THEWILL DOWNTOWN February 19, 2023

Our Civic Chore

Ihave never thought about the Polling Units as a place to be all dressed up, but while planning this issue, the topic and others related to how to cast your vote came up. So we have a mini voting issue this week.

Our fashion pages show you how to pull off a laid-back but highly fashionable look as you cast your vote next weekend, while the culture page suggests some necessary items you must take along as you queue to vote. Downtown confidential this week is also politically inclined. You know what page to search.

The older I get, the more often my mother calls me, asking if I have taken supplements or vitamins for the day. As a retired nurse and aged woman, she knows what she is talking about when she says, ”Onah, you are a woman approaching her late forties; you need to take vitamins or supplements.” My response is usually, “they increase my appetite; I don’t want to get fat”. Then we argue for a few minutes.

I couldn’t help but laugh after writing that. Isn’t it amazing the sort of love God placed in a mother? I sometimes wonder if it can compare to how much He loves us... you get the picture. I finally gave in and started to take the supplements—just not religiously. Months later, when my hair started shedding, I wasn’t sure if it was because I lacked vitamins or because I had changed my hair products, but I didn’t want to find out, so I quickly searched for the packs of supplements she had sent me over eight months ago and started drinking them— religiously, I might add.

Interestingly, one of our articles this week lists hair shedding and others, such as depression, as symptoms of a lack of Vitamin D.

I must say that the ‘prophet not being recognised in their home’ explains those conversations with my mum, but after reading the article, I have come to appreciate my mum’s gesture of love in her daily check-in to ask if I have taken my supplements.

Have you taken yours?

Until next week, enjoy your read.

WHAT YOU SAID

@lehlelalumiere

Dorcas Akintoye

Dorcas Akintoye is a dedicated writer with more than 2 years prolific experience in writing articles ranging from food, entertainment, fashion and beauty.  She has a National Diploma in Mass Communication from Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin. She loves writing, listening to music and playing scrabble. She is a highly-skilled, enthusiastic, selfmotivated professional writer.

Chidinma Awa-Agwu

AUSTYN OGANNAH PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Editor: Onah Nwachukwu @onahluciaa

Editor-at-Large: Chalya Shagaya

Writer: Kehindé Fagbule

Graphic Design: Oludemilade Aremu ‘Remus’

Digital Media: Oladimeji Balogun

Guest Art Director: Sunny Hughes ‘ SunZA’

David Nwachukwu @ebube.nw

- Contributing Writer

David Nwachukwu has always been immersed in fashion from the age of 10, watching a Dior by Galliano show on television. His work in fashion stretches across media, marketing, brand communications as well as design. As a fashion & lifestyle journalist, David has tracked key industry data for various publications including Industrie Africa, Culture Custodian, Haute Fashion Africa, and HELLO! Nigeria. A Geography graduate from The University of Lagos, David consciously aligns this background in environmental advocacy and sustainable development with the need to promote a more ethical fashion ecosystem. He currently oversees strategic communications at Clean Technology Hub.

Congratulations on your anniversary. So much content! Well done. I have just taken a quick look at the new copy and that became a loooong look. Quite interesting and definitely worth sitting back with. Kudos!

Edward

Wow, fully packed this week!! Congratulations also on your second year anniversary

BY KEHINDÉ FAGBULE & DORCAS AKINTOYE

Everyfour years, we all share the collective responsibility of deciding Nigeria’s future. And although it would appear that the majority of the registered voters don’t end up at the polling booths, this year’s edition is shaping up to be much different.

So you’ve registered, gotten your PVC, researched the candidates, looked up your nearest polling centre and are planning to get there early in a few days to cast your vote. There is one last item to check off your Election Day to-do list; that is deciding what to wear and how to wear them.

Voting can be a very stressful experience with big crowds and long queues, so if you are new to the polls, the emphasis should be on comfort if you were to decide what to wear to the booth on Saturday. Here is a staple you can choose from.

OTE IN STYLE Easy Guide on What to Wear to The Polling Units

1 . 2 .

LOUNGE LOOK

You can’t go wrong with the lounge look. It sets off a confident yet laid back look. Eveyone will definitely know you know the right candidate for the job.

MODERN SHOKOTO

The capri style shokoto is another very stylish look that you can wear to the polls. Although we don’t suggest you wear white, we can’t help how stylish Uti Nwachukwu looks in this ensemble.

SHORTS

You can pair them with any top. For a more casual look, combine your shorts with sneakers.

JEANS

Jeans go with any top, including T-shirts, turtlenecks, or even button-down blouses. For your top, you can choose to go the patriotic route and wear green. We love how Nicole Chikwe nailed the look.

5 .

TRADITIONAL BUT MORDERN

We love the new spins on traditional outfits and must admit that it makes for a great outfit to wear to the voting polls. Only ensure the fabric is light and sleeve, short.

JUMPSUIT

Jumpsuits work in both casual and formal settings when styled well. Choose a baggy one for the polls; you’ll need the airy feel to keep you feeling comfy. It’s best to have your hair pulled up for this look and all looks to the poll.

CARGO PANTS

3 4 . 6 7 . 8 7.

