IMO BREAKING NEWS BLOG

Amid renewed attacks and mounting death tolls, the Christians in Plateau State on Monday staged a peace walk in protest against the incessant killings ravaging communities in the state. The peace walk, under the joint leadership of the Church Denominational Leaders Forum and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Plateau State chapter, was also a tribute to the victims and a cry for justice.

The participants—men, women, the elderly, and youths—marched through the streets to register their anguish and frustration over the rising insecurity in the northcentral region. The procession showed a crowd of concerned residents with banners calling for peace and action. The inscriptions on some of the banner read, “That they die not in vain. Stop the killings. Stop the bloodshed. Every life matters; let Plateau live.”

According to the organisers, the protest was a direct response to the continuous and bloody assaults on Plateau communities, especially those killed in recent attacks on Ruwi, Hurti, and Zikke in Bokkos and Bassa local government areas. “Their death should not be in vain,” a church leader said during the march.

Plateau and neighbouring Benue State have been gripped by a fresh wave of violence in recent weeks, largely blamed on bandits.

The April 2025 attacks in Bokkos and Bassa claimed over 100 lives, marking one of the deadliest incidents since the Christmas Eve massacre in 2023, which left about 150 people dead in Bokkos alone. 

A group of Nigerian legislative lawyers under ALDRAP has filed a suit at the ECOWAS Court, seeking sanctions against President Bola Tinubu and National Assembly leaders over the declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State.

Tinubu declared the emergency on March 18, citing political unrest and accusing Governor Sim Fubara of demolishing the state assembly building. A retired Vice Admiral was appointed as Sole Administrator, with all elected officials suspended.

ALDRAP argues the move violates ECOWAS protocols on democracy and governance, calling it an unconstitutional power grab. The group also petitioned ECOWAS leadership, warning that failure to act would signal double standards, referencing sanctions previously imposed on Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. 

The suit is pending assignment for hearing. 

APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, has inaugurated the new executive committee of the party’s France chapter in Paris, urging diaspora members to back President Tinubu’s reforms and *Renewed Hope* agenda.

Ganduje praised the diaspora for expanding the party’s reach and stressed their role in Nigeria’s economic and political development. He assured them of efforts to achieve diaspora voting rights and defended Tinubu’s economic reforms as tough but necessary.

He also expressed confidence in APC’s 2027 prospects, citing internal unity and growing defections from rival parties.

APC France Chairlady, Hajjiya Amina Suzuki, affirmed the diaspora’s importance as both economic drivers and political influencers. 

Mohammed Am’ore, a GTBank driver, was stabbed to death Sunday night while helping a vigilante group arrest suspected miscreants in the Fadikpe area of Minna, Niger State.

Police confirmed that Am’ore was assisting in apprehending individuals allegedly smoking cannabis when one suspect, Nura Buhari, stabbed him with scissors and fled. He later died at General Hospital Minna.

One suspect, Abdullahi Rabiu, has been arrested and is aiding police investigations. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend others involved. 

Catholic Pontiff, Pope Francis, has died at age 88. He died on Monday at 7:35am, a day after making a much-hoped-for appearance at Saint Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday.

Following the recent news concerning Pope Francis, numerous world leaders have extended their heartfelt condolences, reflecting the deep respect and admiration the pontiff commands across nations and faiths. As the spiritual head of over a billion Catholics and a respected moral voice on the world stage, any development concerning the Pope resonates far beyond the Vatican.

Iran

Iran offered condolences on Monday following the death of Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church, at the age of 88.

“My colleagues have just informed me of the news… I offer my condolences to all Christians around the world,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei said at a press briefing. Iran, a Muslim-majority country, maintains close ties with the Vatican.

Israel

Israeli President Isaac Herzog praised the deceased Pope Francis on Monday as “a man of deep faith and boundless compassion”.

United States Of America

US Vice President JD Vance said his “heart goes out” to Christians after Pope Francis died Monday.

“My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him,” he posted on X.

France

French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday paid homage to Pope Francis, saying he had always been “on the side of the most vulnerable and the most fragile” and fought for “more justice”.

Speaking during a trip to the Pacific region, Macron expressed his “most sincere condolences to Catholics the world over” after the death of Francis who, he said, had stood for a “brotherly humankind”.

