NewStats: 3,265,518 , 8,187,060 topics. Date: Sunday, 15 June 2025 at 01:50 PM 4e41z

The Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has struck out a suit by one of the APC governorship aspirants, Bernard Mikko against the APC governorship candidate Tonye Cole, INEC, and Ojukaye Flag-Amachree for lack of jurisdiction.

Recall that Bernard Mikko had asked the court to direct INEC to disqualify Tonye Cole on the claims that the primaries held on May 26 were marred with irregularities and that Mr. Cole has a questionable character following a report of white paper that indicted him. But the presiding judge, Justice Ayua Phoebe said the court lacks the jurisdiction to hear the suit on the grounds that Mr. Mikko failed to exhaust all the internal mechanisms of the party before taking legal action.

Justice Phoebe who described the suit as frivolous and an abuse of court process ruled that Bernard Mikko failed to abide by his earlier oath of allegiance sworn to the APC never to institute any legal action against the party.
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#letstalk
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HITsquad:
Based on your capital.... I would suggest Block industry businesses.

Rent an empty plot of land near a fast developing rural area,and start a block industry business...

That's a good idea but sometimes you can stay for weeks without selling much

Advice needed


Please dear nairalanders advice me on which of this business can I start up with 800000 to 1.2m naira looking at our present economy that can bring quick returns
TRANSPORTATION: I have been working as a private driver for more than three years.
PHONE ACCESSORIES: don't have any experience in it or
BETTING SHOPS.
If you have any other idea to suggest to me I will appreciate

Mind you I got this money from the land sold by my family

bestman09:
His pockets are probably running dry. He should go and learn from ffk and Dino melaye on how to be slaves

He's just acting politics.
He is the present Local government Chairman of Emoha in the State

Many months after a brutal onslaught on Kuje Prison by terrorists, the Federal Government has now completed investigation into the attack.

However, the Federal Government does not intend to make the report public due to the security nature of the report.

The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, made the disclosure while giving a scorecard of the ministry at a media briefing in Abuja on Tuesday.

He however said some of the escapees from the facility had been recaptured while many others were still at large.

The attacks by the insurgents group led to the escape of over 600 inmates including of the terror group.

Aregbesola, who was flanked by the Minister of Information and Cultural, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and the Permanent Secretary of his Ministry, Dr Shuaib Belgore, said the greatest legacy of the Buhari istration was the government’s ability to push Boko Haram insurgents out of all the local governments they hitherto occupied before the advent of the government.

The minister said, “In 2015 Boko Haram were holding territories in local governments in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States, but today they have been dislodged. Yes, there are challenges here and there, but there is no nation without challenges”.

Aregbesola maintained that challenges relating to the delay in issuance of international ports were being addressed, adding that the procedures leading to data capturing are responsible for the delay.

He said, “We don’t have enough processing and data-capturing centres across the country. This is the major challenge.

“For instance, we have only three centres in the whole of Lagos, but I can assure you that before this istration leaves by May 29, next year, Lagos will have 20 processing centres.

“We will open processing centres in Daura, Oyo, Zaria, Alimosho, Defence Headquarters, Head of Service Office, and one in the Ministry of Interior,” Aregbesola asserted.

Earlier, the Minister of Information, Lai Muhammed, had regretted the increasing resort to fake news by a section of the media, which he noted had become a threat to President Muhammadu Buhari’s achievements in office.

Mohammed noted: “Attack on INEC offices across the country has become a threat to 2023 elections,” citing case of recent INEC fake latter against APC Presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which went viral in some mainstream media.

The minister cautioned media outlets to avoid being used for such nefarious activities, adding that fake news had done serious damage on elections in other climes and warned that the government would not allow the purveyors to have an upper hand.

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state has welcomed the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, Rabiu Kwankwaso in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital ahead of the inauguration of the Mgbutanwo Internal Roads in the Emohua Local Government Area holding today (Monday).

Wike received Kwankwaso on Sunday night at the State House in Port Harcourt.

Recall that Wike had invited top from opposition parties to commission projects in the state recently.

According to Wike, of the opposition parties were invited to commission projects in the state for them to see firsthand and tell their party men.

A former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole last Wednesday commissioned the 8th flyover in the state located on Ada George road, adjacent to the private residence of Wike in his country home of Rumueprikom in the Obio-Akpor Local Government Area.

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi also commissioned the 9th flyover at the popular Ikoku junction on Thursday.

Similarly, President Muhammadu Buhari commissioned the Port Harcourt Campus of the Nigeria Law School on Friday.

