Politics
Rivers Governorship: The Imperative Of Fubara And Odu
The momentum is indeed building up as Ni-gerians braise themselves up to go to the polls to elect a new president and another set of National Assembly members on Saturday, February 25, 2023.
On Saturday, March 11, 2023, it will be the turn of the states to elect new governors (except for Edo, Ekiti, Anambra, Imo, Kogi and Osun States) and another league of state legislators who will take over from the present set of political leaders.
In Rivers State, there is a pervasive atmosphere of excitement about the Consolidation Team put together by His Excellency, Governor, Chief Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, CON, GSSRS, POS (Africa), Life Bencher and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with Sir Sim Fubara as the Governorship Candidate, his Deputy leading the pack of other State and National Assembly flag bearers, who I simply refer to as the ‘Winning Team’ in the elections.
It is an incontrovertible fact known to everyone, including nay sayers as well, that Rivers State has remained the strong hold of the PDP since the inception of the present democratic administration in 1999. This position has since been further solidified by the excellent performance of the present administration in the past eight years in the areas of infrastructural development, education, healthcare, provision of social amenities and welfare services .
In obvious demonstration of his intentions for the welfare and wellbeing of the state, Governor Wike has presented a credible personality who can build on his unbeatable developmental foundation in these areas mentioned above, to take over the baton of leadership for the post of gov-ernor in Rivers State.
The personality so identified happens to be a God-fearing son of the soil from the great Opobo Kingdom of Riverine Ijaw, Amaopusenibo, Sir Siminialayi Fubara (KSC) aka Sir SIM, a tried, tested and proven career civil servant with excellent track record of performance, who handled the very sensi-tive position of Accountant General of the State, with Prof. Ngozi Odu, his Deputy, herself a well known educationist and administrator par excellence, to continue his good works.
Against the backdrop of the fact that government is a continuum, it is not out of place that these former public office holders who had been tried and tested as Accountant General of Rivers State and former Education Commissioner are eminently capable to consolidate and build on the already laid foundation by the NEW Rivers Vision, the brainchild of His Excellency, Governor Nyesom Wike.
Sir Sim Fubara and Prof. Odu’s consolidation team of the PDP in Rivers State is seen by political pundits as most preferred to win the governorship election on March 11th because unlike contenders from other parties, the duo have been identified as youths who, in the midst of the resonating clamour for continuity of the present administration’s enviable record of superlative performance, understand the dreams and aspirations of Rivers people, and therefore capable of articulating their agenda, their expectations and able to deliver on the demands within the Nigerian construct.
They are also from Senatorial Districts that have not produced a Governor or Deputy respectively in the Rivers project since the beginning of this political dispensation. Therefore, for purposes of political equilibrium in governance of Rivers State, leaders of thought find it apt to allow the senatorial Districts to produce the Governor and Deputy in the next dispensation.
The duo of Sir Fubara and Prof. Odu are personalities who are described by political observers in their different Opobo/Nkoro and Ogba /Egbema /Ndoni local government area respectively, and the State in general, as those who can deliver on their campaign promises because they have the fear of God and great respect for party elders, members and leaders in the 23 local government areas.
Rivers people have no reason, therefore, to look elsewhere, at this point in time, for any other political tag team because Sir Sim and Prof. Odu remain the best choice for the governorship of our state.
Political observers have studied the personal profiles and pedigree of all the contenders aspiring for the governorship position of all the political parties and decided to be more pungent and make direct appeal that the state needs the best represen-tatives for continuity and development and not politics of party lines.
So, the 2023 elections in Rivers State should not be seen as any aspirant’s personal War. It is a battle for Rivers people to get the best representatives for the state to continue to enjoy the dividends of Democracy which the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has so far done with Sir Sim Fubara and Prof. Odu as the surest bet.
It is my ernest belief that Rivers people will throw their weight behind this ticket and deliver it come 11th March with ease.
Of a truth, no politician wins any election than one on ground, who the people describe as nice and close to their hearts .This is what Sir Sim and Prof. Odu mean to many, politicians well respected by their constituents and as strategists, they will certainly become the bridge of common interest between Rivers people and others across diverse local and state matters in office as Governor and Deputy.
Over the years, Sir Fubara and Deputy have been identified as personalities who see leadership as service to the people and not to enrich themselves, a fact this writer corroborates with their associates.
