News
PDP Crisis: Wike’s camp slams Atiku over divide-and-rule in PDP
The gulf between Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike deepened at the weekend.
The governor’s supporters alleged that Atiku has started by-passing Wike and reaching out to other prominent Rivers PDP chieftains in a bid to isolate the governor ahead of next year’s polls.
Also, Wike has not extended invitation to PDP national leaders for the commissioning of projects across the state this week, despite inviting All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders for the ceremonies.
While Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu was invited to inaugurate the Orochiri-Worukwo flyover, a former Governor of Sokoto State, Senator Aliyu Wamakko, is expected in the state tomorrow for the inauguration of the Ogbum-Nu-Abali Eastern Bypass dualised road.
Other invitees are the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, who will inaugurate the House of Assembly quarters on Friday and Olusegun Mimiko, a former Governor of Ondo State, who will commission the dualised Azikiwe Illoabuchi Road.
Yesterday, Ebonyi State Governor Dave Umahi paid a visit to Wike in Port Harcourt for a partisan discussion.
The discussion focused on 2023 and the need for political leaders in the South to unite despite their party affiliations and ensure power shift to the South, it was learnt.
Party sources said the visits to Wike by APC governors have unsettled the PDP national leadership.
Efforts to get Atiku’s reaction were futile. A text message to his media aide, Paul Ibe, was not replied.
However, the Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman, Senator Walid Jibril, said efforts were being made to resolve the Atiku/Wike rift.
There were indications that the bad blood created by the PDP national leadership and Atiku during the process that led to the emergence of Atiku’s running mate, Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, was far from over.
Sources said Atiku’s utterances and body language that he could win the next election without Wike and Rivers are infuriating to the governor’s camp.
Read Also: Nigerian female politicians must learn from Gov Wike
According to sources, there were signs that Atiku was making efforts to divide the Rivers PDP by bypassing Wike to establish contacts with other party leaders in the state.
It was alleged that the flagbearer has been secretly meeting some Rivers PDP leaders, including former Senator Lee Meeba, former House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Austin Opara and former Governor Celestine Omehia.
It was further gathered that the recent dissolution of the Governing Council, Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic and the removal of Lee Meeba as its Chairman was part of the fallout of the alleged meeting with Atiku.
Last week, Wike dissolved the Governing Council with immediate effect.
The dissolution was contained in a statement by the Commissioner for Education, Prince Chinedu Mmom.
The statement asked members of the council to hand over all properties of the school in their possession to the school management.
Wike has accused some leaders and elders of the party of holding secret meetings with Atiku during a parley that was deadlocked.
The governor, it was gathered, also took some drastic steps to reorganise the leadership of the PDP in local government areas where their former leaders showed signs of disloyalty.
‘Why Atiku needs Rivers votes’
One of the leaders of PDP, who spoke in confidence, warned that it would be suicidal for anybody to think he could get the support of Rivers people, especially PDP members, without Wike.
He said: “These issues are still speculative. There hasn’t been any official statement to confirm them. But anybody who thinks he can bypass the governor to get the support of Rivers people should simply think again. It is politically suicidal to think so.
“I think that PDP leaders in Rivers should come together and hold a meeting. Governor Wike has surpassed the promises he made to Rivers people and the people love him. He also has total control of the PDP. Therefore, it will not be possible to bypass him.”
A PDP stalwart, Ogbonna Nwuke, however, said people should not read political meaning into the governor’s project commissioning and inauguration.
Nwuke said it was not the first time the governor would invite APC leaders to commission his projects, recalling that Wike once invited former Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State for a similar purpose.
On the recent comment of Atiku that the PDP could win the forthcoming election without the governor, Nwuke reminded Atiku that “pride comes before a fall”.
He said: “We are worried that the one, who claims to be a unifier and the one, who claims to be patriotic Nigerian can utter those words. It is a shame if it is true. I want to believe he was misquoted.
“At this point, we are not talking about whether or not he will win an election with or without anyone.