Since May, Wike and four other governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) known as the G5 have demanded the resignation of Iyorchia Ayu, saying northerners should not be the PDP national chairman and presidential candidate.

However, Ayu, a Benue indigene, has insisted that he won’t step down till the end of his four-year tenure, even as the G5 made his resignation a precondition to Adamawa-born Atiku Abubakar’s 2023 presidential ambition.

On Sunday, the five governors elected on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, and some aggrieved party leaders met in Lagos for a strategic meeting.

The meeting may not be unconnected to agitation for the removal of the PDP National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu.

After the meeting, the G5 governors and some aggrieved party leaders, and the presidential candidate of the party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, agreed on the need for reconciliation to thrash out issues that have promoted the crisis within the party.

The aggrieved governors and leaders of the party also announced the formation of what they described as Integrity Group.

By Efe Onodjae & Mathew Johnson

A 38-year-old man, Jimoh Jogbo, stormed an undisclosed church in the Lekki area of Lagos and allegedly attacked his mother-in-law, resulting in her death.

Another worshipper, Jamiu Sakiru, 40, who attempted to raise the alarm, also had his life snuffed out by the suspect.

Preliminary investigation by the Police revealed that the suspect had carnal knowledge of his wife’s 14-year-old younger sister.

His mother-in-law was said to have refused to bow to entreaties by the suspect, insisting that the case would be reported to the Police for justice to prevail.

The attack on her was said to be an apparent bid to stop her from carrying out her threat.

The suspect’s wife, Modupe Bolaji, reported the matter to Policemen at Akodo division.

She said her husband left their apartment on Olodana street, Orofun Town, Ibeju Lekki and stormed the church at about 1 am, while they were preparing for a prayer section.

She gave the identity of her mother as Fatimo Muskilu,49.

She said: “He hit her with a hard object. He also attacked Jamiu, who saw him and attempted to shout. Jamiu died on the spot.”

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, who confirmed the incident, said it occurred on November 14, 2022.

According to him: “The 49-year-old woman was rushed to Akodo General Hospital where she was confirmed dead.

Policemen visited the scene of the incident from the Akodo division. There were marks of violence on the corpses which were deposited at the Epe General Hospital.

“The suspect has been arrested and will be transferred to the SCIID for further investigation.”

By Emmanuel Aziken

Perhaps no other two persons have stirred political drama in Nigeria’s South-South region in the Fourth Republic than Governors Nyesom Wike and the comrade governor, Adams Oshiomhole.

The sight of Governor Wike commissioning his numerous projects and the praise singers cheering ‘Nyesom Wike pepper dem well, pepper dem well…as eh dey sweet us e dey pain dem, as e dey pain dem, e dey sweet us..’ has become one of the more enthralling take aways from the sight and sound of the project inaugurations in Rivers State.

It is a reminder to the shouts of Osho Baba, Osho Baba that rented the air anytime Comrade Oshiomhole went out to inspect the Airport Road project or the Storm water project in Benin.

Oshiomhole as governor of Edo State was about the most excitable person in the political arena in his time. While governor, he regularly took to the roads to demonstrate his flair for political drama. Just like Wike, he was not about the most ired of persons especially among the political elite.

Oshiomhole’s celebration of his killing of political godfathers was celebrated as about the way Wike has also been celebrating his construction of projects all about Rivers State. It is remarkable that the two men only interacted as governors for one year as Oshiomhole left office about a year after Wike was inaugurated.

Though they came in through different political parties few would doubt that the personalities of the two men would have rubbed off on the politics of the South-South had they served together as governors for a longer period.

What is remarkable is that Wike to the embarrassment of his critics has kept on delivering projects in a way that has stupefied many. In fact, it makes a mockery of fellow governors that one governor keeps commissioning projects even inviting some of them to come and commission his projects.

The project inaugurations have remarkably, been stages for Governor Wike to make political statements. Almost unfailingly, he has used the project inaugurations to accentuate his point on issues pertaining to the crisis in the PDP.

Predictably, Wike has not made any pretence in fencing out his political enemies from the live television commissioning activities. He has snubbed the leadership of the PDP and even its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and at the same time invited political actors from other parties for the inaugurations.

As he started the commissioning of projects this week, the governor could not hide his reaction to mutterings within the PDP over his invitations to Oshiomhole and Obi for the high-profile inaugurations. His reaction was that it is his right to invite whosoever he desires as he threw a punch to the critics to also commission their projects.