Spain

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Monday hailed Pope Francis’s “commitment to peace, social justice and the most vulnerable” after his death at the age of 88.

“I am sorry to hear of the death of Pope Francis. His commitment to peace, social justice and the most vulnerable leaves a profound legacy. Rest in peace,” the Socialist leader wrote on X.

Italy

Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said “a great man has left us” after Pope Francis died on Monday.

“Pope Francis has returned to the Father’s home. It is deeply sad news, because a great man has left us,” Meloni said in a statement.

Germany

Germany’s incoming chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday expressed “great sorrow” at Pope Francis’s death, describing him as a man “guided by humility and faith”.

The pope “will remain in our memories for his indefatigable commitment” to “the most vulnerable, for justice and for reconciliation,” he said.

Ireland

Irish Prime Minister Michael Martin hailed Pope Francis’s solidarity with the “poor, the marginalised, and the oppressed” after the pope died on Monday.

“Pope Francis’ long and distinguished papacy was marked by his unwavering commitment to the principles of compassion, peace and human dignity” said Martin, adding that he would be remembered for his “expression of pain and shame” about historic child abuses in the Catholic Church during his 2018 visit to Ireland.

India

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday he was “deeply pained” by the death of Pope Francis, saying that the pontiff had served the poor and offered hope to the suffering.

“Pope Francis will always be remembered as a beacon of compassion, humility and spiritual courage by millions across the world,” the Hindu-nationalist leader said in a statement. “I fondly recall my meetings with him and was greatly inspired by his commitment to inclusive and all-round development.” 

Chidiebube Okeoma, Owerri 

It is 363 days since Ihedioha publicly announced his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party.

Precisely on April 23, 2024, in a letter addressed to his Mbutu PDP ward chairman, the ex deputy speaker of the House of representatives, Abuja, who briefly served as a governor of Imo state before he was ousted by a supreme judgment, accused PDP of deviating from the cure democratic ethoes upon which it was founded in 1998.

Ihedioha quit letter from the PDP "reads, “Since 1998, I have contributed my quota to the development and transformation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as one of the founding members. All these years, I have taken pride in the fact that the PDP is a party that will always look inward for internal reforms and provide credible leadership for the people, whether in power or outside power. I have had the benefit of serving and benefiting from the party at various levels.

“Regrettably, in recent times, the party has taken on a path that is at variance with my personal beliefs. Despite my attempt to offer counsel, the party is, sadly, no longer able to carry out internal reforms, enforce its own rules or offer credible opposition to the ruling All Progressives Congress.’

“It is in the light of the foregoing, that I am compelled to offer my resignation from the People’s Democratic Party effective immediately. While the decision was difficult to take, I, however, believe that it is the right one. Despite this resignation, I will always be available to offer my services towards the deepening of democracy and good governance in Nigeria.”

While Ihedioha's resignation from the PDP, a party that gave him the platform to emerge a member of the house of House of representatives in three consecutive electioneering seasons from 2003 to 2015 from which he became the chief whip, the deputy speaker and the outing speaker and governor of Imo state, briefly was a shock to many, others posited that Ihedioha chickened out from PDP to avert impending humiliating defeat in Imo PDP's internal party structure battle between him and now the embattled national secretary of the party, Samuel Anyanwu ( SamDaddy) who was and still in firm control of the structure of the party in the state.

Ihedioha's withdrawal from the 2023 governorship process in Imo state, was the first time in twenty years he was not in the ballot papers since he started contesting for elections. 

For the records, Ihedioha had participated in five general elections, he won four and just lost one. That is good political record if you ask me. Ex governor of Imo state, Rochas Okorocha, is the only person to had beaten Ihedioha in an electoral contest before and that was in 2015. 

Sensing another electoral defeat this time internally by Anyanwu, Ihedioha, on March 28, 2023, announced his withdrawal from Imo PDP governorship primary ahead of the November 11, 2023, governorship election in the state. 

Ihedioha's withdrawal note from his party's primary election is hereby reproduced “as I turned 58 years last Friday, March 24, I had cause to reflect on so many things, including the state of the people’s Democratic Party (PDP).

