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Governor Siminalayi Fubara is set for a showdown with the Martin Amaewhule-led Rivers State House of Assembly as he rejected the 48-hour ultimatum issued by the lawmakers to present the 2025 budget.

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The governor also dismissed the assembly’s opposition to his directive for outgoing local government chairmen to hand over to Heads of Local Government Administration.

He, however, told his supporters, especially youths, to remain unperturbed, adding that the time had come for Rivers people to take their destinies in their hands.

The latest confrontation comes in the wake of the Supreme Court’s February 28, 2025, ruling, which reinstated the 27 lawmakers loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

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The apex court also ordered the seizure of the state allocation and nullified the October 2024 local government poll conducted by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission.

At their first sitting since the ruling, the pro-Wike legislators demanded that Fubara present the 2025 budget, titled, ‘Budget of Inclusive Growth and Development,’ within 48 hours.

The demand directly challenged the N1.1tn budget Fubara had signed into law on January 2, 2025, following its passage by the now-defunct Victor Oko-Jumbo-led Assembly.

The Supreme Court’s ruling ended months of leadership tussle in the state House of Assembly, with both factions previously laying claim to legitimacy.

However, the reinstated lawmakers wasted no time in asserting their authority, insisting that Fubara’s budget must be formally presented in line with constitutional provisions.

Amaewhule also criticised Fubara’s directive on local government administration, arguing that the Supreme Court had expressly ruled against non-elected officials administering councils.

The resolution of the Assembly lawmakers, sitting at the official legislative quarters along Aba Road in Port Harcourt, on Monday, followed a motion by the Deputy Speaker, Dumle Maol.

In his summation during plenary, Amaewhule kicked against Fubara’s directive for the LG chairmen to hand over to the heads of council administration, saying it was against the ruling of the Supreme Court.

“It is actually in flagrant disobedience to the judgment of the Supreme Court last year, particularly that judgment in SC/CV/343/2024 where the Supreme Court specifically said that Heads of Local Government cannot administer local government.

“Only elected officials are permitted by the constitution, by the judgment of the Supreme Court and of course the Rivers State Local Government Amended Law 2023, to administer our local government,” he asserted.

He also spoke on conducting the LG election in the state.

“Honourable members, you know that the Electoral Act amended by the National Assembly has made some adjustments to matters concerning elections and our LG Law and the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission Law which says how local government elections should be conducted in Rivers State definitely needs amendment, so that these two laws can now conform with the Electoral Act.

“These will be a prerequisite to any plan to conduct further local government elections in Rivers State. Once this House is done with this process of amending these two laws, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission can, on the basis of the new law, commence preparations for fresh local government elections,” Amaewhule pointed out.

The assembly also announced that the lawmakers would proceed on a 12-week recess from Friday, March 7, but standing committees would be expected to continue statutory functions.

The government had earlier said it expected the Certified True Copy of the Supreme Court judgment by March 7, following which it would issue its positions on the apex court verdicts.

But the lawmakers, on Monday, resolved “That the House would proceed on a 12-week recess as from Friday 7th March 2025, but standing committees would be expected to continue statutory functions.

“Please be informed that our resolutions are geared towards a quick fix to the current financial quagmire occasioned by the absence of an Appropriation Law for Rivers State. We do not want the Rivers State people to suffer. We, therefore, urge you to act fast and do the needful in the best interest of the good people of Rivers State.”

The assembly then addressed its resolutions to the governor, with copies sent to the Deputy Governor, Prof Ngozi Odu; the state Accountant-General and the RSIEC chairman.

Fubara, however, remained defiant, asserting that his administration would not be coerced into actions that contradicted legal interpretations.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Rivers State Government House Staff Quarters in Port Harcourt, Fubara reassured his supporters that governance in the state would continue despite the political turbulence.

Politics

PDP to screen Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday as its sole Presidential aspirant For 2027 race

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Tanimu Turaki, SAN, has scheduled to screen former president Goodluck Jonathan tomorrow, Tuesday, aMay 19, as the lone presidential candidate of party.

According to a statement from the PDP faction backed by the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, Former Vice-President Namadi Sambo, former governor of Plateau State, Jona Jang and a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tom Ikimi have been listed among a committee of 14 members to screen Jonathan described as a lone candidate by the party.

Other members of the committee were Chief Olabode George, Babangida Aliyu, Maryam ciroma, Zainab Maina, Josephine Anenin, Dr. Abdul Bulama, Dr. Esther Uduehi, Edo State PDP chairman, Tony Aziegbemi, Dr. Sunday Solarium and Chief Anicho Okoro, who would serve as administrative secretary of the committee.

Last week, the national Publicity Secretary of the faction, Ini Ememobong, disclosed that former president Jonathan has successfully registered as a member of the party in the fresh digital registration exercise directed by INEC.

The PDP faction also announced that it was set to screen 748 house of representatives aspirants, 198 senatorial aspirants, and 112 governorship aspirants.