Now the appearance of Oshiomhole in Port-Harcourt was perhaps one of the most remarkable political statements that came from the project inaugurations.

Few would forget the role the two men played in the Edo State governorship election of 2020.

It would be recalled that in the days leading to the election that the PDP had sought a kind of man with grit to face the APC attack that was marshalled from the background by Oshiomhole.

Wike by all parameters fit into that image and he was duly appointed as chairman of the Edo Governorship Campaign Council. Wike’s main man, Chief Dan Orbih, a long-time political foe of Oshiomhole’s was also appointed the campaign manager.

The two worked together to deliver Obaseki for a second term with votes significantly above the muddle that brought him as governor in the first term in 2016.

That both Orbih and Wike fell out with Obaseki, just as Oshiomhole who first brought him to political light had earlier done, is not the issue here. What has amazed your correspondent is the way that Oshiomhole and Wike have resonated with the political philosophy of no permanent enemies in politics but permanent interests.

Another political saying that comes to mind is that the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Wike was prompt to offer his apologies for the way he fought Oshiomhole even putting aside the claim that he did not take a bath for three days as he prosecuted the election war for Obaseki against the former APC national chairman.

The rapprochement with Oshiomhole is significant. The former Edo governor is the number two man in the operations department of the Asiwaju Bola Tinubu Campaign. It will be difficult for anyone to believe that comrade and Wike did not discuss how they could help the APC presidential candidate when they were alone.

It is no news that of the three leading presidential candidates that Wike has been reported to be more disposed to Tinubu than Atiku or Obi. The reasons are numerous and did not start today. However, the Rivers State governor is constrained by the tremor on the ground around him.

That political tremor came to play when the Labour Party presidential candidate did a walkabout with Wike last Thursday during the commissioning of another flyover in Port-Harcourt. As the two men stamped the streets, there were shouts everywhere of Obi! Obi!! Obi!!!

That is the puzzle for Wike.

No fewer that five people have been killed in a mass shooting at an LGBTQ nightclub in the US city of Colorado Springs.

The police on Sunday confirmed that at least 18 people were also left wounded following th the deadly incident.

In a statement by the spokesperson of the Colorado Springs Police Department, Pamela Castro, the police said, “It’s with a heavy heart I have to tell you that we had a shooting at a local club this evening.

“We have 18 injured and five deceased. That number is subject to change as the investigation continues,” she added.

Castro said police received an emergency call just before midnight on Saturday (0657 GMT Sunday), saying that there was an active shooting at a local club known as Club Q.

She added that medical teams and officers responded and “they did locate one individual who we believe to be the suspect inside.”

Meanwhile, in its reaction to the incident, Club Q stated, “is devastated by the senseless attack on our community.”

“We thank the quick reactions of heroic customers that subdued the gunman and ended this hate attack,” the club posted on its Facebook page Sunday.

The club had posted earlier on Saturday about an LGBTQ event starting at 8 pm.

The post reads, “We’re celebrating Transgender Day of Remembrance with a variety of gender identities and performance styles.”

The Police Department said there would be an 8:00 am news conference on the shooting.

Recall that on June 12, 2016, a gunman opened fire inside the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida, killing 49 people and wounding more than 50 in what was then the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history.

The US President, Joe Biden marked the fifth anniversary of the Orlando shooting last year, taking the rare step of saying he would designate the club as a national memorial.

The US Gun Violence Archive defines a mass shooting as a single incident in which at least four people are wounded or killed.

Five governors elected on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, and some aggrieved party leaders, on Sunday, announced the formation of the Integrity Group saying it will soon take a position on the crisis rocking the party.


The G5 governors and some party leaders are currently having a strategic meeting in Lagos.

Addressing newsmen before going into a closed door meeting, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State said the Integrity Group is the face behind the struggle within the PDP.

Makinde said: “We are here this morning to hold a meeting of the Integrity Group within our party, the PDP. You’ve been of the G5 that is the five PDP governor’s. The G5 is all about the Integrity Group. You can see us, five serving governors, as the face of this struggle but the leaders and elders if the party that you see here are the people behind those faces.


“We are this morning in the South west to review the situation within our party, to review where we are and to also look at what is going to happen in the coming elections. At the end of our deliberations, you will be fully briefed on where we stand on those burning issues. On behalf of our leaders and elders in the South west, I want to welcome of the Integrity Group and wish us.”


Those present at the meeting include Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State and Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State.


