THEWILL NEWSPAPER March 12, 2023

Ihave never been one to get excited about birthdays. More often than not, mine come and go quietly— I preferred not to draw attention to myself. Also, my birthday always falls right at the beginning of Lent— a season when Catholics have 40 days of fasting before Easter, so I can hardly have a party. Plus, as I said earlier, I get pretty worked up about making things about me. My birthdays are often quiet, with only a handful of people—family and inner circle, calling or messaging me a happy birthday. That is apart from that one time when I reached the fourth floor, and there was a surprise party in my honour. That was fun!

For some strange reason, this year, I got pretty excited about my birthday and found the feeling very unusual. Could it be because I am finding myself?

Then again, what is a birthday? I often say, it is the day our Maker began our physical assignment or journey, whatever you call it, here on earth and with each day, we learn more and more about what we are supposed to do. As you get older and pass through fire on your journey, a strange confidence and strength fills you on the inside and begins to radiate outwardly—this is why certain people have a presence or demeanour of power about them. It is that inward strength built over years of overcoming all sorts of challenges, whether work, home, spiritual, or even within.

As we continue to journey in this world, paying attention to little signs here and there the Lord gives us to help us on our way, may we remember to be thankful for the day we were created and celebrate in different ways you deem fit, whether in giving or spending time with your family and friends.

Thank you for the birthday wishes and prayers.

Until next week, enjoy your read.

Photo: Kola Oshalusi @insignamedia Makeup: Zaron

OnahNwachukwu Editor, THEWILL DOWNTOWN

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THEWILL 2023 GOVERNORSHIP POLL PROJECTION

12 States to Watch as Forces Realign

Time Transmission of Results to IReV

BY AMOS ESELE WITH GEORGE MARTINS, SAMPSON UHUEGBU AND SUNDAY OGBU

With the presidential election out of the way, local politicians supporting agelong entrenched interests have refocused attention at the sub-national level for the March 18 Governorship and Houses of Assembly polls, far from the overpowering factors of personality, religion, ethnicity and money that played out during the controversial February 25, 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections.

More importantly, there is also the Bi-modal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS), a machine that appears to have restored power to the electorate, owing to its positive impact on the electoral process during the presidential poll.

Although the presidential candidates have helped to shape outcomes in some geo-political zones where, for instance, even the governors of the North Central states of Benue, Taraba and Plateau failed to win senatorial seats like their counterparts in

the South-East states of Abia and Enugu, as well as the South-South state of Cross River, the upcoming March 18 elections have raised the stakes higher for political parties, THEWILL investigation shows.

In the event, the parties are forging alliances to consolidate earlier victories while some are doing so to cut their losses in the presidential poll and retain some foothold on power at the local level. Labour Party, LP, officials in Oyo, Rivers, Adamawa and Ogun have declared support for the ruling party in these states, forcing their headquarters to dissolve its exco in Rivers State, where the party is presumed to be strong enough to participate in the poll.

Notable also is Lagos State, the country’s commercial nerve centre and cosmopolis where the ethnic card is being whipped up, following the outcome of the presidential election in which the LP presidential candidate, Peter Obi, against

all projections, defeated APC’s candidate, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, now president-elect, in the popular vote.

Afraid of a repeat at the governorship election, supporters of the APC are whipping up ethnic sentiments, posing the contest as an Igbo versus Yoruba fight when, in fact, all the prominent candidates in the poll are Yoruba.

How the local factors play out in the upcoming poll will be aptly captured by ongoing power play in the 12 states THEWILL has investigated. These states are Abia, Akwa Ibom, Benue, Cross River, Delta, Enugu, Kaduna, Kano, Lagos, Oyo and Plateau.

LAGOS

PROJECTION: Too Close To Call Babajide Sanwo-Olu (APC) Vs Gbadebo VivourRhodes (LP)

...States to Watch as Forces Realign

Three political parties are visibly in the contest for the governorship. They are the APC with incumbent Governor Babajide-Sanwo-Olu as its candidate; the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, with Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran, alias Jandor, as candidate and Gbadebo Vivour-Rhodes of the LP.

The outcome of the presidential election, won by LP in popular vote of 582,454 as against 572, 606 for APC, though the latter won in 12 out of the 20 local government areas of the state, leaving 8 to LP, has reset the tempo and stage for a fierce governorship contest between the LP and APC.

This is the first time that Lagos, which has been under the control of the party led by Tinubu for the past 23 years, is facing this challenge, a frightening development for the APC.

For this reason, the major gladiators for the crown are the LP candidate and his APC rival, VivourRhodes and Sanwo-Olu, respectively.

