News

Rivers Crisis: APC Cries Out, Accuses Dep Speaker, LG Chair of Abducting Lawyer, INEC Materials

Published

2 years ago

April 7, 2023

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the Peoples Democratic Party-led government of Rivers State of masterminding the kidnapping of its lawyer, Dr. Godswill Dike, who is also the brother of the party’s legal adviser, Azubike Dike following what they described as ‘unsavoury developments and acts of aggression against us’.

The party raised the alarm in a statement jointly signed by the State Publicity Secretary, Darlington Nwauju and Spokesman, Rivers APC 2023 Campaign Council, Sogbeye C. Eli following a press conference.

The party specifically mentioned the Deputy Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Edison Ehie, and the chairman, Ikwerre Local government Council, Samuel Nwanosike as the brain behind the abduction while calling for the lawyer’s release and safety as well as the release of the INEC materials also seized by the abductors.

Going down memory lane of how the ruling party has muscled opposition parties in the building to, during and after the presidential and governorship elections held on February 25 and March 18, 2023, the statement called on President Muhammadu Buhari to called Governor Nyesom Wike to order and allow peace reign in the state.

Read the statement in full:

Gentlemen of the Press, this Press Conference by the All Progressives Congress (APC) Rivers State under the aegis of the State Publicity Secretary and Spokesman for the 2023 Campaign Council is called to intimate you of the continuation of the very unsavoury developments and acts of aggression against us by the People’s Democratic Party in the State.

2. We have just been informed about the abduction of Dr. Godswill Dike, a lawyer, member of our party and brother of the State Legal Adviser, Barr. Azubuike Dike, this evening right inside the Rivers State Headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Aba Road, Port Harcourt. Dr. Godswill Dike was invited to the Commission to take delivery of the certified true copies of the INEC documents that we applied for pursuant to the provisions of Section 74 of the Electoral Act 2022.

3. Acting apparently on a tip-off, Edison Ehie and Samuel Nwasonike, aided by the surge of the PDP mob outside the premises swooped on him inside the INEC office shortly after Dr. Godswill Dike signed for the documents and sped away with him to the State Assembly residential Quarters behind the INEC State Headquarters.

4. Our initial reaction was to establish contact with the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Jackson Alalibo Semikien, to report the criminal abduction of the aforementioned Dr. Dike. Curiously, the REC who has done nothing beyond a Press Release two days ago directing political parties to proceed to LGA Offices of the Commission for the election documents they may require, told our governorship candidate emphatically that there was nothing the Commission can do, having released the documents we applied for to Dr. Godswill Dike.

5. Contacts have also been made with the Deputy Speaker who assured his caller that Dr. Godswill Dike would return safe but the materials they took from him should be forgotten.

6. Calls made by our governorship candidate to the military also yielded no fruit with the hierarchy stating that until the military receive invitation from the Police they cannot be involved in a purely civil operation.

7. In the circumstance, we are left with no option but call on the Nigeria Police and other security agencies to immediately go after the Deputy Speaker, Edison Ehie, and the Ikwerre Council Chairman, Samuel Nwanosike to safeguard the life of Dr. Godswill Dike and retrieve our election materials from his abductors.

8. You will recall that the APC has been inundated with all sorts of attacks, arrests and other illegal actions by the PDP in Rivers State to obstruct our quest for justice at the Elections Petitions Tribunal as allowed by law. From the arrest of our lawyers in a Hotel and carting away of our party’s copies of elections materials, laying siege on the INEC State Headquarters to physically assaulting our governorship candidate, Arc. Tonye Cole, Mni who was at the same INEC State Headquarters last Monday invitation by the REC to the attack on our State Secretariat here where flags were pulled down and vehicles were destroyed at will, the ruling party has conducted itself with grave impunity since the rape of the rights of Rivers people and the electorate in the State to freely elect their Governor and representatives at both the National and State levels.

9. Nothing could have emboldened the kidnap of Dr. Godswill Dike this evening shortly after PDP members who had been camped at INEC invaded the Complex than the statement by Governor Nyesom Wike endorsing the illegal obstruction of opposition parties seeking to access the Commission’s Headquarters ahead of filing their petitions.

10. We have been subjected to several acts of provocation by the PDP yet have maintained equanimity of spirit to keep the peace in our State. Yet, our opponents are not about to allow the peace reign.

11. Consequently, we call on the President and Commander-in-Chief to rise to the occasion by calling the Governor of Rivers State to order and rescue our dear State from the anarchists who are Hell bent on self-perpetuation in power or destruction of Rivers State where their undemocratic plot fails. Up until now, we have done our bit as a law-abiding party as the rest of the nation has taken notice. The APC is asking that Governor Nyesom Wike and the PDP be held responsible for any breakdown of law and order in Rivers State.

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

News

Lawmakers Impeach Lagos Assembly Speaker, Obasa

Published

10 hours ago

January 13, 2025

Eric

Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly have impeached Speaker Mudashiru Obasa.

The lawmakers are accusing Obasa of multiple statutory and financial infractions.

Peoples Gazette reports that the lawmakers replaced Obasa by his Deputy Lasbat Meranda.

Meranda, who represents Apapa Constituency 1, was also a former chief whip of the House.

Source: Daily Post

News

Chief of Army Staff Approves Redeployment of Senior Officers in Fresh Shakeup

Published

1 day ago

January 12, 2025

Eric

The Chief of Army Staff (CoAS), Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, has approved the posting and appointment of some senior officers of the Nigerian Army (NA) to various command, staff and instructional positions.

