News
Boiling Rivers: Remember history, avoid 1966, Bode George tells Tinubu
President Bola Tinubu, must avoid the pitfalls that to the bloody coup that truncated the first republic by immediately halting the current conflagration going on in Rivers State, following last Saturday’s elections that produced new executive leaderships for the 23 local government areas in Rivers State.
The admonition came from Olabode George, a retired soldier and former Military Governor of Ondo State, as he weighed into the crisis, following reports of massive violence in the oil-rich state, including the burning down of some local government headquarters by hoodlums.
George, Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), palpably disturbed by the development, particularly urged the President to call Nyesom Wike, Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), fingered as key figure in the crisis to order before he plunged the state into further cataclysm, which could eventually affect the nation’s democracy negatively.
The retired naval officer, told the President: “Now that people of Rivers State have boldly asserted their civic and constitutional rights by coming out to vote in the local government election on Saturday, this is the time for the former governor of the state and now FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to allow Governor Siminalayi Fubara to work and deliver dividends of democracy to the people.
“This is also the time for President Bola Tinubu to advise Wike, who is one of his ministers, to allow the governor to work. I say this with all sense of responsibility because if this democracy is truncated, God forbid, Tinubu, as the Commander-in-Chief, will be the biggest loser.”
He added: “All lovers of democracy will agree with me that political happenings in this oil-bearing state in the last few months, if allowed to continue, can lead to a re-enactment of the crisis in the defunct Western Region between 1962 and 1966, which eventually led to the first military coup of January 15, 1966. Many of our national figures were killed, and events of that day led to a second coup on July 29, 1966, when scores of military officers were killed.
“Since history is no longer taught in our schools, I want to remind the gladiators in this Rivers crisis that the January and July 1966 killings eventually led to the Civil War between July 6, 1967, and January 15, 1970. Close to two million Nigerians died in the war.
“I’m raising the alarm about what is currently happening in Rivers due to its seriousness. This is a man-made crisis, designed to create a conflagration that may eventually consume the country due to the economic importance of Rivers to the survival of this nation and being the gateway to the Niger Delta.
“It is good to have political ambition, to be the alpha and omega in a partisan setting, but such ambition must not be at variance with the expectations of the people. Any threat to peace in Rivers State will eventually lead to huge security implications, not only for Nigeria but West Africa and Africa.
“Some have said what is happening can be traced to the 2027 elections’ calculations. I believe it is too early to start strategising for a partisan event, which is still close to 28 months away.
“One thing is clear: Nyesom Wike was governor of the state for eight years. He left the Government House in May last year, and today he is the FCT Minister. Sir Peter Odili and Rotimi Amaechi were governors before him. Now that Governor Fubara is the Chief Executive of the state, he should be allowed to work. Nobody stays in office forever.
“By 2027, the people of Rivers State will decide, through their votes, if they want him to return to office or not. This is how political issues and ambitions are handled in civilised climes. The way this partisan crisis is going, if not checked, may collapse our democracy. Now that council chairmen and councillors have been elected, I appeal to Nyesom Wike to please give peace a chance.
“Tinubu must also call Wike and tell him to allow the governor to work. It is that Wike sponsored and supported Fubara to become governor, but somebody also supported Wike to be governor from 2015 to 2023, while somebody also nominated him to serve as minister. God will always use somebody to help anybody, but nobody is God.
“I recall years ago, I had to travel all over the country to canvass for votes when I wanted to be the PDP National Chairman, only to discover that there was a gang-up against me a few days before the party’s convention, leading to my withdrawal from the race. Wike, Uche Secondus, who eventually became the party chairman, some senators, and others came to my Abuja house to beg me. What I did was to ask Rev. Bunmi Jenyo, who was in my house that day, to pray for them. Since then, I have not left the party. That is the way I play my politics because nobody is God.
“It is because of this crisis in Rivers that the PDP lost out in the October 5 council elections because we didn’t field candidates. Elders in our party should also advise Wike on the way forward. Look at what happened during the September 21 governorship election in Edo State. The exercise was brazenly manipulated, and this is because some of our members allowed it to happen. Inordinate ambition is affecting some of our people.
