Udengs Eradiri was the candidate of the Labour Party in the last governorship election in Bayelsa State. In his interview with PUNCH.  Eradiri talks about his experiences, and why he decided to quit the party and look elsewhere to pursue his political ambition

  I thought that Nigerians truly meant this their so-called cry of bad leadership, that we need good governance and all that. It’s just a farce. Nigerians are not serious. They are just looking for who will give them money. When the chips are down, Nigerians look for money from politicians. They jettison all they’ve gone through. I was fooled, let me put it that way. I thought that our people really needed leadership and that was why when I was growing up any opportunity I had, I made sure that I maintained a certain trajectory without getting my hands stained in all these mess, thinking there have to come a time when in leadership people interrogate you from where you’re coming from to say based on your track record we can entrust public responsibility to you. But, I was fooled. I went to the nooks and crannies of Bayelsa and I saw the sufferings, I saw the nakedness of neglect and poverty in Bayelsa State. I saw the people lamenting, graduates without work. I interacted. On Election Day, they were after money. They were looking for who will bring money. I know what I went through from primaries to winning my election in the party to the demands here and there. But, I didn’t have that kind of money, I couldn’t afford it. And on Election Day, they had already negotiated with the system and collected money; people were even fighting over money they took from selling me. In my village, money was deployed in millions. It was ‘see and buy.’ The election was a disgrace. INEC sending emissaries; they had agents that were around politicians – ‘you bring this, we do it this way.’ I knew I was not going to go anywhere with the build-up to the election. You see security agencies coming to you, telling you ‘you go shake body make we do am like this.’ I possibly can’t play when I’m just a young engineer with the little resources and support from my friends. The things I saw shocked me because I am a man from the struggling background, an activist who had always been on the other side and decided to go into politics. I became a commissioner in the state. I saw the rot and neglect. I started seeing the rot that needed to be connected as a leader. Bayelsa is too rich to be in this quagmire. What are we doing with the resources that we have? That’s why I don’t support resource control. I don’t anymore. If you check, the Ijaw Youth Council presidents, I am one person who didn’t support this resource control thing. I said why are we making resource control about oil and quick money? What about the green vegetation? Is it not part of our resources? Why are we not converting it to wealth? What about the flowing river, the sand? Why are we not converting them to wealth?

You said the Labour Party leadership sold you…

(Cuts in) N100m. They were punching each other. The state said they sent N50m to Abuja. When they went for the sharing, the people said, ‘The money they agreed to give us is N100m, why are you bringing N50m?’ I called the national chairman. He said they were just accusing him and he was going to take action. But, until this minute, he has not taken action. But, when it happened in Rivers State, he was quick to suspend the exco; when it happened in Imo State, he was quick to suspend them while the same thing happened in Bayelsa and they accused you of taking half of the money, and till today, you didn’t take any action. And, of course, the revelation from Abuja over the years has shown that they are as rotten as the same system they claim to be fighting. I paid N25m for my form, the same form that people bought N15m. They said they were going to return the N10m to me. Till today, I’ve not seen the money. I’ve written several letters asking them to return it to me. From day one, the injustice started against me to try to stop me from the process.

Are you saying there was a kind of gang up?

They negotiated from day one, they started from day one. The opposition in Nigeria is not serious, there’s no opposition. In any case, I’ve come to the conclusion that we’re too poor for opposition politics in Bayelsa, only former governors that are rich people in the state can. Where are the businesses? Money is only in the hands of those who have been former governors in Bayelsa. In that kind of society, how are you going to be the opposition? You can’t compare it to the eastern society or the Yoruba society where individuals have money more than the state. So, as a young man, I came up to say I wanted to do this thing, I struggled to get this thing and the entire burden is on my head and then I became a tool for negotiation.

Following the electoral system in Nigeria, the party was supposed to sponsor your campaigns and so on. You mean they left everything to you?

They left every dime to me. A few days to the election (Peter) Obi sent me N20m.

Was it Obi’s personal money or party money?

I suppose it was his personal contribution. Party money? A party that gave me conditions? They went to the government and the entire party said they were supporting the governor. Why? I didn’t have the money to give them.

How much did they demand from you?

The monies were in various amounts and conditions. If they followed me to campaigns, they would roll out how much I would pay them. One time I said I didn’t have the money, and that even if it’s N20,000 each they should manage. It was used against me, that how can I give party exco members N20,000 after following me to campaigns? I’ve not stolen money anywhere before. I know what I went through, so when I hear people saying nonsense, I tell them, ‘go and buy a form, contest election in this town and see what candidates go through in elections.’ I know what I went through to manage two factions in Labour Party and I became the candidate in both factions. This faction gave me INEC form, this faction gave me INEC form. From day one, I was at a disadvantage and then you are seeing the party in Edo State, they have sold it out – fighting over money. It’s a mess, no accountability. You see men, who in old age haven’t seen N50m, so they are going to die if it’s not parted.

