Tuesday, February 28, 2023 Edition

2 burnt to death, 4 arrested as thugs set NNPP campaign office on fire in Kano INEC chairman rules out over voting in Ekiti, after PDP, LP, PRP protest

Presidential election:

PDP’s Melaye, Ihedioha, other agents walk out of collation center in protest

After failed bid to stop results announcement Seek cancellation, new date for fresh poll IPAC rates INEC 70%—3

Former President of the Republic of Sierra Leone/ Head of ECOWAS Electoral Observation Mission to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, H.E. Ernest Bai Koroma, addressing journalists on their observation and recommendation on the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections, at the ECOWAS Secretariat, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Ortom loses Senatorial bid, as PDP loses 10 House of Representatives seats

From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has lost his Senatorial bid to Titus Zam of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Declaring the result of Benue North West Senatorial District election at the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) Area office in North Bank, Makurdi, the Returning Officer Prof. Rufus Shaa-tor said Zam scored a total of 143,151 to defeat Ortom of PDP and Mark Gbillah of Labor

Party who scored 106,882 and 51950 respectively.

In Benue South Senatorial District incumbent senator Abba Moro retained his seat having scored a total of 76,459 to defeat his rival Daniel Onjeh of APC who pulled 59,938 votes.

As at the time of filling this report, the result for Benue North East District involving former Benue State Governor and senator Gabriel Suswam and ex House of Representative member for Ukum/Logo/ Katsina-Ala Barr. Emmanuel

Udende was yet to be declared. Meanwhile, the ruling Peoples’Democratic Party, PDP has lost almost all House of Representatives seat. The party only managed to win Apa/Agatu Federal Constituency where a former Commissioner for Sports Ojema Ojotu defeated an incumbent Godday of Labor Parry, LP. For Otukpo/Ohimin Federal Constituency, daughter of former Senate President David Mark, Blessing Onuh of APC also retained her seat pulling 29,031 to defeat her closest

rival Alex Ogbe of PDP who pulled 21,741. While in Oju/Obi Federal Constituency, David Ogewu (APC) scored 26450 to defeat the incumbent Samson Okwu of (PDP) who got 12506. Other seats include Buruku Federal Sekav Iyortyom of APC 15,713, PDP 8,083, Gboko/ Tarka Regina Akume APC 4*9,519,John Dyegh 30,319, Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo APC Philip Agbese 19,0830, Aida Bath Ogwuche 15,219, Katsina-Ala/Ukum/Logo Solomon Wombo APC 59,959, Richard Gbande 39,415.

Niger Gov. Sani 313 wins Niger North, East Senatorial seat

Niger state Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello of the All Progressive Congress has been declared the winner of the Niger North Senatorial District.

He scored 100,197 votes against the PDP and NNPP candidates who scored eighty-eight thousand,one hundred and fifty-three and thirteen thousand,eight hundred and eighty-six votes respectively.

Result of the Niger North

Senatorial District was declared by the returning officer,Kolo Zacchaeus.

Similarly, senator representing Niger East Senatorial district, Senator Mohammed Sani Musa of the APC have been reelected for the second term.

His closed rivalries from the PDP got 125,292 votes and the Labor Party got 35,941 votes as announced by the returning officer professor Tsado Mohammed Shaba at the College of Education Minna.

From Yakubu Mustapha Minna

L-R: Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu receiving Presidential election result from Gombe State SCOPE, Prof. Umaru Pate, during the presentation of 2023 Presidential election result, at National collation centre, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

2023 Elections: IPAC rates INEC 70%

The Lagos State InterParty Advisory Council of Nigeria has rated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) 70 per cent in the conduct of Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections.

Mr Mobolaji Olusegun, the Lagos state Chairman of IPAC, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, commended INEC as he said alot however needed to be done to achieve a credible election.

Olusegun said in view of the challenges of late arrival

of election materials to polling units and malfunctioning of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) at some polling units, INEC still had a lot to correct ahead of the March 11 gubernatorial and state legislative elections.

”I can only score INEC 70 per cent for these elections, though they have tried to improve on everything they are doing, but the system is still not as perfect as it ought to be.

“With the BVAS, I expected a much more stable and more coordinated system, the result collation should not take this

long with the BVAS in place,” he said.

Olusegun advised the INEC to upgrade the (BVAS) for seamless vote counting and transmission.

He said the system could be better perfected such that money spent on electoral materials could be channelled toward the upgrade of the BVAS.

According to him, the BVAS should be upgraded to enable the electorate accredit, vote and automatically count and transmit online for everyone to access.

He noted that the upgrade

was important and should be done promptly to guard against reoccurrence of similar hitches in upcoming elections.

“The electoral law allows us to go digital in voting and if it does not, let us amend it. It costs less and it will be less stressful.

“If the BVAS was made to transmit the result, the situation wouldn’t have been like this, we should have the result online and even a situation room.

“The BVAS technology is not yet perfected and should be upgraded for seamless electioneering process on March 11,” he said.

Olusegun further advised INEC to address logistic issues by contracting movement of election materials to logistic companies within the country.

“I moved round during the elections to Agege, Ifako-Ijaiye, Alimosho and Ikeja, aside the issue of late arrival of election materials and malfunctioning of BVAS, I saw the environment fair and peaceful.

“We only need to improve on technology so let INEC put its house in order to guard against reoccurrence of similar challenges.

“They should put their report together, assess their errors and make corrections ahead of March 11,” he advised. (NAN)

Dankwambo wins Gombe North senatorial

From David Hassan, Gombe

Former governor of Gombe state Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo was declared winner of Gombe north senatorial district, defeating the incubent Alhaji Saidu Alkali of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Peoples Daily reports that Gombe north senatorial district comprises of five local government areas including Gombe, Kwami, Dukku, Funakaye, and Nafada.

Announcing the result on Monday at Malam sidi, the returning officer Gombe north deputy vice-chancellor administration Federal university Kashere Prof. Umaru Gurama said Dankwambo pulled 143155 votes to defeat his closet rival Saidu Alkali of All Progressives Congress (APC) who scored 77,948 votes

He said the total number of accredited votes stood at 228,550 and rejected votes were 8,566.

NNPP Gwarzo/Kabo Federal Constituency candidate rejects election result

From Mustapha Adamu, Kano

Nasiru Sule Garo, candidate of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) for Gwarzo/Kabo Federal Constituency in Kano state has rejected the election result announced in favour of his his opponent, Abdullahi Muazu of All Progressives Congress (APC).

Garo was a three-time member of the constituency.

In a press conference in Kano

yesterday, Garo alleged that the election was rigged in connivance with APC, officials of Independent National Electoral and security agents.

According to him, the election was marred by over-voting in favour of Muazu at Garo Polling Unit.

He added that the election officials present at the collation centre insisted that the votes must count even after the NNPP agents protested.

Garo also alleged one of the NNPP agents, after protesting the result, was

arrested and passed night in the hand of security agents, leaving him (Garo) vulnerable to failure at the polling unit.

He emphasized that hos party has physical evidences on how the election was rigged in favour of APC.

“I hereby reject the result because i was voted for by the people. There was collaboration with INEC, Kano state Government and security agencies to rig my election. We have physical evidence of two incidences.

“There was over voting. When my

agents insisted that they should not include the polling unit where over voting took place but the APC insisted that the unit should be included.

“The officials collaborated with security agents to arrest my agent and left the polling unit without agent. We had to get him released on bail,” he lamented.

Garo disclosed that he and his party would not let the mandate of people of Gwarzo/Kabo Constituency be stolen as it would be reclaimed in the court of law.

L-R, Mahmood Yakubu, chairman INEC with Audu Ahmed, SCOPE Kwara State during the presentation of Presidential election result at collation centre in Abuja.picture by TUNDE ADENIYI. on 27-02-2023.

Maiduguri fire: Buratai sympathises with victims, govt

Former Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Tukur Buratai, has sympathised with victims, families and the Borno State Government over the Sunday morning fire that razed the popular Maiduguri Monday Market.

Buratai, who is the immediate past Nigerian Ambassador to the Republic of Benin, conveyed his sympathy in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.

He commended the Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, for his prompt response to the disaster by the donation of N1 billion as relief to the victims.

He also called on well meaning and philanthropic Nigerians home and abroad to donate generously towards alleviation of the losses incurred by the victims.

“When I learned of the unfortunate fire that destroyed property worth billions of Naira at the renowned Maiduguri International Market, I was horrified, saddened, and distressed.

“To all the victims and their families, and the Borno State Government, I extend my sincere sympathy and condolences for the tragic losses.

“I share your pain at this trying moment. “May Almighty Allah restore to all the victims their losses and the market be reconstructed within a very short time to enable business activities resume,” he said.

(NAN)

2 burnt to death, 4 arrested as thugs set NNPP campaign office on fire in Kano

From Mustapha Adamu, Kano

Kano State Police Command has confirmed the death of no fewer than three persons when political thugs burnt the campaign office of NNPP House of Representatives candidate of Tudunwada/Doguwa Federal Constituency.

In a statement on Monday by spokesman of the command, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, the police stated that the incident occured on Sunday at about 4pm when collation of results

was ongoing at INEC office in Tudunwada Local Government area.

He narrated that the thugs in large number, mobilized and attacked the campaign office by setting it ablaze.

According to SP Kiyawa, two unknown persons in a stationary motor vehicle inside the building burnt to death as a result of the inferno.

He added that the hoodlums again mobilized and attempted to block the road leading to the INEC office, but were dispersed

by security personnel, who were immediately mobilised to the scene.

One of the thugs, according to Mr Kiyawa, was fatally injured and was rushed to hospital where he died while receiving treatment.

“At about 1600hrs, reports were received that, while the collation of results was ongoing at Tudun Wada LGA INEC Office, a group of thugs in large numbers mobilized and attacked the Campaign Office of NNPP House of Representatives Candidate and sets the building ablaze with two

unknown persons in a stationary Motor Vehicle inside the building burnt to death as a result of the inferno.

“The hoodlums again mobilize and attempted to block the road leading to the INEC Office. Security personnel were immediately mobilised to the scene. One of the thugs was fatally injured and was rushed to Hospital where he died while receiving treatment.

“Four other suspected thugs were arrested, as well. An Investigation is in progress,” the statement reads in parts.

APC loses Senatorial seat to PDP, 3 Reps members in Jigawa

From Mika’il Tsoho, Dutse

The ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), has lost the Senatorial seat of Jigawa Central to People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

However, APC also lost two members of federal house of representatives to PDP and one other reps seat to NNPP.

Declaring the results in Dutse, the returning officer professor Usman Haruna said,

Mustafa Habeeb of People’s Democratic Party pulled 153,731 votes to defeat his closest rival, Mr Sabo Nakudu of the All Progressive Congress (APC), who pulled 134,802 votes.

Alhaji Mustapha Khabib also defeated Mr Musa Bako of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), who secured 18,662 votes.

While the the ruling APC retained the remaining two Senatorial seats of Jigawa North-West and Jigawa North-

east zones.

The electoral body announced

Alhaji Babangida Husaini Uba of the All Progressive Congress (APC) as the winner of the JIgawa northwest senatorial district.

He scored 187,049 votes.

Declaring the election result, the returning officer, Professor Ahmed Baita Garba said Alhaji Babangida Husaini defeated senator Ibrahim Saminu Turaki of PDP who scored 134,199

votes and Nasuru Bala of ADC who scored 2,644 votes.

Also the INEC returning officer of Jigawa North-east professor Adamu Usman Isge declared Ahmed Abdulhamid Malam-Madori as newly elected Senator to represent Jigawa North-east at upper chamber.

He said, Ahmed Abdul Hamid Mallam Madori of APC scored 136,977 votes, while Muhd Garba of NNPP scored 29,485, Dr Nuradden Muhd of PDP scored 107,457 votes.

L-R, Mahmood Yakubu, chairman INEC with Fashina Abayomi, SCOPE Ondo State during the presentation of Presidential election result at collation centre, yesterday in Abuja.Photp: Mahmud Isa

Presidential election: PDP’s Melaye, Ihedioha, other party agents storm out of collation center in protest

After failed bid to stop results announcement Seek cancellation, new date for fresh poll

INEC chairman rules out over voting in Ekiti

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

Agents of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP at the National Collation Centre, Abuja, for the Presidential election held Saturday, Senator Dino Melaye and former Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha, along with other agents of some political parties walked out of the venue in protest yesterday.

Their action followed their failure to secure the nod of the Chief Electoral Officer of INEC, Professor Mahmoud Yakubu to oblige their request to cancel the presidential election result in Ekiti on grounds of alleged over voting among others.

They were also irked following their failure to convince the national collation officers to put the announcement of result on hold pending the direct upload on the INEC portal of the results compiled and collated at the polling stations.

The agents of the parties, led by Senator Dino Melaye and Hon. Emeka Ihedioha (both of the Peoples Democratic Party), stormed out of the collation centre at exactly 4:27pm over disagreements on the various results from States.

The agents of PDP, Labour Party, AA, NRM, and PRP were among those who stormed out of the venue over alleged irregularities.

Dino Melaye and Emeka Ihedioha, who spoke with journalists outside of the venue, proposed that a fresh presidential election should be conducted alongside the Governorship and State Houses

of Assembly polls on Saturday, March 11.They said that they had lost confidence in the whole collation process of the presidential election.

Earlier, Senator Melaye at the venue of the collation, had protested against the release of the result at the Abuja centre, when same had not been uploaded by INEC via I-Rev portal.

He specifically called for the simultaneous upload of the results and the display of same on the screen for the purpose of comparison.

But the APC agent, Barrister

Babatunde Ogala suggested that instead of calling for the halting of the election or declaration of resilts, the aggrieved parties should file their petition before the tribunal.

Dino Melaye recalled that the INEC Chairman had assured Nigerians at 68 different times that the result would be uploaded on INEC portal before the final collation, while another INEC Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Barrister Festus Okoye equally assured Nigerians 118 times on the same.

He noted that while the promise to upload the result was not kept, the result was being announced.

The following is the outlook of results of the Presidential elections announced yesterday by the National Collation Centre: Ogun State: APC -341,554. PDP-123,831. LP-85,829.

Kwara State: APC -263, 572, PDP -136,909, LP-31,155, SDP22,738.

Osun State: APC -343,945, PDP 354,366, LP: 23,283. Ondo State: APC -369,924,PDP -115,460, LP -47,350.

Yobe State: APC -151,459,

PDP-198,567, LP-2,906. Lagos State: LP- 582,454, APC- 572,606, PDP - 75,750 Enugu State: LP-428,640. PDP-15,749. APC-4,772

Oyo State: APC-449,884. PDP-182,997. LP -99110

Gombe State: PDP - 319,123, APC- 146,977, LP- 26,160. Jigawa State: APC -421, 390, PDP -386,587, NNPP -98,234, LP -1,887.

Adamawa State: PDP417,611, APC -182,881, LP-105, 648, NNPP-8006. Katsina State: PDP 489045, APC-582, 283, NNPP -69386, LP -6376.

President Muhammadu Buhari with APC National Legal Adviser Barr Ahmad El-Marzuq, Senator-Elect Hon Nasir Zango Daura, and House of Rep Member Elect Hon. Aminu Jamo as he receives National Assembly Election Winners in his Constituency in Daura yesterday

2023 polls: Lack of transparency, operational failures reduce trust on the process – EU

By Ochiaka Ugwu

The 2023 General Elections

were held on schedule, but lack of transparency and operational failures reduced trust in the process and challenged the right to vote, the European Union Election Observation Mission to Nigeria 2023 has said.

In a press conference in Abuja Monday, the E U Election Chief Observer and Member of the European Parliament, Mr. Barry Andrews while presenting the preliminary findings of the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) on the 25 February general elections noted that millions of Nigerian voters cast their vote in the Presidential, Senate and House of Representatives elections despite prevailing challenges.

According to Andrew, “I

commend the patience of voters as well as the commitment of youth, who have contributed hugely to the democratic process”.

He said that INEC held the elections on schedule despite a very challenging environment.

His words, “Stakeholders overall expressed confidence in INEC independence and professionalism in the preparatory phase.

“However, INEC’s lack of efficient planning in critical stages and effective public communication reduced trust in the process, including on Election Day.

According to the findings of EU EOM observers, “Election day was marked by late deployment and opening while polling procedures were not always followed.

“Polling staff struggled to complete result forms, which were not posted publicly in most

polling units observed.

“The introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Results Viewing Portal ([ReV) were perceived as an important step to ensure the integrity and credibility of the elections.

“However, uploading of the results using the BVAS did not work as expected and presidential election result forms started to appear on the portal very late on election day, raising concerns.

“The general elections offered voters a real choice of candidates in a highly competitive campaign. However, political parties denounced unequal campaign conditions due to interference and increase in violent incidents with a potential to impact the elections and suppress voter participation.

“Civil society played an increasingly important role in mobilising youth, supporting

voter education and, with almost 150,000 observers, holding electoral institutions accountable.

“The tabulation exercise is still ongoing, and we will follow the processes until the end. I encourage stakeholders to continue demonstrating commitment to a peaceful process — before and after the results are announced.

“Any dispute arising from the electoral process should be addressed through established legal channels,” said Barry Andrews.

Meanwhile, Evin Incir, Head of Delegation of the European Parliament, expressed concern that less than 10 percent of candidates were women.

She advised that next government and parliament should heed to the manifestos of the main political parties of Nigeria, which call for affirmative

action, such as quotas.”

Incir noted that media offered extensive and fairly equitable campaign coverage despite challenges saying that social media platforms were misused to spread harmful content and measures taken by platforms to protect electoral integrity were insufficient.

“Positively, online and offline media joined forces with civil society and fact checkers to safeguard the integrity of the pre-election information environment” she said. It could be recalled that the EU EOM deployed 110 observers from EU member states as well as Canada, Norway and Switzerland for the general elections and the EU EOM is independent in its findings from EU Member States and all EU institutions.

INEC chairman rules out over voting in Ekiti, as PDP, LP, PRP protest

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

There was a mild drama at the International Collation Centre situated at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, when agents of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP), on Monday, rejected the presidential election result of Ekiti, claiming that the figures presented by the state collation officer, Prof. Akeem Lasisi, did not add up.

However, the INEC Chairman dismissed rumours of alleged over voting in Ekiti state, saying that the masterminds were purveyors of fake news.

He said the result of the Ekiti presidential election was crosschecked, authenticated and signed by all party agents at the election venue, and that there was no protest from the parties in the

Tinubu wins Jigawa with 421,390 votes

From Mika’il Tsoho, Dutse

The Presidential candidate of ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu scored the highest votes for the 2023 general election in Jigawa state.

While former vice president and also the candidate of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Atiku Abubakar followed with 386,587 votes.

Announcing the results, the collation officer for 2023 presidential election in Jigawa state, Professor Arma-Ya’u Hamisu Bichi from Federal University Dutsimma said, the election was conducted peacefully and the contestants scored the following votes.

He explained that, the total registered votes is 2,341,441 and total votes accredited is 961,670 while the total votes cast stand at 954,805.

Professor Bichi announced the scores by each party as APC scored 421,390, LP scored 1,889, NNPP 98,234 while PDP scored 386,587 votes.

He then, announced the total valid votes as 920,531, rejected votes stand at 34,274 while the total cast votes remain 954,805.

state on the issue of over voting.

He said rather, the number of recorded voters on Saturday from the state was indeed far below the number of registered voters for the state.

The agent of the PDP, Senator Dino Melaye had claimed that there was over voting in the Ekiti presidential 6uelection.

The State collation officer for Ekiti, Prof. Lasisi who presented the result of the election on Sunday, it will be recalled, had said that out of total number of 315, 058 accredited voters for the election, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) got 201, 494 while the PDP and LP candidates scored 89, 554 and 11, 397 votes respectively.

But Senator Dino Melaye said the 301, 558 accredited did not add up with the votes recorded for the parties, arguing that there was

an over voting of 15, 590. The LP and Action Alliance (AA) agents supported his submission and called for the rejection of Ekiti State result.

However, the agent of the All Progressives Congress, Barrister Babatunde Ogala, said that the best thing for the protesting agents to do was to write petition in protest against the result they are disputing and not to call for the cancelation of the result.

In his response, the INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, stated that the figure quoted by Dino was different from what was presented by the state collation officer on Sunday at the same venue.

Some Party agents also tackled the commission for failure to upload polling unit election results. Their demand that the

uploaded results should be displayed alongside the physical collated ones “for us to know where BVAS was bypassed,” was not granted by the INEC Chairman, who insisted that the process of the collation and announcement should take its course, and that aggrieved parties can send to INEC their grievances for review afterwards. This, he said, is aside the option of approaching the tribunal.

Dino Melaye, the agent to the of PDP Atiku had caused a stir when he insisted that the INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu must not accept the results of Ekiti, alleging that there were incidents of over voting and electoral irregularities.

