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Atiku to Wike: A Governors is not a motor park leader *Sealing my office attack on Nigerians
“The governor is not a motor park leader. A governor governs everybody, including those who are ugly, those who are beautiful. The governor must know that his office comes with responsibilities,” were the exact words with which Atiku Abubakar, admonished Rivers State Governor to soft-pedal in taking actions that would undermine the cause of democracy in Nigeria.
Atiku, who was reacting against the backdrop of the sealing off of his campaign office in Port Harcourt by Wike on Friday, said the action remained a huge blow on Nigerians, because the result amounted to denying the people of the right to know, against the principle of democracy being the government of the people, by the people and for the people.
Conveying his position through Charles Aniagwu, spokesman of the Peoples Democractic Party Presidential Campaign Council (PDP-PCC), who appeared on Arise Television on Friday night, Atiku said, the development was not healthy, as the ultimate loser would not be himself, the party or the campaign but Nigerians and democracy.
Hear him: “We believe it is not a healthy development, even not our party. It is not going to be the right thing to do for us when individuals are reaching out to members of the public. The reason why you have a campaign office and individuals helping you to push your agenda is to be able to open up the space so that the electorates will be able to make informed choices based on available options and available policies and how the individuals have been able to put out their policies to digest.
“But when you begin to strangulate that process by taking actions that are a little selfish and not advancing the cause of democracy, you’ll see that the person is not taking actions against those he’s intending to take actions against, you’re also taking actions to undermine the democratic rights of innocent Nigerians to be well informed about the actions of those who are seeking to govern them.
“That’s why we plead with all governors, irrespective of their political parties, to try as much as possible to open up the space. These individuals came into office via an open process, where nobody strangulated the process. Atiku won the primaries fair and square. What we have suffered in the PDP is the danger of a single story. We didn’t want to tell our story, because we have been searching for peace and we’ll continue to search for peace, believing that at the end of the day, by doing so, we’ll have been able to show that we want a much more united country and a country that is going to be much more peaceful.
Arguing that the action of the governor, was part of the reason, many were apprehensive of supporting state police, he said, it was unimaginable what would happen should other governors decided to copy him in shutting down the democratic space and denying those they opposed to reach out to the people.
“If individuals continue to take actions to undermine the successes we’re recording by reaching out to Nigerians, anybody that wants to mete out to Nigerians the same punishment that we’ve suffered in the last seven and half years, cannot be said to be doing so in the best interest of Nigerians. But, I’m quite happy that majority of Nigerians are discerning enough to be able to take their actions.
“So, when one man wants to arrogate to Nigerians the power of deciding how everybody will vote, and he goes ahead to say I’ll tell them who they will vote for, you know that is trying to overreach oneself. Nigerians will take their own decisions believing that decision will be in their own interest. When you make executive orders to strangulate the political process, you’re not helping the grit of democracy. It is also said, of course, we’ll not take that route that those who make peaceful change impossible, inevitably, are also asking for violent reaction. We’ll not take that particular route, he said.
He added: “We want a Nigerians, particularly Nigerians to continue to point out actions that inimical to the growth and advancement of democracy. These actions are very well known. When you see individuals, the public space is locked up, you’re asked to pay a ridiculous amount to use a public space, including your own houses now, are also restricted by laws that were hitherto not in place, by laws that were not in place when individuals came into office and you think those laws are what every individual are just going ahead to obey? Imagine if every state begins to behave that way to say you can’t use a primary school ground, you can’t use a church ground, you can’t use anywhere and the little space that you can use, you now put in executive orders, so that nobody can use anything, the only thing they’ve not even done is to pass an executive order where you and your wife cannot even sleep in your room.
“This is not healthy for our democracy. We must be able to speak up. It is true that we’ll want to pursue peace and we’ll continue to pursue peace, we believe that in the fullness of time, these our leaders who are in our party will see reasons for them to help in advancement of democracy. When you see an individual wanting to arrogate all the powers to himself, and threaten everybody and says, nobody dares, you begin to wonder whether it’s the same country where all of us have been and where all these powers are coming from. And you can see the reasons where sometimes, some persons are quite sceptical about state police. When you see a threat coming from a man occupying a position of authority and responsibility, where when you speak, you’ll be able to bring peace, and what you do is to threaten people around you, including those who elected you, you begin to wonder what must have happened.