Others at the meeting are former governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, former Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayo Fayose, former Cross River State Governor, Mr Donald Duke, former Plateau State Governor, Mr Jonah Jang and former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Bode George.


Also present are former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr Bello Adoke; Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Mr Taoferk Arapaja; Senator Nasif Suleiman, Mr Nnena Ukeje, Senator S. O. Onor and Senator Mao Ohabunwa.


Recall that the Presidential Candidate of the PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Governor Wike have been at daggers drawn over removal of Ayu and the need for the South to produce the party’s National Chairman.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/11/pdp-crisis-were-now-integrity-group-wike-allies/amp/

By Dapo Akinrefon
Five governors elected on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, and some aggrieved party leaders are currently having a strategic meeting in Lagos.


The meeting may not be unconnected to agitation for the removal of the PDP National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu.


A source, privy to the meeting, however, said the meeting would avail the Wike and his allies the opportunity to review recent developments in the party before taking its next step.


Governor Wike and his allies are currently having a closed door meeting and are expected to brief the press later.


Those expected at the meeting include Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State and Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State.


Others at the meeting are former governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, former Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayo Fayose, former Cross River State Governor, Mr Donald Duke, former Plateau State Governor, Mr Jonah Jang and former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Bode George.


Also present are former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr Bello Adoke; Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Mr Taoferk Arapaja; Senator Nasif Suleiman, Mr Nnena Ukeje, Senator S. O. Onor and Senator Mao Ohabunwa.


Recall that the Presidential Candidate of the PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Governor Wike have been at daggers drawn over removal of Ayu and the need for the South to produce the party’s National Chairman.

Details later…

A 45 year old man, identified as Lanre, has reportedly died during a sex romp at a popular hotel in Ondo city, Ondo state.

His untimely death, has thrown of his family into mourning.

Another source said the victim might have died of exhaustion.

Unconfirmed report alleged that he might have died of thunderbolt popularly known as ‘magun’ in Yoruba parlance.

Vanguard gathered that the ugly incident occurred around 9:00pm on Wednesday.

Sources in the town said that the woman with him as at the time of his death, reportedly raised alarm after he collapsed inside the hotel’s bathroom.

The deceased was said to have excused himself after rounds of sex with the woman to have a shower only for him to collapse in the process.

The alarm raised by the woman reportedly attracted the hotel’s manager and other workers who rushed to the scene.

Vanguard learnt that efforts to revive the loverboy failed as he was met stone dead.

Police detectives were invited and after interrogating the woman and the hotel workers, his corpse was removed and deposited at the morgue of the University Of Medical Sciences, in Ondo.

ed, the state police image maker, Funmi Odunlami, confirmed the death of the victim.

Odunlami said it was a case of Sudden and Unnatural Death.

She added that police detectives have commenced investigations.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.vanguardngr.com/2022/10/man-dies-in-ondo-hotel-after-sex-romp/amp/

By Dayo Johnson, Dapo Akinrefon & Adesina Wahab, AKURE

LEADER of Ilana Omo Oodua, Professor Banji Akintoye, yesterday, declared that the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu’s ambition was premised on “personal interest” and not that of the Yoruba people.

Akintoye, however, vowed not to endorse Tinubu or vote for him during the 2023 election.

This came as the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, Southwest Zone, yesterday, said it has not endorsed the Tinubu/Shetima presidential ticket or any other ticket.

Akintoye, in a statement, disassociated himself from an interview he granted two years ago where he had endorsed Tinubu for president, noting that the former Lagos State governor was contesting at the wrong time.

The statement reads: “I have no personal animosity towards any Yoruba person seeking election. But I am sorry for you. You are creating a legacy that your children’s children will be ashamed to know about very soon in the future of the world.

“Our brother, Tinubu, you are fighting for yourself alone when your whole family is perishing. There is fire on our roof as a nation.

“It is unbelievable that any Yoruba man would do to his people what you are doing to our people now. You have been carrying around a video of an interview that I granted Alaroye on the campus of Obafemi Awolowo over two years ago.

“Dear Tinubu, please don’t deceive yourself. You cannot deceive our people. Do you think you can carry that kind of video around and deceive our people? Our people are smarter than that.

“The world is watching you. Our history will judge that at a time when our nation needs to stand up and defend itself, you started to bring up an agenda.

“A personal agenda of your own before them. You are asking us to vote for you. We will not vote for you. Whether it is for the Presidency or the Senate or House of Rep or whatever, we will not vote for you.

“We would have taken our country out of Nigeria by then. So, we advise you now to return to your people. I am advising you now, to return to your people and wash your soul clean. You are doing an unpardonable thing.

