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Category: Politics Lite

  • PDP asks IGP to stop pro-Wike lawmakers from disrupting governance

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun to caution the 27 ousted members of the Rivers State House of Assembly against actions that could disrupt Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s administration.

    In a press statement on Wednesday, PDP National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba noted that these lawmakers, who had pledged allegiance to former Governor Nyesom Wike, openly defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Ologunagba cited the 1999 Constitution, stating that their defection disqualifies them from holding legislative positions in the assembly, and therefore, they lack the authority to convene or issue directives to the governor.

    Ologunagba, in the statement, said, “The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for the umpteenth time, cautions the former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who lost their seats upon defection from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC) @OfficialAPCNg to desist from actions and utterances that are capable of disrupting peace and governance in the State.

    “The Party counsels the former lawmakers to wake up to the reality that they are no longer members of the Rivers State House of Assembly by virtue of the self-executory provision of Section 109 (1) (g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and as such cannot gather or issue any notice to the State Governor in the capacity of members of Rivers State House of Assembly,” he explained.

    According to the party’s national spokesperson, the caution followed the former lawmakers’ purported seven-day ultimatum issued from an unknown location to the governor to re-present the 2024 state’s budget already passed and signed into law.

    Ologunlagba said the action by pro-Wike lawmakers’ seeking to assume the powers of the state assembly “is apparently with the intension to cause crisis, undermine and disrupt the Democratic and Constitutional Order in the State in clear violation of Section 1 sub-section 2 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).”

    “Having irretrievably lost their seats upon their defection from the PDP, the political Party platform upon which they were elected into the Rivers State House of Assembly, they cannot enjoy the powers, rights, privileges, recognition and obligations of members of the Rivers State House of Assembly,” Mr Ologunagba insisted.

    The party, therefore, charged the IG “to note the subversive action of these former lawmakers and take immediate action to protect the Institution of Democracy, peace and security in Rivers State.”

    He also urged the state’s residents to stay vigilant, uphold the law, and collaborate towards maintaining stability, peace, and the delivery of democratic benefits under the party’s leadership.

  • Who is gagging Dr. Abati?

    Who is gagging Dr. Abati?

    The cat was let out of the bag mid-air on Arise TV this Thursday morning as a lead anchor person of the Morning Show, Dr. Ruben Abati screamed, “dont gag me on air.”

    Dr. Abati had started making his commentary on leading news stories when he called out the senate minority leader, Sen Ali Ndume, declaring, “Senator Ndume lied when he alleged that President Tinubu was being insulated from the Nigerian public.”

    Dr. Abati sounded like someone in a foul mood as he made very incendiary and unsubstantiated on the live breakfast show as he accused some prominent leaders from the northern part of the country whom he said were blackmailing President Tinubu.

    At some point, after ranting ceaselessly, he began to stutter, paused and then exploded, “please don’t gag me on air.”
    At this point, his co-anchors, Ayo Mairo-Esse and Rufai Oseni gazed at each other and turned their gaze to Dr. Ruben in awe.

    In their comments online, viewers of the popular breakfast show had expressed their frusteration and angst about what some referred to as Dr. Abati’s patronising commentary on the Presidency of Bola Tinubu even in the face of the cost of living crisis that the majority of Nigerians are passing through.

  • Body Of Ex-Senate President Joseph Wayas Arrives Nigeria After 33 Months

    Body Of Ex-Senate President Joseph Wayas Arrives Nigeria After 33 Months

    The body of Nigeria’s Second Republic Senate President, Senator Dr. Joseph Wayas arrived in Nigeria 33 months after his death in the United Kingdom.

    The remains of the elder statesman, who arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Wednesday morning, were received by his family members; Cross River North Senator, Jarigbe Agom; Hon. Peter Akpanke; kinsmen, and other stakeholders.

    The body was thereafter deposited at the morgue of the National Hospital, Abuja, after opening two years and nine months at a London morgue.

    Senator Jarigbe, Hon. Akpanke and the family members of the late former two-time Senate President, were full of praises for Cross River State governor, Senator Prince Bassey Otu, for his spirited efforts in facilitating the transportation of Wayas’ remains to Nigeria.

  • Reps query minister over N45m spent on new year party, others

    Reps query minister over N45m spent on new year party, others

    The House of Representatives has queried the Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, for spending unrelated expenditures, including N45m for a New Year party, N20m for sanitary pads, the News Agency of Nigeria reports on Wednesday.

    Others include N1.5m for vehicle fuel.

