Rivers: Gov Fubara Declares Thursday, Friday Public Holidays

Published

2 years ago

October 3, 2024

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Rivers: Gov Fubara Declares Thursday, Friday Public Holidays—-Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has declared Thursday and Friday as public holidays to allow residents to travel to their respective communities ahead of the upcoming local government elections on Saturday.

In addition, a strict restriction on vehicular movement will be enforced from midnight on Friday, October 4, until 5pm on election day.

Governor Fubara made these announcements in a statewide broadcast from the Government House in Port Harcourt on Wednesday. The public holidays aim to give citizens ample time to prepare and participate in the local elections.

Following the expiration of the three-year tenure of the chairmen and councilors of the 23 local government councils on June 17, 2023, Governor Fubara had instituted caretaker committees to manage the councils temporarily.

The elections, organized by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), will now fill those positions through a lawful electoral process.

The governor said as a move to entrench sustainable democracy and good governance in the country’s local government system, “the Supreme Court by its judgement in SC/CV/343/2024: A-G Federation v A-G Abia State and 35 Ors delivered on 11th July 2024 effectively outlawed the administration of our local government councils with unelected officers and made several orders including the immediate stoppage of statutory allocations to Local Government Councils without democratically elected local government councils.”

He said following Mr President’s intervention, the period for compliance with the Supreme Court’s judgment was graciously extended by three months, which will expire on October 31, 2024.

He said, “On the strength of these positive developments, I directed the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to take definite steps to conduct local government elections for the 23 local government councils of Rivers State.

“Acting per this directive the RSIEC has since fixed and concluded all arrangements to conduct the local government council elections on Saturday, 5th October 2024.

“The legal impetus of RSIEC to conduct the local government elections was further strengthened by the judgment of the Rivers State High Court in Suit No: PHC/2696/CS/2024 delivered on the 4th of September 2024, which positively directed the Governor of Rivers State, the Government of Rivers State and the RSIEC to conduct the scheduled local government elections on the 5th of October, 2025 using the 2023 Independent National Electoral Commission’s Voters Register already in the custody of RSIEC.

“As of today, RVSIEC has expressed and demonstrated concrete and verifiable capacity and readiness to conduct the 2024 Rivers State Local Government Elections on the 5th of October 2024.

“As of today, 17 out of 18 registered political parties, including the All Progressives Congress, have expressly and actively demonstrated their willingness to participate by filling candidates with RSIEC for the election.

“….To this end, I hereby declare Thursday and Friday, the 3rd and 4th of October 2024 as public holidays for citizens to travel to their communities and participate in the election.

“Furthermore, I hereby place a total restriction on vehicular and human movements into, within, and out of the State, and the Local Government Areas, from midnight of Friday 4th October 2024 to 5.00 p.m. on Saturday 5th October 2024, except for persons and vehicles valid identifications who are on election and other essential duties.

“The police and other security agencies have clear directives from the State’s Security Council to arrest and prosecute any person or group who attempts to violate the restriction on human and vehicular movements on election day.

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Abia 2031: Competence Will Dictate My Successor, Says Governor Otti

Published

2 weeks ago

September 18, 2026

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Abia 2031: Competence Will Dictate My Successor, Says Governor Otti—-Gov. Alex Otti of Abia says he will neither be a godfather nor impose his successor on the state after serving his second tenure in 2031.

Otti spoke on Thursday in Umuahia, while receiving a former Social Democratic Party Gubernatorial Candidate, Mrs Ngozi Johnson-Chukwunenye, and her supporters into the Labour Party (LP).

He said that leadership succession should be based on identifying the most suitable person for the job, rather than perpetuating a “sit-tight” culture.

He said that the person who would succeed him would be better equipped to provide quality leadership to the people.

Otti said: “The most important thing you can give a people is good governance.

“And once people test good governance, it will be very difficult for them to allow you to take them back.

“So, if you are afraid that we will go back to Egypt, it will never happen and what I can assure you is that, by the time I’m done, the person who will succeed me will be better than me.

“I don’t want to be a godfather and I don’t tolerate godfathers.

“We will all sit down, look at everybody and say, who is the best person for this job and then all of us will agree and we will campaign for him.

“He will win and we will take a back seat.”

The governor also reiterated his earlier stance not to seek another elective position after completing his second tenure.

He said his administration’s focus was to provide good governance and create an environment, where younger people could emerge as capable leaders.

“We should stop this sit-tight. It’s only you. It can’t be only you.

“There are smarter, more trained, better-trained, better-equipped younger people; our children. We need to give them opportunity,” he said.

Otti said that his administration was already preparing younger people to take over leadership responsibilities through various initiatives, including the Abia Leadership Academy.

He said that over 1,080 young people, between the ages of 16 and 25, had recently graduated from the academy.

“You will see how smart our children are. So, these are the people that will take over from us.

“And they are being trained now for tomorrow; so we can never go back,” he said.

The governor also said the administration’s effort to improve governance and infrastructure would continue, in spite of criticism.

He argued that development could not be achieved in one day.