“But I do believe that in the course of time, individuals will have to reexamine where they are today, what they’re doing to both the growth of our democracy and the democratic space, so that at the end of the day, in the fullness of time, they’d have been able to look back, like it is said, after the race, you count the miles, you will be able to have the opportunity to look at the records as to what did we do to advance democracy. The governor is not a motor park leader. A governor governs everybody, including those who are ugly, those who are beautiful. The governor must know that his office comes with responsibilities.”
The PDP in the state had cried out earlier that the governor sealed the campaign office, via an Executive Orders 21 and 22, “for producing noisy political activities in residential areas without approval from the State government.”
The Rivers State PDP presidential campaign council, which made this known, noted that the office, located in GRA Port Harcourt was sealed off in the early hours of Friday, after waiting in vain for the written application it submitted to the authorities, seeking approval to use the office premise for its political activities, to be responded to.
PDP, had earlier in a quick riposte, said; “The public is hereby informed that the sealed premises had no bill board or poster, since the approval had not been given, yet it was sealed off, a sign that the delay in the approval is premeditated and computed to cause this sort of unlawfulness.”
“We condemn this act because it rubs off on our fundamental right to free expression of interest. Furthermore, this egregious move by the Rivers State Government, seen in the prism of politics, tends to militarise our democracy and renders our dear state politically recessive when juxtaposed with other states in the country,” the media team said in a statement.
“We urge our dear leaders in the state to challenge this illegality in a court of competent jurisdiction so that friction can disappear from our political space. The right to campaign for preferred candidate is enshrined in the Constitution of Nigeria, which is the grand norm from which every other law derives its power.
“Thus, every clash between the Constitution and any other made law should be resolved in favour of the Constitution. The Rivers State Government, we dare say, is subject to the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as Amended).
“It is our duty to remind Governor Wike and his co-travellers that they, like everyone else, are subject to the Laws of Nigeria.
“Meanwhile we charge the Rivers State PDP PCC, our dear leaders, to see to it that this unlawful disruption of campaign activities does not rattle their cage. They must continue to function as they always had prior to the existence of the Secretariat. Tyranny will expire in our state. If the Nazi Regime could die in Germany, then this facsimile of such will die even much faster to the glory of God and liberty of Rivers State.”
Succour came the way of the David Mark, following the restoration of his leadership of African Democratic Congress (ADC), by the Supreme Court, which removed the order by the Court of Appeal for parties to maintain status quo ante bellum pending the determination of its leadership crisis at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
The apex court, in a unanimous decision by a five-member panel headed by Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba, held that the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal acted beyond its jurisdiction by unilaterally issuing such an order after it had already dismissed a case that was brought before it by one of the factions.
“Giving such an order in an appeal it had already dismissed was unnecessary, unwarranted and improper,” the Supreme Court held.
It held that the appeal that was filed before it by Senator David Mark succeeded in part, even as it dismissed the aspect that challenged an ex parte order the Federal High Court made for service of processes in the suit filed by aggrieved members of the party.
The apex court directed the factions to return to the trial court for continuation of hearing of the case.
It will be recalled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had removed Mark and Rauf Aregbesola from its portal and website as ADC National Chairman and Secretary, respectively, on April 1, citing the Court of Appeal’s judgment.
The electoral body said it would, in line with the order for maintenance of the status quo ante bellum, not recognise any of the warring factions until the legal dispute is determined.
By Sunny Igboanugo
Between sports and politics, it is difficult to ascertain which is more potent in delivering the dividends of popularity. But in a situation where the two are combined, what is the outcome? It is predictable – a two-fold if not multiple-fold of that.