Three main factors will determine the outcome of the poll: They are ethnicity, entrenched interests going back to 1999 when the Fourth Republic started and the only party in power was led by Tinubu, and the youths.

As far as ethnicity goes, the main thrust is indigenous not outside the state. Although supporters of the status quo say the battle is between the Igbo and Yoruba, the voting pattern during the presidential election clearly debunks that thinking. The votes won by Obi were evenly spread across the 20 local government areas, even though he triumphed in eight, meaning that Lagos citizens voted massively for a change of the status quo.

The indigenous nature of the ethnic factor is playing out in what is commonly called the Committee of Indigenes of Lagos, CIL, who think somebody of their descent should become governor of the state.

At the rally held for Vivour-Rhodes on Wednesday, March 8, 2023, addressed by the Lagos Chapter Chairman of Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socialpolitical group, Supo Shonibare, the CIL said they were supporting the LP candidate because he was a ‘true Lagosian’. In that context, Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Hamzat, clearly do not fit in because they hail from Ogun State.

Vivour-Rhodes’s youthful age of 40 and his identification with the #EndSARS protest in Lagos has earned him a large followership among the youthful voting population in Lagos. In fact, many aggrieved youths who had not known this side of him until his social media critics exposed it, have found it easy to transfer their preference for Obi to him.

The factor of entrenched interest is a double-edged sword. They are supporters of the status quo who will throw all that they have into the contest to ensure the old order remains. But this same old order, unfortunately, was the source of the protest vote during the presidential election. So, the target of voters is not Governor Sanwo-Olu per se, but that old, punishing order that has not significantly transformed the state into a cosmopolitan habitat despite the approximately N40 billion monthly revenue earned from taxes.

Even so, THEWILL checks show the LP will put up a good fight despite Sanwo-Olu’s advantage in terms of his achievements, particularly his sacrificial fight against COVID-19, his rise to assist

distressed Lagosians, such as during two major pipeline disasters and building collapse incidents, as well as fair and promising strides taken by his administration to ensure infrastructural development in the state. If Peter Obi campaigns heavily in the state and rallies the Obidients for the LP, then the APC will surely be under a whole lot of pressure.

THEWILL projects that the election will be fiercely contested and therefore too close to call.

KADUNA

THEWILL PROJECTION: PDP Win

Senator Uba Sani (APC) Vs Isa Ashiru (PDP)

The PDP’s victory at the Presidential and National Assembly elections in Kaduna State, winning all three senatorial seats and 10 out of the total 16 House of Representatives seats, has spoken loudly about the apparent defeat of the APC in the state. THEWILL checks show that voters have resolved to see the back of Governor Nasir el-Rufai, a myopic and ineffective leader, who many blame for the insecurity that turned the state into a killing field.

To worsen matters, the APC sustained one of the major sources of trouble in the multi-ethnic state, the Muslim-Muslim ticket for the governorship. Thus Senator Uba Sani may find it hard to defeat a one-time state lawmaker and House of Reps member, Isa Ashiru of the PDP in the upcoming poll. Senator Sani however said he is not losing sleep over the PDP victory at the presidential poll. THEWILL Projects a clear win for the PDP.

PLATEAU

THEWILL PROJECTION: PDP Win

Dr Nentawe Yilwatda (APC) Vs Caleb Mutsfwang (PDP)

The LP and the PDP had an agreement to support one another in the general election. LP would get the support during the presidential election while the PDP would take its turn during the governorship. As at press time, that agreement was still in place. But with the postponement of the poll till March 18, there is still the possibility that the terms of the alliance may change. However,

Governor Simon Lalongs’s Senatorial defeat at the hands of the PDP shows the extent to which the main opposition party has eaten deep into the territory of the governor.

The battle is therefore drawn between the PDP’s candidate, Caleb Mutsfwang and that of the governing APC, Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda. Given the anti-government sentiments over unpaid pensioners, coupled with an electorate still fuming over the loss of their presidential candidate, Obi, having voted mainly against a Muslim-Muslim ticket, THEWILL projects victory for the PDP candidate.

OYO

THEWILL PROJECTION: PDP Win

Governor Seyi Makinde (PDP) Vs Senator Teslim Folarin (APC)

With his co-G5 governors, such as Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State and Samuel Ortom of Benue State having failed to win in the National Assembly election, all eyes are on Governor Seyi Makinde, the remaining PDP group of aggrieved governors contesting in the 2023 general election.

Makinde’s major challenger is Senator Teslim Folarin of the APC, though the Accord Party candidate, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, a scion of the stormy petrel of old Oyo politics in the first and second republic, Adegoke Adelabu, is in contention. A faction of the APC in the state, supporters of late Governor Abiola Ajimobi, are supporting him but the three House of Representatives members elected on the platform of the party on February 25, have offered their support to Folarin, forcing the National Executive Committee of the party to dissolve the local chapter.