Initially, Yakubu entertained Melaye’s complaints but the former lawmaker sprang up to his feet and demanded that

the presentation of results by state collation officers for the presidential election (SCOPs) did not in any way translate to the declaration of results.

Melaye also said the results presented at the national collation centre weren’t uploaded on the commission’s Results Viewing Portal (IReV). He was supported by other party agents.

The INEC chairman however made clarifications and asked the State Collation Officer for Ondo and Osun to proceed with their results.

At a point, the INEC Chairman had to caution the former Senator who represented Kogi East district in the National Assembly between 2015 and 2019, saying, “Dino, You are being disruptive”, shortly before he announced a one-hour break.

Ex-Buhari’s aide, Kawu Sumaila ends Kabiru Gaya’s 16-year reign in Senate

From Mustapha Adamu, Kano

Former Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly Matters, Abdulrahman Sulaiman Kawu Sumaila has unseated Senator Ibrahim Kabiru Gaya as senator

for Kano south.

Gaya had spent 16 years in Senate, one of the longest serving senators in the red chamber.

The INEC ‘s Returning Officer, Professor Ibrahim N. Barde announced the results that declared Kawu Sumaila as the winner.

Professor Barde declared that

“Abdurrahman Kawu Sumaila, NNPP, 319,857 having certified requirements of the law has been declared the Winner and is returned elected.”

The development has brought to an end the 16-year of Senator Gaya in the Senate.

The former governor of Kano state, Senator Gaya was elected

governor in 1992 and elected senator in 2007. Until the recent defeat, Senator Gaya has been in the Red Chamber.

Kano south comprises of 16 Local Government Areas.

Total Registered votes

-1597489

Total Accredited votes –556471.

APC – 192,518 (Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya)

LP – 2,875 (Umar Darki) NNPP – 319,857 (Abdurrahman Kawu Sumaila)

PDP – 14,880 (Galadanci Murtala Bashir).

Total valid votes – 538780

Rejected votes – 11060

Total votes cast – 549840

L-R: Former Ghananian President, John Mahama, Former Gambia Vice President, Fatoumaya Tambajang and Former Burkina Faso Prime Minister / Former ECOWAS President, Kadre Ouedraogo, during the West African Elders Forum media briefing on the Nigeria’s 2023 general election, held on Friday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-owo

INEC ad hoc staff held hostage in Warri South regain freedom

Three ad-hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta, allegedly held hostage on Sunday have been freed.

The Warri South INEC Electoral Officer, Mr Kingsley Ogboe, confirmed this to newsmen in Warri on Monday.

Ogboe, who said he was not authorised to speak to journalists, however, said “they were released at about 11:00 p.m. on Sunday”.

The electoral officer, who

declined further comment simply said, “we are waiting for the results from other local government areas”.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the victims: Yetunde Adeleke, Stephanie Udoh and Theresa Igien, all female were allegedly held by angry voters at Oki 1, off Okere Road, Ward 5, unit 19.

They were allegedly held hostage after the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) brought for the Presidential and National Assembly elections in

the unit reportedly crashed.

Angered by the development, the voters, who had waited endlessly on Saturday and Sunday to exercise their franchise, got infuriated and decided to hold them hostage.

One of the victims, Adeleke told newsmen that the BVAS brought to the unit was configured for Saturday and there was no back up for them.

However, the angry voters said that they were infuriated because the adhoc staff wanted to resort to manual voting as an alternative

Nigerian Diasporas promise to pursue election voting

against the acceptable norms of the use of BVAS.

“Instead of seeking for a solution, they said that they would conduct the voting manually and that is not acceptable by us,” they said.

The voters also accused the electoral officers of being compromised by way of trying to disenfranchise them. Meanwhile, as at the time of filing this report, collation of results have not started in Warri South. (NAN)

Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation – Americas (NIDOA) has promised to continue its cause for Diaspora voting, to achieve desired goals in future elections.

Mr Obed Monago, a former Chair of NIDOA, said this in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday.

He spoke on the sidelines of the ongoing Presidential and National Assembly elections in the country.

”About diaspora voting, it is quite unfortunate that the Federal Government did not deem it fit to pass it into law, even after it went for the second reading.

“Eventually, it was voted down, so it is really quite unfortunate that government did not put into consideration the contribution and the impact of the Diasporas to the socio-economic wellbeing of Nigeria.

“The thinking is basically not welcome, but we are not relenting; we are going to take up the fight this time.

“It is going to be more organised and we are going to take it up with the incoming National Assembly too, hopefully this time we are going to prevail.

“Hopefully, during the next electoral cycle, four years from now, we will be voting.”

L-R: Proprietor, Augustine University Ilara (UAI) and the Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Lagos Archbishop Alfred Adewale Martins; Chancellor, Mr. Femi Otedola, CON; his mother and former First Lady of Lagos State, Lady Doja Otedola, Chairman Board of Trustee and Chairman, AUI Fund Raising Committee, Sir Steve Omojafor, and Pro-Chancellor, AUI, Chief Gilbert T. Grant, during the inauguration of the completed first block of the Faculty of Engineering complex and the laying of foundation for block 2 and 3, donated to Augustine University in Epe by Femi Otedola, in Lagos on Wednesday

NNPP faithful decry distorted party logo on ballot paper

TheNew Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) faithful in Cross River have raised concerns over the distortion of the party’s logo on the ballot paper.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Presidential and National Assembly elections was largely peaceful in Ogoja Local Government Area of Cross River on Saturday.

However, a cross section of NNPP party faithful who spoke with NAN after the elections, noted that there were some discrepancies in the party logo on the ballot paper which made it difficult for to cast their vote rightly.

Wilfred Bonse, the NNPP Gubernatorial candidate for Cross River noted that the logo was completely defaced, adding that the experience was quite horrendous

“Very unfortunately, the NNPP was not represented on the ballot papers as should have been.

“I struggled very hard to even recognise as a candidate of the party at the level of the gubernatorial position to recognise the logo of the NNPP.

“The NNPP logo is a basket of fruits, but I unfortunately found a mixed coloured basket not of fruits but probably something that looked like one or two yams without even NNPP written under.

“That’s a fiasco, total fiasco. Even when some of our candidates and agents were trying to capture it

on picture and videos as evidence, they were attacked.

“So, this is a very big gang up and conspiracy if you like against the NNPP. The other parties have their logos clearly stated.

“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for instance had the umbrella well captured, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and even the Labour Party (LP).

“I struggled very hard to find ours and bearing in mind that one is not supposed to start teaching people on the election ground how to locate your logo.

“So, the experience we had today was quite horrendous,” he said.

Bonse urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to come clean, adding that the situation was not acceptable by NNPP.

He stressed that the issue would be addressed at the highest level.

“Every party has a logo wherewith it has educated its followers and those logos must be spelt and clearly stated as it is in every representation.

“We will take this up at the highest level for sure.

“This is not acceptable and some of the videos which have gone viral were being attacked, particularly our senatorial candidate, Carolyn Williams for attempting to take photos of the ballot papers.

“Her phone was being confiscated when she also tried to

do a video of what the NNPP logo on the ballot paper looked like.

“So, this anomaly has to be corrected as soon as possible because the elections must be seen to be free and fair,” he said.

Carolyn Williams, Cross River North Senatorial Candidate of the NNPP said there was an intentional attempt to sabotage the effort of the party by INEC and some unscrupulous agents.

“I think we were sabotaged because firstly, my party logo didn’t even look like my party logo.

“Then when you go to the House of Representatives and Presidential elections, the party logo was totally different.

“It had stars on it, a complete contrast to our party’s authentic logo which has a fruit basket.

“So, alot of our supporters and voters were confused because they couldn’t recognise the party logo and it brought alot of chaos and instability in the voting process,” she said.

Williams also revealed that were pockets of violence in some wards and some irregularities recorded.

“We had some issues in West ward I and West ward II where our party agents took off due to fear of the All Progressives Congress (APC) boys.

“So, there were no other agents but only the APC boys there and even when I got there I was attacked and had to quickly leave.

“Even the INEC officials and presiding officers wouldn’t let me take evidences of the ballot papers.

“In West ward I, we had issues where the voters couldn’t recognise the party logo and some of them got confused and started voting for the likes of PDP when they couldn’t find the NNPP logo.

“So, I don’t think this election was free and fair. I feel NNPP was sabotaged and therefore this election should have a re-run as far as I am concerned,” she said.

Simon Akpa, INEC, Assistant Electoral Officer for Ogoja told NAN that he was not aware of the issue as it had not been formally reported to INEC as of today (Monday).

Akpa, however, said that if the report was true and what was obtainable not just in Ogoja but also in other parts of the country, then the party had the constitutional right to file an official complain to INEC for further investigation.

“The complain has to be officially transmitted from the national level of NNPP to INEC, at that level the commission will give prompt attention to the issue.

“However, if the issue was a peculiar one to a particular constituency and not a general concern, the complain might not really hold water.

“But if the same concerns were raised and observed all over the country, then it will definitely be looked into by the electoral

He said 100 members of the organisation were duly registered to carry out election observation in the country, but were not accredited early.

He said that the organisation designated its delegates to achieve targets more effectively in the election season.

According to him, NIDO’s delegate accreditation was late, but we will try to manage the circumstances to the best of our abilities.

“We are going to do that individually; people are going to submit observations and then, we will compile it.

“I have been following everything that is happening in Nigeria; President Muhammadu Buhari has said it wisely, vote for your candidate of choice and vote your conscience even as a party loyalist campaigning with Mr Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of his party.

“So, that is very nice of him to have said that with respect to promoting free, fair and credible elections and against vote buying everywhere.

The former NIDOA boss commended grassroots awareness being created on what governance should mean, and hoped that people would shun vote buying and adhere to the president’s advice.

“Take that money because it is part of a commonwealth that has been looted, you take it and pocket it. When you get to the polling booth, vote your conscience, irrespective of the money given to you.

“It is our stolen money that they are sharing, so take it because it is part of your own money, when you get into that polling booth, vote your conscience.” (NAN)

Exploiting, exporting raw materials will produce estimated $46tn by 2050 – UNECA

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) says Africa has the capacity to generate about 46 trillion dollars by 2050 should the continent harness its abundant resources.

The Acting Executive Secretary of the commission, Mr Antonio Pedro, said this in Niamey, Niger on Monday.

Pedro spoke at the Preparatory and Capacity-Development Workshop for Major Groups and other Stakeholders in the African Region for the Ninth Session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development.

He said: “Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia jointly account for over 70 per cent of global cobalt and 10 per cent of global copper production.

“If we manage to harness all of these resources, we can generate incomes that are much more significant than what we obtain today by exploiting and exporting raw materials.

“Our figures and other people’s estimates suggest that this market

will be up to 46 trillion dollars by 2050.

“So, we need to be able to harness this opportunity.’’

Pedro also said that UNECA was working with the DRC and Zambia to develop a regional battery mineral value chain in Africa that promised to contribute to global green energy transition and rapid decarbonisation.

According to him, the development will significantly advance industrialisation and economic growth on the continent.

Moreover, Pedro said the African Development Bank estimated that African extractive resources could contribute at least 30 billion dollars each year to government revenue for the next 20 years.

“That is if we were to stay just in the extractive sector.

“But the case of DRC and Zambia goes beyond that and is about creating a value chain that will facilitate the manufacturing of electric vehicles on the continent, the deployment of renewable

energy across the continent,” he said.

On the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Pedro said that the commission was supporting the agreement to promote intra-African trade and help African economies become more resilient and globally competitive.

“Once fully implemented, the AfCFTA agreement will create a single African market that is home to approximately 1.2 billion people in the combined gross domestic product of over 2.5 trillion dollars.

“Those numbers, especially the population, will strengthen the business fundamentals for investing on the continent,” he said.

He also said the UNECA was supporting African countries in leveraging carbon markets to raise climate finance, and funding their socioeconomic development in green transitions.

“It is estimated that Africa could generate as much as 82 billion dollars annually in

carbon credits, depending on the prevailing carbon price,” he said.

Also, Pedro said the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, called for a 500-billiondollar a year payers Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) stimulus to finance sustainable development.

“This underscores the magnitude of the investment needs.

“The SDG stimulus will support countries in addressing short term urgencies balanced with the need for long term financing towards achieving the SDGs.

“Although ambitious, we believe that if secured, this will be a win-win for Africa, and the role of the major groups and other stakeholders is integral towards its achievement,” Pedro said.

He encouraged participants at the regional forum to propose practical solutions and policy recommendations to advance Africa’s path to sustainable development. (NAN)

Maku wants prompt distribution of election materials to polling units during guber elections

From Gambo Ahmed lafia

Former minister of information Mr Labaran Maku has appealed to adopt prompt and suitable means of early distribution of election materials to polling units across the state during gubernatorial elections.

Maku who was reacting in an interview with newsmen expressed worry over late arrival of election materials in some polling units in Nasarawa Eggon local government council”.

“Nasarawa Eggon local government council is one of the largest in the Northern Senatorial district but witnessed late arrival of election materials especially in Wakama Ward. I am calling on INEC to take necessary administrative step towards prompt distribution of election materials to respective polling units across the state”.

EU observer lauds INEC election officials, ad hoc staff

Amember of the European Union (EU) Election Observers has commended election officials and ad hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for coordinating the 2023 election well.

AfDB, others deliberate on food security measures in Africa

The Global Centre on Adaptation (GCA), in collaboration with the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Wangari Mathai Institute, have reiterated the importance of improving food security in Africa.

Prof. Patrick Verkooijen, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GCA, in a statement issued on the AfDB website, called for urgent financial support to put Africa on the path of food sovereignty.

Verkooijen spoke at a threeday regional forum on the future of resilient food systems in Africa organised by the GCA and AfDB.

The forum urged the Future of Resilient Food Systems in Africa – AAAP Digital Solutions for a Changing Climate provided through training for stakeholders across Eastern Africa.

The training strengthened their capacity to design and implement solutions to improve food security

and climate resilience.

It was also meant to facilitate knowledge sharing among farmers on scaling up the use of Digital Climate-informed Advisory Services (DCAS).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that DCAS are tools and platforms that integrate climate information into agricultural decision-making.

Globally, more than 300 million small-scale farmers have limited or no access to DCAS because service provision is still fragmented, unsustainable beyond project cycles, and not reaching the last mile.

According to Verkooijen, Africa needs urgent support to scale up the implementation of adaptation solutions.

“Through the African Adaptation Acceleration Programme (AAAP), we are rolling out a 350 million dollar project to build resilience for food and nutrition security in the horn of Africa.

“This is toward mobilising new digital climate technology for market information, insurance products, and financial services that can and must be tailored to smallholder farmers’ needs,” he said.

The AfDB’s East Africa Regional Director-General, Nnenna Nwabufo, represented by Dr Pascal Sanginga, the Regional Sector Manager for Agriculture and AgroIndustries, said the forum was timely.

“The AAAP is already contributing to closing Africa’s adaptation gap by supporting African countries to make a transformational shift in their development pathways.

“It is putting climate adaptation and resilience at the centre of their policies, programmes, and institutions.

“There is no doubt that AAAP will be a strong component of the country’s Food and Agricultural Delivery Compacts.

“As it will accelerate the transformation of Africa’s food systems and build a more resilient Africa,” Nwabufo said.

Prof. Stephen Gitahi, Vice Chancellor of the University of Nairobi, said 70 per cent of the population in Eastern Africa live in rural areas and depend on agriculture for their livelihoods.

Gitahi encouraged the trainers to simplify the modules to remove the fear of technology and accelerate adaptation for rural farmers.

“We acknowledge that gaps exist on climate adaptation in the rural communities, and those can be smartly bridged with the use of digital smart agriculture and climate innovations,” he said.

The forum brought together stakeholders and participants from Djibouti, Eritrea, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Mauritius, Tanzania, Seychelles, Sudan, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Kenya.

(NAN)

The Team Leader of one of the EU observers, Mr Deleen Michel, gave the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the INEC collation Centre in Surulere, Lagos, on Sunday.

“My Big respect to INEC officials. They have been able to manage the polling centres well.

“The young people of Nigeria who run the polling centres were warm. They did a great job,” he said.

Michel also led his team to Oworonshoki area of Lagos on Saturday before coming to Surulere.

His team members include Van Der Stijl Leonie and Sabi Oinabwhen.

Michel said his team did not experience any problems at the places they visited. (NAN)

President Muhammadu Buhari with APC National Legal Adviser Barr Ahmad El-Marzuq, Senator-Elect Hon Nasir Zango Daura, and House of Rep Member Elect Hon. Aminu Jamo as he receives National Assembly Election Winners in his Constituency in Daura yesterday

CSO commends military personnel on election duty

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

Aleading civil society organisation, Election Monitoring Coalition (EMC), has commended personnel of the Nigerian military for displaying professionalism during Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections.

The group said the conduct of personnel of the Armed forces of Nigeria during the election was commendable.

The Coalition said its men on ground specifically went out to assess the conduct of the AFN on Saturday, and found them to have

Al-Makura loses Nasarawa South Senatorial seat to Onawo of PDP

From Gambo Ahmed Lafia

Senator Amakura(Nasarawa South) has lost his reelection bid to the former House of Representatives member, Mohammed Onawo of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Declaring the outcome on Monday in Lafia, Nasarawa State Prof. Ahmed Ashiku, the Returning Officer opined that Onawo got 93, 064 votes to defeat Al-Makura of APC who got 76, 813 votes.

The returning officer asserted that Onawo of PDP having satisfied the requirement of the Electoral law and scored the highest number of votes is hereby returned elect.

Speaking to Newsmen shortly after the outcome of the result, Francis Orugu, Nasarawa State Chairman of PDP described it as a victory for democracy.

Labour Party wins Edo South senatorial seat

INEC on Monday declared Mr Neda Imasuen of the Labour Party (LP) as the winner of the Edo South senatorial district election of Saturday.

The Returning Officer, Prof. A. Obasuyi, declared that Imasuen scored 167,250 votes to defeat his PDP and APC opponents, who scored 57,933 votes and 61,749 respectively.

The LP candidate for Oredo federal constituency, Mr Iyawe Eseosa won his election, Obasuyi said.

The APC and PDP candidates at the election scored 15,747 votes and 11,889 votes respectively, he added. (NAN)

carried out their responsibilities with high ethical standards.

The group premised its investigations on promises by the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen LEO Irabor, that the AFN will not only remain apolitical, but will totally collaborate with the relevant security agencies in ensuring a peaceful election; to assess conduct of the elections in areas with security challenges; and determine the worthiness of insinuations that the military was going to play a biased role.

EMC in a statement issued on Monday by its Director, Monitoring, Bello Yahuza and

Director, Politics, Yewande Amusa said reports from different parts of the country indicated that the AFN kept to its promise.

“Generally, observers reported that the security personnel behaved and conducted themselves professionally,” EMC said.

EMC gave kudos to the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen LEO Irabor for building a military force with enviable records, especially in conduct during electioneering period.

The Coalition said that all those who made different insinuations targeted at the top echelon of the

Armed forces before the election have now realized their error.

The Coalition further gave kudos to the AFN for peaceful conduct of polls in the North East and South East, saying nobody thought it would have been possible in the two regions.

EMC in the press release urged contestants in the remaining elections to play by the rules and accept the results in the interest of the nation.

According to EMC “We note how troops nullified attempt by terrorists to disrupt elections in Mandara Mountains in Gwoza, Borno State.

“In Gombe soldiers recovered two ballot boxes from thugs who snatched them from the Government Science Secondary School in the Jekadafari area of the state.

“Across the country, it is a story of professional conduct by our troops. This indeed is commendable.

“EMC want to say without any reservations that the Armed Forces of Nigeria scored almost 100 percent in the Presidential elections, and we re certain that they will continue like that in the March 11, 2023 elections.”

US extends Visitor Visa validity from 24 months to 60

By Ochiaka Ugwu

The U.S. Mission has increased visitor visa validity from 24 months to 60 months for Nigerians who want to enter the United States temporarily for business and/or tourism effective March 1, 2023.

A statement released on Monday by the United States Mission in Abuja stated that the

visa validity extension allows Nigerians to use the visa for 60 months to make short trips to the United States for tourism or business purposes before having to renew their visa.

According to the statement, “This visa application fee, currently USD160, will not increase as a result of the increased visa validity.

“Increasing visa validity is

one of several initiatives taken by the United States to reduce visa appointment wait times in Nigeria.

The U.S. Mission continues to offer No-Interview Visa Renewals to those who meet the eligibility criteria. Appointments for NoInterview Visa Renewals are readily available.

