Politics

PDP on self destructive path, Wike warns

Published

4 years ago

August 17, 2022

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike

Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike has said that his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is toeing a self-destructive path ahead of the 2023 presidential election.

Wike insisted that a party desiring to win the crucial poll could not on its own be causing problems for itself.

The Governor, who spoke on Tuesday while inaugurating a VIP Lounge built at the Port Harcourt International Airport by his administration, said some leaders were peddling rumours and gossip about him to the presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

The Governor, who was accompanied by Bauchi Governor, Bala Mohammed, said instead of such leaders and elders of the party to return to their various States and set up strategies for the PDP to win, they were permanently in Abuja sponsoring gossip in the media against him.

“A party that wants to win an election cannot on their own be causing problems for themselves, carrying rumours when there is nothing”, he said.

Wike said it was the business of Atiku to decide whether he wanted to win the election or not and asked rumour peddlers to return to their states and work for the party.

He said: “We are busy campaigning with our projects on how our party will win election in the state, other people are busy in Abuja carrying rumours and gossip up and down.

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“We are busy here commissioning and inaugurating projects that will sell our party, others are busy every day in the newspaper talking about Wike and then they will call the candidate, ‘did you see what I have said about Wike today?’ They have no job.

“Instead of you to do something that will make your party win elections, you are only busy everyday on Wike said this. Where you heard from Wike, I do not know. Maybe in your dreams.

“You want to support the candidate but you are not at home. You are in Abuja. Come home and campaign and work for the party. Stop this Abuja politics of carrying rumours to the candidate.

“Only one person can be a Minister from the state. I will not be a Minister. I am not a liability. Rivers State is an asset. If you don’t want to win the election, it is your business I am not the one running an election. He who wears the shoes knows where it pinches him.

“So allow Rivers to keep doing what they are doing by using our projects to campaign to our people. Next few days we will be in Omagwa and Igirita to flag off the internal roads. We have done Isiokpo, we have almost finished Omarelu. We have finished Alu. These are the things we will use to tell the people see why you should vote for us.

“It is not the gossip and it is not appearing on television stations that will help you to win. It is what you have done. The report card you have”.

He said despite all the rumours, nobody had met with his camp adding that nobody should hope on only Rivers for votes.

He said: “Meanwhile nobody has met Wike’s camp if at all Wike has any camp. I am not a theoretical politician, I am a practising politician. If as a Governor I don’t stay in n Abuja, I don’t even sleep there, those people sleeping there, what are they doing there?

“Their business is to go home and talk to their people. Leave Abuja alone. You cannot be there to direct what is happening. Very soon we will know who can deliver his unit, his ward and local government and his state. But don’t think you will only hope on my own state. Everybody bring your own”.

The Governor, who was impressed with the local contractor that handled the VIP Lounge, said he had directed the Commissioner for Works to arrest some local contractors, who despite collecting 100 percent of their money, refused to complete their contracts.

He said instead of completing their projects, other local contractors would divert the money for personal use and begin to formulate excuses

Wike expressed concerns over the maintenance of the project saying instead of handing it over the Federal Airport Authority (FAAN), the state would partner with the contractor to work out modalities for its maintenance.

The Nation

Politics

AMAC Polls Shock: Another PDP Candidate Withdraws from FCT Race, Backs APC

Published

20 hours ago

February 19, 2026

Trends Admin

AMAC Polls Shock: Another PDP Candidate Withdraws from FCT Race, Backs APC

Less than 48 hours before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairmanship candidate for Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Hon. Zadna Dantani, has pulled out of the race and declared support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Hon. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu.

Dantani’s withdrawal follows a similar move in Bwari Area Council, where the PDP candidate, Hon. Julius Adamu, stepped down in favour of APC’s Joshua Ishaku Musa, signalling a major shift in political alignment ahead of Saturday’s elections.

In a formal declaration, Dantani explained that his decision was influenced by high-level intervention from the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, whom he described as both “party leader and FCT leader.”

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“I want to sincerely appreciate everyone who supported us. This decision is not about personal interests. The Honourable Minister of FCT, Barrister Nyesom Wike, emphasized that this is a brotherhood election. I am aligning with APC in support of the good works of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Dantani said.

Dantani also confirmed that he had completed all legal formalities, including submitting a letter of withdrawal to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), stating that the move was entirely voluntary and made after consultations with family and stakeholders.

