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Fubara only popular because he’s fighting Wike, says Amaechi

Published

4 months ago

June 9, 2024

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Rotimi Amaechi, former minister of transportation, says he will not take sides in the rivalry between Siminalayi Fubara, the governor of Rivers, and Nyesom Wike.

Fubara succeeded Nyesom Wike, who is the current minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), as governor in May 2023.

He was the accountant-general under Wike and had his support during the governorship election, but both men fell out shortly after Fubara assumed office.

The rift between Fubara and Wike has polarised the Rivers house of assembly.

In December 2023, 27 members of the assembly loyal to Wike defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Speaking when he paid a visit to Okorinama West, a leader of the APC in Port Harcourt on Friday, Amaechi, who was also governor of the state from 2007 to 2015, said he would not support either Fubara or Wike.

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Amaechi further said Fubara is only popular because of the public exchanges with Wike over political domination in Rivers.

“…a lot of our supporters that can’t stand hunger have joined either Sim or Wike. I will not join them. I will not join Sim, I will not join Wike,” he said.

“But don’t forget, they are not big without you people, I hope you know that. No big man is big without the grassroots’ support. And if you look at the Rivers state political followership, we have more people singing our praises than singing even Sim.

“What Sim thinks is popularity today is because he is anti-Wike. That is his popularity, not that Sim is the best man that has happened on earth. It is because he is anti-Wike and it is because the state is tired of Wike.”

Wike, who served as a chief of staff to Amaechi and succeeded him, is also said to have built his popularity as a result of his face-off with his predecessor.

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Both politicians fell out after Amaechi defected to the APC and supported Muhammadu Buhari for president in 2015, while Wike, a governorship candidate of the PDP then, supported Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election bid.

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Tinubu’s planned cabinet reshuffle won’t make any difference, says Buba Galadima

Published

1 hour ago

September 28, 2024

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Buba Galadima, a chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), says President Bola Tinubu‘s planned cabinet reshuffle would not make any difference.

On September 25, Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, said Tinubu “has expressed his desire to reshuffle his cabinet and he will do it”.

Speaking on Politics Today, a programme on Channels TV on Friday, Galadima said reshuffling the cabinet would not curb food inflation.

Galadima claimed that the president intends to reward his cronies with the reshuffle.

“That (planned cabinet reshuffle) has nothing to do with me or any Nigerian. What is of importance to all of us is bringing down the harsh conditions of living and the buck stops only on the table of one man. That is President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Galadima said.

“No amount of reshuffling can make a difference. As far as that team is only ‘job for the boys,’ nothing will come out of it.

READ Wike vows to resign if Amaechi names federal project he brought to Rivers since 2015

“Anybody that calls himself president or governor is responsible for their cabinet’s performance. He should be told that some of his appointees are more interested in their pockets than service delivery.

“I expected him to do better than this; and to hit the ground running.”

The NNPP chieftain asked Tinubu to find a solution to the country’s foreign exchange crisis “which has seen the naira performing abysmally”.

There have been growing calls from Nigerians and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Tinubu to reshuffle his cabinet and remove underperforming ministers.

Tinubu’s policies have driven petrol prices to record highs and depreciated the naira to record lows since he assumed the reins on May 29, 2023.

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Israel claims Hezbollah leader killed in Beirut strike

Published

2 hours ago

September 28, 2024

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The Israeli military announced early Saturday that Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah was killed in a strike on Beirut.

“Hassan Nasrallah is dead,” military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani announced on X. Military spokesman Captain David Avraham also confirmed to AFP that the Hezbollah chief had been “eliminated” following strikes Friday on the Lebanese capital.