Nnaemeka Achebe, the Obi of Onitsha, says he did not have any disagreement with former President Olusegun Obasanjo over the Second Niger Bridge. The monarch’s position was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by Chinyelugo Anionwu, chief of staff to the Onitsha traditional council. In a statement on Monday, Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, had criticised Obasanjo over the latter’s recent remarks criticising the present administration under President Muhammadu Buhari. Shehu had also said Obasanjo deceived the south-east during the flag-off for the construction of the Second Niger Bridge, adding that the Obi of Onitsha had some altercation with the former president. “Obasanjo laid the sod for the bridge in his first term as elected President and work never started,” Shehu had said. “When he sought re-election for his second term in office, he returned to the site to turn the sod for the bridge the second time. When the Obi of Onitsha, forthright and scholarly, reminded him that he had done this in the past, Obasanjo told the foremost Southeast traditional ruler that he was a liar, in the full presence of the Chiefs and Oracles in his palace.” However, in the statement on Tuesday, the Obi of Onitsha said he wasn’t involved in any sod-turning ceremony for the bridge during Obasanjo’s first tenure. “His Majesty, Nnaemeka Achebe, CFR, mni, Obi of Onitsha, by his position as traditional and natural ruler, should normally not engage publicly in high level discourse on affairs of State between two of our highly respected national leaders, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR and former President Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR,” the statement reads. “However, the Palace deems it absolutely necessary to ensure that public statements relating to our monarch are factually correct. “Accordingly, the Palace would like to state categorically that His Majesty was never involved in any sod turning ceremony for the second River Niger Bridge during the first tenure of President Obasanjo as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and, therefore, could not have engaged in any altercation with the then President as stated in the above press release. “The only involvement of His Majesty with President Obasanjo regarding the Second River Niger Bridge was at the very tail end of his second term as President during a low-keyed flag-off of the project when His Majesty prayed that the succeeding administration would construct the bridge expeditiously. “Onitsha people will continue to express their utmost gratitude to President Buhari and his Government for successfully constructing the magnificent bridge.” The current Obi of Onitsha celebrated his 20-year reign in October 2022, while Obasanjo served two terms as president, from 1999 to 2007.

  The Labour Party has said that its Presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Gregory Obi is phenomenal, an idea being directed by the divine phenomenon and propelled by people’s organic reaction and movement. The party said that in the midst of the present cacophony of Obi’s endorsements, it is telling whoever cares that it’s no longer going to be the dictator’s world or a narrow exclusive circle or group dictating who becomes president in Nigeria. It particularly advised Chief Arthur Eze, Governor Chukwuma Soludo, and whoever wants to play God against Obi’s divine mandate to rethink. Labour Party National Vice Chairman, South East, Innocent Okeke said that the party respects the personal opinions of every individual including Arthur Eze and any other person with different opinions, but that it can not accept unfriendly outbursts and intimidations. It said that the new Nigeria is never going to be business as usual, advising that the moment people begin to adapt, the better since it has been a country between the far rich few and the extremely poor masses, where they destroyed the middle class and make the poor masses ordinary slaves. “If our highly respected Chief Arthur Eze should go by his adopted name ‘Ozoigbondu,’ I would have expected him to feel pain when his people are feeling it. The pain in present Nigeria is a general one and everyone is crying for a genuine change. “We can understand his personal business interests and effort to remain big, but he has been big from youth till this age, it’s time to feel the pain of others and sacrifice luxury for a better future. “Peter Gregory Obi is an Anambrarian just like some of you, what matters is the general opinion of the people of Anambra on Peter Obi’s presidential ambition and not the opinion of two or three persons. In this recent times, all the presidential opinion pools conducted have put Obi well above other contenders and this is the opinion of Nigerians. “If not the old thinking of many of you with deep pockets who have amassed wealth to seek the option of rigging elections, the voice and opinions of the masses will reign supreme. “I advise for no insult, keep your opinion to yourself, don’t destabilise the system. Allow a new Nigeria to emerge it will benefit your kindred, community, your state, and all Nigerians,” Okeke advised.

