A youth group within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), under the banner of the Coalition of PDP Youth Defenders (CPYD), has accused Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere of misleading Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara and dragging the PDP into deepening crisis in the southern region and at the national level.

The group said Ugochinyere’s “self-serving commentary” have worsened the PDP’s internal affairs and contributed to the political turmoil in Rivers State, which led to the suspension of Governor Fubara and his deputy and the eventual declaration of a state of emergency by President Bola Tinubu.

The state is now under the control of a sole administrator, appointed to restore order and protect lives and property.

In a scathing statement on Thursday, Comrade Ibrahim Mohammed Salihu, President of CPYD, said the Imo federal lawmaker has become “a merchant of confusion” who deceives the PDP leadership with misleading claims and manipulative rhetoric.

“It is no longer speculation that Hon. Ugochinyere has been the one whispering false hope into the ears of Governor Fubara while steering him into avoidable confrontation. Today, Rivers State is under emergency rule, the PDP has lost grip, and the people are suffering — all because of one man’s obsession with being the face of rebellion,” he said.

Salihu said Ugochinyere played a key role in emboldening Governor Fubara to defy party elders and national leaders, including efforts by the PDP Governors’ Forum to mediate the crisis between the governor and his estranged political godfather, Nyesom Wike.

“When leaders were calling for caution and reconciliation, it was Ugochinyere who kept pushing Fubara to believe he was the new hero of anti-establishment politics,” Salihusaid.

“He fed the governor dangerous lies that led to institutional breakdown and refusal to obey an agreement entered into with Wike — which was supervised by the president. And now that the president has stepped in with an emergency proclamation, Ugochinyere is nowhere to be found.”

The group also accused Ugochinyere of working with a small clique of anti-party actors to disrupt the upcoming National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the PDP scheduled for May 27, using the ongoing tussle over the role of the acting National Secretary as a smokescreen.

“This is the same Ugochinyere who once claimed to defend party supremacy. Now, he’s undermining the party’s decisions and calling for the removal of leaders who don’t dance to his tune. He’s backing Setonji Koshoedo but not because he believes in due process — it’s just another chance to throw PDP into chaos ahead of NEC,” he said.

Salihu said the CPYD is particularly disappointed that Ugochinyere has continued to mislead the public and the media about the circumstances surrounding the submission of PDP’s Anambra governorship candidate, despite INEC’s clear position on the matter.

“Ugochinyere talks about legality and recognition but conveniently omits the fact that both Senator Samuel Anyanwu and Ambassador Damagum jointly signed the submission of PDP’s candidate for the Anambra election. How then can he claim that Anyanwu has been removed when both signatures were accepted by INEC?” he queried.

The group called on the PDP leadership to move decisively against Ugochinyere and others who are allegedly working to destabilise the party from within, adding that they must not be allowed to continue misrepresenting the will of PDP members across the country.

“The time has come for the PDP to draw a line. Ugochinyere is not bigger than the party. His constant meddling in state affairs, his media stunts, and his divisive press statements are hurting the PDP’s unity and distracting us from building for 2027. He should either fall in line or be shown the door,” he added.

“The PDP must remain focused on its role as the main opposition party. Ugochinyere’s reckless outbursts and deception have already cost us Rivers. We must not let him destroy what’s left of our electoral fortunes.”

Salihu warned other PDP members to resist the temptation to follow Ugochinyere’s “loud but empty” brand of activism, noting that the party is built on collective decision-making, not solo battles driven by ego and ambition.

“We must learn from Rivers. The lesson is that noise and rebellion do not equal leadership. Fubara listened to Ugochinyere and today he has lost power, legitimacy, and his mandate is in jeopardy. That is the real tragedy, and we must not let it spread.”

The CPYD reaffirmed its loyalty to the PDP, the constitution of the party, and the decisions of the National Working Committee.

The group urged party leaders to prioritise reconciliation and discipline as the party heads toward its NEC meeting and future elections.

The Citizens Forum for Transparency and Integrity (CFTI) has raised the alarm over what it described as “a coordinated and sinister plot” by former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, to work with opposition leaders and third force actors to destabilise the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.

In a statement released in Lagos on Monday, the group alleged that Bawa recently met with key opposition figures in London, where discussions were held on using his former contacts within the EFCC to target four serving ministers in Tinubu’s cabinet.

According to the group, the plan is part of a larger campaign to discredit the government and erode public trust ahead of the next electoral cycle.

“We have it on good authority that Bawa, who is still nursing bitterness over his removal from office, has now found a new political mission — to work with the opposition to paint this administration as corrupt and compromised,” the statement read.

The group said it is deeply concerned that the opposition is planning to use state institutions to launch politically motivated probes against top officials of the federal government.

“From the intel available to us, we can confirm that four ministers have been deliberately selected for this smear campaign,” said Alhaji Aminu Mustapha Gidado, President of CFTI.

