Headline

How I Escaped Assassination Attempt – Abiye Sekibo

Published

1 year ago

February 11, 2023

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

The spate of violent attacks resumed in Rivers State during the week when the Director-General of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Council in Rivers State, Dr. Abiye Sekibo, was brutally attacked, but escaped being assassinated by the whiskers on Thursday midnight.

Sekibo’s attack became the second of the PDP high profile chieftains to be attacked in the state. This is after the home of Senator Lee Maeba, who represented Rivers South-East senatorial district, and a stauch follower of the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, was invaded and vandalized in October, 2022.

It was said that the invaders were people suspected to be government thugs. An eyewitness, who identified himself as Maeba’s brother, had narrated that the intruders, armed with dangerous weapons, struck in the early hours, smashing windscreens of vehicles and destroying other valuables.

Reports say persons, numbering over 20, invaded Maeba’s residence in Government Reserved Area (GRA) in Port Harcourt, destroying his personal properties, including cars. The assailants manhandled those found within the vicinity of the property and totally destroyed whatever that was within reach. However, Senator Maeba, who was absent at the time of the attack, escaped assassination as it was said that one of the hoodlums who beat up the senator’s brother, hinted that had the senator been at home, only one bullet would have settled the issue. A PDP press statement however, alleged that the thugs, who carried out the attack were sent by the chairman, Obior Akpor Local Government.

Like it happened to Senator Maeba, the attackers of Dr Sekibo, appeared more acceptable as they dressed in Police uniform to avoid suspicion and detection. Eyewitness acciunt said the hoodlums opened fire on Sekibo’s vehicle, a Land Cruiser bulletproof jeep at the Rainbow Town in Port Harcourt, where he went to inspect the venue of a proposed presidential rally of the party.

It is on record that the party has been having a running battle with the Nyesom Wike-led government over the venue to host its presidential campaign. On many occasions, proposed venue has been canceled due to reasons not unconnected to the bitter rivalry between Governor Wike and the PDP chairman, Iyorchia Ayu on one hand, and the presidential candidate, on the other hand. The latest was the revocation of the use of the state-owned stadium after permission was granted a few days earlier.

Consequently, the party had sought a neutral space to host its campaign necessitating the visit of Sekibo to Rainbow Town, where he was attacked

Confirming the incident at a news briefing, Sekibo, gave graphic details of how he ran into the attackers, and how he eascaped, saying his car was riddled with bullets and the venue of the proposed rally set on fire, while policemen, inadvertently watched the inferno.

He said: “As we approached the site, those policemen who were watching the inferno opened fire on our vehicle. I looked at the Hilux vehicles, they were police Hilux vehicles attached to the Governor of Rivers State.”

In October 2022, the crisis in the party deepened after Wike declared that the state chapter of the party would not campaign for Atiku ahead of the 2023 general elections. Ever since, it has been a rat race between party at the national level and the Rivers State chapter.

But the Police in the state have exonerated itself, saying the attackers must have been ‘suspected thugs’, according to a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Grace Iringe-Koko.

“There was a distress call to the control room at about 2 am on Friday, 10th February 2023, that Dr Abiye Sekibo was attacked by suspected thugs along Intel in the Rainbow axis of Port-Harcourt.

“On the basis of the call, Six patrol teams were immediately mobilized to the scene. By the time the teams arrived, the suspected thugs had fled.

“Nonetheless, the teams remained to forestall further destruction. Meanwhile, normalcy has returned, and the Rivers State Commissioner of Police has ordered investigation into the incident,” the Police confirmed.

Meanwhile, of the two attacks on Maeba in October 2022, and on Sekibo on Thursday, accusing fingers have been pointed at the Rivers State governor even as no concrete evidence has suggested he was involved.

Headline

Breaking: Wike Plans to Attend Thursday’s PDP NEC Meeting

Published

3 days ago

April 17, 2024

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

The immediate past Governor of Rivers State, and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, may have concluded plans to attend the much advertised National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), billed to hold on Thursday, in Abuja.

Impeccable source, who is in the know, told The Boss that the minister, whose membership of the PDP is yet to be revoked even as he frolicks with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and serving in the President Bola Tinubu government as a minister.

