spot_img
spot_imgspot_img
October 8, 2026 - 4:56 AM

There will be no elections in Rivers state without APC – Princewill

—

…..calls for postponement

Following on the heels of back to back stays of execution recently granted the APC in Rivers state and the wild jubilations that erupted across the state, the APC Director of Strategic Communications for the Tonye Cole Campaign, Prince Tonye T.J.T Princewill has laughed at the possibility of elections holding in Rivers state without the APC and its candidates, saying that it would be an exercise in futility.

He made the assertion in an interactive session with journalists where he was reacting to INEC’s suggestion that APC is not yet on the ballot. “Of course we are not yet on the ballot, it’s a process. INEC by now has received the first order and in another day or so, will receive the second one. Then their lawyers will advise them and at a meeting of the powers that be, a decision will be taken. That decision will be to obey the law. We expect nothing less. If they don’t, then it will be lawful to be lawless in a lawless society. There will be no elections in Rivers state.”

The Prince went on to appeal to Rivers people for calm, saying “We knew Wike had penetrated the judiciary, every day the signs are revealed. We know he has also penetrated some of our security agencies, but we do not want to believe he has penetrated our electoral body at the highest levels. We are soon about to find out. Let us be patient. These things take time. Our money, that he is using, will be traced to its last hiding place when he leaves office. We know a lot about who he is working with. Money leaves a trace. And in this government, corruption will always come with consequences.”

He went on to describe the PDP as an “accident waiting to happen” and advised all those with good conscience still sitting inside it, to jump for safety before the inevitable crash or hold themselves to blame. “Wike is a learner driver. He has no business driving the vehicle of Rivers state and everyone knows it. Even he knows it. He can use money to win awards, ascribe bogus titles to himself, get biased media coverage, even delay justice, but he can’t use our money to bribe God. Judgement is coming for him and it is coming soon.”

Reacting to questions on the schedule of campaigns going forward and the paucity of time available, Prince Tonye noted that while being on the ballot was necessary, allowing the APC candidates time to go about their campaigns, as had been denied them; was only fair because their campaigns were gaining momentum before legal gymnastics stepped in.

“PDP should be very ashamed that after four good years, their candidate could not go from ward to ward to tell them what he has done. Instead he has stumbled from LGA to LGA headquarters with more people in his entourage than indigenes to receive him, only to drop sound bites and share two-two thousand Naira to willing takers.

His mate (even though we are yet to ascertain Nyesom Wike’s actual age), his mate and our candidate Tonye Cole, has gone from ward to ward in every LGA and had done 236 wards out of 319 before a judge, Magnus and Wike stopped him using the law. Magnus is not our focus. He is our lost brother whom we wish well. His room is there, if he returns. Our focus is Wike and nothing will distract us from demystifying his perceived grassroots’ appeal, his supposed strong man status and his recent Mungo Park like discovery of Spirituality.

Tonye Cole and others must be allowed to finish their campaigns. Anything short of that cannot be just and we will contest it. INEC should get ready for the Presidential elections, but State House of Assembly, National Assembly and the Governorship elections must be a separate exercise set aside for a special date.”

“All eyes are now on INEC as the fate of Rivers state now hangs in the balance. Will Wike be given a free ride back into Government house or will the never say die attitude of Tonye Cole emerge from the ashes of court judgements?,” Princewill asked and that  very soon, all will be revealed.

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted

Share post:

Subscribe

Latest News

More like this
Related

BREAKING: 20 NYSC Prospective Corps Members Freed After Kidnappers Demand N50m Each

Twenty prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps...

