Politics
Edo Guber: Fresh crisis hits APC as Idahosa rejects Okpebholo’s emergence as candidate

Fresh crisis has hit the All Progressives Congress, APC, over the election of the party’s candidate for the September 21, 2024 governorship election in Edo State.
Dennis Idahosa, the first runner-up in the just concluded primary election, has rejected the declaration of Senator Monday Okpebholo as the party’s gubernatorial candidate.
Gatekeeper reports that other governorship aspirants which include Prince Clem Ikanade Agba, the former minister of Budget and Economic Planning to former President Muhammadu Buhari and Dr Ernest Afolabi Umakhihe, the immediate past Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, have congratulated Okpebholo for being nominated as the party’s flag bearer.
However, Idahosa, in a statement made available to newsmen in Benin City, alleged that the “fictitious results” declared by Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State-led committee represented the highest level of rape on democracy ever witnessed in Edo State.
“Events in the last few days may have been very disappointing and demoralizing to lots of people as your votes seemed not to have counted going by the process and declaration of fictitious primary election results of what happened on the field on the 22nd re-run elections in the 192 wards of the State.
“Let me assure you all, our teaming supporters that, I shall explore all the party internal mechanisms to resolve the issues, and seeks justice and where that doesn’t work, I shall communicate with you all on our next line of action,” he said.
The lawmaker representing Ovia Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, however, appreciated his supporters across the state for their massive and unwavering support towards his ambition of becoming the party’s flag bearer in the September 21, 2024, Edo gubernatorial election.
While assuring his supporters that he would never take their show of love and confidence for granted, he, however, vowed to explore all the internal mechanisms of the party to seek justice.
He added that if the internal mechanism do not guarantee him the expected justice, he would also communicate his next line of action to the supporters.
Idahosa, however, appealed to his supporters to continue to maintain peace in the face provocation.
It will be recalled that Idahosa was declared winner of the cancelled primary election by Imo State governor and erstwhile chairman of the primary election committee, Hope Uzodinma.
However, in a separate development, Prince Clem Agba, in a statement titled, ‘My Stand on the Outcome of APC’s Governorship Primary Election, said he has decided to work in the best interest of the party “as a loyal party man”.
He said, “I have called Senator Monday Okpebholo to congratulate him on his candidature and assure him of my support in the journey to Osadebe Avenue.
“I, therefore, use this medium to call on my supporters to join me in working with Senator Monday Okpebholo for the Party’s governorship election victory in September. Let us do what is best for our Party to secure victory in Edo State.
“Also, let me thank all the members of my campaign council and team for a well-run race. We were able to elevate the conversation and show that there is hope and a place for the right policies and initiatives to transform our state.
“I want to thank all aspirants for giving a good contest and showing that Edo APC is well and truly alive.
To the other aspirants, our supporters, and members of the Party, while each of us might have one issue or another with the process so far, we must, in the interest of the Party, come together, unite and fight to win the general elections.
“We must ensure that APC Edo remains united because that is the only path to victory. It is a long road ahead, but undoubtedly one that spells well for the future of Edo State. It is my wish that together, we can heal and forge a path forward as the general elections approach.
“Finally, I want to thank every one of my supporters for your unwavering support and belief in our vision. Your passion and dedication have been the driving force behind my campaign, and I am genuinely grateful to each of you.
“Once again, I congratulate the governorship candidate of our Party and wish him the wisdom and understanding to unite the Party towards our common goal.”
Dr Ernest Umakhihe also congratulated Okpebholo.
In his congratulatory message, Umakhihe opined that APC has demonstrated the true meaning of internal democracy with Okpebholo’s election as the party’s candidate for the September 21, 2024 Edo Governorship Election.
“I salute the leadership and especially the victor, who have emerged from the exercise,” he said.
“As you prepare to commence the campaign activities, please be assured of my support.
“May God grant you the wisdom and strength to carry the banner of the APC to victory.”
Politics
Rivers crisis: Why I won’t make peace with Fubara – Wike