Cargo Pants are popular among men and are suitable for every occasion. Pair them with a T-shirt with a chunky crew neck. Turtleneck T-shirt is also a great match with the cargo. For a more chilled out and casual look, combine these pants with sneakers.

T-SHIRT DRESS

Over the years, the T-shirt dress has become a timeless throw-on-and-go piece. For a more casual look, pair with chunky footwear like dad sneakers.

Ihave never played with my skin. My nickname at boarding school was Venus di Milo, thanks to my love affair with cocoa butter. Unfortunately, though, a girl gets busy, and I have not been able to do more than “cleanse, tone, and moisturise” for the last year, which we all know is just not going to cut it.

I have just come out of the other side of a distressing battle with adult acne and all the resulting scarring. As an aside, the evils of what women do to our bodies in the name of birth control is another article. It has taken at least three years for my body to detox, and I will not pretend that all the side effects are reversible.

In summary, it’s brutal and inhumane, and if men had to do the same to their bodies, we would all be running around with 15 children each!

This year, my birthday present from my work colleagues was the Gold Package Spa Day at Dermaspace Esthetic and Wellness Centre.

To say I was looking forward to some pampering would be the understatement of the century. I took the day off of

ODDBOD & THE CITY

work and hied myself off to their Victoria Island location.

My sincere compliments to the owners because their commitment to creating a peaceful, beautiful space was unwavering. They clearly have a loyal following, as the waiting room was busy the whole time I was there.

I was scheduled for a full body scrub, a massage, a facial and a pedicure, so I started with the pore-opening session in the steam room. I was pleasantly surprised to be led into a whole wet room, not the usual poky shower booth, where I ended up hacking up a lung and fleeing. After the steam, it was the full body scrub and a quick shower.

Then it was off to the masseuse, where I opted for a gentle massage.

Life is tough enough these days, and I was not in the mood for the deep tissue massage, which the masseuse explained I might find a tad painful. I was a limp noodle by the time she was done with me, and I must give her five stars for the extra care she took when dealing with my dodgy knee.

Next, a quick transfer to the next room for the facial. I was asked a few questions about my skin and problems, and I wish I could tell you more about what proceeded because, at this point, my body caved, and I fell asleep. I do remember the steam and some contraption that was used for extraction. I know the esthetician had to put her back into that because my skin was CONGESTED! My snoring woke me up, at which point I was led gently downstairs for my pedicure.

Washing my face the next day, it was easy to appreciate the effects of the facial. The results? Baby-smooth skin and a noticeable improvement to the overall texture.

They recommend massages and facials at least once a month. A good massage will help reduce stress, pain, muscle soreness, and circulation. If you are still not convinced, it has been proven to lower blood pressure.

This is, without a doubt, a habit I shall be reinstating.

Southside With You

BY DORCAS AKINTOYE

Ihad decided to relocate to the United States after seeing Gregory Peter to his victory. I volunteered to join his campaign team in my state and was involved in all of his campaigns and outreach activities. I visited every household, giving people reasons why they needed to vote for Gregory Peter and sharing T-shirts and face caps with his name inscribed.

Supporting Gregory to be the next president of my country was one of the most mind-blowing experiences ever. I saw him as the only one who could deal with the issue of polarity and agitations across Nigeria. I was so ready to do everything to make him win the election.

During one of his numerous campaigns, I drove miles to hear him speak. The hall was full of different people, and everyone was ready to listen to what he had to say. It was a thick crowd, with almost everyone raising placards. When Gregory finished his speech, the crowd exploded in applause, clapping and whistling. Looking around, I watched how people around were glowing with a strange phosphorescence, all treading a single line of unbroken emotion. It sometimes comes to me as a sweet shock that so many people felt as I did about Gregory. They believed. They truly believed the country would change if only someone like Gregory were in power.

I encouraged everyone I met to vote for Gregory Peter; my husband was the only thorn in my flesh. I had done everything I could to make him see why Gregory was the best candidate, but he chose Adekunle Ahmed of the opposite party. His reasons for supporting him were not even something I could buy. He believed he was the perfect candidate because he was older and had enough experience

to govern the country. Even though our union was full of passion, I wished we had shared another love outside ourselves. We've always had different views on things, but I wanted him to support me this time. I needed his support, but he was not ready to discuss it.

On the Eve of election day, there was an unusual weightless, seamless desire between us. He leaned in and kissed me. At first, I was slow in response, and then I began unbuttoning my blouse, my pale fingers flying over the fastenings. Inside the room was a fat candle burning on a silver tray. The warm light played over my pretty features, casting my skin in a golden glow. I watched him as he admired my sweetness. I could tell from the expression on his face that he couldn't wait to have a taste of me.

In a blink, his pants and boxers were on the floor. Sighting his hard and erect cock, I couldn't help but smile appreciatively.

He lifted me off my feet and dropped me gently in the centre of the bed. I'd meant to tease and tempt him, to build the heat between us, but the need to have him was riding me hard. I couldn’t help it. I have met and had sex with different kinds of men. Men who moved on the fringes of life, just like me, but Stephen was different. He lived it, embraced it, and grabbed it with both hands. I could feel that in the way he kissed and touched me.