Still, the APC triumphed heavily during the presidential poll, winning all three senatorial seats and 8 of the 12 representative seats. Also, some PDP chieftains, aggrieved over Makinde’s G-5 stand, open pre-presidential election support for Tinubu, are lukewarm over his ambition, though he tried to play smart on the eve of the presidential poll when he told supporters to “vote PDP from top to bottom.”

Already, many PDP youths have openly declared support for Senator Folarin, even though a Bola Ahmed Tinubu, BAT, group has thrown their weight behind the governor, giving the contest an interparty colouration that has sharpened the battle line between the two major contestants. Moreover, the LP officials in the state have collapsed the party structure in the state for the governor.

As earlier mentioned, APC is also going into the contests as a divided house. A faction loyal to late Governor Abiola Ajimobi has joined the Accord Party.

With the support of the workers, party stalwarts and the politically active transport union workers over whom the governor maintains a firm grip and the BAT group, THEWILL projects that Makinde will be victorious at the poll.

RIVERS

THEWILL PROJECTION: PDP Win

Siminalaye Fubara (PDP) Vs Tonye Cole (APC) Governor Nyesom Wike’s strong arm tactics will

The shocking and humiliating defeat of the Peoples Democratic Party and Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, the party’s vice presidential candidate in the presidential election in the oil-rich state rattled the governor and his supporters and questioned his capacity to deliver the state to the party

...States to Watch as Forces Realign

ensure that the PDP triumphs against all odds. Already he has squashed the threat posed by the LP by co-opting their officials to declare support for the PDP candidate, Fubara, forcing the Nigeria Labour Congress to dissolve the party’s exco.

Indeed, many supporters of Atiku Abubakar, whom Wike, in pursuit of his G-5 grievances, prevented from campaigning in the state, have joined the governor who promised to absorb them into the party.

Tonye Cole’s candidacy suffers from disunity within the ranks of the APC in the state. After a prolonged supremacy battle, Senator Magnus Abe left with his supporters to join the Social Democratic Party, SDP, as governorship candidate, further splintering the group. The fact that Wike promised and delivered the state to the APC during the presidential election while the PDP won all the senatorial seats and majority of the representatives seats shows where the pendulum will swing in the governorship election. THEWILL projects a win for the PDP.

KANO

THEWILL PROJECTION: NNPP Win

Abba Kabir Yusuf (NNPP) Vs Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna (APC)

Voters in Kano State spoke eloquently on February 25, 2023. The New Nigeria Peoples Party presidential candidate and former governor of the state, Dr Rabiu Kwankwaso, won the state by a huge margin. He won 38 of the 44 local government areas, got a total of 997,279 votes while his closest rival, APC’s Tinubu secured 517,341 votes and Atiku of PDP got 131, 716 votes. Two of the three senatorial seats at stake were won by the party. APC won one.

THEWILL projects a repeat performance during the governorship election and the NNPP will take control of a major state in the federation as the ancient commercial city of Kano is second to Lagos in population. It is also third largest commercial centre after Ogun State.

ABIA

THEWILL PROJECTION: LP Win

Okey Ahaiwe (PDP) Vs Alex Otti (LP)

There is palpable fear in Abia that the PDP may be routed from the state for the first time since 1999. THEWILL checks show that things are not as clear cut as it may seem. Local factors are quite likely to play out in the governorship election. Although the Obi factor is still at play, there is evidence that the PDP candidate who comes from Umuire village in Eziama Ntigha Autonomous Community of Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area, one of the nine out of 17 LGAs controlled by the Ngwa People in Abia State, has a lean fighting chance against the LP candidate, Alex Otti, who also hails from the same zone.

This factor, in addition to entrenched interest in the state, may not carry the day for the PDP. The LP candidate Otti is a veteran of governorship contests in the state and may exploit the sentiments for Obi and the grievances against the incumbent Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, who owes workers

and retirees several months’ salaries and pension arrears.

Recently, doctors in the state’s service embarked on an indefinite strike over non-payment of salary arrears of over 25 months. Pensioners

are reportedly owed up to 56 months in arrears.

So the LP candidate is no push-over. Ikpeazu, who hails from Ungwa, lost his senatorial bid for Abia South to an Ungwa son from a different party, Senator Abaribe of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA. THEWILL projects a win for the LP.