Now that you’ve resigned from Labour Party, what are you looking at?

I’m recalibrating. I’m looking at the scenario, studying most of the politicians and what’s going on. I became Commissioner for Youth and Commissioner for Environment. I played with the system and got involved and I did my best to change it from the inside. And, that’s why I hear a lot of stories of the things I did when I was in a very brief time Commissioner for Environment. If I wasn’t inside how would I have been able to do that? I found myself inside the same system, but I contributed immensely to changing the way things were done.

When you look at the scenario that has played out, are you sure you’ll be able to change anything from the inside now?

There are exceptions. I was a commissioner here. Did you hear anywhere that Udengs took the money of the ministry? You can see that I contributed. The underlining word is service to the people. Do your job and I will do mine. Anything other than that are pecks of office, but don’t allow the pecks to be your overriding drive, let it be service. Service to the people should be the ultimate and in carrying out that service there shall be benefits attached to it. Why should my own be different? I was a special assistant in the NCDC, the same NCDC that people have been going to the EFCC up and down. But, I was never invited to the EFCC. Obviously, I did my job and I also had a few pecks that I enjoyed, but the job should be number one, that’s it.

The next governorship election will be in two years. Are we seeing you carrying another party’s flag?

In politics, 24 hours is a long time, let alone two years. As time goes on, Bayelsa is a place where we have this unwritten rotational politics and that’s one of the reasons why I was very keen about participating in the last election because it fell within my senatorial district. So, I was counting on part of the benefits. The advantage will be that I’m from central and it’s central’s turn. When it’s passed that time, it will rotate, so, I will be at a disadvantage and in my campaign, I said it. I said if I don’t contest now, it will be 20 years before it gets to our turn again because the political equation also favoured it. The reason why Douye Diri won that election over (Timipre) Sylva and me is the issue of rotation. It played its own role, that if he has done one term, let him just complete it so it can rotate. But some people said Sylva couldn’t distort the rotation because the next one was coming this way. Why not wait till that time? These are factors you consider, and then the candidates. Bayelsa is in a mess and needs people who are prepared, not people who will loot the Government House.

Lastly, your resignation coincided with that of your running mate and the leaders of the party in the local government areas. Are you looking at moving to another platform of your choice en bloc?

There are a lot of people who genuinely worked for a better Bayelsa but were disappointed by the leadership struggles in the state. The state has government appointees as leaders of the Labour Party in Bayelsa. The chairman is an appointee of government. So, from day one, we expected that we were obviously going to fail. We only tried to see; as a candidate who came in, we couldn’t have changed those things, you know. So, it’s very clear that Labour Party in Bayelsa State is an extension of the Government House of Bayelsa State. People are disappointed and that’s why a lot of people who gave their best have decided to move out of the party. Politics in Bayelsa is all about negotiation, ‘Come, let’s go and negotiate and take something.’ But one of the achievements, for me, at the last election is that I was able to stand firm despite every setback, to get to the apex of the struggle. So, people will realise that it is not every politician in Bayelsa that is a pot of porridge politician who you can just pay off and he will leave it. I had all the offers, all the pressures, all the calls, but I said I wanted to see the end of it. I’m not for sale. I’m a man who stands by conviction. If I stand with you, I’ll rather be there with you till you fall. I will not leave you halfway. And, that’s why when Dickson’s government fell and people left, I was part of the men who stood until the court gave it to Douye Diri. Even when I had meetings with the opposition members, I told them that I would stand with this man till the end.

Nine Nigerian banks collectively earned N4.85tn in interest income on loans and advances to customers in the first nine months of 2024, marking a growth of 114.95 per cent compared to N2.26tn recorded in the same period of 2023.

Access Holdings led the industry with N1.13tn in interest income as of September 2024, up from N458.41bn in the corresponding period of 2023. The 146.4 per cent surge reflects the bank’s lending strategy and expansion of its loan portfolio.

Zenith Bank followed closely, reporting an interest income of N1.07tn, more than doubling its N408.66bn figure from the previous year, representing an increase of 161.8 per cent.

FBN Holdings earned N915.35bn in interest income year-to-date in 2024, a 128.1 per cent increase from N401.33bn recorded in the same period of 2023.