“You may be eligible for a visa renewal without an interview if your application is for a B1/B2,

F, M, J (academic only), H, L, or C1/D (combined only) visa, AND you meet each of the following criteria: You are physically present in Nigeria, Your previous visa was issued in Nigeria, Your previous visa is in the same classification as your current application, Your previous visa was a full-validity, multiple-entry visa, Your previous visa expired within the last 48 months or will

APC Reps Candidate endorsed by ex-speaker Dogara wins in Bauchi

From Ahmad Muhammad, Bauchi

The House of Representative Candidate under the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Bogoro, Dass and Tafawa Balewa federal constituency, Jafar Gambo Leko has been declared as winner in

the Saturday presidential and National assembly elections.

Ja’afar Gambo Leko was endorsed few days to the election by the incumbent member representing the constituency in Tafawa Balewa town, former Speaker Yakubu Dogara as competent candidate for the people of the area to vote for.

Announcing the result in Bununu town, the headquarters of Tafawa Balewa local government, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Leko as the winner.

The Returning Officer, Professor Bala Dalhat from the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi who

made the declaration on Monday said the APC candidate pulled 54,128 votes to defeat his closest rival, Magaji Kefas of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) who scored 52,314 votes.

He said that the NNPP’s Quni Simon pulled a total number of 5,662 votes.

Commissioner of Police on election duty deployed to Kaduna State Command, CP Sunday Babaji,- psc leading heads of other security agencies, on a tour of Kaduna metropolis

Elections 2023: IPI Nigeria writes security agencies on journalists’ safety

By Ochiaka Ugwu

The Nigerian National Committee of the International Press Institute (IPI) has asked the Nigerian government and all security agencies in the country to respect the constitutional rights of journalists to freely cover and report on the

Fulani group promises 7 million votes for Kola Abiola

Sen. Aliyu Wamakko (APC-Sokoto North) says the party’s presidential candidate, Sen. Boils Tinubu will win Saturday’s poll at first ballot.

This is contained in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja by Dr Danladi Bako, Chairman, Publicity Committee, Sokoto State APC gubernatorial campaign council.

”The Leader of APC and former Governor of the State, Sen. Aliyu Wammako has reaffirmed that Tinubu will not only win the presidential ticket in the state, but will on the first ballot in the Feb. 25 presidential race.

Bako said: ”’Wamakko, who was speaking to newsmen on Sunday in Sokoto commended President Muhammadu Buhari for endorsing Tinubu for president even while out of the country in Addis Ababa.”

He quoted Wamakko as reiterating that Buhari has not only shown his astute leadership qualities but has also boosted the ego of all APC members across the country as we march towards Saturday’s general elections.

”Sen. Wamakko, who is also the APC Senatorial candidate for Sokoto North assured Nigerians that he will not only win his seat but will also ensure that the party wins all tthreehe Senatorial seats in Sokoto as well as majority of the House of Representatives seats.

“He reaffirmed that the Sokoto State Government House will be occupied by the APC by May 29 , 2023,” Bako added.

It will be recalled that APC had a very successful Presidential and Governorship rally in the state last week.(NAN)

general elections commencing this Saturday, 25 February, 2023, without obstruction or impediment.

In separate letters to heads of all security organisations in the country and the electoral management body, IPI Nigeria reminded the agencies that just as they are duty bound to ensure the elections are conducted peacefully, journalists are also under duty to keep the public informed.

The letters, which were jointly signed by the IPI Nigeria President, Musikilu Mojeed, and its Legal and Advocacy Officer, Tobi Soniyi, were addressed to the Inspector General of Police, the Director General, State Security Service (SSS), the Commandant General of the Nigerian Security and Civil

Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Chief of Defence Staff.

Similar letters were written to the Minister of Information and Culture, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, as well as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Citing the 1999 Constitution, as amended, precisely Section 39(1) and (2), Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which also guarantee this right, IPI Nigeria reminded the agencies that journalists are under legal obligation to cover the elections.

A press statement signed by IPI Nigeria Secretary, Ahmed I. Shekarau, quoted

the organisation’s president and legal officer as stating that: “When journalists cover elections, they are performing a constitutional duty. Just like it behoves on security agencies to protect lives and property, journalists are duty bound to provide the public with accurate information not just during elections but at all times”.

The Nigerian chapter of the global media body emphasized that to discharge their statutory responsibility, journalists must be allowed to go about their business freely and must have unrestricted access to cover the elections, stressing that “When journalists are allowed to cover elections, transparency is enhanced, thereby resulting in credible elections”.

IPI Nigeria said that since

the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has accredited journalists to enable them cover the elections, security operatives must not obstruct such journalists from performing their constitutional duty.

The media body further requested the security operatives and INEC to ensure the safety of journalists during the elections.

“Our organisation will take every legitimate measure to hold to account anyone whose action or inaction leads to the violation of the rights of any journalists during the electioneering period and afterwards,” the letter to the government, security agencies and INEC said.

MNCHW: Kano govt targets 2.8m children for 2023 campaign

From Mustapha Adamu, Kano

The Kano state government and health development partners in the state are going to target 2.8 million children on the first round of 2023 Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week.

This was made known by the Commissioner for Health, Dr Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa at a press briefing on the Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW) campaigns on Monday in Kano.

The campaign which will take place from Monday 20th February to 24th February

2023 is targetting 2.8 million children that are under 5 years

of age and 400,000 pregnant wonen.

“The Kano state government along with health development partners will spend about N1 billion on 2.8 million children and 400,000 pregnant women in the 44 local government areas of the state” he said.

Addressing newsmen earlier, the commissioner gave a breakdown of the activities he described as cost effective and of high impact.

“The MNCHW campaign is a high impact, cost effective, and client centered maternal child health and nutrition intervention aimed at reaching out to all women and children of the state with intensified

maternal and health services.

“It is a week-long intervention during which free services such as vitamin A supplementation, deworming, nutritional assessement, free antenatal drugs such as fesolate and folic acid for prevention of anemia in pregnancy, free zin and ORS will be distributed to parents, care givers, children and pregnant women across the state.

“Other services include distribution of free insecticide treated nets to children and pregnant women as one of the effective malaria control strategies, family planning services, immunization against killer diseases, nutritional

SSANU elects officials in UniAbuja

By Usman Shuaibu

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), University of Abuja Chapter has elected nine executives to pilot the affairs of the association for four years.

Some of the elected executive members are Mr. Nurudeen Yusuf; Chairman, Rita Ngoba Ikiroma; Vice-Chairman, Acc Amdii Amdii; Secretary and the position of public

Relations Officer (PRO) went to Mohammed Sani El-Yaqub.

In an interview with newsmen after the election, the newly elected chairman of the association, Mr. Nurudeen Yusuf, said his leadership would carry the members of the association along in the affairs of things.

He also said he would not hesitate to work hand in hand with the management of the University to fight for the welfare of the staff at all times.

He further charged the entire

members to co-operate with him in order to move the association to the next level, and called for the support and unity of all the members.

Nurudeen, however, appealed to those who lost the election to join hands with him for the overall progress of the association.

Also speaking, the Public Relations Officer of the association, Mr. Mohammed Sani El-Yaqub, said he would always work towards the unity of

assessment and other health promotion interventions” he explained.

On how it will take place, the commissioner further explained that the services will be provided in all the more than 1300 health facilities of the state as part of the continuous commitment of the state government in improving the maternal and child health indices in the state.

On how it will take place, the commissioner further explained that the services will be provided in all the more than 1300 health facilities of the state as part of the continuous commitment of the state government in improving the maternal and child health indices in the state.

the association.

He then pointed out that he would be relating with the executives as well as the members of the association for the sake of togetherness.

El-Yaqub, therefore, advised members to burry their differences and work for the oneness of the association.

However, it was observed that the voters conducted themselves peacefully and voted for the candidates of their choice without rancor and acrimony.

Nigerian small businesses buckle under the weight of Naira scarcity

By Abiodun Salako

“Naira redesign policy alone at this time in Nigeria would have had a hasslefree process without other conditions stipulated by the Central Bank of Nigeria. Withdrawal limits and scarcity of the new notes are the cause of the negative impact, ” he added.

Since the unveiling of the redesigned N1000, N500 and N200 naira notes in November 2022, the country’s highest currency denominations, both small and large scale businesses have suffered from the apparently erratic naira redesign initiative of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Visibly, there is now a catastrophic scarcity of the nation’s legal tender plaguing the country. However it is suffice to say that the weight of this scarcity has been felt majorly by small businesses.

Originally borne out of noble causes to address the issue of individuals who have made currency fraud their main source of sustenance, to deal an ending blow to the rapidly growing kidnapping and ransom industry, to aid in lowering the rate of inflation, and to equally control the amount of money in circulation, the naira redesign policy has quickly turned sour in the mouths of Nigerians, threatening livelihoods and causing untold pain and hardship.

Recall the World Bank had, in December, warned that the newly redesigned naira notes which went into circulation may have a negative effect on economic activity, especially on small-scale businesses and poor Nigerians due to its timing and short transition period.

According to the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), there are over 36 million micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) operating in Nigeria. Lagos has the highest number of small and medium enterprises of 11,663, and micro-businesses of over 3 million.

Small and micro business owners operating in Tedi Town, Ojo local government of Lagos state, are bearing the brunt of the naira scarcity. They lamented the effects the new naira policy has had on them while calling on the federal government to print more new naira notes.

Chisom Favour and his brother have been managing a wine store and beer parlour for over three years. But things have become rather difficult due to the naira scarcity.

“My customers are reducing day by day due to the naira scarcity. Many people used to come to buy things with old notes, but I’ve had to turn them down. Usually, I make up to N400,000 a week, but now I make less than that, ” he lamented.

Chisom called on the Federal Government to make things easier by mandating the CBN to produce more naira notes and make it available to the public soonest.

The story is the same for Uche Joy, who has a small grocery store. She said the naira scarcity has been a thorn in her business’s flesh.

“I used to make N70,000 to N80,000 daily, but now I find it hard to make up to N20,000. Even if a customer gives me the new N1000 note, I don’t have change to give the customer. So the customer usually ends up not buying anything again. “

Similarly, Dr. Alao Laifis, who runs a hospital, said the currency policy has negatively affected his business because the country is witnessing a paucity of money.

“We have had low patronage. We do not see as many patients as we used to see since many don’t have money to pay for services,” he said.

Analysts said that the naira scarcity is deeply eating into the economic stability of Nigeria. They said the number of business transactions in the marketplace has been reduced or impeded, and there is a loss of value and time and reduced earning power.

Entrepreneur and Business Analyst, Seun Olubuyide said, “Every action comes with its equal and opposite reactions. In every institution, policies are designed to solve either existing problems or future problems, however, design thinking and change management must be part of the strategies to effect the policy so the policy affects positively.

“Naira redesign policy alone at this time in Nigeria would have had a hassle-free process without other conditions stipulated by the Central Bank of Nigeria. Withdrawal limits and scarcity of the new notes are the cause of the negative impact, ” he added.

Potential Loss of Jobs In Informal Sector

According to the International Labour Organisation, in Nigeria, over 80% of working people are employed in the informal sector. Moreover, the informal economy, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), employs about 5.5 million people in Lagos, if not more.

Unfortunately, the number of unemployed Nigerians in the informal economy may reduce even further owing to the naira redesign policy of the CBN. If micro-businesses aren’t making enough revenue, it might become difficult for them to remain open, let alone pay employees.

Dr. Alao said he was thinking of downgrading his workforce of about 7 to 8 employees as revenue has taken a hit. He said he was afraid of how to pay them, not knowing precisely when the economy would pick up once more money is injected back into it.

According to him, the redesigning of the naira is actually a good policy, but it was ill-timed. He added that people weren’t adequately sensitized and the economy Nigeria operates is mostly cash and carry.

Entrepreneur and Business Analyst, Seun Olubuyide, said with the cash scarcity, small businesses could go bankrupt and layoffs happen.

“Layoffs are inevitable in this situation. The number of transactions has reduced, and it takes a longer time to earn money at the moment because of cash scarcity and withdrawal limits. Remember, we are also faced with fuel scarcity and these are enough factors to bankrupt individuals and shut down businesses,” he concluded.

Towing the same path as Chisom, Dr. Alao said the way out is for the CBN to print more money so it can circulate throughout the entire economy.

Lagos based Political Analyst and Journalist, Gabriel Specter, said if the situation isn’t attended to and continues to linger on, it could lead to more economic meltdown.

Compounding the fears already being faced by SMEs, he noted that, “the unemployment rate will consequently increase, many businesses that run on loan will get neck-deep into debts and the poverty rate in the country will get worse.

Banks’ Terrible Network Adds More To The Problem

There are long queues in the banks’ ATMs daily nationwide, with both the young and old finding it hard to get money to meet their daily needs. News of protests in certain parts of the country leading to banks being burnt have taken form due to the naira scarcity.

E-payment, branded as the rescue, in place of less cash in the economy, are failing SMEs. Mobile bank apps have consistently faltered amid network glitches due to the increase in users on a daily basis.

Chibuzor said customers find it difficult to transfer money to his account

as the transactions do not go through or there is no network. He said many resort to wanting to pay him with old naira notes.

Joy, on the other hand, explained that transfers are only allowed only from customers she trusts or knows as there are many fraudulent transactions being done by customers.

“Sometimes, the money bounces back and I don’t receive it. If I tell a customer I trust that the money bounced back, the customer would easily verify it as I know him or her. But, if I don’t know the customer, he or she could run away, ” she said.

However, Olubuyide said that commercial banks are grappling with loss of tech workers and the increase in daily transactions outweigh the hands on ground.

“Before now, commercial banks in Nigeria were still managing the exodus of tech workers to foreign countries and local financial technology firms which had already started impacting their mobile applications services.

“I believe what’s causing the failure of electronic transactions is the pressure caused by the increase in payment mobile app usage because of the scarcity of cash. People are now paying for goods worth as low as N100 through electronic transfers, ” he said.

Light At The End Of The Tunnel Despite Hardship, Say Analysts Lagos based Political Analyst and Journalist, Specter, said the naira redesign in and of itself, has no economical impact on SMEs. He added that the naira redesign being carried out asides from its political reasons is merely a facelift of the notes from the previous designs.

However, he noted that the scarcity of the new naira notes has led to unprecedented hardship on Nigerians over the past few weeks.

“Because of the unavailability of naira notes, many small businesses that do not necessarily have employees and are being run by one-man, have become poorer, because buyers do not have money to make patronage.

“Some other small businesses have lost items, resources and raw materials because their sales are being affected which in turn affects subsequent outputs, ” he said.

According to analysts, there is light at the end of the tunnel for small and micro businesses soon. Olubuyide said, “I believe the situation will end immediately after the elections, especially the presidential election because the major reason why the currency is redesigned is to frustrate vote buying during elections.”

He noted that it may take businesses about three months before they will start recovering from this crisis.

It will be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari gave approval to the central bank to extend the deadline to turn in old banknotes by another 60 days after the cash scarcity fueled anger in the country.

Buhari said in a television broadcast that old 200 notes would continue to circulate in the economy alongside new 1,000, 500 and 200 notes until April 10. His announcement stands despite the Supreme Court saying the old notes remain valid.

While uncertainty and hardship continue to result from the shortage of naira notes in circulation, residents and business owners however continue to hope that it will abate after the election.

Abiodun Salako writes from Lagos. Email: salakobiodun@gmail.com

The nature of democracy in Nigeria

By Abiodun Komolafe

As things stand in Nigeria, Democracy does not mean the same thing between the North and the South. In the North, it is seen as being opposed to the survival of Feudalism. So, the Sultanate and the Emirates still frown at people revolting and ensure that their people are kept in perpetual order, even if they are suffering.

Talking seriously, Democracy as a concept was alien to Africa, and by implication, Nigeria. Largely, right from inception, democratic norms and values were never assimilated and internalised by Africans. At best, its definition and perception were conveniently based on assumptions. So, it meant different things to different people who thought differently! Needless to repeat that there was no conscious effort on the part of the elite leadership – partially or deliberately – to teach the people its real meaning because it was antithetical to the process of maladministration that had gained currency in the land.

We need not forget that, where democracy thrives, Colonialism cannot stand. In other words, it wouldn’t have been in the best interest of the political leadership at the time to dig its own grave! So, the few people who were educated, but who might not have studied Political Science, only had a vague understanding of what the concept was; and the best interpretation they gave to it was that it’s the ‘rule of the mob’; that it allowed for ‘everybody to come in.’ Unfortunately, the basic principles of democracy having respect for the Rule of Law, for example, was missing. So, it’s because education as a vital component of democratic practice was missing when the concept was introduced that it has been giving Nigerians a bloody nose. That’s why, up till tomorrow, even when Nigerians define Democracy correctly, they practise it wrongly!

The other aspect is the intermingling of the interpretation of Politics with Democracy. For all we care, they are two different concepts. Whereas Politics stands apart, Democracy is a political paradigm. That’s why other paradigms like Theocracy, Autocracy and Dictatorship exist. So, irrespective of the modalities, the content analysis of Democracy stands out! In Politics, anything goes! In a Democracy, there’s nothing like that! Whereas godfatherism thrives in Politics, there’s nothing like that in a Democracy. It has to be the rule of the majority; and it has to be processed!

Whereas there can be an alliance, or a re-alliance, even the management of conflicts in Politics, in a Democracy, issues are sorted, formally, through the rule of the majority; and, once the majority uphold or take a stand on an issue,

other sides of the ballot will have to kowtow, because that’s the rule! They can only wait for the next opportunity to push their agenda. The interesting part of Democracy is that one can continue to push one’s agenda fifty times without success, until one has the majority by one’s side. Still, one must be law-abiding! Sad that all these are not applicable in Nigeria! In our fated clime, people make attempts to change the rules, even the Constitution overnight. So, how can that be a Democracy?

As things stand in Nigeria, Democracy does not mean the same thing between the North and the South. In the North, it is seen as being opposed to the survival of Feudalism. So, the Sultanate and the Emirates still frown at people revolting and ensure that their people are kept in perpetual order, even if they are suffering. In the Southern part of the country, education has played a very big role in ensuring that the people know their rights. They are also exposed to how they can challenge the authorities, or seek redress in a court of competent jurisdiction whenever their rights are infringed upon; and they are encouraged to do so! In Lagos State, for example, there is Office of the Public Defender (OPD), established on June 24, 2000, where those who cannot afford the services of lawyers can go at no cost; which makes it dangerous for anybody to infringe on the law with impunity. Of a fact, that has not only deepened Democracy but also encouraged true mass participation. After all, true participation is when, indeed, one can effectively participate, not just by words of mouth!

The nature of Democracy is also a function of its birth, or introduction into the Nigerian society. In other words, it is the society that creates the operational modalities for any paradigm. In the Greek city states where it was invented, it was the love for the masses to have a say in how they were (being) governed that led to Democracy! As a matter of fact, it was a rebellious paradigm; rebellious because it came to correct, checkmate and free the people from Dictatorship, Monarchy and allied concepts. That’s why the ‘Rule of the Majority’ has continued to have many enemies. Even the Church, as it stands today, cannot compel its faithful to vote for XYZ candidates, simply because they (the faithful) have their distinct individual minds and abilities to take specific decisions.

Let’s talk about Nigeria where the son of a farmer – a man from nowhere but with brilliant ideas – is aspiring to become, say, a Senator. For God’s sake, how will he go about it? For such a person to pursue his life ambition, he must first have to go and steal some money and make sure that he belongs to certain socially-recognised groups or a specialised class of people. Otherwise,

he had better stay in his father’s hut and be planting yam and cassava for local consumption. If he is fortunate enough to come across grasscutters, let him learn their language with a view to sharing his ‘brilliant ideas’ with them and never dare enter Nigeria’s dirty political waters.

Democracy is also infused with our sociocultural beliefs. For instance, a man who doesn’t have a wife is deemed to be an irresponsible person. As such, he cannot be ‘a responsible statesman.’ Likewise, a woman who doesn’t have a husband is considered a loose woman. In the eye of our sociocultural values, anybody can come in and sleep with her whenever her body craves sexual satisfaction. In our fated democracy, such a person, considered deficient in the management of her home, will not only be seen as very bad for the society but also repudiate some of the cultural norms of that society. Again, consider a governor who hides under simplistic excuses to deny a certain class of public servants their legitimate salaries! Isn’t he overreaching in abuse of power? By so doing, isn’t he creating a pool of potential public servant thieves in government whenever the opportunity beckons?

The nature of Democracy in Nigeria is mix-multitude. It is also multidimensional and sometimes, issue-specific. In other words, Democracy in our clime does not have standardised applications. Otherwise, what’s democratic in Oyo will be an expression of democratic practice in Sokoto; and Democracy in Borno State will also take the shape and size of the democratic practice in Osun. Herein lies another kicker: since society is constantly under the motion of evolution, political practitioners cannot but tantalize Nigerians with ridiculous interpretations of the ‘Rule of the Majority’ while feeding fat on the wealth of the nation.

