News

Rivers Assembly Non-Existent, Fubara Insists Amid APC’s Call for Impeachment

Published

2 years ago

May 8, 2024

Eric

The Rivers State Government on Tuesday dismissed a call on the state House of Assembly by the Caretaker Committee of the All Progressives Congress in the state to commence impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminlayi Fubara.

The state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, told The PUNCH during an interview in Port Harcourt, that the governor would not allow anybody to throw the state into anarchy.

Fubara, on Monday, dismissed the Assembly as an illegal body that did not exist while receiving delegation from Bayelsa State on a peace mission, led by the immediate past governor, Senator Seriake Dickson. This was just after the Assembly passed a bill into without his assent.

Also, the governor insisted that the eight-point peace agreement brokered by President Bola Tinubu was a mere political solution to a problem and not a constitutional issue.

The APC Caretaker Committee Chairman in the state, Chief Tony Okocha, in his reaction on Tuesday, called on the 27 members of the state House of Assembly loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to immediately commence an impeachment process against Fubara.

Okocha said the governor did not have the powers to declare the lawmakers as illegal.

He also wondered when the governor realised that the peace deal which he signed before Tinubu in Abuja was unconstitutional.

He added that aside from refusing to implement all the agreements, he had been making scathing remarks on the President’s genuine intervention to resolve the crisis that rocked the state.

But in a swift reaction, the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, said the position of the governor had not changed.

He stated, “By jurisprudence, the 27 lawmakers lost their seats on the day they defected to another party. That is what the law says.

“The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Section 109, 1g clearly states it. It is incontrovertible. So for anybody to think that they can start a process, the law says they cannot put something on nothing.

“There is nothing at all to even put on something. The House of Assembly does not exist. They are non-existent. The governor said yesterday that they did not exist. Out of his magnanimity, he allowed them, giving them a floater to see if they could come to reality. “But it does appear that they don’t understand what was done for them. So if they want to start an impeachment process, they do not have the legal teeth to even do it. They can only bark, but they can’t bite.”

Also, the leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, Chief Edwin Clark and other prominent individuals in the region warned the lawmakers against causing anarchy in the state.

News

Ex-Cross River Gov Donald Duke Joins ADC

Published

3 days ago

January 30, 2026

Eric

Former Governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, has resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), formally pitching his tent with the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Duke registered as an ADC member in Ward 5 of Calabar Municipality, where he collected his party membership card, marking his official entry into the opposition party.

His move comes amid recent internal concerns within the ADC in Cross River State. Former ADC governorship candidate, Dr Effiong Nyong, had written to the party’s National Chairman, protesting the inclusion of some individuals from the state in the ADC’s 50 Wise Men and Women Policy Manifesto Committee.

Nyong faulted a statement by the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, which listed persons who, according to him, neither resigned from the PDP nor made contributions to the ADC, calling for their removal.

Political observers believe Duke’s swift formal registration may be linked to the controversy, as the former governor had earlier been named among prominent figures associated with the party.

Recall that Duke previously left the PDP for the Social Democratic Party (SDP), where he emerged as the party’s presidential candidate under controversial circumstances.

Meanwhile, ADC leaders in Bakassi Local Government Area have intensified calls on Cross Riverians to identify with the party, describing it as a credible alternative ahead of future elections.

Rising from a stakeholders’ meeting involving chapter executives, ward chairmen, and secretaries, party leaders accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of misrule and urged Nigerians to reclaim the country.

In a statement signed by the Bakassi Chapter Chairman, Emmanuel Asuquo, and Secretary, Eko Boco, the party reaffirmed its loyalty to the ADC national leadership, pledging support for the National Chairman, Senator David Mark, and National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, while urging undecided citizens to join the party’s “transformative agenda.”

News

Police Nab Suspect Behind Dummy Bomb Threat to Lagos Schools

Published

3 days ago

January 30, 2026

Eric

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a 25-year-old man over alleged fake bomb threat messages to two private schools in Ikeja Government Reserved Area (GRA).

The suspect was tracked and arrested on January 24 in the Okota area of Lagos State following digital investigations.

According to the sources, the suspect allegedly sent WhatsApp messages threatening a fire explosion to the Human Resources Manager of AVI–CEENA School and the Chief Security Officer of Grange School, both located in Ikeja GRA.

Although the messages were sent from an unknown phone number, police said digital tracking led to the identification and arrest of the suspect, identified as Kosisochukwu Chukwuekenyem Ogbumuo.

The suspect is currently in police custody and will be charged to court on conclusion of investigations.

Police said inquiries are ongoing to determine the motive behind the threats and whether other individuals were involved.

The Lagos State Police Command reassured parents, school authorities and residents of Ikeja GRA of its commitment to maintaining security and preventing panic or disruption within the education sector.

News

Court Nullifies PDP National Convention Held in Ibadan

Published

3 days ago

January 30, 2026

Eric

The Federal High Court in Ibadan has nullified the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Convention held on November 15, 2025, in Ibadan, Oyo State. The court also barred Turaki and others from presenting themselves as national officers of the party.

Despite internal disputes, the PDP went ahead with its highly anticipated two-day 2025 Elective National Convention at Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan. Tagged #Ibadan2025, the convention drew thousands of party delegates and leaders.

The convention was expected to elect a new National Working Committee (NWC), including a National Chairman, who would steer the party ahead of the 2027 general elections. The court’s ruling casts uncertainty over the legitimacy of the leadership and raises questions about the party’s preparations for the next electoral cycle.

Party members and legal experts are now awaiting further clarification on the implications of the judgement for the PDP’s national leadership structure.