Sir Fubara and Prof. Odu are avowed grassroots mobilisers who are described as loyal, focused and highly committed personalities to any cause they believe in. They tenaciously hold the belief that leaders should be servants who are accountable to the people and should strive relentlessly to put smiles on the faces of those they lead at all times.
They are motivators and role models of the people, using their resources and wealth of experience as public servants to employ, build capacity, provide life line equipment etc, to the youth, orphans, the physically challenged, women, widows, widowers, traditional, religious organisations etc, in their local government areas and beyond, even as public servants. They possess the qualities to lead with ideas that are capable of fighting against any identifiable reasons for the people’s political set back in the years ahead .
Many political observers have also identified the duo of Sir Fubara and Prof. Odu as people whose courage and convictions, combined with ruthless grasp of local politics, have endowed them with some level of political relevance to deliver to Rivers people with dividends of democracy as they represent the state as governor and deputy.
It is also on record, that nobody who comes close to these public servants turned politicians, even at first sight, can ignore their intelligence, magnanimity and philanthropic gestures, no matter their political affiliations.
While their political associates see them as grassroots mobilisers and ambitious personalities who have studied in diligence to better the lot of people as well as generational anchors endowed with divine humility and blessings, others see them as the much needed ones who can advance Rivers people to the next level developmentally without being hampered.
On the whole, the duo are visionary leaders that stand out tall in our time. Congratulations to His Excellency and Deputy, by God’s grace come May 29th 2023. May God Almighty protect them continually and give them wisdom of King Solomon in the years ahead in Jesus Mighty name. Amen.
By: Odinaka Osundu
Osundu, a public affairs commentator, writes from Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday told the National Assembly that it requires N873.78bn to conduct the 2027 general elections, even as it seeks N171bn to fund its operations in the 2026 fiscal year.
INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, made the disclosure while presenting the commission’s 2026 budget proposal and the projected cost for the 2027 general elections before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Matters in Abuja.
According to Amupitan, the N873.78bn election budget covers the full conduct of national polls in 2027.
An additional N171bn is needed to support INEC’s routine activities in 2026, including bye-elections and off-season elections, the commission stated.
The INEC boss said the proposed election budget does not include a fresh request from the National Youth Service Corps seeking increased allowances for corps members engaged as ad-hoc staff during elections.
He explained that, although the details of specific line items were not exhaustively presented, the almost N1tn election budget is structured across five major components.
“N379.75bn is for operational costs, N92.32bn for administrative costs, N209.21bn for technological costs, N154.91bn for election capital costs and N42.61bn for miscellaneous expenses,” Amupitan said.
The INEC chief noted that the budget was prepared “in line with Section 3(3) of the Electoral Act 2022, which mandates the Commission to prepare its election budget at least one year before the general election.”
On the 2026 fiscal year, Amupitan disclosed that the Ministry of Finance provided an envelope of N140bn, stressing, however, that “INEC is proposing a total expenditure of N171bn.”
The breakdown includes N109bn for personnel costs, N18.7bn for overheads, N42.63bn for election-related activities and N1.4bn for capital expenditure.
He argued that the envelope budgeting system is not suitable for the Commission’s operations, noting that INEC’s activities often require urgent and flexible funding.
Amupitan also identified the lack of a dedicated communications network as a major operational challenge, adding that if the commission develops its own network infrastructure, Nigerians would be in a better position to hold it accountable for any technical glitches.
Speaking at the session, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) said external agencies should not dictate the budgeting framework for INEC, given the unique and sensitive nature of its mandate.
He advocated that the envelope budgeting model should be set aside.
He urged the National Assembly to work with INEC’s financial proposal to avoid future instances of possible underfunding.
In the same vein, a member of the House of Representatives from Edo State, Billy Osawaru, called for INEC’s budget to be placed on first-line charge as provided in the Constitution, with funds released in full and on time to enable the Commission to plan early enough for the 2027 general election.
The Joint Committee approved a motion recommending the one-time release of the Commission’s annual budget.
The committee also said it would consider the NYSC’s request for about N32bn to increase allowances for corps members to N125,000 each when engaged for election duties.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Simon Along, assured that the National Assembly would work closely with the Commission to ensure it receives the necessary support for the successful conduct of the 2027 general elections.
Similarly, the Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Bayo Balogun, also pledged legislative support, warning INEC to be careful about promises it might be unable to keep.
He recalled that during the 2023 general election, INEC made strong assurances about uploading results to the INEC Result Viewing portal, creating the impression that results could be monitored in real time.
“iREV was not even in the Electoral Act; it was only in INEC regulations. So, be careful how you make promises,” Balogun warned.