Lastly, with statements like ‘awa la wa n’be’ (we are in charge); ‘ijoba wa ni’ (it’s our government); and ‘a o gbe e sile mo’ (we are no longer relinquishing power), Democracy becomes a tool towards licentious political behaviour with serious implications. This stain on the authenticity of the ethics of Democracy is tantamount to doing the unacceptable in an acceptable environment. Without a shred of doubt, this is a strategic imperative we have to deal with before the shop closes.

May the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant us peace in Nigeria!

*Komolafe wrote in from Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State, Nigeria (ijebujesa@ yahoo.co.uk)

After the presidential election, came the rains

By Owei Lakemfa

Nigeria has a long way to go, but with this election and the momentum it has created, we can begin to build the foundations of a great country based on peoples democracy.

AFTER the presidential election on Saturday, February 25, 2023, the rains came down in Abuja. No, they were not pitiful tears even when Nigeria, an otherwise prosperous country has been reduced to a beggarly state. Rather, they were rains cleansing the country, starting with a thorough wash of the county’s seat of government to prepare the people for new occupants after the outgoing caretakers had thoroughly desecrated the land.

Things have so degenerated and gross incompetence so rife that Nigerians have to buy their own country’s currency at premium price just to be able to pay for something as basic as a loaf of bread. Patience had worn thin and before the elections, it seemed the country was in danger of slipping down the slope.

Nigerians are doubtlessly the winners of the elections as they are a major indicator that the exit of the Buhari regime has become an irreversible process.

The ultimate loser is President Muhammadu Buhari who apparently is not trusted by any of the leading political parties. To me, it is humiliating that a retired General, former Military Head of State and incumbent President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces had to violate the electoral rules by displaying publicly before the cameras, his marked ballot paper to show who he voted for. This violation of the secrecy of the voting system, is a display of the integrity-deficit between him and his party. It is like the trust between him and the leading lights of a party he once presided over as the supreme overlord had been torn into shreds. He now has to convince the doubting ‘Thomases’ that he has not betrayed either the party or its presidential candidate. If the ruling party which feels he has de-marketed it does not appear to trust the President, does he think the opposition would trust him? If the mass of those who just a few years ago deified ‘Sai Baba’ now see him as clay-footed, is it not time he makes an honest assessment of himself and his place in history? It is like a man who used to sleep quite comfortably on a cozy bed, struggling to avoid being

By Chidi Odinkalu

The citizens deserved better than the INEC served up. Third, whatever the outcome that the INEC chooses to announce, the winner in these elections will almost certainly receive less than 50% of the votes cast and will need to run a government of all talents, GOAT, seeking and finding ways to ensure that every part of the country takes a stake in the government that emerges.

Africa’s largest experiment in electoral democracy is underway as Nigeria counts the votes cast in its presidential and parliamentary elections, which occurred on Saturday, February 25, 2023. It is too soon to say who Nigeria’s next president will be and it may be a few days yet before the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, announces the results.

The early evidence appears to confirm pre-election suggestions that the race will be a close one between Atiku Abubakar of the main opposition, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP; Peter Obi of the insurgent Labour Party, LP, and Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, with Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, in a respectable showing.

The election season has been full of incidents many of which will affect the credibility of whatever the INEC chooses to announce as the results when they do. Two days before the opening of voting in Africa’s largest elections, the candidates in Nigeria’s presidential elections met in Abuja, the Federal Capital, on February 23 2023, to sign a “peace accord”, promising to eschew violence and hate speech in the ballot and to accept the outcome peacefully. The accord is the idea of the National Peace Committee, a leadership initiative led by Abdulsalami Abubakar, the former Army General who transitioned Nigeria to civil rule in May 1999.

This was the second of such accords by the candidates in the campaign season preceding the vote. A similar accord signed in September 2022 did not much preclude a campaign season in which reports of intolerance and violence sign-posted a fractured political landscape that very much sums up the toxic legacies of nearly eight years of Muhammadu Buhari’s second misadventure in power. It was not entirely clear how or why the National Peace Committee divined that two peace accords were needed to police one election. The fact that it considered a second accord essential suggests that the first was insufficient or ineffective. If the Committee bothered to report on why the first accord failed or as to what it did to preclude such an outcome, it did not make such a report public.

All the evidence suggests that the parties and their candidates did not much regard the peace accord. A report issued on the eve of commencement of voting on February 24, 2022 by the Incident

pushed to the cold floor. After these elections, it appears the Buhari presidency has become lame dock and many would begin to distance themselves from it.

The presidential election came at a high cost with some paying with their lives, and quite a number, may have to live with the scars. There is the iconic photograph of the lady, Efidi Bina Jennifer, who was on Dipolubi Street, Surulere, Lagos to cast her vote when thugs stabbed her twice in the face. She was taken for treatment but returned to cast her vote with the upper and lower parts of her left eye in plasters, her face dripping blood and her T-shirt soaked in blood. The thugs might have thought they were victorious over the ballot box, but she showed that the human will can withstand bayonets. She demonstrated that evil can only win if the victims succumb.

There were cases of electoral officials arriving very late and voters refusing to disperse even as late as 3am Sunday. Antidemocratic forces threw all they had into the mix, including snatching ballot papers, arson, stabbing, thuggery, banditry and terrorism, yet Nigerians stood their ground.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, might not have followed through on its promise to immediately upload election results on its portal as they are sorted, counted and collated across the country. However, it was not a source for concern; technology has moved in such pace that verifiable results are propping up from various sources.

These elections have also transformed the country from a two-party system, to a tripod with the Labour Party emerging as an uncontested third leg. However, it would be a different matter whether this genetic engineering would survive or is sustainable.

It is not so much an issue of who wins the elections at various levels, but the insistence of the electorate that their votes must count. A new momentum has been unleashed in the country; the sustenance is more important than individual victories.

Last week’s elections raise once again fundamental challenges in the electoral system. Yes, most cases of electoral violations were possible due to the absence of governance, security failures, intimidation of voters, impunity, untamed desperation and the transformation of elections into mini wars. But there are also issues

Centre for Election Atrocities, ICEA, a civic coalition that tracks election-related violence in Nigeria, compiled in two month period beginning in December 2022 “at least 89 incidents of politicallymotivated killings (including of 30 security personnel) and 18 abductions (including of one Police Officer). There were at least 13 attacks on political campaign rallies. Within the period, there were at least seven arson attacks on INEC facilities and at least 12 brazen attacks on police, military and para-military facilities.” At least one senior politician was beheaded in Imo State in SouthEast Nigeria; another was incinerated in the week of the ballot.

Voting itself took place in a context of considerable public anxiety. A re-design of the country’s currency implemented shortly before the election, resulted in what the New York Times described as “chaos and suffering” which threatened to tip the country into mass unrest. Deprived of their loot of cash with which to induce voters or buy election officials to skew the results, state governors mostly belonging to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, claimed to have secured a controversial and unclear temporary order from Nigeria’s Supreme Court to defer implementation of the currency change, adding to the air of uncertainty around the elections. President Muhammadu Buhari, who had communicated a desire to create a level playing field for the vote, gave his support to the Central Bank to see through the implementation of the currency reform, effectively drying up much of the usual flow of money used to corrupt Nigeria’s elections and infinitely escalating the costs for anyone wishing to buy votes.

Voting day witnessed significant incidents of violence across the country. In many parts of Lagos and in parts of Rivers State, reports suggested patterns of violence consistent with voter intimidation and suppression. In Lagos, there were rampant reports of attacks on voters in parts not considered friendly to the candidacy of the ruling APC or on polling units considered to have a majority of such voters. Despite these attacks, voters showed remarkable resilience and courage. In Surulere, Lagos, a young woman attacked and stabbed in the face by thugs suspected to be from the ruling party returned bloodied and bandaged to cast her vote.

Contrary to the repeated assurance of INEC’s leadership, election day appears to have caught the Commission unprepared. In many places, the flaws were too evident: shoddy election logistics; confusion over the location of polling units or the allocation of voters to units; misleading configuration of data into the Bi-Modal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS; misconduct or suspected collusion by polling officials with party political interested were reported.

Equally contrary to the assurances of the Commission, the

of our refusal to develop the electoral process we started about seven decades ago. If we have a credible national identity card system, we do not need the long processes of voter registration, verification, issuance of voters cards, use of card readers and BVAS. There would also be no issue of underage voting.

There is no reason why in a country where a person can sit in his car and transfer millions of Naira from one account to another, that same person cannot from the safety of his bedroom cast his vote electronically. If we were to aim at such inexpensive system of elections, the cases of attacks by thugs, snatching ballot boxes, shutting the borders, locking down the country, turning the armed forces out on the streets and virtually declaring a state of emergency each time elections are held, will be greatly reduced.

There is also the fact that we are forced to run a unitary system where one man, because he is the President, would dictate to the rest of us and seek to control not just the legislature but also the judiciary and our lives.

If we were to abide by the Constitution that Nigeria is a federation, we may not need more than three items on the Exclusive List; perhaps monetary and foreign affairs while all others would be on the concurrent list. Were we to run such a system, there would be far less contention vying for political office, including the presidency. If we run a country where the federating units control their resources and pay agreed taxes to the common purse, the country would become more productive and prosperous and we would be saved from the present system of parasitism. That would be the true meaning of moving from consumption to production. That would create a country where no part will feel marginalised. This would be true restructuring not the monkey business presented as restructuring.

Nigeria has a long way to go, but with this election and the momentum it has created, we can begin to build the foundations of a great country based on peoples democracy.

After the presidential election, came the rains, after the rains, the sun will rise and we can make hay while the sun shines. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Owei Lakemfa is a Public Policy Analyst.

BVAS failed or disappointed in many locations. Some of its highprofile victims include the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike and the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, WTO, and Nigeria’s former Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. As a result, in many places around the country, voting continued well into the night or resumed on Sunday February 26.

Where voters braved the hurdles erected by the INEC and the polling officials showed up and coaxed performance out of the BVAS machines, in many cases, the results transmission process became hostage to Nigerian arrangements. Long after voting had closed, on Saturday night, the INEC’s results viewing portal had not yet logged any results and a significant number of locations reported refusal of polling officials to upload result sheets to the INEC results portal, raising suspicions of results manipulation to the end of achieving co-ordinated substitution and replacement of results from the polling units with manufactured outcomes that bear no relationship to what occurred at voting.

In many parts of the country, a substantial number of reported anomalies occurred under the watch of security agencies. In Kano, the Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Yakubu, was asked why the police took no action against what appeared to be a systematic pattern of voting by persons who were manifestly children. Far from denying it, he stuttered his way to an extraordinary mea culpa, claiming: “It is very difficult to determine by mere appearance who is a minor or not. Most of the ones you are seeing, may be their growth rate might be impaired.”

As the count got underway, three things already seem very clear. First, Nigerian citizens took this election seriously and their collective belief in the destiny of their country is the biggest single good news in this election. Second, the assurances of the INEC about competent management of the election were always empty and lacking in credibility. The citizens deserved better than the INEC served up. Third, whatever the outcome that the INEC chooses to announce, the winner in these elections will almost certainly receive less than 50% of the votes cast and will need to run a government of all talents, GOAT, seeking and finding ways to ensure that every part of the country takes a stake in the government that emerges.

This will be important because Nigeria’s new president will need more than just a good bank of political capital to spend on the country’s myriad problems when he takes over at the end of May 2023. He will also need the talent to bind the country’s wounds. For that, INEC needs to guarantee a credible count; for absent that, whoever is announced as winner will lack the authority needed to put Nigeria back on the map as Africa’s anchor country.

Prof. Chidi Odinkalu is a Public Policy Analyst.

As the count begins

Sanwo-Olu inaugurates maternal centre, couples clinic in Orile Agege

Mrs Ibijoke Sanwo-olu, the Wife of the Lagos State Governor has inaugurated a 30-bed Maternal Maternity Centre and a Couples Clinic at the Orile Agege General Hospital (OAGH) to further enhance antenatal care and child delivery in the state.

Speaking during the inauguration, Sanwo-olu said the facilities were in line with the THEMES agenda of the current government to provide affordable and quality healthcare for all in the state.

“This is another effort put in place by the Babajide Sanwo-olu government to further raise the standard of services rendered in all government owned hospital in Lagos.

“I was also in Orile Agege last week to commission a primary healthcare centre to increase the accessibility of health services for the people.

“Mr governor will do more to further uplift healthcare in the state if reelected back to his position,” she said.

Sanwo-olu commended the management and staff of the hospital for rendering selfless service.

Speaking earlier, Dr Sola Pitan, the Medical Director of OAGH, said the hospital has been upgraded with modern facilities, more beds and the obstetrics high dependency unit.

Pitan said the couple clinic was launched to educate pregnant women and their husbands on some of the challenges of pregnancy and what they need to know during delivery.

“The Sanwo-olu administration has done a great job by upgrading our maternal centre and ante natal clinic.

“This development will enable us attend to more pregnant women in Orile Agege for seamless process during and after their delivery.

“The couples clinic will help to address some of the psychological challenges that comes with pregnancy and how their spouses can be of help during the period,” he said. (NAN)

Abia Speaker, Chinedum Orji, loses Umuahia/Ikwuano Fed. Constituency to LP

The Speaker, Abia House of Assembly, Mr Chinedum Orji, has lost Saturday’s poll for Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South Federal Constituency.

Orji, son of the former Gov. Theodore Orji, lost to the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Mr Obi Aguocha.

Announcing the results on

Monday, the Returning Officer, Prof Uma Oke, said that LP candidate polled 48,199 votes to defeat Orji of the PDP, who scored 35,196 votes.

He said that Mr Ogbonnaya Obilor of APC had 4,042 votes, while Mr Ogbonna Abariukwu of APGA got 2, 758.

He also said that Mr Obinna Nwosu of ADC scored 2386, while

Mr Friday Chimaobi of YPP polled 1013 votes.

Others, including Patience Okorie of NNPP got 644 votes, Mr Christian Ibekwe Christian of NRM got 68 votes whereas Mr Nnamdi Ogbuagu of APP scored 347 votes.

Oke later told newsmen that they were awaiting the outcome of Osisioma Local Government Area

polls to declare the results for Abia Central Senatorial District.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Abia Central Senatorial District comprises six Local Government Area, including Umuahia North, Umuahia South, Ikwuano, Osisioma, Isiala Ngwa South and Isiala North. (NAN)

Go about your business without fear –Sanwo-Olu tells Lagosians

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

Governor

Babajide

Sanwo-Olu of Lagos

State on Monday urged

the people of the state to remain calm, eschew violence and go about their businesses without

any fear of harassment.

Sanwo-Olu, in a statement via his Twitter handle, said that there had been reports of friction in some parts of the state in the morning.

According to the governor, there is no need for violence,

which is not part of the state’s culture.

The statement reads in part: “I urge all Lagosians to go about their businesses without any fear of harassment.

“Law enforcement agencies have been asked to ensure that

there is no breakdown of law and order in any part of the state.

“Let us remain calm. All will be well. We’re a peaceful people, and so we shall remain.”

2023: Yiaga Africa calls for strict adherence to Electoral Act, guidelines on collation of results

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

Leading election observer in Nigeria, Yiaga Africa, has called for strict adherence to the provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act and INEC regulations and guidelines on the collation of results.

“As provided in Section 64 of the Act, collation officers and returning officers are required to compare the number of accredited voters and election results recorded on the hardcopy result sheet and scanned images on the BVAS.”

Dr. Hussaini Abdu, Chair,

Watching The Vote Working Group Yiaga Africa, stated this on Sunday in a preliminary statement in Abuja.

He said, Yiaga Africa calls on INEC and security to ensure proper security for citizens especially the polling officials and collation officials especially as results collation progresses and as INEC commences the announcement of results to ensure that no life is further lost in these elections.

“Yiaga Africa reminds all Nigerians that the process is not yet over. They should remain peaceful while waiting on INEC

to announce the official results and refrain from any acts that could incite violence.

“Political leaders should urge their supporters in particular to calmly await the official results and take appropriate actions against any party members who engage in violence or incitement to violence.

“The Watching The Vote is “Driven by Data – For All Nigerians – Beholden to None!” Yiaga Africa continues to receive reports from its observers and monitor the process, including deploying observers to all State Collation Centres. Yiaga Africa

will issue additional updates as appropriate and will convene a press conference following INEC’s announcement of the official results to release its own estimates. If the announced results reflect the ballots cast at polling units, then we will confirm the outcome. If the announced results have been manipulated and do not match the results posted at polling units, then Yiaga Africa will expose this.”

Speaking further, he said Yiaga Africa calls on the commission to provide clear communication on locations where the election did

not hold and ensure the process is concluded in those location before returns are made.

“INEC should be transparent and communicate the challenges faced during the deployment of the IReV.

“INEC should publicly make available all BVAS accreditation data by polling unit, including the number of voters accredited by finger vs facial recognition.

“Protect the transparency of the result collation process by ensuring accredited observers and party agents are granted access to the collation centres.”

Former President of the Republic of Sierra Leone/Head of ECOWAS Electoral Observation Mission to Federal Republic of Nigeria, H.E. Ernest Bai Koroma (middle), addressing the journalists on their observation and recommendation of the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections, at the ECOWAS Secretariat, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Election result: You win some, you lose some- Tinubu on losing Lagos to Obi

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The presidential candidate of the Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, has urged Lagos residents to avoid any act of violence as the results of the presidential election trickles in.

Peter Obi, candidate of the Labour Party (LP), was declared the winner In. Lagos.

Obi polled 582,664, while Tinubu scored 541,850.

There were also reports that some Igbo residents were attacked in some parts of Lagos State on Monday.

However, in a statement released hours after Obi was announced winner, Tinubu asked that the outcome of the election should not be a source of provocation.

“The fact that the APC narrowly lost Lagos State to another party should not be the reason for violence. As a democrat, you win some, you lose some. We must allow the process to continue unhindered across the country while we maintain peace and decorum,” he added.

Labour Party rejects 2023 presidential election results over manual transmission

By Christiana Ekpa

The Labour Party has rejected the results of the 2023 presidential candidate.

The LP was among the nine political parties that worked out of the INEC’s National Collation Centre on Monday, accusing the electoral umpire of malpractice

Speaking to the press after the walked out led by Dino Melaye,

the Collation Officer of the party who doubles as the LP’s national secretary, Umaru Ibrahim Farouk said the electoral umpire has failed Nigerians for failing to make use of the BVAS and for transmitting results manually, abandoning the electrical transmission as approved by the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended.).

“We have aired our observations to the Chairman of

INEC and he has refused to listen to us.

“They want us to receive and accept the doctored results that came from collation centres across the states and we we have empirical evidence from our agents who have informed us reliably that the BVAS machines has not been used and where they have been used, the results were not uploaded in the INEC porter.

“Around 2pm on Saturday, the INEC server was down and they acknowledged this and apologised. I’m accusing INEC of not listening to millions of Nigerians and killing the promise they made to Nigerians.

“It’s not about favouring the Labour Party, it’s about if the system has been consistent, reliable and truthfully been used.”

Nigeria elections below expectations, INEC lacked transparency – NDI/IRI

By Christiana Ekpa

The International Republican Institute (IRI) and National Democratic Institute (NDI) Joint Election Observation Mission (IEOM) have presented their preliminary statement on the Presidential and National Assembly elections in Nigeria.

On Monday in Abuja, the leader, Dr Joyce Banda, former President of Malawi, congratulated the people for “their resilience and enthusiasm”.

“Despite large crowds in some polling stations and long waits, Nigerian voters demonstrated commitment to participate in the process and a strong desire to have their voices heard,” Banda said.

The mission noted that despite the reforms to the Electoral Act 2022, “the election fell well short of Nigerian citizens’ reasonable expectations”, while the electoral commission lacked transparency.

Banda said logistical challenges and multiple incidents

of political violence overshadowed the electoral process and impeded a substantial number of voters from participating.

NDI/IRI confirmed currency and fuel shortages imposed excessive burdens on voters and election officials while marginalized groups, especially women, continue to face barriers to seeking and obtaining political office.

The delegation observed that the late opening of polling locations and logistical failures

created tensions and the secrecy of the ballot was compromised in some polling units given overcrowding.

Banda said after the polls, challenges with the electronic transfer of results and their upload to a public portal in a timely manner, undermined citizen confidence at a crucial moment of the process.

“Inadequate communication and lack of transparency by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) about

their cause and extent created confusion and eroded voters’ trust in the process.

“The combined effect of these problems disenfranchised Nigerian voters in many areas, although the scope and scale is currently unknown,” the exPresident added.

The statement, however, commended INEC for conducting the general elections according to the electoral calendar “for the first time in the country’s recent history”.