“What we are thinking about is the unity of the PDP that he belongs to. If what happened was wrong, he had the responsibility to correct them. Pride goes before a fall.
“I am worried that at his age given the level of his exposure, he can make those comments. It is wrong for someone who has been a beneficiary of the PDP to make those comments.
“We wish him luck. We cannot reply a man, who has suddenly become drunken by some arrogance.”
OSOGBO — The All Progressives Congress (APC) has rejected the outcome of the August 15, 2026, Osun State governorship election as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), insisting that it is not convinced that Governor Ademola Adeleke secured the highest number of valid votes.
INEC on Sunday declared Adeleke the winner after the Returning Officer, Prof. Joshua Olalekan Ogunwale, announced the final results at the commission’s headquarters in Osogbo.
Adeleke, who contested on the platform of the Accord Party, polled 511,067 votes to defeat the APC candidate, Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji, who scored 444,815 votes. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Dr Najeem Salaam, came third with 17,180 votes.
However, the APC said it would not accept the declaration without conducting a comprehensive review of the electoral process.
Speaking on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme on Monday, the Director-General of the APC campaign for the Osun governorship election, Hon. Oluwole Oke, said the party had commenced an audit of the results and electoral materials from the poll.
Oke said the party had directed its agents across the state to submit relevant result sheets for scrutiny as it investigates alleged infractions.
“We need to do the needful which is to evaluate the process, review the process and then form an opinion. We’ve embarked on an audit process; we’ve asked all our party agents to submit copies of Form EC8A, B, C to our secretariat for review. We need to inspect all the materials because we do not agree with the declaration of INEC, and that’s our position for now,” he said.
The APC campaign chief also dismissed suggestions that the party was under pressure to immediately accept the outcome following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s congratulatory message to Adeleke.
Tinubu had congratulated Adeleke after the declaration, describing the outcome as a reflection of the will of the people.
Reacting to the President’s position, Oke said Tinubu spoke in his capacity as President and a democrat following INEC’s declaration.
“Mr. President spoke as the Father of the nation and a democrat following the declaration by INEC,” he said.
Oke, however, maintained that the APC would rely on its own assessment of the election after completing its review.
“We’re on ground and politics is local and, like I’ve told you, what we’re doing is to conduct a thorough review of the entire process and form an opinion,” he said.
He added that the party would not be rushed into congratulating Adeleke, insisting that its preliminary position was that the governor did not secure the highest number of valid votes.
“We won’t be under any subtle pressure to easily reach out to congratulate Senator Ademola Adeleke because we believe he didn’t score the highest valid votes,” Oke said.
The APC is expected to determine its next course of action after completing its audit and reviewing the electoral materials and results submitted by its agents.
ABAKALIKI — The 2027 governorship race in Ebonyi State is gathering momentum, with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Chief Ifeanyi Odii, unveiling a package of reforms aimed at improving the welfare of workers, teachers and retirees.
Odii made the commitments during a meeting with representatives of Ebonyi civil servants and members of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) at his Lagos residence, where he outlined his plans for a comprehensive reform of the state’s public service.
A major component of his agenda is a workers’ housing scheme designed to provide 1,000 housing units within his first year in office and up to 5,000 units over four years if elected governor.
Odii said the housing programme would be structured to minimise dependence on direct government funding, with workers’ contributions and existing pension assets forming part of the financing framework.
He said the initiative would address the housing difficulties faced by workers and retirees, particularly retirees who often struggle to sustain rented accommodation after leaving government service.
The PDP candidate also proposed a paperless digital loan platform that would allow workers to access loans against their contributory pension savings without the bureaucratic delays associated with the existing system.
On retirement benefits, Odii pledged that workers would have access to their entitlements immediately upon retirement, arguing that retirees should not endure prolonged delays in receiving benefits accrued during their years of service.
He further promised to reform the promotion process through computer-based promotion examinations capable of producing results instantly.
According to him, the digital system would reduce delays, curb opportunities for manipulation and promote greater transparency and fairness in the career progression of civil servants.
