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Rivers PDP Moves to Probe Anti-Party Activities During 2023 Elections
The Acting Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State Thursday vowed to thoroughly investigate alleged cases of anti-party activities involving its members in the state.
The committee announced plans to establish a disciplinary panel in the coming days, emphasising that it will not hesitate to recommend sanctions, including suspensions or expulsion from the party, regardless of an individual’s status or influence.
The focus will include actions taken by members during the 2023 general elections.
This position was revealed during a press briefing attended by acting executives from both state and local government levels.
Acting State Chairman, Robinson Nname-Ewor, said, “Under our leadership, we shall immediately commence steps toward healing and rebuilding our once-great Party, which was battered, with hope lost across the State, 23 Local Government Areas, and 319 electoral wards. We shall make the PDP Rivers State Chapter great again.
He said, “To achieve this, we shall consult all critical stakeholders of the Party, unite members, and work with them to restore the already lost hope. We shall embark on a sensitization tour across the 23 LGAs and initiate a membership drive to boost the Party’s population for future elections.
“In the coming days, we shall also set up a “Disciplinary Committee” to address issues of anti-party activities, particularly during the 2023 General Elections and beyond, and any other activities by members that could bring the Party into disrepute.
“Those found wanting shall be appropriately disciplined, including but not limited to suspension, dismissal, and sanctions recognized by the Party. ”
The Acting Executive outlined specific conditions for the continued existence of the PDP in Rivers State.
One of the key conditions is that the PDP’s National Leadership must fully reinstate the party’s leadership in the state under Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Additionally, the Acting Executive, led by Robinson Nname-Ewor, must be recognised as the legitimate leadership of the party following the sack of the Aaron Chukwuemeka-led executive by a State High Court.
“Recall that a Rivers State High Court, on January 13, 2025, sacked the Chukwuemeka Aaron-led purported State Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Rivers State Chapter, alongside the Ward and Local Government Executive Committees of the Party”
“The Congresses that produced Aaron Chukwuemeka were in contravention of a High Court order directing that no Congresses be held in the state until the substantive issues are resolved”
“Following this, the original State Executive Committee of the Party, whose tenure ended in June/July 2024, has, in a well-publicized press conference held on January 15, 2025, assumed leadership of the Party in an acting capacity”
“The State Executive Committee is now being led by me, High Chief Nname Robinson Ewor, as Acting Chairman, and Field Nkor as Acting Secretary, alongside other members.
“We are pleased to inform you that a copy of the judgment has been duly transmitted to the Party’s National Secretariat, and our assumption of office as Acting State and Local Government Executives has been communicated while we await further developments.”
The Acting Executive had initially planned to take over the PDP State Secretariat at 23 Aba Road on Thursday.
However, during a media briefing, the Acting Chairman announced that the plan had been suspended to prevent any potential crisis in the state.
He said, “In a very recent development, security agencies, aware of our position to reclaim the Party Secretariat, have advised that we halt the process to maintain peace. They are currently at the Party Secretariat to prevent a possible breakdown of law and order.
“Gentlemen of the press, it is on this note, and in line with the peaceful disposition of the Leader of the Party in the State, His Excellency, Sir Dr. Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, to issues of this nature, which has earned him several accolades, that we have resolved to allow good reasoning to prevail and call off the planned takeover of the PDP State Secretariat today.
“We also appeal to our teeming supporters and party faithful to remain calm as we take necessary steps to assume control of our Party Secretariat.”
Source: Channels TV
The Federal High Court In Abuja on Tuesday ordered the remand of the Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing and determination of their bail application.
The trial judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, also ordered the remand of his co-dedendants, his son, Abubakar Malami, and one of his wives Bashir Asabe.
Justice Nwite made the order after taking arguments from the defence team led by Joseph Daudu (SAN) and the prosecution counsel Ekele Iheneacho (SAN).
Malami and his co-defendants are facing a 16-count money laundering charge preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The EFCC alleges that the defendants conspired at various times to conceal, retain and disguise the proceeds of unlawful activities running into several billions of naira.
According to the charge, the alleged offences span several years and include the use of companies and bank accounts to launder funds, the retention of cash as collateral for loans, and the acquisition of high-value properties in Abuja, Kano and other locations.
The commission further alleges that some of the offences were committed while Malami was serving as Attorney-General of the Federation, in breach of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011, as amended, and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has sent a veiled message to Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, saying support for President Bola Tinubu alone will not guarantee any election ticket.
Wike made the statement on Sunday during a public outing in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State.
His remarks were widely seen as directed at Governor Fubara, amid lingering political crisis in the State.
The former Governor of Rivers State said political loyalty must be tested during difficult times, not after power has been secured.
He mocked those he described as late supporters of President Tinubu, insisting that sudden alignment would not earn political rewards.
He said: “So the issue is not whether you are supporting Tinubu. That one, we have taken too long, long… Yes, oh. So Tinubu’s issue is not an issue again. Yes. Do you understand me? Yes. Tinubu’s issue is that nobody should be coming here to tell a day. We are for Tinubu; I am against you. Who is for Tinubu University? (laughs) That cannot give you any ticket oh! (laughs again) Direct, direct. It will not. Direction. Direction.”
