…says he’s two wins ahead of Rivers gov, more will come

FCT Minister will make 2027 hard for Tinubu in Niger Delta – PANDEF Youth Wing

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, yesterday, said he would not stop the Martins Amaewhule-led Rivers State House of Assembly from performing its constitutional obligations.

The former Rivers State governor, who accused Secretary to the Rivers State Government, SSG, Dr Tammy Danagogo, of inciting the ongoing political crisis in the state, told Governor Siminalayi Fubara that he was two wins ahead of him and said more wins would come his way.

This was just as the youth wing of the apex socio-political organisation in the South-South geo-political zone, Pan-Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, gave a 48-hour ultimatum to Wike to retract his disparaging remarks about the Ijaw nation.

However, the Minister clarified his statements about the Ijaw, arguing that he was quoted out of context.

Wike spoke at a Thanksgiving and Civic Reception organised by a political movement named after his initials, NEW Associates, in Abalama Town, Kalabari Kingdom, Rivers State.

Before the event, Kalabari women protested and barricaded the road leading into kingdom, just as they insisted that the Minister would not be permitted in over a comment that they were a minority in the state.

Sunday Vanguard gathered that while the women, adorned in black attires and white lace strapped round their heads, stormed the area as early as 7 am, the King of Abalama Kingdom, His Royal Highness, King Big Tom-Tom, also urged the Associates to cancel the ceremony.

Ijaw

Meanwhile, Wike mocked those who said he would be unable to make it to the event and thanked the community for receiving him.

His words: “I heard some people argued that I won’t be here today. Who are they and how many are they? What you have done today is to tell the world that all this noise over the radio is not the real thing. If you are of the Kalabari and Ijaw nations and you are receiving me today, God will continue to bless you. I will continue to support you. “What I said during my interview is being misinterpreted, but that is their business. I want to repeat what I said, which is that we are all working together. If we didn’t work together, it would have been difficult to produce the governor. That was what I said. At the time we were deciding who would be the governor; Chief Alabraba did not allow me to rest. He nearly fainted.

“When we met that day (prior to choosing a candidate), he, OCJ Okocha and Sergeant Awuse and this boy, Celestine Omehia, were the primary reason this governor said he was not going to run (vie for the governorship) that my Commissioner for Finance, Isaac Kamalu should. Celestine Omehia said it should be Isaac Kamalu because this governor cannot effectively carry out the functions of a governor.

“OCJ Okocha and Chief Awuse said live and let live, let us not do something that people would accuse us of one-sideness. What I mean is that it was not because of the strength or the power of Ijaw, it was because we worked together. Nobody should associate anything evil to Ijaw. Ijaw people are not evil people. However, you cannot keep threatening to blow pipeline over little things. No. Engage people intellectually and diplomatically and you will get what you want. In the world we are in today, we have passed the stage of threatening people.

Members of the House’s salary

“They told you (Fubara) to seize Assembly members’ salaries and allowances for more than one year. They had no income to feed their families and pay their children school fees, yet you were jubilating and people encouraged you to continue that nothing would happen. Now, something has happened. I am not going to stop the Assembly from performing their constitutional duties. The Assembly should be allowed to perform their duties. People who love peace don’t threaten people.

“I told you that the House of Assembly will not lose their seats. I told you that the shenanigans of local government would not stand. I don’t need to be a governor. I know that what is illegal is illegal. We fought it constitutionally by following due process. What did we do wrong?

“We said all these chairmen and Assembly members suffered for you to become governor. Therefore, don’t abandon them. But they said I was asking for money. Has the money come? Those you are sharing the money, how far? I want you to remember yesterday. A man (possibly referring to himself) is bad, a man is crook and a man is a criminal, but it was that same man that made you against all odds. If I hated the Ijaw, I wouldn’t have done that and nothing would have happened. I followed my principle of live and let us live.

“If you watch you will find out that all those around the governor are natural ingrates. Nobody who is not an ingrate will associate themselves with what is going on. I told the governor to eat what God has given to him peacefully because it won’t be good for him to face this crisis. But they told him, you are governor you have money. I agree. But, money is not everything. All these people have nothing to offer. Can you see where we are? How far?

Origin of the problem

“Who started this problem? Danagogo used his elder brother, who is a judge. They sat down under ex parte order saying 27 members had defected; ex parte not on notice. SSG lured his brother, a judge, to give an ex parte order that the government can present budget to three or four people. Danagogo is the Secretary. The judge who gave the order is Danagogo. Look at how people can destroy a state.

“That is the genesis of this entire crisis. How will a judge sit down under ex parte order saying that people had defected and you can present budget to three people? This is Danagogo who wanted to be governor. He was so pained that he was not given. He is the one leading you and he will lead you to hellfire. You surround yourself with people who wanted to be governor; who I stopped because they don’t mean well for Rivers State. They are the ones surrounding you giving you advice.

Two wins ahead

Why do you think you will succeed? They will give you bad advice and see what the bad advice is doing to you. This is 2:0 and more will come. I haven’t seen this kind of politics where you surround yourself with those who want your seat. Will it work? They come, they and abuse me and you are happy. You don’t know they are destroying you.

“You can abuse me as much as you want. I have never bothered myself because abuse doesn’t kill anybody. What is important is the result. Who now has high blood pressure? They are the ones. This was what I was avoiding. Mr President invited all of us for peace and after that day; we, the leaders sat and told the Assembly to go back and withdraw that impeachment notice since the president had intervened for peace.

Instead of them to do their own part, they instigated many court actions and used them as an excuse.