NASS Polls: PDP, LP call for cancellation of results in Ebonyi

Some Political parties in Ebonyi State have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to cancel the results of the National Assembly of the Saturday polls in the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some of the political parties with their candidates in the elections include: the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) led by Sen Sam Egwu, the Labour Party, Mr Linus Okorie, Ama Nnachi of PDP,

Lazarus Ogbee, PDP amongst others.

Others are: Emmanuel Eze, Labour Party candidate for Abakaliki/Izzi federal constituency, APGA candidate, The candidates made the call at INEC office in Abakaliki, on Monday.

Egwu of PDP, who contested for Ebonyi North Senatorial District in the Senate, lost the seat to Mr Onyekachi Nwebonyi of APC, while Okorie of Labour Party lost his post to Gov David

Umahi of APC in Ebonyi South zone.

He alleged that scores from booths were not used but allocation of figures.

Egwu called for the cancellation of the results and make use of the Biometric Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).

“Verify all the results with what is in the BVAS because what is happening in Ebonyi now is wrong.

“How can they still be collating results by now and even before the

final collation, they were already announcing results.

“The choice of the people has completely been truncated because of the All Progressives Congress selfish politicians in the state,” Egwu alleged.

Mr Linus Okorie, the Labour Party Senatorial Candidate of Ebonyi South, called for their mandate to be retrieved and urged people of Ebonyi to remain calm.

Okorie expressed dissatisfaction that a supposed individual who was meant to

protect and ensure the election process was peaceful, was desperate.

“We tender a petition right there calling for the attention of the returning officer to the law, section 243 which prevents him or anybody from announcing the result,” Okorie said.

Mrs Onyeka Ugochi, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) called for calm and pledged that the commission would verify the results. (NAN)

Dino Malaye, party agent PDP protesting, during the presentation of Kwara State Presidential Election result at national collation centre, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

POLITICS

Election results: APC PCC calls For calm

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

Presidential Campaign Council

(PCC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has appealed to Stakeholders and Nigerians to remain calm as the nation awaits the release of the final results of Presidential elections.

APC PCC made the appeal in a statement signed by its Adviser on Media, Communications and Public Affairs, Dele Alake.

The ruling party, while expressing confidence in the nation’s electoral body, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), urged other parties to refrain “from self-help at this point in form of premature declaration of results or making inflammatory statements capable

of undermining the integrity of the electoral process.”

The statement reads: “We believe strongly in the unity of this country and any attempt to whip up sentiments along religious or ethnic lines must be rejected by all.

“Since the voting process rounded off in most of the 176,606 polling units across the 774 councils of the federation and Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, yesterday, we have continued to monitor developments.

“Reports from our agents on ground across the country point to incidents of technical challenges and man-made issues. At some centres, there was late arrival of voting materials and glitch of BVAS. We note that in locations where these were severe, the INEC

National Chairman, Professor Yakubu, authorised either the extension of voting time or outright postponement of the exercise to another day.

“Also, we received reports of attacks and intimidation of our supporters in some areas by agents of opposition parties. In many areas, our supporters complained of their inability to transport themselves to areas where they duly registered due to their inability to access their savings in banks due to the ongoing Naira crisis.

“But overall, despite the teething challenges from BVAS in some centres and pockets of violence here and there, we believe the exercise conducted by INEC yesterday was still generally a vast improvement on previous ones conducted since

the return of democracy in 1999.

“We, therefore, want to seize this opportunity to commend members of our security agencies for the professionalism demonstrated in providing relative conducive climate for generality of voters to exercise their franchise across the country. A fact already attested to by the consortium of election monitors — both local and international —that Nigeria made a significant progress in her democratic journey with yesterday’s conduct.

“As the party that was most well prepared for the 2023 polls and whose presidential candidate and others ran what has widely been adjudged the best campaign, we, of course, have a functional Situation Room to which our 176,606 agents filed accurate data in real time,

bearing true reflection of the wishes and aspirations of voters expressed freely yesterday.

“But in line with extant provisions of the Electoral Act, we believe the onus for declaring election results lies squarely with INEC.

“It is for this reason we are calling on other parties to refrain from self-help at this point in form of premature declaration of results or making inflammatory statements capable of undermining the integrity of the electoral process.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we at the APC-PCC wish to express our implicit confidence in INEC to follow through the remaining steps of the election process leading to the eventual declaration of the winner of the presidential election held on

Election: Tinubu campaign demands arrest of Dino Melaye, Dele Momodu, others

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The Bola Tinubu-Kashim

Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, PCC, has called for the arrest of Peoples Democratic Party PDP, spokespersons Dino Melaye and Dele Momodu.

The campaign also demands the arrest of the Presiding Pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Pastor Paul Enenche,

accusing the trio of inciting violence.

The organisation further urged security agents to stay vigilant and deal with individuals and groups who are planning to foment trouble.

At a media briefing Monday evening, Special Adviser, Media and Communication at the PCC, Dele Alake said domestic and international observers have adjudged the election and the

process as credible.

The spokesperson said the results emerging are countering the deceit and propaganda of the opposition which did not fetch them the expected votes.

“This has expectedly generated anxiety in their camps with many of their leaders making irresponsible incendiary comments.

“We note with utmost concern those inciting comments and call

to violence by some spokespersons of the opposition, especially those from the Peoples Democratic Party PDP

“We are particularly concerned and call on the State Security Services and the Nigeria Police Force to immediately restrain persons such as Dino Melaye, Dele Momodu and Pastor Paul Enenche of Dunamis Church from their clear call to violence.

“Melaye’s tweet threatening

violence, Momodu going on the TV to announce a purported winner and Enenche’s hate speech from the pulpit violate every law of the land. They should not go scot-free.

“When failure stared them in the face, rather than accept the outcome with dignity like good democrats would, some sore losers began shopping for ways to cut corners or scuttle the process

My re-election to Senate, victory for people of Yobe North - Lawan

By Musa Baba Adamu

The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan said on Monday that his re-election to the Senate for the fifth term is victory for the people of Yobe North Senatorial District in Yobe State.

Lawan won the Saturday Senatorial election by a landslide victory having polled 91,318 votes, representing 74.7 percent of the

total valid votes(122,193), to defeat his closest rival, Bello Ilu of PDP who polled 22,849 votes

The Senate President had a comfortable win in each of the six Local Government Areas that make up the Yobe North Senatorial District namely Machina, Nguru, Yusufari, Bade, Jakusko and Karasuwa.

The Senate President told journalists shortly before his departure to Abuja from his home

town in Gashua that his Yobe North people prayed, fasted and did everything possible to ensure his election back in the Senate.

He said: “The victory is not mine. The victory belongs to the people of Yobe North Senatorial District.

“You know how well they did to ensure that we got the nomination to run for this seat. They fasted, they prayed and they did so many things, sacrificed, just because

they wanted me to run.

“And therefore they actualized their dream of voting me back to the Senate on Saturday when they voted en masse and to their credit, this is the highest number of votes against all the previous elections that I participated.

“And therefore I want to take this opportunity to thank the Almighty Allah for his blessings and thank the people of Yobe

North Senatorial District for sticking with me, for believing in me, for trusting me to renew my mandate once again, for me to go back to the Senate and the 10th National Assembly to represent them and I thank them.

“I want to also thank the APC both at the national and state levels for making sure that as a party, they stayed behind me all through the period that we had some challenges.

L-R, Mahmood Yakubu, chairman INEC, Folashade Ogunsola, SCOPE Osun State and Mutiu Olaleke, resident electoral commissioner Osun State during the presentation of Presidential election result at collation centre, yesterday in Abuja.Photo: Mahmud Isa

POLITICS

Opposition attempt to discredit election will fail - APC PCC

The All Progressives Congress, APC Presidential Campaign Council has called on the opposition political parties to allow the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC to do its job of collating the election result without interference.

A statement yesterday by Bayo Onanuga, Director, Media & Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Council yesterday said it has noticed the disingenuous attempts by the opposition parties, spokesmen of their campaign councils and their hired talking heads on Television and Radio Stations to discredit the presidential and National Assembly elections conducted nationwide yesterday.

“Noteworthy are spokespersons of Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council and that of the Peoples Democratic Party/Atiku

Deputy Majority Leader, Akpatason wins

Ako-Edo federal constituency

By Christiana Ekpa

The Deputy Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon Peter Akpatason of the All Progressives Party, has emerged winner of the election into the House of Representatives to represent Akoko-Edo Federal Constituency for a record fourth term.

Professor Robert Okuonghae, the Independent National Electoral Commission collation officer, disclosed that Akpatason scored 14,982 votes to defeat Hon Kabiru Adjoto of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, who polled 9,293 votes, while the Labour Party polled 7,993

Presidential Campaign Council,” the statement said.

It said two persons it considered as respectable citizens, Professor Pat Utomi and Director-General of Peter Obi Campaign Council, Mr. Akin Osuntokun threw caution to the wind by their inciting and incendiary comments on social media and TV stations where they have been making baseless and irresponsible allegations of electoral manipulations and other malpractices against our party and the electoral umpire, all in a bid to cause disaffection and civil unrest in the country.

“We must also stress that we have noticed many partisan talking heads claiming to be Election Observers on radio and TV stations who are presenting skewed and patently false narratives about the general conduct of the election across the country.

“Both Labour Party and PDP have accused INEC of conspiracy to rig election result in favour of our party, anchoring their allegation on the agency’s inability to upload election results on its website.

“ While we call on INEC to expedite action on the process of uploading the results, we want to state categorically that there is nothing unusual about the seeming delay.

“INEC returning officers bringing the results to the National Collation Centre from the 36 states, may be contending with possible travel logistics as witnessed on Day One of the collation on Sunday, when only Ekiti state was ready with its result. There could also be technical issues with INEC Results Viewing Portal which we are sure the commission will quickly resolve,” the statement said.

It added: “It is worth stating that election results have been announced and made public at polling units and duly signed by accredited party agents in line with the Electoral Law. There is no political party that does not have election results from all the over 176,000 polling units across the country except for few locations election didn’t hold. The Abuja Collation is merely ceremonial.

“While the law stipulates that the INEC Chairman who is the National Returning Officer for the Presidential election should declare the result, it is also a fact that no party can claim ignorance about its performance from every polling unit through their Situation Rooms updates from party agents.

“This brazen attempt to discredit this election that is adjudged to be the most peaceful, credible, open, transparent, free and fair in the history of our

Election results: APC warns PDP, LP not to overheat polity

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

Festus Keyamo, SAN, the spokesperson of the Tinubu/ Shettima Presidential Campaign Council of the ruling All Progressives Party, APC, has warned the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Labour Party, LP, to stop overheating the polity with remarks on the yet-to-

be-announced Saturday’s election.

In a statement to journàlists on Sunday, Keyamo cautioned opposition supporters to be wary of comments capable of causing post-election violence.

He appealed to PDP, LP and other parties to respect the peace accord they signed before the presidential election.

Keyamo urged that all parties

allow INEC to do its constitutionally assigned responsibility without intimidation.

He called on the international observers and communities not to be distracted.

“We have all campaigned hard and strongly. The Nigerian people have listened to all of us and made their decisions. Now is the time to hear the voices of Nigerians as the

results are released and not our own voices. The body officially designated to reflect the voices of Nigerians is the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). No Party can bully them by threatening to do its bidding. Neither will the APC be cowed into silence by the disgusting antics of the opposition parties,” he stated.

country will fail.

“We suspect that the opposition parties making unnecessary fuss over the results of the poll are only afraid of facing the reality of their defeat. Elections are not a do or die affair. They are meant to be won by some and lost by some.

“The 2023 Presidential election has been successfully conducted and results announced at polling units, wards, local councils and at the state level.

“ We advise politicians to allow the remaining part of the process to go on without intimidation and harassment of INEC.

“We call on the security agencies to be alert and ruthlessly deal with anyone seeking to destabilise our country with reckless, subversive and obnoxious statements on the social media, TV and radio platforms.”

ADC reps member retains Yagba Federal Constituency in Kogi

By Musa Baba Adamu

The candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Elder Leke Abejide, has won the House of Representatives election in Yagba Federal Constituency of Kogi State.

Abejide won in all three local government areas in the federal constituency (Mopamuro, Yagba West and Yagba East) in a landslide victory.

The results were announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) collation officer, Dr. Okpanachi Stephen on Sunday in Isanlu, headquarters of the Federal Constituency.

“Hon. Abejide polled 23271 votes to defeat his closest rival and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Engr. Folorunsho Olafemi who garnered 10426 votes.”

Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the race, Hon. Tolorunjuwon Faniyi managed to poll 6421 votes to come a distant third.

NNPP protest over alleged disenfranchised Kwara voters

Prof. Shuaibu AbdulRaheem, the Kwara governorship candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), has alleged that majority of the party supporters were disenfranchised in Saturday’s press and parliamentary elections.

The gubernatorial candidate made the allegation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin on Sunday.

AbdulRaheem, a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, said that the issue of the logo of NNPP on ballot papers was a very

controversial one and should be resolved very soon.

“INEC printed the logo of the party, with fruit basket, but the colour separation and NNPP acronym were absent, so if you look at the ballot paper, the logo appears in a dark-brown colour.

“It takes a lot of effort for the eye to identify which is the basket and which is the fruit.

“If this appears to ordinary Nigerians, who are of average or little education, it will pose a challenge,” he said.

AbdulRaheem cited an instance where an electoral officer denied some NNPP voters the opportunity to vote, because NNPP was not written on the ballot paper, even with the presence of the party symbol.

He said that the act completely disenfranchised a lot of people, due to irresponsible conduct of electoral officers in polling units.

“Simply because the NNPP is not written against the logo, people were denied the opportunity to vote.

“There is no basis stopping

people, if the voters identify the logo of their party, whether there is a name or not, both name and logo are means of identity,” he said.

The Kwara NNPP gubernatorial candidate noted that the 2023 presidential and parliamentary poll was generally peaceful, but not flawless.

AbdulRaheem said that there was a need for more synergy between the political parties and the electoral body.

“It appears that either artificial or man-made distance had been

created among parties, to the extent that such parties like mine, NNPP, stood disadvantaged.

“This is as a result of poor or insincere communication between the party and INEC,” he said.

The gubernatorial candidate hoped that the next election would not follow the same method, saying that INEC and the party need to agree to correct the mistake.

“They can really disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of voters, if not corrected before the gubernatorial election,” he noted.

L-R: Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Hon. E.J. Agbonayinma and Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, during the official opening of the Presidential Collation Centre for the 2023 General Election held at the African Hall International Conference Centre, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

NNPC targets 30% of domestic petroleum market NCAA lauds Dana for safety standard

From Abubakar Y Ojimaojo ABUJA

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has commended Dana Air for grounding its airplanes for proper maintenance checks.

The Director General of NCAA, Captain Musa Nuhu, disclosed this exclusively to our correspondent in Abuja.

According to Nuhu, Dana Air grounded all its aircraft to carry out maintenance checks on them.

“They noticed that some of their aircraft were due for maintenance and they informed us accordingly. I think it is commendable for an operator to ground its aircraft for maintenance,” the NCAA boss stated.

He further noted that the airline would notify the authority once they were done with the maintenance check.

Meanwhile, the airline had in the early hours of Friday informed its customers in a statement via its official Instagram handle that due to the general elections on Saturday, February 25, there will be no flight operations.

The airline, however, said that operations would resume on Sunday, February 26.

The statement read,” Please be informed that we will not be operating on Friday, 24th and 25th of February 2023 due to the presidential and National Assembly elections.

“However, we will be operating as scheduled from Sunday, 26th February 2023.”

When asked the NCAA boss if the airline would resume operations by Sunday, he said, “The agreement is that they will notify us when they are due to resume and I think they said they are going to send us something today, once they give us and we are okay, then they can resume operations.”

Meanwhile, the spokesperson of Dana Air, Kingsley Ezenwa, while reacting, said, “When there is a reduction in capacity, you just have to find a way to protect your passengers and once your capacity increases, you can schedule your flights.

From Abubakar Y Ojimaojo ABUJA

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has said it is targeting to capture 30 per cent market share in petroleum products retailing in the country.

The company’s official stated this at the commissioning of a filling station in Tarauni, Kano State, a statement said.

In his remarks, the Group Chief Executive Officer, NNPC

Limited, Mallam Mele Kyari, represented by the Executive Vice President, Downstream, Engr. Adeyemi Adetunji, stated that the project was midwifed by NNPC Retail Ltd, a downstream business unit of NNPC Limited.

According to him, the Management of NNPC Limited remains committed to upscaling the company’s relevance in the global energy community with its drive for sustainability hinged on renewed commitment to partnerships that deliver

sustainable value and integrity.

Describing the station as a strategic initiative geared towards boosting the nation’s energy sufficiency levels, he assured that it will make petroleum and allied products available and affordable, just as it would provide relief and job opportunities for the people of the state.

Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, at the event said it was yet another step in increasing NNPC Limited’s growing petroleum downstream

asset portfolio and fulfilling its mandate of providing energy security for the country.

The station, which is to be known as NNPC Standard Station, Tarauni, boasts of a huge forecourt, which can accommodate 50 vehicles with six pumps and 12 nozzles at a time. It also has non-fuel features such as a mini mart, lube bay and vehicles diagnostics centre, as well as shops for other activities.

Manufacturing slowdown fuelling FX shortage – NESG

From Abubakar Y Ojimaojo ABUJA

The Nigerian Economic Group Summit says Nigeria’s weak manufacturing is a major factor fuelling shortage of foreign exchange

The NESG Senior Economist, Dr Wilson Erumebor, disclosed this in a recent paper published by Foresights Africa.

The report, titled, “Nigeria in 2023: Bridging the productivity gap and building economic resilience’’, stated that the last seven years for the country had been plagued with hardship especially after battling two economic recessions.

He added, “In the last seven years, there have been a shift of economic activity towards agriculture and a slowdown of the manufacturing sector. Part of the problem facing the economy is the neglect of the manufacturing sector.

“Essentially, Nigeria Is not

producing enough, for both local consumption and export. The consequences of having a weak manufacturing base for a country with such a large population are evident in its foreign exchange shortages, limited number of jobs created to accommodate workforce entrants, and an import bill that can hardly be met (nor sustained) by current export earnings.”

In the report, explained that the unemployment and underemployment rates increased to an all-time high of 56.1 percent in 2020.

Erumebor noted that “90 percent of workers are employed in sectors with low levels of productivity—agriculture and non tradable services.

“This means that the kind of jobs needed to generate income growth and lift many Nigerians out of poverty are not available in large numbers.”

He urged the incoming administration, to work with

stakeholders, and develop an agenda for economic and social inclusion.

“At the heart of such an agenda must be improving the lives of the average Nigerian. This agenda must also include a practical strategy on how to structurally transform the economy, moving labor and economic resources from low productivity sectors to high productivity sectors.”

The senior economist further posited the need to design and implement national skills programmes aimed at upskilling young Nigerians, to ensure many more embrace digital skills and capabilities.

“At the middle of the productivity ladder sits manufacturing. The sector has a much higher productivity level than agriculture and can accommodate, in large numbers, the kind of labour that is abundant in the country. Nigeria’s rising population (which is projected to reach N428m by

2050), the existence of mineral resources, and the adoption of a single market in Africa—the African Continental Free Trade Area —present a case for why manufacturing would thrive in Nigeria.”

Erumrbor highlighted the need for the incoming government to address the burgeoning infrastructure deficit and inadequate power supply, which limit the competitiveness of the manufacturing sector.

Hammering on a clear cut strategy to develop an industrial policy, he explained that supporting the scale, efficiency, and competitiveness of local firms within the manufacturing sector was vital to building economic resilience against vulnerability and future shocks.

“Such policies must be integrated with Nigeria’s AfCFTA strategy and support transition of small-scale firms that are often the drivers of job creation in the country.”

The Nigerian stock market on Friday advanced a third time in a row showing resilience as Nigerians proceed to elect new leaders.

The Nigerian Exchange All-Share Index gained 0.55 per cent and raised the year-to-date gain to 7.22%. A total of 30 stocks gained, while 11 declined, according to market results released at the end of trading in Lagos.

It was the same trend on the Eurobond market, where the country’s bonds also gained on the eve of the polls. Out of the country’s Eurobonds, only two – those maturing this year and in 2025 fell in price, while the rest gained.

On the stock market, the consumer

goods sector led the gainers, rising by 2.55% to a year-to-date gain of 11.78%.

Stocks in this sector that gained included ABC Transport (8.57%); Cadbury (6.17%); and FTNCOCOA (3.39%).

The banking sector came second, as the banks shook off the impact of the current pressure on them brought about by the naira redesign of the Central Bank of Nigeria. Some of the stocks in this stock recorded gains, led by ETI (8.33%);

The oil and gas sector came third in the gainers, rising by 1.29%. Stocks in this sector that gained significantly are Conoil (9.94%); MRS (9.89%).

