Politics

Group demands declaration of Aba North Assembly seat vacant, threatens protest

Published

2 years ago

May 18, 2024

A group known as the Coalition of Aba North Ethnic Youth Groups has mandated the Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, Emmanuel Emereuwa to declare the Aba North seat vacant in seven days.

The Aba North seat has been a subject of controversy since November 27, 2023, when the Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos sacked Destiny Nwagwu of LP and declared Aaron Uzodike of the PDP, the duly elected member to represent Aba North.

However, the seat has remained unoccupied since November 2023, as Uzodike of PDP has not been inaugurated by the Speaker, despite his several appeals.

A fresh controversy erupted Friday, as the Coalition of Aba North Ethnic Youths Groups, asked the Speaker to declare the seat vacant within seven days or expect a city-wide protest in Aba.

A protest letter signed by the leader of the group, Uka Matthew and some other members in Aba, said they have been without a representative in the Abia State House of Assembly for six months now and therefore, cannot continue to remain without a voice.

The Coalition also insisted that the March 18, 2024, House of Assembly election was won by Destiny Nwagwu of LP and not Aaron Uzodike of the PDP who won his case at the Appeal court.

Ukah Mathew threatened that members of the Coalition will protest in the streets of Aba if the Abia Speaker refuses to honour their ultimatum by declaring the Aba North seat vacant.

“We are calling on our brother the Speaker to do the needful and declare the ABA North State constituency seat vacant so that INEC can conduct a fresh election. We voted for Destiny Nwagwu, we cannot allow Aaron who lost even in his polling unit to represent us”, the group’s leader, Uka Matthew said.

Recall that a group of traditional rulers from the Aba North constituency last month, made a similar call by telling the Speaker to declare the Aba North seat vacant, alleging that Aaron Uzodike of the PDP was battling ill health.

But Uzodike, while speaking to Journalists in Umuahia in April, said he was healthy, sound and ever ready to represent his people if sworn in, even as he described the traditional rulers who made the call as imposters hired from other constituencies.

Follow Ekwutosblog for more ……….

Politics

Rivers Speaker, 15 Other Assembly Members Dump PDP For APC

Published

5 hours ago

December 6, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

Martin Amaewhule, Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, has defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Tori News reports Amaewhule defected along with 15 other members of the House on Friday.

Amaewhule said the defection is due to clear division in the PDP.

Recall that President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in the state earlier this year in March, suspending the Governor, Sim Fubara and his Deputy alongside members of the State Assembly.

Politics

Insecurity: Bode George intensifies call for state police

Published

6 hours ago

December 6, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Bode George, has intensified his call for the establishment of state police to contain the wave of insecurity in Nigeria.

George made this call on Friday when he appeared during an interview on Arise Television monitored by Ekwutosblog.

He was reacting to the worsening insecurity situation in the country where innocent Nigerians, including women and schoolchildren are kidnapped and others killed in the process.

“First of all, what is wrong with establishing state police? We have seen nobody is going to cancel the Federal Police, but policing is local.

“When you now turn the boys who live in the same area and legalize their existence to put smiles on the faces of the people, it will be better to manage because they will understand the language of the locals. They know the do’s and don’ts in their own area. So why are we wasting time?

“I am happy I read something last week after the Arewa Consultative meeting in the North. They met and took a decision that they have agreed to a state police.

“Then the Southwest met with their governors, and the governors’ statement made after that conference is that they also accept having state police.

“What are we wasting time for? Because the way it is, you don’t even know who is telling the truth or who is telling the lie,” he said.

Politics

I’m still in PDP – Wike replies Turaki, dismisses expulsion

Published

22 hours ago

December 5, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, on Friday declared that he’s still a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Wike’s comment followed his expulsion from the party by the faction led by National Chairman, Kabiru Turaki.

Turaki had formally dispatched expulsion certificates to 11 prominent party chieftains, including Wike, former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, Umaru Bature, Kamarudeen Ajibade, SAN, Abdurahman Muhammad Senator Mao Ohuabunwa.

He said their expulsion was aimed at sanitising the party ahead of the 2027 elections.

Reacting to the development on Friday, Wike dismissed the claim while assuring that he would continue to work with other party members in making PDP a relevant opposition party.

The minister spoke while addressing journalists after inspecting the Interchange bridge and road linking Gwarinpa with Jahi and direct to Katampe, Gishiri and Maitama.

He said, “Those that are factionalized are bound to leave the party, I’m still in PDP and you can see that not everybody has left.

“We still have good numbers and we will continue to work together and that’s what I have said to the party. Put your house in order because at the end of the day, if you don’t put your house in order, it’s the party that is losing.

“So those who are worried, we can work together to see how the party can remain a relevant opposition.”