Politics
Ohanaeze Crisis Deepens: Rivers State Insists on Leadership Transition, Rejects Imo Tenure Extension.
Ohanaeze Crisis Deepens: Rivers State Insists on Leadership Transition, Rejects Imo Tenure Extension.
Ekwutosblog has gathered that the Apex Igbo Sociocultural Organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, with unwavering commitment to our founding principles, wishes to address a matter of pressing concern that threatens the very fabric of our community’s democratic traditions. Recent reports indicate a nefarious plot spearheaded by two governors from the Southeast, who are attempting to extend the tenure of the current President General from Imo State by an additional two years. This scheme fundamentally contradicts the scheduled Ohanaeze elections set for January 11, 2025, and is an affront to the democratic processes we hold dear.
It is imperative to affirm, unequivocally, that this attempt to stretch the current Imo State President General’s tenure runs counter to the tenets of the Ohanaeze Constitution, ratified in 2004, which stipulates clear and established guidelines for leadership succession. We perceive this maneuver not only as a blatant disregard for our constitutional framework but also as a deliberate strategy designed to obstruct the seamless transition of power from Imo State to Rivers State. Such a transition is enshrined in our governance process and vital for the preservation of unity and equity within the Igbo nation.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo has meticulously monitored the underhanded activities orchestrated by these governors, who have seemingly retreated from their initial commitments to support a candidate from Abia State. This retreat follows a robust backlash from the Ndigbo at home and in diaspora, particularly in response to unauthorized meetings held by certain Ohanaeze chieftains with former President Olusegun Obasanjo in Ogun State recently. The widespread condemnation of these meetings signals a strong, unyielding opposition among the Igbo populace against any form of constitutional dereliction.
Further intelligence suggests that these governors are mobilizing substantial resources, with the complicity of two former Presidents General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, to manipulate influential Igbo elder statesmen, traditional rulers, and opinion leaders into endorsing an unconstitutional tenure extension. This sinister collaboration, shrouded in deceitful rhetoric and opportunistic alliances, seeks to install an indigene of Imo State in a move masked as a lawful succession, but which is, in essence, a calculated attempt to monopolize power and disrupt the electoral process.
It is crucial that we, as a collective body of Igbos at home and abroad, rise in solidarity to resist these insidious conspiracies. The pursuit of unity, strength, and dignity within our ranks necessitates a vigorous and unwavering response to any attempts to undermine the constitutional rights of the Rivers State chapter of Ohanaeze Ndigbo. We must declare, in a unified voice, that the upcoming elections for the position of President General on January 11, 2025, will proceed as planned, as decreed by our 2004 Constitution.
A faction of Accord Party has held its own governorship primary, where Mr. Clement Bamigbola emerged as the faction’s governorship candidate for the 2026 Osun State election.
This is coming just four days after the emergence of Governor Ademola Adeleke as the party’s flag-bearer.
Recall that the party under the leadership of Maxwell Mgbudem, on Wednesday, held a similar exercise which produced Governor Ademola Adeleke as the party’s candidate.
However, a faction of the party rejected his emergence, insisting that Barrister Maxwell Mgbudem is not the legally recognized national chairman of the Accord Party.
In a fresh development on Sunday, about 300 delegates of the Accord Party from across Osun State elected Bamigbola as the factional candidate during a primary held at Regina Suite, Osogbo.
Bamigbola emerged through a voice vote conducted by the delegates, after which the Chairman of the Primary Committee, Hon. Olufemi Ogundare, declared him the party’s candidate for the 2026 Osun State governorship election.
President Bola Tinubu and leaders of ECOWAS countries are currently meeting in Abuja.
The 68th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government is taking place at the State House Conference Centre, in Abuja.
Leaders of West African countries at the meeting include President Julius Bio (Sierra Leone, ECOWAS Chair), President Patrice Talon (Benin), José Maria Neves (Cabo Verde) and Alassane Ouattara (Côte d’Ivoire).
Others are Adama Barrow (The Gambia), John Mahama (Ghana), Umaro Embaló (Guinea-Bissau), Joseph Boakai (Liberia), Bassirou Faye (Senegal) and Faure Gnassingbé (Togo).
The meeting is coming against the backdrop of five turbulent years for West Africa, which saw coups in Mali (2020, 2021), Burkina Faso (twice in 2022), and Niger (2023).
The latest incidents include an attempted coup in Benin on December 7, 2025, and renewed instability in Guinea-Bissau.
At the time of filing this report, details of the meeting are yet to be disclosed.
Politics
Breaking: Diri Orders Autopsy on Bayelsa Deputy Governor’s Death, Warns Against Politicisation
Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has ordered an autopsy to determine the cause of death of the state’s Deputy Governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo.
Governor Diri gave the directive on Saturday while receiving former President Goodluck Jonathan at the Government House in Yenagoa.
Reacting to the incident, the governor condemned what he described as widespread misinformation and speculation on social media, warning against any attempt to politicise the deputy governor’s death.
“I want to make an appeal. I have seen people politicise his death. In Ijaw land, there is no enmity in death. Let nobody politicise the passing of our dearly beloved deputy governor,” Diri said.
“If anyone truly loves him, this is the time to show it. I have directed that an autopsy be carried out to reveal the cause of his death. There is a lot of nonsense going on on social media.”
The governor further urged the public to focus on mourning and honouring the late deputy governor, noting that the state government had declared three working days of mourning in his honour.
“If anyone is issuing statements to eulogise him, let it end there. Let us mourn him because Bayelsa State is in a mourning mood,” he added.
Governor Diri also called for unity and love among the people, reminding them of the inevitability of death.
Speaking during the condolence visit, former President Goodluck Jonathan described the late Ewhrudjakpo as a committed and dedicated individual who played a key role in the activities of his foundation.
“For me, he was someone my foundation and I will never forget. He represented the governor in all our programs,” Jonathan said, adding that Ewhrudjakpo worked tirelessly in that role, even more than when he served as deputy governor.
The man who tackled a gunman to the floor and saved people from getting sh0t at Bondi Beach in Australia has been identified as Ahmed al Ahmed.
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