“When they won in the Court of Appeal, they held a thanksgiving. Today, we won and they said we should not do thanksgiving. Are they being fair? The judgement day has come. OCJ Okocha said Judgement Day would come and it has come. When the president intervened, people like Sarah Igbeh went to court challenging Mr President that he had no power in such matters. I was told Sarah Igbeh was in the Villa for the president to intervene; you that went to court against the President you are now going back to the President. You must be consistent. Politics comes with good and bad. When the good comes, you take it; when the bad comes, you face it. We cannot be pushed out after all our efforts and sweats. All of you suffered. All those who said they would not serve a master and his son are the ones waiting on the road opening doors for the son. People have no conscience at all. Those who wrote petitions to the Economic and Financial Crimes commission, EFCC, against this governor for him not to be governor are the ones saying they would decide. Decide for whom? Us? They are not yet born. I have defeated them before and I have continued to defeat them.”

2027

In a related development, the youth wing of PANDEF warned that Wike’s remarks about the Ijaw might have a negative effect on President Bola Tinubu’s political support in the Niger Delta.

Last Tuesday, the FCT Minister, during a media chat, said PANDEF was an unreliable organisation and described its Board of Trustee members as “political merchants.”

Addressing newsmen in Abuja, yesterday, the group’s President, Doben Donyegha, said it was embarrassing that Wike insulted the legacy of its founder, late Chief Edwin Clark, even before his burial. He said: “if he fails to apologise within 48 hours, we will take necessary actions. The Niger Delta and the entire South-South region stand united against his recklessness. It is painful to us that Wike would show such utter disrespect to our late leader, Chief Edwin Clark, even before he is buried.”

The group also recalled that as governor, Wike had a history of making disparaging remarks, citing an incident where he gathered respected traditional rulers and insulted them, telling one of them that he looked like Uthman Dan Fodio.

He said: “We have no confidence in Wike. We are calling on President Tinubu to withdraw him as a minister and subject him to the investigation of the Code of Conduct Bureau for breaching various infractions in office. Our leaders recently visited President Tinubu to promote peace in Rivers State, particularly to support Fubara, who is doing commendable work. Instead of supporting this effort, the FCT Minister insulted our respected elders, falsely claiming they were seeking financial gain.

This level of disrespect is unacceptable, and as Niger Delta youths, we will not tolerate it.”

As the price war in the downstream oil sector continues leading to recurring reductions in the price of Premium Motor Spirit commonly known as petrol, oil marketers have resorted to slashing the volume of their fuel purchase amid mounting losses from the price drop.

The price war, primarily between Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited, began in November 2024 when the Africa’s largest private refinery lowered the price of petrol from N990 to N970 per litre.

Dangote further reduced it to N899 per litre, citing the need to provide relief for Nigerians during the holiday season.

Days after Dangote’s move, NNPCL also slashed its ex-depot price of the product from N1,040 to N899 per litre, according to the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria.

On February 1, 2025, Dangote Refinery again reduced the petrol price to N890 per litre before further lowering it to N825 per litre on February 27, setting the stage for continued pricing competition with NNPCL.

In a statement signed by its Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer, Anthony Chiejina, the refinery said the price adjustment was a direct response to the positive outlook within the global energy and gas markets and the recent reduction in international crude oil prices.

However, on March 3, 2025, some NNPCL retail outlets reported that the oil firm had also adjusted its petrol pump price to N860 per litre, reflecting the intense price war among fuel merchants.

According to stakeholders in the downstream sector, the frequent price reductions, signaling the ongoing price war between Dangote Refinery and NNPCL, have been beneficial to Nigerians.

However, energy experts argue that the continuous decline in PMS prices has been causing significant losses for oil marketers and importers, who lose an average of N2.5bn daily and N75bn monthly.

Amid mounting losses, oil marketers under PETROAN have called for a regulation mandating that fuel prices be adjusted only every six months, but it remains uncertain whether the regulatory body will approve the demand.

Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, the National Vice President of IPMAN, Hammed Fashola, said that while the price war has benefited Nigerians, the unpredictability of fuel price reductions is forcing oil marketers to cut their purchases, leading to significant daily losses.

He said, “The ongoing price reduction is affecting oil marketers negatively because we are losing money. For instance, if I buy products at N900 per litre today and the price drops by evening, you can see the problem, especially if the product is meant to last a month. That is the challenge marketers are facing now.

“Not buying large volumes of PMS is the only way to play it safe because when you buy in bulk, the price may drop again, which is exactly what is happening now. For all marketers, that is the reality we are dealing with.

“We just need to be careful when making purchases. We must equip ourselves with adequate information by understanding global market trends before buying. And we will only purchase products we are confident can be sold within a week.”

When asked if marketers had begun reducing their purchase volumes, the IPMAN VP said, “Of course. Any reasonable person would do that to minimise losses. Our people have already started. It is just a precautionary measure. How long this will last depend on the situation. If the price stabilises, everyone will relax and return to normal business. But if it remains unstable, there will always be the fear that prices could drop at any time. So, everyone would rather be cautious. It is about avoiding excessive losses. However, this practice might not last long, as it is only a short-term measure.”

In yet another price change, the landing cost of PMS on Tuesday dropped to N774.82 per litre, making it cheaper than Dangote Refinery’s ex-depot price of N825 per litre.

The Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria revealed this in its latest Competency Centre daily energy data released during the week, noting that the estimated import parity into tanks had reduced by N152.56 or 16.5 percent from the N927.48 per litre recorded on February 21, 2025.

This drop follows a decline in Brent crude prices, which fell to $70 per barrel, while U.S. WTI crude dropped to $66.70 as of Wednesday, March 12, 2025, compared to around $76 and $69 per barrel, respectively, in February.

Marketers suggested that the continued drop in global oil prices could push the pump price of PMS to around N800 per litre. They added that the latest reduction in fuel import landing costs would further intensify the price war between Dangote Refinery, NNPC, and fuel importers.

However, speaking on Thursday, Fashola noted that prices could fall even further to as low as N500 per litre if crude oil drops to around $40 per barrel and the naira strengthens to below N1,000 per dollar.

He said, “On Tuesday, the landing cost of imported fuel was N774.82 per litre, cheaper than what Dangote was selling. But Dangote responded by lowering its price to N815 per litre. So, I believe this price war is beneficial for Nigeria. That is the beauty of deregulation. It fosters competition. As more players enter the market, we expect further price reductions.”