The screening committee would screen 2122 states houses of assembly aspirants. The exercise will commence tomorrow, Tuesday in different states.

According to the statement, the screening exercise would take place nationwide on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.

The statement said the Interim National Working Committee (iNWC) has also released the names of members to serve on the Screening Committees and Screening Appeal Panels.

It added that the publication of the screening details “is in accordance with the party’s guidelines and timetable for the conduct of the 2027 general elections.”

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Oshiomhole wins Edo APC senatorial primaries unopposed

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A former governor and incumbent Senator, Adams Oshiomhole, along with his counterpart Senator Joe Ikpea, sailed through the All Progressives Congress senatorial primary in Edo unopposed, and securing their tickets without a single vote cast against them.

Also Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama emerged the winner in the APC primary for the Edo South senatorial district.

Ogbeide-Ihama won in the seven local government areas of Edo South in the results announced by the Chairman of APC National Assembly Primary Election, Muhammed Ajana at the Urokpota Hall, Benin.

He polled 27,154 votes while his opponents, Senator Neda Imasuen, got 13,580, and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu got 6785.

The elections were hitch-free in Edo North and Edo Central, where there was no contest against the incumbents, Senators Oshiomhole of Edo North and Ikpea of Edo Central, respectively.

Ajana at the Urokpota Hall said the collation arose from votes cast in the seven local government areas made up of 77 wards where elections were conducted by members of the committee.

He said, “There are seven local governments that make up the Edo South Senatorial District. We have heard from the Returning officers from the seven local government areas. From the collation, the cumulative result we have for Edo South Senatorial District is this; Ogbeide-Ihama with 27,154 votes, Imasuen with 13,580 votes and Ize-Iyamu with 6, 785.

“This is the total reflection of what has transpired from the ward level to the local government and the Edo South senatorial district collation centre. With this we await further directives from the National Secretariat, we have done our best by collating the results which is our mandate, to collate the results and send them to the National Secretariat.”

However, it was gathered that Ize-Iyamu emerged as the APC candidate for Edo South Senatorial race. He claimed to have clinched the party’s ticket after defeating Ogbeide-Ihama and Imasuen.

It was claimed that the Chief Returning Officer, Abubakar Muhammad Kabiru, officially declared Ize-Iyamu the winner after securing the highest number of votes cast.

On his part, the senator representing the district condemned the exercise describing it as a sham allegedly designed to favour a preferred aspirant.

Imasuen spoke while reacting to events at his polling unit in Umagbae North Ward 5, Urhokuosa where he said he was denied the opportunity to vote following what he described as a chaotic and manipulated process.

The lawmaker accused leaders of the party of openly adopting a preferred candidate ahead of the exercise and intimidating members into supporting that aspirant.

He said, “There is nothing satisfactory about this sham of election they did today and it is very unfortunate because as a loyal party member, I expected something better than this.”

He said the warning signs emerged days before the primary when some ward chairmen allegedly informed him that they had been directed not to receive him during consultations.

Imasuen claimed that some ward leaders openly told him the party had already adopted a preferred aspirant, identified as Hon. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, making further consultations unnecessary.

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Ajuloopin Suffers Setback as Home Ward Rejects Third Term Return Bid in Kwara APC Primary

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The re-election bid of the member representing Ekiti/Isin/Irepodun/Oke-Ero Federal Constituency, Hon. Raheem Tunji Olawuyi, popularly known as Ajuloopin, suffered a major setback on Friday after party members in his home ward, Omu-Aran Ward 1, boycotted the All Progressives Congress APC House of Representatives primary.

According to party stakeholders and observers present at the exercise, no valid election took place in the ward after members refused to participate in protest against what they described as the lawmaker’s poor performance after three consecutive terms in the House of Representatives.

Sources in the ward said efforts by some political figures and loyalists to persuade members to back Ajuloopin’s ambition failed, with party faithful insisting they would not endorse what they termed an attempt to impose his candidacy again.

The boycott led to a breakdown of the electoral process in Omu-Aran Ward 1, with many members staying away from the polls entirely. Stakeholders have called on the APC Electoral Committee to disregard any result purportedly presented from the ward, arguing that no credible primary was conducted there.

Political observers in the constituency described the development as a significant blow to Ajuloopin, noting that the rejection came from his own ward and among constituents most familiar with his record.

Preliminary reports from other parts of Irepodun, Isin and Oke-Ero local government areas, where voting proceeded, also indicated weak support for the incumbent. Many party members were said to have voted for alternative aspirants.

APC stakeholders have urged the party leadership to review reports from affected wards and accept only authentic and verifiable results to preserve the credibility of the primaries. They stressed that internal democracy was critical to the party’s prospects in the constituency and warned against imposing unpopular candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.

With tension rising across the federal constituency, party faithful said the leadership must listen to grassroots members and allow delegates and supporters to determine the outcome of the primaries.

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