“Tinubu, you are destroying the Yoruba future. You are creating a legacy for yourself that your children’s children will be ashamed to know in the future. We ask you to return.

“You can still save yourself now and your future. We are determined to take our country. And I’m standing solidly with the young people who are running around trying to take their country. You might say they are fighting themselves, that’s what young people do everywhere. That does not mean that they don’t want their country, they want their country.”

A Federal High Court, Abuja has fixed Nov 18 for hearing a N20bn suit filed by the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, against the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, SAN.

Justice Inyang Ekwo fixed the date for hearing the suit, which also has the Director-General of National Intelligence Agency (NIC), Ahmed Abubakar as a defendant.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Kanu, through his lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, had filed a writ of summons marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1702/222.

The application, dated and filed on Sept. 23, listed Abubakar Malami and Ahmed Rufai Abubakar as 1st and 2nd defendants respectively.

Ejimakor sought “a declaration that the defendants’ arrest and imprisonment of the plaintiff (Kanu) at a location in Kenya and the subsequent imprisonment of the paintiff in the aircraft that conveyed him from Kenya to Nigeria amounted to false arrest and false imprisonment.

“A declaration of this Honourable court that the defendants acted in bad faith and/or abused their public offices in falsely arresting and falsely imprisoning the plaintiff at the said location in Kenya and said aircraft.

i”An order of this honourable court directing the defendants to, tly and severally, pay to the plaintiff the sum of N20,000,000,000.00 (Twenty Billion Naira only) being general and exemplary damages.

“An order of this honourable court directing the defendants to separately write and deliver to the plaintiff, an unreserved personal letter of apology.”

He prayed that the letters of apology shall be prominently and boldly published full-page in two Nigerian newspapers of national circulation.

He also sought an order of the court, directing the defendants to pay the cost of the suit, among others.

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate in Rivers State, Senator Magnus Abe has once again destabilized Rotimi Amaechi’s plan to return to political relevance in the state.

This follows the nullification of all primary elections of the All Progressives Congress for 2023 polls.

The Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt had on Tuesday nullified all the primaries conducted by APC in Rivers State.

Some Aggrieved APC loyal to the Governorship Candidate of SDP, Senator Magnus Abe had approached the Court Challenging the Conduct of Primary with Claims of Exclusion from Delegate primaries conducted in the State.

o fewer than 8,000 Final year students of the Rivers State University, are currently protesting against the school management’s policy of “no school fees, no examination.”
The examination started on Monday and students who were unable to pay their school fees were asked to leave the examination halls.


The students were seen on Tuesday, carrying placards and protesting along the highway, while calling on the state government to prevail on the school authorities to reverse the draconian policy.
One of the protesting students who spoke with SaharaReporters said, “My father is pensioner and the Rivers State Government failed to pay his gratuity and pension arrears. I wonder why a State University under the watch of a Governor (Nyesom Wike) who doles out money to outsiders, would send indigent students of the state out of examination halls merely because they can't afford school fees.
“The governor is holding our money in trust for us and should the students. My father has promised to sell his only plot of land in the village to pay the fees during my clearance.”

The Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom has possibly withdrawn his for the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar.

POLITICS NIGERIA gathered on Tuesday evening that Ortom accused Atiku of dishonoring him as Governor and working against the interests of the state.

Ortom appeared to have been miffed by Atiku’s comments on recent killings carried out by Fulani herdsmen in the state. He accused Atiku of working with Miyetti Allah.

“It was not correct for a presidential candidate who is seeking to rule the people to say that kind of thing,” Ortom said on Tuesday at the Chapel of Grace, Government House, Makurdi.

“It was very wrong. And it would appear that he doesn’t even reference me and consider me to be a Governor of my state.

He also fired Atiku for sidelining him in his presidential campaign team.

“I am not in his campaign team,”

“The people they appointed there, no consent from me. So I’ll remain on my own. But I’m waiting; when the election comes, we shall vote the election according to the election.”, he said.

Ortom’s statements are coming after a group of elder statesmen in Benue, Minda Leaders of Thoughts, also withdrew their for Atiku over alleged hate speech and profiling of Benue people.

The Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, who is a strong ally to the Rivers State Governor, has revealed the limit he won’t exceed in his for Wike amidst the lingering crisis rocking the party.

While answering questions thrown at him during an interview session, Ikpeazu stated that he won’t decide to Wike if he decides to fight the presidential candidate of their party or his running mate.