ENUGU

THEWILL

PROJECTION:

Leaning LP

Dr Peter Mbah (PDP), Chijioke Edeoga (LP) and Frank Nweke Jr (APGA)

The governorship race in Enugu state is a three-horse race among the governing PDP, the rising LP and revived APGA. Here, like in Abia where Ikpeazu lost his senatorial ambition, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi lost his Enugu North senatorial bid to the LP candidate, Barrister Okey Ezea, by a wide margin. He polled 46,948 votes to Ezea’s 104, 492 votes. There is also trouble for the PDP in Enugu South Senatorial District.

Here, the poll was postponed because of the assassination of the LP candidate, Chief Oyinbo Victor Chukwu, known to pose a stiff challenge to incumbent PDP incumbent Senator Chimaroke Nnamani.

The deceased’s brother, Kelvin Chukwu has been nominated to replace him. Nnamani has been expelled by the PDP for anti-party activities, leaving that senatorial district for the picking by the LP.

The APGA candidate, Frank Nweke, a former Minister of Information is running a popular and formidable campaign in the state but has the LP to contend with.

Like in other South-East states where Obi trounced other parties with almost 88 per cent to 90 percent of the votes cast, THEWILL projects that Enugu will fall to the LP and its candidate, Chijioke Edeoga, a former House of Representatives Committee Chairman on Information.

AKWA IBOM

THEWILL PROJECTION: Too Close To Call

Akwa Ibom: Pastor Umoh Eno (PDP) Vs Akan Udofia (APC)

Last Wednesday’s Supreme Court affirmation of likeable entrepreneur Akan Udofia, almost on the eve of the now postponed governorship poll, as APC governorship candidate appears to be the ginger the main opposition party in the Akwa Ibom needed to close ranks and put up a fierce battle against the ruling PDP, which was weakened by the exit of Senator Albert Bassey, who is now the candidate of the YPP.

Senator Albert Bassey, who is now the candidate of the YPP

Godswill Akpabio, the former governor and leader of the APC in the state won his senatorial bid by defeating the PDP in Akwa Ibom North West, putting the APC in play at the governorship poll. The PDP, which won two senatorial seats and majority representatives in the House of

Last Wednesday’s Supreme Court affirmation of likeable entrepreneur Akan Udofia, almost on the eve of the now postponed governorship poll, as APC governorship candidate appears to be the ginger the main opposition party in the Akwa Ibom needed to close ranks and put up a fierce battle against the ruling PDP, which was weakened by the exit of

...States to Watch as Forces Realign

Representatives poll has a head start. In addition, Governor Udom Emmanuel is largely known to have performed and followed the developmental strides of his predecessors. He delivered the state to the party in the presidential poll. More importantly, the Obi-Datti Movement in Akwa Ibom State on Friday, March 10 endorsed Mr Umo Eno, the PDP candidate.

THEWILL checks show there are serious moves to have Bassey, the YPP candidate drop out of the race and endorse Udofia, his close friend, a masterstroke that pundits polled think will lead the APC to victory. Because of this new development, THEWILL projects Akwa Ibom too close to call.

CROSS RIVER

THEWILL PROJECTION: Too Close To Call

Senator Sandy Onor (PDP) Vs Senator Bassey Otu (APC)

The PDP made good its promise to deal with Governor Ben Ayade by taking the battle to his Cross River North Senatorial District, where he lost to the party’s candidate, Senator Agom Jarigbe. APC won the two other senatorial seats in the state though, but the defeat opened the governing APC to further attacks by the PDP.

This single victory has re-energised the erstwhile PDP that had been riven by disputes and conflicts. This showed on Friday, March 10 when ten political parties, including the Africa Democratic Congress, ADC, Zenith Labour Party, ZLP, APGA and Allied Democratic Party, ADP, Action Alliance, AA, and Accord, as well as the local chapter of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, and a Catholic Church group adopted Onor as their governorship candidate. So has the ‘Obidient Movement’ group in the state, under the aegis of the Coalition for the Labour Party Presidential Candidate, groups like Likeminds for Peter Obi, Nigeria needs Peter Obi, Peter Obi Support Network, Take Back Naija Movement, Women for Peter Obi, Peter Obi FC, Peter Obi Movement for President, Peter Obi Candidacy Movement, Peter Obi Ambassadors and Peter Obi 4 Good. They abandoned the LP candidate in the state, Ernest Jose.

THEWILL projects the race as too close to call between the APC and the PDP.

DELTA

THEWILL PROJECTION: APC Win

Ovie Omo-Agege (APC) Vs Sheriff Oborevwori (PDP) Vs Ken Pela (LP)

The shocking and humiliating defeat of the Peoples Democratic Party and Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, the party’s vice presidential candidate in the presidential election in the oil-rich state rattled

the governor and his supporters and questioned his capacity to deliver the state to the party. Though projected to suffer defeat in the poll because of his clannishness, unpopularity statewide even in his Ika constituency and stunted by his poor leadership skills, no one foresaw the

devastating and crushing of the PDP by the LP which trounced it by over 180, 000 votes in that election.

