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Wike/Atiku feud: PDP is in shambles – Ortom
Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom has stated that the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is distressed over its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike feud.
The governor said, this was not the best of times for the party, stating that he cannot pretend to say all was well for the PDP.
Speaking through a statement issued by his spokesman, Mr Nathaniel Ikyu on Monday, Ortom lashed at the party leadership for not resolving the crisis on time, until it snowball into an unmanageable level.
Ortom noted that the existing internal conflict resolution mechanism to resolve the dispute over the continued stay in office of Dr. Iyorchia Ayu as PDP National Chairman was not put into use, a development he stressed created camps within the opposition party.
According to him, the leadership of the party has been dithered.
The governor was reacting to the development in the party even as Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike had rejected the resignation of PDP’s Board of Trustees Chairman (BoT), Senator Walid Jibrin last Thursday.
Wike said, the rejection of BoT Chairman is a condition for reconciliation in the party.
The BoT Chairman, CAPITAL POST was told, resigned out of frustration occasioned by the endless crisis between Nyesom Wike and the 2023 presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
As Wike insists on the resignation of Iyorchia Ayu as Chairman of PDP, the party went ahead to pass a vote of confidence on him on September 7, a development that protracted the crisis as Ayu cannot be seen to be resigning from his position anytime soon.
Reacting to the confidence vote on Ayu, Rivers State governor declared that Ayu cannot survive despite.
Ortom who is an ally of Nyesom Wike blamed the PDP national leadership for lacking reconciliation mechanism, which gave opportunity for the crisis to fester for too long.
He said: “There are certain internal mechanisms that should apply to conflict resolution within the party.
“Some of these instruments should have been deployed long ago.”
Ortom urged further dialogue between the Atiku and Wike camps, adding that discussions were still ongoing among various stakeholders to resolve the crisis.
“Discussions are going at different levels away from the public eye, to ensure unity and oneness of purpose in the PDP, with eyes on 2023.
“I am very interested in ensuring that we discuss. I want us to have a win-win situation so that people will feel they have been carried along.”
Ortom said regardless of its present challenges, the PDP will reinvent itself in good time to defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 election.
He said the camp of the Rivers State governor was still open to discussions, adding that there were substantive issues to be thrashed out within the PDP.
Expressing optimism that the PDP will “cross the Rubicon”, Ortom however, said all was not well with the party at the moment.
He said: “I will not say that all is well with our party. The good thing is that we recognise the issues and we have generated dialogue in various ways.
“Engagement is what I have always encouraged. Everybody cannot be winning all the time.”
The governor stressed the need for the opposition party to unite ahead of the 2023 election to be in good stead to defeat the APC, stating that it remained a viable alternative.
He described the performance of the ruling party in the past seven years as “dismal and abysmal”.
According to him, the PDP now enjoys an overwhelming majority in the Benue House of Assembly.
He also explained that the blockage of access informed his media attacks on President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said: “We applied for a bailout of N42 Billion from the Federal Government to enable us to offset longstanding arrears of salaries, pensions and gratuities.
“Some of these people scrambled to the State House to tell the President not to release the funds even after approval so that we will not take the credit for solving the age-long problem. This is the kind of mean-spirited attitude APC is inflicting on our people.”
The governor accused some unnamed APC leaders of denying him access to President Buhari for almost two years now.
He said that was the reason he has been channelling his messages to President Buhari through the media, although he would have preferred discussing with the President one-on-one.
“It is the very same people who have ensured my inaccessibility to the President. I said it before. It is now almost two years since I last saw the President. If I had access to him, I will prefer a one-on-one exchange with him.
“Since that is not possible, I go to the press. I must talk, I must express myself. I am holding this office in trust for several million people of Benue State. I am not here of my own volition.”
Erosion: Oyo to benefit from European Investment Bank intervention
Oyo State has been listed among the Twenty-three beneficiaries of the European Investment Bank’s intervention in addressing the challenges of erosion and land degradation control in Nigeria.
The intervention project is under the auspices of the European Investment Bank-assisted Nigeria Climate Adaptation Erosion and Watershed Project (NEWMAP-EIB).
In a statement by Bukola Bakare, Director, Press & Public Relations,
Ministry of Information and Orientation,
Oyo State, said the National Project Coordinator of NEWMAP-EIB Engr. Anda Ayuba Yalaks made this known on Tuesday in Ibadan when he led the Federal Project Management Unit delegation on a courtesy visit to Governor Seyi Makinde in his office.
