Headline

Rivers: Fubara and the Price for Peace

Published

8 months ago

June 30, 2025

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

In yet another twist to the lingering crises in the political leadership of Rivers State, the feuding parties comprising the suspended governor, Siminalayi Fubara and his godfather, the immediate past governor, who is also the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has reached a truce.

The contesting politicians have agreed to let bygone be bygone, and allow peace that has eluded the state in over two years, to be restored.

As a proof of the reconciliation, Fubara attended the funeral of Wike’s uncle, Elder Temple Omezurike Onuoha, in Rumuepirikom in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area (LGA) of the state. Both men were seen in jolly good mood, exchanging banters.

But the questions on the lips of many Nigerians, especially Rivers State indigenes include, at what cost? Who bears the brunt of the peace agreement? Who is favoured as the victor? What future lies ahead of the incumbent and what privileges of his did he forgo to allow peace reign?

Recall that things fell apart between Wike and Fubara shortly after the later became governor. It got worse in October when members of the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to Wike initiated impeachment proceedings against Fubara.

The governor responded by demolishing the Assembly complex following a suspicious fire, relocating legislative sessions to temporary quarters. Ever since, both men have at daggers drawn, Tinubu intervention notwithstanding, with the administration of the state suffering a setback.

Speaking after a peace meeting brokered by President Bola Tinubu for the umpteenth time, in his Aso Rock residence, a relatively calm Wike, devoid of his usual braggadacio, confirmed that the political rift between him and Fubara has been resolved. The meeting, which was held behind closed doors, was attended by the suspended governor and members of the state house of assembly.

Wike said both camps had reached a final agreement to end hostilities and work in unity.

“We have all agreed to work together with the governor, and the governor also agreed to work together with all of us. We are members of the same political family,” Wike said.

He acknowledged that the crisis had lingered for months, but described the agreement reached as conclusive.

“Yes, just like humans, you have a disagreement, and then you also have a time to settle your disagreement.

“And that has been finally concluded today, and we have come to report to Mr. President, that is what we have agreed. So for me, everything is over,” he said.

“And I enjoin everybody who believes to work with us, to also work together with everybody, that there’s no more acrimony. There’s nothing to say,” he added as he called for calm among political followers.

Fubara, on his part, confirmed the truce, describing the development as a moment of divine intervention and a crucial turning point for Rivers’ State.

“For me, it’s a day we have to thank Almighty God. For me, it’s very important that this day has come to be,” Fubara said.

He emphasised the need for peace to the Rivers state’s development, noting that, “What we need for the progress of Rivers State is peace, and by the special grace of God, this night, with the help of Mr. President and the agreement of the leaders of the state, our leader, peace has returned in Rivers State.”

Fubara also pledged full commitment to preserving the fragile unity achieved during the presidential peace meeting, adding, “We’ll do everything within our power to make sure that we sustain it this time around.”

The Punch, in its report on Saturday quoted sources in the Presidency privy to the deal, as saying that Fubara got the shorter end of the stick as he agreed to complete his ongoing term with a promise not to re-contest in 2027.

“It was one of the issues raised. In fact, it was the main issue. He agreed to conclude his tenure in peace and leave the stage after that,” the paper quoted one source.

“Yes, they reached an agreement yesternight (Thursday). The goal is for peace to return to Rivers State. But I think Fubara got the shorter end of the stick,” yet another source revealed.

The sources added that Fubara also agreed to allow Wike to nominate all the local government chairpersons across the 23 LGAs of the state.

But many has described what happened at Aso Rock as a follow up of the previous peace meeting also brokered by Tinubu in December, 2023, where Fubara was stripped of his powers and privileges as a governor, and handed over to Wike. Others have seen it as surrender, and not a reconciliation

According to a former Rivers State Commissioner for Employment Generation and Economic Empowerment, Dr Leloonu Nwibubasa, what transpired in Abuja was a surrender and not a reconciliation.

“What I see is not reconciliation. What I see is a surrender. In a reconciliation, parties come with their supporters and discussions are made, concessions are made. Where Governor Fubara walked alone to the Presidency without a single of his own supporters, not his deputy, not his Secretary to the State Government, not his Chief of Staff, not his factional Speaker, Victor Oko-Jumbo, and others.

“On the other hand, Wike went with his entire House of Assembly loyalists and elders and you say they went for reconciliation. No, I think Governor Sim was called to surrender and he did.

“And the composition of that visit to Mr President is a story itself and it tells you to what extent these very divisive and vicious Abuja politicians have gone to cow the governor into surrender.