His erection jutted towards precisely what I craved, more and me. I reached for him, with

the mind of stroking every length of him, but he caught my wrist and stopped me. Instead, he guided himself closer to where I wanted him. He entered me slowly, hands bracketing my shoulders on the bed. The feeling of him inside me was indescribable.

Locking my legs around his waist, I held him there, moving my hips to his to give him the same pleasure I had just felt, but the sensation built for me again. The slick friction drove me wild, my fingers seeking purchase on his back as I drew closer and closer to that point of no return. He edged his way inside me, filling me so completely that there wasn’t any room for thought.

Biting my lip, I tried to hold back, to make it last for him, but when our eyes met, I knew I was lost. Stephen breathed my name so softly that I saw it more than I heard it.

The orgasm hit me so hard that my back arched. A scream of pleasure ripped free from my throat; the release was so powerful that I collapsed against Stephen, every nerve ending throbbing. Through the haze of lush fulfillment, I felt his release inside me as his hand fisted at my waist and his body tensed over and over.

I lay slumped against his chest, breathless and dizzy. I shifted away enough to recline against him while we recovered. In a full circle of completeness, I fell asleep.

The next morning, I woke up to him staring intensely at me in the face. He kissed me on the forehead and said, ’’Let’s go make Gregory president’’.

DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS, Our Civic Chore

BY KEHINDÉ FAGBULE

On the 25th of February 2023, presidential and national assembly elections will be held in Nigeria to elect the President, Vice President, and members of the Senate and House of Representatives.

The Election is billed to be the most significant event in the country’s recent history.

Still burning from the rigours of the 2020 #EndSARS protest, this week’s general elections have become a focal point for people’s political inclination in the past couple of years. Because of that, especially for the youths—notorious for their apolitical demeanour—this voting season holds utmost significance.

Our Lifelong Struggle For Democracy

Beforewe got to a point where an incumbent (ex-President, Goodluck Jonathan) willingly surrendered the mantle of leadership, to the world’s surprise, Nigeria’s political process had always felt like a do-or-die affair. In the true sense of the word, democracy is a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives. Unlike military dictatorship, democracy allows for freedom of expression and association, which, as we have seen with western countries, creates a space for polarising political ideologies.

A long-standing, tumultuous relationship exists between the military and Nigeria’s democracy. Nigeria has been governed by the military, as opposed to civilian officials, for about half of its postindependent state.

Since gaining independence in 1960, three republics have been overturned by military coups; two of the four democratically elected presidents of Nigeria’s fourth republic were in charge of those military dictatorships.

Between coups and counter-coups, with a recycled leadership that has seen former coup plotters become democratically elected presidents, Nigeria finally found its democratic footing in 1999 when the fourth republic’s general elections saw former military ruler, Olusegun Obasanjo, elected president on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), a broad coalition of political elites and power brokers. Obasanjo served two four-year terms in office in what was the beginning of the longest period of uninterrupted democratic government. The incumbent is another former military leader, Muhammadu Buhari, who is also on the tail end of his second term.

Nigeria’s democratic constitution today features a Presidential system of government fashioned upon the United States’ political system. The president is in charge of the executive arm, the National Assembly, Senate and House of Representatives formed the legislative arm, and the Supreme Court, the apex court of the land, heads the judicial arm.

A Weird Politics

Inmost western countries, politics is usually made up of two major parties with different ideologies - a conservative right-wing party and a liberal left-wing party. Although this fosters the division of people through politics, it is a system that allows for clear principles and identities.

In Nigeria, this doesn’t exist. Although two major parties would fiercely contest power at the federal

level— the PDP, as mentioned earlier and the All Progressives Congress (APC)—today, it only began about a decade ago. Founded on the 6th of February 2013 from a merger of Nigeria’s largest opposition parties, namely, the Action Congress of Nigeria; the new PDP; the Congress for Progressives Change, the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the faction of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, (APGA), the party came to power following the victory of its candidate, Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 presidential election, marking the first time in Nigerian history that an opposition party unseated an incumbent president and power was transferred peacefully.

Since the APC’s formation and its eventual tremendous growth and influence, politicians have been defecting back and forth between prominent parties. In 2013, five governors (from Adamawa, Kano, Kwara, River, and Sokoto), 37 representatives and 11 senators left the PDP. They formed the All Progressives Congress (APC), giving life to a newly created opposition party. Many of the same individuals that left the PDP in 2013 are involved in a recent move to PDP. Earlier this month, 15 senators, 37 representatives, and three state governors left the APC and joined other political parties—PDP picked up a majority of these disaffected politicians.

As the 2019 General Elections got closer political parties tried to find an edge over each other.

Political parties are important institutions for developing policies and platforms and providing critical oversight and accountability of government action. Political parties implement policies that reflect the party’s ideology through their elected representatives. However, this is different in Nigeria. Moving from one political party to another is common and seen as a way of gaining an advantage over other political parties. For example, Nigeria’s current president, while he was never a member of the PDP, did move between various political parties in his quest to become the number one citizen of Nigeria. In 2003 and 2007, he contested for the presidency on the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) platform. In 2011, he was the presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), a party he founded. And as aforementioned, he won the APC presidential primary in 2014 and was elected president on the 28th of March, 2015.

