Politics
Give Rivers Ministerial Slot To Wike -APC Chieftain Urges Tinubu
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Tony Okocha, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to give the ministerial slot for Rivers State in his yet-to-be formed cabinet to the immediate-past governor of the state, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike.
This is as he called on the former governor to dump the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and join the APC in order to provide formidable leadership for the party in the state.
Okocha, who is also former national chairman of Protocols/Logistics Committee of the defunct Tinubu-Shettima Grassroots Independent Campaign Council (TSGICC), spoke yesterday shortly after a meeting of APC stakeholders in Port Harcourt.
He stated that their demand for the ministerial slot to be given to Wike was based on the fact that the former governor contributed immensely to the victory recorded by Tinubu in the state during the February 25, 2023 presidential election.
The APC leader said: “We are also here to rekindle, to restate, to re-emphasize the fact that leadership is as old as creation; that in the leadership of Tinubu’s family in Rivers State, we are pleased 100 percent with His Excellency, Barrister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, the immediate-past governor of Rivers State.
“We are pleased to him as our leader because he who pays the piper, dictates the tune. When even the national could not oblige us with funds for the national rally that a lot of you here featured, the magic was done by somebody.
“When Emefiele and his team made it possible for monies to move for our campaigns in the state, somebody made it possible for us to fund our agents in 6,868 polling units in Rivers State and did other ground works.
“We make this demand because demand is different from request; request has to do with privilege, demand is a right. As our right and because we won an election; Rivers State is one of the states that delivered Tinubu outrightly with 25 percent. In the whole of South-South and South-East, it is only in Rivers State that Tinubu won outrightly.
“So, we have a right of entitlement. Our demand is that nobody should rob Peter to pay Paul. Our own share of the booty should be handed over to His Excellency, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike. We say so because we are confident as soon as it gets to him, he knows those who worked for Tinubu and it will get to us. It is only natural that it should go that way.”
Okocha said some political leaders in the state who abandon Tinubu when he needed them most are now making moves to pick up appointments in the new government, using their personal relationships.
He stated that there was the need for Wike to come over to the APC to provide leadership for the party in the state, since the PDP does not value and understand his influence and pedigree.
The APC chieftain said: “Suffice it again to say that as a party, forward-looking, there will be election in Nigeria in the next couple of months, APC is not at the verge of going into extinction in Nigeria. But, truly, APC in Rivers State is emorraging and bleeding. In fact, we are bleeding to ICU.
“It does appear to us that the leadership of PDP in Nigeria, do not appreciate, understand the influence; they don’t understand the pedigree that is embedded in Wike. It does appear to us that the PDP does not know what they have in Wike.
“So, we are asking and calling on Wike come over to Macedonia and lead us. Wike should come over to APC and lead us.”
Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has called on the Federal Government to immediately remove the Rivers State Sole Administrator, Retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, citing a breach of constitutional procedure and defiance of President Bola Tinubu’s directives.
In a statement provided to Elanza News on Thursday, Falana referenced the official Federal Government Gazette, which outlined the terms governing the Sole Administrator’s operations.
According to the document, “the Sole Administrator shall operate on the basis of such Regulations that may, from time to time, be issued by me,” President Bola Tinubu stated.
However, Falana noted that “it is common knowledge that President Bola Tinubu has not issued any Regulation for the operation of the Sole Administrator.”
Despite this, the appointed Sole Administrator has proceeded to make appointments and remove officials who were earlier appointed by Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
Describing the development as unlawful, Falana said: “By treating the orders of President Bola Tinubu with contempt, the Sole Administrator has compounded the illegality of his appointment.
The Sole Administrator ought to be removed without any further delay.”
The legal luminary’s position comes amid a broader political crisis in Rivers State, where the legitimacy of key appointments and the balance of powers between the state and federal government continue to generate intense debate.
The Northern Nigeria Youths Union (NNYU), has promised to garner over two million votes for President Bola Tinubu during the 2027 General Elections.
The Chairman of the union, Abubakar Aliyu, discussed this on Wednesday shortly after the conclusion of a major meeting held in Jos, Plateau.
“We are speaking after the conclusion of a large gathering of young men and women who have committed themselves to contributing to the journey of Tinubu.
“This is after seeing how he is implementing a myriad of developmental projects across the country, especially in the Northern parts of Nigeria,” Aliyu said in a statement issued to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna.
The chairman, who is also the Galadiman Takai, cited Tinubu’s recent inauguration of the construction of the Abuja to Kaduna to Kano Highway.
Aliyu said, “This is a road that has three lanes on each side, which will attract more developments to the North and the entire country.”
He also referenced the phenomenal decline in the prices of food stuffs during just-concluded Ramadan’ fast, averring, “everyone glaringly witnessed this feat.
“The prices of various goods had also nosedived and even the price of fuel had reduced significantly.
“We in our organisation, the Northern Nigeria Youth Union, assure the president that when the election comes, we will give him more than two million votes.”
Aliyu stated that the union had registered members, Muslims and Christians, all volunteers in each of the 19 Northern states.
He added, “It is is not that we were given money from somewhere, we are just volunteers with patriotism.
“Considering our large membership, when the elections are held, we will also attract the attention of many people to cast their votes for Tinubu.
” Therefore, with a large membership of over 65,000 people, and the efforts we will make to get people with voter’s cards, will ensure that we generate the votes for Tinubu.
“This is a guarantee that this will indeed be done.”
The chairman, however, called on Tinubu to ensure that all his political appointees were closely monitored.
“This call becomes necessary so that the people could be properly cared for as per the constitutional provisions,”Aliyu explained.(NAN)
Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has announced a ban on night grazing and restricted the use of motorcycles across the state following incessant attacks.
In a state broadcast on Wednesday, Mutfwang described the attacks as “coordinated acts of terror” aimed at displacing residents and undermining their right to exist peacefully on their ancestral lands.
The governor also prohibited the transportation of cattle by vehicles after 7pm.
He said the directives take immediate effect, with the restriction on motorcycle use in place from 7pm to 6am across the state until further notice.
“The tragic echoes of Dogo Na Hawa, Riyom, Barkin-Ladi, Mangu, and the Christmas Eve massacres in Bokkos remain vivid. The cycle continues, but it must not endure. Enough Is Enough,” the governor said.
“As your governor, I stand resolved — Plateau shall not be overrun by fear, nor shall we accept this culture of bloodshed as the new normal.
“My administration is intensifying efforts to protect our people and enforce the rule of law across all local governments.
“I hereby announce the following measures, effective Wednesday, April 16: Night grazing of cattle is strictly prohibited; transportation of cattle by vehicle is banned after 7pm.
“The use of motorcycles is restricted from 7pm to 6am across the state until further notice.”