Politics

Indonesia’s first naval drills with Russia get under way

Published

1 year ago

November 4, 2024

Indonesia’s first naval drills with Russia get under way

Analysts say the joint exercises signal the start of Prabowo Subianto’s foreign policy shift, seeking to boost alliances with major powers

Indonesia and Russia kicked off their first joint naval drills on Monday, as the Southeast Asian archipelago’s new leader seeks to boost ties with Moscow.

The region’s biggest economy maintains a neutral foreign policy, refusing to take sides in the Ukraine conflict or in great power competition between Washington and Beijing.

But newly inaugurated Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has pledged to be bolder on the world stage and in July visited Moscow for talks with Vladimir Putin.

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The five-day drills will take place in two phases at a naval base in Surabaya and in the Java Sea.

Russia has sent three corvette class warships, a medium tanker ship, a military helicopter, and a tug boat, the Indonesian navy said in a statement last week.

Local broadcasters showed Russian ships calling into port and being welcomed by an Indonesian marching band on Sunday ahead of the drills.

Analysts say the joint exercises signal Prabowo is beginning a significant foreign policy shift, pledging to boost Jakarta’s alliances with major powers.

During a visit to the Kremlin in July, Prabowo – a 73-year-old ex-general – said he wanted to deepen the relationship with Russia.

“We consider Russia as a great friend and I would like to continue to maintain and enhance this relationship,” Prabowo told Putin.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations bloc, which Indonesia is a member of, held joint exercises with Russia in 2021, but Jakarta had never held drills alone with Moscow before this week.

Jakarta has billion-dollar trade ties with Moscow, yet major arms imports have stalled in recent years after Russia seized Crimea in 2014 and launched its full-scale military offensive on Ukraine in 2022.

Still, since becoming defence minister in 2019 Prabowo has kept alive a US$1.1 billion Russian fighter jet deal agreed a year earlier, despite the reported threat of US sanctions.

Politics

Rivers Speaker, 15 Other Assembly Members Dump PDP For APC

Published

14 minutes 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

1 hour 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

18 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.”