News
Fubara storms Rivers Assembly quarters *I’m in charge here! I’ve a new Speaker
In apparent determination to stamp his authority as Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, on Thursday, stormed the residential quarters of the 32 members of the state House of Assembly, 27 of whom are believed to have commenced the move to remove him from office through impeachment on the orders of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In November 2023, 27 members of the assembly, had served the governor with an impeachment noticed, a move which set off a flurry of political brickbats in the state, including the demolition of the multi-billion naira state assembly complex by the governor and the division of the legislature into two houses, with one led by Edison Ehie loyal to the governor, while that of the G-27 LED BY Martin Amaewhule, loyal to Nyesom Wike, Fubara’s predecessor and now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Matters got to a head with the eventual defection of the 27 members originally elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on December 11, leading to their seats being declared vacant by the five-man assembly of Edihe, which further heightened the tension.
It took the intervention of President Bola Tinubu, who brokered a peace deal between the two camps, which led to de-escalation of hostilities, with the assembly members allowed to remain and Edihe resigning his office as Speaker to take up the assignment of Chief of Staff (CoS) to Fubara,
But both sides picked up the gauntlets again recently following the vetoing of the refusal of assent by the G27 on some of the laws it made and the governor’s declaration within the week that the lawmakers were not existing in his own reckoning, leading to the APC directing the assemblymen to commence his impeachment.
In apparent move to push down his authority in the state, the governor led some of officials to visit the assembly quarters, which serve as the official residence for the 32 legislators of the state and also houses the temporary chambers of the Martin Amaewhule-led state Assembly since the demolition of the main assembly building.
After the brief tour the governor left to inspect the Emohua-Kalabari road, slated for inauguration as part of his upcoming first-anniversary celebrations next week, where he praised the contractors to doing a good job, while also highlighting the importance of the project to the economic and social wellbeing of the state.
Regarding assembly visit, Fubara tsaid it was to assess the facility in light of the emergence of the new Speaker, suggesting that some work may be necessary to be carried out there, adding: “Is Assembly not part of my property? Is anything wrong going to check how things are going on there? You are aware of the development, we have a new speaker and I went there to see for myself how things are for myself because there might be a few things that I may do there for the good of our people.”
Four lawmakers loyal to the governor, who had on Wednesday elected the member representing the Bonny constituency Victor Oko-Jumbo as their Speaker, said the new assembly boss sworn in at 10 am during plenary on Wednesday, was enthroned in line with the Standing Order of the House.
Another coordinated attacks on farming communities in Otukpo Local Government Area, have increased the tally of the continuous killings in Benue State, Nigeria’s food basket, which has remained a major hotbed in the massive insecurity Nigeria is currently witnessing.
Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication focused on the Lake Chad region, which broke the story, said the attacks took place between Friday and the early hours of Sunday, targeting Akpachi village in Ugboju community and Otukpo-Nobi community.
The publication said several residents were injured, while many fled their homes to escape the violence, quoted sources as saying specifically that the attacks began on Friday when armed men invaded farmlands at Akpachi village.
“According to the sources, the assailants killed two of the farmers, while the third victim managed to escape and alerted members of the community. Search teams later recovered the bodies on Saturday, and the victims were buried shortly afterwards.
“However, before residents could recover from the tragedy, the attackers returned in the early hours of Sunday, launching another deadly assault on Otukpo-Nobi community at about 4:00 a.m.
“The gunmen reportedly opened fire indiscriminately on sleeping residents, killing at least 16 people on the spot while leaving several others with gunshot injuries.”
The publication said the actual casualty figure is feared to be higher as local volunteers and security personnel continued search operations in surrounding bushes for missing persons, adding that the attacks had thrown communities across Otukpo into mourning, with many residents abandoning their homes amid fears of further attacks.
The report, said the attacks came barely two weeks after the killing of Ardo Risku Mohammed, Benue state chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), and Yakubu Isah, his associate, who were ambushed and killed at Okutu community while returning from a peace meeting in Idekpa, Ohimini LGA.
Informing that security operatives had launched investigation, the report said one of the angles being probed into included the possibility of the the latest attacks being carried out in retaliation for the earlier killing of the MACBAN chairman.
The incident was said to have sparked immediate responses from communities in Otukpo, where hundreds of youths were said to have taken to the streets on Sunday, carrying the bodies of some of the victims to the palace of the Och’Idoma during a church service to demand urgent government intervention.
Quoting witnesses as saying that the protesters accused the government and security agencies of failing to protect farming communities from repeated attacks, the report said: “The protest quickly spread across Otukpo town, with major roads barricaded by demonstrators, causing severe traffic disruption and leaving commuters stranded for several hours.
