buhari in 2015, in 2019 Wike had become governor, it became even worse.

“In 2015, APC scored 7 percent, in 2019 we scored 5 percent. Then, in 2023 APC is now winning. What was the magic? Wike’s PDP scored 32/32 in the state House of Assembly in Rivers state, Wike’s PDP scored 12/13 of House of Reps seats, Wike’s PDP scored 3/3 of the senatorial seats, Wike’s PDP won the governorship and then Wike’s PDP did not win Presidential election in Rivers state. What happened?

“Is it not the reason that all of us know that the G-5 governors said until things are made right, until power shifts to the south and that until Ayu resigns that they will not work for Atiku. Now, the spin doctor who made sure everything worked out for Tinubu, was Wike.

“We have 6,868 polling units in Rivers state across 319 wards and across 23 LGs and you and I know that every politician has his own polling unit agents that are paid on a stipend or the other. Who paid for the 6,868 agents in Rivers for APC?

“The activities of the G-5 is instrumental to the success of Tinubu in Nigeria politics today. Look at the ratio, APC won 12 states, and PDP won 10 states. Assuming PDP people worked together, they would have taken more states. I am telling you that in our own case, I am saying it categorically, I would have been the one person to say no don’t give it to him because I had the house. He didn’t come to see an empty house. I would have decided to appropriate everything to myself and behave like a crab.

“If you have somebody that is more than you, why don’t you invite the person. If he helped us to win in 2023, are we now going to tell him to come to us in 2027 to help us win? Why don’t we bring him in because he has value to add. No politician in Rivers state today can surmount Wike. No one in Rivers State can challenge Wike. He is the best.

“We are saying that whatever is due us as Rivers state should be handed over to Wike because he knows who worked for Tinubu in Rivers. I would have claimed it all because I was the last man standing when everybody took off but we are saying, look, this man contributed more.

“Magnus’ media stunts are mere grandstanding and only for benefits. My own satisfaction is that if you marshal out Tinubu’s soldiers today, even people that hate me the most will say I was at the epicenter of Tinubu’s victory in Rivers state, to me, it is enough food if there are other benefits that will come, it will be secondary but if anybody is coming out with the primary aim of getting an appointment, I will not accept.

“You’re now eulogizing Tinubu, you didn’t know that Tinubu was the best person when you left him for another party. Now, you defeated him in your unit and ward but now that the man has won, you want to eulogize, you want to grandstand, you want to say all manner of good things just for political appointment, it will not work. It is against common sense and reason.”
VANGUARD

Politics

Trump’s Threat: You’re Responsible For Nigeria’s Rising Insecurity – ADC Slams Tinubu

Published

2 hours ago

November 3, 2025

Editor

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has blasted President Bola Tinubu, blaming him for the escalating insecurity in Nigeria and the tagging of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern by US President Donald Trump.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, on Monday, the ADC said the action by Trump again highlights the urgency and scale of Nigeria’s security collapse.

The party said that the US President’s designation underlines the global expectation that governments must protect the lives of citizens living within their borders.

“We are guided by the painful reality that what is really at stake on this issue are the thousands of human lives that have been lost to insecurity in Nigeria, irrespective of their tribe, religion, or region.

“The statement by President Trump reminds us of the greater global concern about the sanctity of human life, and the cardinal responsibility of national governments to protect the lives of people who live within their borders.

“The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality, nor does it take into consideration the consistent and sincere efforts of the government to safeguard freedom of religion and beliefs for all Nigerians,” he stated.

Beyond the security failures, the ADC decried Nigeria’s weakened international standing, linking it to what it called the administration’s diplomatic negligence.

It questioned the continued absence of ambassadors in key countries more than two years into the government’s term, asking: “How can a government that has been boasting of unprecedented revenue success continue to give lack of funds as an excuse for not appointing ambassadors?”

“Under President Tinubu, Nigeria has declined both as a continental and a regional leader.”

Politics

How Obama Plotted My 2015 Election Defeat – Jonathan

Published

3 hours ago

November 3, 2025

Editor

Former President Goodluck Jonathan, has alleged that ex-US President, Barack Obama, plotted his defeat in 2015.

Jonathan made this allegation in his new book, ‘My Transition Hours’ due to launch on Tuesday.

He said Obama displayed an unusual level of bias during the 2015 elections, describing him as overbearing and ‘condescending’ in his message to Nigerians ahead of the 2015 general election.

According to Jonathan, “On March 23, 2015, President Obama himself took the unusual step of releasing a video message directly to Nigerians all but telling them how to vote.”

Giving the details in the book, Jonathan said, “In that video, Obama urged Nigerians to open the ‘next chapter’ by their votes.

“Those who understood subliminal language deciphered that he was prodding the electorate to vote for the opposition to form a new government.”

According to Premium Times, which obtained a copy of the book hours before its unveiling in Abuja on Tuesday, Jonathan had kept the book secret in order to avoid excerpts of it being published ahead of its formal launch.

Recall that Jonathan lost the 2015 elections to the late President Muhammadu Buhari, marking the first time an incumbent president would lose reelection.

He assumed office in 2010 following the death of President Umaru Yar’Adua, getting his own mandate of four years at the 2011 presidential election.

“The message was so condescending, it was as if Nigerians did not know what to do and needed an Obama to direct them,” Jonathan said of the video message.

He lampooned Obama, who was American president from 2009 until 2017, for saying all Nigerians must be able to cast their votes without intimidation or fear, but was reluctant to allow the Nigerian security forces drive Boko Haram insurgents away from the Nigerian territories they had been occupying in order to free Nigerian citizens there ahead of elections.

Jonathan also took a harsh aim at former US Secretary of State, John Kerry, saying the diplomat was nonchalant in his attitude towards his government, despite all efforts to make him understand that the decision to postpone election was in the overall interest of Nigeria.

“How can the U.S. Secretary of State know what is more important for Nigeria than Nigeria’s own government? How could they have expected us to conduct elections when Boko Haram controlled part of the North East and were killing and maiming Nigerians?

“Not even the assurance of the sanctity of May 29, 2015 handover date could calm them down. In Nigeria, the Constitution is very clear: No President can extend his tenure by one day,” Jonathan said.

Politics

Protest Rocks PDP National Secretariat As Wike-led Faction Takes Over

Published

8 hours ago

November 3, 2025

Editor

A protest erupted on Monday at the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party, Wadata Plaza in Abuja, as supporters of the factional acting National Chairman of the party, Mohammed Abdulrahman, stormed the premises.

The group, chanting solidarity songs, demanded that the National Working Committee, led by Umar Damagum, vacate the headquarters immediately.

Abdulrahman was named the acting national chairman of the party last week as the leadership crisis threatening the soul of the party worsened with the suspension of the party’s National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and the Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, for a period of one month.

In a dramatic twist, the faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, had converged at a separate venue in Abuja and announced the suspension of the Damagum-led NWC.

The protesters, who accused the Damagum-led leadership of mismanaging party affairs, vowed to reclaim control of the secretariat for the Abdulrahman-led faction.

Security operatives have been deployed to the area to prevent a breakdown of law and order as both factions struggle for control of the party’s edifice.

However, the faction of the party’s NWC led by Abdulrahman has taken control of the party’s National Chairman’s office.

Speaking to journalists at the office, Abdulrahman promised to unite and reposition the party in preparation for the next general election.

He also assured members of his commitment to work diligently for the party’s progress.

“We are ready to work in the interest of our dear party,” he said.