The Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said the Nigerian Bar Association collected a N300 million gift from the suspended Siminalayi Fubara government, which is the reason they did not support Rivers Emergency Rule.

The minister disclosed this in his media chat on Thursday in Abuja.

Wike’s comments is in the wake of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, emergency rule declaration in Rivers State and the suspension of Fubara and others for six months.

Following Fubara’s suspension, the NBA shifted its Annual General Conference 2025, earlier billed for Port Harcourt to Enugu State, citing the emergency rule as the reason.

The NBA had repeatedly maintained its stance against the emergency, describing it as unconstitutional.

However, the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, recently asked the NBA to return the N300 million given to it by the government to host the conference.

Meanwhile, in response, the NBA described the N300 million fund from Rivers State as a gift.

Reacting, Wike said the N300 million gift was not appropriated, describing it as illegal.

“On the NBA matter, it is unfortunate. How will the NBA back Rivers emergency rule when they collected gifts? When the Body of Benchers came to see me, I told them. When the Justice gave judgement about local government, the NBA came out and condemned it without reading the judgement. The president declared a state of emergency in Rivers State. They say he is not correct until everybody now knows why they took that stance because the state gifted them a gift that was not appropriate.

“NBA took N300 million and said it was a gift.

”In my budget I put it as a grant. I am allowed by law because it is appropriated. In this case the gift was not appropriated. NBA took an illegal gift,” he maintainted.

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Umar Iliya Damagum, has said that the All Progressives Congress, APC, is more divided than the PDP.

Damagum stated this while welcoming some members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, who defected to the PDP in Nguru and Bade Local Government Areas of Yobe State.

According to him, the PDP is always a formidable opposition force, noting that the party knows how to address any internal issues if they arise.

“If there is a crisis, we know how to solve it. We are united, and our leadership is intact.

“We have one chairman and one secretariat, while the ruling party cannot even hold a NEC meeting for almost two years. You can’t compare the two,” he said.

He pointed out that the ruling party has not been able to hold a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in nearly two years.

“I don’t know why the media continues to report crises within our party,” he added.

Damagum reiterated that the PDP remains a strong and united brand, adding, “We are the party to beat.”

He maintained that the party’s doors are open to those who left in the past, as it prepares to build a credible force for the 2027 elections.

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‎According to Politics Nigeria Newspaper, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed the chances of Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in the 2027 general election, labelling him a “social media candidate.”
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‎Wike made the remark during a media interactive session held yesterday in Abuja, where he spoke on a range of political developments and national issues.
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‎The former Rivers State governor said Obi’s support base is largely online.
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