In its latest foreign trade report, the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics disclosed that the country’s petrol imports surged by 105 percent in 2024, reaching a staggering N15.42tn.

According to energy experts, the rise in fuel imports has raised concerns about the viability of local refineries and the impact of the ongoing price war between NNPC and Dangote Refinery.

But the IPMAN VP said aside from preventing monopolies, the increased fuel imports and lower-cost imported products are driving down the prices of locally refined petrol.

He said, “We should not be selfish. We must allow an open market where everyone can participate. We must also avoid monopolies because we do not want anyone taking undue advantage of Nigerians.

“If we shut the market to fuel imports, we know how a typical Nigerian business will behave. So, allowing importation serves as a check and balance. I see no reason why imported PMS should be cheaper than locally refined fuel.”

“In anything you do, there must be an alternative to prevent monopolies and ensure no one takes advantage of others. If importation is allowed and someone can bring in fuel at a lower price, what Nigeria needs is affordable, high-quality fuel. This will push local refiners to become more competitive and lower their prices because I see no reason why imported fuel should be cheaper than locally refined products,” the IPMAN VP stated.

Meanwhile, the Managing Director of Financial Derivatives Company, Bismarck Rewane, has stated that the ongoing price war among the fuel merchants will only persist if the global oil price continues to drop as witnessed in recent days.

In an interview with Sunday PUNCH, the renowned economist noted that if the global price of crude increases again, the price of the product would definitely go up in the country as the local producers cannot sell below their cost price.

He stated, “The price of crude determines the price of its refined products. So, the only reason the price war will continue is if the price of crude oil drops sharply. Then, we would see a further drop in the price of petrol. But if the price of crude increases again, which nobody can predict, we will see an increase in the price of petrol. It is not in the hands of the refiners but on the global oil market, which is outside our control.”

Explaining why there is an obvious competition between Dangote and NNPCL, he said, “What do you expect? There must be competition. The way I see them, there is competition. But only one man can win. Whether there is competition or not, you must survive to be able to compete. And the only way you can survive is if you are selling above your cost price. As competitors, pricing is one of the tools for competition. When it’s comfortable, they will bring down their price within the market share. But when it is not comfortable, they won’t bring down the price.”

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, may not enjoy strong grassroots appeal, but his organizational prowess and strategic influence within the opposition are positioning him as a key player in the plot to block President Bola Tinubu’s second-term bid in 2027.

El-Rufai, who played a pivotal role in rallying northern governors behind Tinubu during the 2022 APC presidential primary, is reportedly maintaining close contact with some of these governors as political realignments take shape ahead of the next general election.

In a significant twist, El-Rufai, who was instrumental in undermining Peter Obi during the 2023 elections—appears to be warming up to the former Labour Party candidate.

Naija News reports that the strongest indication of this shift emerged on Monday, when his son, Bashir El-Rufai, made a surprising post on ?, claiming that the APC misled him about Obi’s leadership qualities.

While El-Rufai has yet to make any public endorsement of Obi, political analysts see this as an early signal of potential collaboration between opposition forces.

SDP Unlikely To Be The Final Opposition Vehicle

Despite El-Rufai’s recent defection to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), signs are emerging that the party may not serve as the ultimate opposition platform for the 2027 presidential contest.

The SDP’s 2023 presidential candidate, Adewole Adebayo, made it clear in a recent television interview that he intends to run again in 2027, signaling internal divisions within the party.

“Let us understand something. I don’t worry about that; everybody who is coming in knows I will run in 2027,” Adebayo declared, dismissing suggestions that El-Rufai’s presence in the party would alter the SDP’s leadership structure.

Meanwhile, a top source within the opposition movement in a chat with Vanguard dismissed the notion that the SDP would be the final rallying point against Tinubu’s second-term bid.

“It is neither here nor there. We are not pushing the narrative of persons or parties, but rather a bonding to produce victory,” the source revealed.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has warned that there is growing discontent among Nigerian youths against the country’s prolonged maladministration.

He said that unless leaders adjusted, a revolution powered by hungry and angry youths was inevitable.

According to Obasanjo, though the country is blessed with talented and hardworking youths, the young population is disenchanted with the mismanagement of the nation’s commonwealth, large-scale corruption, and leadership ineptitude, among others.

The former President disclosed these in one of his new books, ‘Nigeria: Past and Future’ unveiled last week.

Obasanjo said leaders on the continent should not think that they could continue to govern with barefaced stealing and lies and remain insensitive to the people’s plight without repercussions and revolt.

He said, “Current trends on the continent portray a more assertive, younger population, intolerant of abuses of power and in search of the dividends of good governance, such that whether or not we accept it, an inevitable shake-up is in the offing.

“In what manner that happens is left for the current operatives of government to decide or fashion out. That is why my clarion call for a domesticated system of governance that reflects our temperament, context, content, culture, and exigencies is urgent.

“We are currently sitting on a ticking time bomb partly because of the system we practise, how corruptly we practise it, and how exclusively we practise it with impunity, callousness, brazen outrage and total disregard for any element of righteousness, integrity, accountability, sensitivity, compassion, inclusiveness and the fear of God.

“If the incumbent leaders do not shape up and satisfy the yearnings and demands of their people, especially the youths, who are disappointed, dissatisfied, bitter, hungry, angry, unemployed and unempowered, then the future is indeed very bleak, with no light at the end of the tunnel.

“These young people watch helplessly as their leaders tell them blatant lies unabashedly, while continuing their orgies of vulgar and ostentatious lifestyles rather than investing the money from the nation’s commonwealth in SMEs to create jobs and generate wealth.

“Should we have the misfortune of pushing these young people to the point of crossing the Rubicon, the country will pay a very high cost because a chain of events will be unleashed, the end of which no one can predict.

