Politics
Former deputy governors decries exclusion from APC NEC
Former Deputy Governors in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has decried exclusion from the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).
The former leaders under the umbrella ‘Forum of Former Deputy Governors’ expressed their disapproval during a visit to the National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Ganduje in the party headquarters, on Monday in Abuja.
The Forum was led by the former deputy governor of Abia state, Chris Akomas.
They said for effectiveness of the party, there is the need for the inclusion of former deputy governors, considering their experience and knowledge of the states they represent.
“Our own interest should be protected. You captured speakers and deputy speakers but leave out people that served and represented the whole state, people who carry structures of a state.
“It is not good neither for the Forum of Former Deputy Governors of Nigeria nor for the political party or for effective governance. This is because the effectiveness of governance has to do with bringing in cross-fertilisation of ideas. As we said, within the forum of deputy governors, there are expertise, experience, knowledge and professionalism. That has to be done across boards”, they said.
Responding, the National Chairman of the APC, Senator Abdullahi Ganduje noted that the position of deputies in Nigeria is a controversial one but not peculiar to only deputy governors.
Citing inferences from his book that addresses the indispensable role of deputies, the National Chairman said most deputies in Nigeria contend with being tagged a sycophant.
Ganduje said: “There is no doubt the position of the Deputy Governor is the most controversial position in governance. Not only in Nigeria but all over the world. Except in some nations where some of the governors contest on his own party. The Deputy Governor can contest in another party. And win the election and they work together.
“In Nigeria, it has to be the same ticket. The position of the Deputy Governor as I always say is the most controversial position. That is why God has no deputy. Everybody is a servant. It is a no go area. But we as humans the constitution has to provide for it as a spare tire. And we all know the importance of a spare tire. If you don’t need it when you are normal then you will need it when you are in trouble.
“Deputy Governors will have to contend with one issue. The issue of sycopancy. As I always say, it very easy to get it right as far as his boss is concerned. What I was trying to say was that our position was faced with difficulties. When you are walking with a governor, if you are walking so that you are going side by side, so that if he talks to you so that you can hear him, and you talk to him he cam hear you, sycophants will say you are rubbish and all that. If you are in the front and there is any accident, or dangerous elements even snakes, and let it bite you first before biting your principal sycophants will say you have overtaken him.
“If you respect your principal and you stay behind, let him go front, sycophants will say you are developing a lelukewarm attitude. Therefore you are retreating. Now, tell me which position will you take? It is difficult. That is why I decided to write a book. Even up till now that problem is still on. In fact, if it persist, we are trying to organise a national conference on the relationship between Governors and their Deputies.
“My book is not dwelling on governors and deputies and even including the President and Vice President considering what happened between Olusegun Obasanjo and Atiku Abubakar. I focused on deputizing because in everything you have deputizing. So I said deputizing and governance in Nigeria. If you are a Chancellor you have Vice Chancellor or Deputy Vice Chancellor. If you have managing director you will have deputy managing director. If you are a principal, you have vice principal.
“You can see that it is the concept that is important not the key people that are there.”
The immediate past deputy governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Rivers State, Dr Emana Ambrose Amawhe has resigned her membership of the party with immediate effect.
In a letter dated 28th March, 2025 addressed to the Chairman of Edem Odo Ward in Akpabuyo Local Government Council of Cross River State, she said, her resignation was with immediate effect.
She pointed out in the letter that her resignation should not be taken lightly, while she reaffirmed her commitment to and readiness to serve the government of Cross River and Nigeria in general in any capacities.
She said, “I am writing to formally resign my membership from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with immediate effect.
”I sincerely appreciate the opportunity given to me over time to contribute my quota to the growth of the party and the chance to serve as the Deputy Governorship Candidate in the last general elections.
”It was a privilege to be part of the PDP’s vision and engage with our people in meaningful ways. However, after much reflection in light of the current state of affairs within the party, I believe it is time for me to move on.
“This decision was not made lightly, but I remain committed to serving my community and contributing to the progress of our state and nation in other capacities.”
Ambrose-Amawhe was the running mate to Senator Sandy Onor in the 2023 governorship election in Cross River.
She had also contested for the House of Representatives seat for the Bakassi/Akpabuyo/Calabar South Federal Constituency under the PDP.
The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Rivers State Chapter, Chief Tony Okocha, has defended the emergency rule declared by President Bola Tinubu in the state, citing escalating security threats.
According to Chief Okocha, Rivers State was on the brink of anarchy due to increasing security concerns in various parts of the state.
Okocha made this statement while addressing journalists at the APC headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.
Justifying the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the declaration of a state of emergency, Okocha commended the President for his “timely” intervention and criticized those opposing the decision.
“The state of emergency called by Mr. President saved Rivers State from anarchy. When you see non-state actors brandishing guns and making statements that promote lawlessness, then you should know there is a problem.
“I see some people jumping onto television platforms to cast aspersions on Mr. President and condemn what they do not understand. Mr. President knows more than they do.
“The truth of the matter is that Rivers State was headed towards anarchy. We all know Rivers is one of the states that sustain this country. Some of the same people criticizing the President now would have also condemned him if he had done nothing.”
Chief Okocha also questioned the silence of former President Goodluck Jonathan and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) when the Rivers State House of Assembly complex was demolished under Governor Fubara’s administration.
“Thank God, President Goodluck Jonathan has been president, General Obasanjo has been president, and they know that every day on their table, they receive security reports.
“I hear the NBA saying the suspension is an affront to democracy. But when the assembly complex was burned and the next day, eleven pieces of equipment were deployed to demolish it, the NBA was silent. They were alive, yet we didn’t hear anything from them”, he said.
Reacting to criticism over why the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, was not sanctioned despite allegations that he contributed to the unrest, Okocha argued that Wike was not involved in the crisis.
He said, “For those asking why the Governor and members of the State House of Assembly were suspended but not the Minister of the FCT—was he in the frame? The answer is no”
Former presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party in the 2023 general election, Adewole Adebayo said, God has told him that the party will produce the next president in 2027 general election.
Speaking over the weekend in Abeokua when he met the members and executive who were led by the State Chairman, Yinka Ola-Williams, said he could confirm that a President of SDP will mount Aso Rock villa in 2027.
“One thing that God is telling me is that there will be an SDP president in the villa in 2027.
“For the first time in a long time, we will have people who care for the people. Let’s remain focused. The problems of Nigeria are our problems, not individuals.
“We are not against Tinubu as a person but we are against hunger, inflation, poverty, insecurity, unemployment. That’s what we are against,” he said.
Buttressing Adebayo’s position on modalities of joining the party, the SDP Chairman in Ogun State, Mr. Yinka Ola-Williams, disowned 30,000 membership cards and registers allegedly being flaunted by one of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aspirants in the 2023 governorship election in the State.
Ola-Williams said the party’s door is widely opened to anybody who wants to join, but such a person or group, no matter how highly placed, must follow the procedure as laid down in the party’s constitution.
He emphatically stated that the party had nothing to do with the membership cards and registers claimed by the aspirant, who said he got them from the party’s National Secretariat.
“We want people to join us, and we want to work together to provide a better government than what we have now that will remove poverty, provide a better healthcare system for people, improve education and all.
“But not that they come to the party, hijack the party and take the structure away. That’s what we will not agree,” Ola-Williams said.
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