With the resounding defeat of the PDP in that poll, the party and its governorship candidate, Sheriff Oborevwori, the Speaker of the House, appear to be in a very vulnerable position with the conflict in the party, a situation the party had never been in since 1999 when the country returned to democratic rule.

The APC won two out of the three seats propelled by the support of a faction of the PDP backed by Chief James Ibori, a former Governor of the State, as well as the support of the LP, whose presidential candidate, Peter Obi, won the presidential poll.

Omo-Agege, the deputy senate president and candidate of the APC, whose popularity has steadily risen ahead of the governorship election, has gotten the endorsement of many members of the PDP in the state who are vehemently opposed to the emergence of Sheriff, an Okowa imposed pick on the party.

The PDP however won seven House of Representatives seats, while the LP won two and the APC won one.

The LP candidate, Ken Pela, a new comer to the race, is also campaigning hard and banking on his party to repeat its outstanding performance in the upcoming election even though most of the votes that went to Obi were from supporters of the PDP, who voted against Okowa as well as those of the APC, who voted against the party’s MuslimMuslim presidential ticket. However, if Obi campaigns heavily in the state and rallies his Obidient movement base, the LP may shock the establishment in the state again.

THEWILL projects a win for the APC in the governorship election.

BENUE

THEWILL PROJECTION: Too Close To Call

Titus Uba (PDP) Vs Rev Fr. Hyacinth Alia (APC)

Although Governor Sam Ortom of Benue State lost his senatorial seat by a slim margin, PDP still enjoys plenty of goodwill in the state at least in the governorship poll. Its candidate, the current Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Titus Uba, will square up with Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia who is flying the APC ticket. The LP Herman Hembe is also in the race though the battle appears to be squarely between the ruling PDP and the opposition APC in the state. The entry of Fr Alia into the race seemingly constitutes a clog in the wheel of progress of the ruling party in Benue which is predominantly a PDP controlled state. However, the APC pulled a surprise win in the presidential election sending shock waves across the state.

THEWILL projects the governorship poll as too close to call.

Vivour-Rhodes’s youthful age of 40 and his identification with the #EndSARS protest in Lagos has earned him a large followership among the youthful voting population in Lagos. In fact, many aggrieved youths who had not known this side of him until his social media critics exposed it, have found it easy to transfer their preference for Obi to him

POLITICS

Postponed Elections: Socio-economic And Political Implications

BY AYO ESAN

The Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) late last Wednesday rescheduled the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly Elections earlier scheduled to take place on Saturday March 11, 2023 till Saturday, March 18, 2023, about two weeks after conducting the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

The commission announced the postponement in a public statement issued and signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr Festus Okoye.

Explaining the decision to the reschedule the elections, INEC said that while the ruling of the Election Tribunal delivered on Wednesday makes it possible to commence the preparation of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for the Governorship and State Assembly elections, it came far too late for the reconfiguration to be concluded before March 11, 2023.

INEC said it consequently took the “difficult but necessary decision to reschedule the Governorship and State Assembly elections which will now take place on Saturday March 18, 2023. By this decision, campaigns will continue until midnight of Thursday 16th March 2023 i.e. 24 hours before the new date for the elections.

"This decision has not been taken lightly, but it is necessary to ensure that there is adequate time to back up the data stored on the over 176,000 BVAS machines from the Presidential and National Assembly elections held on 25th February 2023 and then to reconfigure

them for the Governorship and State Assembly elections. This has been the practice for all elections, including the period when the Commission was using the Smart Card Readers."

INEC added, “Following today’s ruling by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (EPT) on the reconfiguration of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) used for the Presidential election held on February 25, 2023, the Commission met to assess the impact on its preparation for the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections scheduled for Saturday, March 11, 2023.

"Nigerians will recall that on 3rd March 2023, the

Presidential EPT had given an ex-parte order for some political parties to inspect materials used for the Presidential election, including the forensic inspection of over 176,000 BVAS used in the election which are located in INEC LGA offices across the country. The Commission approached the Tribunal to reconsider the order, given that the BVAS Systems were to be deployed for the Governorship and State Assembly elections and that the lack of a clearly defined timeframe for the inspection could disrupt the Commission’s ability to conduct the outstanding elections. For instance, the BVAS can only be activated on the specific date and time of an election. Having been used for the Presidential and National Assembly elections on 25th February 2023, it is necessary to reconfigure the BVAS for activation on the date of the Governorship and State Assembly elections. "However, we wish to reiterate that the Commission is not against litigants inspecting election materials. Consequently, it will continue to grant all litigants access to the materials they require to pursue their cases in court".