Improve welfare of Nigerian Teachers 

I was and I am a teacher. I was a Parents Teachers Association hired teacher at Oba Akinbiyi High School (II), Mokola, Ibadan in 1997. Apart from that stint, I also taught briefly at a private secondary school during my National Youth Service at Asaba, Delta State as well as at another private secondary school at Akowonjo area of Lagos state around 2001 / 2002. My late father, Deacon Isaac Oyeniyi Ojo taught for about 40 years across several primary schools in Oyo and Osun sates and retired as a headmaster in 1995. At present, I don’t just teach but train people across various democratic institutions namely election management bodies (INEC and SIECs), political parties, media, national and state legislative assemblies, police, and civil society organisations. Information gleaned from the website of UNESCO says “World Teachers’ Day is held annually on 5 October to celebrate all teachers around the globe. It commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, which sets benchmarks regarding the rights and responsibilities of teachers, and standards for their initial preparation and further education, recruitment, employment, and teaching and learning conditions. In 2026, the Day marks the 60th anniversary of the Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers.” In Nigeria, this year's celebration focused on five interconnected pillars: innovation, mobility, Artificial Intelligence, inclusion, and professional excellence. The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, announced that the selection process for the 2026 World Teachers' Day awards was digitised to promote transparency, accountability, and efficiency. The celebration includes a symposium, a march-past featuring state flags and cultural attire, and the recognition of 14 awardees, including the first, second, and third best teachers receiving prestigious car gifts, while the best Federal Unity College received a bus. Other prizes include laptops. In commemoration of the World Teachers Day, Dr. Akin Ayeni and I were guests on a breakfast programme on Ekiti 91.5 FM, Ado Ekiti last Monday where we dissected the plights of Nigerian teachers and proffered solutions to them. The host was Ademola Adeleke. I enumerated some of the plights of Nigerian teachers to include: Low wages, insecurity, quackery, inadequate classrooms, lecture theatres, libraries and laboratories, high turnover of staff especially in private schools, high workloads, disrespects from parents, students and even government. I made a proverb on the programme. Elo ni teacher ngba, ti o ntuto s’owo ka’wo osu (meaning, how much does a teacher earn that he or she needs to use saliva to count salary). This was a random joke even among teachers when they used to collect their salary in cash. This day, they receive their wages via online money transfer. The proverb however is meant to drive home the paltry nature of the salaries and wages of teachers cum lecturers. I recall the sticker produced by Academic Staff Union of Universities many years ago which has the inscription “My take home pay cannot take me home”. That’s very instructive. On issue of insecurity, according to Daily Trust of October 1, 2022, “The registrar of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, Professor Josiah Ajiboye, said attacks on schools by insurgents have claimed the lives of more than 2,295 teachers in the North East between 2009 and 2022.” The PUNCH in its June 5, 2026 online edition reported that “An estimated 603 students and teachers have been kidnapped in seven mass abductions across schools in Nigeria between March 2024 and May 2026 under President Bola Tinubu, despite the N145bn Safe Schools Initiative.” Recall that on May 15, 2026, a total of 46 persons – seven teachers and 39 students – were abducted from Community High School Ahoro-Esinele and Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. Thankfully, most of them were rescued though two teachers were murdered by the bandits.  Michael Oyedokun, was reportedly beheaded, while John Olaleye, was shot dead during the attack. It is noteworthy that some university lecturers have also been abducted in the past. The heavy workloads and low wages have resulted into brain drain and high turnover of teaching staff across our academic institutions. Many education graduates don’t want to teach. The lecturers in tertiary institutions are leaving in droves for greener pasters abroad. Many teachers today take the job as a last resort when better options are not available. Many of the private schools recruit untrained teachers. They side step the federal government policy of having every teacher certified by Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria. Recall that the TRCN regulates the teaching profession in Nigeria by setting standards, accrediting teacher education programmes, registering qualified teachers, and enforcing professional ethics.  It establishes national minimum standards for teacher education and monitors teacher training institutions, including Colleges of Education, university faculties, polytechnic schools of education, and the National Teachers Institute. Unlike in the 20th century when teachers in Nigeria were widely respected and seen as mini-God, in contemporary times, there have been situation where pupils and students openly abuse teachers, bully them and even beat them up. Some irresponsible parents have even gone to school to harass and molest teachers for caning or meting out corporal punishments to their wards and children. Thus, many teachers now work in an atmosphere of fear. Mrs. Comfort Fasunwon is a multiple award-winning teacher in Ondo State, here is an excerpt from what she wrote on her Facebook wall in commemoration of the 2026 World Teachers Day “To my fellow teachers, today.  Teaching is not always easy. There are days when the workload is heavy, resources may be limited, and the results of our efforts may not be immediately visible. Yet we continue to show up, teach, encourage, correct, inspire and believe in our students. Sometimes, the greatest reward of a teacher is not a certificate or trophy. It is seeing a child who once struggled begin to understand. It is watching a student grow in confidence. It is meeting a former student years later and hearing the words, “Ma or sir, you made a difference in my life.” My plead to government at all level as well as private schools’ owners is to ensure that their schools are well resourced and staff welfare is made paramount. Professionalism should be their watchwords. Teachers’ rewards shouldn’t be in heaven; a foretaste of that should be here on earth. Best wishes to fellow teachers and nation builders. Remember the popular song that says “Anyone who hates teachers will homeschool his or her  child” I.G: @jideojong  

Over 22,000 Arms Recovered Across Nigeria in 10 Years – NCCSALW

The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms...

NBA Calls for End to Torture, Deaths in Nigeria’s Detention Centres

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called for tougher...
Join us on
For more updates, columns, opinions, etc.
WhatsApp
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x