“We have no better time for change than now before change is forced upon us. It was JF Kennedy, former president of the United States of America, who, in 1962, said that those who make peaceful change impossible will make violent change inevitable. I am not calling for violent change, but it will become a reality if we continue on the present trajectory.

“Let us set aside lies, illusions, delusions, dishonesty and scapegoatism. Let us face reality and deal sincerely with ourselves, among ourselves, by ourselves and for ourselves.

“Sadly, for Africa, this grave and worrying concern is not just a Nigerian phenomenon but an entire African malady.

“It is now in its autumn of incubation, and if it does not receive serious attention, it will metamorphose into a destructive pandemic in its winter and spread across the continent.

“To ignore the warning and the writing on the wall is to continue to dance slow foxtrot while our trousers are burning. The day of reckoning may not be too far, but like the Biblical second coming of Jesus Christ, who can tell when that will happen?”

The former President equally lamented that as important as the traditional rulers could be as major stakeholders in building a developed nation, the institution had over the years been bastardised.

Obasanjo, while speaking about the traditional rulers in chapter 14 of his new book, said aside from the proliferation of all kinds of kings nowadays, the training and apprenticeship within their palace had long been jettisoned

He said, “Today, there are criminals, drug addicts, vagabonds, bandits and kidnappers as so-called traditional rulers.

“This is a great pity, and it has greatly contributed to the problems of Nigeria by traditional rulers. How do we account for a traditional ruler snatching a ballot box at an election polling station and running away with it?

“The class of traditional rulers with their distinction, honour and dignity, as we knew them in the colonial days and early post-independence days, has been diluted and polluted.

“That dignity, aura and respect should be brought back and traditional rulers should be an asset to Nigeria’s development and greatness and not a liability.

“There is a need for moral re-armament among the traditional rulers – the ancient and historic ones. And they can and should make meaningful contributions to the Nigeria of our dreams that will serve the purpose and interest of all”.

Speaking about the military in chapter 11 of the book, Obasanjo said while it took 30 months to end the civil war fought between 1967 and 1970, the military efforts to contain Boko Haram for about 20 years had been complicated by banditry, constant kidnapping, cattle rustling, herder-farmer crisis from within, and ISWAT, ISIS, Al-Qaeda from without.

Contributing significantly to this military failure, according to Obasanjo, is corruption occasioned by the government commissioning their kiths and kin to buy inferior equipment for the Army.

“With poor equipment for the military by the executive, the military would appear to be handicapped by the quality of equipment invariably procured for it by either the kith and kin of the executive or someone related or associated in other ways.

“It became an industry where the executive or those close to them were made the procurer of inferior, second-hand refurbished, obsolete equipment and armament and made money while jeopardising the limbs and lives of those facing Boko Haram, who, because of the treachery of buyers employed by the government, may be able to outgun the Army and by outgunning the military, they will also outmanoeuvre them.”

The former President also alleged that former President Muhammadu Buhari was selective in determining the criminal groups the military must fight, adding that this to a large extent exacerbated the nation’s insecurity challenge.

He said, “The Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces and all the paramilitary is the President.

“Under President Buhari, serious and seemingly undeniable allegations were made that the military were not even-handed in dealing with criminals and criminal groups in the country.

“There were favourite criminals and criminal groups of the President Buhari administration who must be treated with velvet knuckles and those who must be treated with hammer knuckles.

“When a person of the calibre of General T. Y. Danjuma, a man who is not known for flippancy, made such an accusation, it must be taken seriously. It would then appear that the order given to the military to engage the criminal elements to ensure peace, order, security, stability, development and progress was selective in location and quantum of force, including utilisation of armament

“That would be the greatest undermining of peace and security from the highest level and that would make all other exercises fruitless and abortive. What a great and monumental tragedy!”

Obasanjo called for adequate and special training of the military to combat fleeting targets living among the people, special training for intelligence acquisition and special equipment to deal with targets when fully and correctly identified.

He urged them to remain committed to defending the country’s territorial integrity and the world’s peace but must stoutly resist the temptation, the lure and the call into coup-making and an unconstitutional government.

Efforts to get Buhari’s spokesperson, Garba Shehu, proved abortive, as he did not take his calls or respond to messages sent to his two telephone lines on Saturday.

Similarly, a spokesperson for President Tinubu declined to comment on the matter.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, days after stirring controversy by describing the Ijaw ethnic nationality as the “minority of the minorities”, stormed Abalama in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State for a grand civic reception in his honour.

A massive crowd of Kalabari Ijaw indigenes trooped out to celebrate the former Rivers State governor during the event, which also doubled as a thanksgiving service.

Wike, who was welcomed amid cheers from supporters, said he attended the event despite threats from some individuals who tried to stop him, insisting that his presence proved that his critics were only engaging in “radio noise.”

During his address, Wike declared that he will not interfere with the activities of the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Martins Amaewhule.

His statement suggests that even if the lawmakers decide to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara, he will not stand in their way.

Naija News reports that Wike also accused the Secretary to the Rivers State Government (SSG), Tammy Danagogo, of orchestrating the political crisis rocking the state.

According to him, Danagogo’s actions were a major trigger for the ongoing feud between Governor Fubara and the Amaewhule-led House of Assembly.

While he did not go into details, Wike suggested that the SSG played a key role in escalating the tension that has now engulfed the state’s political scene.

The former governor was loudly cheered by supporters during the event, where he mocked his opponents, saying their opposition was limited to radio propaganda.

He said, “I heard some people say I won’t come here. Who are they and how many are they? What you have done today is to tell the world all these noise in the radio is not the real thing. If you are of the Kalabari and of the Ijaw nation and you are receiving me today, God will continue to bless you. I will continue to stand by you and to support you.”

He explained that some persons had misunderstood and misinterpreted his recent interview on Ijaw but clarified that he only meant that an Ijaw man becoming a governor in Rivers was made possible and agreement to work together.