With Friday’s result, this sector has gained 20.04% this year, nearly

thrice the average market gain. This is despite the instability that has prevailed in the downstream of the Nigerian oil industry this year, with acute shortage of refined products being experienced across the country.

The technology sector also performed well, with two of the stocks – Computer Warehouse Group and Chams gaining, which gained 8.99% and 7.69%, respectively.

Chinenyem Anyanwu, Chief Executive Officer of Dependable Securities Limited, a Dealing Member of the Nigerian Exchange Limited, said the bulls took over the market a day before the elections because, “There is an expectation of a new Nigeria. Just take it from me, if by

Monday the right candidate wins, this All-Share Index will jump full mark.”

Stocks rise by 0.55% as Nigeria’s eurobonds make gain Wema Bank promises to back women’s growth

But Anyanwu believes the local market moves on the expectation that the right candidate would mean, but declined to name the candidate.

“If by Monday that candidate wins, we will have to use the circuit breaker for this market.

“You remember what happened when Buhari won (in 2015). The market gained an unprecedented 10% (the maximum allowed daily change) in a single day. The circuit bar had to be broken, and it continued like that for the very first week. It only started going in the opposite direction when Buhari hit the ground and couldn’t run,” he said.

From Abubakar Y Ojimaojo ABUJA

WemaBank has said it is committed to equipping women with the knowledge they need to succeed in their careers and businesses

The bank said it was preparing to celebrate International Women’s Day 2023 by driving discussions on women’s economic growth.

It said in a statement that it aimed to honour women and provide them with opportunities to achieve success in their personal and professional lives at a celebration that would be held on in Lagos.

The statement said, “This year’s global theme, ‘Embrace Equity’, will be the focus of the event. The discussion will center on the topic of equity and achieving economic growth for women in their careers and businesses.”

It stated that the event would feature, keynote speaker, Audrey Joe-Ezigbo, as well as panelists Tosin Olaseinde, Fela Durotoye, and Adenike Oyetunde-Lawal.

The event aimed to celebrate and appreciate Wema Bank customers and Nigerian Women in general while equipping them with the knowledge they needed to succeed in their careers and businesses, it added.

According to the Head of Brand & Marketing Communications at Wema Bank, Mabel Adeteye, the event would enable women to “achieve economic, financial, and mental growth.”

It added that Sara by Wema, the bank’s women’s proposition, had been designed to grow with women and had proved to be the best solution, with tailored offerings ranging from health plans to business financing and advisory services.

National Assembly passes bill to exit pension scheme, PFAs kick

From Abubakar Y Ojimaojo

The National Assembly has passed a bill to exempt its workers from the scheme, 18 years after operating the Contributory Pension Scheme.

However, the Pension Fund Operators Association of Nigeria has said that the passage of the bill sets a dangerous precedent for Nigerian workers.

PenOp is the umbrella body for all Pension Fund Administrators and Pension Fund Companies.

PenOp reacted in a statement

Reacting to the move of the market, another analyst described it as incredible. The analyst said: “It’s extremely incredible that the stock market is going up the day before a presidential election…the week or month before the election. In the past, yet-to-date the market should be negative and stocks dropping because of the election.”

Head of Secondary Market, Nigerian Exchange Limited, Mr Kazeem Alimi, said recently that there had been a reduction in the number of foreign investors operating in the local stock

titled, ‘Exemption of the National Assembly staff from the Contributory Pension Scheme –Matters arising’.

The statement was to draw the attention of the public to the “Bill for an Act to amend the Pension Reform Act, 2014, to exclude/ exempt the National Assembly Service from the Contributory Pension Scheme and establish the National Assembly Service Pension Board; and for Related Matters (HB 2025)” which was recently passed by both chambers of the National Assembly.

market.

“We have seen a gradual slowdown of foreign participation in the market. From the highs of over 60% in 2014, we have seen that slowed down to about 11% at the end of 2022. So, there has been a significant slowdown,” he said on a breakfast programme organised by Vetiva Capital Management Limited.

“Looking at the market in terms of participation, what we have seen so far is a market that has slowed down in terms of participation of foreign investors, while local investors have been

It stated that, “PenOp wishes to state unequivocally that the passage of this bill sets a dangerous precedent that will not augur well for hardworking Nigerians, working across the private and public sector, who depend on the Contributory Pension Scheme for retirement security and stability.

“The introduction of the CPS in Nigeria marked a departure from the unsustainable pension schemes the country had been operating in the past. This scheme has brought transparency, international best practice and

able to take up that tab,” Alimi added.

With Nigerian investors having taken over the space left by the departing foreigners, the analyst said local investors believe nothing untoward will happen after the elections.

“At least, one of the presidential candidates will win, and they will just continue what they are doing.

“It is very interesting because if you asked many people, they would have said let us wait till after the elections. But if you had waited, you would have

guaranteed peace of mind to millions of pensioners. For these reasons and many more, the need for the above bill is indeed unfathomable and unjustifiable.”

Expressing concern regarding the way the bill was passed, it stated that the passage of the bill seemed to have been unnecessarily expedited and shrouded in secrecy with very little engagement and input from critical stakeholders, as it was passed during the National Assembly’s recess.

The statement said, “Indeed, it

missed out because, in the last three months, the stock market has gone up by about 20%,” the analyst said.

He pointed out that the unusual move of the stock market also extended to Nigeria’s Eurobonds. 11 of Nigeria’s Eurobonds, with maturities stretching from November 2027 to September 2051, gained on Friday. The two that fell were the $500m bond maturing this July, and the $1.25bn bond due in November, 2025.

He noted that for the stock market, one could say that

is disturbing that this bill did not go through any public hearing, a key component of the legislative process that allows stakeholders to have their voices and opinions heard for possible inclusion in the process.

“If this was done, pertinent issues such as the amendment of retirement age, funding of pension liability, and the potential debt burden on government, all of which are affected by this bill would have been debated and brought to the fore.”

Nigerians don’t care, since they believe the companies are paying good dividends so they are buying shares. “Foreigners are the ones who control the Eurobond; Nigerians hold five per cent. Why are they pushing up the price?”

The analyst warned that if the winner of the presidential poll made any attempt to restructure the country’s debts, Nigeria would become a pariah state.

“Nobody will lend money to anybody in Nigeria. Maybe the market knows that those people are just talking politics,” he added.

Readers would remember that in 2015 President Buhari took a long time to form his cabinet

L-R: Election Observer, Connected Development (CODE), Mr Fred Odey; Chief Executive Officer CODE, Mr Hamza Lawal and Director Governanace and Democracy CODE, Mr Emmanuel Njoku; during a media briefing on conduct of the 2023 presidential and National Assembly elections on Saturday in Abuja .

Photo: Justin Imo-owo

AMMC warns security agents over traffic violations along Airport road

By Stanley Onyekwere

The Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) has warned road users especially security personnel to desist from committing traffic violations along the busy Abuja Airport Road.

AMMC while revealing that it was aware that most of the violations are committed by people in uniform, stressed that enforcement against traffic violation is not a respecter of rank.

The AMMC Coordinator, Umar Shuaibu, made this assertion at the recent

2023 Hajj: FCT-MPWB Director tasks staff on diligence

By Stanley Onyekwere

The new Director of the Federal Capital Territory Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare Board (FCT-MPWB), Mallam Abubakar Adamu Evuti has charged staff of the Board to always discharge their duties diligently.

Mallam Evuti stressed the need for staff to be dedicated to their duty and warned against any act capable of tarnishing the image of the Administration and the country at large.

A statement from the Public Relations Officer (PRO), Muhammad Lawal Aliyu, added that the Board’s Director also called for the cooperation all staff and other stakeholders to ensure the success of the hajj exercises, in line with the desire of the present Administration.

He stressed the need for the staff to be dedicated to their duty and abide by rules and regulations of the service, adding that the Administration would not condone any act of corruption and indiscipline.

He also reassured the commitment of the Administration to add more value to the management and welfare of pilgrims as well as provide first class services to the FCT contingent by ensuring hitch free Hajj exercises in 2023 and beyond.

commencement of intensive enforcement of traffic and environmental regulations, as part of efforts to ensure sanity is restored in the area.

Shuaibu said henceforth, anybody that caught driving counter traffic, will not only be told to go back, but will be arrested and the vehicle impounded.

He reiterated that no vehicle is allowed to park or ply on undesignated area, along this Airport Road, no passenger should stand and flag a vehicle to pick him or her except is an area designated for such.

He that there enough laybays along the road, sufficient

to serve the public, but what is lacking is discipline, in order to make out environment decent.

“We are aware that most of these violations are committed by people in uniform. So no matter your rank, enforcement against the violation is not a respecter of rank.

“We will make sure that we show example. If you are a man in uniform show example to people that are not in uniform. So anybody, no matter how highly placed, must respect our regulations.

“We had engaged the stakeholders, which are transport operators along this road. We called them, and

we have all agreed that this assignment is important, in order to make sure that sanity is restored.

“Henceforth, anybody that is making the Airport Road unsafe and unclean, is going to be arrested. From now on, this exercise is going to be continuous.the officers in charge of this enforcement, we count on you. We need your support, in order to make it work.”

He continues: “Whatever image you see on Abuja Airport Road, is the image of Nigeria. If the traffic along the Airport Road is free, Nigeria traffic is free; and if the Airport Road is clean, Nigeria is clean. So we

must make sure that it is clean and free always, in order to have a very good image of our country.

“Secondly, the Airport road is the one that conveys traffic from the north and south along Kaduna-Lokoja expressway, so it has multiple roles. That’s why the traffic along this road is heavy.”

Reacting to the development, Deputy National President, Chief Abubakar Sadiq, Road Transport Employers Union, who described the exercise as a welcome development, said they are quite ready to cooperate in any form, to make sure that it is successful.

SEB conducts staff emolument verification in FCT schools

By Stanley Onyekwere

The FCT Secondary Education Board (SEB) has conducted its staff emolument verification exercise in the public senior secondary schools across the six Area Councils of the Territory, as part of effort to ensure staff remain committed and productive with improved academic performance of the students in the teaching and learning system.

Explaining the exercise, SEB Director, Dr. Sani Mohammed Ladan, said it is another initiative the Board decided to embark upon, in order to verify the staff’s presence on the field and credibility at their various

Schools of primary assignment.

Ladan added that the on the spot assessment verification is valuable tool for background checks of staff both in the city and rural areas where the Senior Secondary Schools are located to avoid some lapses such as abscondment and issues of Ghost workers who received monthly salaries and allowances but are not on ground physically to render the teaching services they have been employed for.

A statement from Deputy Director & Head, Information/ Public Relations Unit Education Secretariat, Kabiru Musa, revealed that the Director, who visited schools in the Bwari Area Council, explained that the

verification procedures involve thorough checks of correct filling of the emolument forms with particular attention to the Tax Identification Number (TIN), national housing scheme Identification, contributory pension pin number and staff attendance records for punctuality and efficiency on the Job.

He added that the verification exercise will help the Board to know the appropriate data of teaching and non teaching Staff in Schools for proper planning and avoid wasted resources,time and the wrong person on the teaching job as the teaching job is an organized profession with ethical values guiding it’s

operations.

Accorfing to him, orientation exercise for both old and new staff will soon commence to help them in the discharge of their duties while assess the fundamentals of staff.

He reminded the staff of their responsibility as a Teacher and role model urging them to continue to add values to the teaching system by impacting positive knowledge and moulding the Students in their custody for a brighter future.

He however, warned them against nonchalant and irresponsible attitudes or encouraging negative vices among the students as anyone caught will be sanction.

Settlers rampage in West Bank villages after Israelis killed

Israeli settlers have attacked Palestinian villages in the northern occupied West Bank, after two settlers were shot dead by a Palestinian gunman.

One Palestinian man was killed and more than 100 others were injured in the violence near Nablus on Sunday night, the Palestinian health ministry said.

Dozens of cars and houses were also burnt, according to a local official.

It followed the killings of the two Israelis - brothers from a nearby settlement - along a highway.

The Israeli military said it was continuing to search for the Palestinian who shot Hillel Yaniv, 22, and Yagel Yaniv, 20, and that it had moved in hundreds of extra troops.

On Monday afternoon, an Israeli man was shot and wounded in an attack on a highway north of Beit HaArava Junction, in the east of the West Bank near the Dead Sea, Israel’s ambulance service said.

The 25-year-old was in a critical condition and was being taken by paramedics to a hospital in Jerusalem, it added.

The incidents came after Israeli and Palestinian officials had pledged to deescalate tensions at a summit in Jordan.

Videos posted hours after the summit ended on Sunday showed a large crowd of Israeli settlers entering the village of Hawara, about 4 miles (6km) south of Nablus, lighting fires and throwing stones.

Ten-year-old Lamar Abusarees said her house was one of those set alight.

“My mother moved us to a corner because there was no safe place. They broke all the windows while we were inside,” she told Reuters news agency.

A Palestinian official who monitors settlements in the Nablus region, Ghassan Daghlas, told Palestinian Wafa news agency that 30 houses were damaged by stones or burned down in Hawara, and that 15 vehicles were torched.

Settlers also set a barn and three vehicles on fire in nearby Burin, as well as a house and a water tank in Asira alQabaliyya, he said.

The Palestinian health ministry said 37-year-old Sameh Aqtash died after being shot in the stomach during an attack by settlers in Zaatara.

Mr Aqtash’s brother, Abdul Moneim, said they had been standing outside a

blacksmith’s when they were attacked by settlers.

“They left the area and then came back with the occupation [Israeli] army,” he told AFP news agency. “The army shot my brother, not the settlers.”

However, the Israeli military said Mr Aqtash was not shot by an Israeli soldier.

This part of the West Bank falls under full Israeli control, and Palestinians criticised Israeli security forces for failing to protect them.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he held the Israeli government fully responsible for what he called “the terrorist acts carried out by Israeli settlers, under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces”.

Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, appealed for calm and urged settlers to allow the Israeli military and security forces to focus on finding the gunman who killed the two Israelis.

“I ask that when blood is boiling and the spirit is hot, don’t take the law into your

hands,” he said in a video statement.

UN Middle East envoy Tor Wennesland said he was “gravely concerned by the deteriorating security situation”.

“There can be no justification for terrorism, nor for arson and acts of revenge against civilians,” he added.

The Israeli brothers were driving through Hawara when a Palestinian rammed their car and shot them

Settlers had called for a march to Hawara in order to “seek revenge” for the deadly attack on Hillel and Yagel Yaniv, who lived in the settlement of Har Bracha, which is 1.2 miles south of Nablus.

The brothers were driving through Hawara when a Palestinian man rammed their car and then shot them both several times.

Their mother, Esty, said: “Words can’t describe this disaster. Instead of bringing children to the wedding canopy, we need to bury them.”

She also appealed for unity among Israelis and stressed that “responsibility to guarantee security rests solely with the army”.

No Palestinian militant group has so far claimed they were behind the attack, but the gunman was reportedly wearing a shirt bearing the insignia of the Nablus-based Lions’ Den.

Members of the group were the targets of an Israeli raid in Nablus last Wednesday in which 11 Palestinians, including several civilians, were killed - the deadliest such operation in the West Bank since 2005.

Israeli forces have been carrying out waves of search, arrest and intelligencegathering raids in Nablus and the nearby city of Jenin, saying they are trying to stem the spate of deadly attacks against Israelis by Palestinians.

Since the start of this year, more than 60 Palestinians - militants and civilians - have been killed by Israeli forces. On the Israeli side, 13 people have been killed in attacksall civilians, except for a paramilitary police officer.

More than 600,000 Jews live in 140 settlements built since Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war. Most of the international community considers the settlements illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.

Winter storm brings snow to California and tornadoes to central US

Awinter storm that brought unprecedented snow to southern California has moved eastward, bringing with it tornadoes and powerful winds.

Residents in Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Texas were asked to seek shelter as severe weather makes its way to the region through Monday.

There were reports of damaged homes and knocked down power lines, leaving thousands without power.

Severe weather is expected to continue to the upper Midwest later in the week.

Californians have already faced mass power outages, flooding and the closures of both motorways and beaches as the storm swept the US state.

More than 120,000 people - many of them in the Los Angeles area - lost electricity after days of fierce winds.

As of Monday, around 43,900 homes in California remain without power. An additional 52,970 were also without power across Nevada, Texas, Oklahoma and

Missouri as the storm moved northeast.

In Oklahoma, seven tornadoes were reported to have hit the state late on Sunday. Footage emerged showing overturned cars and homes with collapsed roofs due to the strong winds. Officials reported at least 12 weather-related injuries.

A wind speed of 114 mph (183 km/h) was recorded in northern Texas near the border with Oklahoma - the equivalent of

a Category 3 hurricane.

Severe weather is expected to continue on Monday, the National Weather Said, which forecasted a “deep midlatitude cyclone” to hit portions of the Midwest, bringing with it showers and thunderstorms.

Parts of Michigan, where more than 136,000 people remain without power after a winter storm last week, are also expected to be hit again with yet another storm.

Last week’s severe weather led to record-high temperatures in parts of the east, while California grappled with rare snow and one of the strongest storms to ever hit the state. The storm shut down the north-south motorway on the West Coast, Interstate 5. It reopened on Sunday.

Yosemite National Park, however, will remain closed until Wednesday because of severe winter conditions.

On Saturday, all beaches were closed for several hours due to lightning strikes in LA County, the authorities said. There were also reports of flights grounded in the region.

Residents of the state capital of Sacramento have been warned to avoid travel from Sunday to Wednesday with rain and snow starting up again.

In Oregon, California’s northern neighbour, a state of emergency was declared in one county as a precaution. The authorities said this would ensure the necessary resources and equipment could be quickly allocated if later requested.

So far there have been no reports of any storm-related deaths or serious injuries.

Local residents were seen marvelling at the unfamiliar sight of a snow flurry around the Hollywood sign on Mount Lee.

Source: BBC

Dozens of cars and houses were burnt by settlers in Hawara, according to a Palestinian official

The Israeli brothers were driving through Hawara when a Palestinian rammed their car and shot them

Nigeria election results 2023: Opposition PDP and Labour Party accuse APC and INEC

Opposition parties have walked out of the venue where results from Nigeria’s tightly contested presidential elections are being announced.

The main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party have claimed there is a lack of transparency with the new electronic voter system.

This is the first national election where an electronic device has been used to accredit voters.

The election commission has denied the opposition parties’ complaints.

Inec chairman Mahmood Yakubu said the announcement of results would continue.

The PDP representative at the election centre in Abuja described the process as fraudulent, while the Labour Party asked for the announcements to be suspended or for the election to be cancelled and rerun.

However, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), whose candidate Bola Tinubu has established an early lead from results announced so far, said those dissatisfied with the results should go to court, and that the parties should first let the process run its course.

With about a third of the 36 states officially declared, Mr Tinubu has a strong lead over Mr Abubakar, with Mr Obi in third place. Most of those states are from the south-west - Mr Tinubu’s stronghold

- so it is still too early to predict who will win.

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the PDP have dominated Nigeria since the end of military rule in 1999 but this time, Mr Obi from the previously little known Labour Party is expected to mount a strong challenge to the two-party system. He has the support of many young people, who make up a third of registered voters. There are 15 other candidates.

A candidate needs to have the most votes and a quarter of ballots cast in 25 of the 36 states plus Abuja to be declared the winner.

Otherwise, there will be a run-off within 21 days - a first in Nigeria’s history.

Mr Obi has caused a major upset by winning in Nigeria’s biggest city, Lagos, narrowly defeating Mr Tinubu in his heartland.

Mr Tinubu is a former governor of Lagos state and hopes to use his record there as the basis of his presidential bid.

The ruling party candidate has accepted defeat in Lagos and said that as a democrat, he was bound to accept the outcome of any election.

“People have a right to vote for the candidate of their choice,” he said in a statement released by his campaign team.

He also appealed for calm from his supporters after his loss, following reports of violence in parts of Lagos against traders from the Igbo community, like Mr

Obi.

Mr Obi’s victory in Lagos, though a major breakthrough for a third-party candidate, is not necessarily a huge surprise. The city is home to many young, educated people, as well as a large Igbo population - all groups widely seen as backing his campaign.

He has also won in his heartland eastern Enugu state.

What is the problem with electronic system?

The Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) had assured Nigerians that the electronic voting system, known as Bvas, would enable it to transmit

Fishrot: The corruption scandal entwining Namibia and Iceland

The name alone - “Fishrot” - conjures up the unpleasant stench of corruption. The financial scandal - named after a 2019 Wikileaks release called the “Fishrot Files” - stretches from Namibia to Iceland, taking in government ministers and involving at least $20m (£16.6m).