He however stated that if what Wike is fighting for is the inclusivity of the South like he’s currently doing, he would definitely stick with him.

Ikpeazu said: “I am a party man, I am not going anywhere, I will remain in the PDP, but it is good that I am in a place where I can ask those questions about what my people will naturally confront me with. I am not going to Wike to battle Atiku or Okowa. But, I will Wike on principle to demand the inclusiveness of the Southeast, the Southsouth and the Southwest in the party.”

NEWSRivers govt withdraws criminal charges against Rotimi Amaechi, Tonye ColePublished on October 6, 2022By Clement Chinedu



Rivers State Government has withdrawn the criminal charges against the former governor, Rotimi Amaechi, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the state, Tonye Cole and five others.


When the matter resumed for ruling on the legality of the use of a private lawyer to prosecute the matter rather than the attorney general of the state, counsel to Rivers State government informed the court of their decision to withdraw the suit.

However, the defense counsel argued that withdrawing the suit at this point was an abuse of court process and asked the court to dismiss the criminal charges.

But the trial Judge, Justice Okogbule Gbasam, in his ruling instead struck out the charges.

The judge ruled that the plaintiff has the right to discontinue with the matter.

The Rivers state Government had filed criminal charges against the former minister of Transportation, the APC governorship candidate Tonye Cole and five others over alleged illegal sales of state assets.

ABUJA-Some Christians in the northern part of the country, operating under the aegis of Conference Of Northern Christians And Minority, have called for the immediate arrest, and possible prosecution of a Kaduna-based human rights activist, Shehu Mahdi, over a video allegedly considered inciting in content, and divisive in form.

Specifically, the Northern Christians said the video, which is causing outrage on social media platforms, was intended to deny a section of the North a golden opportunity to interrogate the status quo, with a view to enthroning a new order.

In a statement by the National President, Dr Bitrus Yakubu, the Christian body expressed disgust over Mahdi’s outing, which they insisted, sought to pool the wool over their eyes.

“We hasten to warn Mahdi, and his cohorts, that our people have suffered enough marginalisation, occasioned by our religious belief, hence have decided to take their destiny in their hands.

“To be sure, while our Christian brothers and sisters have, over the years, ensured a monolithic North, we have, unfortunately, not received reciprocal warmth from our otherwise kith and kin.

“Our people have recognised the pain of rejection, amidst unparalleled offer of brotherhood/sisterhood, and have chosen to reinvent themselves through the instrumentality of the 2023 presidential election.

“It is in recognition of this, that we advise the likes of Mahdi to reconcile themselves to reality, respect new perspectives, and stay on the side of the law and good conscience.

“Let it not be lost on the likes of Mahdi, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), respects the right to freely associate, and hold opinions/views, provided they do not offend extant laws.

“It is our view, that his action and tendency are at variance with the United Nations’ charter on human and people’s right.

“We, therefore, call on the international community to, without further ado, declare Mahdi a person of interest, the statement reads in part.

In the face of the foregoing, however, the christian group vowed to mobilise millions of votes from the Northern region for Obi, the presidential candidate of LP, daring “status quo men” to attempt to stop the movement.

The statement continues: “It does appear, from the disgraceful outing, that Mahdi has chosen to remain slaves to the past, as the viral video regrettably suggests.

“Northern Christians, having been treated as outcasts for such a long period, have chosen to break away from decades of unfulfilled agitation for integration.

“We make bold to say that never in the history of human struggle has humanity given so much for acceptability, and received so little in return.

“Over time, we have been confined to the world of bats, who are neither accepted in the animal, nor bird kingdom.

“As a responsible and responsive Christian body, the minimum we ask for our people, is the latitude to choose whomever they feel will restore their humanity and pride, which have suffered nullification over time.

“We wish to conclude by informing Shehu Mahdi and his sponsors, that not even ten million of sentimental people like him can sway Northern Christians from voting for Peter Obi.

Again, for us as Northern Christians and minorities, Mahdi’s statement cannot make us alter our resolve, because we have suffered hatred, pain,agony, and marginalisation from people of his likes, and we have, therefore, taken position to vote for H.E Peter Obi of the Labour Party in the forthcoming election.

“We took this position not because of religious sentiments, but from deep conviction that he remains the most competent, prepared and acceptable candidate to lead the New Nigeria Project, which millions of voters have subscribed to.”

GOVERNOR Nyesom Wike of Rivers state says he has no reason to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), no matter the situations threatening unity of the party ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Wike at a Rivers PDP stakeholders meeting in Port Harcourt Thursday, the first of such since the rancorous presidential primaries and picking of running mate, also said he would tell his own side of the story on Friday.