The electoral umpire reassured all political parties and candidates that the data from the Presidential and National Assembly elections would be backed up and made available in INEC cloud facilities, including the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV).

It said political parties can apply for Certified True Copies of the backend data of the BVAS, adding that “the results on the BVAS will continue to be available on the IReV for interested parties to access".

INEC said it consequently took the “difficult but necessary decision to reschedule the Governorship and State Assembly elections which will now take place on Saturday March 18, 2023

Buhari Yakubu

Incumbent Governors Who Lost 2023 Senatorial Election POLITICS

BY AYO ESAN

The winners in National Assembly Election, which took place on February 25, 2023, received their Certificates of Return from the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) last Tuesday at the International Conference Centre in Abuja which also served as the Presidential Election Collation Centre.

Surprisingly no less than seven state governors who contested the election had their ambition to join the Senate, otherwise known as the Red Chamber, abruptly cut short as they lost to less fancied opponents.

A senatorial district is a third of a state. Many political analysts are therefore surprised that these seven incumbent governors who are rounding up their second terms in office could not win a third of the state they had been governing for the past seven years.

It has become the norm in Nigerian political circles that upon completing their second terms in office most state governors always want to go to the Senate. Those who had had a stint in the upper legislature before becoming governors often look forward to returning at the end of their tenure, thus compelling critics and political analysts to wonder if the Senate should not be seen as a refuge of sorts for former governors after retirement.

Former governors who are currently in the Senate include Ibikunle Amosun from Ogun State. Amosun represented Ogun Central Senatorial District before he became a twoterm governor of Ogun State. At the end of his tenure, he returned to the National Assembly. He is a member of the 9th Senate.

Other erstwhile state governors currently in the Senate are Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa), Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara), Orji Kalu (Abia), Gabriel Suswam (Benue), Kabiru Gaya (Kano), Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu) and Ibrahim Shekarau (Kano).

How the incumbent governors lost out in National Assembly election

The seven governors that failed to realize their senatorial ambitions are Ben Ayade of Cross River, Samuel Ortom of Benue, Simon Lalong of Plateau, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi State and Darius Ishaku of Taraba State.

Samuel Ortom

Samuel Ortom is one of the aggrieved state governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) known as the G-5 Governors. These governors have had a running battle with the National Chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu and its candidate in the Presidential election, Atiku Abubakar. Before the election they had demanded the resignation of Ayu, arguing that the positions of presidential candidate and national chairman should not be occupied by two persons from the same region. They said for fairness and justice, Ayu should resign his position and allow for a southerner to replace him.

The G-5 Governors also refused to be part of the party’s presidential campaign. Ortom openly announced that he was backing the Labour Party’s candidate, Mr. Peter Obi for President.

Despite the grievances they had with the PDP leadership, Ortom went on to contest the NASS election on the platform of the party in Benue North West Senatorial District and lost to the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Titus Zam.

Zam was a Special Adviser on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to Ortom until the governor defected to the Peoples Democratic Party in 2018.

Zam, a disciple of the former governor of the state and Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, George Akume, polled 143,151 votes to defeat Ortom who scored 106,882 votes while the Labour Party candidate, Mike Gbillah, got 51,950 votes.

Announcing the results at the District headquarters at North Bank, Makurdi, the Returning Officer, Professor Rufus Shato, declared Zam winner of the election.

While reacting to the result of the election, Ortom said he would study it and respond appropriately.

Ben Ayade Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State also lost his bid to return to the Senate. He was defeated at the poll by the incumbent representing Cross River North Senatorial District, Senator Jarigbe Agom-Jarigbe of the PDP.

Ayade who was in the Senate between 2011 and 2015, polled 56,595 votes against Agom-Jarigbe’s 76,145 votes.

Agom-Jarigbe had been a two-time member of the House of Representatives, before he was elected to the Senate through a by-election held in September 2021, following the death of Dr Rose Okoh.

Ayade, who is serving out his second term as governor of the state, had wanted to replace Agom-Jarigbe in the Senate.

Atiku Bagudu

Bagudu is the incumbent governor of Kebbi State. He contested the election on the platform of the APC and lost the bid to represent Kebbi Central Senatorial District to Adamu Aliero of the PDP. His 92,389 votes was not sufficient to defeat Aliero who scored 126,588 votes.

Also, Abubakar Bello-Tilli of the Social Democratic Party scored 1,874 votes, while Umar Rufa’i of the People’s Redemption Party got 992 votes.

Darius Ishaku

Darius Ishaku of Taraba State is another outgoing two-term governor who lost his bid to represent Taraba South in the Senate.