“Having been a member since its formation in 1998, I align myself with the request made by our state chapter to the national working committee (NWC) for a consensus choice of the candidate regarding the 2023 governorship primaries in the interest of harmony and unity of the party. 

"I have elected to make the personal sacrifice of withdrawing from further participation in the processes leading to the emergence of the gubernatorial candidate.”

“This decision was not taken lightly. My commitment to the service of our people has never been in doubt, and am sure many of those who have on their own, already started mobilizing for me in Imo state will be disappointed. I sincerely seek their understanding and that of associates, admirers and particularly the electorate who have over the years aligned themselves and identified with my political aspirations.

“I am profoundly grateful for the opportunity to have served my various constituency both as a legislator and a governor. I am also proud of the positive impacts I made, particularly in the seven months I served as the governor of Imo state."

That his withdrawal led to Anyanwu's emergence as the party flag bearer for the governorship election unopposed and since April 23, 2024, Ihedioha and his Rebuild Imo political family have remained without a political party. Stranded if you ask me.

Six days after Ihedioha tended his resignation letter from the PDP, on April 29, 2024, he visited the only governor elected on the platform of Labour Party in Nigeria, Alex Otti, of Abia State. That Ihedioha's visit to Otti in Abia State, fueled speculation that he was going to join LP, a political party that enjoys a lot of goodwill and following in the Eastern part of Nigeria.

But one year after, Ihedioha and his team of supporters are without a political party. They have been operating like a pressure group or like a Non Governmental Organization, offering no political direction for the state. Since Ihedioha resigned from the PDP he had not offered political strength to the state. As an opposition figure, I had yet to read or see him condemn the seemingly undemocratic actions carried out by the state government. Thereby leaving the state government unchecked. Could Ihedioha's action be seen as a compromise that since he wasn't in the ballot for the 2023 governorship election in the state, there was no need to keep offering opposition leadership in the state?.

Many political analysts argue that Ihedioha's inability to join LP was because of its internal leadership crisis. Currently, LP has three national leadership factions, that may have stalled Ihedioha's plan to join LP, a platform he intends to use to contest the November 2027 governorship election in the state.

There is another political thinking that Ihedioha is waiting for the outcome of PDP's national secretary's crisis. The school of thought says that should Anyanwu who is his political foe currently is successfully removed by the PDP governors Forum, himself and his political followers will return to PDP. The PDP national secretary crisis seems unabating. Will the Mbutu born strong politician wait longer?.

Another political commentary says that Ihedioha is patiently but anxiously waiting for the outcome of coalition movement being proposed by his political godfather, Atiku Abubakar. While PDP Governors Forum has dismissed that it is yet to see how far Ihedioha can bank on this to relaunch his dwindling political career.

While Ihedioha foot drags on which of the political parties to join, a year gone by, his strong political associates and followers are joining All Progressives Congress and the camp of the governor of the state. A political party and camp that ousted him from the Imo Douglas House in January, 2020.

Shocking among his strong men who have joined the APC and the Camp Hope are his Chief of Staff, Chris Okewulonu and his commissioner and running mate in the 2015 governorship election in the state, Chima Nnaji. There are many others who had decamped and were rewarded with appointments and other political patronages. If Ihedioha is not worried on how his strongmen and supporters are joining the camp of the man and structure that gave him his biggest political shock in life, then it should be said that he is definitely ( allegedly) the one sending them there to hold forth for him while he marks time outside and seeks alternative.

It is less than one year before the commencement of political engagements and activities ahead of the 2027 showdown, yet Ihedioha and his team are yet to find their bearing. Are they politically standed or displaced?. How long more will Ihedioha and his Rebuild Imo political structure remain without a political platform?. Will Ihedioha join LP, if yes, which of the three leadership factions?. Will Ihedioha wait until Anyanwu is ousted by the PDP Governors Forum so that he returns to his former darling political party?. How long is he going to waiting for this?. Anyanwu and his political master Nyesom Wike are not ready to give up on this anytime soon. Will Ihedioha wait longer to see if the coalition talks will materialise so that he runs from there, that will definitely be a long wait. 

Will he join APC, a party that gave him the biggest political punch of his life, that remains to be seen. Ihedioha must act fast while it is still day.