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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.”
Son of the late head of state and former Minister of Defence, Chief Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi, in a letter of remembrance and solidarity written on behalf of the Aguiyi-Ironsi family to the Fajuyi family, marking the 60th anniversary of his death, said July 29, 2026, will be a solemn occasion to honour a soldier they described as “a war hero who offered himself as a sacrificial lamb for the unity and integrity of the nation.”
The family recalled that Lt Col Fajuyi, then Military Governor of the Western Region, made the ultimate sacrifice in 1966 when mutinous soldiers abducted him alongside Maj Gen Aguiyi-Ironsi in Ibadan during the military counter-coup.
They stated that Fajuyi, in a defining moment of conscience, chose honour over personal safety and refused to abandon his guest and superior, a decision the family said reflected the highest ideals of loyalty, integrity, and military brotherhood.
According to the statement, his action transformed him into a national martyr whose legacy continued to inspire unity, courage, and selfless service.
The Aguiyi-Ironsi family also expressed sympathy with the Fajuyi family, acknowledging the enduring pain of their loss, while praying for continued strength, comfort, and peace.
The statement further stated, “He did not run. He did not hide. He chose to stand. In that sacrificial decision lay the essence of his greatness.”
The family called on government institutions, military authorities, and custodians of national memory to ensure sustained recognition and support for the Fajuyi family, stressing that his sacrifice remained a national responsibility to remember and honour.
It urged Nigerians to draw inspiration from his life and death, noting that his legacy continues to challenge the nation to uphold unity, courage, honour, and selfless service.
Fajuyi was killed on July 29, 1966, during the military counter-coup in Ibadan alongside Aguiyi-Ironsi.
By Okey Maduforo Awka
The emergence of Chief Ikeagwuonu Ugochinyere as the Minority Leader of the Federal House of Representatives has been described as a vindication of the fact that the Action People’s Party (APP ) represents the collective interests of the Nigerian masses.
Recall that recently, Ugochinyere was elected as the Minority Leader of the party in a keenly contested election of the Federal House of Representatives.
According to a statement by the Chairman Anambra state chapter of the APP Chief Chijioke Okeke, Ugochinyere had been consistent in offering himself as the voice of the people and that of the voiceless.
“It did not come to us as a surprise that our great leader High Chief Ugochinyere became the Minority leader of the Federal House of Representatives because he has always been consistent and focus towards providing himself as the only vent for the masses at the Green Chambers”
“We know his pedegre as a politician as well as a leader and he has remained focus in ensuring that the voiceless are heard and this is also a vindication of our party’s unflinching desire to provide a veritable platform in a democratic process”
Okeke further stated that the fifth columnists who had attempted to deregister the party have been put to shame adding that the party shall continue to champion the interests of the Nigerian people.
“They made failed attempt at deregistering our great party but they lost sight of the fact that the APP is firmely rooted on ground and has all that it takes to drive the wishes and aspirations of the Nigerian populace and with this recent development our traducers have been put to shame and our party is on the path of further greatness “. Okeke noted .
By Okey Maduforo Awka
Six members of the Indigenous People Of Biafra IPOB have been declared wanted by the Nigerian Police .
The six persons led by Mr Chukwuebuka Ohaechesi, include Emma Okonkwo, Jude Uwa, Gentle Okoro, Uchenna Dike, and Emmanuel Nwankwo who are said to be at large.
The were said to have fled to neighboring states in the South East hence signaling the other four Police Commands in the geopolitical zone to assist in the manhunt for them
The Police accused them of executing protests against the detaintion of the leader of IPOB Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who is currently serving jail terms in Sokoto Correction Center.
According to a statement issued by the Abia Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, ASP Eguavon Omokaro, the individuals are suspected members of IPOB who have allegedly participated in protests at various times and locations within the state.
The statement alleged that the protests were organised in connection with the continued detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and demands for justice through the judicial process.
The Police Command further stated that these protests have allegedly resulted in breaches of peace and disruptions to law and order in Abia State. Consequently, the Police Intelligence Department reportedly concluded that the named individuals were among the principal organisers and coordinators of the demonstrations.
The statement further alleged that; ;
“It should be noted that on every 30th day of May, these men and their cohorts convene for the so-called remembrance of Biafra, holding clandestine meetings at various locations in the name of the emancipation of the Biafran Republic and the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.”
According to the police, the six individuals were invited on several occasions for questioning in relation to the allegations against them.
The statement indicated that the first invitation was issued on 18 December 2025, followed by a second invitation on 7 February 2026, and a third invitation on 3 March 2026.
The police alleged that the individuals failed to honour all three invitations.
The statement further asserted:
“These individuals were invited by the police on several occasions. Firstly, on 18 December 2025, they failed to honour the invitation. Again, they were invited on 7th February 2026 and failed to appear. Finally, they were invited on 3 March 2026, and they also failed to present themselves before the police.” It stated.
As a result, the Abia State Police Command announced that all six individuals had been formally declared wanted.
The police appealed to members of the public to provide any reliable information that could lead to their arrest and prosecution, stating that informants would be suitably rewarded.
The declaration of the six individuals as wanted persons is linked to allegations of their participation in pro-Biafra activities, demonstrations concerning the detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and their alleged association with IPOB, an organisation that has been the subject of extensive scrutiny and security operations by Nigerian authorities.
In a statement shared on social media, VeryDarkMan argued that Wike may not fully understand the pain and trauma experienced by parents of abducted children and affected teachers. He claimed that the minister’s children were educated abroad, away from the security challenges facing many Nigerian families.Nigerian entertainment news
The activist stated that insecurity, kidnapping, and attacks on schools remain serious national concerns and should not be dismissed or reduced to political issues. He stressed that the fears and frustrations of parents whose children face security threats deserve greater attention from public officials.
VeryDarkMan further warned that political power is temporary, urging leaders to remain accountable to the people and sensitive to the challenges confronting ordinary Nigerians.
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