  The spokesperson for the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo, SAN, has said it would be an eleventh wonder if Asiwaju Bola Tinubu fails to win the forthcoming Presidential elections. Keyamo who said the APC is excited about the Labour Party Presidential candidate Mr. Peter Obi’s endorsement by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Afenifere leader, Pa Ayo Adebanjo and Chief Edwin Clark. He noted that Obi’s endorsement has no effect on the presidential candidate of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. Speaking on Channels Television, ‘Politics Today’ Keyamo said the worst things were said by Obasanjo, Adebanjo and Chief Edwin Clark to disparage the APC in 2019, but 15 million voters ignored them. “We are excited by their endorsement but I can assure you the Labour Party will not win. Also anywhere the G-5 consensus governors go is a win-win for the APC. PDP is hoping for the betrayal of Asiwaju in the North. “Obasanjo, Ayo Adebanjo, Chief Edwin Clerk said the worst things about APC and Buhari’s re-election in 2019 and 15 million Nigerians did not listen to them. “They should not be sanctimonious before us. The Emilokan slogan was what Tinubu told APC delegates in Ogun State justifying that he has served the party. The opposition used it as propaganda a thousand times”. Asked about the chances of APC winning the presidential election, he said: “Based on projections, it would be an 11th wonder if we don’t win the election”.

  The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leaders thinking of punishing the G-5 governors should perish the idea, Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike warned yesterday. The governor said nobody in the party could drive members of the G-5 governors, who are members of the Integrity Group out the house they, according to him, spent many years to build. Wike further warned that insulting members of the Integrity Group by PDP leaders would only escalate the lingering crisis rocking the party to its foundation. The PDP plunged into crisis after its national convention in May produced former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate. Some members of the party asked the party’s Natuional Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, to step down. They argued that the president candidate and the national chairman cannot come from the same zone. They are demanding Ayu’s replacement with a southerner to correct “regional imbalance” in the main opposition party. Apart from Wike, other governors who are members of the G-5 are: Samuel Ortom (Benue), Ifeanyi Ugwanyi (Enugu), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Seyi Makinde (Oyo). The aggrieved governors, who were appointed into the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, withdrew their membership and boycotted its inauguration. Wike spoke at the Mgbuodohia Community Primary School premises where he kicked off the construction of Mgbuodohia Road in Rumuolumene Town of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area. He said: “Nobody can drive us from this house we have built. All of us will fight here. So, if anybody thinks that you can just sit in your house and dish out orders, it will not work. The house will collapse on you. So, you better think twice.” The governor clarified that his comment on the endorsement of Peter Obi by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, instead of his former deputy (Atiku) was motivated by his concern for the PDP. He said Obasanjo had served as President on the platform of the PDP with Abubakar as his vice president for eight years and was in a better position to solicit support from Nigerians on his behalf with confidence. Wike said that if Obasanjo could not endorse his former deputy, it only showed that something was fundamentally wrong that should elicit concern by PDP members. He said: “I meant no harm. I’m only worried as a prominent PDP member. A man who loves PDP should be worried. I was not mocking anybody. I was merely worried. My prayer was, look, let Obasanjo remain quiet and not say anything. That was all my prayer, but my prayer didn’t work. “My prayer was that if this man makes any statement, it will indict us because he was president under the PDP for eight years, and he worked with our presidential candidate. And the campaign of our presidential council is that our presidential candidate during the eight years did very well, with experience.” Wike lamented that instead of people in the party to look at the issues critically and ponder on what could be done, they were busy abusing him. He said: “What did I do? I didn’t do anything. All I did was to express concern. If you care for this party, it is for you to go back and ask, what is fundamentally wrong? “Me that is worried that we should do something and I have expressed it, you’re abusing me for telling the party that we should do something.” Wike said only those who truly love the PDP would be worried about the development, describing those abusing him, including a spokesman of the party as jobbers and political flirts jumping from one party to another. He said: “They are not bothered, but those of us who since 1998 joined this party, contributed to the survival of this party until now, we keep shouting always when we see danger coming. “Abuses upon abuses, it will not change anything, rather it will spoil more things. What you don’t know, ask people, seek advice, people will help you to solve the problem.” Wike flayed former PDP National Chairman Prince Uche Secondus, alleging that the companies that bided and got the contract awards for projects sited in Andoni were introduced by him. According to the governor, the companies were paid but those projects were never executed and Secondus could not extricate himself from the firms that got those jobs. Wike also argued that the soul and strength of the Rivers chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) had departed, leaving the carcass, adding that it could not get any electoral support from the Rivers electorate. The governor urged the Rivers State PDP governorship candidate, Sir Siminalayi Fubara to consider constructing a bridge to link Rumuolumeni to Eagle Island in Port Harcourt when he eventually assumes office. Providing a description of the project, Rivers State Commissioner for Works, Dr. George-Kelly Dakorinima Alabo said the 5.1-kilometre Mgbuodohia Road will be 7.3- metre wide with offshoot drain of 6.5- kilometre long.