Politics

Wike’s Loyalist Resigns As Fubara’s Chief Of Staff

Published

2 years ago

January 11, 2024

Chidi Amadi, the Chief of Staff to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, has resigned.

The Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, confirmed Amadi’s resignation to The PUNCH on Wednesday.

Johnson said Fubara would announce a replacement for Amadi, a loyalist of ex-governor Nyesom Wike, at the appropriate time.

“The former Chief of Staff, Hon Chidi Amadi, has resigned. The governor will announce another Chief of Staff at the appropriate time.

“It is the prerogative of the governor to appoint when he wants it. He will tell us and we will announce it and you will also get the release to that effect,” he said.

Efforts to reach Amadi were unsuccessful as he neither answered several calls put across to his mobile line by our correspondent nor replied to WhatsApp and text messages sent to him on Wednesday night.

Amadi is Wike’s kinsman from Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State. His resignation brings to 10, the number of Wike’s loyalists who have left Fubara’s administration since the beginning of the political crisis between Fubara and his estanged political godfather, Wike. Amadi’s resignation comes on the heels of calls on Fubara to appoint a former factional Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Edison Ehie, as Chief of Staff.

On January 3, the Ijaw Youth Council, Worldwide, called on Fubara to appoint Ehie as the Chief of Staff in compensation for standing by the government at the height of a plot by 27 lawmakers loyal to ex-governor Nyesom Wike to impeach Fubara.

The PUNCH reports that the plot to impeach Fubara led to the factionalisation of the Rivers State House of Assembly, with Ehie leading four members, while Martin Amaewhule, led 26 pro-Wike lawmakers.

In December, Fubara shunned the 27 pro-Wike lawmakers and presented the 2024 budget to the five-member Ehie faction, which passed the budget on December 13.

However, following the intervention of President Bola Tinubu, Fubara, as part of an eight-point resolution reached at Aso Rock in Abuja, was asked to recognise the 27 pro-Wike lawmakers and take the budget back to them for passage.

Weeks after the Abuja meeting, Ehie resigned his membership of the House of Assembly, writing the Independent National Electoral Commission that he ceased to be a Rivers lawmaker.

Though Ehie did not give any specific reason for resigning, Fubara, speaking days later, said Ehie’s exit was part of calculated moves to give peace a chance and resolve the political crisis engulfing the state.

On Tuesday, the Amaewhue-led Assembly, during its plenary at the Assembly quarters along Aba Road, Port Harcourt, called on Fubara to bring the 2024 budget for fresh passage, saying the state was being run without a budget.

But as of Wednesday, Fubara had yet to comment on the request of the lawmakers, even as no state government official had reacted to the statement which may signal another round of crisis in the state.

Politics

Tinubu Sends Ex-INEC Chair, Former Oyo First Lady, 30 Additional Ambassadorial Nominees To Senate

Published

2 days ago

November 29, 2025

Editor

President Bola Tinubu has forwarded 32 additional ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation, just days after submitting an initial batch of three names.

In two separate letters to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the President urged the upper chamber to consider and swiftly confirm 15 career diplomats and 17 non-career nominees.

The list includes four women among the career nominees and six women among the non-career nominees.

Prominent names on the non-career list include Barrister Ogbonnaya Kalu from Abia State; former presidential aide, Reno Omokri (Delta); former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmud Yakubu; former Ekiti First Lady, Erelu Angela Adebayo; and former Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

Others are former Speaker of the Katsina State House of Assembly, Tasiu Musa Maigari; former Plateau State Commissioner, Yakubu N. Gambo; and former Deputy Executive Secretary of UBEC, Yakubu K. Musa.

Also nominated are former Plateau senator, Prof. Nora Ladi Daduut; former Lagos Deputy Governor, Otunba Femi Pedro; former Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode; and Barrister Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu from Anambra State.

Additional nominees include former Oyo First Lady, Fatima Florence Ajimobi; former Lagos Commissioner, Lola Akande; former Adamawa senator, Grace Bent; former Abia governor, Victor Okezie Ikpeazu; Senator Jimoh Ibrahim of Ondo State; and former envoy to the Holy See, Ambassador Paul Oga Adikwu (Benue).

The career ambassadorial nominees are Enebechi Monica Okwuchukwu (Abia), Yakubu Nyaku Danladi (Taraba), Miamuna Ibrahim Besto (Adamawa), Musa Musa Abubakar (Kebbi), Syndoph Paebi Endoni (Bayelsa), Chima Geoffrey Lioma David (Ebonyi), and Mopelola Adeola-Ibrahim (Ogun).

Others include Abimbola Samuel Reuben (Ondo), Yvonne Ehinosen Odumah (Edo), Hamza Mohammed Salau (Niger), Ambassador Shehu Barde (Katsina), Ambassador Ahmed Mohammed Monguno (Borno), Ambassador Muhammad Saidu Dahiru (Kaduna), Ambassador Olatunji Ahmed Sulu Gambari (Kwara), and Ambassador Wahab Adekola Akande (Osun).

The new nominees are expected to be deployed to countries with which Nigeria maintains strong and strategic diplomatic relations, including China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, South Africa, and Kenya, as well as to Permanent Missions such as the United Nations, UNESCO, and the African Union.

Their specific postings will be determined after Senate confirmation.

Recall that President Tinubu, last week, forwarded three ambassadorial nominees, Ambassador Ayodele Oke (Oyo), Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu (Jigawa), and retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are (Ogun), who are being considered for postings to the UK, USA, or France.

President Tinubu said additional ambassadorial nominations will be announced in due course.

Politics

Soludo Visits Tinubu, Goes Into Closed Door Session With President

Published

3 days ago

November 28, 2025

Editor

Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo, on Thursday, paid a courtesy visit to the President, Bola Tinubu, GCFR at the State House.

Report by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Soludo, Mr Chris Aburime stated that President Tinubu received the Anambra State Governor with excitement, describing him as his long standing friend of over 22 years.

Aburime said, “The President used the occasion to further congratulate Governor Soludo on his landslide victory in the just concluded Anambra gubernatorial election.

“Recall that President Tinubu had earlier issued a congratulatory message to Governor Soludo immediately the governorship election was concluded.”

Governor Soludo was declared winner with 73% of the votes cast by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Other details of the meeting were, however, not disclosed as the press Secretary told DAILY POST that both men went into a closed door meeting after the reception.

Politics

2027: I Will Resign If Tinubu Loses In Edo – Governor Okpebholo

Published

3 days ago

November 28, 2025

Editor

Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholor has vowed that President Bola Tinubu will win the 2027 presidential election in Edo State.

Okpebholor in an interview captured in a viral video vowed to resign if the outcome of the 2027 election does not favour the president in Edo State.

According to him, the entire people in Edo State are ready to vote for the president, citing projects that his (Okpebholor) administration executed since the All Progressives Congress, APC took over the state.

He claimed that there is no opposition in the state, stressing that everyone is supporting the ruling party ahead of the 2027 elections.

He said, “There is no opposition here in Edo everybody is for Asiwaju in this state.

“Tinubu is more popular than me in Edo state. If he doesn’t win the presidential election in Edo in 2027, I will resign.”