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Wike, Loyalists, Vow Never to Leave PDP

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The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has declared that he will not leave the Peoples Democratic Party for any reason.

The governor stated that he was rather interested in preserving the sanity of the party and would stay back to fight for the enthronement of unity, inclusivity, equity and peace in the PDP.

Wike made the declaration at the Rivers State PDP stakeholders meeting in Government House, Port Harcourt on Thursday.

The governor said he is a man of character, unlike those who cannot keep their word and walked out of the party at the Eagle Square in Abuja in 2014.

He said, “One thing I have always told people is if anybody is thinking, doing anything to think that we will leave PDP, foul.

“We will do the fight in the party. We are not like them when in 2014 they walked out of Eagle Square. They’ve forgotten. They walked out and joined APC. Is it not correct?

“Did they remain to fight inside the party? But we remained, they ran away. Now, there is a fight in the party, we will not run.

“We will fight it at this party. Those who run away from the fight are weak people. We will not. So everybody should know this is the state where we are. So that nobody tells you all kinds of stories.”

The governor insists that the constitution of the party clearly states that elective and party offices must be zoned which should be respected.

Wike wondered why the former PDP BoT chairman will be pressurised to resign and the PDP National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, is excusing himself from keeping to doing what is right.

He said, “You have taken presidential candidate, you have taken party chairman, you have also taken the D.G (director general) of the campaign. We are talking about party politics. Decisions are made by the presidential candidate, chairman of the party and the D.G of the campaign.

“They are telling you they told the chairman of the BOT to resign. So you know there is a problem. You said he should go and resign.

“You can put pressure on him to resign when his tenure hasn’t come to an end. But you cannot put pressure on the chairman to resign. You think at our level you will deceive us. You’ll tell us stories.”

Wike recalled how in 2015 the Federal Government used the military to invade Rivers State, interfered with and even annulled elections, but were resisted.

The governor said he made sure the senatorial results for Rivers East were announced that delivered Senator George Thompson Sekibo and that of Rivers West, which produced Senator Betty Apiafi.

Wike regretted that despite the risk taken to deliver them, the same people are now in Abuja plotting against him, saying they won’t succeed because God has blessed him.

The Rivers State governor also clarified that he never promised anybody a governorship ticket of the PDP despite the pressure some leaders mounted on him or attempts made to divide the State House of Assembly.

He further said though he didn’t clinch the PDP presidential ticket, he actually made a good account of himself at the primary.

The governor said by next week, the Rivers State PDP campaign team would be unveiled and the campaign pattern adopted would be based on each local government peculiarity.

Wike emphasised that all PDP candidates in the State will be returned elected by Rivers people who are satisfied with the performance of his administration.

“We will take all. We are taking all because Rivers people are happy with what we have done in this state. we have not only provided infrastructure, we have also defended the interest of Rivers State,” he stated

He explained that it took courage and firmness for him to protect the interest and assets of Rivers State without compromising it with politics.

The governor stated that there the federal government won’t be able to use the army and the police in the 2023 election, because Nigerians will vote for political parties on the basis of their performance.

Wike caution party members who want to be moles and work against the PDP because they were not given the ticket that they sought.

He urged party members to be steadfast because God is on their side, and since they have not known defeat, PDP cannot be defeated in 2023 general election in Rivers State.

In his response, State Chairman of the PDP, Amb. Desmond Akawor, said the party in the state had already passed a vote of confidence in Wike for the way he has piloted the affairs of the state.

Akawor commended the governor for the consistent delivery of projects, defending the interest of the state, and declared that they will continue to follow the leadership that he provides.

The Punch

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Why I Shelved My Proposed Tuesday’s Return to the Senate – Sen Natasha

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The suspended lawmaker representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, reneged on her promise to resume legislative duty on Tuesday, following Friday’s judgment, which nullified her six-month sanction.

The senator also failed to tender a public apology in two major dailies and her social media account, in line with the court order.