The former governor said on the final day of deciding who would be his successor, Fubara said he was not interested and urged them to give the position to his then Commissioner for Finance, Isaac Kamalu.

He recalled the process that led to Sir Siminalayi Fubara becoming the governor adding that Chief Alabraba, Chief Seargent Awuse and OCJ Okocha mounted pressure on him to allow Fubara in the principle of live and let live.

Wike stated, “What I said on my interview people will want to misinterpret it. However they want to misinterpret it is their business. I want to repeat what I said. I said we are all working together if we don’t work together it would have been difficult to produce the governor. That was what I said. Chief Alabraba did not allow me to rest; he nearly fainted when we were deciding who would be governor.

“Himself, OCJ Okocha and Sergeant Awuse and this boy Celestine Omehia when we met, that day was the primary, this governor today said he was not going to run that my Commissioner for Finance, Isaac Kamalu, should be the one to run. Celestine Omehia said it should be Isaac Kamalu that this governor cannot carry out effectively, the functions of the governor.

“OCJ Okocha and Chief Awuse said live and let live. Let us not do something that people will begin to say why must it be only one-sided. What I mean was that it was not because of the strength or the power of Ijaw. It was because we worked together.

“Nobody should associate anything evil to the Ijaw. Ijaw people are not evil people. You cannot be saying I will blow the pipeline. No. Engage people intellectually and diplomatically and you get what you want. In the world we are in today we have passed the stage of threatening people.”

Wike said those around the governor encouraged him to seize the salaries and allowances of the House of Assembly members for over a year, telling the governor that nothing would happen.

The minister further said, “They told you to seize Assembly members’ salaries and allowances for more than one year. They have no income to feed their families and pay their children’s school fees. And you were jubilating and people were encouraging you and telling you that nothing would happen.

“Now something has happened. I am not going to stop the assembly from performing their constitutional duties. The Assembly should be allowed to perform their duties. People who love peace don’t threaten people.

“I told you that the House of Assembly will not lose their seats. I told you that the shenanigans of local government would not stand. I don’t need to be a governor. I know what is illegal is illegal. We fight it constitutionally and by following due process. What did we do wrong?

“We said all these chairmen and the assembly members suffered, National Assembly members suffered for you to become governor. Therefore, don’t abandon them. But they said I was asking for money. Has the money come? Those who are sharing the money, how far?

“Remember yesterday. A man is bad, a man is crook and a man is a criminal. But it was that same man that made you against all odds. If I hate Ijaw, I wouldn’t have done that and nothing would have happened. I followed my principle of live and let live.

“If you watch all those around the governor are people who are natural ingrates. Nobody who is not an ingrate will associate himself with what is going on. I told the governor to eat what God had given to him peacefully, that it is not good for him to face this crisis. But they told him, you are governor, you have money. I agree but money is not everything. All these people have nothing to offer. See where we are. Now how far?”

Wike highlighted all the projects he initiated and handed over to Fubara to make him popular, including the Port Harcourt Ring Road, adding that whatever the governor’s team was parading were his initiatives.

Going down the memory lane of the crisis, the minister said: “Who started this problem? Danagogo SSG used his elder brother, who is a judge. They sat down under an ex parte order saying 27 members have defected; ex parte not on notice.

“SSG lured his brother judge to give an ex parte order that the government can present the budget to three or four people. Secretary is Danagogo, the judge who gave the order is Danagogo. Look at how people can destroy a state.

“That is the genesis of all this crisis; how a judge will sit down under ex parte order saying that people had defected and you can present the budget to three people. This is Danagogo who wanted to be governor. He was so pained that he was not given.

“He is the one leading you and he will lead you to hellfire. You surround yourself with people who wanted to be governor; who I stopped because they don’t mean well for Rivers State. They are the ones surrounding you giving you advice. Why do you think you will succeed?

“They will give you bad advice and see what the bad advice is doing to you. This is 2:0 and more will come. I haven’t seen this kind of politics where you surround yourself with those who want your seat. Will it work? They come they and abuse me and you are happy. You don’t know they are destroying you.”

He remembered that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu invited them for peace but that while he and other leaders got the assembly members to withdraw the impeachment notice they issued to the governor, those around Fubara stopped him from implementing the decision.

Speaking on President Tinubu’s move to bring peace to the state, he said, “You can abuse me as. much as you want. I have never bothered myself because abuse doesn’t kill anybody. What is important is the result. Who now has High blood pressure? They are the ones. This was what I was avoiding.

“Mr. President invited all of us for peace, and after that day we, the leaders, sat and told the assembly go back and withdraw the impeachment notice since the president has intervened for peace. Instead of them doing their own part, they instigated many court actions and used them as an excuse.

*When they won in Court of Appeal, they held a thanksgiving. Today we won and they said we should not do Thanksgiving. Are they being fair. The judgement day has come. OCJ Okocha said judgement day would come and judgement day has come.

“When the president intervened, people like Sarah Igbeh went to court challenging Mr. President that he has no power. I was told Sarah Igbeh was in the villa for the president to intervene; you that went to court against the President you are now going back to the President. You must be consistent.”

Wike insisted that his team that worked for Fubara to become the governor would not be pushed aside adding that there must be an end to use-and-dump politics.

He said all those, who tried to stop Fubara from becoming the governor were the ones collecting his money and saying they would decide for Rivers.

The minister added, “Politics comes with good and bad. When the good comes you take it when the bad comes you face it. We cannot be pushed out after all our efforts and sweats. All of you suffered.

“All those, who said they would not serve a master and his son, are the ones waiting on the road opening doors for the son. People have no conscience at all. Those who wrote petitions to EFCC against this governor for him not to be governor are the ones saying they would decide. Decide for who for us? They are not yet born. I have defeated them before and I have continued to defeat them.”

Wike vowed to support the reelection of President Tinubu and wondered what would have become of his team of the President had he not been given the ministerial position.