“Residents described the atmosphere as tense, with businesses temporarily shutting down while security operatives monitored the situation to prevent further escalation.
“One of the protesters, Ebi Adoyi, lamented that many families had been devastated by the attacks and warned that the casualty figure could rise as more bodies might still be discovered in nearby forests.”
Maxwell Ogiri, Chairman of Otukpo LGA, who confirmed both attacks, was quoted as saying preliminary findings suggested they might be linked to reprisals following the killing of the MACBAN chairman, adding that after the first attack at Akpachi village, security personnel and local vigilantes searched the surrounding bushes, believing the attackers had fled.
His words: “The bandits came and killed two farmers on Friday. One escaped and alerted the community. We recovered the bodies on Saturday and buried them. After searching the surrounding bushes, we believed they had left the area, but around 4 a.m. on Sunday, we received distress calls that they had invaded Otukpo-Nobi, killing several people and injuring many others.”
Anybody with credible information on the wrong use of its trucks will be richer by a whopping N500,000, going by signals coming from Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) – an initiative to encourage whistleblower to report sharp practices within its operations.
The company, which said the move is part of efforts to curb unauthorised haulage activities and protect the integrity of its nationwide logistics operations, encouraged the public to report any suspected cases of its trucks being used to transport unauthorised goods or passengers.
The conglomerate in a statement on Sunday, reiterating it consistent warning that only approved products were permitted to be conveyed by trucks belonging to its subsidiaries, maintained that Dangote Cement trucks are authorised to transport only cement, limestone, high-grade gypsum, coal and clinker, Dangote Sugar Refinery trucks, to sugar products while those of NASCON Allied Industries were designated for Dangote Salt and DanQ Seasoning products.
Part of the statement, read: “Dangote Packaging vehicles are to carry bags and packaging materials, Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals trucks are approved for polypropylene products, while Dangote Fertiliser Limited vehicles are authorised to transport urea fertilizer.
“Anyone with verifiable information that leads to the arrest of persons involved in illegal haulage activities or the recovery of unauthorized goods transported on Dangote trucks will receive a cash reward of Five Hundred Thousand Naira.”
In the programme, whistleblowers would be required to to provide details such as the truck type, registration plate number, cab number, location, description of the goods being transported, colour of the vehicle, and photographs where possible, to aid investigations through dedicated hotlines across its operations to receive reports of illegal haulage activities.
Stating that law enforcement agencies, including the police, have been authorised to arrest drivers found using Dangote trucks for unauthorised commercial haulage, the company reiterated its zero-tolerance stance against logistics-related fraud, saying the whistleblower programme is aimed at strengthening transparency, accountability and compliance across its logistics network.
It added: “Public cooperation remains critical in our efforts to eradicate illegal haulage activities. We encourage anyone with credible information to come forward and help us maintain the integrity of our transportation system.”
Except any miracle happens, it is becoming obvious that no member of the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), will contest the 2027 general elections at any level, as the door has obviously been slammed on the face of the camp by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
This fact became evident with the opposite camp led by Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), fully uploading the names of its own candidates in the commission’s nomination portal.
After ostensibly losing out in the bid to remain the National Chairman of the party, on the strength of the PDP convention held in Ibadan in November 2025, Turaki, had a lee-way when he was announced by the party’s Boad of Trustees (BoT), as the Chairman of a 13-man Caretaker Committee, inaugurated by Adolphus Wabara on May 4 this year.
INEC appears not swayed over the Wabara initiative, and has continued to deal with the Wike group, despite the argument that the verdict of the Supreme Court also decapitated the wings upon which it sought to fly by upholding the suspension of Sam Anyanwu, as National Secretary, and thus rendered the meeting he called that led to the opposite leadership, INEC, appears swayed.
Abdulrahman Mohammed, National Chairman, of the Wike camp, who announced the latest development in a statement on Sunday, said: “This is a clear demonstration of our commitment to the promise we made that, under my leadership, the PDP will fully participate in the 2027 General Elections. Today, we have taken another decisive step towards fulfilling that promise.
“As we await the conclusion of the upload of our Governorship and State Houses of Assembly candidates, I, on behalf of the National Working Committee of our Party, extend my heartfelt congratulations to all PDP members across Nigeria and around the world. Together, we will continue to build a stronger, more united Party and a better future for our nation.”
On May 26, the Wike-backed PDP named Sandy Onor, a former senator, as its presidential candidate.
On May 30, the opposition party faction led by Kabiru Turaki announced former President Goodluck Jonathan as its standard-bearer for the 2027 elections.
On July 10, Wike said it would be difficult for the PDP to win a presidential election unless it first resolved its lingering internal crises.
The minister added that political parties hoping to win the presidency must surmount their internal challenges and strengthen their grassroots structures.
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