Police barricade Rivers PDP secretariat amid leadership tussle

Published

1 hour ago

January 16, 2025

By Francesca Hangeior

Tensions flared in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, on Thursday as police barricaded the road leading to the People’s Democratic Party’s secretariat on Aba Road.

The move followed reports that the Acting Executive Committee, formed after a court nullified the elected executive, planned to take over the secretariat complex.

A Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt, the state capital, on Monday nullified the ward, local government, and state congresses of the PDP conducted in 2024.

Although the planned takeover was suspended, both factions held separate press briefings to assert their authority, underscoring the deepening crisis within the party.

Crowds of party supporters gathered both inside and outside the secretariat, reflecting the charged atmosphere, Channels TV reports on Thursday.

Aaron Chukwuemeka, leader of the restrained executive, “criticised the growing number of court cases involving the party and appealed to Governor Siminalayi Fubara to prioritise peace.”

State Legal Adviser Kingsley Chuku (SAN) revealed that “while the party had yet to receive the court ruling, it planned to appeal the decision once the records were available.”

Chukwuemeka and Chuku also accused members of the Acting Executive of being affiliated with the All People’s Party, claiming they had no authority to lead the PDP.

At a separate event, Robinson Nname-Ewor, Acting Chairman of the PDP, announced that the “planned takeover of the secretariat had been suspended to avoid escalation.”

However, he laid out demands for resolving the party’s crisis, including reinstating leadership under Fubara and recognising the Acting Executive at the state level.

Nname-Ewor also “disclosed plans to establish a disciplinary committee to investigate alleged anti-party activities, particularly those linked to the 2023 general elections.”

Despite the suspension of the takeover, the unresolved grievances and escalating tensions highlight that the Rivers PDP crisis is far from over, it reported.

The crisis within the Rivers PDP intensified on Wednesday with the emergence of factional leadership.

The Chairman of the PDP in Rivers West Senatorial District, Robinson Ewor, declared himself as the acting chairman of the state chapter of the party.

Related Topics:chairman Court Fubara PDP Police

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Deputy Speaker Mourns Demise of Deputy Chief Whip, Hon Onanuga

Published

4 minutes ago

January 16, 2025

Gloria Ikibah

By Gloria Ikibah

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Benjamin Kalu has expressed sadness over the death of the Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Adewunmi Oriyomi Onanuga.

Naijablitznews.com reports that before her demise, Hon. Onanuga represented Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North Federal Constituency of Ogun State in the National Assembly.

In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu, Kalu described late Onanuga as a shining example of dedication, compassion, and selfless lawmaker whose service to her constituents and the nation was outstanding.

The Deputy Speaker noted Onanuga’s significant contributions to the peace project in the South East and Nigeria as a whole.

He acknowledged her support for the Peace In South East Project (PISE-P), which demonstrated her passion for defeating insecurity in Nigeria.

He said: “Onanuga was a dedicated and committed lawmaker, renowned for her unwavering commitment to peace. Her passion for promoting harmony and understanding was truly commendable. But beyond her legislative accomplishments, Onanuga’s compassion, humility, and simplicity inspired countless individuals. Her warm and infectious smile, coupled with her empathetic nature, endeared her to everyone she met, making her a beloved figure in the lives of many.”

Kalu also noted Onanuga’s commitment to the cause of women’s empowerment and political inclusion, recalling her relentless efforts towards ensuring that the gender bills are passed.

Extending his heartfelt condolences to Onanuga’s family, colleagues, and constituents, Kalu who said that she will be greatly missed also prayed for the repose of her soul.

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Speaker Abbas mourns House Deputy Chief Whip, Hon. Onanuga

Published

30 minutes ago

January 16, 2025

Gloria Ikibah

…described her as a strong pillar in the 10th House

By Gloria Ikibah

The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rep. Tajudeen Abbas, has expressed deep grief over the demise of the Deputy Chief Whip, Hon. Adewunmi Oriyomi Onanuga, as he said she was a strong pillar who would be sorely missed in the House.

Hon. Onanuga, who represented Sagamu/Ikenne Federal Constituency of Ogun State, was serving her second term in the House before her demise after an illness.

Speaker Abbas, who said he led members of the House in support and prayers for the deceased during her health challenge, lamented her eventual death as painful.