He said, “I am supporting President Ahmed Tinubu. I don’t say one thing in the afternoon and say another in the night. Anybody who remembers you in the rainy season you also remember him. Assuming Mr. President did not give us this position we occupy we were hoping that we had a governor who would take care of us.

“What would have happened to us? Will someone come and preach to us to tell us to support another person? Politics is interest. People must not use people and dump them. The politics of use and dump must stop.”

The Chairman of the occasion, Ferdinand Alabraba, heaped praise on Wike for his political sagacity and his love for the Ijaw people.

Alabraba said Wike had resolved the political crisis in Rivers by following the dispute up to the Supreme Court praying that peace would return to the state through the process.

He told the Minister that the people of Kalabari Kingdom would continue to stand by him and support him.

Alabraba stated, “May this achievement serve as a foundation for massive peace and may you continue to lead with wisdom. and integrity. We extend our deepest gratitude for your unwavering leadership. The Kalabari people will be with you at every time.

“We will continue to support you at all times and uphold collaboration as a veritable force that will drive the interest of all sections of our state. We assure you that your footprints in Kalabari land will remain indelible for many generations.”

Jamiu Abiola, the son of the late winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, Chief Moshood Abiola, has stated that probing former military Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida, over the death of his father is unnecessary.

In an interview with Sunday PUNCH, Jamiu explained that the time for such investigations had passed away, stating that many key figures involved in the June 12 tragedy are no longer alive.

“There is no need for prosecution or probe. So many years have passed and most of the good and bad actors in the June 12 tragedy have passed away,” Jamiu said.

He added that the ideal time for a probe would have been during the second term of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, when Nigeria’s democracy was more stable and many individuals involved were still alive and could provide accurate accounts of events.

Jamiu further stated that for those interested in knowing more, his book, ‘The President Who Never Ruled,’ offers insights into the annulment and the surrounding events.

“It (the book) will let you know exactly what happened during the annulment and why it happened,” he said.

However, he cautioned readers to approach it with the goal of understanding the truth, not seeking revenge.

Jamiu said the best way to compensate the Abiola family would be for Nigerians to embrace the values of unity and national cohesion that were exemplified on June 12, 1993.

“The best way to compensate our family is for the Abiola family to see all Nigerians adopting the attitude they adopted on the day of June 12, 1993, which in a nutshell is to reject tribalism and religious differences when electing leaders and to see themselves as members of the same family regardless of their states of origin,” he explained.

He further noted that Nigerians should focus on transforming the country from a divided nation to a unified one.

“By so doing they will be heeding the call of President Bola Tinubu to shun ethnicity and transforming Nigeria from a country to a nation.

“I will not ask for more than that because to do so would bring down the high standing of Moshood and Kudirat Abiola following their unique sacrifice. They gave up their lives and will be rewarded with more than 500 million years in a place better than any castle in this world,” he added.

While acknowledging that any worldly honours bestowed upon his late parents would be appreciated, Jamiu firmly believes that such recognition pales in comparison to the eternal reward his parents are enjoying.

“Any worldly honour given to them is definitely welcome, but believe it or not, it will be only a drop in the ocean compared to what they are enjoying right now and will continue enjoying while every single one of those who cheated and killed them burn in hell forever and ever by the special grace of God,” he stated.

The family of the popular Nigerian Afrobeat singer, Ahmed Ololade, also known as Asake, has pleaded with him to take responsibility for his ailing father, Fatai Odunsi, and alleged daughter, Zeenat.

Naija News reports that in a viral video, Odunsi said he was suffering from a stroke and appealed to Nigerians for financial assistance.

Odunsi claimed that Asake had abandoned him, stating that the last time they saw each other was in March 2022, when his illness began.

In a video via his social media page on Friday, Asake said one cannot please the world while addressing the situation through a Yoruba song.

The singer claimed his father was attempting to manipulate him despite his past generosity.

In a video which made rounds online on Saturday, March 15, 2025, the family, speaking through a female representative, urged Asake to buy a house worth ₦40 or ₦50 million for his ailing father.

The family also claimed Asake abandoned his alleged 11-year-old daughter, Zeenat, adding that her mother has agreed to a DNA test.

The family said, “I’m begging you, Asake; you’ll grow old one day, so please take care of your father. Asake needs to come and do what is required. Even if Nigerians contributed N10 billion to Mr Odunsi, Asake’s N1 million would make him happier than he is today. The Quran says we will reap whatever we sow in this life. Ololade, Mr Money, we want you to continue growing, and God will keep blessing you. May God also help you to support your father.

“I won’t go into your mother’s issue, but you must do the right thing and care for your father. In Isale Eko, you can find a house worth N40 million or N50 million. You could buy one for your father so he can live off the rent if you don’t want to provide for him directly.

“If you don’t want to take care of him, at least buy a house worth N50 million in his name, and he will survive on the rent. He’s not asking for much.

“Also, if you are in doubt about Zeenat, the mother has agreed to a DNA test.”

Mallam Nasir El-Rufai may have emerged as the Disrupter-in-Chief in the plot to stop a second term for President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

 
Just two days after defecting from the All Progressives Congress, APC, to the Social Democratic Party, SDP, the former Kaduna State governor was already, according to analysts, fully acting his new role.

Last Wednesday, supporters of El-Rufai stormed the Abuja National Headquarters of the SDP with placards, calling for the exit of Dr Olu Agunloye as National Secretary.

The protesters, who carried placards, accused Agunloye of fraud. Agunloye is being tried in court over an alleged $6b fraud relating to the Mambilla power project.

The shocking sight of the new party members turned protesters forced Agunloye to petition the Inspector General of Police for police protection.

However, Sunday Vanguard reports that the demand for Agunloye’s exit appears to be mainly championed by some allies of El-Rufai who fear that the SDP’s National Secretary’s past links to Tinubu and, if not, ethnic identity would hinder the political goal of stopping the president from a second term.

