Politics
27 top politicians plotting to scuttle Rivers gov poll – Wike

Rivers State Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has alleged that some top politicians in the state are plotting to disrupt Rivers governorship and House of Assembly elections.
He accused them of planning to use armed thugs and cultists in military and police uniforms to scuttle the elections.
The governor listed 27 politicians and called for their immediate arrest and prosecution.
He said the state government had also petitioned Minister of Defence, Chief of Army Staff and other relevant authorities not to release military personnel to former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, or any politician to interfere in the election process holding on Saturday, March 18.
Majority of those the governor wants arrested are supporters of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, and some members of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the state.
Wike, who spoke on Thursday night in a statewide broadcast, gave the names of the politicians as Dr. Lenoonu Nwibubasa, Bright Nwinyoodee, Barika Bareh, Friday Sinee, Dumbari Deezua and Neeka Ikina,
Others are Dr. Gabriel Pidomson, Giobari Poiba, Barisi Bonikoo, Hon. Mike Amachree, Paul Lawrence Paul, Anosike Orduwa, Mr. Ogbams Ojimah, Kenneth Chinda, Smile Azundah and Gift Welebe.
The governor said the state government decided on the petition based on credible intelligence indicating the plans by Amaechi and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to overrun and disrupt the Saturday elections in the state with military personnel and civilian thugs as well as cultists dressed in army and police uniforms.
He alleged that Amaechi planned to unleash violence during the Saturday elections.
Wike said, “We have written to notify the Hon. Minister of Defence, the Chief of Army Staff of the Nigerian Army, and the General Officer Commanding the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, and requested that no military personnel is released to Rotimi Amaechi or any other politician to interfere with next Saturday’s elections in Rivers State.
“Furthermore, we have noticed that the Anti-terrorism Unit of the State Police Command continues to provide VIP security services to politicians in defiance of the Inspector-General’s order to withdraw all police personnel attached to VIPs during the elections.
“We, therefore request the inspector-general of police to enforce his order by ensuring that all political leaders are restricted to their polling units and prevented from moving about with police escort.”
The governor urged the security high command to live up to their assurances of providing adequate security throughout the state to forestall any breakdown of law and order during and after the elections.
He said, “We assure everyone that we will do everything within our power to resist and prevent a repeat of what happened in 2019 when the Nigerian Army was used to rig, kill our people and destroy property during the elections across the state.
Wike urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that this Saturday’s elections are free, fair, and credible, by allowing the electorate to decide their leaders.
The governor said with the level of progress his administration had made in the last eight years, it was evident that Rivers State would be more outstanding and closer to fulfilling its purpose if the development tempo was sustained for the next four years.
According to him, his successor should be someone who will consolidate and continue with the new Rivers vision and protect the state’s interests.
Politics
Labour Party collapses into APC in Plateau

Labour Party collapses into APC in Plateau
In a major political development in Plateau State, the Labour Party in the Northern Zone has officially merged with the All Progressives Congress (APC), marking a significant shift in the region’s political dynamics. The formal defection took place this morning at the APC Secretariat, Kalwa House, Yakubu Gowon Way, Jos.
Led by former Labour Party Senatorial candidate, Barrister Gyang Zi SAN, thousands of party faithful pledged their allegiance to the APC, declaring the ruling party the most viable platform for the socio-economic transformation of their communities.
Addressing the APC State Working Committee, Barrister Zi stated that the decision was reached after extensive consultations and careful evaluation of the political landscape. He noted that the APC’s track record, particularly in implementing people-oriented policies and developmental programmes, made it the natural choice for their political aspirations.
“Our resolve to join the APC is a strategic step to build, consolidate and mobilise for the party’s continued success across all levels of governance,” Barrister Zi explained.
READ ALSO:
- Niger Gov Bago makes U-turn on dreadlocks ban after backlash
- P-Square: Jude Okoye freed after two months detention
- Cultists kill teen during anti-cultism walk in Lagos
Receiving the defectors, Plateau State APC Chairman, Rt. Hon. Rufus Bature, described the occasion as a historic milestone for the region. He noted that the mass defection had effectively altered the political arithmetic in the Northern Zone.
“Today marks a turning point in our political journey. The inclusion of our brothers and sisters from the Labour Party signals a broader unity and shared commitment to delivering good governance,” Rt. Hon. Bature stated.
He assured the new members that they would enjoy equal rights and privileges within the party, urging them to actively participate and take full advantage of the opportunities within the APC structure.
In a show of solidarity, goodwill messages were received from the APC leadership in the United Kingdom, and the ceremony concluded with the presentation of the APC flag to Barrister Zi, symbolising his formal induction into the party.
Joining him were all six former Labour Party flagbearers for the State House of Assembly, as well as candidates for local government chairmanship and councillorship positions—further cementing the scope and impact of the defection.
This latest development is expected to significantly influence political alignments ahead of future electoral cycles in Plateau State.
Labour Party collapses into APC in Plateau
Politics
2027: Atiku remains the best to face Tinubu, says Dele Momodu