Evidence of that reverberated last Saturday, when the floors of the Eko Hotels and Suites, Vitoria Island, Lagos, shook to its foundation, with the rooftops almost caving in, while announcing the entrance of Jim Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo – a man adorned with the garlands from the two worlds after striding through them like a colossus.
For many youngsters who had wondered why the entire atmosphere at the main hall of the prestigious hotel echoed with Jiiimmm – jiiimmm – jiiimmm, the answer was not farfetched. The man that had just walked in had etched his name in the hearts of the people in many ways.
For instance, his tenure marked Nigeria’s most glorious era in sports. Everyone reckons with the Super Eagles of 1994 as the best the country has attained so far in global football reckoning. That, no doubt could easily be attributed to the Nwobodo magic.
As Minister of Sports and Youths Development, it was to his name that Nigeria recorded two major prestigious trophies that put its image on the global sports map – the 1994 African Cup of Nations (AFCON), the second time Nigeria would lift it and of course the globally-acclaimed Atlanta gold medal in football at the 1996 Olympics in the United States.
In this glorious era, Nigeria found its name on the envious list of global sports – not only winning AFCON for the second time in 1994, appearing at the World Cup in the same year, becoming the number one in African football and number five in the world ranking it crowned it all with the spectacular Olympics feat, with the contingents coming home with six medals – two golds, one silver and three bronzes – the best performance ever.
Even his foray into politics had a large component of sports in it, having led then Rangers Football Club of Enugu, as Chairman to its first major continental trophy – the African Cup of Winners in 1977. It was his launchpad into politics so much that his name and face were already quite familiar with the people.
From position of the Chairman, Anambra branch of the defunct Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP), he got elected as the first Executive Governor of the old Anambra State comprising what is today, Enugu, Anambra and Ebonyi States.
In government that lasted from October 1, 1979 to October 1, 1983, he left a legacy that till date remains unmatched by succeeding governments – military and civilians – in infrastructure, education, hospitality among others.
Talk about the Nike Lake hotel, Nike, Enugu; old Anambra State Television, now split into Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS) and Anambra State Television Service (ABS) Awka, Anambra State University of Science and Technology (ASUT), now split into Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) Enugu and former Anambra State University of Science and Technology (ASUTECH) Awka, now upgraded to the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka.
There were also the Ikenga Hotels (with branches in Enugu, Onitsha, and Awka); the Nnamdi Azikiwe stadium, Enugu; Eha Amufu College of Education; and College of Education Nsugbe, Nsugbe, now Nwafor Orizu College of Education, Nsugbe.
One of the most flamboyant politicians ever to strut the rostrum in Nigeria, Nwobodo, who cut the image of not only a consummate fashionista but one whose uniqueness stood him out among his peers, also made it to the National Assembly as Senator representing Enugu East in the class of ’99-2003.
Gifted with immense public appeal, with penchant to attract the crowd like honey to bees, the energy his entrance generated as well as the ululations at Saturday’s event, was only too natural and emblematic of a man used to stealing the show at public gatherings.
The spontaneous reactions were simply consequent upon which aspect of him impacted the motley crowd comprising the high and mighty. For those from the South East, many still basking in the reverberating echoes of the politics of pasts, it was still the iconic Jim that had just walked in – a hero, whose name still lit fires in their bellies.
For others, it was the entrance of the most iconic, most esteemed and most revered Igbo leader alive today. The language of the Ogene music and the electrifying performance of the troupe from the South East delivered that part of the message most clearly.
Others recalled the Jim Nwobodo, who as Minister, not inspired the resilience with which the Dream Team, Nigeria’s most of prestigious football team mesmerised the world including the duos of the almighty Brazil and Argentina and returned home with the gold medal from the Olympics and the fanfare that followed the outcome in the streets of Abuja to Lagos, Enugu to Kano and Port Harcourt.
Yet, many must have recalled the effervescent governor of the second republic in the league of progressives, made up of young, vibrant and visionary politicians of that era imbued with fresh ideas of how to move Nigerian into the league of developed nations.
But ultimately, many would surely see the figure that had just walked into that arena as one of the remaining political icons of the class of ’79 – in fact, one of the only two governors of that era still standing today outside Alhaji Awal Ibrahim of Niger State.
