An Abuja Chief Magistrate Court sitting at Wuse Zone 6, on Thursday, issued a bench warrant for the arrest of controversial social media activist, Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, VDM.

The arrest order followed a criminal defamation case that was brought before the court by a renowned female gospel singer, Mercy Chinwo.

In his ruling, Magistrate Emmanuel Iyana ordered the Nigeria Police Force and other law enforcement agencies to arrest VDM and produce him before the court to answer to criminal allegations that were levelled against him by the gospel singer.

The court noted that the defendant failed to honour a summon it issued on March 5, which directed him to appear for the proceeding.

Despite a passionate plea by counsel to the defendant, Mr. Deji Adeyanju, who was presebt in court, Magistrate Iyana declined to vacate the arrest order.

Adeyanju had begged the court to allow him to personally produce his client on the next adjourned date.

Specifically, VDM was alleged to have made defamatory statements against the singer through his social media page.

It allegedly claimed that Chinwo was involved in a contractual dispute over her purported diversion of the sum of $345,000 linked to her former record label boss, Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu, also known as Eezee Tee.

Aggrieved by the allegation which she described as not only false but also injurious to her public image and reputation, the gospel singer, adduced before the court, documentary evidence that included emails and payment receipts, in a bid to establish her innocence.

The complainant’s team of lawyers led by Mr. Pelumi Olajengbesi, insisted that the defendant’s action was contrary to Sections 391 of the Penal Code and Section 24 (1)(B) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act 2015.

It will also be recalled that Chinwo’s counsel had also instituted a N1.1billion suit against VDM before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The lawyer prayed the court to compel the defendant to delete, retract, and issue a public apology for all the alleged false and defamatory statements he made against Chinwo and her brand.

Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, Chairman of the Senate Committee on the South East Development Commission (SEDC) and Senator representing Abia North, has rejected calls from the Northern Youth Leaders Forum (NYLF) urging him to run for president in 2027.

The NYLF, a coalition of 40 groups, made the request after a courtesy visit to former President Olusegun Obasanjo in Abeokuta, Ogun State. The group’s President, Comrade Eliot Afiyo, named Obasanjo as its patron and listed Kalu and Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, as their preferred contenders for the 2027 presidency. The group also suggested that the Governors of Zamfara and Adamawa States, Dauda Lawal and Umar Fintiri, serve as running mates.

However, in a statement issued on Thursday by his media office and signed by George Maduka, Senator Kalu firmly dissociated himself from any presidential ambition, reiterating his commitment to supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.

Kalu emphasized that there is no division within the All Progressives Congress (APC) regarding the party’s 2027 presidential candidate and urged the opposition to refrain from using his name for political distractions.

The statement read in part: “Nigerian politics operates within a framework of a federal and presidential system, allowing citizens the right to vote and be voted for. Senator Kalu has the right to decide what position he should be considered for, and the presidency in 2027 is not one of them. He has publicly endorsed President Tinubu for re-election and remains committed to the work required to support him.”

Kalu further expressed confidence in Tinubu’s economic reforms, stating that achieving long-term stability, inclusivity, and adaptability requires the President to serve a full eight-year tenure.

“Since Nigeria’s return to democracy, no leader has shown the courage to reform the dwindling economy as Tinubu has. Kalu believes the best Nigerians can do is to support and re-elect the President in 2027 to complete the good work he has started.”

The former Abia State Governor also highlighted his long-standing friendship with Tinubu, dating back to their time as governors in 1999, and reaffirmed his unwavering support for the President’s progressive economic policies.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that most Nigerians are only interested in using public offices to enrich themselves and their cronies and then leave the country worse than they met it.

The former President said these people obtain billions of naira in loans, believing that paying back from public funds after being elected won’t be a problem.

Obasanjo disclosed this in his new book, ‘Nigeria: Past and Future’ where he painted the characters of chief executives at both the federal and state levels.

The book was one of two new books unveiled to mark Obasanjo’s 88th birthday last week.

The former President said the majority of those who have been opportuned to hold leadership positions in the country such as governors, presidents, ministers, commissioners and local government chairpersons, were ill-prepared, satanic, self-centred and were all out to corruptly enrich themselves while the nation continues to wallow in abject poverty and condemnable underdevelopment.

Obasanjo said that many clamouring to be governors or lead the country in one form or the other are only interested in using their offices to enrich themselves and their cronies and then leave the country worse than they met it.

He said, “How do you explain the situation of a chief executive, a governor, whose business was owing the banks billions of naira and millions of dollars before becoming a governor and within two years of becoming governor, without his company doing any business, he paid all that his businesses owed the banks.

“You are left to guess where the money came from. Having got away with that in the first term, he consigned to himself almost half of the state resources in the second term. He was a typical example of the goings-on at that level almost universally in the country with only a few exceptions.