David Jimkuta, the district's All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate defeated the governor with 85,415 votes, while Ishaku received 45,708 votes.

Simon Lalong

The Governor of Plateau State and Director-General, Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, Simon Lalong lost the bid to occupy the Plateau South Senatorial seat as he was defeated by retired AVM Napoleon Bali of the People’s Democratic Party.

Lalong who contested the election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, scored 91, 674 while Bali who defeated him scored 148,844 to emerge the winner.

Okezie Ikpeazu

Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State contested and lost the election in Abia South. INEC declared Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe the winner of the election. Ikpeazu came third behind Abaribe and Chinedu Onyeizu.

The Returning Officer, Prof. Georgina Ugwuanyi, stated that Abaribe, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate, polled 49, 903 votes and Lanbour Party’s Chinedu Onyeizu scored 43,903 votes, while Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu received 28,422 votes to finish in the third position.

In his reaction, Ikpeazu faulted INEC for declaring Enyinnaya Abaribe winner of the election in Abia South Senatorial District. He wondered why Abaribe was declared winner after the electoral body affirmed the election was not conducted in 108 polling units in Obingwa, Aba South and Abia North.

Ikpeazu alleged that more than 50,000 supporters of the PDP could not exercise their franchise due to the non-provision and late arrival of electoral materials in some of the local government areas in the senatorial district.

“We would have been able to scrutinise. There were several mutilations on the result from Aba South LGA; they also cancelled many units in Aba South,” he said.

Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi

The Governor of Enugu State and candidate of the PDP, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, lost the Enugu North Senatorial District election to Okey Ezea of LP. Ugwuanyi lost with a wide margin to Ezea. In the result announced by the Returning Officer for the 2023 Enugu North Senatorial District Election, Professor Chukwuemeka Ubaka, at the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State, Ezea polled 104, 492 votes to defeat the governor, who got 46, 948 votes.

It has become the norm in Nigerian political circles that upon completing their second terms in office most state governors always want to go to the Senate

Ortom Ayade Ikpeazu Bagudu

Task Before President-Elect Tinubu POLITICS

BY SAMPSON UHUEGBU

The Presidential and National Assembly elections have come and gone. But mixed reactions had trailed the exercise, especially that of the Presidential. Politics as a game does not really favour all those who participated in the elections. All the same, winners must emerge.

History has been made in Nigeria, for the first time the citizens trooped out en masse to exercise their franchise. In previous elections, in some parts of the country some people had to be compelled to vote on Election Day.

This time around, the electorate took the initiative themselves. Apart from that, their votes counted in many states where relatively unknown candidates literally floored state governors and other incumbents that contested the National Assembly election.

In spite of the surprises and upsets recorded, the presidential and National Assembly elections were mired in controversy. Supporters of the major politically parties dissatisfied with the results have questioned the role of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Yakubu Mahmood, in what they describe as “unfair” elections. Their grouse is that the presidential election, in particular, only favoured the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

In all, congratulations to the President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his victory in the election. Felicitations also go to the National Assembly members that scaled through the elections conducted on February 25.

According to INEC, Bola Tinubu polled 8,794,726 votes to defeat fellow contenders – Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) who got 6,984,520, Labour Party flagbearer; Peter Obi had 6,101,533; while the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) candidate; Rabiu Kwankwaso secured 1,496,687 votes. Of course, even before the election, some Nigerians, irrespective of political affiliations, had wondered if the Presidentelect possesses the needed capacity to pilot the affairs of the country. But alas! Listening to Bola Tinubu, one could find out that he is very sound, intellectually. On his health status, the man surely knows himself if he is fit or not.

Tinubu should not fail Nigerians, now that he has been voted into power as President. Not only that, as an exSenator, a two-time Governor of Lagos State, among other positions he held in the past, he should be aware of the plight of the people.

The President-elect should bear in mind that he needs to do his possible best to shock over 200 million Nigerians who had concluded in their individual and collective opinions that he has nothing to offer if he is given the mantle of leadership based on his health challenges.

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has to deliver the dividends of democracy to Nigerians.

He should ensure that his campaign promises, which include promises to improve healthcare delivery, digital economy, women empowerment, judicial reformation, true federalism/decentralisation of power, foreign policy, huge investment in sports entertainment and youth empowerment, are kept.

The task before Tinubu as the incoming President of Nigeria is quite enormous. The ball is now in his court to provide the purposeful governance that will yield progressively positive results for all Nigerians, irrespective of tribe or tongue. He is expected to concentrate on the areas where President Muhammadu Buhari failed to do well.

More so, Tinubu will do well to assuage the fear among Christians in the country that Nigeria may be Islamised under his administration by reaching out a hand of friendship to the entire Christian community in the country.

