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2023: Wike, Diri Preach Peace, Unity Among PDP Govs …Say Party Must Unite To Produce Acceptable Candidate For Presidency
Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike and his Bayelsa State counterpart, Senator Douye Diri have called on all Nigerians to ensure the peace and security of the country, saying that only unity of purpose and commitment to the indivisibility of Nigeria would guarantee the survival of the country.
They also pledged to work together, in concert with other Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors and stakeholders for the party to produce the next Nigerian president in 2023.
Speaking when he paid a courtesy call on the Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri at the Government House, Yenagoa, last Monday, urged those fanning the embers of discord over the issue of zoning of presidential ticket and dividing governors, to focus their energy on rebuilding and strengthening the party ahead of the 2023 general election.
“I’ve come to let him know that everybody as PDP members must put ourselves together to build the party. Without the party nobody can be a presidential candidate. There must be a party. So, there is the need for everybody to work together, make the party to be united before we talk about who will be presidential candidate.”
The Rivers State governor reiterated that Nigerians are waiting anxiously for PDP to rescue the country from the poor governance the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has foisted on them.
“We cannot afford to miss this opportunity that Nigerians are giving back to PDP to take over the government in 2023. Everybody must work together as a party. And as governors, we must work together. If we didn’t work together we won’t have had the best convention we have ever had as a party.”
Wike warned that if governors and members of the party are not united, it would be difficult for the party to amicably nominate an acceptable presidential candidate.
According to him, PDP must capitalise on the brewing crisis in the APC to build a more formidable party to wrest power from the APC-led Federal Government.
Wike assured that PDP governors will not be distracted by the antics of those who are fanning the embers of discords in their bid to weaken their resolve to work unison for the PDP to clinch the presidency in 2023.
“We as governors will be united. Nobody can divide the governors because we are determined to work together to make sure PDP produces the next president in 2023.”
He commended Diri, who was the deputy chairman of the PDP convention committee, for the pivotal role he played in ensuring the success of the convention that produced the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
Wike urged the Bayelsa State governor to focus on providing democratic dividends to the people of his state, as that is the best strategy to silence the opposition in the state.
“You must make a difference, silence the opposition. We have silenced them and will continue to silence them because they are looking for where to get Rivers State to fight Bayelsa. They are looking for how they’ll use Bayelsa to fight Rivers. We’ll not allow that.”
In his remarks, Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, lauded Wike for the role he and other governors played in the emergence of a new NWC with a national chairman of proven integrity who would steer the PDP back to power in 2023.
Diri said, “The presidency is one sacred office of our country that we must do everything to protect and to ensure that this time around, our party gets a clinch back. And that can only happen if you and I, not only governors, party structures, elders, leaders and followers alike come together to give Nigerians their expectations.
“We all know here that Nigerians are expecting a change in the Villa. Nigerians are expecting a party to rescue them, and the only party that has that pedigree is our party, PDP. There is no other party. So, I thank you, have seen you going all over preaching the same thing, preaching unity of purpose of our party, preaching oneness, that is the right way to go.
“Going further, you talked about our party and poured encomiums on the 3-man committee, I would like to also return it to you by saying that the governors’ forum takes all the credits for all that we did and you were part of those within the governors’ forum who pushed for the unity of the party.
“If we were not one and the same, we would not have achieved that result.
The Bayelsa State governor commended Wike for his resolve to end illegal crude oil bunkering and artisanal refining in Rivers State.
Diri said the state government has credible intelligence that some of the illegal oil thieves and operators of illegal refineries intend to relocate to Bayelsa State, and warned that his administration would not tolerate their presence in his state.
“Let me use this opportunity to warn that Bayelsa will not condone any of those oil bunkers. Those days are over. We have moved on, and anyone who is planning to leave Rivers State to come and start that illicit, illegitimate, illegal business in Bayelsa, please, have a change of mind and look elsewhere, because we already have a standing committee on that.
“From our State Security Council meeting, we will come down very hard on anyone that will do that illegal and illegitimate business in Bayelsa.”
Diri also spoke on the existing cordial and brotherly relationship between the two states, saying that anyone trying to create discord amongst its peoples would be resisted.
He said, “Bayelsa and Rivers, we are brothers and sisters, historically, culturally, we are one and the same and anyone trying to divide us, we should come against it. And so, I like to appreciate you for this formal visit today, to your state.
“Listening to you, gives me courage and hope, and I believe that, that is the way to go. We were one and the same before Bayelsa was created out of the old Rivers State, and that fact can never be removed from our history.
Those in attendance at the meeting from Bayelsa State were Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abraham Ingobere; Secretary to the State Government, Rt. Hon. Benson Konbowei; Chief of Staff, Government House, Chief Benson Sunday Agadaga; members of the State Executive Council, and other top government functionaries.
Those who accompanied Rivers State Governor on the visit were former Rivers State Governor, Sir Celestine Omehia; two former deputy speakers of the House of Representatives, Chief Chibudom Nwuche and Sir Austin Opara; former minister of transport, Dr Abiye Sekibo; and the PDP Chairman in Rivers State, Amb. Desmond Akawor, among others.
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.