“Three of them are former governors — David Umahi, Atiku Bagudu, and Bello Matawalle — while the fourth, Festus Keyamo, is a former minister under the Buhari administration who now holds a strategic portfolio in Tinubu’s cabinet as Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development.”

Gidado claimed that in exchange for his role in this operation, Bawa has been promised a return to public office as National Adviser on Anti-Corruption, a newly proposed position that would oversee the EFCC, ICPC, and the Code of Conduct Bureau if the opposition succeeds in 2027.

“We find it extremely dangerous that a man who once occupied such a sensitive position is now being positioned as a political tool in the hands of those desperate to hijack power,” Gidado said.

The forum called on security agencies, particularly the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), to investigate the meeting held in London and monitor all back-channel activities aimed at weaponising anti-corruption institutions for political vendetta.

“This is not just about politics. It is about protecting our democratic institutions from manipulation and abuse. Bawa may be out of office, but his network remains embedded within the system. We cannot allow such an infrastructure to be turned against loyal public servants whose only offence is their allegiance to the current government,” the statement noted.

CFTI also warned that the growing desperation in opposition ranks is a signal that the 2027 elections may be marred by coordinated blackmail, character assassination, and institutional sabotage if urgent steps are not taken to counter these schemes.

“We are watching a dangerous script unfold. The opposition is not preparing for elections; they are preparing for subversion. They know they can’t win at the ballot, so they’re trying to destroy from within,” Gidado stated.

He further noted that President Tinubu’s cabinet has, despite challenges, made significant progress in stabilising key sectors and attracting foreign investments — achievements he said some politicians are determined to frustrate for selfish reasons.

“Is it not curious that the same ministers driving reforms in infrastructure, industrial policy, defence, and aviation are the ones being targeted? This is not a coincidence. It is a pattern of sabotage,” he added.

The group urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and to reject any narrative designed to weaken confidence in public institutions or derail the government’s momentum.

“This country belongs to all of us, and no one, not even a former EFCC chairman, should be allowed to turn anti-graft agencies into tools of political warfare. We owe our democracy more than that,” Gidado said.

“We are citizens with no political affiliation. Our only loyalty is to truth, justice, and national stability. And we will not hesitate to speak out against those plotting in the shadows.”

CFTI concluded by pledging to continue monitoring political developments and exposing any conspiracy against the current administration or democratic order.

A civic coalition under the banner of the Citizens’ Action for Democratic Restoration (CADR) has called for the immediate end of emergency rule in Rivers State, warning that the federal government’s intervention has derailed constitutional order and deepened unrest in the oil-rich state.

The group, led by its National President, Dr. Maryleen Ebere Okoro, faulted President Bola Tinubu for appointing Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.) as sole administrator.

They described the emergency rule as a “reckless overreach” that has compounded the Rivers crisis and stifled the will of the people.

In a statement issued in Port Harcourt and made available to journalists on Saturday, CADR criticised the administrator’s continued suspension of democratic institutions and imposition of unilateral rule without legal or legislative backing.

“President Tinubu’s declaration of emergency rule in Rivers may have been driven by a desire to stabilise the state, but the appointment of a sole administrator who has suspended state structures, defied court rulings, and threatened peaceful protesters has ruined any good intention that may have existed. This is no longer intervention, it is occupation,” she said.

CADR listed several worrying developments since the March 18 emergency declaration: the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy and the the house of assembly; the mass sacking of political appointees and state executives; the appointment of local government administrators in defiance of subsisting court orders; and repeated crackdowns on protest groups, particularly women-led demonstrations demanding a return to civil governance.

“Vice Admiral Ibas has dismantled the democratic scaffolding of Rivers State. Local councils are being filled with handpicked loyalists. Rivers State has become a dictatorship under federal cover and Nigerians are watching in disbelief.”

Speaking further, Dr. Okoro noted that attempts to intimidate protesters only betray the government’s loss of moral authority.

“When women carrying placards are tear-gassed, it is no longer about peacekeeping. It becomes state-sponsored repression. We cannot build unity on the foundation of fear.”

CADR also challenged the President’s silence in the face of escalating criticism from civil rights organisations, legal experts, and ordinary citizens.

According to the group, a proper stakeholder dialogue, including traditional rulers, civil society, and elected representatives, could have resolved the conflict without undermining constitutional democracy.

“If the President truly sought peace, he would have convened all relevant actors in Rivers State to mediate a path forward. Instead, he chose the path of imposition and exclusion. That decision is now backfiring and threatening national unity,” she said.

The group warned that allowing Ibas to continue in office under emergency powers risks setting a dangerous precedent.

“Today, it is Rivers. Tomorrow, it could be any state where political disagreements exist. If one man can replace an entire government by federal decree, then our democracy is in grave danger,” Okoro said.

“The situation in Rivers is not democratic and so we urge President Tinubu immediately rescind the emergency order, reinstate Fubara, and initiate a peacebuilding process anchored in constitutional law.

“Our message is clear. The administrator must go. The emergency rule must end. Nigerians did not die for democracy only to be ruled by decree again. Enough is enough,” she declared.