The southern African country is now preparing for the biggest corruption trial in its short history.

It is all about fish quotas - not an immediately obvious source of corruption, but in Namibia they are very lucrative.

With nearly 1,600km (1,000 miles) of South Atlantic coastline, fishing is one of the country’s main industries, accounting for about 20% of export earnings.

In the Fishrot scandal, a number of prominent politicians and businessmen are accused of running schemes to get control of valuable fishing quotas, for example those held by the state fishing company Fishcor. It is alleged that they then diverted them to the Icelandic fishing company Samherji in return for kickbacks.

Ten suspects, including former Fisheries Minister Bernard Esau and ex-Justice Minister Sakeus Shangala, are alleged to have benefitted.

All those accused, some of whom have been in detention for over three years now, have protested their innocence. Samherji, one of Iceland’s most important companies, has strongly denied allegations of bribery.

The scandal has also damaged the wider Namibian fishing industry. Jobs have gone and government revenue has been lost - that money should have been used to assist the poorest in one of the most unequal societies in the world.

Firstly, some of the money earned by Fishcor was supposed to have gone to social programmes such as drought and unemployment relief. Secondly, as the fishing quotas were diverted, Namibian fishing suffered as a whole.

The scandal first broke in November 2019, when WikiLeaks shared over 30,000 documents - including company e-mails, contracts, presentations and photos - leaked by a

former Samherji manager in Namibia, Johannes Stefansson. He alleged that the company had colluded with a group of influential figures to get access to the fishing quotas at below the market price.

This has proved to be a complex case and the slow legal process is expected to end up in a court soon, but it is also having a real-world impact.

It is in places like Walvis Bay, the country’s principal harbour, where this can be seen.

Jason Ipinge lives in Narraville, one of Walvis Bay’s main townships, where single-storey dwellings creep right up to the edge of the desert.

He lost his job on one of the big factory trawlers belonging to Samherji back in 2018.

The ship, the Heinaste, had been leased by one of Samherji’s subsidiaries to a local joint venture company, ArcticNam that brought three Namibian quota holders on board, and with it a lot of fish.

After some profitable years, it appears relations between the partners soured. There was an argument between the Namibian and Icelandic ends of the business over whether promised jobs had materialised, it has been reported.

Mr Ipinge says the fishermen working on the vessel were completely in the dark and only realised things had gone toxic when the entire crew was told to leave the ship without warning or explanation.

“I’ve lost a lot in life and my dignity has also been affected,” he told me. “In the past I was able to help my parents back home in my village, but now I’m not able to send something home.”

Mr Ipinge’s story is far from unique. Ellison Tjirera and Rui Tyitende, two researchers from Namibia’s National University, talked to dozens of people in a similar situation.

“We heard stories of people who lost their partners because they couldn’t sustain their families any more, we’ve heard stories of people who had to take their kids out of school and send them to their grandparents,” Mr Tjirera says.

“Some resorted to crime. So I think you can get a sense of how this huge corruption scandal touched ordinary lives.”

Unsurprisingly many companies in Namibia’s crowded fishing sector took a hit. Even those who may have had nothing to do with the scheme have been affected, as Fishcor’s practices were brought into question.

At Princess Brand Processing (PBP), one of the biggest fish factories in sub-Saharan Africa, they are still struggling.

PBP catches horse mackerel, a species sold widely on the African market, and brings the fish to shore for processing. It has taken a labourintensive approach that has created 650 jobs, according to general manager Adolf Burger.

“In Europe this is done with 10 or 15 people,” Mr Burger says. “It was possible to put up a fully automatic factory here, but the idea is to create jobs, so we made it as manual as possible.”

When the Fishrot scandal broke, the company lost a huge quota allocation that had been agreed with Fishcor.

Creating jobs and prosperity for Namibians was the dream when the country became independent 33 years ago and finally laid claim to its wealth of marine resources, which had been exploited for decades by other nations.

The new government under the liberation movement-turned political party Swapo (South West Africa People’s Organisation) adopted a policy of “Namibianisation”, giving fishing rights to the country’s citizens and forcing outsiders into joint ventures if they wanted access to its resources.

But a policy that was good in principle has run into problems, according to Graham Hopwood, executive director of the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) in Namibia.

“The rights to various different types of fish in our sea are given on extended periods of 10, 15 years and so on to companies that are Namibian, or majority-Namibian owned,” he says.

“That, in theory is good, but these are mostly briefcase companies that only exist on paper, often owned by people who have no knowledge of fishing and no infrastructure, but see this as a means of making money; and a lot of these people are also politically connected.”

The IPPR is not alone in its assessment that the opaque way in which the industry is run and regulated has made it vulnerable to abuse. When the Fishrot case finally comes to court later this year, it will be the biggest trial in the country’s history.

The charges against the suspects are laid out in a 144-page indictment and include racketeering, bribery, money laundering and tax evasion.

The defendants are further accused of manipulating a bilateral cooperation agreement with Angola to divert more quotas to Samherji at very low prices.

The scandal has come at a political cost too.

Swapo suffered its worst results in elections just days after the Fishrot story broke.

“Politically they are in the intensive care unit,” as analyst Rui Tyitende puts it.

In Iceland it is not just the reputation of one of the most important companies that is under scrutiny, but the image of the entire country which has slipped in the international corruption index over the past years.

Samherji has consistently denied allegations of bribery. When the scandal broke, it commissioned a Norwegian law firm to conduct an investigation. Following its report the company issued a statement, which acknowledged the issue while maintaining there was no bribery involved.

“It was necessary to pay more attention to how payments were made, who they were made to and on what basis, who had the authority to give instructions about them and where they should be received,” Samherji said. “It is also clear that the underlying agreements behind the payments should have been precise and formal.”

The company also said it had taken extensive steps to avoid mistakes being made in the future.

It blames any criminal activity that may have occurred on the whistle blower, Johannes Stefansson.

But Mr Stefansson says others authorised payments and he is set to be the prosecution’s most important witness at the trial later this year.

Source: BBC

Dino Meleye from the opposition PDP said the electoral commission had been compromised

Lebanon news agency’s photo archive stolen in ‘crime of national proportions’

Unidentified thieves broke into the headquarters of Lebanon’s state news agency and stole a server containing its photo archive, officials say.

National News Agency staff in Beirut found a broken door and the server containing photos of events since 1961 missing along with five computers.

The archive includes pictures of the country’s 1975-1990 civil war.

Information Minister Ziad Makary described the theft as a “crime of national proportions”.

But he later said that only part of the photo archive had been taken and the ministry still had the database.

An investigation to find the thieves was under way, he said.

“The repercussions of the robbery are both moral and material,” he tweeted.

It comes as Lebanon is going through a crushing economic crisis, with its currency losing more than 95% of its value and the annual inflation rate soaring to 170% last year.

That has left more than 80% of the population living in poverty and struggling to afford food and medicine.

The state is unable to pay civil servants and security forces an adequate salary. Many have resorted to taking extra jobs or only

occasionally coming to work.

The crisis has been compounded by political paralysis.

A deeply divided parliament

has been unable to agree on a new president and a caretaker cabinet with limited powers has been left to run the country.

Israel and Palestinians pledge to reduce violence

TheIsraeli government and the Palestinian Authority have announced a joint commitment to take immediate steps to end a surge in violence.

The move has emerged from rare talks in Jordan, also attended by US and Egyptian officials.

The meeting agreed to support confidence-building steps and “to work towards a just and lasting peace”.

As the talks took place, a Palestinian gunman shot dead two Israelis in the occupied West Bank.

The Israeli military said it was pursuing the gunman and reinforcing troop numbers in the West Bank, deploying two additional battalions. It confirmed that one of those killed in the village of Hawara, near Nablus, was a soldier.

Israel’s government described the killings in Hawara as “a Palestinian terror attack”.

Hours after Sunday’s shooting, a large group of settlers entered the same village and began throwing stones and setting trees and cars alight.

At least 15 houses and a number of cars have been burned, according to Palestinian sources. Several families had to be evacuated from their homes.

The Palestinian Red Crescent emergency service said hundreds were injured.

Nearby in the West Bank, in Za’tara, a Palestinian man was killed after being shot when Israeli settlers and soldiers entered the village, Palestinian health officials say. The summit in the Red Sea resort of Aqaba was called following a recent rise in deadly violence that has stoked fears of a wider conflict.

It brought together Israeli and Palestinian security chiefs for the first time in many years. The US president’s top Middle East adviser, Brett McGurk, was also present.

The first point of the summit’s communique read: “The two sides

Security measures were increased after a Palestinian gunman shot dead two Israelis in the occupied West Bank

[Palestinian and Israeli] affirmed their commitment to all previous agreements between them, and to work towards a just and lasting peace. “They reaffirmed the necessity of committing to de-escalation on the ground and to prevent further violence.”

According to the statement, Israel made a commitment to stop discussing new settlement building for four months. In return, it is understood the Palestinians will not take action against Israel at the UN. The five parties also agreed to hold further talks in Sharm elSheikh, Egypt, next month.

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said he “welcomed” the commitments made by both sides, adding that more work is needed in coming months “to build a stable and prosperous future for Israelis and Palestinians alike”.

But Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich - the leader of the far-fight grouping in Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalitionsaid “there will not be a freeze on construction and development in the settlement, not even for one day”. He added that the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) will “continue to act to counter terrorism” without limitations.

Palestinian militant group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, condemned the Palestinian Authority (PA) for taking part in what they called “worthless” talks.

The attack on two Israelis at Hawara on Sunday has underlined the lack of influence the PA has over armed groups and lone wolf attackers.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the shooting, which took place on a busy road that often sees friction between Palestinians and settlers.

In response, Netanyahu said his administration would “continue to act by all means ... to deter the

terrorists and maintain Israel’s security”.

More than 70 killed this year

Since the start of this year, more than 60 Palestinians - militants and civilians - have been killed by Israeli forces, and on the Israeli side, 13 people have been killed in attacks, all civilians, except for a paramilitary police officer.

The recent flare up in violence has included two Israeli military raids - in Jenin refugee camp and Nablus Old City which killed 10 and 11 Palestinians respectively - in the most deadly operations of their kind since 2005.

Source: BBC

The theft comes amid a crushing economic crisis and political paralysis in Lebanon

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3. TEMITAYO AYINLA-OMOTOLA 4. CHUKA UDOJI

5.ADELEKE SANNI

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1. PROVIDE OR SECURE THE PROVISION OF SOCIAL SERVICES, EDUCATIONAL AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES AND MAKE REGULATIONS, MANUALS AND/OR GUIDELINES FOR THE USE AND MANAGEMENT OF SUCH FACILITIES WITHIN THE ESTATE.

2. PROVIDE, MAINTAIN AND EQUIP, OR ASSIST IN THE PROVISION, MAINTENANCE AND EQUIPMENT OF, PREMISES AND FACILITIES DESIGNED TO CARRY OUT THE OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSOCIATION

3. EMPLOY AND MANAGE COMPETENT AND DEPENDABLE PROFESSIONAL

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OKPERE OLD STUDENTS ASSOCIATION (OOSA)

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE

OLD STUDENTS • TO PROTECT THE INTEREST OF ITS MEMBERS

• TO ENHANCE OR FOSTER UNITY AMONG MEMBERS

• TO PROMOTE THE NAME OKPERE OLD STUDENTS ASSOCIATION WITHIN AND OUTSIDE NIGERIA

• TO INFLUENCE DEVELOPMENTS TO MEMBERS AND THE ASSOCIATION

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• TO HONOUR DESERVING OLD STUDENTS FOR LAUDABLE ACHIEVEMENTS IN ALL SPHERES

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ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRARGENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED SECRETARY.

PUBLIC NOTICE

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THE TRUSTEES ARE :

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2. ADOGAH GLADYS UGHEGBE

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THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1. TO ESTABLISH A CHURCH WITH THE MANDATE TO MAKE MEMBERS DISCOVER THEIR PECULIARITIES IN GOD’S ETERNAL AGENDA AND WALK IN THE PATHS OF HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS IN OTHER TO SEE GOD

2. TO MAKE PEOPLE USEFUL TO THEMSELVES, THE SOCIETY AND GOD BY MAXIMIZING THEIR GOD GIVEN POTENTIALS FOR DESTINY FULFILMENT

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IGBOEBISI EMPOWERMENT FOUNDATION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

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3. EZEANI CHIJIOKE MOSES.

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

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2.TO PROMOTE AWARENESS ON ANY ARISING OR TOPICAL ISUES IN THE SOCIETY AND ASSIST IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATEAFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : AMUSI NATHANIEL OBINNA - SECRETARY.

PUBLIC NOTICE

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THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1.ONAKORERE RAPHAEL OGHENEOCHUKO…CHAIRMAN

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ANY OBJECTION TO THIS

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BLESSED SAVED BY GRACE HUMANITARIAN FOUNDATION

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1.HELP THE LESS PRIVILEGED

2.FEED THE HUNGRY

3.SHARING LOVE

4.CARING FOR THE NEEDY

5.HELPING HUMANITY

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

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DALLARS OBIORA FOUNDATION

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BAM ESTATES MUSLIM COMMUNITY

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THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1.AHMAD AMINU NASIDI

2.AUDU MUHAMMAD SHAKIR

3.UMAR MANIR

4.SAMBO SHEHULUQMAN BOLAJI

5.IBRAHIM ADAMU HARUNA

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1.TO IDENTIFY AND PROMOTE UNITY AMONG MUSLIM RESIDENTS OF BAM ESTATES KARSANA, ABUJA.

2.TO ENCOURAGE ITS MEMEBERS INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY TOWARDS THE IMPROVEMENT OF THEIR TAQWAH. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATEAFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : SECRETARY.

CHRIST PECULIAR GRACE BELIEVERS CHURCH

Ocean plastic: How tech is being used to clean up waste problem

Trying to solve the world’s ocean plastic pollution problem has been a “long and painful journey” for Dutch entrepreneur Boyan Slat.

The 28-year-old founder of non-profit environmental organisation The Ocean Cleanup has been working on ways to filter plastic waste out of the Pacific Ocean for nearly 10 years.

He told BBC News it has been harder than he ever imagined it would be.

“The planet is pretty big, it turns out,” Boyan said.

“There’s about 1,000 rivers we need to tackle and five ocean garbage patches, [so] the first few years were really about trying to understand the problem.”

The world’s biggest area of accumulated ocean plastic, commonly dubbed “the Great Pacific Garbage Patch”, is located in the North Pacific Ocean.

Containing a huge build-up of plastic debris ranging from large fishing nets to flake-sized microplastics, it has been one of the main targets for The Ocean Cleanup team.

Casting the net

The Ocean Cleanup uses a long, u-shaped barrier, similar to a net, that is pulled through patches of rubbish by boats. It moves slowly to try to avoid harming marine life.

Cameras powered by artificial intelligence (AI) are used to continuously scan the ocean’s surface for plastic and calibrate the team’s computer models, helping them understand which parts of the Pacific area to target.

“When you look at the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, there’s some areas that have a very high density of plastic and other areas that are virtually empty,” he said.

“If we are continuously cleaning up inside those hotspots, we can of course be a lot more effective in our cleanup operation.”

Plastic collected by the 800-metre-long (2,600ft) system, the second of its kind developed by the company, is

periodically taken to land and emptied for recycling.

Boyan said the system has so far cleaned up almost 200,000 kilograms (440,000 lbs) of ocean plastic. While this represents just 0.2% of the 100 million kilograms of plastic contained in the world’s largest patch of plastic rubbish, he said it was still worth it: “Everything big starts small, right?”

The team believes it will have collected 1% of the patch by the end of this year using its current system - but they are scaling up their operations to try to clean up patches faster.

They are developing System 3, a 2.4km (1.49 miles) long giant barrier, for use in the summer.

And The Ocean Cleanup hopes that rolling out 10 of these larger systems in the near-future could clean up to 80% of the North Pacific’s plastic debris by the end of the decade.

Stemming the flow

Research carried out by the company in 2021 suggests about 1,000 of the world’s rivers are the source of 80% of the global ocean plastic pollution.

“The rivers are really the arteries that carry trash from land to sea,” Boyan said. “So when it rains, plastic washes from streets into creeks, into rivers, and then ultimately to the ocean.”

He says the fast-flowing nature of rivers can make stopping plastic even more difficult.

“In rivers you really only have one shot at catching the plasticit just flows by and if you don’t catch it, it’s guaranteed to enter the ocean,” he said.

The Ocean Cleanup uses its “Interceptor” solutions to try to catch rubbish in rivers before it reaches the sea.

The tech behind these varies according to factors such as width, depth, flow speed and debris type of the river in question - again assessed using AI-powered cameras.

Most of the deployments use a conveyor belt to extract the

garbage from the water.

“We are intercepting plastic in 11 rivers around the world,” Boyan said, “but ultimately aim to scale this to all 1,000 heaviest polluting rivers in the world.”

‘Stopping the tap’

Prof Richard Lampitt of the National Oceanography Centre told BBC News in 2018 he believed using boats to pull nets and shuttle plastic from ocean

garbage patches to ports could have a high carbon cost.

Several years later, he says he remains sceptical about this - but feels far more positive about targeting rubbish in rivers.

“The environmental costs are much, much lower,” he said. “You haven’t got to go 1,500km in order to get the stuff.”

But noting the risks of microplastics to the heart of the marine ecosystem, Prof Lampitt said he thought that rather than cleaning up plastic in our seas, “it is really is an issue of stopping the tap and stopping this material getting into the ocean”.

“I cannot think of any way that you can remove these

from the natural environment from the ocean without causing massive damage to the food webs, and of course taking an awful lot of energy in order to do it,” he said.

While trying to take on the world’s marine pollution problem is undoubtedly tough, and contingent on reduced plastic production and consumption in the first place, Boyan has high hopes for the future.

“I truly believe that with these technologies to clean up the legacy pollution in the ocean and to intercept plastic in rivers before it reaches the oceans, we will actually able to to put ourselves out of business in the not-so-distant future,” he added. Source: BBC

While this represents just 0.2% of the 100 million kilograms of plastic contained in the world’s largest patch of plastic rubbish, he said it was still worth it: “Everything big starts small, right?”

Plastic bottles pile up behind the Ocean Cleanup’s Interceptor barrier in Kingston Harbour, Jamaica

The Ocean Cleanup is developing a new system which is three times the size of its current one

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ELDER SIMON ACHENEJE HELPING HAND FOUNDATION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

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3. SIMON OJODOMO GODDAYSECRETARY

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READ WITH CYNTHIA FOUNDATION

SIGNED : SECRETARY.

THE LIGHT BEARERS CLUB, OBBO-AIYEGUNLE

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THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1.OLAWALE TEMITOPE JOSHUA

2.OLAREWAJU FEMI

3.OLUJIDE ROTIMI SAMUEL

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3.TO UPHOLD THE CULTURE AND HERITAGE OF OBBO AIYEGUNLE COMMUNITY TO PARTNER WITH OTHER ASSOCIATION’S THAT HAVE THE SAME VALUE WITH OUR ASSOCIATION.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

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TRUSTEES:

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AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:

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2. TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO ORPHANS, WIDOWS AND THE LESS PRIVILEGE

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SIGNED: CHAIRMAN

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THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1. NKECHINYERE VICTORIA NWEZE -CHAIRMAN

2. CHIJIUBAH IFECHINEMEREM JESSICA SECRETARY

3. DAMILOLA OBISESAN- TRUSTEE

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1.TO GUIDE AND COUNSEL TEENAGE AND SINGLE YOUNG MOTHERS

2.TO PROVIDE SOCIAL, EDUCATIONAL AND ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT TO THE LESS PRIVILEGED.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : SECRETARY.

THE MARVGALLUP CHARITABLE FOUNDATION PUBLIC

31 JANUARY 2023

THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET MAITAMA ABUJA

DEAR SIR, NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF LIQUIDATOR OF SVENSKA NIGERIA EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION LIMITED I, INAM WILSON OF 5TH FLOOR, THE OCTAGON, 13A A.J MARINHO DRIVE, VICTORIA ISLAND, LAGOS HEREBY GIVE NOTICE THAT I HAVE BEEN APPOINTED LIQUIDATOR OF SVENSKA NIGERIA EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION LIMITED BY VIRTUE OF A SPECIAL RESOLUTION OF THE COMPANY PASSED ON 31 JANUARY 2023.

I HAVE ACCEPTED TO ACT AS LIQUIDATOR OF THE COMPANY FOR THE PURPOSES OF ITS WINDING UP AND WILL DO SO TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITIES AND WITHIN THE PRECINCTS OF THE LAW.

PLEASE BE REST ASSURED OF MY HIGHEST PROFESSIONAL REGARD.