Odii said the proposed reforms were aimed at creating a public service where workers would have improved access to housing, credit facilities and timely retirement benefits, while ensuring a more transparent promotion system.
He presented the proposals as part of his broader agenda to improve workers’ welfare and reposition the Ebonyi State civil service for greater efficiency if elected governor in 2027.
The MainPower Electricity Distribution Limited (MEDL) has confirmed the death of one of its operations staff in an electrical accident.
The Head of Communications, MEDL, Mr Emeka Ezeh, who confirmed the incident in Enugu on Monday, said that the incident occured on Aug. 13 at Eke in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State.
Ezeh said that the incident, which occurred at about 1p.m., involved Mr. Samson Okechi, the Team Lead, Abor, attached to the company’s 9th Mile District.
He said, “Okechi was carrying out maintenance work on a 50kVA/11kV pole-mounted distribution substation at Eke when he sustained an electric shock.
“Okechi was immediately evacuated to Our Saviour Hospital, Ngwo, for medical attention but was pronounced dead by the doctor on duty. His remains were subsequently deposited at a mortuary.”
He said that the incident was formally reported at the Ngwo Police Station for documentation and other necessary statutory actions.
Ezeh also debunked claims circulating on some social media platforms that Okechi was murdered or that the incident was the result of sabotage.
“I wonder why some people take pleasure in conjuring unfounded narratives and circulating them, thereby creating unnecessary tension and bad blood. This is so unfair,” he said.
He urged members of the public to disregard the claims, describing them as baseless.
According to him, Okechi had requested a Station Guarantee (SG) for the Okwe 11kV Feeder, which was granted at about 11:06 a.m. at the 9th Mile Injection Substation. The feeder was subsequently opened and tagged.
“This is a very unfortunate development and a big shock to all of us, his colleagues. Our hearts go out to his immediate family as they grieve,” Ezeh said.
The MEDL spokesman disclosed that MainPower management had commenced a comprehensive investigation to establish the immediate, underlying and root causes of the accident.
He said, “We are committed to ensuring that the investigation is thorough and evidence-based.
“The findings will be used to identify any gaps, determine appropriate corrective measures, and strengthen safety procedures and operational controls where necessary.”
Ezeh MEDL assured its customers and stakeholders that safety remained a paramount priority in its operations, adding that appropriate measures would be taken based on the outcome of the investigation.
Idiaye, a third-term lawmaker, takes over from Blessing Agbebaku, who resigned as Speaker on Monday amid moves by lawmakers to impeach him.
The emergence of Idiaye was said to have been influenced by the gentleman’s zoning arrangement in the Assembly, which provides that when the governor is from the Edo Central Senatorial District, the Speaker should come from Edo North.
Idiaye, being the oldest member from the Edo North Senatorial District, was subsequently elected Speaker.
Without the zoning arrangement, the Deputy Speaker would have automatically succeeded Agbebaku, according to the new Speaker.
Members of the Assembly were at the Government House to inform Governor Monday Okpebholo of the change in leadership.
Agbebaku was said to have resigned early on Monday following alleged moves by lawmakers to impeach him.
Reports gathered that 17 of the 24 lawmakers had signed a notice of impeachment on Sunday night, a development that may have prompted his resignation.
Agbebaku’s resignation was confirmed by Ebojele, who said details of the development would be made public later.
She said, “I can confirm the Speaker’s resignation but details will be made public later.”
The Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku, has resigned from his position.
Agbebaku stepped down on Monday amid moves by some lawmakers to impeach him.
His resignation was confirmed on Facebook by his media aide, Ivy Adodo-Ebojele, who said further details on the circumstances surrounding his exit would be made public later.
“EDO ASSEMBLY SPEAKER RT HON CHIEF BLESSING AGBEBAKU RESIGNS,” she wrote.
The development has thrown the Edo State House of Assembly into a fresh leadership crisis, with lawmakers expected to determine a new Speaker.
Details shortly…
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