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Thirty-one years after the execution of environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others, the people of Ogoniland gathered to honour their memories and renew their demand for justice.

But beyond remembering the Ogoni Nine, this year’s commemoration also focused on the Ogoni Four — Edward Kobani, Theophilus Orage, Samuel Orage, and Albert Badey — whose murder in Gokana Local Government Area preceded the arrest and eventual execution of the nine activists in 1995.

Different groups across Ogoni held memorial events to mark the day. In Gokana, the Gokana Unity Forum, the Council of Chiefs, and families of the victims renewed their call for the retrieval of the remains of the four who were allegedly killed by a mob outside the palace of the then Gbemene of Gokana.

They insist that retrieving their remains and giving them a dignified burial will bring closure and true reconciliation to the land.

The Gokana Unity Forum expressed disappointment over what it described as MOSOP’s continued disregard for genuine reconciliation.

It accused the group of planning to lay wreaths on symbolic graves of the Ogoni Four instead of working with key stakeholders to recover their real remains as recommended by the Oputa Panel of 2001.

The forum said the failure to act on those recommendations has delayed true peace and reconciliation in Ogoniland for decades.

Chris Barigbon, speaking on behalf of the forum, said the people of Gokana have resolved to press forward to ensure that the remains of the Ogoni Four are recovered and given proper burial. He described it as the only path to lasting peace and justice in the area.

“We are saying today that the time has come for the remains of Chief Edward Kobani, Chief T.B. Orage, Chief S.N. Orage, and Chief A.T. Badey to be recovered and returned to their families for dignified burial. That is the true foundation of peace. Without truth and justice, reconciliation will remain a mirage,” he said.

The President of the Gokhana Unity Forum, Goodluck Gbara-Age, added that the younger generation would continue to seek justice until the truth of what happened is fully addressed.

The demand for justice was also echoed by a former Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Kenneth Kobani, a son of one of the Ogoni Four, who spoke with deep emotion about forgiveness, closure, and the need for honesty in the reconciliation process.

“It’s been 31 years since my father and others were brutally murdered here in Gokana. We had every reason to seek revenge, but we chose forgiveness,” Kobani said, stressing that true reconciliation must begin with truth.

He condemned what he described as “a continued denial of the obvious”, saying some groups were trying to rewrite history and downplay the suffering of the victims’ families.

“You cannot deny what happened. These men were killed in broad daylight, and the culprits were known. We have shown enough humility and faith in the Ogoni cause; it is time for those who know where their remains are to bring them out so that we can have closure.”

Kobani thanked President Bola Tinubu for renewed efforts at reconciliation but urged all stakeholders to stop using the Ogoni struggle for political and financial gain.

“Ogoni wants peace, unity, and progress. We’ve seen enough pain; we don’t hate anyone, but we must not be forced to bury our fathers with empty caskets again,” he said.

Clad in black attire and carrying placards, the crowd also paid courtesy visits to the King of Bodo and to the homes of the Badey and Kobani families to register their grief and renew prayers for unity and peace.

Elsewhere, the National Youth Council of Ogoni People held a separate memorial for Ken Saro-Wiwa and his colleagues, describing them as symbols of courage and sacrifice.

While thanking President Tinubu for the pardon granted earlier this year, the youth called for the case to be reopened for a formal court exoneration and for the full implementation of the Ogoni Bill of Rights.

They also demanded an end to what they described as political marginalisation, noting that despite having four local government areas, no Ogoni has ever served as Governor or deputy governor of Rivers State since its creation.

Former National Vice Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Eddy Olafeso, has accused those opposing the party’s national convention of working to establish a one-party state in Nigeria.

Olafeso made the allegation on Tuesday while speaking as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme.

Reacting to the Federal High Court’s order stopping the PDP from holding its national convention scheduled for November 15 to 16 in Ibadan, Olafeso described the decision as “the climax of judicial rascality”.

“The restraining order from the Federal High Court today against our scheduled convention did not come as a shock to us.

“A group is focused on ensuring that they destroy the party completely, but we will not allow it. Good will prevail over evil,” he said.

READ ALSO: [UPDATED:] Again, Court Stops PDP From Holding National Convention

Olafeso insisted that the party would not be deterred by the ruling, expressing optimism that the convention would still hold.

“We will not allow this. I’m energised, like many of our colleagues, that this shall not stand. The truth and justice must prevail,” he stated.

He also alleged that those working against the PDP had ulterior motives aimed at weakening the opposition.

Alleged Betrayal

Olafeso also criticised some former party members for betraying the PDP after benefiting from it.

“They have their agenda. It is not for the people. It is to entrench a one-party state, and that cannot occur well for our country.

“Many of them were unknown until they became governors. What baffles us is the level of their rebellion against the same party that brought them from obscurity to the limelight,” the party chieftain stated.

“They made promises. Even Governor Sule Lamido said he would stay in the PDP and work for the coalition. Yet, some of them now openly support another party for the 2027 election,” Olafeso added.

Earlier on Tuesday, Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja restrained the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from holding or monitoring the planned convention in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

The ruling followed a suit by Lamido, who alleged he was denied the opportunity to purchase the nomination form for the national chairmanship position.

Justice Lifu held that the PDP failed to publish the timetable for the convention as required by law and violated due process.

He warned that neglecting the rule of law could lead to anarchy, stressing that due process was essential in a constitutional democracy.

The court ordered the PDP not to hold the convention on any date or location until it complies with all legal requirements.

This marks the second time in recent months the party’s convention has been halted by a court order.

In October, Justice James Omotosho suspended the planned exercise pending the party’s compliance with its constitution and the Electoral Act.