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has revealed one of the reasons he can’t make peace with Governor Similayi Fubara of Rivers State.
Wike accused Fubara of removing a chief in his family and went ahead to make another person a chief.
The FCT Minister stated this on Wednesday while fielding questions from journalists at a media parley in Abuja.
According to reports, the statement comes amid the ongoing political crisis in the State, with Wike and Governor Similayi Fubara at the center of the feud.
“Sometimes when you people talk about this peace, you don’t take everything. You don’t just sit outside to talk.
“Look at me, a former governor, Minister of of the FCT, Governor (Fubara) had the temerity, the audacity, because he has money from federation account, because he has more Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), will enter my own family to remove a chief and make another person a chief,” Wike said.
News
Lagos HoA Crisis: Let Obasa Stay, Tinubu Tells Lawmakers

President Bola Tinubu has instructed lawmakers of the Lagos State House of Assembly to allow the impeached and reinstated Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, to continue leading the house.
The President made this position known when he met with the lawmakers at the State House in Abuja on Wednesday.
As reported earlier, this is the first time President Tinubu is meeting the lawmakers since the crisis began in the house January 13, 2025.
One of the lawmakers told newsmen that ” Obasa is staying. We will obey the president. What we had was a family meeting. The President condenmed Obasa’s actions but blamed us for not carring him (Tinubu) along during the impeachement execrise”.
However, the lawmaker said President Tinubu warned Obasa to carry everyone along.
” He also warned him (Obasa) that if there were any future complaints from any quarters, he would be gone. “The President said he should let peace reign; and so based on that, we have accepted.”
On the pending matter in court, the source said: “The President has instructed him to withdraw it.”
Politics
Fubara not sincere, playing to gallery – Rivers Assembly

The Rivers State House of Assembly has disagreed with the claims by the State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, that he was blocked from entering the House to re-present his 2025 Appropriation Bill.
The House said it never received any official communication from the governor indicating his interest to bring his appropriation bill to the floor of the House.
Spokesperson of the House and Chairman, House Committee on Information, Enemi George, described the claims of the governor as a mere comedy skit scripted to paint the House in bad light.
George recalled that on March 3, the House of Assembly wrote to the governor requesting him to bring his 2025 appropriation bill to the lawmakers following the judgement of the Supreme Court.
He said: “We were the ones, who immediately after that judgement appealed to the governor to bring his appropriation bill. We acted immediately because we have the interest of the state at heart and didn’t want Rivers people to suffer any harm.
“Despite withholding our entitlements for over a year and demolishing our chambers, we still wanted him to hasten up the presentation in the interest of the progress of Rivers.
“We indicated our intentions in that letter and even gave him a timeframe because of the urgency of the matter. To regularise his appointments, we also urged him during our subsequent sitting to submit the names of his nominees for the positions of commissioners and some boards’ membership for screening and confirmation.
“But, the governor rebuffed our pleas. We sent employees of the Assembly to deliver these resolutions to him. But, as usual, they turned them down at the gate and even brutalized them. We resorted to engaging the services of a courier company.
“But, he still did not heed our call forgetting that there are essential services like hospitals, schools and others to be funded. Our intention was to finish everything about the budget on March 15, so that we could send necessary information and documents to relevant agencies of the government to allow the release of Rivers allocations at the end of March. But, with what he is doing, we don’t know what he wants to achieve.
“How can he turn around to claim that we blocked him from re-presenting his budget? This is the height of insincerity. We even need the budget to be passed because the governor has been owing us our entitlements for more than a year and without the budget, we can’t get our entitlements.
“The governor and his team simply and deliberately acted Wednesday’s drama with a singular motive to tarnish the image of the Assembly. The governor is simply playing to the gallery to whip up unnecessary sentiments. But, it has backfired because the truth has come out”.
Besides, George insisted that the letter the governor claimed that he sent to the Speaker never got to him, adding that it was after the Wednesday’s sitting that the lawmakers saw the letter flying on social media.
He said: “But, even the letter trending on social media was dated March 11. Does it mean that the governor purportedly sent a letter on Tuesday God knows when, and immediately mobilised to the Assembly Quarters on Wednesday morning, claiming he came to present his budget?
“That alone vitiates the claimed purpose. It is procedurally trite that after writing to the Assembly, the governor ought to wait for the letter to be acknowledged by the lawmakers, who will then invite him to appear before them and make his presentation. Governor Fubara ought to know this if he is sincere.
“But, all we know is that this Assembly will continue to uphold the rule of law and will remain committed to promoting the interest of Rivers State. We urge him to do the needful so that Rivers people can breathe. He is toying with the lives and livelihood of Rivers people.
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