    NAN reports that Rep Kafilat Ogbara, Chairman of the House Committee on Women Affairs, led the interrogation of the minister, over the non-payment of N1.5bn to contractors despite the fund release in Abuja.

    She said that the investigative hearing was aimed at uncovering the truth and not witch-hunting the Minister and the officials of the ministry.

    The committee also investigated the alleged diversion of funds meant for contractor payments, following a petition from contractors.

    The committee also sought clarification on funds appropriated for the African First Lady’s mission and the whereabouts of the N1.5bn meant for contractor payments.

    The minister, however, denied the allegations of misappropriation, overspending, and non-payment to contractors.

    The procurement officer confirmed contractors’ claims, and the Director of Finance and Administration acknowledged only paying approved contracts.

    It would be recalled that the committee had at its last sitting summoned the minister to appear before it to explain the rationale behind the non-payment.

    The committee also ordered the stoppage of all 2024 contract processes by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs until the whereabouts of the money for the said contracts are determined.

  • BREAKING: Bill to create extra 74 seats for women in parliament passes second reading

    BREAKING: Bill to create extra 74 seats for women in parliament passes second reading

    The House of Representatives, on Tuesday, passed for second reading a bill seeking to amend the constitution to create extra legislative seats for women in the National and state assemblies.

    The bill, jointly sponsored by the Deputy Speaker, Ben Kalu, and 12 others, was debated on the floor, with several members vehemently opposing it.

    It proposes to creat one senatorial seat and one House seat in each state and the FCT.

    It seeks to amend Sections 48 and 49 of the Constitution to provide one special seat reserved exclusively for women in the Senate and House of Representatives for each state of the federation and the FCT, effective after the term of the current National Assembly and subject to review every 16 years.

    Additionally, the bill seeks to amend Section 91 of the document to provide three special seats reserved exclusively for women in the Houses of Assembly of each state of the federation, which shall be spread across the three senatorial districts of each state.

  • What I told Tinubu about Wike, Fubara fight – Edwin Clark

    What I told Tinubu about Wike, Fubara fight – Edwin Clark

    Elder statesman Edwin Clark said he has advised President Bola Tinubu to give Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State a free hand to run his state’s affairs.

    The Ijaw national leader said this while weighing in on the crisis between Fubara and Tinubu’s appointee, Nyesom Wike, which has engulfed the oil-rich state in the past few months.

    The crisis has polarised the Rivers State House of Assembly, while many members of Wike’s camp previously appointed by Fubara have quit.

    “I have advised Mr President (Tinubu) again that he should leave Fubara alone to run his government, Wike should concentrate on his job in Abuja.

    “Once that is done, there will be peace and stability in the state. But if they do anything contrary and there is no peace, it will affect the economy of the country,” Clark told The Punch.

    The 97-year-old said elder statesmen like himself have been unable to mediate between Wike and Fubara because of the former’s insistence on controlling the political structure of the state.

    “How do you bring them together? One man says I have divorced. But you are my house help. There is no way. You are my son. There is no way any outsider can accept him.

    “This is because Wike does not see anything wrong with him. He believes that he is still controlling the structures in Rivers State whereas those structures have been there from governor to governor.

    “They don’t belong to one person. Wike was not yet born when Rivers was created,” he said.

    Clark castigated the Caretaker Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Tony Okocha for calling on the president to declare a state of emergency in the state over the crisis.

    “Concerning the call for a declaration of a state emergency, I can tell you that (Tony)nOkocha doesn’t know what he is doing. Who is he to call for that? He was only fortunate to be put there because the existing Rivers APC executives were dissolved in the first place. He knows me very well.

    “Was he not the chief of staff to (Rotimi) Amaechi when he was governor? They were in the APC together. Wike later took seven of them to see (Dr Abdullahi) Ganduje in Abuja. They formed a (caretaker) committee, and today, he is the chairman of Rivers State APC. So, it was obvious from the start that Okocha didn’t want to be with Amaechi again.

    “These are the people scattering Rivers State,” he said.

  • BREAKING: Court Of Appeal Strikes Out Pro-Wike LG Chairmen Suit

    The Port Harcourt division of the Court of Appeal, on Monday, struck out two appeals filed by Local Government Chairmen loyal to former governor Nyesom Wike, for lack of merit.

    The appeals marked CA/PH/137M/2024 and CA/PH/145M/2024, filed by Hon. Enyiada Cookey-Gam and six others, challenged the decisions of the lower court in the matters of the elongation of the council leadership tenure.

    The Court of Appeal found the appeals to be without merit and consequently struck them out.