“State resources are captured and appropriated to themselves with a pittance to staff and associates to close the mouths of those that could blow the whistle or raise alarm against them while in office and when they are out of office.’’

He further said, “The ones that are criminally ridiculous are the chief executives that deceive, lie and try to cover up on the realities and truth of action and inaction on contract awards, agreements, treaties, borrowings and forward sales of national assets. Such chief executives are unfit for the job they find themselves in.”

Speaking on the N15.6tn Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway project, the former President described it as wasteful and corrupt.

Minister of Works, David Umahi, had revealed that the 700km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway will cost N4.93bn per kilometre, stating that the contract was awarded on a counterpart-funding basis and not a Public-Private Partnership.

About N1.06tn has been released for the pilot phase, or six per cent of the project, which begins at Eko Atlantic and is expected to terminate at the Lekki Deep Sea Port.

Many prominent Nigerians, including the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 general elections, Atiku Abubakar, have questioned the Federal Government’s decision to award the contract to Gilbert Chagoury’s Hitech Construction Company without competitive bidding.

Chagoury is believed to be Tinubu’s long-time business partner and friend.

Assessing the two years of President Bola Tinubu-led administration, Obasanjo said it appears that the game of short-changing the over 230 million Nigerians would continue because “everything is said to be transactional and the slogan is ‘it is my turn to chop.’’

“Typical examples of waste, corruption and misplaced priority are the murky Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road on which the President had turned deaf ears to protests and the new Vice-President’s official residence built at a cost of N21bn in the time of economic hardship to showcase the administration hitting the ground running and to show the importance of the office of the Vice-President. What small minds!”

He equally slammed the federal government for spending N21bn on a new official residence for Vice President Kashim Shettima, calling it a misplaced priority and conduit designed to embezzle public funds.

To address some of the challenges facing the country, the former President said that there is a need to interrogate the Western liberal democracy being practised and see how it could be reviewed to reflect African peculiarities.

“If the West, from where the liberal democracy started should complain about it not working well for them, we should be wise enough at this stage to interrogate, carry out introspection, internal analysis and realise that Western liberal democracy is not working for us and is not delivering apart from the shortcomings of the operators.

“We should seek democracy within African history, culture, attributes and characteristics, one that will take necessary African factors into consideration. Until we can get a better word or description for it, let us call it Afrodemocracy.

“It is from Afrodemocracy that we will draw up an African people’s constitution for any African that chooses to go the way of Afrodemocracy, which will avoid most, to all, the faults we have found in Western liberal democracy,” he suggested.

Following the six months suspension that was slammed on her by the Senate, the lawmaker representing Kogi Central, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has filed a contempt charge against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

Equally cited as contemnors in the Form 48 she entered before the Federal High Court in Abuja, are the Clerk of the National Assembly and the

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Code of Conduct, Senator Neda Imasuem.

The embattled Kogi lawmaker maintained that her suspension constituted a willful disobedience to a subsisting order the court issued against the defendants on March 4.

Based on her application, the court, in a notice of disobedience of court order signed by its Registrar pursuant to Section 72 of the Sheriff and Civil Process Act 2004, urged the Defendants/Contemnors to take notice of their wilful disobedience of the order that was issued against them by Justice Obiora Egwuatu.

It warned that disobedience of the subsisting order rendered Akpabio, Senator Imasuem and the Clerk of the National Assembly liable for contempt of court, for which they may be committed to prison.

According to the Form 48, a copy of which Vanguard sighted on Thursday, the defendants/contemnors, “deliberately and contumaciously disregarded” a binding directive of the court and “proceeded with acts in flagrant defiance of the authority of the court.”

It was alleged that an enrolled order of the interim injunction that was issued by the court, was duly served on the defendants on March 5.

Justice Egwuatu had on the strength of an ex-parte application that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan filed through her team of lawyers led by Mr. Michael Numa, SAN, restrained the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Code of Conduct, from “proceeding with the purported investigation against the Plaintiff/Applicant for alleged misconduct sequel to the events that occurred at the plenary of the 2nd Defendant on the 20th day of February, 2025, pursuant to the referral by the 2nd Defendant on 25th February, 2025 pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice for interlocutory injunction.”

The court further issued an order “directing the 1st -4th Defendants to come and show cause; why an order of interlocutory injunction should not be granted against them restraining them from proceeding with purported investigation against the Plaintiff for alleged misconduct without affecting her privileges as stipulated in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended), the Senate Standing Order 2023 and the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act.”

As well as an order declaring that any action taken during the pendency of the suit “is null, void and of no effect whatsoever.”