This year’s election has already seen a party switch action as Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, abandoned the PDP over a fear of inevitably losing out on the party’s

ticket to the perennial aspirant, Nigeria’s former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar. This would not be the first time Obi, a two-term former Governor of Anambra State, switched parties. Although initially a PDP partisan, Obi defected to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in 2002 and won the gubernatorial election five years later owing to the party’s stronghold of Anambra State. He defected back to the PDP on completion of his full two-term governorship.

So why do Nigerian politicians bounce between political parties? Political parties in Nigeria, and other parts of the African continent, tend to lack ideologies and explicit messages that separate them from each other. Because of the country’s tribal, religious and geographic divide, political parties are driven by personalities instead of ideologies. For example, in the United States, political parties are defined by their platforms, or manifestoes, as they are called in Nigeria. So, if a Republican candidate comes knocking at your door, you know where they stand on the current critical issues, as is a Democrat.

That is not the case in Nigeria. During a pre-election (before the 2019 general elections) assessment mission conducted by the IRI and the National Democratic Institute (NDI), the delegation heard from numerous Nigerians who “expressed frustration with political parties, which are seen as personality-driven and lacking internal democracy. Emerging political alliances are based mostly on personalities and agreements among political leaders and do not necessarily reflect policy preference or ideology differences.”

When a politician defects, they usually move with thousands of individuals, including officials of the party that they are leaving. While political parties are vessels to government and power worldwide, they are the only way to get into government in Nigeria. There is no independent candidature, so every person must contest under the logo of a political party. There is no independent candidature, so every person must contest under the logo of a political party.

Free And Fair Elections, An INEC Responsibility

INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu

Severaluncertainties from candidate declarations often cloud general elections in Nigeria until the inauguration. For most Nigerians, the conviction that we have never had a free and fair election void of corrupt practices is strong. In this part of the world where poverty has been weaponised as a tool to control the masses, the election seasons are often seen as an opportunity to offer tokens and handouts for favours in the polls. There have been many things in the past, from food stock to cash rewards, politicians turn to petty

incentives, during campaigns and even on election day, in a bid to sway voters.

Nigerian politicians are notorious for their byany-means-necessary approach to elections in the country. Although everyone is privy to it, attempts to clamp down on it have been futile.

A large chunk of this responsibility falls on the shoulders of the Independent National Electoral Commission, established in 1998 to serve as the electoral body overseeing Nigeria’s elections.

Having conducted controversial elections in the past that borders on voter suppression and underage voters registration—especially in the North, a lack of structure in place to mitigate the threats of political unrest and violence fixated on disrupting the electoral process, which in several cases involve ballot box theft operations, the INEC has hefty exceptions to get things right this time around finally, the seventh quadrennial general elections in the fourth republic.

A THREE-HORSE RACE FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER

Peter Gregory Obi (LP), 61—Running Mate: Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed

Born in Onitsha in 1961, Obi graduated from the University of Nigeria in 1984. Afterwards, he entered business and banking, eventually holding several executive positions at banks. Obi ran for governor in 2003 as a member of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, but Chris Ngige was declared the winner of the election. In 2006, the election of Chris Ngige was nullified, and Obi was declared the winner of the 2003 election, and he assumed office in March 2006. He was impeached in November of the same year, but his impeachment was overturned, and he returned to office in February 2007. In 2010, he was reelected for a second term.

After leaving office in 2014, Obi defected to the Peoples Democratic Party. In 2019, he was selected as the PDP vice presidential nominee in the presidential election running alongside Atiku Abubakar. Still, the ticket lost to incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari and vice president Yemi Osinbajo. In 2022, Obi ran for president of the republic of Nigeria himself, first in the PDP until defecting to the LP in May 2022, obtaining the party’s ticket. Obi’s presidential campaign has been described as populist and has been noted for its support among many young Nigerians, nicknamed “Obidients.”

Atiku Abubakar (PDP), 76 - Running Mate: Ifeanyichukwu Arthur Okowa

Atiku

Abubakar ran unsuccessfully for President of Nigeria five times in 1993, 2007, 2011, 2015, and 2019. He participated in the Social Democratic Party presidential primaries in 1993 but lost to Moshood Abiola and Baba Gana Kingibe. He was a presidential candidate of the Action Congress in the 2007 presidential election, coming third to Umaru Yar’Adua of the PDP and Muhammadu Buhari of the ANPP. He contested the presidential primaries of the People’s Democratic Party during the 2011 presidential election losing out to incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan. In 2014, he joined the All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2015 presidential election and contested the presidential primaries losing to Muhammadu Buhari. In 2017, he returned to the Peoples Democratic Party and was the party’s presidential candidate during the 2019 presidential election— again, losing to incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari.

In May 2022, he was chosen as the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate for the 2023 general election after he defeated Nyesom Wike, the current Governor of Rivers State, in the primaries.