“The El-Rufai people feel that it would be illogical to have somebody from the South-West hold that critical position of National Secretary when you are fighting against the second term quest of somebody from the South-West,” a source privy to the development said.

Plan B

The fight within the SDP following the entry of El-Rufai only reflects the fears of many over the prospects of the opposition against Tinubu who mounted the presidency in 2023 despite the challenges he got from within the Muhammadu Buhari presidency and the majority of the party’s governors.

Besides the suspicions around Agunloye, political actors are also raising suspicions that Tinubu may have gone ahead of El-Rufai into the SDP.

 
That claim, according to some political watchers in Abuja, flows from the fact that the SDP has been mentioned as the famous Plan B that Tinubu hoped to fall back to had he not won the APC presidential ticket in 2022.

Sunday Vanguard reports that in the approach to the APC presidential convention in 2022 that there were unverified reports that Tinubu was considering using the SDP platform to actualise his ambition following the perceived threats he was getting at that time from agents of the Buhari regime.

However, whatever his actions in the SDP, stakeholders believe that the party may not be the last bus-stop for El-Rufai and his collaborators in the plot to stop Tinubu’s second term.

2022 incitement
The falling out with Tinubu despite his yeo-man role in rallying northern governors to back Tinubu at the last minute is generally perceived as a payback by Tinubu’s associates following his previous engagements incitements prior to 2022.

The former governor had, in 2019, boasted of how he defeated godfathers in Kaduna and urged Tinubu’s foes in Lagos to do the same.

 
Turning point

However, the turning point in their relationship was just before the 2022 presidential primary when El-Rufai pulled away from the plots against Tinubu to back the former Lagos State governor as the APC candidate.

That decision, according to many, was based on real politics.

He knew that Tinubu was about the only one with the financial muscle in the South to wrest the presidency and he quickly jumped on board.

Tinubu appreciated El-Rufai’s gesture and publicly begged him to play a role in his government.

The former governor was said to have jettisoned his plans to proceed abroad for further studies to head the new government’s energy team.

 
However, the plan unfolded when the Senate refused to clear him based on a “security issue”.

A Senate source told Sunday Vanguard that contrary to claims that there was a security report against El-Rufai, nothing of such was produced.

A senator, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Sunday Vanguard: “What we were told by Senate President Akpabio was that there was a security issue with El-Rufai from the Department of State Service, DSS, but he did not circulate the report”.

That was, however, an unconventional route as many recall that in the past that DSS reports on nominees were circulated among senators. The case of Mr Ibrahim Magu, a nominee for the office of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, who was repeatedly refused clearance by the Senate in part based on contradictory security reports from the DSS, was cited.

The allegation that Tinubu didn’t want El-Rufai in his government, despite the nomination, is something that has rubbed off negatively on the former governor.

 
He is also concerned by the insinuation of a security question around him and it was gathered that El-Rufai may go to court to force Akpabio to produce the security report.

A source in the opposition privy to the ongoing developments confirmed that El-Rufai is not contesting any elective position in 2027, but is focused on mobilising against the Tinubu second term agenda.

“What he is interested in is sending Tinubu and his people back to Lagos,” one prominent associate of former VP Atiku Abubakar who contested the 2023 presidential election but lost to Tinubu, and now relating with El-Rufai told Sunday Vanguard.

Advantage

While the former governor is not very popular with the grassroots, his capacity for organisation is one that gives him advantage in the camp of the opposition.

Besides, El-Rufai, who played a key role in persuading northern governors to support Tinubu during the 2022 presidential primary of the APC, is said to be in regular touch with some of the northern governors.

 
Remarkably, El-Rufai, who helped to damage Mr Peter Obi in 2022/3 in realisation that the leader of the Obedient Family and the candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election would be on the 2027 ticket one way or the other, has already started inclining towards him.

In the clearest indication to that, his son, Bashir, issued a tweet on Monday on how his former party, APC, deceived him about the good qualities of Peter Obi.

Whatever, suggestion that the SDP would be the final bus-stop for the opposition coalition appears unlikely.
The 2023 presidential candidate of the party, Adewole Adebayo, in an interview on a television station on Friday, reiterated his intention to again contest, indicative of a split among the opposition coalition.

While emphasising his determination to contest the 2027 presidential election irrespective of those joining the party, he said: ”Let us understand something. I don’t worry about that; everybody who is coming in knows I will run in 2027.”

A source in the opposition camp was, however, dismissive of the suggestion of the SDP being the vehicle to be used against Tinubu’s second term in 2027.

 
“It is neither here nor there. We are not pushing the narrative of persons or parties, but rather a bonding to produce victory,” the source revealed.

Niger Republic has turned to Nigeria for help after being hit by fuel shortage.

The West African country reached out to Nigeria despite months of diplomatic tensions and hostile rhetoric.

Sunday PUNCH learnt that a delegation of senior officials of the military junta travelled down to Abuja to meet Federal Government representatives.

At the end of the deliberation, 300 trucks of Premium Motor Spirit were reportedly approved for delivery to the country.

A senior government official aware of the development said Nigeria approved the deal with the hope of using it as a “strategic bargaining tool” in ongoing negotiations with Niger.

According to the official, the delegation explained that Niger had been reliant on fuel from a Chinese refinery.

However, due to issues with the supplier, the refinery was shut down, leaving the country with limited options.

Our correspondents gathered that Niger turned to Nigeria after the fuel shortage problem became critical. However, the details of the arrangement are said to be secret.

“We do not want to blow our trumpet. Rather, we want to use it as a bargaining chip for negotiation, as we continue to engage with them to bring them back to ECOWAS.

“Let them get more from us. I am confident that gradually they will come back to ECOWAS because they do not have enough resources to import food to sustain their citizens,” the source added.

Officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited said the deal could have been done by the Presidency, as the national oil firm now operates as a limited liability company.

Similarly, a source at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery declined comments due to diplomatic concerns.

The Presidency also declined comments on the matter.