More so, Justice Egwuatu gave Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan the nod to serve the processes on the defendants through substituted means, by either handing them to the Clerk of the National Assembly, or by pasting them on the oremises of the National Assembly or by publishing same in two national dailies.

The Senate President, Akpabio has in response to the suit, challenged the jurisdiction of the court to meddle in the affairs of the Senate.

The court adjourned further proceedings in the case till March 25.

The presidency has labelled former President Olusegun Obasanjo as a man who is jealous of the achievements of President Bola Tinubu for doing what he failed to do as the leader of Nigeria.

The presidency, in a statement released via X on Thursday by Tinubu’s Special Assistant on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, said Obasanjo fancies himself as a self-righteous man who understands all the problems of Nigeria and knows the solution.

He, however, criticized Obasanjo and accused him of failing to address the needs of the country when he had the opportunity to do so but instead chose to waste the nation’s resources.

The position of the presidency follows Obasanjo’s recent open criticism of President Tinubu’s ₦15.6 trillion spent on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway project.

Obasanjo described the project as a misplaced priority.

In chapter six of his new book, ‘Nigeria: Past and Future’ unveiled to mark his 88th birthday last week, Obasanjo described the Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway project as wasteful, corrupt and a misplaced priority.

In response, the presidency said President Tinubu would not be distracted, adding that Obasanjo must explain to Nigerians why he failed to transform Nigeria into a proper country during his time in power despite the abundance of resources at his disposal.

“While it is common for many elder statesmen to write books aimed at sanctifying their days as the leader of the country despite obvious flaws, another elder statesman, former President Olusegun Obasanjo has just published a memoir containing claims that would further relegate his integrity as the leader who opened Nigeria to the canker worms of corruption by neglecting important projects that could have changed the trajectory of this country if he had focused on what mattered in his days.

“By underplaying the importance of the Lagos-Calabar project in his latest book, President OBJ has not only affirmed to those who witnessed his administration’s several failures to address the needs of the country when he had the opportunity, but he has also put in written form, a position which generations to come will indeed question when the road that will end up as one of the most significant endeavours of any Federal Government in the history of the country, finally becomes a reality.

“Despite spending 8 years in government and failing in his attempt to force himself on Nigerians for a further four years as President, Baba Obasanjo failed woefully in addressing the infrastructural needs of his state; indeed, it took former President Buhari just three years to deliver the first modern rail to pass through baba’s backyard in Abeokuta. The Lagos-Ibadan expressway was southwest and indeed one of Nigeria’s most important road projects in recent times, both baba and the PDP spent 16 years without getting the project beyond 30% completion until Buhari happened.

“What about the Lagos-Abeokuta expressway that has now been inherited by Governor Abiodun in 2024 because the President who hailed from the state failed to make it a reality despite having all the power and goodwill to do so?

“Should we delve into the corruption that brought Nigeria’s power sector to its knees despite the claims of spending billions of dollars to fix the same under his administration? Or his failure to revive our refineries, killing our steel industry and fraudulent privatization of NITEL among others?

“President Obasanjo must emulate others before him by returning to his writing board to at least attempt to explain to Nigerians why he failed to help Nigeria transition into a proper country under his leadership despite emerging at a time when the goodwill was at an all-time high compared to these days when President Tinubu now has to take all the decisions they failed to take,” the statement read.

Importance Of Lagos-Calabar Project

The presidency highlighted that the Lagos-Calabar highway project and other major infrastructural projects embarked upon by the Tinubu government are to open up the economy for the benefit of Nigerians.

The statement added that the future generation would judge who the better president is between Tinubu and Obasanjo.

“Like the Sokoto-Badagry Highway and Lagos-Abuja Highway, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road is projects that will change the economic landscape of our country FOR LIFE and former President OBJ must pretend not to be jealous of the master strategist who is rewriting the history of the southwestern presidency by fixing all that needs to be fixed across the country.

“The future generations will laugh when the time comes, just like our generation has done at his self-aggrandizement because Baba has refused to see beyond himself as the righteous one who understands Nigeria and its needs.

“President Tinubu will not be deterred by distractions such as these and believe me, Nigerians who understand development will not be distracted at this point,” the statement concluded.

The Labour Party (LP) has strongly rejected Senator Nenadi Usman’s alleged attempt to broker an alliance between the party and her former mentor, ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai.

In a statement on Thursday, March 13, 2025, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, described Usman’s actions as “clearly criminal and must be resisted.”

He emphasized that she is not a registered member of the Labour Party, despite aligning with the party in 2022 to support its presidential candidate.

“Her name is still not on the party’s register, and she is not recognized by the party’s ward, local government, and state chapters,” Ifoh stated.