“I am appealing to Wike to please let this crisis be a thing of the past. The democracy we enjoy today, many people suffered to bring it to fruition. Some even died. We should not be seen dancing on their graves because of partisan interests. Only God knows what will happen in 2027 because He is greater, wiser, and more powerful than all of us.”
Calling on Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, the new Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) to call some judicial officers to order, expressing disgust concerning conflicting court rulings on the recently held council election in Rivers State, he wondered how courts of the same jurisdiction, having the same powers, could be giving conflicting orders on a similar suit, adding judiciary must remain above board as the last hope of the common man.
“This is also the time for the new Chief Justice of Nigeria to call some judicial officers to order. A High Court in Rivers gave an order that the council election must hold. A Federal High Court in faraway Abuja gave another order that security agents must not provide security during the election. How can courts of the same jurisdiction, having the same powers, be giving conflicting orders on a similar suit?
“Judges should not allow politicians to influence them to be giving conflicting judgements. As the last hope of the common man, the judiciary should be above board. Once again, I am appealing to Wike to look at the larger interests in this crisis. He should not allow himself to be used and dumped by the APC.
“This is also the time for Tinubu to see himself as the father of all. My prayer for Governor Fubara is for God to continue to direct and protect him in this political journey. Your calmness of purpose and humility will continue to endear you to the people. The political storm in Rivers must disappear immediately, in the interest of all Nigerians.”
Peter Obi, candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has given assignment to Nigerians to put all those aspiring to take up political positions in the country through the grill to ascertain their level of integrity, saying it was required as a sine qua non for the job they seek.
Obi, who has been a subject of discussion in the polity since the allegation of corruption was levied against him by Kenneth Okonkwo, spokesman of his campaign in 2023, over the conduct of the party’s primaries to choose candidates for the 2027 general elections, said the grilling must start with his own person.
A guest in an interview on a podcast with Rufai Oseni, a popular television anchor, the former Governor of Anambra State, stated that it was actually for this reason that he had now sworn to see the litigation he instituted against Okonkwo through.
His take is that the Nollywood actor should use the courtrooms to give all the details of bad behaviour, following his threat to expose him fully, after alleging that he was collecting money from aspirants in the said election for electoral favours.
Hear him: “The issue of taking Kenneth Okonkwo to court wouldn’t have arisen if he had stopped at those allegations. But he claimed he still has more he would expose about me in the future. So, I am very happy to take him to court so that he can expose me publicly, alongside other Nigerians. If any of them has any criminal allegations against me, they should bring them to court.
“Not just Kenneth, everybody should now say those things they know that is bad about me or I did that is wrong because it’s good for the system, it’s good for the society,” Obi said.
“So, if you know that when we were in primary school, this man was cheating or didn’t go to the primary school, didn’t go to secondary school, didn’t do, if you know this man has done something criminal somewhere, this is time to bring it up.”
For the umpteenth time, Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has warned about the dangerous implication of using state institutions, particularly the judiciary to destroy Nigeria’s democracy, saying it is an ill-wind that blows nobody any good.
Atiku, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), speaking on the heels of Tuesday’s verdict of the Court of Appeal, halting the de-registration order by the Federal High Court, insisted that judicial officers must not lend themselves to any act capable of undermining the nation’s democratic process.
The appellate court had ordered a stay of execution on the order made on Monday by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court Abuja, for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the ADC alongside four other political parties).
A totally scandalised Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja, had taken umbrage, sparing no hard words in upbraiding the lower court judge, stating that his likes were unfit to sit on the bench.
In a unanimous ruling by a three-man panel, the court held that Lifu’s action was “the highest form of judicial impertinence”, stressing that the Supreme Court previously held that a judge who acted in such a manner.
Describing his conduct as the height of judicial rascality, the upper court, stated: “Courts are enjoined to protect their integrity. This Court has supervisory authority over the trial court.