Niger fuel crisis

Sunday PUNCH gathered that the fuel crisis in Niger reached alarming proportions last week after a litre of petrol sold for N8,000 in some parts of the country.

Findings by our correspondents in Sokoto State, which shares a border with Niger, showed that the price of petrol varied depending on the distance from Nigeria.

A transborder businessman from Nigeria, Mallam Abubakar Usman, said, “There is serious scarcity of fuel in the country. It depends on where one is getting the fuel.

“In Konni, the border town between Nigeria and Niger, you can get a litre at 1,200 CFA, which is about N2,500. If you go to Agadez, the same litre of fuel is 3,000 CFA, equivalent to N7,500 per litre. In Arilit, a local government under Agadez, which is the border town between Niger and Algeria, it is 3,500 CFA, which is about N8,750 when converted to our currency.”

Usman attributed the scarcity to the deteriorating relationship between Nigeria and Niger.

An official of the Nigerian Immigration Service, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that some trucks carrying petrol were sighted passing through the border.

Niger-China oil firm clash

The fuel crisis in Niger may have been self-inflicted after a confrontation between the ruling junta and Chinese oil companies which had long dominated the country’s petroleum sector.

A security analyst, Zagazola Makama, in an article he published on X, revealed that trouble began in March 2024 when the China National Petroleum Corporation granted the Nigerien government a $400m advance, using future crude oil deliveries as collateral.

The deal was to help Niger cope with crippling economic sanctions imposed by ECOWAS following the July 2023 coup in the country.

However, when it was time to repay the debt, the junta was cash strapped.

Instead of negotiating, the military rulers were said to have decided to strong-arm China, slapping an $80bn tax demand on Soraz (Zinder Refinery Company) despite the state-owned Sonidep already owing Soraz a staggering $250bn.

According to Makama, when China refused to provide additional loans, the junta retaliated by expelling Chinese oil executives from the country and seizing Soraz’s bank accounts.

The decision was said to have backfired and led to the collapse of Niger’s petroleum sector, which is heavily reliant on Chinese expertise and investment.

The Soraz refinery, the lifeline of Niger’s fuel supply, ground to a halt, and fuel shortages spread like wildfire.

But the Commercial Director of the state-owned Nigerien Company for Oil Products (Sonidep), Maazou Aboubacar, told AFP that the Soraz refinery in Zinder could no longer satisfy domestic demand.

According to him, the reason is principally down to the drying up of the flourishing black market supplied from Nigeria.

The country’s refinery only provides Sonidep with 25 tanker trucks of petrol a day, when the daily national requirement is up to twice that.

Domestic consumption was said to have been boosted by a cut in fuel prices introduced by the military regime that seized power in Niger in 2023.

Nigeria the good neighbour

Niger Republic’s Head of State, Brig. Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, had accused Nigeria of colluding with France to destabilise his country through the terror group, Lakurawa.

Speaking in Hausa in December 2024, Tchiani claimed that there were plans to establish a terrorist training camp in Gaba Forest, near Sokoto, as part of a supposed agreement between France and the Islamic State West Africa Province.

He further alleged that Nigerian authorities were aware of these developments.

The Federal Government denied the allegations.

In February 2025, Niger reportedly stopped some Nigerians from entering into its cities because they carried ECOWAS passports.

Makama, the counter- insurgency expert, said despite the false accusations and diplomatic snubs, Nigeria stepped in to help Niger with fuel which had been crossing into the country to ease the crisis.

While sharing videos of some of the fuel trucks going into Niger, he said the junta remained too proud to admit its dependency.

“While fuel shipments from Nigeria have already started alleviating the crisis, Niger’s state media has deliberately avoided reporting where the fuel is coming from. Instead, the government has attempted to portray the fuel availability as a result of its own internal measures, a claim that many Nigeriens are beginning to question,” he said.

Nigeria supplied 13.5 million litres of petrol

Reacting, oil marketers said although they were not aware of the deal, the export of 300 tankers to Niger Republic would amount to about 13.5 million litres of petrol.

It was calculated that 300 of 45,000-litre capacity trucks is about 13.5 million litres of petrol to be exported to Niger Republic.

The dealers, however, stated that Nigeria had enough to save the junta-led country from the current fuel crisis rocking it.

According to marketers, Nigeria may have passed the days of fuel scarcity as it now has the Dangote refinery, the Port Harcourt refinery, and others producing fuel locally even as importers bring more from other countries.

The National Vice President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Hammed Fashola, said he was aware of the fuel crisis in Niger Republic, adding that Nigeria had enough to bail out the country.

“I will not say we don’t have that capacity with the refineries we have in the country. I think we have enough to supply Niger Republic,” the IPMAN Vice President said.

Similarly, the National President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria, Billy Gillis-Harry, agreed that the country had enough PMS to help its neighbours without running into any crisis.

“If we have a diplomatic reason for that, it is doable,” Gillis-Harry asserted.

All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Joe Igbokwe, has pleaded with the former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai and his son to desist from making inflammatory statements.

Speaking via his Facebook page, Igbokwe commended the former governor for the efforts made towards placing the APC in power in the 2023 elections. He, however, condemned El-Rufai’s vituperations, insisting that they were too low for a politician of his calibre.

According to Igbokwe: “I want my good friend , HE El Rufai to stop all these not-too-good statements I see everyday. He is bigger than this. His sons should also maintain a grave silence at least for now.

“I am not unmindful of the risky efforts Malam made for APC to triumph in 2023. He drilled the deepest well for APC. However, this street dance is totally negative and consequently too low. I CALL HIM THE STORMY PETRELDazzol.”

Igbokwe’s reaction follows the former Kaduna Governor’s defection from the APC to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

El-Rufai defected after criticizing the APC’s failure to ensure internal democracy within the party.

Naija News reports that in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation, El-Rufai also accused the APC government of deviating from its founding principles.

The former governor further alleged that positions in the present administration, led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, are now distributed based on favoritism rather than merit.