Bola Ahmed Tinubu (APC), 70Running Mate: Kashim Shettima

Tinubu

spent his early life in southwestern Nigeria and later moved to the United States, where he studied Accounting at Chicago State University. He returned to Nigeria in the early 1980s and was employed by Mobil Nigeria as an accountant before entering politics as a Lagos West senatorial candidate in 1992 under the banner of the Social Democratic Party. After late Dictator, Sani Abacha dissolved the Senate in 1993, Tinubu became an activist campaigning for the return of democracy as a member of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) movement. Although he was forced into exile in 1994, Tinubu returned after Abacha’s death in 1998, which triggered the beginning of the transition to the Fourth Republic.

In the first post-transition Lagos State gubernatorial election, Tinubu won by a wide margin as a member of the Alliance for Democracy over the Peoples Democratic Party’s Dapo Sarumi and the All People’s Party’s, Nosirudeen Kekere-Ekun. Four years later, he won re-election to a second term over the PDP’s Funsho Williams by a reduced margin. Tinubu’s two terms were marked by attempts at modernising the city of Lagos and his feuds with the PDP-controlled federal government. After leaving office in 2007, he played a crucial role in the formation of the All Progressives Congress in 2013.

His decision to pick the current Senator and former Governor of Borno State sparked a wide-range controversy as their MuslimMuslim presidential ticket is unprecedented in the history of Nigerian politics. Long and controversial, Tinubu’s career has been plagued by corruption accusations and questions about his personal history’s veracity.

A LACK OF PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE TO DATE

Severalopinions and ideologies characterise democracy. Unlike the military regime, where the dictator has the ultimate power and control, a democratic electoral process allows candidates vying for the top position to air their political views, visions and ideas to the general public. As a result, manifestos and organised debates are significant elements of most democratic electoral processes—not in Nigeria, unfortunately.

On two occasions leading up to both elections that saw him presiding over Nigeria for two full terms, Muhammadu Buhari declined invitations to debate his opponents. The PDP Campaign Organisation at the time said that the decision by the APC not to participate in the presidential debate organised by the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON) was to shield its candidate from Nigerians and the international audience., alleging that it was also meant to hide the candidate’s inability to constructively engage on contemporary national issues in a live television and radio debate. This was in response to the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation’s announcement that its candidate would not participate in the debate because the

organisers, BON, are supporters of the PDP. This development, coined from a flimsy excuse, robbed Nigerians of a customary element of democracy, the right to hear directly from aspirants on their plans for the country.

Nigeria would go to hold its first televised live Presidential debate at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, on Saturday, the 19th of January 2019. Moderated by prominent journalist, Mark Segun Eddo, the debate had three out of five invited candidates in attendance after President Muhammadu Buhari of the ruling APC and Atiku Abubakar, PDP, failed to attend the debate. Interestingly, Abubakar, flagbearer of the main opposition party, had graced the venue only to decline the invitation after learning that the President and Commander in Chief would not be attending.

Lightning struck again for a third time when they cancelled the presidential debate scheduled last year. Presidential candidates of the APC, Bola Tinubu, Labour party’s Peter Obi, and Atiku Abubakar of the PDP were among the leading contenders scheduled for the debate. The APC were again the first to indicate that its flagbearer,

Tinubu, might not honour invitations for debates with other presidential candidates. The party’s presidential campaign spokesman, Festus Keyamo, said Tinubu’s ‘hectic campaign schedule’ will not permit him to be part of the debates. Keyamo said Tinubu did not attend a presidential town hall meeting with other candidates because he received a lot of invitations from television and radio stations, and it would be unfair to any of the broadcast houses if he had attended.

As retaliation, the Director General of the Labour Party’s Campaign Organisation, Doyin Okupe, said the party’s aspirant, Peter Obi, will no longer show up for debates if his counterparts in other parties do not show up. Nigeria is yet to have an intellectual face-off between presidential aspirants to date.

8Essential Items to Take on Your Way to Vote

BY KEHINDÉ FAGBULE

Next weekend, we will be out to perform our civic obligation as we play our part in deciding Nigeria’s future through the general elections. For first-time voters, the tediousness of the voter’s card registration and collection still lingers. Who said anything we do has to be easy? Election day comes with the promises of a new Nigeria—for better or worse, so a lot is always at stake, seldom compromising its integrity. More often than not, however, the polls are usually better coordinated than the PVC phase. Because there will be no vehicle movement on the day, there is a whiff of serenity in the air, especially in the perpetually busy city of Lagos. If this is your first appearance at the polls, here is a guide on

6. Hand Fan

t will get hot, so take a hand fan with you. You can use the new battery-powered ones or the old variations we manually use to keep sweating

Tafarmer cannot go to the farm without his equipment, a voter cannot go to their polling unit without their permanent voter’s card, except your plan is to go there and document proceedings. Our PVC is our voice, power, and responsibility rolled into one. The onus is on us to use it with a clear conscience.

2. Sunscreen and Sunglasses

Due to the lack of vehicular movement on the day, there might be some foot movement to and fro the polling booths. It is likely to be sunny, so keeping sunscreen and a pair of sunglasses in the pack is a must.

expected, your phone battery will likely not be up for it. They are household necessities for Nigerians nowadays, anyway.

e agree COVID has packed its load and gone from us, but there are other infections to protect yourself from.