He reiterated that the party leadership has consistently dismissed any discussions about coalitions, alliances, or mergers. He also criticized Usman’s attempt to involve El-Rufai, calling it audacious given her lack of official affiliation with the party.

He said: “The leadership of the Labour Party, on Tuesday, watched in awe as a one-time Minister of Finance and a former member of the People’s Democratic Party, Senator Nenadi Usman, failed in her bid to transact with the Labour Party in alliance with her mentor and former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai.

“Before Tuesday’s shameful but audacious display by Nenadi Usman, many attempts have been made by some desperate politicians to transact with the Labour Party, all ending in the same disastrous fate.

“We are also aware that one other group, which has continued to claim proprietary rights over the Labour Party, indicated in a recent statement an interest in joining this transactional frenzy to obliterate this party, seen by many as the third force Nigerians are yearning for.”

Ifoh accused Usman of attempting to hijack the party without any legitimate standing, stating that the Labour Party would not be treated as merchandise.

“We have repeatedly said that the Labour Party is filled with several transactional politicians whose only purpose in joining the party was to scramble for the soul of the party. This explains the genesis of the crises we have witnessed in the party over the last two years.

“We have continued to warn that the Labour Party is not merchandise that can be bought over the counter. It baffles us how some individuals continue to engage in a futile enterprise whose end is already foretold.

“For emphasis, Senator Usman joined the Labour Party in 2022 in support of our presidential candidate as an unregistered member of the party, and up till now, her name is still not on the party’s register. She is not known to her ward, local government, or state chapters of the party. It is only in Nigeria that some desperate politicians can wake up one morning and begin to claim a position, even if such a position is not supported by any law,” Ifoh said.

He further alleged that Usman’s attempt to impose herself on the party stemmed from an agenda backed by undisclosed political figures.

“Today, it is becoming manifest why she forced her way to assume an illegal and ill-conceived transitional chairmanship of the Labour Party. Also, the unseen hands that have urged and funded her covert agenda are beginning to emerge from hiding.”

Ifoh pointed out that Usman had previously taken the party to court in an unsuccessful attempt to dissolve its leadership.

He said: “Nigerians must know that Nenadi Usman dragged the party to the courts, seeking to have the entire executive of the party—from the ward, local government, and state to the national level—sacked, and she lost in both the lower and appeal courts. She was barely two years old as a non-card-carrying member of the party at that time. Today, even though the six-month illegal mandate given to her in Umuahia has since elapsed, she is still sitting in a non-existent office.”

He also criticized her presence at El-Rufai’s defection event to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), calling it an act of anti-party behavior.

The LP spokesperson said: “In her media release, she claimed that she was invited by her colleague in the SDP to witness El-Rufai’s defection. Imagine a supposed party leader saying ‘they’ received El-Rufai into the opposition fold. Was it a CNPP event?

“It’s laughable that a supposed party leader, who was ‘appointed’ to drive reforms in the Labour Party, went to the SDP, sitting beside El-Rufai, to engage in anti-party activities and claim she was invited by the leadership of another political party.

“Why didn’t they invite the chairmen of the other opposition political parties? This is a shallow defense and most unfortunate from Senator Nenadi Usman. Her motives have now been exposed, and we urge her to stop playing double games.”

Reaffirming the party’s stance, Ifoh stated that while individuals are free to join or leave any political party, any attempt to trade Labour Party’s influence would not be tolerated.

“Finally, we want to state emphatically that we are not against any individual leaving or joining any political party of their choice, provided that, if elected into office on the ticket of a political party, such a person relinquishes the mandate.

“If, therefore, Nenadi Usman wants to join any other political party, she is free to do so, but transacting with the Labour Party is criminal, and it must be resisted,” Ifoh declared.

The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has accused the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, of sponsoring political attacks against Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State.

Naija News reports CUPP made the allegation in a statement on Wednesday by its national spokesperson, Comrade Mark Adebayo, in reaction to the political crisis which has rocked Rivers State.

The coalition said Wike has become frustrated as a result of the failed attempts to unseat Fubara.

It also called on Nigerians and the international community to prevail on Wike to give peace a chance in Rivers State, as the current crisis is capable of disrupting the democratic journey in Nigeria and reversing the gains of almost thirty years of unbroken democratic process.

“It is unfortunate that those fomenting violent crisis in Rivers State do not realize how dangerous it is to the current democratic dispensation because if the crisis comes to a head, it has the potential to disrupt the current Republic and reverse the country’s democratic gains of almost three decades.

“There have been series of coup attempts against the current Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency, Governor Similayi Fubara as being instigated by the FCT minister and the state’s immediate past Governor and his political camp. This has led to extreme frustration due to the failed coup attempts by the camp loyal to the FCT Minister.