The Speaker recalled Hon. Onanuga’s campaigns for gender equality, women empowerment and inclusion in politics and governance, especially as Chairman of the House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Welfare in the 9th House and as principal officer in the 10th House.

Speaker Abbas also recalled how Hon. Onanuga, as the only female member in the leadership of the House, inspired and rallied female legislators for the greater good of the chamber and the country by extension.

“Hon. Onanuga was a brilliant woman, experienced politician, resourceful lawmaker and a dependable ally in the legislative business. She was a dogged, dedicated, loyal and patriotic Nigerian. She was not just a key member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Caucus but also the leadership of the House.

“I remember her roles in the fight for gender-bills since the last Assembly, and how she rallied women from within and outside the chamber to get the support and buy-in of members on issues affecting women and children,” the Speaker said in a condolence message issued through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Abdullahi Krishi.

Speaker Abbas, while condoling the Onanuga family and her constituents, commiserated with the people and the government of Ogun State as well as the APC.

The Speaker prayed to Allah to grant her Jannatul Firdaus.

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Israeli Reportedly AKilled 80 In Gaza Few Hours After Ceasefire Deal

Published

53 minutes ago

January 16, 2025

Naijablitznews

The health ministry in Gaza says dozens of Palestinians have been killed by Israeli strikes ahead of a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel.

Meanwhile, Israel has accused Hamas of backtracking on the agreement, with a planned cabinet vote on the deal pushed back.

Hamas says it is committed to a deal, but the BBC’s Rushdi Abualouf hears the group is attempting a last-minute push for the release of one or two symbolic prisoners from its movement.

One attack on a house near the Engineers Union Building in Gaza City in the north of the Gaza Strip on Wednesday night killed at least 18 people, Al Jazeera Arabic’s correspondent reported.

The Palestinian Civil Defence also said it retrieved the bodies of 12 people from Gaza City’s Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood.

In central Gaza, five people were killed in an Israeli drone strike that targeted a gathering of people in the Karaj area in the Bureij camp.

The death toll, which was counted from dawn on Wednesday, continued to rise as Palestinians returned to shelter in their tents after briefly celebrating news of a ceasefire deal that was reached between Israel and Hamas on Wednesday evening.

“For a couple of hours, people turned this whole area into a stage of celebration, something we are not used to seeing here as this area used to be a stage for funerals for the victims of the war and a space filled with agony and sadness,” said Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Deir el-Balah in central Gaza.

But the ceasefire does not start until Sunday and people in Gaza fear worse is to come before the Israeli bombing stops, Mahmoud said.

“We are expecting a surge in attacks by drones and heavy artillery, and that’s what caused people to end the celebrations after two hours,” he said.

Al Jazeera’s Anas al-Sharif, reporting from Gaza City, said intense Israeli attacks there had “extinguished” the joy people felt at the initial announcement of the ceasefire.

“Just hours ago there was an atmosphere of joy and relief among residents here when the ceasefire announcement was made from Doha, stating that it would take effect in the coming days,” al-Sharif said.

“However, immediately after the announcement, Israeli warplanes extinguished that joy for the people – striking hospitals, shelters, and homes with direct air strikes.”

Both Israel and Hamas have publicly acknowledged a ceasefire and captive exchange deal has been reached, although Israel has said some final details are still to be hashed out before the agreement is sealed.

In a statement, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had spoken with Israel’s negotiating team in Doha at dawn on Thursday, who briefed him on disagreements with Hamas related to which Palestinian prisoners will be released in exchange for captives during the first phase of the deal.

As of January 1, 2025, there are at least 10, 221 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, excluding the unknown numbers of Palestinians taken from Gaza and detained by the military, including Dr Hussam Abu Safia, the director of north Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital, which was destroyed by Israeli forces.

Izzat al-Risheq, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, earlier said the ceasefire deal met all of the Palestinian group’s conditions including the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the return of displaced people to their homes, and a permanent end to war in the enclave.

The exact time the ceasefire is due to start on Sunday is not yet known, though the entire process will be implemented in three phases.

Recall that Hamas attacked southern Israel on 7 October 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 back to Gaza as hostages

The attack triggered a massive Israeli offensive on Gaza, during which more than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.