The Source told The Boss that Wike’s impending presence at the NECeeting on Thursday is not unconnected with plans, already hatched with some governors, to weaken the opposition PDP.

“Yes, we have on good authority that FCT minister, Wike is planning to attend the NEC meeting tomorrow all in a bid to weaken the fabrics of the PDP, and pave the way for the continuation of the Tinubu administration come 2027, and by extension, relapse Nigeria to a full blown one party state.

“From every indication, Wike and his co-travellers, are bent on unleashing the same crisis ravaging the third force, Labour Party, and Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso’s Nigerian National People’s Party (NNPP) on the PDP for the APC to remain the only political party in the country, and ensure that Tinubu has no challenger, come 2027,” the Source said.

It would be recalled that Wike has boasted over and again that there’s no opposition against Tinubu’s re-emergence in 2027, and that they have made sure of that. He has been compensated with the Ministerial job after he withdrew support for his party, and supported the APC and Tinubu to emerge as national government.

The Source further revealed that in the attempt to actualize the intended one party state, a lot of funding is ongoing to ensure that concerned stakeholders are ‘settled’ handsomely.

Wike, prior, during and after the 2023 general elections, has been floating in between the two major political parties; the APC and the PDP. While he claim to still be a member of the PDP, he is functioning as a minister in an APC government, mocking the inability of his party to discipline him.

Political stakeholders have concluded that the outcome of Thursday’s PDP NEC meeting will determine the path Nigeria’s political trajectory will take, and that it may portend the end of multi-party system and political democracy if Wike succeeds in his plan.

Headline

Bribery, Corruption: APC Suspends National Chairman, Ganduje

Published

5 days ago

April 15, 2024

Eric

The All Progressives Congress ward in Ganduje, Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area, has suspended the party’s National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje.

The party ward legal adviser, Halliru Gwanzo, announced the suspension while addressing newsmen in Kano State on Monday.

Gwanzo cited allegations of bribery against Ganduje levelled by the Kano State Government as the reason for the suspension.

“We decided to suspend Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje from the party due to the seriousness of the allegations against him,” Gwanzo said.

Meanwhile, efforts to contact the Chief Press Secretary to the APC National Chairman, Mr Edwin Olufo, failed as his mobile phone was unreachable.

Headline

Akpabio Commits to Collaboration with Tinubu, Governor Umo Eno

Published

1 week ago

April 12, 2024

Admin

The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has stated his commitment to working closely with Nigeria’s President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Governor Umo Eno to ensure the delivery of democratic benefits to the people of Akwa Ibom State.

Akpabio stated this in his country home, Ukana, Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom, while briefing his constituents on the journey so far as their representative in the red chamber.

He assured the people of Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District of his commitment to their welfare in appreciation of their total support for him, President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in last year’s election.

The Highpoint of the constituency briefing was the distribution of over 10,000 bags of rice and other essentials for his constituents from the wards, to the local governments.

A statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom, quoted Akpabio as saying, “I am here once again, to thank you for standing by me, our President and the party, before, during and even after last year’s elections. I have come to say thank you and also bring Renewed Hope to you all.

“As the President is doing his own, the Senate President is also doing his bit and being complemented by the state governor, Akwa Ibom would be the better for it. We have finished elections and politics, we are now into governance. The governor of the state must touch you, because he is the governor of all the people in the state irrespective of political affiliation.

” As I am touching you now from the political angle, I will also touch the state without any political party affiliation. Most of the projects we are putting in place would be used by people resident in the state. Relax, things are getting better.”

The former Governor of the state, assured his constituents that his current position as the Senate President would be used for the development of the state in collaboration with the President and the Akwa Ibom State Governor.

Hear him: This Senate President is not the one that would be fighting the state government. I will collaborate with , I will collaborate with , to make the state better for us all. We cannot be out of government for a long time. You have to go to a government that carries you along”

Akpabio promised to work for his constituents and Nigeria with all his strength, noting that, “as the President of the Senate, I am for the Southern region and the entire country. I may not come here regularly to tell you what I have been doing for you, but you will be feeling the impact on way or the other. Our unemployed youths would be gainfully employed. I will construct a mini stadium in all the local governments in the district, for our youths to develop their sporting potentials. ”