“The desperation to impeach Governor Fubara has failed so far and will continue to fail because it is not only antidemocratic, but also against the wishes of the overwhelming majority of the good people of Rivers State who have remained unequivocal in their support for Governor Similayi Fubara from day one of his administration. The Rivers people across the state, irrespective of ethnoreligious and political affiliations have remained solidly behind Governor Fubara in collective solidarity to defend the mandate they freely gave to him as the state’s executive Governor in 2023,” CUPP said.

Why Wike Is Desperate

Speaking further, Adebayo insisted that the FCT Minister is not interested in the implementation of the Supreme Court judgement on local governments in the state because he doesn’t want Governor Fubara to have access to the funds.

He maintained that such action is dangerous to the democratic stability of Rivers State and Nigeria as a whole.

CUPP accused Wike of fighting tooth and nail to prevent the budget presentation by Fubara so they can cripple the state financially and prevent critical development.

“The Wike camp also doesn’t want the implementation of the Supreme Court judgement on the state’s local government as they are plotting against the local government areas’ election budget presentation. Their tactic is to block the presentation of the appropriation Bill so that the state Governor will not have access to resources to conduct election in the Local Government Areas of the state.

“We wish to alert Nigerians and the international community to the fact that those orchestrating the Rivers State crisis on the prompting of the FCT minister and other antidemocratic elements constitute a significant danger to the current democratic dispensation by their disruptive extra-constitutional activities aimed at throwing the state into the darkness of unmitigated crisis that may spread across the country and consume our democracy.

“We call on the international community and all well-meaning Nigerians to caution these enemies of democracy and let Rivers State be at peace. They are seriously frustrated that all their shenanigans to impeach the Governor have failed woefully so far and will continue to fail. Therefore, they want to cripple the state financially by not passing the appropriation Bill into law and allow the state government access to funds critical to the development of the state and conduct election into the LGAs.

“Their actions are very injurious to the interests of Rivers State and its people. In general terms, their antidemocratic shenanigans are injurious to the democratic stability of Nigeria. Wike and his cabal of political jobbers must let Rivers State breathe as they have already pushed the Rivers people to their utmost limit,” the press release concluded.

Former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has said former President Muhammadu Buhari blessed his defection from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Naija News reports that El-Rufai said he met former President Buhari on Friday, March 7, to notify him of his planned defection.

In an interview on Thursday with BBC Hausa Service, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) chieftain stated that he left after Buhari’s blessing.

“I met with him (Buhari) on Friday, and told him about my consultations in preparation to leave the party. I sought his blessing and prayers and told him about the new party I am joining. And he gave his blessing, prayers and wished me success.

“He (Buhari) told me that he is now a statesman, and we are the politicians. He said he knew we had good intention, and then prayed for us.

“What next? I quit their party, and challenged them to eat the party if it is food,” he said.

Asked whether he defected so as not to be expelled, El-Rufai said he would have preferred expulsion, as it would have saved him the inconvenience of explaining himself.

“Well, it would have been better for me if they expelled me. I have stated many times that APC would be my last political party. Had they expelled me, they would have saved me the troubles of explaining why I left the APC. As I said, I have not left the APC, but the APC rather left me,” Daily Nigerians quoted him.

THE political crisis in Rivers State took a dangerous turn, yesterday, as the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Minister, Chief Nyesom Wike, downplayed reported threats by some Ijaw-linked militant groups to blow up crude oil pipelines and hold the nation to ransom, should Governor Siminalayi Fubara be impeached by the 27 members of the State Assembly loyal to him.
In fact, Wike said heaven would not fall, if the governor was impeached.

This was as the Martin Amaewhule-led Assembly, which shunned a reconciliation meeting called by the governor, barred Fubara from entering the Assembly complex to present the 2025 budget, alleging improper communication.

In a quick counter, Fubara said he was ready to re-present the budget, despite being locked out, insisting that he notified the House through Speaker Amaewhule.

Meanwhile, the Ijaw National Congress, INC, once again reiterated its earlier position that if Fubara (an Ijaw man) was impeached for any reason, the consequences will be too heavy for the country to bear economically.

Describing the lawmakers’ action as reckless, the INC said Wike cannot drag the Ikwerre and Ijaw Nations into a tribal war.
In like manner, the Pan Niger-Delta Elders Forum, PANDEF, described the legislators’ action as provocative and an insult to Rivers people; as oil communities warned the lawmakers against igniting fire in the Niger-Delta.

No ethnic group has monopoly of violence — Wike

While noting that no ethnic group had a monopoly of violence and that the state has the wherewithal to deal with criminal elements, Wike said the heavens will not fall if Fubara was impeached for constitutional infractions.

The minister spoke during a live interview with some television reporters, monitored in Abuja.

