Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, told Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, “Supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not guarantee you a return ticket for the 2027 governorship election.”

Wike made the remark at the weekend during a visit to Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Wike and Fubara have been locked in a fierce struggle for political control in the state, a conflict that plunged Rivers into a prolonged crisis.

The standoff culminated in the burning of the State House of Assembly complex and, later, the declaration of a state of emergency in the state by President Tinubu.

The crisis also led to the reported defection of 27 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers loyal to Wike to the All Progressives Congress (APC), a development that sparked several court cases…

Earlier this month, Governor Fubara defected from the PDP to the APC after meeting President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

He later announced his defection at a meeting with government officials at the Government House in Port Harcourt, pledging his support for the President. Fubara’s defection came days after some members of the state assembly had joined the APC.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration under President Bola Tinubu of normalising unacceptable practices in governance, citing a series of recent events that it says undermine institutional integrity, national security, and Nigeria’s international standing.

In a strongly worded press statement issued on Thursday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the PDP highlighted what it described as an “unending series of absurdities” in recent weeks.

The opposition party called for a comprehensive investigation into alleged discrepancies between the tax reform laws passed by the National Assembly and the versions subsequently gazetted by the government.

The issue was first raised by Hon. Abdussamad Dasuki, a PDP member of the House of Representatives, who flagged inconsistencies during a plenary session on December 17.

“This disparity must be comprehensively investigated and not treated with the customary levity that this administration has shown toward very serious issues of governance,” the statement read.

“Nigerians are interested in knowing how the insertions and substitutions got into the gazetted copy.

“The PDP commended Hon. Dasuki for his vigilance and demanded a six-month postponement of the Tax Act’s commencement date, originally set for January 1, 2026, to allow time for a thorough probe, publication of the correct enacted version, and public enlightenment campaigns.

The party also criticised the administration over Nigeria’s declining global influence, pointing to the recent detention of a Nigerian Air Force C-130 aircraft and 11 personnel in Burkina Faso following an emergency landing on December 8.

The crew was released after diplomatic interventions led by Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar.

Additionally, the PDP referenced new U.S. visa restrictions announced by the White House on December 16, which impose partial limitations on Nigerian nationals for certain immigrant and non-immigrant categories, citing security concerns and visa overstay rates.

“This is a sad commentary on the current leadership of our country, who have paid more attention to politics than governance,” the statement said, noting Nigeria’s drop in military rankings and politicisation of security issues.

The PDP further questioned President Tinubu’s absence from the 68th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, hosted in Abuja on December 14, where he was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima.

The summit addressed regional insecurity and political instability.While acknowledging the President’s right to delegate, the party argued that his attendance at a subsequent political event signalled a deprioritisation of regional stability.

In its conclusion, the PDP urged the government to focus on governance rather than 2027 election preparations, calling for increased investments in security, education, infrastructure, and healthcare.

“The stakes are too high for business as usual. Our legislative integrity, international standing, and regional leadership are not partisan issues; they are national imperatives.

Nigerians deserve solutions, not excuses,” the statement emphasised.

• Senate screening of ambassadors nominees presided by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

The Senate on Tuesday approved the nomination of three ambassadorial nominees—Ayodele Oke, Colonel Kayode Are (rtd), and Amin Dalhatu for appointment as envoys.

The resolution of the Senate followed its consideration of the report of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs presented by its chairman, Senator Abubakar Sani Bello, during plenary.

Oke is a former Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and ex-Nigerian Ambassador to the Commonwealth Secretariat in London.

Are is a former Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS).

Dalhatu is Nigeria’s immediate past Ambassador to South Korea.

The trio were unanimously endorsed by lawmakers when the Senate President Godswill Akpabio put their nomination to a voice vote during today’s plenary.

In his comment, Akpabio urged the ambassadors-designate to bring to bear their wealth of experience in their new roles.