8. Music Playlist on Your Phone

Nothing is more of a companion than

4.

Water Water

is a nonnegotiable essential. You have to stay hydrated. Drink some water, cast your vote and drink some more

5.

Munchies

ating breakfast is always advised regardless of what the day has in store. However, if voting at your polling unit is drawn out into the early afternoon, you might want something to snack on, either due to hunger or boredom. Some chin-chin, kilishi, pringles, prawn crackers, biscuits and cookies are snacks you can easily carry in your fannypack to vote.

SIGNS YOUR BODY GIVES OFF

When You Lack Vitamin D

BY DORCAS AKINTOYE

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin and is essential for our health. It keeps our bones strong, improves our mental health, and helps us sleep. Research has shown that Vitamin D deficiency symptoms depend on how severe the deficiency is and the person. Over the years, Vitamin D deficiency has become more common and rampant among people, impacting physical and mental health.

To know if you are Vitamin D deficient, you need to have a blood test. Apart from that, you will notice some signs and symptoms in your body.

1. Bone And Muscle Pain

One of the major symptoms of vitamin D deficiency is frequent muscle pain and weakness. This is because Vitamin D helps our body absorb calcium; without it, increased fragility and pain may occur.

2. Fatigue

When you have Vitamin D deficiency, one of the most common symptoms is a feeling of chronic and profound fatigue. In addition to that, the inability to sleep well is another symptom.

3. Hair Loss

Vitamin D is essential for healthy hair, and lack of it can lead to hair loss or slow growth. Alopecia is also believed to be related to a lack of sufficient Vitamin D.

WHO IS AT RISK OF BEING VITAMIN D DEFICIENT?

4. Getting Sick More Easily

Vitamin D deficiency is the cause of a weak immune system. If you’re often sick and you don’t know the reason behind it, try getting a blood test to confirm if you are short of Vitamin D.

5. Depression And Mood Disorders

Vitamin D plays a vital role in balancing our mood and reducing the risk of depression. Low levels of Vitamin D in the body can lead to seasonal affective disorder and are often associated with feelings of sadness, and forgetfulness, among others.

People with dark skin tones are more protected from UV rays. Still, they also need to spend more time in the sun than people with lighter skin to produce the same amount of Vitamin D. According to research, people with dark skin have higher rates of Vitamin D deficiency because they get less vitamin D from sunlight exposure. Apart from that, people who are obese and people with inflammatory bowel disease or celiac disease are also at risk of vitamin D deficiency.

CHAPPED LIPS Mistakes To Avoid When Getting Rid of Them

BY DORCAS AKINTOYE

1. HABITUAL LIP LICKING

Lip licking is something almost everybody does, especially when they feel their lips are dry, to add some moisture to their lips, but unfortunately, this habit backfires. When you lick your lips, it releases the enzyme amylase, which breaks down the carbohydrates on your lips, which further irritates the skin. When the water from the saliva evaporates, it takes away even more water from your skin.

Instead of licking your lips when you notice it is dry, apply a moisturiser or balm on your lip before showering and before bed. This helps to prevent transepidermal water loss.

Almost everyone can relate to how debilitating and frustrating chapped lips can be. Once they become dry and flaky, it is difficult to get them back to their supple state.

One of the major causes of lip chapping is dehydration, which can be both due to internal and external factors. Apart from that, our lips do not have as many oil glands as the rest of the facial skin, which is why they need supplemental moisture.

To keep your lips in good shape all season long, you need to avoid these common mistakes.

2. YOU DON'T USE SUNSCREEN

Like the rest of your skin needs protection from the sun, so does your lip. Apart from using a lip balm with built-in SPF, you can apply SPF on and around the perimeter of your lips for extra protection. This is necessary, especially when you spend a lot of time outdoors in the sun.

3. PICKING YOUR LIPS

This may be very tempting, especially when cracking leads to flaking. Picking our lips during this state can exacerbate bacteria, inflammation, and aggravation. Instead, you can lightly exfoliate your lip with a soft-bristle toothbrush when your lips are warm and moist.

4. CHEWING GUM

If you don’t know, chewing gum or even sucking on candy can worsen your lips’ situation. When the residue gets on your lips, it exacerbates the problem. Make use of a steeped and cooled green tea bag rich in antioxidants and tannins, then dap on to lips for several minutes. This will help in soothing, calming, and distracting the oral fixation.

5. WRONG CHOICE OF LIPSTICK

When trying to heal chapped lips, be very careful of your choice of lipstick. Steer clear of matte lipsticks with chemical fragrances or mint, menthol, or eucalyptus flavouring, which will only increase the dryness and irritation. Certain metals found in glitters can also lead to irritation, so skip them until your lips are completely healed. Instead, use a petroleum-based or super emollient lip ointment or a tinted balm.