The governor said that he was interested in preserving the sanity of the party and will stay back to fight for the enthronement of unity, inclusivity, equity and peace in the PDP.

Priding self as man of character who keeps his word, Wike declared, “I have always told people, if anybody is thinking we will leave PDP, foul. We will do the fight in the party. We are not like them, when in 2014 they walked out from Eagle Square. They’ve forgoten. They walked out and ed APC. Is it not correct?

“Did they remain to fight inside the party? But we remained, they ran away. Now, there is a fight in the party, we will not run. We will fight it in this party. Those who run away from fight are weak people. We will not. So everybody should know this is the state where we are. So that nobody tells you all kind of stories.”

The governor the party constitution clearly stating that elective and party offices must be zoned should be respected, wondering why former PDP Board of Trustee (BOT) Chairman would be pressured to resign and while national chairman, Sen Iyorchia Ayu excuses self from doing what is right.

“You have taken presidential candidate, you have taken party chairman, you have also taken the D.G (director general) of campaign. We are talking about party politics. Decisions are made by the presidential candidate, chairman of party and the D.G of campaign.

“They are telling you they told the chairman of the BOT to resign. So you know there is a problem. You said he should go and resign. You can pressure him to resign when his tenure hasn’t come to an end. But you cannot put pressure on the chairman to resign. You think at our level you will deceive us. You’ll tell us stories.”

Governor Wike recalled how in 2015 the federal government used the military to invade Rivers State, interfered with and even annulled elections, but were resisted, just as he made sure senatorial results for Rivers East were announced in victory for Senator George Sekibo and that of Rivers West, that produced Sen Betty Apiafi.

He regretted that despite the risk taken to deliver them, same people were now in Abuja, allegedly plotting against him, praying they won’t succeed because God has blessed him.

He denied promising anyone Rivers PDP governorship ticket despite the pressure some leaders mounted on him and attempts to divide the State House of Assembly, adding that though he didn’t clinch the PDP presidential ticket, he actually gave a good self at the primary.

He hinted on unveiling of Rivers State PDP campaign team next week with the campaign pattern adopted based on local government area peculiarity, emphasising that all PDP candidates in the State will be returned elected by Rivers people who are satisfied with the performance of his istration.

“We will take all. We are taking all because Rivers people are happy with what we have done in this state. we have not only provided infrastructure, we have also defended the interest of Rivers State”, he said.

Besides securing refund of money illegally deducted by federal government over the Police Trust Fund, the governor said his istration recovered oil wells wrongly ceded to Imo State and is collecting accruing revenue from disputed oil wells between Rivers and Bayelsa States.

The governor stated that there the federal government won’t be able to use the army and the police in the 2023 election, because Nigerians will vote for political parties on the basis of their performance.

Governor Wike caution party who want to be moles and work against the PDP because they were not given the ticket that they sought.

The governor said urged party to be steadfast because God is on their side, and since they have not known defeat, PDP cannot be defeated in 2023 general election in Rivers State.

In his response, State Chairman of the PDP, Ambassador Desmond Akawor said the party in the state has already ed a vote of confidence on governor Wike for the way he has piloted the affairs of the State.

He commended the governor for the consistent delivery of projects, defending the interest of the State, and declared that they will continue to follow the leadership that he provides.

Captainsure:
Life Story

Life Story

The Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Mr Dumebi Kachikwu, has referred to his counterpart in All Progressives Congress Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as a great grandfather.

He also called the Presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, grandfather and father respectively.

Kachikwu made the remark during a session for leading presidential candidates for the 2023 general elections at the Annual General Conference (AGC) of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), holding in Lagos.

He further insisted that if the session on Democratic Transitions in 21st Century Nigeria went on for another five hours, the other candidates would not be able to proffer any solution to the issues plaguing the nation.

“They cannot give what they don’t have,” he declared, according to a statement by the media office of his presidential campaign organisation.

He bemoaned the fact that schools in Abuja had been shut down over security issues even though President Muhammadu Buhari lives in Abuja.

He wondered what part of Nigeria could then be considered safe, since the seat of government in Nigeria appears beset by grave insecurity.

He said the nation needed to focus on strategic exports to boost her dollar earnings and gave examples of how legal, engineering, architectural and other services could be sold over the internet to people all over the world. He called on Nigerians to emulate the NBA and boldly go in a different direction in next years general election just as the NBA did in electing the young Olumide Akpata two years ago and has now reaped the rewards of youthful innovation.