So, it was not for nothing that the crowd cheered endlessly as the ex-governor, ex-Minister and Senator made his grand appearance. Nobody would be in doubt that he deserved every bit of attention and recognition.
Any such doubts would be cleared not only by the deluge of ululations from the audience, sustained accolades from both the organisers and fellow recipients, but also by the quality of personalities accompanying the elder statesman, from his homestead, of course, led by Peter Mbah, Governor of Enugu State.
Now, how would this enchanting event have ended without introducing the angle of Pat Nwobodo, the delectable wife and soft side of the Jim brand. The goddess of the Nigerian stock market, financial guru and former Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD-CEO) of Savannah Bank Plc was there in tow.
Standing by her husband to whom she had graduated beyond a wife, partner, an ally a friend, to the major pillar along the path of the build-up and along the twist and turns of politics, statecraft, completed the picture of the evening.
Indeed, The Vanguard Lifetime Achievement Award for 2025, would be added to the list of the various trophies hanging on the walls of this octogenarian politician, sports enthusiast and administrator, leader of men and material and statesman extraordinaire.
But it certainly would not end there. The greater laurel is the imprint of his legacy in the hearts of his admirers as was showcased by the crowd which welcomed him with that loud ovation. That would be the more long-lasting – the more enduring.
For as the sage himself told the audience, while appreciating the recognition – getting awards while one was in power, could be good – but getting awards outside power, remained the more enduring, because it emblemised good memories – the best legacy of man on earth.
The Supreme Court on Thursday, finally nailed the Seyi Makinde camp of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which also includes Bala Muhammed, Governor of Bauchi State, by nullifying the national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo state, on November 15 and 16, 2025, which produced Taminu Turaki as National Chairman.
Justice Stephen Adah, who read the majority judgement in a two-three split decision of the five-member panel of the apex court, dismissed the appeal filed by the camp, which had earlier lost at the Court of Appeal, for lacking in merit.
Adah, said the camp not only violated a susbsisting order of the federal high court which restrained it from proceeding with the planned convention, adding that such defiance of an existing judgment of the Federal High Court, delivered by Justice James Omotosho would not be condoned by law.
Berating the Turaki-led group for going on to another court of coordinate jurisdiction to secure an order, instead of going on appeal, the apex court described the move as an abuse of court process, adding that any litigant who engaged in the act of abuse of court process would do so at his or her own peril.
The majority judgment dismissed the appeal for lack of merit.
The Turaki group had asked the Supreme Court to set aside a Court of Appeal ruling that voided the convention for breaching a subsisting court order.
Through their counsel, Paul Erokoro (SAN), the appellants urged the apex court to uphold the convention and dismiss a cross-appeal filed by a rival faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
However, the respondents, including former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, contended that the dispute transcends internal party matters and centres on disobedience to a valid court order.
Lamido had earlier obtained a Federal High Court injunction barring the PDP from holding the convention until he was permitted to contest for the position of national chairman.
Despite the order, the party went ahead with the exercise—an action later declared unlawful by both the trial court and the Court of Appeal.
The appellate court further ruled that the matter was not protected under the doctrine of internal party affairs and accordingly nullified the convention.
The apex court further held that political parties are the vehicle through which politicians get to public office, hence they have a responsibility to obey court orders in deference to the rule of law.
Stressing that once a party knew of an order of court, it was bound to obey it, the court held: “The conduct of the national convention of November 15, 2025, is null and void and is hereby nulled. This court will not lend its machinery to any litigant who abuses the process of the court. This appeal is lacking in merit and is hereby dismissed. Parties will bear their own costs,” it added.
Justice Haruna Samani, in the minority judgment he read, maintained, among other reasons, that the process of who runs a political party is the internal affairs of the party, and therefore not within the jurisdiction of the lower courts.
This position was also supported by Justice Abubakar Umar, who cited an earlier ruling of the Supreme Court, which states that any matter that does not concern primary elections of political parties is not a pre-election matter and therefore not justiciable.
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