“What it behoves for Rivers people is clear, that the political structures, economic structures and realm of leadership of Rivers State have returned to the old order,” Nwibubasa lamented.

An activist, Deji Adeyanju, also condemned the outcome of the reconciliation meeting, saying that it’s only a trap, and fragile as Wike cannot be trusted.

“From his vow at the PDP convention to abide by the outcome, which he swiftly disregarded, to his betrayal of Dr Peter Odili, a man he once called his political father, and his calculated political attacks on President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Wike’s pattern is clear; he honours only his own ambition.

“Governor Fubara must prepare his mind that this reconciliation is a trap, and not a truce. Wike will not only undermine him now but will breach the agreement on purpose,” Adeyanju said.

Also, the Rivers Emancipation Movement, in a statement signedby its National president, Zoe Tamunotonye, said the reconciliation was not in the interest of the people of the state, saying that any resolution that massaged the ego of “a few selfish individuals and undermined the collective interest of Rivers people will not stand.”

The statement partly read, “This development marks the second Abuja-brokered reconciliation attempt. The first failed to yield any meaningful resolution or address the real causes of the political tension that has paralysed governance and destabilised peace in Rivers State.

“REM unequivocally frowns at this so-called reconciliation in its entirety. It is nothing more than a hollow, self-serving political arrangement that prioritises the narrow interests of a few political actors while completely ignoring the collective pain, sacrifices, and aspirations of the Rivers people. This is not reconciliation—it is a calculated collusion that will fail again.”

But a cross section of others has applauded the move including the Special Adviser to Fubara on Electronic Media, Jerry Omatsogunwa, who stated that the reconciliation would usher in development in the state though he expressed fear that the governor has himself in a position, where he would ‘donate his head’.

“What we are after is anything that will bring about peace and development to Rivers State, it’s not a big task. There has been arrested development, everywhere was dirty, businesses are shutting down, no business, contractors are even moving out of sites,” he said.

Acknowledging that he is holding the shorter part of the stick in the reconciliation, Fubara told his supporters to sheath their swords, and give peace, stressing that the price he is paying for the return is heavy while pledging to follow it through.

He went ahead to disband all supporters group, and promised that he would not abandon them even as he encouraged them to work with Wike.

He said, “I called for this meeting to address you formally, for you to have the first-hand information. It’s not the one you are reading in the paper, it’s not the one you are seeing on social media or wherever, you are now hearing from me.

“We have fought. I think, in my own assessment and in the assessment of anyone here who is genuine in this struggle, you will know that we have done what we need to do. At this point, if you want to be truthful to yourself, the only solution is peace. I did say that there’s no price that is too big for peace; I meant it, and I’m still ready to follow it to the end.

“Nobody can take away the role the FCT Minister, Chief Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, played — that’s the truth. Yes, we might have our differences, but nobody here will say he doesn’t know the role he played. Nobody can wish away the risk he took. Yes, at a point we had our differences and if today there’s need for us to settle, please, anyone who genuinely believes in me should understand that it’s the right thing to do.

“So, my dear fathers, brothers and sisters, no matter the level of peace that a mediator will arrange, the true peace is the one where both of you are sitting down together to say, ‘Yes, this is what we want.’

“At this point, I’ve met him and we have spoken. You can’t take away the fact that he’s hurt, he’s a human being. I also have my own share of pains too.

“If we believe that we are in one family and our interest is to support the President, then what is the issue? If you say you are with us and you believe in me, this is the time for us to show it.

“Because it’s not even about me as a person — it’s about the overall interest of the state. In the midst of this crisis between me and the FCT Minister, look at the projects we’ve initiated. Many have been abandoned.

“We know the progress we would have recorded and the areas that would have been developed. So, there’s need for this peace — that’s the truth.

“I can’t abandon you people — that’s one thing I need to say here. This is the time for me to prove to you that I care for you, and I make my commitment here that whichever way it goes, I will not abandon anybody.

“But the sacrifice that we are going to make for us to achieve this total peace is going to be heavy, and I want everybody to prepare for it.

“Without a total reconciliation — which, by the grace of God, the both of us have gotten to — there’s no way we can make progress in this state. There’s no way the President can come in to save the situation. So, I want to appeal to everyone — I have accepted that we must accept this peace, no matter how it looks, no matter how you feel, we must accept it.