“The decision of the lower court to proceed with the judgment despite the express order of this court is a brazen violation of the hierarchy of the court and the 1999 Constitution.
This court has the duty to invoke its powers in ensuring that its orders are obeyed. The application for a stay of execution is here yet granted. The enforcement of the judgment is stayed.”
Atiku, who hailed the position of the higher court, which restored his hope to be on the ballot as presidential candidate in the 2027 election, also noted the role of INEC as “significant.”
He said: “I welcome the Court of Appeal’s decision to stay the execution of the Federal High Court judgement seeking the deregistration of our great party, the ADC, and four other political parties. It is particularly significant that INEC itself initiated the application for the stay.
“The development reflects growing public concern over judicial contradictions and politically charged rulings within the judiciary. “Any attempt to undermine Nigeria’s hard-won democracy through judicial manipulation is a grave danger to the Republic. If our democracy suffers further injury, history will demand accountability from those entrusted with dispensing justice.
Outside ADC, Lifu’s order, also included: Action Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), similarly slammed for allegedly failing to meet the constitutional requirements for continued registration and participation in elections.
“He is running in contempt of the court. Justice Lifu should be arrested because he is acting in contempt of the court which is a criminal act,” were the exact words with which the African Democratic Congress (ADC), demonstrated its angst over the court ruling on Monday, ordering its de-registration as a political party in Nigeria.
A furious Bolaji Abdullahi, spokesman of the party, told his host while appearing as a guest on Monday’s edition of Politics Today, a public affairs programme on Channels Television that the judge of the Abuja Federal High Court who gave the order was actually playing with fire because of the consequences.
Directly accusing him of playing the script of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to ensure that President Bola Tinubu emerged the sole candidate for the 2027 presidential election, the party spokesman, was emphatic that the plan would not work, as head or tail, ADC must be on the ballot in all the elections.
Hear him: “There is a Court of Appeal order saying don’t hear this case until October 27. So, on what basis? You can’t place something on nothing. The Court of Appeal said don’t act on this until I hear it on October 27. So, on what basis did he deliver the judgement
“So, for us in the African Democratic Congress, what we’re convinced and they know is what they have done has no leg to stand on legally. What they want to do is to create doubts in the minds of the people that this ADC has too many legal cases, can we actually run on this? And to distract us. But we’re not distracted.
“We’re very clear. It was in spite of all they have done since ADC came on board that we ran one of the best and one of the most comprehensive direct primaries in the history of democracy in Nigeria. So, we are strong enough to withstand this. And that’s why I’m saying that we are going to contest in 2027. We’re ADC. We don’t buckle before dictatorship.”
Stressing on the implication of the judgement, which also affected Accord Party (AP), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) for allegedly failing to meet constitutional and electoral performance requirements, following a suit by the National Forum of Former Legislators, he said it portended grave danger.
He added: “We are not surprised. We know that the Nigerian people believe that there is a problem with the judiciary, but what we did not expect is the level of judicial rascality that was demonstrated today.
“What we are saying is that we reject it in its totality, and we are saying that the people behind this are playing with fire. Hundreds, if not thousands, have obtained nomination forms and contested elections and emerged as candidates on the platform of the ADC.”
-
News4 weeks agoBREAKING: US-Nigeria troops slaughter 175 ISWAP fighters
-
Columns4 weeks agoDear General Gowon: That apology you’re running from is your nemesis
-
News2 weeks agoBREAKING: Terrorists strike Ibadan again! Abduct ex-Minister’s sister, twin children
-
News4 weeks agoBREAKING: Wait over! Arsenal are CHAMPIONS! Win EPL after 22 years hiatus
-
Columns3 weeks agoSee Tinubu’s terrible damage on Option A4 and its precious memories
-
News4 weeks agoBREAKING: Jonathan emerges presidential candidate *Gets automatic PDP ticket!
-
News4 weeks agoPresidency: Obi met all requirements – NDC *Cleared to contest primaries
-
News2 days agoBREAKING: Troops rescue wife of kidnapped General! *Terrorists flee scene