He called on his supporters across AMAC’s 12 wards to vote for APC’s Christopher Maikalangu, describing the alignment as a step toward unity and effective governance in the territory.

Political analysts note that these high-profile PDP withdrawals in both AMAC and Bwari have reshaped the FCT political landscape, increasing APC’s chances of sweeping the elections and stirring debates about PDP’s internal cohesion ahead of upcoming local and national contests.

AMAC Polls Shock: Another PDP Candidate Withdraws from FCT Race, Backs APC

Politics

Updated: Rivers Senator Mpigi Barinada dies at 64

Published

22 hours ago

February 19, 2026

Trends Admin

Updated: Rivers Senator Mpigi Barinada dies at 64

Lawmaker representing the South East Senatorial district of Rivers State, Senator Mpigi Barinada is dead.

He was aged 64.

The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Works, Akin Alabi, confirmed the sad development in a tribute post on his official X handle on Thursday.

He wrote, “Good night my dear friend. Rest in Peace, Senator Mpigi Barinada. Sen Mpigi represented Rivers South East in the Senate”.

The Rivers Senator was the Chairman, Senate Committee on Works.

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Senator representing Nasarawa South, Mohammed Onawo, also paid glowing tribute to the late Rivers senator and urged his colleagues to honour his memory.

He spoke during the session of the Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism on Thursday.

First elected in 2011 to the lower house, he was re-elected for a second term in December 2016.

In 2019, he was elected as the Senator representing Rivers South East Senatorial District under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Updated: Rivers Senator Mpigi Barinada dies at 64

Politics

LP Crisis Deepens as Abure Faction Rejects Otti’s Reconciliation Call

Published

1 day ago

February 19, 2026

Trends Admin

National Chairman of Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure

LP Crisis Deepens as Abure Faction Rejects Otti’s Reconciliation Call

The leadership crisis rocking the Labour Party (LP) has taken a new turn as the Julius Abure–led faction firmly rejected reconciliation efforts initiated by Abia State Governor Alex Otti, declaring it has no interest in any peace move proposed by him.

In a strongly worded response, the factional National Working Committee (NWC) led by Julius Abure described Governor Otti’s call for unity as dishonest, premature, and ill-fated, insisting that the internal dispute within the party is far from being resolved.

The Abure camp was reacting to Otti’s recent appeal for aggrieved factions within the party to sheathe their swords and work towards rebuilding the LP ahead of future elections. The governor had announced plans to set up a reconciliation committee, stating that the interim leadership would determine the appropriate timing.

However, the Abure faction dismissed the move outright, accusing Otti of playing a central role in triggering and escalating the crisis. According to the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, the governor lacks the moral authority to champion reconciliation.

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“We are not interested in any reconciliation being proposed by Governor Alex Otti because he is largely responsible for the crisis facing the party today,” Ifoh said. He questioned why the governor was rushing reconciliation talks when legal battles over the party’s leadership are still ongoing, stressing that the matter is “far from over.”

The rejection comes amid heightened tensions following the removal of Abure’s leadership details from the INEC portal, a development that further deepened divisions within the opposition party.

Background: How the Labour Party Leadership Crisis Began

The Labour Party crisis stems from a prolonged power struggle over national leadership, which intensified after the 2023 general elections that significantly boosted the party’s national profile.

At the heart of the dispute are two rival factions: one led by Julius Abure, the party’s embattled national chairman, and another aligned with Nenadi Usman, who heads an interim leadership structure.

The crisis escalated when a court of first instance issued an order that effectively recognized the Nenadi Usman–led group as the authentic leadership of the party. Acting on the ruling, the Independent National Electoral Commission adjusted its records, delisting the Abure-led NWC from its official portal.

While Abure’s faction has since filed an appeal and maintains that the court ruling is not final, the Usman-aligned camp has continued to operate as the recognized leadership, widening the rift within the party.

Governor Otti, one of the most prominent LP officeholders, has publicly aligned with reconciliation efforts, arguing that internal unity is critical for the party’s survival. However, the Abure faction views his actions as politically motivated interference, rather than a genuine peace initiative.

With legal proceedings still pending and both factions refusing to back down, the Labour Party remains deeply divided, raising fresh concerns about its cohesion and electoral prospects ahead of future political contests.