2027: Atiku remains the best to face Tinubu, says Dele Momodu
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dele Momodu, has declared that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar remains the best opposition candidate to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election.
Momodu said Atiku stands out in terms of political experience, national reach, and support base.
His words: “You have to be realistic. It’s a game of numbers, and it’s also a game of your network.
“There’s no one in Nigeria today as experienced, as exposed, as networked as Atiku Abubakar from 1993 when he stepped down for Chief MKO Abiola in Jos.”
He said the opposition needs a candidate who can mobilise votes across both northern and southern Nigeria, adding that only Atiku fits the profile.
“For anybody to face a Tinubu, that person has to come from the opposite direction. Which means it must be someone who can get the North to coalesce behind him.
READ ALSO:
- NLC to IMF: Your reforms inflict hunger, poverty on masses
- Nigerians deserve truth about electricity, not propaganda, labour slams power minister
- INEC may allow Nigerians without PVCs to vote in 2027
“So, I pray that the coalition will be able to achieve that. I don’t know if they will, but I’m sure they are working on that. Then it must be someone who has a substantial network in the South. There is no other person I can see who has that kind of network behind him,” he stated.
Citing the example of Donald Trump’s continued relevance in American politics, Momodu said political necessity often trumps past performance.
“Why do you think the Republicans in America will risk a Donald Trump, a man who already lost the election, who already got indicted on many felonies? It is because they need him,” he said.
Speaking on Nigeria’s informal power rotation arrangement, the PDP chieftain said leadership should be about performance, not geography.
“Democracy as practised in Nigeria is done every four years because it is an examination. You pass, or you fail.
“The only qualification cannot be about where you come from. The only qualification we’re seeing now is that it should be a southerner,” he concluded.
2027: Atiku remains the best to face Tinubu, says Dele Momodu
Politics
Delta Governor Oborevwori dumps PDP for APC

Delta Governor Oborevwori dumps PDP for APC
Governor of Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori, has announced his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The announcement came after a high-level closed-door meeting held at the Government House in Asaba on Tuesday evening.
The governor’s defection is coming just after a viral video stirred speculation about his political future. In the footage, which sparked online debates, Oborevwori was seen in close company with known APC stakeholders. At the time, his media aide dismissed the clip as “old and misleading.”
Newstrends learnt senior APC figures were present to welcome the governor into their fold, signaling a significant political realignment in the South-South state.
The governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Sir Festus Ahon, said Oborevwori’s decision was based on “wide consultations with political stakeholders and in the interest of Delta’s long-term development.”
“This move was not made lightly,” Ahon emphasized. “The governor is deeply committed to the prosperity of Delta State and believes that working with the APC at the federal level will help accelerate growth and deliver better dividends of democracy to the people.”
Governor Oborevwori was elected under the PDP platform in the 2023 gubernatorial election, defeating his opponents to secure the governorship seat. His defection to the APC, however, is already being interpreted by political analysts as a calculated strategy with an eye on the 2027 general elections
-
metro2 days ago
Rivers: Tinubu meets with Fubara, may lift his suspension
-
metro3 days ago
Bring your children to compete with mine, MC Oluomo challenges those mocking his spoken English
-
metro2 days ago
I’m not in supremacy battle with Ooni, says new Alaafin
-
Business3 days ago
Marketers count losses as NNPC slashes petrol price
-
metro3 days ago
Rivers: Fubara’s supporters praise Tinubu’s intervention with emergency rule
-
metro2 days ago
Bandits attack Kwara North, kill vigilante, six others
-
Business2 days ago
Nigeria’s gas production increases by 15.6% to 227,931.65 mscf
-
metro23 hours ago
Niger Gov Bago makes U-turn on dreadlocks ban after backlash