Breaking
Pipeline Explosion Shakes Bayelsa Amid Political Crisis in Rivers State
By Divine Perezide
A pipeline explosion has rocked Gbarain Kingdom in Bayelsa State, adding to rising concerns over security and oil infrastructure safety in Nigeria’s oil-producing region. The blast occurred on Tuesday, March 19, 2025, the same day President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State due to a worsening political crisis, TJ News online reported.
This is coming hours after President Tinubu made the announcement of a State of Emergency, included the suspension of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu, and the entire State House of Assembly. The move follows a prolonged power struggle between Governor Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
When contacted by newsmen, the Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, declined to make an immediate statement. “The president has made a declaration, and what do you think we can say? I think it is too hasty to make any comment about it,” Johnson remarked.
To stabilize the state, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd) has been appointed as the administrator to oversee governance. However, concerns remain over how the situation will unfold in the coming days.
The explosion in Gbarain Kingdom is the latest in a string of similar incidents. Just hours earlier, another pipeline explosion was reported in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area (ONELGA) in Rivers State, with another occurring Monday night in Bodo, Gokana LGA. These repeated incidents highlight the vulnerability of oil infrastructure in the face of the rising political powerplay in Rivers State.
Key concerns raised by these explosions include what considerations went into the environmental safety, loss of production, and maintenance cost of oil pipelines, risks to local communities in the face of avoidable political instability in the ever volatile Niger Delta.
Analysts suggest that the escalating political tension in Rivers State may be contributing to the surge in attacks on oil facilities within thelast 24 hours. The ongoing struggle for power in the state could have created an opening for criminal activities, including pipeline vandalism.
Given that Nigerian economy relies heavily on crude oil and gas production from states like Delta, Rivers, and Bayelsa amongst others, disruptions to oil production could have serious economic repercussions on thecountry andwere quitefrankly avoidable,
analysts argue.
While NNPC and other oil operators have yet to release an official statement, reports indicate that investigations are underway to determine the cause of the explosions. Meanwhile, local communities in Gbarain Kingdom are calling for increased security presence around oil pipelines, environmental clean up, relief materals, environmental impacts assessment, and adequate compensations.
Environmental activists have also warned that repeated pipeline explosions could have devastating effects on agriculture, the ecosystem, and public health.
Urgent Need for Stability and Security have also been advised as the Gbarain explosion comes at a time of heightened political uncertainty in the Niger Delta. With Rivers State now under emergency rule, the federal government must also prioritize the security of the oil infrastructure, addressing environmental concerns, and ensuring local communities are not left to bear the consequences of political and economic instability.
As the nation watches the unfolding events in Rivers State, the need for decisive action to protect Nigeria’s oil resources and the people who depend on them has never been more urgent.
Breaking
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.