While he described PANDEF as the worst organization for anyone to rely on, the immediate past Rivers State governor also took a swipe at Bauchi State governor, Senator Bala Muhammed, who he accused of using him to settle scores with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Monopoly of violence

Wike said every ethnic group in the Niger Delta had the capacity to do whatever others are doing, warning that no one should arrogate to himself the monopoly of violence.

He said: “Who has called for his impeachment? Who? If he has committed an infraction to be impeached, what is wrong? Is impeachment a criminal offence? Is it not provided for in the constitution? Am I a member of the Assembly?

‘’The point I am making is, if he has committed an infraction on the constitution and the Assembly deems it fit to say he should be impeached, then fine. Is he the first person that would be threatened with impeachment? Don’t you know what to do? What’s all this hullabaloo about impeachment?

Threat by Ijaws

“I have heard people say if they impeach him, there will be a breakdown of law and order. Rubbish. Tell me who are the militants? Who was born a militant? Tell me. Who is a militant? Who cannot blow the pipelines? Why do you arrogate this power to a certain group of people? ‘’Are Ijaw people the only ones who can blow up pipelines? What nonsense is that? Who told you that Ogoni, Ikwerre and others cannot blow up pipelines? Why do you arrogate powers to people?

‘’Who is the one doing the contract of the pipeline surveillance? Is he not an Ijaw son? Is it not Tompolo? Tantita? They gave you the contract. You are Ijaw and somebody will say Ijaw people will go and blow pipelines and somebody will listen to that?
‘’How dare you threaten a country? Which threat? It does not exist. These are political thugs planted by some people in government. We know ourselves. You make an appointment as MD of NDDC, they threaten that they will blow pipelines. You make an appointment, they threaten again to blow pipelines.

“I have told people, when the law speaks, all these ‘Asawana’ (an Ijaw spiritual chant) will die. Let me tell you, Ijaw does not constitute the majority of the Niger-Delta. People must speak the truth. Heavens will not fall. You only die once, not two times.
“What nonsense, everyday you wake up, Ijaw will do this, Ijaw will do that! In Akwa Ibom, Ijaw cannot be governor. In Delta, Ijaw is a minority. With all due respect to our late elder statesman, Edwin Clark, he is from Delta.

“He never produced an Ijaw man to be governor of Delta. The only place Ijaw can be governor solely, is in Bayelsa, not in Edo, not in Rivers. It was out of our own benevolence, the idea of live and let’s live, that I said, look, we are working as a team. We are members of the same political family. Let us allow this to go to this area.

‘’If it is by strength, they cannot beat the Ogonis, they cannot beat the Ekpeyes, and they cannot beat the Ikwerres.
“When people do something to bring people together, you appreciate it. In fact, when I brought this governor, they said’ no,’ that he is not a real Ijaw man.

‘’If you are talking about Ijaw, the ticket should go to the Kalabaris, how can you say if they want to give governorship to the Ijaw, that it should be the Opobos? And you closed your eyes and did it. All those who fought me are the ones now parading themselves and deceiving him.”

Useless letters

Wike also slammed Fubara for writing a “useless” letter to the Martins Amaewhule-led State Assembly, inviting them for a meeting at Government House in Port Harcourt and also informing them of his intention to re-present the state’s annual budget.

Describing Fubara as an insincere politician, the FCT minister, who was largely instrumental to making him governor, said having been at loggerheads with the lawmakers for a long time, Fubara ought to know what to do, rather than sending a subordinate to write them.

Wike, who wondered how three lawmakers would sit and make laws for a state, said: ‘’We are talking about the Supreme Court. Do we need to go to the Supreme Court? In your own conscience, are you telling me three members will constitute a parliament?”

Asked to explain what happened during his tenure when, at a point he worked with five lawmakers, the minister said: “That is not correct. You see, people should stop all these. Even when they say so, why not do your research? Remember, the assembly was inaugurated, remember there was a tribunal.

‘’The Court of Appeal nullified some seats. Before that time, the budget had been done. And then we did a rerun and the assembly was full. If anybody tells you that I, as governor, presented a budget to a number that is not what is required by the constitution, it is a blatant lie. Prove it. Prove with empirical evidence.

Faulting Fubara’s budget presentation move, Wike said: “You have had a frosty relationship with an arm of government. If you are a good politician, will you go and write letters?

“If you are a good politician, you have had a frosty relationship with me for many years. I have never sat down with you, I have never spoken with you, you seized my salary. They could not pay their children’s school fees. Now you went to the Court of Appeal. It didn’t even occur to you, even though I won at the Court of Appeal, I still want peace.

“The matter went to the Supreme Court. And the Supreme Court now gave it to me. Then the next thing you do is to write a letter and who signed the letter? A bloody SSG would sign a letter to the head of an arm of government? What an insult?

