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Ijaw National Congress Condemns Tinubu’s State of Emergency in Rivers State
By Perez Bibaikefie – March 18, 2025
The Ijaw National Congress (INC) has strongly criticized President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a State of Emergency in Rivers State, calling it a “hasty and partisan” move allegedly designed to favor Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
While reacting to questions raised by news men in Yenagoa, the President of INC, Prof. Benjamin Ogele Okaba accused the president of the FRN of ignoring wise counsel and implementing a premeditated plan. According to Okaba, the decision to declare a State of Emergency was triggered by the Ijaw people’s refusal to be provoked into violence during last weekend’s orchestrated thanksgiving on a Saturday and the hosting of Wike in Abalama.
Prof. Okaba stated that the alleged aim of the Abalama event was to incite violence and create justification for the declaration of emergency rule, which failed as ijaw youths heeded the wise council of their elders. He further questioned why President Tinubu had chosen to impose emergency rule in Rivers State while failing to do so in other crisis-ridden states like Plateau, Benue, Borno, Sokoto, Zamfara, and Ondo, where frequent violent attacks have led to the deaths of many civilians and military officers by faceless tribal militia and other criminal minded elements.
“We said it just yesterday in both print and TV media that the political wahala in Rivers State is beyond a battle between Wike and Fubara, but one orchestrated by a bigger political hand. Nigerians have now seen the last straw that may break the camel’s back,” Okaba asserted.
The INC leader also condemned what he described as the selective nature of the emergency rule, pointing out that while Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, the State House of Assembly members, and all appointees were removed, Wike—whom the INC describes as a key figure in the crisis and other federal appointee from Rivers State who support him—remains in office as FCT Minister and federal appointees. Where is justice in this equation?
“How do we explain that, Mr. President’s experimental State of Emergency sacked Governor Fubara and all his appointed persons but did not sack Wike, the major player in this matter, who has continually and boastfully promised mayhem, attacked Ijaw people, and incited violence?” Okaba questioned.
The Ijaw National Congress has called for an immediate Sack of Tinubu’s FCT minister and his cohorts, if the call for the reversal of the State of Emergency by well meaning Nigerians is ignored, warning that failure to do so will compel the Ijaw people to reassess “all the injustices meted upon them since the foundation of Nigeria” and take a firm stance in determining their future.
The Professor of Sociology warned that the safety and security of Governor Siminalayi Fubara must be a top priority following the military’s takeover of power in Rivers State under the declared state of emergency. With the armed forces now in control, concerns have risen over the potential risks to Fubara’s well-being. The INC wonders if a President Tinubu will guarantee the protection of Fubara and his family, insisting that any harm to him would raise serious questions about the intent behind this intervention. The world is watching, and this move increasingly appears to be a case of dictatorship disguised as civilian governance. The Ijaw people, both at home and in the diaspora, must unite and place the President on notice, making it clear that both the removal of and any threat to Fubara’s safety will not and can never be tolerated.
Meanwhile, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ekpo (Rtd.) has been appointed as the sole administrator of Rivers State following the removal of all elected officials. However, critics continue to ask why Wike, who has been at the centre of the crisis, remains unaffected by the presidential decision.
As the political situation in Rivers State continues to unfold, the Ijaw Nation is calling on Nigerians to stand in defence of democracy and the rights of the Ijaw people.
Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.
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STATEHOUSE PRESS RELEASE: NATIONAL COUNCIL OF STATE UNANIMOUSLY APPROVES APPOINTMENT OF PROFESSOR AMUPITAN AS INEC CHAIRMAN
The National Council of State has approved the nomination of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) from the North-Central as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presented Amupitan as the nominee to fill the vacant position, following Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s exit. Yakubu served from 2015 till October 2025.
President Tinubu told the council that Amupitan is the first person from Kogi, North-Central state, nominated to occupy the position and is apolitical.
Council members unanimously supported the nomination, with Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo describing Amupitan as a man of integrity.
In compliance with the constitution, President Tinubu will now send Amupitan’s name to the Senate for screening.
