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Fubara Will Surpass My Success Record In Office -Wike
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has assured that the governor-elect Siminalaye Fubara and his deputy governor-elect, Prof. Ngozi Odu will surpass his record of success.
Wike gave the assurance yesterday while speaking at a public lecture and book presentation in his honour at Dr. Obi Wali International Conference Centre in Port Harcourt.
The governor remarked that his administration enjoyed tremendous support from leaders and people of Rivers State to be reckoned with success his administration is celebrating.
He solicited same support should be given to his successor because if Fubara administration fails, it will mean that all that made it possible for him to emerge as the next governor, have failed.
Wike said: “I have that belief that the governor-elect and the deputy governor-elect will do very very well. He is somebody you can rely on. His yes is yes, that I can tell you.
“He is an accountant, they are very conservative. They don’t spend money anyhow. They spend the money where they know it will be useful. So, don’t rate us as the same. But he is a very good person.”
The governor urged Rivers people to understand that no two persons are the same and therefore, should not expect the same level of relationship they experienced under his administration with the incoming government.
He said: “Don’t compare that the way I relate with you should be the way the incoming administration must relate with you, no. We have different styles but what’s important is being able to deliver what will make out people to be happy.”
Wike, however, enthused that governor-elect, Fubara will be committed to deliver on what will make Rivers people happy.
The governor said: “When people were struggling to be governors, he never one day came to me to say sir, I am interested.
“Only those don’t have interest of the State were those masquerading themselves, running around, those who I know that would sell the State the next day and I think God they have all left.
He emphasised that the journey had not been easy, but with focus, commitment and help from God, he surmounted the challenges.
Wike said: “If Rivers people were not in support of our administration, we would not have been encouraged to do what we have done. And so I say to all of you our leaders, Rivers people that I appreciate every support you have given to us since 2015.”
The governor also expressed appreciation to Dr Peter Odili, former governor of the State for writing down the list of things he should avoid if he wanted to succeed. According to him, that list helped him greatly.
Presenting the 2023 inauguration lecture entitled “Democracy, Transformational leadership and sustainable development: The Rivers experience,” Prof. Julius Ihonvbere acknowledged the tactically strategic politics of governor Wike that produced result in the State and beyond.
Ihonvbere said: “Wike brought in a new phase of domestic and international appreciation of the location of the state in economic calculations.
“In terms of infrastructure, there is no one in the history of the State that you can compare comfortable with Wike.
“Like a man in a hurry to finish an assignment, he u leashed massive interventions,often at great cost, on practically every sector especially health, education, administration of justice and rural development.”
Former Vice President and prominent opposition leader Atiku Abubakar has vocally condemned the arrest and ongoing detention of social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In a statement released on Monday, Atiku characterized this action as “yet another blatant abuse of power” by the Bola Tinubu administration, alleging that it employs political repression as a governance strategy.
“Even more concerning is the fact that Mr. Otse remains in custody without any formal charges—this constitutes a flagrant violation of his constitutional rights and serves as a chilling reminder of the increasing authoritarianism under this government,” Atiku asserted.
He contended that the detention is part of a “disturbing pattern” exhibited by the Tinubu administration, which seeks to suppress fundamental freedoms, particularly targeting dissenters and opposition figures.
“We must not permit state-sponsored repression to become the hallmark of our democracy,” Atiku cautioned.
The former presidential candidate further criticized security agencies for their selective enforcement, highlighting the swift arrests of dissenters—often executed without due process—while political allies facing corruption allegations remain unscathed.
“The systematic repression of opposition voices by the Tinubu administration is nothing short of disgraceful. It represents a blatant affront to democratic principles and must be vehemently condemned and opposed,” he concluded.
From Amos Tauna, Kaduna
A northern-based civic group, the Concerned Northern Forum (CNF), has raised the alarm over what it describes as the deliberate delay by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate former Zamfara State governor, Bello Matawalle, despite multiple petitions and earlier commitments by the agency.
Speaking at a press conference in Kaduna on Monday, CNF Chairman, Alhaji Aliyu Muhammad Sani, said the EFCC’s inaction was “raising serious questions” about its independence and willingness to go after powerful individuals.
According to him, the group alongside other civil society bodies, had submitted petitions as far back as May and September 2024, detailing how Matawalle allegedly mismanaged a colossal amount of money in state funds during his tenure from 2019 to 2023.
“We have seen the EFCC take bold steps against other former governors and ministers. So we are asking: why the silence in this case? Who is shielding Matawalle from investigation?” Sani queried.
The CNF pointed to official financial data and loan records to back its claims, insisting that the former governor should be made to explain how federal allocations and borrowed funds running into hundreds of billions were utilised.
Sani stated that the EFCC itself, in a statement issued in May 18, 2023, had confirmed through its then Director, Media and Public Affairs, Osita Nwajah, said that EFCC is investigating Matawalle over allegations of monumental corruption award of plantom vontracts and diversion of over N70 billion, lamenting that more than a year later, nothing concrete had come out of that investigation.
The Zamfara State Lawyer Forum has endorsed the Nigerian House of Representatives’ decision to summon Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal and leaders of the state’s House of Assembly, amid a deepening crisis within the legislature and escalating insecurity across the northwestern state.
The forum, a prominent legal advocacy group, described the summons as a constitutionally valid exercise of legislative oversight, citing Sections 88 and 89 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, which empower the National Assembly to investigate matters of public interest and summon relevant officials.
Barrister Aisha Muhammed, the forum’s chairperson, said in a statement on Sunday that the House’s action was “legally valid, constitutionally supported, and deeply necessary” to uphold democratic governance and the rule of law.
She argued that Governor Lawal and state assembly leaders must answer questions regarding the suspension of seven elected assembly members and the controversial declaration of a lawmaker’s seat vacant—actions she said raised “grave constitutional questions” and potentially breached democratic norms.
“Governors and assembly leaders must not invoke immunity as a shield against legitimate oversight,” Muhammed said, referencing Section 308 of the Constitution, which grants immunity from judicial processes but does not exempt officials from non-coercive legislative inquiries.
“Accountability is the lifeblood of constitutional democracy. No public office holder, no matter how highly placed, is above the people’s right to transparency.”
The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions issued the summons on Friday, directing Governor Lawal, his Benue counterpart Hyacinth Alia, and their respective state assembly leaders to appear before it on 8 May.
The move follows a petition by the Guardians of Democracy and Rule of Law, a civil rights group, highlighting worsening insecurity and legislative dysfunction in both states.
Zamfara has been plagued by rampant banditry, with recent attacks claiming dozens of lives, including six community protection guards and four vigilantes in Anka Local Government Area on 22 March, and 20 gold miners in Maru Local Government Area on 24 April.
The state’s legislative crisis, marked by factionalism and alleged executive interference, has further compounded governance challenges.
Muhammed criticised Governor Lawal’s apparent acquiescence to the assembly’s controversial actions, calling for “legal and moral scrutiny”.
She stressed that the National Assembly’s intervention was not only lawful but obligatory to preserve constitutional order and address public grievances.
“The key question is not whether the Governor or the Speaker can be summoned, but [what] they have [to say in response to] questions to answer,” she said.