‘’You are telling me here that the SGF will sign a letter to the President of the Senate or to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and say Mr. President is coming to do so and so. Is that how it is done?

“First, assuming you want to go that route, you call the leadership and say, listen, this is where we are. I want to present this budget tomorrow. They will say okay, let’s look at it. You are not the one to tell them you are coming to present a budget tomorrow. Who does that? ‘’You want to play to the gallery. I have been in government, I don’t just write letters to Mr. Speaker to say I am coming to present a budget tomorrow morning. Are they your children? Do you know their engagements?

‘’If you are sincere, you will call first and say ‘Mr. Speaker, where are you? Are you home? Can we talk? Can you come? Or can I come?’ And they agree on something and then Mr. Speaker will go back and call his colleagues and say, listen, ‘Mr Governor called me and I met with him and he wants to present the budget on so, so date’.

‘’Then, they will look at their schedule and say okay, let us shift it or let us accommodate him on that day. That is how it is done.
“All these letters you (Fubara) are writing are useless. You are playing to the gallery. Everybody knows you are not sincere. A true politician will not behave that way. Let me tell you, Mr President was to present a budget to the National Assembly and the Assembly people were not happy for one thing or the other.

‘’We met at Exco and they said they had shifted it. Why? He had to meet with the leadership to agree on some grey areas. He didn’t need to write a letter. A man who does not want peace is the man who is playing to the gallery, saying I have written a letter, written letter to your son?

“The governor is not sincere. I never knew he is this kind of character. The Supreme Court said there is no way three members can sit and legislate for a state. You took your commissioners, Attorney-General for these three members to screen.

‘’The court said it is not possible and the Assembly people said submit the list of members of your cabinet, we are willing to screen them. Instead of us to applaud them, you are saying why should they give a time limit? When the Assembly asked him to submit a list, he now told his commissioners to go to court, after the Supreme Court had given judgment on this matter.”

PANDEF taking sides

Accusing PANDEF of taking sides in the matter, Wike said: “Yesterday (Tuesday), I heard that some people (PANDEF) went to see Mr. President. It is the worst organization anybody can rely on. I used to tell my father, daddy, I am disappointed in this.

‘’If you continue, I am not going to be a party to it. If you have a father who is always interested in money, he can sell his children.

“These leaders, look at the comments they made. Mr. President intervened in this matter. The vice president was there, the National Security Adviser was there. This same PANDEF came out and said Mr. President had no right.

‘’They took Mr. President to court. People like Chief Sara-Igbe, even Diette-Spiff who I respected, went to Rivers Government House. Look at the statement he made. ‘I am an Ijaw man. You are an Ijaw man. Call us, we will be with you.

‘’An elder-statesman will go and make such a statement. Now you are the same person coming again to meet Mr. President to intervene. Intervene how? The Mr. President you said had no right? Mr. President that you took to court that he had no power to intervene?

‘’They took Mr. President to court. From the state High Court in Rivers State, and at the Court of Appeal, they lost, up to the Supreme Court. Now you are going to tell the president to do what, that the Supreme Court judgment should not be obeyed?”

How Fubara emerged governor

Wike said but for the elderly counsel of Chief Ferdinand Alabraba, Fubara would not have been governor as consensus was already building in favour of having a governor of Ogoni extraction.

According to Wike, before the elections, the consensus was to have a governor of Ogoni extraction but Chief Alabraba begged that the ticket should be given to the Ijaw to give them a sense of belonging. He noted that today, Fubara has used all manner of degrading adjectives against the elder.

Wike also said Fubara couldn’t have shown up uninvited in the State House of Assembly Quarters after he demolished the complex in December 2023.

The governor, who addressed reporters at the quarters, had said he communicated his plan to be at the quarters to the speaker, Amaewhule.

Rivers State government also shared a letter notifying the House of the governor’s visit.

However, Wike said: “If you write a letter to the Assembly, won’t you wait for a response? He is playing to the gallery. He brought the Assembly Complex down. Assembly now sits in their residence. If you are coming, they have children; they will say the governor is coming today, so they have to prepare themselves.

“You cannot just go and open the gate and say ‘I’m coming to present budget.’”

On PDP crisis

On the state of affairs in the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, Wike described the party’s National Working Committee NWC as “stupid”, accusing it of causing problems and blaming others.

“Congresses had been held. When you cause problems for yourself, you will go and call other people. Look at the stupid PDP NWC. You purportedly wrote a letter to INEC dated 20th, a Friday.

‘’Now, 21st was the day of the Congress. Then you submitted the letter on Monday when the Congresses had taken place. You are now telling INEC you have postponed a Congress that had taken place.