    Martin Amaewhule-led lawmakers loyal to Nyesom Wike, the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, had amended the local government law and extended the tenure of the 23 local Chairmen that would expire by June by six months.

    When Governor Siminalayi Fubara declined assent to the Bill, the Lawmakers override the Governor and passed the Bill into Law.

  • BREAKING! Pro- Wike Lawmakers Give Fubara 7 Days To Re-Present 2024 Budget

    The Rivers State House of Assembly led by Martin Amaewhule has issued a 7-day ultimatum to Governor Siminalayi Fubara to re-present the 2024 budget to the House.

    The order follows the first sitting of the pro-Wike House on Monday after some months. The other House led by Victor Oko-Jumbo is also holding a parallel sitting.

    Fubara had earlier presented the budget to the House loyal to him when his current Chief of Staff Edison Ehie presided as the Speaker.

    Ehie and the other pro-Fubara lawmakers passed the budget estimates, and the governor signed the bill into law. He stated that it is aimed at promoting economic development, inclusive growth, and addressing socio-economic inequality in the state.

    Details later…

  • Labour Party’s triumph in UK, sign that LP will win Nigeria’s 2027 election – Rep

    Labour Party’s triumph in UK, sign that LP will win Nigeria’s 2027 election – Rep

    The Leader of the Labour Party Caucus of the House of Representatives, Afam Victor Ogene, has said the victory of opposition Labour Party in the United Kingdom, UK, is a sign that its Nigerian version would triumph in the 2027 general elections.

    In a statement made available to journalists in Awka, Friday, Ogene said the election told vivid tales of hope for the opposition, and competence and integrity of the electoral umpires in the UK, in a manner that elicits public confidence and trust in the electoral process.

    “Unlike what was witnessed in Nigeria in the last general elections, the process in UK was free of glitches, as about 40 million voters took part. Polls closed around 10 pm Thursday and by daybreak, the results were out.

    “There was no judicial ambush, as immediate transition took place to the admiration of all lovers of democracy and free and fair elections.

    “If we must practice democracy, we must also love, copy and abide by the transparency and accountability of democratic institutions in nations of the world that allow the rule of law and democratic principles to thrive.

    “In deed, one of the potent lessons of the British elections is the fact that, the concept of ‘snatch it, grab it, and run away with it,’ has no place in modern democratic practice,” he said.

    Relating the development in the UK to the 2027 election in Nigeria, Ogene said: “I urge the Nigerian Labour Party to draw inspiration from its British counterparts, close ranks, rally the people, and prepare to take the reins of power in 2027.

    “Let us work together to build a better future for our nation, guided by the principles of democracy, transparency, and accountability.”

    Ogene congratulated Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party in Britain, for his party’s victory over the outgoing UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak and his Conservative Party, in what has been described as the most emphatic election victory by any British political party this century.

    The opposition Labour Party won a huge parliamentary majority in the UK general election, unseating the incumbent Conservatives after 14 years.

    While the Labour Party got 412 seats, the incumbent Conservatives got just 121.

  • Senate passes North Central Development Commission (NCDC) Establishment Bill into law

    Senate passes North Central Development Commission (NCDC) Establishment Bill into law

    The senate, on Thursday passed into law the bill seeking the establishment of North Central Development Commission (NCDC). The bill was sponsored by Senator Abba Patrick Moro, representing Benue South Senatorial District and Senate Minority Leader.

    The bill, which passed First and Second Readings on the 5th of October, 2023, and 21st of February, 2024 respectively, was first sponsored in the 9th Senate by Senator Moro where it passed first and second readings but could not get presidential assent before the expiration of the 9th Senate.

    Senator Moro had argued in his lead debate that the commission, when established would be saddled with the responsibility of receiving and managing funds from the federal government and donors for the resettlement, rehabilitation, integration and reconstruction of roads, houses and business premises of victims of flood and farmers/herders clashes, communal clashes, construction of large format drainage systems, dredging of rivers Niger and Benue to control flood and incidental matters, as well as tackling the menace of poverty, illiteracy and other related environmental or developmental challenges facing the North Central Nigeria.

    The passage of the bill followed adoption of the report of the Senate Committee on Special Duties submitted during plenary.

    The Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, who presided over the plenary congratulated Senator Moro and all those who contributed to the success of the bill.

    He expressed optimism that President Tinubu would assent to the bill for the overall development of North Central Nigeria, which comprises Kogi, Niger, Benue, Kwara, Plateau, Nasarawa and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.