Wike stressed that his political camp stood with Tinubu when the decision was unpopular. He said that support given under pressure carries more weight than alignment after victory.
He also recalled how the Rivers State House of Assembly openly backed Tinubu early, long before the election outcome was certain.
According to him, some of those now making public declarations were absent during the critical period.
“The same people now who came to declare, put them to God… But they should declare they are saying it for a candidate. Yes. Don’t you see characters? (laughs) So I send the sword far ahead of them.”
Wike further spoke on governance and continuity. He defended projects and agreements initiated during his tenure as governor. He said it is often difficult for successors to acknowledge past efforts, even though government is a continuous process.
His comments come weeks after Governor Fubara formally aligned with the All Progressives Congress (APC), the party of President Tinubu.
The move followed months of political crisis in Rivers State, which led to federal intervention and a declaration of emergency rule.
Political watchers believe Wike’s remarks constitute a direct response to Fubara’s recent positioning as a key Tinubu ally in Rivers politics. Critics argue that Fubara’s support surfaced only after the political storm had settled.
Wike, who remains a dominant force in Rivers State politics despite serving in Abuja, appears to have drawn a clear line ahead of the 2027 elections.
He suggested that political tickets would be decided by proven loyalty, not convenience.
Videos from the event in Rumuche, Emohua, spread rapidly on social media. Many users described the speech as a coded warning to the governor.
As of press time, neither the Rivers State Government nor Wike’s media team had issued an official clarification.
The comments, however, suggest that the political rift between both camps is still active, despite earlier peace moves brokered at the national level.
The opposition African Democratic Congress and the Labour Party on Sunday criticized President Bola Tinubu for departing Nigeria for Europe on holiday at a time the country is grappling with rising insecurity, including foreign military interventions in the North.
The Presidency announced on Sunday that Tinubu left Lagos for Europe for his end-of-year holiday ahead of an official visit to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where he is scheduled to attend the 2026 edition of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week Summit.
President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, explained that the trip was by invitation from His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, to participate in the summit, which gathers global leaders from government, business, and civil society to advance sustainable development strategies.
“His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, has invited President Tinubu to participate in the 2026 edition of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week Summit, which will take place in the emirate early in January,” the statement read.
Reacting to Tinubu’s departure, the ADC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bola Abdullahi, faulted the timing as inappropriate given the security challenges facing the country.
The ADC noted the deadly terrorist bomb blast in Zamfara and the ongoing foreign military involvement, calling the President’s move insensitive.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s lack of care is alarming. In the wake of another deadly bomb blast in Zamfara, and following an unprecedented foreign military attack on Nigerian soil, the nation is waiting for reassurance from its leader. Instead, we learn the President has gone on holiday. What a President!” Abdullahi said.
Similarly, LP’s acting National Chairman, Senator Nenadi Usman, described the trip as “insensitive and devoid of empathy” for Nigerians facing violent attacks and humanitarian crises.
Speaking through her Senior Special Adviser on Media, Ken Asogwa, she stressed that the President should have remained in the country to coordinate security responses.
“This is the most inauspicious time for the President to leave the country. Even the Christmas holiday in Lagos seems ill-timed, given that a bomb exploded in Zamfara today, killing nine people,” Usman said.
She further alleged that Nigeria was under external attack and accused the government of downplaying the severity of the situation.
“Nigeria is under attack by a foreign nation. No matter how the government tries to frame this, it is a violation of our sovereignty. This is the time for the commander-in-chief to coordinate the response, not embark on a holiday,” Usman said.
She added that the President had not convened critical security meetings since the U.S.-led bombardment of terrorist camps in Kwara and Sokoto States and condemned the perceived lack of engagement with military leadership.
The President’s trip comes amid heightened security concerns. On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump authorised AFRICOM to conduct airstrikes on terrorist camps in Sokoto State, hours before Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged the operation. A deadly bomb blast in Zamfara on Friday claimed several lives.
The 17th edition of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week will run from January 11 to 15 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre under the theme “The Nexus of Next: All Systems Go.”
The event aims to connect innovation, finance, and people to advance sustainable development.
Onanuga confirmed that Tinubu would return to Nigeria after the summit.
Hosted by Masdar, the UAE’s clean energy company, the summit will feature the invitation-only ADSW Summit, the World Future Energy Summit, the Zayed Sustainability Prize Awards Ceremony, and specialised sessions on hydrogen, climate finance, water security, and utilities in the Global South. Organisers expect more than 50,000 participants from over 170 countries, featuring over 700 global brands and exhibitions of emerging clean technologies.
The UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Dr Sultan Al Jaber, noted that ADSW 2026 builds on two decades of the UAE’s leadership in renewable energy.
Tinubu previously attended the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week in January 2025, where he held meetings with Gulf investors and officials on trade, energy cooperation, and climate finance.
Since assuming office on May 29, 2023, Tinubu has undertaken at least 46 foreign trips, spending an estimated 192 days abroad as of October 2025. In 2025 alone, he travelled internationally no fewer than 15 times to countries including Ghana, the UAE, Tanzania, France, Italy, Saint Lucia, Japan, and Brazil for summits, bilateral engagements, and holidays.