“In my place, there’s a fish they call Atabala — you call it Tilapia. The native Tilapia doesn’t grow big. The mother Tilapia used to tell the kids that if you want to grow up to my own size, hide your head inside the mud. Every one of us should understand that at this time, we’ve done our best, and what we need now is this peace so that we can grow. I know it’s difficult and heavy, but that’s the true situation.”

Fubara, who had talked tough in the first 18 months of the crises in the infamous war of supremacy aimed at controlling the state’s political structure and resources, suddenly became a shadow of himself following the February 28, 2025 Supreme Court judgment, which condemned his actions, and paved the way for Wike and his 26 controlled house of assembly members led by Hon Martins Amaewhule.

The Wike camp secured an upper hand with the verdict, which practically gave Wike and his team judgment, leaving Governor Fubara in the cold of uncertainty, waving in limbo, eating a humble pie and offering the olive branch in the war of attrition. Of course, Wike and his gang conscientiously rejected all his overtures.

Matters took a dramatic turn on March 18, 2025, when President Tinubu waved the big stick, and declared a state of emergency in state, suspending the governor, his deputy, Mrs Ngozi Odu and the entire members of the House of Assembly. Fubara was replaced by a sole administrator, a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (retd.).

With the said peace deal, the full content of which is still unknown to the public, concluded, Nigerians look forward to the time a reversal of the state of emergency will be announced.

Headline

Opposition Parties Reject 2026 Electoral Act, Demand Fresh Amendment

Published

14 hours ago

February 26, 2026

Eric

Opposition political parties have rejected the 2026 Electoral Act recently passed by the National Assembly, which President Bola Tinubu swiftly signed into law.

The parties called on the National Assembly to immediately begin a fresh amendment process to remove what they described as “all obnoxious provisions” in the law.

Their position was made known at a press briefing themed “Urgent Call to Save Nigeria’s Democracy,” held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja on Thursday.

In a communiqué read by the Chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) Ahmed Ajuji, the opposition leaders stated:

“We demand that the National Assembly immediately commence a fresh amendment to the Electoral Act 2026, to remove all obnoxious provisions and ensure that the Act reflects only the will and aspiration of Nigerians for free, fair, transparent and credible electoral process in our country. Nothing short of this will be acceptable to Nigerians.”

Some of the opposition leaders present in at the event include former Senate President David Mark; former Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; former Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi; and former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, all from the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

The National Chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Ahmed Ajuji, and other prominent members of the NNPP, notably Buba Galadima, were also in attendance.

The coalition said the amended law, signed by Bola Tinubu, contains “anti-democratic” clauses, which they argue may weaken electoral transparency and public confidence in the voting system.

At the centre of the opposition’s concerns is the amendment to Section 60(3), which allows presiding officers to rely on manual transmission of election results where there is communication failure.

According to the coalition, the provision weakens the mandatory electronic transmission of results and could create loopholes for manipulation.

They argued that Nigeria’s electoral technology infrastructure is sufficient to support nationwide electronic transmission, citing previous assurances by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The parties also rejected the amendment to Section 84, which restricts political parties to direct primaries and consensus methods for candidate selection.

They described the change as an unconstitutional intrusion into the internal affairs of parties, insisting that indirect primaries remain a legitimate democratic option.

The opposition cited alleged irregularities in the recent Federal Capital Territory local government elections as evidence of what they described as a broader pattern of electoral compromise.

They characterised the polls as a “complete fraud” and said the outcome has deepened their lack of confidence in the ability of the electoral system to deliver credible elections in 2027.

The coalition also condemned reported attacks on leaders of the African Democratic Congress in Edo State, describing the incidents as a serious threat to democratic participation and political tolerance.

They warned that increasing violence against opposition figures could destabilise the political environment if not urgently addressed.

In their joint statement, the opposition parties pledged to pursue “every constitutional means” to challenge the Electoral Act 2026 and safeguard voters’ rights.

“We will not be intimidated,” the leaders said, urging civil society organisations and citizens to support efforts aimed at protecting Nigeria’s democratic system.

On February 18, 2026, President Bola Tinubu signed the Electoral Act (Amendment) 2026 into law following its passage by the National Assembly. The Act introduced several reforms, including statutory recognition of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and revised election timelines.

However, opposition figures such as Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi have also called for further amendments, particularly over the manual transmission fallback clause, which critics say leaves room for manipulation.

The president said the law will strengthen democracy and prevent voter disenfranchisement.

Tinubu defended manual collation of results, questioned Nigeria’s readiness for full real-time electronic transmission, and warned against technical glitches and hacking.