The N873.78bn proposed by INEC for next year’s general election is a significant increase from the N313.4bn released to the Commission by the Federal Government for the conduct of the 2023 general election.
In a timetable issued by its National Secretariat in Abuja and signed by the National Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Argungu, the party said the activities were in line with provisions of its constitution guiding the election of party officials across all tiers.
According to the schedule, membership e-registration began on January 31 and ended on February 8, while notices of congresses were dispatched to state and Federal Capital Territory chapters on February 2.
Submission of nomination forms for ward and local government congresses closed on February 9, followed by screening and appeals between February 10 and February 14.
Ward congresses are fixed for February 18, with appeals the following day, while local government congresses will take place on February 21 and appeals on February 23.
At the state level, purchase of forms for state executive positions will run from February 22 to February 25, with screening set for February 27–28 and appeals from March 1–2. State congresses are scheduled for March 3, and appeals on March 4.
Activities leading to zonal congresses and the national convention include purchase and submission of forms between March 12 and March 16, inauguration of screening committees on March 23, and screening of aspirants on March 24. Zonal congresses across the six geo-political zones are slated for March 25, with appeals on March 26.
The party’s national convention will hold from March 27 to March 28.The APC also published fees for expression of interest and nomination forms across the different tiers.
At the ward level, expression of interest costs ?5,000, while nomination forms range from ?15,000 to ?20,000 depending on the position. For local government positions, nomination forms range from ?50,000 to ?100,000 after a ?10,000 expression-of-interest fee.
State executive positions attract ?50,000 for expression of interest, with nomination forms pegged at ?1 million for chairman and ?500,000 for other offices. Zonal offices require ?100,000 expression of interest and ?200,000 for nomination.
For national positions, the fees rise significantly, with expression of interest set at ?100,000. Nomination forms cost ?10 million for national chairman, ?7.5 million for deputy national chairmen and national secretary, ?5 million for other offices, and ?250,000 for National Executive Committee membership.
The party noted that female aspirants, youths and persons living with disabilities would pay only the expression-of-interest fee and 50 per cent of nomination costs. It also clarified that Ekiti, Osun, Rivers states and the FCT are excluded from ward, local government and state congresses, but will participate in electing delegates to the national convention.
Forms are to be completed online after payment verification, with payments directed to designated APC accounts at Zenith Bank and United Bank for Africa.
The congress cycle is expected to determine new party leadership structures ahead of future electoral activities.
The Tide source reports that the committee, reportedly backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike, is making moves to reclaim the Wadata Plaza headquarters months after it was sealed following a violent clash between rival factions of the party.
Senior officers at the FCT Police Command told our source that while they had not received an official briefing, police personnel would be stationed at the secretariat and other key locations to maintain peace.
The Acting National Secretary of the Mohammed-led committee, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, announced last week that the secretariat would reopen for official activities on Monday (today).
He dismissed claims that ongoing litigation would prevent the reopening, saying, “There are no legal barriers preventing the caretaker committee from resuming work at the party’s headquarters.”
However, the Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC) has fiercely rejected the reopening move, insisting that Sen. Anyanwu and his group remain expelled from the PDP and have no authority to act on its behalf.
Speaking with The Tide source, the committee’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, declared: “They are living in fool’s paradise. The worst form of deceit is self-deceit, where the person knows he is deceiving himself yet continues with gusto.
“Even INEC, which they claim has recognised them, has denied them. They are indulging in a roller coaster of self-deceit.”
Mr Ememobong further revealed that letters had been sent to both the Inspector-General of Police and the FCT Commissioner of Police, stressing that the matter was still in court and warning against any attempt to “resort to self-help.”
“The case pending before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik was instituted by the expelled members. They cannot resort to self-help until judgment is delivered,” he said.
He warned that reopening the secretariat would amount to contempt of court.
A senior officer at the FCT Police Command, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that officers would be deployed to the area to avert a repeat of the November 19 violence that led to the secretariat’s initial closure.
“The command would not stand by and allow a breakdown of peace and order by the party or anyone else. Definitely, the police will have to be on the ground,” he said.
Another officer added, “There will definitely be men present at the secretariat, but I can’t say the number of police officers that would be deployed.”
When contacted, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh, said she had not been briefed on the planned reopening and declined to comment on whether officers would be deployed.
Asked to confirm whether the secretariat was initially sealed by police, she responded, “Yes,” but refused to say more about the current deployment plans.
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