Fidelity Bank recorded an interest income of N450.00bn, up from N260.51bn in 2023. The 72.7 per cent growth reflects the bank’s efforts to deepen its presence in the corporate and retail lending markets.

Guaranty Trust Holding Company reported an interest income of N392.33bn, an 84.8 per cent rise from N212.30bn in the prior year.

FCMB Group generated N317.53bn in interest income, up from N183.55bn in 2023. This 73 per cent increase is attributed to its targeted approach to scaling its credit portfolio to meet customer needs.

Stanbic IBTC Holdings recorded N283.95bn in interest income as of September 2024, representing a growth of 81.7 per cent from N156.24bn in the same period of the previous year.

Wema Bank posted an interest income of N149.28bn, an increase of 76.8 per cent from N84.42bn in 2023.

Sterling Bank recorded N139.86bn in interest income, up from N90.45bn in the same period of 2023. This 54.6 per cent growth reflects the bank’s focused efforts to grow its credit portfolio despite economic challenges.

A Catholic Reverend’s Father has allegedly shot a boy dead after the latter set off knockouts within the church premises.

The incident which happened during the New Year Mass held on January 1, 2025, in Amaimo, Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State, has attracted reactions from social media users.

However, PUNCH Online couldn’t verify the name and parish of the priest and the name of the deceased.

In a Facebook post shared via the handle, ‘For The Love Of Anambra,’ on Wednesday, it quoted eyewitness accounts, reporting that after the deceased set off the knockouts, “the priest, whose identity remains undisclosed, picked up a firearm and fatally shot him.

“The incident has left the community in shock and mourning, with residents expressing outrage and demanding a thorough investigation to uncover the facts behind the unfortunate event.”

When contacted by our correspondent on Thursday, the spokesperson for the Imo State Police Command, Henry Okoye stated that the command is already aware of the incident.

Okoye added that an investigation has been launched into the incident.

“We have launched a detailed investigation to ascertain the remote facts surrounding the incident.

“Further development on the case will be communicated in due course, please,” the police spokesperson stated in a message.

Reacting to the incident, a Facebook user, Malachy Chukwunyereugo, wrote, “He will spend the rest of his life in prison.”

Another Facebook user, Lyn Chy, lamented, “The fact that a Reverend father owns a gun it’s somehow [sic].”

Another user, Peace Ijeoma wrote, “It’s disheartening to see how religious bigots are defending the priest. May we try to be lovers of God and not lovers of the men of God this 2025. Rip to the boy.”

On X, a tweep identified as Bloc Chief, with the username #blochief, shared his amusement.

He tweeted, “I thought this happens in the USA? How can this happen in Imo? Mehn.”

Another tweep, identified as Rise above hat, but tweeting as #asababoi2man, wrote, “Maybe he has [been] abducted before by gunmen… so he felt the men are back.. only God knows what he was thinking.”

The Delta State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a 30-year-old man, Daniel Onyejekwe, for allegedly stabbing his neighbour, identified simply as Christian, to death during a dispute over rice.

The incident reportedly occurred on New Year’s Day in the Ogwanja area of Sapele, Delta State, following an argument that escalated into a fatal altercation.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Delta State Command, SP Bright Edafe, confirmed the development on Thursday, saying, “It is confirmed, and the suspect is in custody. The two were fighting and injured themselves badly. Unfortunately, one, Christian, died.”

Eyewitnesses told PUNCH Metro that the altercation started when rice was being shared along Boyo Road in Ogwanja. An argument ensued between Onyejekwe and the deceased, leading to a physical fight.

An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “Christian and Daniel started dragging the rice, and during the fight, Daniel picked a bottle and stabbed Christian multiple times. The vigilante rushed him to the hospital, but he was confirmed dead on arrival.”

The remains of the deceased have been deposited at a mortuary, while the police have launched an investigation into the incident.

SP Edafe assured residents that the suspect would be prosecuted after the investigation was concluded.

A middle-aged woman, who has been identified as Alice Emmanuel, collapsed and passed away in front of the Benue Links Park in Area 3, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, at approximately 9:25 a.m. on January 1, 2025.

According to reports, the woman had just alighted from a taxi in front of the park when she slumped.

The park manager immediately contacted the police who came to the scene and rushed the woman to the Karu General Hospital where she was confirmed dead by the doctors. No mark of violence was seen on her body.

When contacted, the spokesperson of the police command, SP Josephine Adeh, who confirmed the incident, said the family of the deceased woman has been contacted. She added that her body has since been deposited in the morgue of the hospital.