“Secondly, you go and say you are forming a caretaker committee. You are the one killing the party. For example, which senator in a meeting where governors are seated will oppose them?

‘’If you do something the right way and achieve results, who will challenge you? All (PDP) governors, let them challenge me, I will tell them one by one the role they are playing in the crisis in the party.”

Bauchi gov used us

“How did Bala Muhammed use us? Bala Muhammed was having problems with Atiku and others. He came to me. In fact, that day, I was going to commission the lounge at the airport. When he landed, I said there is no need to come to town since I am coming to the airport. “Bello Adoke, the former Attorney-General was there. Bala said Atiku will kill him if Atiku won, that we must support Asiwaju. I laughed. I said okay. We now organized G-5 to go and pay Bala a visit in Bauchi, not knowing he was using us to settle with Atiku.

‘’So, when we went there, he was happy. The next day, Tambuwal, Sule Lamido, all of them led a team to see Bala and Bala abandoned us, and now reconciled with Atiku,” he stated.

How 27 lawmakers barred Fubara from Assembly quarters

Governor Fubara was at the Assembly in the early hours of yesterday to implement one of the key decisions contained in the certified true copy, CTC, of the Supreme Court judgment, which is the presentation of the 2025 budget to a properly constituted state Assembly.

Some staff of the Assembly who spoke anonymously, said there was no formal communication that the governor was coming to the Assembly today (yesterday).

“I am not disposed to such information that the governor was billed in the Assembly today (yesterday). If there is such information, the speaker will inform us. For now, we are not aware of the governor’s visit to the Assembly,” the source said.

I’m ready to re-present budget, despite being locked out — Fubara

Meanwhile, Governor Fubara has expressed dissatisfaction over the action of the lawmakers denying him entry to the quarters.
He disclosed that he made several attempts including sending whatsapp messages to Ameuwhule to fix the visit to the assembly to no avail.

Addressing residents of Khana LGA of the state during the commissioning of some health facilities, shortly after the drama at the Assembly quarters, Fubara insisted he communicated his intention to visit the lawmakers to Speaker Amaewhule before he showed up at the quarters to re-represent the 2025 budget as directed by the Assembly, following the verdict of the Supreme Court on February 28, 2025.

“I still believe, maybe, they might be instructed later. If they are instructed, I’m still ready to come any day to get this particular issue sorted out,” he said.

If Fubara’s impeached, consequences will be heavy — INC

Reacting to the political development in the state yesterday, the President of INC, Professor Benjamin Okaba, said he was not surprised that the 27 lawmakers acted in that “shameful way”, saying they were neither interested in peace nor the overall interest of Rivers people. According to him, the lawmakers are there to serve the interest of their master, Nyesom Wike.

The INC president alleged that the lawmakers were loyal to Wike because the FCT minister “bought the forms that took them to the Assembly. They were handpicked by him. Wike said so publicly. That is why I am not surprised by the way they act.”

“Some people said Sim is very weak. He promised Mr. President that he would implement the judgment, why then should the lawmakers block him from entering the Assembly complex?

“These same lawmakers gave the governor 48 hours and then 72 hours ultimatums to present the budget. They issued another ultimatum to the governor to sack the 19 commissioners. If he sacks the commissioners, including commissioner for finance, who will then prepare the budget?

“By their actions, they have shown the world how wicked they are. If they go ahead and impeach Sim Fubara maliciously, forcibly or recklessly, we will resist it and the consequences of such action will be too heavy for the whole country to bear. This is no threat,’’ Okaba warned.

‘’Wike cannot provoke us into ethnic war. The Ikwerre people had apologized to the Ijaw people over the attitude of Wike against Sim.”

Don’t ignite fire in Niger Delta, oil communities warn lawmakers

Similarly, oil and gas producing communities of Niger Delta have warned the 27 River lawmakers to restrain from actions that may spark fire capable of affecting crude oil production in the region.

Chairman, board of trustees, BoT, of the communities of oil and gas producing areas of the Niger Delta, CDC, Joseph Ambakaderimo, said, “This must be called into question because this action in itself is an affront on the Supreme Court judgment. These men call themselves lawmakers. They should always live by example.”

Action insult to Rivers people, says PANDEF

In like manner, PANDEF described the lawmakers’ action as “provocative.”

A chieftain of PANDEF, Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe, told Vanguard on telephone that denying the governor access to the Assembly complex was not an insult to Siminalayi Fubara as a person, but the people of Rivers State in general.

“The governor was elected by millions of Rivers people. As the chief executive officer of the state, he has unhindered access to all the facilities within the state. Blocking him from entering the complex is a direct insult and an embarrassment to the people of Rivers State.

“It is now very clear that the governor is ready for peace but these people are not ready for peace. You can see that by their actions.