The National Project Coordinator disclosed that the courtesy visit was part of the Federal Project Management Unit team to Oyo State scoping mission to evaluate the State’s readiness as a crucial step towards disbursement and project implementation take off.
According to Engr. Yalaks, the Federal Government of Nigeria has initiated the climate Adaptation: Erosion and Watershed succeeding the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management project (Newmap) to address the issue of land degradation in a targeted subwatershed, improve livelihood, and promote Environmental resilience for sustainable development.
He added that the project is supported by the European Union and oversees by the Federal Project Management Unit (FPMU) with implementation by the twenty three (23) participating States including Oyo State.
Briefing the Governor on the pre requisite requirements, Yalaks commended Governor Makinde led administration for his approval and release of 500 million naira as counterpart fund and other important pre requisite requirements which secured the State as one of the 23 States for the EIB intervention.
His words, “I’m happy to announce to you that Oyo State has met 100% percent legitimate criteria to attract the funding.”
He confirmed that after conducting an assessment of the prioritized sites which are threat to lives and infrastructural development. They are therefore considered as candidate sites in line with the conditions precedence of the EIB.
Welcoming the FPMU delegation on behalf of the Governor, the Deputy Governor, Barrister Bayo Lawal highlighted some of the achievements of Engr. Seyi Makinde in demonstrating the highest level of political will to tackle environmental challenges in the state.
He expressed optimism about the project’s potential for success and assured the team of the state’s unwavering support.
“We are already on course and it is an irreversible course, we cannot go back, all the requests you have demanded from us as the state government, we will fulfil. We need to put more efforts in terms of making this partnership a workable one”.
Earlier in his remarks, the Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources Arch. Abdulmojeed Mogbonjubola commended Engr. Seyi Makinde for his leadership quality in chosen the prioritized sites in Eruwa, Igbeti, Ibadan and most especially the gully erosion site within the Ladoke Akintola University(LAUTECH) Ogbomoso which is currently a threat to infrastructural development, added that the State is ready for full project implementation take off.
Present at the visit were the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Dr. Sunday Ojelabi, State Project Coordinator, Barr. Tayo Ayoade and members of the State Project Management Unit of NEWMAP.
President of the 9th Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan, on Wednesday, paid a condolence visit to Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda, following the passing of his mother, Hajiya Sarafa’u Umaru, who died on March 23, 2025, at the age of 93.
During the visit, Senator Lawan expressed his deep sorrow over the loss, describing Hajiya Sarafa’u as a woman of “great virtue, kindness, and wisdom,” whose life left an indelible mark on her family and community.
“It is with a heavy heart that I stand here today to commiserate with His Excellency, Governor Radda, and the entire family over the loss of their beloved matriarch.
“Hajiya Sarafa’u was a pillar of strength and devotion, and her legacy lives on through the exemplary leadership of her son, who continues to serve Katsina State with passion and humility,” Lawan said.
The former Senate President explained that his absence during the initial mourning period was due to his participation in an executive course at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government in the United States.
However, he emphasized the importance of personally conveying his sympathies upon his return.
“I regret that I could not be here earlier, but I felt it necessary to come in person to offer my condolences and stand in solidarity with the Governor and the people of Katsina during this difficult time,” he added.
Amid restraint order slammed on the sole administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, rtd from appointing sole administrators of the 23 Local Government Council Areas, he has approved the appointment of the administrators for the council areas.
CAPITAL POST gathered that a Federal High Court sitting in Portharcourt on Tuesday restrained the Sole Administrator from appointing Council executives.
The order was issued by Justice Adam Muhammed on Tuesday in suit No. FHC/PH/CS/46/2025 in the case filed by PILEX Centre for Civic Education Initiative led by Courage Msirimovu against the Sole Administrator in his official capacity.
Ibas also approved the reconstitution of the board of agencies of State government including the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC which he dissolved upon his assumption as Sole Administrator of Rivers State.
The development was contained in a Special Government Announcement issued on Wednesday morning by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Ibibia Worika.
The statement said the appointments take immediate effect.
Mr Okroiyobi Animete was appointed as administrator for Abua/Odual LG, Mr Goodluck M Iheanacho for Ahoada East LG, Mr Promise Jacob for Ahoada West LG, among others.
The statement read, “His Excellency, The Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral (Rtd) Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas CFR, has approved the appointments of administrators for the 23 Local Government Areas of Rivers State.
“He has also approved the reconstitution of some boards of agencies, commissions, and parastatals, earlier suspended.
“All appointments take effect from Monday, the 7th of April 2025.”
FULL LIST OF Rivers LG administrators
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