Nigeria's number one man, President Bola Tinubu has assured Nigerians of his administration’s readiness to take the country to the promised land.

Tinubu said his administration feels motivated by the ongoing support from the National Assembly over the past 19 months.

He disclosed this on Wednesday while addressing a gathering at his residence in the Ikoyi area of Lagos.

Among those present at the gathering were Vice President Kashim Shettima, the National Assembly leadership, and former National Assembly principal officers.

Speaking, Tinubu said: “Nigerians are the heart of everything we are doing. We have come to serve. You have made my day by coming on this visit. Happy New Year. May God bless you and our country and give our nation more prosperity. The transformative journey we have embarked upon is for all of us. It is for our tomorrow. It is for the future generation. Your commitment will yield that fruit for the babies yet unborn.

“Your commitment to value addition and bringing about the spirit of can do and must do is for all of us together. It is for us to build a nation. We have confidence and competence. The enslavers want us to be anything but enslaved people, but we say no. We are determined, we are capable, and we are resolute, and we will be there. We will take Nigeria to that promised land with you.”

World-famous Nigerian music superstar, Burna Boy has finally addressed the controversy surrounding his sudden exit from the stage at the 2025 Greater Lagos Countdown concert.

In a post via his Instagram story, the Afrofusion singer explained that he has PTSD and is triggered by being startled on stage, which is why he walked off on Tuesday night after an overzealous fan attempted to grab him.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a disorder characterised by failure to recover after experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event.

Burna further urged fans to respect his boundaries while expressing gratitude for their support.

“It was a free show. I was supposed to do 10mins and did almost an hour. Everybody knows my rule about getting on stage and startling me when I’m performing,” he wrote.

“I had an amazing time with Lagos State last night. Don’t jump on my stage like that! I got PTSD. I love you all. Happy new year.”

The concert, which was held at The event, held at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), was part of an annual celebration across five IBILE divisions of Lagos — including locations in Ikorodu, Badagry, Agege, and Epe.

It featured the performance of singers including Olamide, Wizkid, Tiwa Savage, Adekunle Gold, Seyi Vibez, 9ice, BNXN, and Adewale Ayuba, the fuji maestro.

In what will come across as a really tragic development in Effingham County, Georgia, USA, a Judge Stephen Yekel, 74, took his own life inside his courtroom.

His body was discovered on Tuesday morning, believed to have been shot dead late Monday night or early Tuesday.

This tragic incident occurred on what would have been his last day on the bench, following a recent loss in his re-election bid.

Yekel had attempted to resign from his position, which he held since his appointment in 2022, but Governor Brian Kemp prevented him from doing so.

The circumstances surrounding his resignation attempt are unclear, as the contents of a note sent to the Governor's office remain undisclosed.

According to Mail Online, citing local media, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is currently probing the incident.

The Effingham County Sheriff, Jimmy McDuffie, expressed his shock and sadness, stating that the courtroom has been closed until January 2. The county has offered condolences to Yekel's family and loved ones, describing his death as a tragic loss.

Father-of-four Yekel was a former assistant district attorney in Chatham County and practicing lawyer with more than 45 years of experience.

He previously held roles as a special agent with the state's Alcohol & Tobacco Tax Unit and was an investigator at the Cobb County District Attorney's Office.

Yekel's resignation letter to Governor Kemp cites his disappointment with low turnout for the election he lost. In the event a judge resigns, a new one would be appointed by the Governor rather than voted in.

Yekel wrote the position is, "too important to be decided by only 6% of eligible voters".

But Kemp rejected the resignation request, stating he wishes to maintain, "respect for the will of the people of Effingham County."

In May, Yekel's ex-wife Lisa Yekel shared a post on Facebook which outlined several issues reportedly plaguing his re-election campaign.

She dismissed rumors their divorce the year before was due to infidelity and denied that he had asked a police officer not to give him a citation following a car accident.

"His best friend who passed away recently had Steve's car in his shop for repairs and loaned him a vehicle to use, which is the reason he was not driving his car when he was involved in the accident," she wrote.

"He was on the way home after visiting our daughter who had just moved into her apartment in Pooler.

"The Steve Yekel I know never would have asked the police officer not to give him a citation. He has always taken responsibility for his actions."

She also hinted at financial problems the couple had faced over a failed daycare business.

"He did everything he could to avoid bankruptcy," she added. "Unfortunately, I had used his life savings to keep the daycare open.

"In my defense, I was too lenient on parents who couldn't pay their bills and they eventually left owing thousands of dollars, again that's my fault, not Steve's."

She concluded the post by stating her ex-husband was, "one of the most respectful, honest, and caring people I know" and urged people to re-elect him.