He said his administration had prioritised the restoration of Aba and Umuahia before extending its interventions to other parts of the state.

“We are now moving into the hinterlands, and we will continue until we reach everywhere; so nothing will stop us,” he said.

He thanked Johnson-Chukwunenye for joining the party and for remembering less privileged children, including pupils from the School for the Blind.

Otti said such gestures demonstrated concern for vulnerable members of society.

In a speech, the National Vice-Chairman of the party (Southeast), Mr Ishmael Onuoha, said the party’s motto aligned with the ideals expressed in the third stanza of the national anthem.

Onuoha described the party as one committed to the masses and hope for Nigerians.

In a remark, the LP Chairman in Abia, Mr Peter Azubuike, said the growing support for the party was a by-product of Otti’s good governance and performance.

Azubuike said the party was ready for the 2027 elections, urging members to prepare for polling-unit-based campaigns and ensure effective mobilisation at the grassroots.

In a speech, Johnson-Chukwunenye said that she had closely followed the Otti administration and was convinced by its efforts to clean, light up and restore dignity to Abia.

She said she decided to support Otti’s second-term bid because she believed his administration’s policies aligned with her vision of a government that remembers the poor and promotes equity.

She called for legislation on “continuity and completion” to ensure that successive administrations continued projects inherited from previous governments.

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BREAKING: After Historic Osun Victory, Adeleke Backs Tinubu for 2027 Re-Election

Published

2 months ago

August 16, 2026

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BREAKING: After Historic Osun Victory, Adeleke Backs Tinubu for 2027 Re-Election—-Fresh from securing a second term as Osun governor under the Accord Party, Ademola Adeleke has reaffirmed his support for President Bola Tinubu’s bid for another term in 2027.

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has reaffirmed his support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s bid for re-election in 2027, shortly after securing another four-year term as governor of the state.

Adeleke made the declaration in his victory speech following his successful re-election in the August 15 governorship election, where he contested under the Accord Party after leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The governor’s renewed endorsement of Tinubu adds another significant dimension to his remarkable political journey. Adeleke won his first term as governor in 2022 on the PDP platform but subsequently moved to Accord ahead of the 2026 election, successfully defending his seat as an incumbent under his new party.

Adeleke Praises Tinubu After Election Victory

In his post-election remarks, Adeleke expressed appreciation to President Tinubu, who had called to congratulate him on his victory.

https://thecloudngr.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Imran_Muhammad_-_President_Tinubu_is_son_of_Osun_state_and_I_hereby_reaffirm_my_earlie_67ts5d.mp4?_=1

The Osun governor praised the President for what he described as his role in ensuring that democracy continued to thrive, while acknowledging Tinubu’s congratulatory gesture following the election.

Adeleke’s comments represent a notable development given the political rivalry and tensions that characterized the build-up to the Osun election.

Before the poll, the governor had repeatedly called on the Federal Government and security agencies to ensure a free, fair and peaceful election. His campaign also exchanged accusations with the APC over the conduct of the electoral process and the role of federal authorities.

Renewed Support for Tinubu’s 2027 Ambition

Adeleke’s endorsement of Tinubu for 2027 is not entirely new.

The governor had previously declared his support for Tinubu’s re-election campaign before the Osun governorship election. In June, while formally launching his Accord Party re-election campaign, Adeleke described his support for the President as “unshaken and total.”

He again reaffirmed that position after winning the Osun election, emphasizing his continued backing for the President’s second-term ambition. Vanguard and Punch both reported the governor’s renewed endorsement following his victory.

Adeleke also described Tinubu as a son of Osun, further highlighting the personal and political connection he says exists between the President and the state.

Adeleke’s Historic Political Switch

The endorsement comes just days after Adeleke achieved a major political feat by retaining the Osun governorship despite switching parties.

The governor was elected in 2022 as a PDP candidate but later abandoned the party following a prolonged internal crisis. He subsequently joined Accord and secured the party’s ticket to contest the 2026 election.

His decision created considerable political uncertainty because he was defending his position as an incumbent governor without the PDP structure that had originally brought him to power.

Adeleke ultimately overcame the challenge, winning another term under Accord and strengthening his position as one of the country’s most prominent politicians outside the traditional major-party platforms.

Tinubu Congratulates Adeleke

President Tinubu has also congratulated Adeleke on his re-election, describing the result as a reflection of the will of the people.

The President said the outcome demonstrated that democracy continues to flourish in Nigeria and urged the governor to use his renewed mandate to serve the people of Osun State.

The development creates an interesting political dynamic ahead of 2027, with Adeleke now firmly positioned as an Accord governor who is publicly supporting the incumbent President’s re-election bid.

For Adeleke, the immediate priority will be delivering on the mandate he has just received from Osun voters. But his decision to publicly back Tinubu also signals that his political calculations extend beyond the state and into the increasingly important national contest ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

After securing a historic second term under Accord, Adeleke has now turned his attention toward the next political battle — throwing his weight behind Tinubu’s bid to remain President beyond 2027.

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