Wike or no wike APC can not win presidential election in Rivers State

American-Nigerian singer-songwriter David Adeleke, popular as Davido, has had a timeout with some governors on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Europe.

In a photo, which is now trending online, Davido could be seen in the company of Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo state; Nyesom Wike of Rivers state; Samuel Ortom of Benue state; and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia state.

The music star could be seen enjoying a drink together.

Although details of the meeting were not made public yet, it was learnt that PDP governors are allegedly having a strategy meeting with the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC in London.

Recall that Davido played an influential role in the emergence of hisuncle, Senator Ademola Adeleke as the governor-elect of Osun state under PDP, following the keenly-contested July governorship election in the state.

Adeleke had edged past the reigning Governor Gboyega Oyetola of the ruing All Progressives Congress (APC) to claim victory in the election.

Senator Adeleke had polled 403,371 votes to defeat Oyetola, who secured 375,027 votes.

Davido stood with Adeleke since the last governorship election in Osun, which was won by Oyetola.

Davido performed and rallied tremendously for Adeleke throughout the campaign period and till after the declaration of his uncle as the rightful winner of the Osun 2022 governorship election.

Meanwhile, Wike has been widely speculated to leave the PDP, following his fallout with Abubakar Atiku, who defeated Wike to clinch the PDP ticket in May.

Since Wike lost PDP presidential primaries to Atiku he has been heaping jibes and jeers to Atiku and other top ranking of the party.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.vanguardngr.com/2022/08/davido-hangs-out-with-govs-wike-makinde-others-in-europe/amp/

The All Progressives Congress in Rivers State has moved to court seeking the disqualification of candidates of the People’s Democratic Party PDP for the 2023 general elections.

APC wants the court to compel the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission, to disqualify candidates of PDP including the Governorship Candidate Simininalaye Fubara and 31 others over non compliance to the new Electorial Act.

APC in the suit claimed that PDP delayed to forward the containing the names of their candidates to the INEC within the 30 days required by the new law.

The APC also wants the court to disqualify all the PDP candidates in the state for not properly g the letter containing the names of the candidates before forwarding same to INEC.

However, when the matter was mentioned in court, yesterday, counsel for APC, Collins Dike moved Motion Exparty for substited service on all the respondants and the court granted same.

The presiding Judge, Justice, Ayuah Phoebe granted the plaintiff to serve the respondants by pasting the process in their walls.

Phoebe adjourned till 31st of August, 2022 for hearing and directed the plaintiff to effect service to the respondents before the next adjourned date.

Rivers government denies structural failure of Rumukrushi flyover
By Ann Godwin, PortHarcourt

The Rivers State Government has denied viral reports of structural failure on one of its flyover bridges at Rumukrushi (Tank) in Obio-Akpor Local Council of the state.

On Saturday night at about 7:00 pm, videos and photographs of the alleged collapse of a section of the flyover, the 10th bridge being constructed by Governor Nyesom Wike led -istration went viral.

However, checks by The Guardian showed that an excavator horizontally collided with a launched beam while trying to pull out a tipper that got trapped.

The project is being handled by Julius Berger PLC and the management of the firm is said to have been notified.
Reacting yesterday, Special Assistant (Media & Documentation) to the Commissioner for Works, Rivers State, Dornubari Kiinee, said what happened was not an issue of structural failure, but was entirely an accident caused by some careless heavy equipment operators.


He described an earlier report on the incident as misleading.

He said: “Routine construction works were going on at the site when an excavator horizontally collided with an already launched beam while trying to assist a tipper that got stuck. The beam moved out of place and made an impact on other beams. This caused damage to the beams on that row.

“The erroneous narrative being propagated by mischief-makers is with the sole aim of causing unnecessary panic amongst unsuspecting of the public.



“The good people of Rivers State should disregard it in its entirety because there is no cause for alarm whatsoever. The structural integrity of the 10th flyover is not in dispute in any way. What happened was an avoidable incident caused by two careless equipment operators.

“To the glory of God, there was no casualty. The management of Julius Berger has been swiftly notified. The damaged beams will be removed and new ones will be relaunched. There is no need for panic as the situation is fully under control.”

Pdp should just move on and forget about wike
That man just want every body to be under his control

Anambra and jungle justice be like bread and beans

How this boy talk qualify?

Mr Vivian Ajenijo

Bro think twice o but if u we be the one to loss u better do am but use protection