The Electoral Act sparked intense debate in the National Assembly over how election results should be transmitted ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Civil society groups under the “Occupy NASS” campaign demanded real-time transmission to curb manipulation.

In the Senate, lawmakers clashed during consideration of Clause 60, which allows manual transmission of results if electronic transmission fails.

Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (ADC, Abia South) demanded a formal vote to remove the proviso permitting manual transmission, arguing against weakening real-time electronic reporting.

The move led to a heated exchange on the floor, with Senate President Godswill Akpabio initially suggesting the demand had been withdrawn.

After procedural disputes and a brief confrontation among senators, a division was conducted. Fifteen opposition senators voted against retaining the manual transmission proviso, while 55 supported it, allowing the clause to stand.

Earlier proceedings had briefly stalled during clause-by-clause review, prompting consultations and a closed-door session.

In the House of Representatives, a similar disagreement came up over a motion to rescind an earlier decision that mandated compulsory real-time electronic transmission of results to IReV.

Although the “nays” were louder during a voice vote, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas ruled in favour of rescinding the decision, triggering protests and an executive session.

Headline

AFP: How Tinubu’s Govt Paid Boko Haram ‘Huge’ Ransom, Released Two Terrorists for Kidnapped Saint Mary’s Pupils

Published

3 days ago

February 24, 2026

Eric

The Nigerian government paid Boko Haram militants a “huge” ransom of millions of dollars to free up to 230 children and staff the jihadists abducted from a Catholic school in November, an AFP investigation revealed Monday.

Two Boko Haram commanders were also freed as part of the deal, which goes against the country’s own law banning payments to kidnappers. The money was delivered by helicopter to Boko Haram’s Gwoza stronghold in northeastern Borno state on the border with Cameroon, intelligence sources told AFP.

The decision to pay the militants is likely to irritate US President Donald Trump, who ordered air strikes on jihadists in northern Nigeria on Christmas Day and has been sent military trainers to help support Nigerian forces.

Nigerian government officials deny any ransom was paid to the armed gang that snatched close to 300 schoolchildren and staff from St. Mary’s boarding school in Papiri in central Niger state on November 21. At least 50 later managed to escape their captors.

Boko Haram has not been previously linked to the kidnapping, but sources told AFP one of its most feared commanders was behind the mass abduction: the notorious jihadist known as Sadiku.

He infamously held up a train from the capital in 2022 and netted hefty ransoms for the release of government officials and other well-off passengers.

Boko Haram, which has waged a bloody insurgency since 2009, is strongest in northeast Nigeria.

But a cell in central Niger state operates under Sadiku’s leadership. The St. Mary’s pupils and staff were freed after two weeks of negotiations led by Nuhu Ribadu, Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, with the government insisting no ransom was paid. Nigeria’s State Security Service flatly denied paying any money, saying “government agents don’t pay ransoms”.

However, four intelligence sources familiar with the talks told AFP the government paid a “huge” ransom to get the pupils back. One source put it at 40 million naira per head – around $7 million in total.

Another put the figure lower at two billion naira overall. The money was delivered by chopper to Ali Ngulde, a Boko Haram commander in the northeast, three sources told AFP.

Due to the lack of communications cover in the remote area, Ngulde had to cross into Cameroon to confirm delivery of the ransom before the first group of 100 children were released.

Nigeria has long been plagued by mass abductions, with criminals and jihadist groups sometimes working together to extort millions from hostages’ families, and authorities seemingly powerless to stop them.

Source: Africanews

Headline

Unlawful Invasion: El-Rufai Drags ICPC, IGP, Others to Court, Demands N1bn Damages

Published

4 days ago

February 23, 2026

Eric

Former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has slammed a ₦1 billion fundamental rights enforcement suit against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for what he claimed was an unlawful invasion of his Abuja residence.

El-Rufai, in a suit filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, also listed the Chief Magistrate, Magistrate’s Court of the FCT, Abuja Magisterial District; Inspector-General of Police, and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) as 2nd to 4th respondents respectively.

According to the suit filed through his lawyers, led by Oluwole Iyamu, El-Rufai prayed the court to declare that the search warrant issued on February 4 by the Chief Magistrate, Magistrate’s Court of the FCT (2nd respondent), authorising the search and seizure at his residence as invalid, null and void.

Security operatives had stormed and searched the former Governor’s residence in the ongoing investigations against him.