MEET THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF ABUJA

BY KEHINDÉ FAGBULE

Set to premiere exclusively on Showmax on Friday, 17 February, the Real Housewives of Abuja (RHOAbuja) will follow the luxurious lives of six influential and successful women in Abuja. Coming on the back of the success of The Real Housewives of Lagos, which broke the Showmax first-day streaming record in Nigeria, the RHOAbuja is the second

Nigerian instalment of the award-winning franchise and the 21st international version of The Real Housewives format. Set in a powerful city like Abuja, the new series promises to entertain, showcasing the city's hottest and most intriguing social scenes and providing exclusive access to the ultra-rich.

The new series will follow

the luxurious lives of six influential and successful women in Abuja. The women include Arafa, Comfort Booth, OJ Posharella, Princess Jecoco, Samantha Homossany and Tutupie as they navigate their opulent lives, relationships, family and businesses within the mighty city of Abuja and beyond.

Meet The Cast

Arafa, The Jesus Girl Who Loves to Party

Comfort Booth, The Lawyer Who Will Take You Down With Her Colourful Mohawk

Arafa

Moma-Ukonga, the Jesus girl who loves to party, is an art entrepreneur, creative director and founder of Selaralifestyle. She is married.

Arafa, who studied Theatre Arts and French and has a Master’s in International Relations, is an art enthusiast and the creative director of Selara Lifestyle, a readyto-wear clothing line. She loves art, dance, music, designing clothes and, most importantly, she loves her family. The Russian-born mom of twins is also the owner of Selara Stiletto Studio,

a female-only pole and sensual dance studio in Abuja. The halfTanzanian, half-Calabar princess is also the most certified Zumba instructor in Nigeria, with six Zumba licenses. She’s also able to hold conversations in French, Swahili, and a bit of Hausa.

Comfort Booth is a lawyer, a Partner at Asia Ahmed and Co., who can hold her own in the courtroom while also rocking her unconventional mohawk haircut. Along with being a legal practitioner, Comfort is also a social commentator, travel blogger and talk show host. She says, “Irrespective of the fact that what you see is what you get, I am a contradiction. I can be sweet, sour, a boss lady and also take you down in the courtroom, and I’ll go there with

my colourful mohawk.” She describes herself as a foodie who loves to eat; whether happy, angry or neither, food will always do the magic for her. She is a straight shooter who tells it as it is and is also adventurous and likes to see the world.

OJ

Posharella, The Incredible Minister of Happiness

Ojoma Sule, also known as OJ Posharella, is a top marketing influencer and the CEO of Posharella Empire, which boasts multiple businesses within it, including, The Posharella brand, Posharella Beauty, Posharella gems, Posharella Design, Posharellalifefoundation, Casa Posharella and Posharella media. She has been able to cement her spot as one of the most sought-after event personalities in the nation’s capital, Abuja. The single and independent socialite describes her style as

Samantha H. Homossany, The Mysterious Fashion Diva

Samantha Homossany, the mysterious fashion diva, is a wellness entrepreneur, humanitarian and creative director of Zohi Taglit, a luxury prèt-â-porter brand in Abuja. She’s also the founder/director of ASTA Foundation, a non-profit organisation empowering vulnerable women and children. Samantha is passionate about art, fashion and style, and likes to keep it simple, chic and classic when it comes to her fashion choices. Born and raised in Benue State, the fashion enthusiast describes herself as a

classy, royal, chic and extra. She loves the glitz and glam and is not about the lowkey style. Born and bred in Kaduna, OJ Posharella describes herself as a happy and bubbly smart soul who is also very spiritual and loves to sing and dance.

Princess UmehUbaka, also known as Princess Jecoco, is a lawyer, brand ambassador, influencer, YouTuber and hotelier. She is the managing director of the Sefcon group of hotels. A passionate culture ambassador, Princess Jecoco is also the Umu Asa Cultural Association’s president, an association established to preserve the Igbo culture. Having lived in Lagos and the UK, the Borno Stateborn beaut currently lives in Abuja. Princess is edgy, extra, and always commands

Tutupie, The Vibe Queen Born to Chill

Tutupie is a trained and certified chef, event curator and the creative director of Urban Day Party. Born in Borno State, the selfacclaimed vibe queen is multilingual as she speaks Hausa, Turkish, basic German and a code language she has with her friends. The chef loves food and gets excited when she is about to chow it down.

attention whenever she enters a room. She is also dramatic, loves to be free and does not like judgmental and uptight people. She is married and a mother to two beautiful, energetic kids.

good friend, loyalist and an introvert who can be extroverted when in the right company and not dramatic but will hit it off when her buttons get pushed. She is married to an Abuja-based Israeli millionaire and a mother of four children who loves being a mum as she describes the experience as her favourite thing to do as it makes her happy.

Tutupie, who claims never to be caught complaining about being stressed or having a stressful day, describes herself as the life of the party and a real-life

doll you can’t play with. She is also a loyalist who is passionate about friends and family. She is currently single and dating.

• The ladies will give viewers an exclusive glimpse into their luxurious lives.

Princess Jecoco, The Energy Queen And Vibe Goddess

BY BOLUWATIFE ADESINA

MOVIE REVIEW:

A Man Called Otto

Otto is isolated, forced into retirement and living alone in his small community.