According to the army spokesman, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, the redeployment is a strategic move to enhance operational effectiveness and administrative efficiency.

The redeployment cuts across Principal Staff Officers (PSOs) at the Army Headquarters (AHQ), General Officers Commanding (GOCs), Corps Commanders, Commandants of Army training institutions, Brigade Commanders and other key positions. The reshufflement underscores Nigerian Army’s commitment to ensuring robust and dynamic leadership structure capable of addressing emerging security challenges.

Some of the senior officers appointed as PSOs at the Army Headquarters include Maj Gen LA Fejokwu, from National Defence College to Department of Army Administration and appointed Chief of Administration (Army), Maj Gen GU Chibuisi, from Nigerian Army Resource Centre to Department of Civil Military Affairs and appointed Chief of Civil Military Affairs and Maj Gen AS Ndalolo, also from the Nigerian Army Resource Centre to Department of Army Training and appointed Chief of Training (Army). Others include Maj Gen OS Abai, from Department of Army Training to Department of Army Transformation and Innovation, appointed Chief of Transformation and Innovation and Maj Gen JH Abdussalam from Headquarters 6 Division to the Department of Special Services and Programmes and appointed Chief of Special Services and Programmes. Maj Gen EI Okoro has been redeployed from the Department of Army Logistics to the Department of Military Secretary and appointed Military Secretary (Army).

Senior officers appointed as General Officers Commanding (GOCs) include Maj Gen OT Olatoye from Nigerian Army School of Infantry to Headquarters 82 Division/Joint Task Force (JTF) South East Operation UDO KA (OPUK) as GOC 82 Division/Commander JTF OPUK and Maj Gen EF Oyinlola from Department of Military Secretary to Headquarters 3 Division as GOC 3 Division/ Commander Operation SAFE HAVEN (OPSH). The acting appointments of Maj Gen AGL Haruna as GOC 7 Division/Commander Sector 1 JTF North East Operation HADIN KAI and Maj Gen IA Ajose as GOC 8 Division/Commander Sector 2 JTF North West Operation FANSAN YANMA among others have been confirmed substantive in the recent redeployment.

Other senior officers redeployed are Maj Gen GO Adeshina from Headquarters Nigerian Army Signals to Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre and appointed Director General while Maj Gen GM Mutkut is posted from Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre to Headquarters Multi National Joint Task Force Njamena as the Force Commander. The redeployment also featured Maj Gen MC Kangye from Headquarters Nigerian Army Corps of Artillery to Defence Headquarters as the Director Media Operations.

Senior officers appointed as Corps Commanders include Maj Gen OC Ajunwa from Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre to Headquarters Nigerian Army Armour Corps and appointed Commander, Maj Gen HT Wesley from the Department of Special Services and Programmes to Headquarters Nigerian Army Ordinance Corps, appointed Commander and Maj Gen TT Numbere from Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre to Headquarters Nigerian Army Engineers and appointed Commander. Others include Maj Gen NC Ugbo from Department of Civil Military Affairs to Headquarters Nigerian Army Signals and appointed Commander, Maj Gen ZL Abubakar from Department of Army Transformation and Innovation to Headquarters Nigerian Army Corps of Artillery and appointed Commander and Maj Gen AP Oguntola from Nigerian Army College of Education Science and Technology to Headquarters Nigerian Army Education Corps and appointed Corps Commander.

Other senior officers also affected in the redeployment are Maj Gen JO Sokoya, appointed Commandant Nigerian Army Training Centre, Maj Gen UM Alkali appointed Commandant Army War College Nigeria, while Maj Gen FS Etim from Department of Army Transformation and Innovation is redeployed to Nigerian Army School of Infantry, appointed Commandant. Maj Gen AB Mohammed has been redeployed from the Department of Army Operations to Depot Nigerian Army and appointed commandant.

News

INEC Rejects N40bn Allocation, Proposes to Spend N126bn in 2025

Published

3 days ago

January 11, 2025

Eric

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has proposed the sum of N126 billion for its 2025 budget.

Chairman of the Commission, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, made the presentation while defending the 2024 budget implementation before the National Assembly on Friday.

He pleaded with the National Assembly to approve the 2025 budget, which is nearly three times the size approved last year.

“Our proposal for 2025; the Commission requires the sum of N126 billion. So, we will like the support of the National Assembly members to ensure that we are adequately funded for the responsibilities we are required to discharge, and most of these responsibilities are constitutional, they are not just in the Electoral Act,” Prof Yakubu said.

Prof Yakubu expressed concerns over the high cost of conducting elections in Nigeria, describing it as exorbitant and burdensome.

He highlighted that despite INEC being one of the largest employers in the country, it operated on a reduced budget of N40 billion last year, significantly lower than the N80 billion initially requested.

He emphasized the financial strain this has placed on the commission’s ability to carry out its responsibilities effectively.

In a bid to address these challenges, he appealed to the lawmakers to organize a retreat where both the legislature and INEC can collaborate, exchange ideas, and find solutions to the pressing issues affecting the electoral process in Nigeria.

“We need a major conversation, the commission cannot continue conducting election all year round,” he said.

The INEC Chair further lamented the deteriorating state of INEC’s facilities, particularly the 860 buildings across the country, which are in urgent need of repair.