The couple share two children Sean and Ashleigh, who they raised alongside Yekel's sons Blake and Brett.

"Throughout my service, I've upheld the principles of dignity, respect, and impartiality, treating all individuals, whether represented by legal counsel or not, with fairness and equality," Yekel said in a post about his campaign.

Yekel ultimately lost his re-election bid to Judge Melissa M Calhoun.

The late judge was also facing a lawsuit from court employee Lisa Crawford who claims she was wrongfully terminated from her position by Yekel, WTOC reports.

Crawford was seeking $10,000 in damages amid claims Yekel fired her in order to bring in his own staff when he assumed office.

An email reportedly submitted as part of the lawsuit from Yekel to Crawford accused her of being part of a "conspiracy scheme" to help people charged with DUI reduce or dismiss their charges.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says President Bola Tinubu’s New Year message “offers no hope in sight” for Nigerians.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Debo Ologunagba, PDP spokesperson, described the president’s New Year speech as “self-satisfying”,

The opposition party’s spokesperson said Tinubu’s administration is “completely disconnected and unconcerned” with the economic hardship in the country.

“Nigerians were appalled that despite the prodding by the PDP and well-meaning citizens, President Tinubu’s New Year speech did not articulate any specific direction for the nation or proffer solutions to the myriad of problems caused by APC’s misrule,” the statement reads.

 

“President Tinubu’s speech again underlines APC’s insensitivity to the anguish of Nigerians by failing to present any definite policy roadmap towards reducing the price of petroleum products, addressing the widespread hunger in the land, and revamping our ailing productive sector.”

Ologunagba said Tinubu did not articulate any “solution-based direction” for the critical sectors such as electricity, oil and gas, road infrastructure, and food production, among others.

“It was also pathetically devoid of a precise plan to address unemployment through strategic investment to stimulate multisectoral small and medium scale enterprises in the country,” Ologunagba said.

“If indeed the APC administration has the interest of Nigerians at heart, the New Year address would have made definite pronouncements on the price of fuel, especially given that with deft, transparent, and innovative management of resources, economic potentials, comparative advantage, national refining capacity, and effective policing of our borders, Nigerians should not pay more than N350 per litre for petrol within the country.

“In any case, from the speech, it is clear that the Tinubu-led APC administration lacks the expected patriotic commitment as well as the required capacity, competence, and skills to effectively harness and manage the resources of the nation for the good of the citizens.

“Moreover, President Tinubu’s claim in the speech that Nigerians placed their confidence in him as their president is ludicrous and shows that he is disconnected from the reality of his abysmal perception among Nigerians.”

The PDP spokesperson added that Nigerians have lost faith in Tinubu’s administration and have since moved on, “eagerly waiting for the next round of elections that will mark the end of the nightmare which the APC represents to our nation”.

He asked Tinubu to listen to Nigerians and be more committed and focused on the purpose of governance, which is the welfare and security of the people.

Vice-President Kashim Shettima and 13 state governors paid a New Year homage to President Bola Tinubu in Lagos on Wednesday.

The president is in Lagos for the Christmas and New Year celebrations.

The governors who were in attendance were Abba Yusuf of Kano, Sherriff Oborevwori of Delta, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara, Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, and Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers.

Others are Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo, Usman Ododo of Kogi, Hope Uzodimma of Imo, Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa, Peter Mbah of Enugu, Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti, Monday Okpebholo of Edo, and Babagana Zulum of Borno.

Speaking during the visit, Shettima said the nation’s economy is showing positive signs of recovery, noting that the administration is working hard to stabilise it.

Shettima expressed confidence that Nigeria will experience significant economic growth in 2025.

“I am confident that 2025 will bring about substantial economic activities and improvements to the lives of citizens,” the vice-president said.

“I’m highly optimistic about tomorrow. I believe we have turned the corner.

“We shall have very robust economic activities in the new year. I believe Nigerians will prosper.

“The economy has started picking up, and in the coming weeks and months, Nigerians will start smiling for the better.

“We are working assiduously with the national assembly to come up with robust solutions to our national challenges.

“There is no nation that is immune to the economic headwinds across the world.

“The crisis in Ukraine and so many other global trends are affecting us adversely because we are part of the global community.

“But I want to assure Nigerians that the economy is turning the corner. by the grace of God, we have crossed the rubicon and we are on a path to sustained growth. We wish Nigerians well.”

Senate President Godswill Akpabio, his deputy Barau Jibrin and Opeyemi Bamidele, the senate leader, also visited the president.

SEE PHOTOS: