PRESS RELEASE WEDNESDAY, 19TH OF MARCH, 2025.
ATTENTION HIS EXCELLENCY, PRESIDENT AHMED BOLA TINUBU, GCFR, COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA.
Good day,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Gentlemen and women of the Press,
Critical stakeholders of the Niger Delta Region,
Great patriotic leaders of Nigeria.
Today, the 19th of March, 2025, we gather here at Chateau De La-Ray, Wuse Zone 6, FCT Abuja, to express our deepest concerns and pains to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, on behalf of the Niger Delta Progressive Youths’ Leadership Foundation (ND-PYLF), key stakeholders from the Niger Delta, and concerned stakeholders of the Ijaw Nation.
First and foremost, we wish to express our appreciation to His Excellency, President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, GCFR, for graciously receiving the PANDEF leadership and the South-South delegation at the State House, FCT, Abuja, on the 11th of March, 2025.
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As concerned youths and critical stakeholders of the Niger Delta Region, it is very important that we express our regret and displeasure regarding the developments that occurred in the aftermath of the powerful South-South delegation’s visit to Aso Villa.
Yesterday, 18th of March 2025, Mr. President Ahmed Bola Tinubu GCFR, was misinformed by Villa mafias to declare a state of Emergency in Rivers State and a sole Administrator was appointed to manage the affairs of the state for Six months.
In fact, this information about the State of Emergency broke most of our hearts. Simply because Mr. President, Ahmed Bola Tinubu didn’t follow the proper channel of declaring State of Emergency against the good people of Rivers State.
The Embattle Governor Sir Siminalayi Fubara was a democratically elected Governor of Rivers State. Removing him from the office through a wrong channel, speak against the democratic principle about the Nigeria democratic Government Under the administration of His Excellency Ahmed Bola Tinubu GCFR.
While on the 12th of March 2025, the attention of the OFFICE OF THE NIGER-DELTA PROGRESSIVE YOUTHS LEADERSHIP FOUNDATION (NDPYLF) was drawn to a media chat conducted by the Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, and a former Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, CON, GSSRS, where he deliberately and intentionally showed disrespect and disregard for the eminent South-South leaders, including the region’s most senior traditional rulers, former governors, former senators, former ministers, retired senior military officers, the PANDEF leadership, and the entire Ijaw Nation.
According to Minister Wike, for peace to return to Rivers State, the Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, must do the right thing. He must re-present the 2025 budget to the Rt. Hon. Speaker Martin Amaewhule-led Rivers State House of Assembly and resubmit the names of the commissioners for clearance. Without fulfilling this demand, there is no way Governor Fubara will have peace in Rivers State.
Based on the Supreme Court judgment and Wike’s demands, however, Governor Sim Fubara has started to implement the process of the Supreme Court judgment.
Firstly, all elected Local Government Chairmen across the 23 Local Government Areas of Rivers State have been dissolved, and the Heads of Local Government Administrative Officers across the 23 Local Government Areas have taken over the responsibilities and obligations of the Councils.
Secondly, the Governor also went to the Rivers State House of Assembly to re-present the 2025 budget to Hon. Martin Amaewhule-led Rivers State House of Assembly. Unfortunately, the gate of the Rivers State House of Assembly was locked against the Executive Governor of the State.
As it stands, because the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Hon. Martin Amaewhule, does not want the Governor to re-present the 2025 budget, they have decided to go for an indefinite recess.
What did Hon. Minister FCT Wike and his cohorts want from Governor Sim Fubara and the good people of Rivers State, Mr. President, Sir?
Mr. President, Sir, your Minister of FCT Abuja flagrantly disregards the late IROKO of the Niger Delta Region, Chief Pa Edwin Clark Kiagbodo, and his contributions to national development as one of Nigeria’s nationalists, an iconic leader, and former PANDEF leader, who passed on the 17th of February, 2025. His legacy was duly recognized by you during the visit of the South-South delegation to the Presidential Villa, where a minute of silence was observed in his honor.
During the media chat, the FCT Minister stated that the Ijaws are a minority in Rivers State and the Niger Delta Region, and have no chance of becoming Governors in any of the other states such as Rivers State, Delta State, Edo State, Ondo State, and Akwa Ibom State in the Niger Delta Region, apart from Bayelsa State. He also stated that late Pa Clark could not produce an Ijaw Governor in Delta State until he passed on.
It is important to clearly state that in Delta State, there is a gentlemen’s political arrangement between the three senatorial districts: Delta Central, Delta South, and Delta North. This systematic political arrangement has brought peace and political stability between the three senatorial districts in Delta State. Delta Central ruled for 8 years under Chief James Ibori, Delta South ruled for 8 years under Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, and Delta North ruled for 8 years under Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa. This rotational governorship arrangement led to the current Governor of Delta Central, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori. All of this was peacefully achieved by late Pa Edwin Clark Kiagbodo.
Mr. President, Sir, you are aware that three sons of the Ijaw ethnic nationality have become Governors in Rivers State. It would be recalled that on the 27th of May, 1967, HRM Alfred Diete Spiff, Amayanabo of Twan Brass, was appointed Military Governor of Rivers State under the administration of Gen. Yakubu Gowon.
On the 1st of October, 1979 to the 31st of December, 1983, Chief Melford Okilo was democratically elected Governor of Rivers State under the political party of NPN for 4 years, while Chief Rufus Ada-George was also elected as Governor of Rivers State from January 1992 to 17th November, 1993 under the political party NRC for one year.
Mr. President, Sir, we are here to inform you that the Ijaw ethnic nationality is the fourth-largest ethnic group in Nigeria and the largest ethnic group in the Niger Delta region. It is very wrong for your Minister of FCT to describe the Ijaw as a minority in Rivers State and the Niger Delta region.
The Ijaw occupy 10 Local Government Areas out of the 23 Local Government Areas in Rivers State, such as Abua/Odual LGA, Ahoada West LGA, Akuku-Toru LGA, Andoni LGA, Asari-Toru LGA, Degema LGA, Bonny LGA, Ogu-Bolo LGA, Okrika LGA, and Opobo/Nkoro LGA. In addition to Port Harcourt, the Ijaw also have significant voting strength.
The 10 Local Government Areas of the Ijaw ethnic nationality in Rivers State have a total voting strength of 2,032,879, and you are aware that the 2006 population census placed Rivers State’s total population at 5,198,716. To set the record straight, the Ijaw are the majority in Rivers State.
Please, Mr. President, Sir, do not allow yourself to be influenced by the attitude of the FCT Minister, which could jeopardize your chances in the 2027 presidential election.
FCT Minister Wike also characterized PANDEF as ‘the worst organization ever’ and accused its members of visiting the Presidential Villa merely to solicit financial favors.
Mr. President, Sir, you are aware that PANDEF is the most prominent socio-political body representing the South-South region, composed of some of Nigeria’s most distinguished personalities, including the South-South states’ traditional councils, senior traditional rulers of major ethnic groups, former governors, past presiding officers of the National Assembly, prominent religious bodies, and high-ranking retired military officers across the Niger Delta region.
Mr. President, Sir, It is unacceptable for your appointed Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, Barr. Nyesom Wike, to disrespect and disregard your directives, especially when you have provided a valuable platform to discuss pressing issues of national and regional importance. This includes your acknowledged assurances of follow-up action regarding the situation in Rivers State.
Mr. President, Sir, PANDEF fully embraced your directive to sustain its ongoing mediatory and reconciliation efforts and to intensify engagements with key stakeholders. This is in order to foster dialogue and achieve an amicable resolution that guarantees lasting peace and harmony in the political crisis in Rivers State.
The Peace and Reconciliation Committee, which remains committed to resolving the political crisis in Rivers State, is composed of respected personalities with a strong record of leadership in the Niger Delta Region, including:
- E. Obong Victor Attah, former Governor of Akwa Ibom State.
- Pam Ogar, former Military Governor of Kwara State.
- E. Admiral Jonah John, former Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State.
- Chief Mrs. Sen. Stella Omu, former Chief Whip of the Senate and Vice Chairperson of the Senate Committee on National Planning, Women Affairs, and Youth Development.
- Emmanuel Ibok-Essien, former Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
- Roland Stephen Owie, former Senator of the Fourth Republic.
- Hon. Dr. Stella Ayamara Dorgu, former leader in the House of Representatives.
The Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has demonstrated a willingness to engage with this committee, while the Honourable Minister continues to demonstrate hostility and a dismissive attitude toward this eminent Peace and Reconciliation Committee.
In fact, the Honourable Minister of the FCT’s refusal to engage with the Peace and Reconciliation Committee regarding the Rivers State political crisis is no longer sustainable. PANDEF, as a socio-political organization, can no longer allow these esteemed senior Nigerians and critical stakeholders from the Niger Delta region to be subjected to such disregard and disrespect from the Minister of the FCT.
Mr. President, Sir, it is entirely unacceptable that a serving Minister of the Federal Capital Territory under your administration would exhibit such disrespectful behavior toward these prominent leaders from the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria.
The Niger Delta Progressive Youths’ Leadership Foundation (ND-PYLF), along with critical stakeholders from the Niger Delta region and concerned youths from the South-South geopolitical zone, calls upon Mr. President, His Excellency Ahmed Bola Tinubu (GCFR), Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as the father of the nation, to prevail upon the Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, Barr. Nyesom Wike, to retract his inflammatory statements and extend the appropriate respect to these eminent stakeholders, traditional rulers, and the Honourable Committee members delegated for the peace and reconciliation efforts regarding the political crisis in Rivers State within the South-South geopolitical zone.
Furthermore, Barr. Nyesom Wike, the FCT Minister, knows well that, aside from God, the major figures who have supported his rise to his current political standing are the Ijaws and the late Pa Edwin Clark Kiagbodo.
It is a well-known story that former Governor of Rivers State, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, nominated Barr. Nyesom Wike to then-President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan to be appointed as Minister of Education. Later, in 2015, the Ijaw people, in a difficult decision, abandoned their son, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, due to the influence of former President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Madam Patience, the former First Lady of Nigeria. They supported the candidacy of FCT Minister Wike, leading to his 8-year tenure as Governor of Rivers State.
Honourable Minister FCT, Barr. Nyesom Wike, must stop disrespecting and disregarding Asawana and Ijaw Nation. The Ijaw Nation has made significant sacrifices to help Wike attain his current positions in life.
Therefore, the Ijaw Nation demands an apology from Honourable Minister FCT, Barr. Nyesom Wike, for disrespecting the Ijaw people and late Pa Edwin Clark Kiagbodo.
Thank you.
Chief Diplomat, Amb. Adam E.O.O. Marbo
National President/CEO
(ND-PYLF)
a.k.a: The Voice of the Voiceless