Amupitan, 58, from Ayetoro Gbede, Ijumu LGA in Kogi State, is a Professor of Law at the University of Jos, Plateau. He is also an alumnus of the university.
He specialises in Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance and Privatisation Law. He became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria in September 2014.
Amupitan was born on April 25, 1967.
After completing primary and secondary education, he attended Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, from 1982 to 1984, and the University of Jos from 1984 to 1987. He was called to the bar in 1988.
He earned an LLM at UNIJOS in 1993 and a PhD in 2007, amid an academic career that began in 1989, following his National Youth Service at the Bauchi State Publishing Corporation in Bauchi from 1988 to 1989.
Currently, he serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Jos, a position he holds in conjunction with being the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University in Osun State.
Among the academic positions he has held at UNIJOS are: Chairman of the Committee of Deans and Directors (2012-2014); Dean of the Faculty of Law (2008-2014); and Head of Public Law (2006-2008).
Outside of academics, Amupitan serves as a board member of Integrated Dairies Limited in Vom, a member of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Governing Council, and a member of the Council of Legal Education (2008-2014), among other roles. He was a board member of Riss Oil Limited, Abuja(1996-2004).
Amupitan is the author of many books on law, such as Corporate Governance: Models and Principles(2008); Documentary Evidence in Nigeria (2008); Evidence Law: Theory and Practice in Nigeria(2013), Principles of Company Law(2013) and an Introduction to the Law of Trust in Nigeria (2014).
He is married and has four children.
Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President
(Information and Strategy)
October 9, 2025
By: Divine Perezide
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed media reports suggesting that it has suspended the Delineation of Electoral Wards in Warri Federal Constituency, covering Warri South, Warri South-West, and Warri North Local Government Areas.
The rebuttal followed a report by the Punch Newspaper claiming that an INEC official had hinted at a suspension in connection with the Supreme Court judgement of December 2, 2022. INEC clarified such reports were misleading.
In a statement issued on Sunday, INEC emphasized “the commission has not taken any decision regarding the delineation exercise in the Warri Federal Constituency. Reports alleging suspension are inaccurate and do not reflect the position of INEC.
The Commission noted that it remains committed to upholding the Supreme Court judgment but insisted that due process and broad consultation must guide every step of the delineation process.
A senior Electoral Officer, who spoke on conditions of anonymity, stressed that INEC’s mandate cannot be subjected to misrepresentation. “We must be clear: no suspension has been declared. What we have is an ongoing consultation process to ensure compliance with legal and constitutional provisions,” he stated.
The Supreme Court ruling of December 2022 had directed INEC to ensure fair representation of all ethnic nationalities within the Warri Federal Constituency by reviewing and delineation wards accordingly.
INEC assured stakeholders, particularly in Delta State, that it would communicate its position at the appropriate time, adding that it remains committed to transparent and credible Electoral Reforms.
(c) IduwiniVoice
By: Favour Bibaikefie
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has announced the withdrawal of services at Dangote Refinery and all Oil Installations following what it described as the unlawful dismissal of more than 80 of its members.
In a statement released by the union, the PENGASSAN condemned whT it termed “Dangote Refinery unilateral action to sack ova 800 members of our association for joining our union,” BBC Pidgin reported.
The association further described the move as “an affront to all workers for Nigeria and deliberate violation of Nigeria labour laws, di Constitution, and ILO convention.”
The mass sack has drawn significant concerns across labour circles, with PENGASSAN warning that such practices could set a dangerous precedent for the treatment of workers in the country’s oil and gas sector.
Reacting to the development, Dangote Refinery said it had taken necessary steps within the boundaries of law and industrial practice. While the company the company did not provide a detailed explanation for the dismissal, it insisted its actions were guided by operational realities.
Labour watchers say the dispute could escalate into a major confrontation unless urgent mediation is initiated by the federal government via the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
The refinery, commissioned to be a game-changer in Nigeria’s energy sector, now faces its first major labour crisis since operations began.