Akpoti-Uduaghan had told her jubilant supporters in a video trending on social media that she would resume her legislative activities in the Red Chamber on Tuesday.

The senator also expressed gratitude to her constituents for standing by her, following the favourable court judgment that reaffirmed her position in the Senate.

Following her threat to attend Tuesday’s plenary, the Senate leadership stated that it would not take any official action on the matter until the review of the Certified True Copy of the court’s pronouncement.

While bracing for a possible showdown, security at the National Assembly was beefed up with traffic extending to the intersection at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja.

Although authorities insisted that the heavy retinue of operatives had nothing to do with the suspended senator, incoming vehicles were thoroughly searched with the passengers asked to explain their mission.

When it was obvious she would not turn up as promised, many speculated that the lawmaker must have been warned by the Senate to stay away.

They hinged their suspicion on a viral letter purportedly written by the legal counsel of the upper chamber.

The letter, dated July 5, 2025, claimed that Friday’s judgment by the Federal High Court did not translate to a binding order invalidating her suspension.

The correspondence purportedly advised Jubrin Okutepa to caution his client (Natasha) from returning to the Senate chamber pending the release of the enrolled order from the court.

The letter allegedly bearing Paul Daudu’s name and signature warned of potential unrest in the Senate chamber if Natasha attempted to return to the Senate without an official court order.

Daudu, the counsel for the Senate in the suit filed by Akpoti-Uduaghan, challenging her suspension debunked the claim.

He denied writing the rumoured letter to the counsel for the Kogi senator, warning her not to resume legislative duties in the Senate.

Meanwhile, in an interview with the African Independent Television on Tuesday, the lawmaker explained that her decision was guided by legal counsel and a deep respect for institutional procedures.

She stated that she would await the Certified True Copy of the court judgment before making any definitive move regarding her return to plenary sessions.

While the court described the suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional,” a counter-opinion dated July 5, reportedly authored by Senate legal counsel, Paul Daudu, SAN, claimed that the ruling lacked any enforceable directive compelling the Senate to reinstate her.

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Presidency Raises Alarm over Alleged Plot to Overthrow Tinubu’s Govt

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The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, has alleged that a group of political actors is plotting to remove the president from office ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Onanuga made the claim in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday. Without naming specific individuals or parties, he said the alleged efforts are being coordinated by those he described as “haters of Nigeria’s progress”.

According to the presidential aide, “haters of Nigeria’s progress are banding together to overthrow an administration that has been the most focused, most transformative in our history.”

His remarks followed recent developments around a political alliance taking shape under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which aims to challenge Tinubu’s re-election bid.

Onanuga referenced a 2022 comment by the Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, in which the monarch warned voters against believing promises of quick solutions to Nigeria’s challenges.

“Emir Sanusi warned Nigerians what to expect from President Tinubu’s reforms. ‘It’s not going to be easy.’ If anybody tells you it would be easy, don’t vote for him,” he wrote.

He maintained that the Tinubu administration is pursuing reforms designed to reshape the country’s future, suggesting that opposition to these changes is at the root of current political maneuverings.

The post did not offer further details or evidence to substantiate the allegation of an overthrow attempt.

No official response has been issued by the groups involved in the emerging political coalition.

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I Go with Atiku Just As Obidients Are Free to Support Peter Obi – Dele Momodu

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Accomplished media executive and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Aare Dele Momodu, has reaffirmed his unwavering support for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to emerge as the presidential candidate of the opposition coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 elections.

“My best choice is Atiku, and that is what I expect Obi-dients to say, which I expect those who support Amaechi to say — there’s nothing wrong with that,” Momodu stated.

“I have never asked anyone not to support Obi. Obi is my very good friend. If you asked me about one of the people who should lead the coalition, I would say it should be Obi. But as a democrat, I’m appealing to them, hoping they will be able to do it democratically so that they will not say it was forced upon them.”

He stressed that all aspirants, including Obi and former Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, should face the test of popularity through a democratic process.

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