Without someone to live for, Otto’s minor annoyances have become the bane of his existence, righting minor wrongs like irregularly sorted recycling and incorrectly displayed parking permits. It’s his grumpiness that keeps him clinging to this mortal plane, whether he likes it or not, and it’s his cheerfully chaotic neighbours who offer the friction to keep his gears regretfully grinding.

You has already wrung an impressive amount of mileage out of its concept, getting the audience to identify with – if not necessarily root for – a suave, murderous stalker. Yet while the fourth season begins in characteristically twisty fashion before it’s over, the Netflix hit feels dangerously close to jumping the shark, having become a bit too cute for its (or Your, if You prefer) own good.

WATCH OF THE WEEK

YOU SEASON 4 (PART 1)

will try to spread the “You” wealth a little longer by dropping half of the season in February and the balance a month later.

Badgley remains superb as the quick-witted psychopath who’s a fool (and occasionally a murderer) for love, stumbling from one perilous situation into the next.

The“Grumpy Old Men” era seems to come for all of our lovable movie stars, including Tom Hanks, who easily slides into this new phase with A Man Called Otto, a remake of the Oscar-nominated Swedish film, “A Man Called Ove.” It’s not easy to translate the famously dry and somewhat bleak Scandinavian humour to a sunnier, more optimistic American worldview, but writer David Magee and director Marc Forster manage to maintain the melancholy of the original film, which is based on the book by Swedish author Fredrik Backman.

Set in the suburbs, A Man Called Otto is a story about the loss of human connection in a modernized and rapidly changing world and the effort it takes to knit a community through the ties that bind: personal ones. It is also a story about the transformative nature of grief, and the beauty and cruelty of life lived in moments both mundane and monumental.

If these lessons are all a little bit obvious, and somewhat overly sentimental, well, yes, they are, in A Man Called Otto, but that doesn’t make them any less effective. Forster’s sweet spot seems to lie at the juncture of the sentimental and the strange, using unique story concepts as a way to explore existential themes, not shying away from the harsher aspects of humanity, but always finding a bright side. The trailers for the film don’t give away the true nature of the story, focusing more on the comedic elements without revealing any of the tragedy behind Otto’s cantankerousness, but trust that it is there.

Forster assembles an ensemble to surround Hanks, and the standout is Mexican actress Mariana Treviño, who plays Marisol, a harried, determined, heavily pregnant mom of two who moves in across the street with her husband Tommy (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo). Marisol doesn’t back down from Otto, and calls him out on his rudeness, and the hapless young parents bring over food and guilelessly request favours from their new neighbour, forcing him out of his comfort zone with their own naturally exuberant expectations of community.

Forster and cinematographer Matthias Koenigswieser bring a Scandinavianinspired coldness to the look and feel of A Man Called Otto, the colour palette desaturated, the compositions angular. But the bleakness of this world does not require much to feel familiar — this community is crumbling thanks to corporate capitalist rot and digital disconnect.

Despite this well-earned despair, there is an irrepressible warmth that creeps through A Man Called Otto, because this is a Hanks family affair. Hanks’ wife Rita Wilson is a producer alongside her husband, and a couple of her folk songs crop up throughout, while Wilson and Hanks’ son Truman Hanks, a spitting image of his father, plays young Otto in flashbacks (there’s even an inspired nod to Truman’s colourful older brother Chet Hanks).

While this sometimes results in tonal inconsistency, tilting toward the treacly, the cumulative effect of the story’s twists and turns is powerful, if somewhat predictable. Treviño’s effervescent and empathetic performance as Marisol keeps A Man Called Otto on track, both actress and character proving to be the saving grace for this curmudgeonly fellow, and film.

6.5/10

As the season three finale teased, narrator/ stalker/killer Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) has faked his own death and fled to Europe when the latest arc begins, taking a new name and becoming a professor at a local college.

There, he blends in, if you can call it that, while befriending a group of privileged and snooty jetsetter socialites and influencers, who are icky enough that you’re not supposed to feel too badly about it when one (or more) ends up dead.

This time Joe finds himself caught in what unfolds like a cat-and-mouse game, with a shadowy antagonist who appears to be a step ahead of him, prompting a lot of those rat-a-tat internal monologues for which he’s famous.

The mystery surrounding that, and the questions of who could be behind those troublesome text messages, unfolds at a nice pace with a Knives Out-ish vibe at first,

against posh European locales that provoke understandable references to Downton Abbey

As with Stranger Things, Netflix recognizes a hit when it sees one, and

Still, the surprise success of You has inevitably fueled pressure to keep the money machine operating – always a challenge with this sort of creative highwire act. You has survived its fourth season, but that rope now looks seriously frayed. And while Joe has managed to buck the odds this long – with reinventions from stalker to new dad to international man of mystery – it feels like time for a heart-to-heart talk with himself about finding a way out of this story while he can.

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Obongjayar_ Sarz - Gone Girl Ogi - Envy

KAYTRANADA_ GoldLink_ Ari PenSmith_ Eight9FLY - Vex Oh (feat. Eight9FLY)

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Tems - Crazy Tings WSTRN - Wonder Woman

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