However, he argued in the case marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/345/2026, that the search was in violation of Section 37 of the Constitution, and urged the court to declare that the search warrant was “null and void for lack of particularity, material drafting errors, ambiguity in execution parameters, overbreadth, and absence of probable cause thereby constituting an unlawful and unreasonable search.”

In the suit dated and filed February 20 by Iyamu, ex-governor, who is currently under detention, sought seven reliefs.

He prayed the court to declare that the invasion and search of his residence at House 12, Mambilla Street, Aso Drive, Abuja, on Feb. 19 at about 2pm and executed by agents of ICPC and I-G, “under the aforesaid invalid warrant, amounts to a gross violation of the applicant’s fundamental rights to dignity of the human person, personal liberty, fair hearing, and privacy under Sections 34, 35, 36, and 37 of the Constitution.”

He urged the court to declare that “any evidence obtained pursuant to the aforesaid invalid warrant and unlawful search is inadmissible in any proceedings against the applicant, as it was procured in breach of constitutional safeguards.”

El-Rufai, therefore, sought an order of injunction restraining the respondents and their agents from further relying on, using, or tendering any evidence or items seized during the unlawful search in any investigation, prosecution, or proceedings involving him.

“An order directing the Ist and 3rd respondents (ICPC and I-G) to forthwith return all items seized from the applicant’s premises during the unlawful search, together with a detailed inventory thereof.

“An order awarding the sum of N1,000,000,000.00 (One Billion Naira) as general, exemplary, and aggravated damages against the respondents jointly and severally for the violations of the applicant’s fundamental rights, including trespass, unlawful seizure, and the resultant psychological trauma, humiliation, distress, infringement of privacy, and reputational harm.”

The breakdown of the ₦1 billion in damages includes “a N300 million as compensatory damages for psychological trauma, emotional distress, and loss of personal security;

“A ₦400 million as exemplary damages to deter future misconduct by law enforcement agencies and vindicate the applicant’s rights.

“A ₦300 million as aggravated damages for the malicious, high-handed and oppressive nature of the respondents’ actions, including the use of a patently defective warrant procured through misleading representations.”

He equally sought ₦100 million as the cost of filing the suit, including legal fees and associated expenses.

Iyamu argued that the search warrant was fundamentally defective, lacking specificity in the description of items to be seized, containing material typographical errors, ambiguous execution terms, overbroad directives, and no verifiable probable cause.

He added that the warrant violated Sections 143-148 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015; Section 36 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC) Act, 2000, and constitutional protections against arbitrary intrusions and several other constitutional provisions.

“Section 146 stipulates that the warrant must be in the prescribed form, free from defects that could mislead, but the document is riddled with errors in the address, date, and district designation;

“Section 147 allows direction to specified persons, but the warrant’s indiscriminate addressing to “all officers is overbroad and unaccountable.

“Section 148 permits execution at reasonable times, but the contradictory language creates ambiguity, undermining procedural clarity,” he submitted.

Iyamu stated that the execution of the invalid warrant on Feb. 19 resulted in an unlawful invasion of his client’s premises, constituting violations of the rights to dignity (Section 34), personal liberty (Section 35), fair hearing (Section 36), and privacy (Section 37) of the Constitution.

He further argued that the search was conducted without legal justification and in a manner that inflicted humiliation and distress.

“Evidence obtained without a valid warrant is unlawful and inadmissible, as established in judicial precedents such as C.O.P. v. Omoh (1969) NCLR 137, where the court ruled that evidence procured through improper means contravenes fundamental rights and must be excluded,” he said.

In the affidavit in support of the application, Mohammed Shaba, a Principal Secretary to the former governor, averred that on Feb. 19 at about 2p.m., officers from the ICPC and Nigeria Police Force invaded the residence under a purported search warrant issued on or about Feb. 4.

According to him, the said warrant is invalid due to its lack of specificity, errors, and other defects as outlined in the grounds of this application.

He said the “search warrant did not specify the properties or items being searched for.”

Shaba stated that the officers failed to submit themselves for search as provided by the law before proceeding with the search.

“That the Magistrate did not specify the magisterial district wherein he sits.

“That during the invasion, the officers searched the applicant’s premises without lawful authority, seized personal items including documents and electronic devices, and caused the applicant undue humiliation, psychological trauma, and distress.

“Now shown to me and marked as ‘EXHIBIT B’ Is the list of the items carted away.

“That no items seized have been returned, and the respondents continue to rely on the unlawful evidence.

“That the applicant suffered violations of his constitutional rights as a result, and this application is brought in good faith to enforce same,” Shaba said.

Source: Naijanews.com