YOURS FAITHFULLY,

SPACE FOR SALE

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1.IHANDEN AMENAMUON CYNTHIA - CHAIRMAN

2.IHANDEN PAUL FRIDAY - SECRETARY THE AIMS AND

4. TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO BECOME ENGAGED IN EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES, SUCH AS BOOK CLUBS AND OTHER COMPETITIONS.

5. TO CREATE A SAFE AND ENCOURAGING LEARNING ATMOSPHERE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

6. TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO STUDENTS IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE FOR TUITION AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL EXPENSES.

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I FORMERLY KNOWN AS HALLIRU

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DIVINE CORNERSTONE PRAYER AND DELIVERANCE MINISTRY

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THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1.REV. JEREMIAH BAKO NYIZOMA

2.PAST.(MRS) NYIZOMA LADI

3.GWATANA ISAIAH RIZAMA

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1.TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

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LOSS OF DOCUMENT

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC OF THE LOSS OF ORIGINAL RIGHT OF OCCUPANCY (R OF O) IN RESPECT OF PLOT NO: 1373 CADASTRAL ZONE B19, KATAMPE EXTENSION DISTRICT ABUJA WITH FILE NO: OG60148 MEASURING 1370.09SQM ISSUED BY AGIS (FCDA) DATED 5TH SEPTEMBER, 2008 BEARING THE NAME SARAFADEEN TUNJI ISOLA GOT MISSING.

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DIVINE CORNERSTONE PRAYER AND DELIVERANCE MINISTRY

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THE TRUSTEES ARE :

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2.PAST.(MRS) NYIZOMA LADI

3.GWATANA ISAIAH RIZAMA

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TIJANIYYA YOUTH ASSOCIATION KOGI CENTRAL

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THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1.IBRAHIM SADIQ OJIVO--CHAIRMAN

2.MUHAMMAD AHMAD RUFAI--VICE CHAIRMAN

3.ABDULSALAM BASHEER OWUDA--SECRETARY

4.MUHAMMAD SANNI NASIR--SPEAKER

5.SALL IBRAHIM BABA--PRO

6.ABDULSALAM OMENESA SHAIBU

7.LAWAL KAMARUDEEN MUHAMMED

8.SHAIBU ABDULAZEEZ

9.ISAH ZAKARIYAU

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Ighalo scores four goals as Al Hilal thrash Al Duhail to reach AFC final

Ighalo scores four goals as Al Hilal thrash Al Duhail to reach AFC final.

Nigeria star Odion Ighalo scored four goals as title holders Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia blitzed Qatar’s Al Duhail on Sunday to reach the AFC Champions League final.

Former Manchester United and Watford striker Ighalo scored his first goal inside 90 seconds to set Al Hilal on the way to the final against Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds where they will seek a record-extending fifth title.

Mali attacker Moussa Merega also scored two as Al Duhail coach, former Argentina star Hernan Crespo, was quickly made to regret his pre-match comments that he had a “strong belief” that his side could go through.

The Duhail defence was torn apart from the start.

The 33-year-old Nigerian headed into an empty goal to open the rout and had an equally easy tap-in for his second after 10 minutes.

Marega was given a simple shot for the third in the 14th minute and soon after narrowly headed over with goalkeeper Bassam Al Rawi beaten.

Put through on a continual

offensive of breaks Marega shot the fourth goal into the corner and cleverly backheeled for Salem Al Dawsari to make the score 5-0 at the break.

Marega had a 41st minute volley ruled out for offside by the video assistant referee. Al Hilal had enough chances for a dozen goals.

Ighalo kissed the ground in thanks as the half-time whistle blew. Disconsolate and disgusted Al Duhail fans started leaving.

Crespo changed goalkeepers but Ighalo lobbed over replacement Mohammed Al Burayk two and half minutes after the restart to claim his hat-trick.

Marega was racing down the right wing looking for a third when pulled a muscle, fell to the ground and had to be replaced.

Ighalo shot his fourth goal in the 62nd minute before being substituted by Ramon Diaz, who used to be Crespo’s coach at River Plate.

The two match final will be played on April 29 and May 6. Al Hilal beat Urawa when they last met in the final in 2019.

Manchester United wins Carabao Cup to end 6-year trophy drought

Manchester United’s sixyear wait for a trophy is over after beating Newcastle 2-0 to win the League Cup on Sunday.

United manager Erik ten Hag has wasted no time in guiding the

club to silverware just 10 months after being hired.

Casemiro headed United in front in the 33rd minute of the final at Wembley Stadium and Sven Botman’s own-goal made it 2-0 in the 39th.

It is United’s first trophy since winning a League Cup and Europa League double under Jose Mourinho in 2017.

The victory keeps alive Ten Hag’s four-pronged challenge this season, with his team in

contention for the title and still competing in both the Europa League and FA Cup.

For Newcastle, the wait for a first major domestic trophy since winning the FA Cup in 1955 goes on.

The Saudi Arabian-backed club mounted a fightback in the second half, but could not find a breakthrough goal.

Angola defeat dents Nigeria FIBA World Cup qualification hopes

Nigeria’s hope of playing in the 2023 FIBA World Cup was dashed over the week following the team’s defeat against perennial rivals, Angola.

D’Tigers could not roar laud against host Angola as they fell 59-65 in their final game of Window 6. It ended 15-18, 14-

18, 9-19 and 21-10 in favour of Angola.

Meanwhile, the Island nation of Cape Verde has qualified for the 2023 FIBA Men’s Basketball World Cup finals.

Thanks to their 79-64 points win over Cote D’Ivoire on Sunday in Luanda, Angola, during the last game of the FIBA Men’s

Basketball World Cup Qualifiers.

They join Angola, Cote D’Ivoire, Egypt and South Sudan as Africa’s flag bearers at the World Cup to be cohosted by Japan, Indonesia and Philippines which tips off August 25th.

As Cape Verde handed Cote d’Ivoire their second loss of

the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 African Qualifiers, they were finally able to celebrate qualifying for the World Cup for the first time ever in the history of their nation.

Aside from making history in that regard, Cape Verde are now also the smallest nation to ever qualify for a World Cup as

well, beating the record that was previously set by Montenegro in World Cup 2019.

Montenegro seemed to have shattered the record in China with a reported population of just over 620,000 at the time. The previous record holder was Qatar, whose population was just under 1 million in 2006.

Being The Highest Goalscorer Is Not My Priority -Osimhen

SCNapoli of Italy striker, Victor Osimhen says winning the Serie A Golden Boot is not his priority.

The Nigerian who appears to be the runaway winner of the Golden Boot (the first for an African in the league) has scored the most goals in Serie A with 18 goals in 29 games.

He scored against Eintracht Frankfurt on Tuesday. It was his second goal this season in the UEFA Champions League.

“Being the highest goalscorer is actually not my main priority,” Osimhen told ESPN.

“The team comes first before my personal ambition. If I win it, that’s fine, but what I want to do is try to win trophies with my team.

“As long as the team is winning, it doesn’t matter to me who gets the goals or whether I win top scorer or not.”

European heavyweights, Manchester United and Chelsea, are interested in the 24-year-old.

“When you are doing so well, top clubs around the world are watching, mostly in the top five leagues,” he said.

“And to be able to attract interest from these top clubs shows that I am doing great, and it gives me the motivation to do even more for myself and my team.

“But, I am focused on Napoli right now, and they have the final say. I just want to help my team to win matches and win trophies.

“At the end of the season, we will see what is going to happen, but that is not up to me. It is for the club to decide,”

Since coming to Partenopei in a €75 million deal from Lille, Osimhen has scored 48 goals in 86 games.

Flying Eagles battle Uganda in U-20 AFCON quarter-final

Nigeria’s U-20 national football team the Flying Eagles will on Thursday face Uganda in the quarter-final of the 2023 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON in Egypt.

Ladan Bosso’s finished second in Group A after defeating Mozambique 2-0 in their final group game on Saturday night to collect six points below the group leaders, Senegal who have 9 points.

Uganda secured first place in Group B level on five points with Congo before the drawing of lots in Cairo confirmed their place at the summit.

Jackson Mayanja’s team played South Sudan who qualified in third at the Suez Canal Stadium in Ismailia on Sunday night.

The Cecafa representatives cancelled each other with South Sudan having the better of the chances.

“This tournament is a bit tricky but this is the game but we had to get a result because I also rested my key players because I trust every player,” Mayanja said.

“Since that we have qualified, now we’re planning for the next one so that we can qualify to the next stage.”

While Jackson Mayanja was fulfilling his post match media duties the drawing of lots was taking place in Cairo but the

former El Masry man wasn’t too concerned about the draw.

“There’s nothing much I can say about the drawing of lots. I’m not a coach who has pressure,” he said.

“This is what I was looking at whether I am first or second but I have qualified that is the most important.

“My goal here in this tournament is to take this team to the World Cup.

“That’s why I give a chance to every player of mine to express himself, to express talent.”

The quarter-final fixture will be played at the Suez Canal Stadium, Ismailia on Thursday, March 2.

Victory in the game will see the Flying Eagles secure a place at the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup to be hosted by Indonesia later in the year

CAF Confed. Cup: How 10-man Rivers United Defeated Motema Pembe In Luanda

Paul Acquah scored a superb winner as 10-man Rivers United claimed a 1-0 win over Daring Club Motema Pembe in CAF Confederation Cup group B matchday 3 tie at the Estádio 11 de Novembro stadium in Talatona (near Luanda), Angola on Sunday

The Ghanaian winger found the net from a rebound in the 52nd minute after his initial header was blocked by the keeper in a match that saw Ebube Duru’s dismissal for a second yellow card with 3 minutes before half time, gving Coach Stanley Eguma a

valuable win.

Picking the quarter-final ticket might still be very open for all teams in the group, but this result could prove a springboard for the Pride of Rivers Rivers United’s win inflicted a first home defeat in the CAF

Confederation’s Cup in this seasons campaign on the Les Immaculés.

Rivers United moved top of Group B with six points from 3 matches.

Stanley Eguma’’s side will now turn their focus to Saturday’s

Nigeria Premier Football League clash against Abia Warriors in Umuahia before they return to the continental sphere on Sunday, Match 8 when they will host Motema Pembe in the reverse fixture in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State

Photo: Victor Osimhen celebrating after scoring in a league game

Chelsea Board backs Potter despite poor run of form

Graham Potter still has the support of Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly and the club’s board despite their poor run of form in the Premier League

The Blues have won just two of their past 14 games in all competitions and were beaten 1-0 by Premier League strugglers Southampton on Saturday.

Potter was appointed in September following the sacking of Thomas Tuchel.

However, Chelsea’s owners have made it clear that hiring Potter was part of a long-term project.

It is felt the team needs an opportunity to gel after a rebuild that has seen £583m spent on new players in the past two transfer windows, with eight new signings arriving in January alone.

It is also recognised the unprecedented injury crisis has also contributed to difficult circumstances for Potter.

A head injury to Cesar Azpilicueta in Saturday’s match adds another name to Chelsea’s lengthy injury list, which includes Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly, N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Christian Pulisic, Wesley Fofana, Edouard Mendy, Denis Zakaria and Armando Broja.

Potter’s future at Stamford Bridge will not be determined by success in the Champions League this season or the team’s ability to qualify for European football next season.

Although it is accepted Saturday’s result was not good enough - Southampton are bottom of the Premier League table - it is felt there are encouraging signs at the club.

Potter left Brighton and

U-20 AFCON: ‘I’m confident in my team’s abilities’ –Bosso

Nigeria coach Ladan Bosso says he is confident of his team’s abilities despite going down to Senegal in their opening match of the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Cairo on Sunday night.

Sulaymane Faye scored five minutes before half-time to secure all three points for coach Malick Daf’s Cubs in the Egyptian capital in their Group A clash with the Flying Eagles.

The seven-time champions had to play the closing stages with a man down following Ahmed Abdullahi’s sending off for a dangerous challenge.

Despite the setback the Nigerian trainer insists they will recover to excel in the tournament being played in Egypt.

“We take advantage of tournaments like this in order to develop our level and work to fix our mistakes. In the end, I trust the team and their ability to qualify fto the next round, and that we will achieve our biggest goal, which is to reach the World Cup,’ said Bosso.

Bossu and his charges will be seeking to make up for Sunday’s loss in order to maintain a chances of reaching the quarter final.

The WAFU-A champions will battle against the hosts who were held to a goalless draw by Mozambique.

“The next match is very difficult, especially since it will be against Egypt, the host country,” Bossu told reporters.

signed a five-year deal with Chelsea following Tuchel’s sacking.

Chelsea have won nine of

their 25 games under Potter and sit 10th in the Premier League, 10 points off the Champions League places.

The Blues are next in action on Sunday at fourth-placed Tottenham (13:30 GMT).

Greenwood ‘meets’ with Man United team-mates

Suspended Manchester United striker Mason Greenwood has been in touch with some of his teammates while the club’s internal investigation continues.

Manchester United striker Mason Greenwood has caught up with some of his team-mates at the club after criminal charges against the 21-year-old were dropped.

Greenwood has met up

privately with some players and has also contacted others on social media in a bid to rekindle bonds, according to The Sun.

It is claimed the forward has reached out to some of those he’s known the longest at the club, and they met him to ‘hear him out’ so they can draw their own conclusions after the charges were dropped.

Greenwood remains

suspended while the club conducts its own process to determine whether he can continue his career at Old Trafford.

Manager Erik ten Hag is believed to have spoken with Greenwood already on the telephone to check on his physical and mental wellbeing.

Manchester United will discuss the possibility of Greenwood’s comeback with players from the

men’s and women’s teams to gauge opinion on his return as part of their ongoing process.

Goal claims players from the women’s team are said to feel “deeply uncomfortable” at the prospect of Greenwood wearing the famous red shirt again, while staff at the club are thought to be split on whether the striker should be allowed to resurrect his Manchester United career.

“Egypt’s the draw against Mozambique will make it more difficult because their desire to win will multiply.”

Chelsea manager, Graham Potter Bosso

Tobi Amusan nominated for 2023 Laureus World Sports Awards

Nigeria’s 100 metres hurdles star, Tobi Amusan, has been nominated for the 2023 Laureus World Sports Awards 2023.

This was announced on the Twitter handle of Laureus on Monday, 20 February.

Amusan is shortlisted in the World Breakthrough of the Year category alongside five other contestants.

The other nominees in the category are tennis stars Carlos Alcaraz and Elena Rybakina, semifinalist at Qatar 2022 World Cup Atlas Lions of Morocco, American figure skater Nathan Chen and American professional golfer Scott Scheffler.

I want to win titles with MoroccoAchraf Hakimi

Moroccan international Achraf Hakimi, who plays as a right-back for French club Paris Saint-Germain, says his dream is to win titles with the Moroccan national team.

Speaking to Prime Video Sport France, Hakimi said he also desires to win the UEFA Champions League with his club.

When asked about his favorite moments throughout his career so far, the right-back mentioned Morocco’s run at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where the team finished in fourth place.

The player also mentioned his winning the Champions League title with Real Madrid, despite not playing much for the team.

“I’d also like to thank my coach, Herve Renard, who gave me the opportunity to play for Morocco’s team the first time he called me up,” Hakimi said, also thanking Real Madrid ex-head coach Zineddine Zidane for also giving him the opportunity to play.

Talking points of Presidential/National Assembly election 2023

This columnist had wanted to do a write-up on the winner of the just concluded 2023 Presidential election, the most keenly observed, on the basis that the electoral commission’s chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu would make the declaration by Monday. As it is, some of the results are still being collated as at the time of writing this piece. So I had to change gear so to speak, choose another topic and title. Here we go.

INEC’s overhyped technology upgrade and other faux pas

The reason why there was so much enthusiasm in this year’s general election is because INEC, the electoral body stepped up use of technology. It upgraded from use of card reader to the Bimodal Voter Accreditation Scheme(BVAS).

The BVAS was used in the off season governorship election in Anambra(2021), Ekiti and Osun last year, all of which results were acclaimed by independent observers as representative of expressed wishes of the electorate. There has been several bye elections since then conducted by INEC and everything went fairly well according to it. It even conducted a mock election, just few weeks to this general election, a kind of test run. INEC reported that it was very set for a hitch-free general election. What is more, the commission gleefully announced it now has a portal wherein results from polling units would be uploaded to its server at the tap of the finger via the BVAS and seen simultaneously by just about anybody from any part of the world automatically, in real time. This further boosted peoples’ confidence in this election. A record over 146 international observers, including some former African presidents flooded to Nigeria. With this technology step up, most people expected that the results would be known by Sunday, latest Monday.

The international observers would have been expecting to be jetting back to their various countries latest Monday. But here we are as at 4.30 p.m. on Monday February 27 when I am writing this piece, INEC has only released presidential results from 11 states.

By VICTORIA NGOZI IKEANO

For the umpteenth time

INEC grappled with logistics. Many, many of the units commenced the process well behind INEC’s stipulated time of 8.30 a.m. In some 70 per cent of the thousands of polling units across the nation, accreditation reportedly started between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. In many places voting continued after sunset and torches used due to lack of electricity. INEC has conducted several elections after the 2015 general elections. One would have thought that it has gathered sufficient experience over these years and perfected its logistics thereby. But this problem of late arrival of INEC staff, late arrival of voting materials, arrival of incomplete materials keeps on recurring over and over again. Is INEC jinxed with logistics issue?

Labour party is a disruptor in South East zone

Notwithstanding that the Labour party is not in the reckoning to win the popular vote in the presidential election, it has nonetheless, disrupted the traditional voting patter in especially, the south east zone. And the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) suffers the collateral damage. This has always been PDP’s stronghold right from inception, since 1999. Arising from the fact that their son, former vice president, Alex Ekwueme was a founding father of the party, they remained true to the party. Such was their loyalty to this party that any of its flag bearers did not stress him/her much as he/she was assured of victory. And that was why elections/selections for its candidates in the various elective positions was a ‘do or die’ affair more or less, replete with shenanigans. The southeast was synonymous with PDP. And they were amply ‘rewarded’ by the PDP as it reserved the position of Nigeria’s number three citizen, the Senate President for that zone. Thus, we had the likes of

Oyi of Oyi, Dr. Chuba Okadigbo, Chief Anyim Pius Anyim and later deputy senate president’s position (Ike Ekweremadu). Later, All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) cropped up in Anambra and Imo states with Peter Obi and Rochas Okorocha as their respective governors then. Okorocha soon defected to APC, giving way later to PDP’s Emeka Ihedioha. Ihedioha sat on the Imo Government House seat for only six months before being sacked by the Supreme Court which declared Hope Uzodinma as winner of the last gubernatorial election.

Overall however, the south east has remained largely PDP’s safe heaven as it has always won the presidential election and majority of the National Assembly seats there. Then for the first time since the second Republic in 1979 came someone of Igbo extraction vying for Nigeria’s topmost post, former Anambra state governor, Peter Obi. This completely altered the voting pattern of the zone. Where PDP used to be the most favoured party, it has been supplanted by LP. PDP is now posting abysmal figures here. Of course Obi won in that zone and notable PDP National Assembly candidates, including incumbent governors (except Umahi) vying for the senate seat lost. It is called the Obi effect.

Tinubu lost Lagos, Buhari lost Katsina, Area holds the ace.

According to the headlines, Tinubu lost the presidential election in Lagos state to Labour party’s Peter Obi by some 10,000 votes. However, depending on the angle from which you are looking at it, you could state that Tinubu lost or won it. Tinubu won 13 of the state’s 20 local government areas while Obi won three. Obi won the popular vote but Tinubu won the local governments. One must also commend the APC flag bearer for speaking up to calm

frayed nerves in Lagos. He urged the people not to be provoked by the outcome of the election. That is the mark of a good leader, acting as a balm to sooth/lower tension. President Muhammadu Buhari also failed to win his home state of Katsina for his party, APC in the presidential election. He had always won Katsina state as a presidential candidate.

As it is with previous presidential elections, more so with this one, the North holds the ace and would decide who between Tinubu and Atiku would eventually win the race. All eyes are on Arewa(the north) right now.

Ghost of ‘Orubebe’ attempts to reincarnate

When PDP presidential election agent, Senator Dino Melaye started protesting against the process at the National Collation Centre where INEC chairman, Professor Yakubu was presiding, most peoples’ mind flashed back to then 2015 drama when then Minister Orubebe was similarly protesting and uttering the infamous words, ‘we will not take it’ at a same Collation Centre. For a while, it looked like the ghost of ‘Orubebe’ was about to reincarnate in Mr. Melaye. Some stakeholders succeeded in calming things down. However the PDP and Labour party agents as well as those of some smaller parties later walked out on the INEC chairman. Knowingly or unknowingly they gave thinking people an inkling of the direction to which the final presidential result is headed. You do not walk out of an electoral process if you are on the winning side.