Immediately the President-elect is sworn-in, expectations will be high. Nigerians have not forgotten that Buhari promised to tackle corruption, insecurity and rebuild the economy, yet failed to tackle these challenges effectively. The same people, who have suffered untold hardship as a result of the shortcomings of the outgoing government, now pray that the incoming government will be favourably disposed to their yearnings.

However, the presidential candidates of the LP and PDP, Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar, respectively, are challenging the victory of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in court. This spells more trouble for the ruling APC.

But it would be in the best interest of the country if the aggrieved jettisoned their grievances and work with Tinubu to salvage Nigeria.

The future may seem gloomy, but the solution to the myriad of challenges facing the incoming administration lies in Tinubu’s ability to dialogue with the various interest groups, his capability to foster togetherness and reunite the country for progress, peace, unity and prosperity, irrespective of tribe, region and religion.

The outgoing administration of President Muhammadu Buhari was rocked with strong agitation over marginalisation, the continued detention of the leader of the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu and other issues.

Asiwaju could steal the hearts of the Igbo by ordering the release of Nnamdi Kanu and graciously incorporating the region into the scheme of things through which the rising insecurity in the five states would be curtailed.

He should address the hardship currently experienced by Nigerians as a result of insecurity, rising cost of fuel, galloping inflation, unemployment, irregular power supply, inadequate healthcare delivery, failing economy and endemic corruption, among others. He should work for the stability of the country.

Nigeria is currently bleeding. Her citizens want to be happy again. All the sectors of the economy are decidedly no longer working and should be fixed with immediate effect.

One fact Nigerians should be conscious of is that things can work only if stakeholders should appreciate the incorporation of all and sundry rather than relegating the "assumed few" to the background. A unified Nigeria is possible with Tinubu. Those protesting the emergence of Jagaban as President have no option than to sheath their swords and join forces with him for the sake of the Nigeria of our collective dream.

The task before Tinubu as the incoming President of Nigeria is quite enormous. The ball is now in his court to provide the purposeful governance that will yield progressively positive results for all Nigerians, irrespective of tribe or tongue

Tinubu

Victory Sans Jubilation

BY MICHAEL JIMOH

Last Monday March 6, INEC headquarters had the most unlikely uninvited guests milling around its plush premises in Maitama district in Abuja. Numbering in their hundreds, the visitors had not come to say well done to Professor Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the body responsible for conducting elections in Nigeria. They had come to register their displeasure with the recently concluded presidential poll on February 25. And nearly all of them PDP loyalists led by the party’s flag bearer Atiku Abubakar, all of them holding aloft banners proclaiming their grouse.

“INEC is subverting the will of the people,” one declared. “Nigerians have lost confidence in INEC,” another stated while yet another proclaimed “We stand for Justice, We fight for a New Nigeria.”

Even before the public demonstration at INEC headquarters, PDP, LP and NNPP representatives had openly challenged the results of the election while Prof Mahmood was presiding over the collation at International Conference Centre in the FCT prior to announcing Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the winner of the election early on Wednesday March I.

Tagged ‘black’ protest with many of the participants wearing black-coloured dresses, counting Atiku himself in a black sweatshirt, it was meant to convey to the electoral body its unfairness in the conduct of the polls. PDP national Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Abdullahi said “the protest was planned to show the party’s disenchantment with the flawed poll, insisting that the election should be cancelled…It (the protest) is to register its grievances and disenchantment following the just concluded presidential and National Assembly elections.”

Nearly everyone agreed, with the exception of the APC of course. Abdullahi’s counterpart in the APC, Felix Morka described the protest as unfortunate. The PDP, he said, “had to resort to a public disturbance instead of focusing on the court case it filed to contest the results of Saturday’s presidential election. On a general note, the PDP lost the election to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. That is why he is the president-elect. The PDP

has indicated an interest in going to court to challenge the election. One will hope that they stick to following a lawful part in expressing whatever they may feel as a grievance in the outcome of the election.

“I am quite sure the PDP understands there are laws that govern public conduct in this country, hence the need to do nothing to instigate a crisis that is needless in the face of an election that was won by our candidate, now the presidentelect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.”

Chairman of the Transition Monitoring Group, Ibrahim Rafsanjani, does not feel the same way as Morka. In his view,

protests marches against unfair election results are “part of the democratic culture, and as such should not be discouraged,” adding that “protests, when it is done through peaceful means, through non-violent means, is part of the democratic culture and therefore should not be discouraged if people have valid reasons to do that.”

In tandem with Rafsanjani’s views on protests in a maturing democracy, Idayat Hassan, Executive Director of Centre for Democracy and Development, noted that PDP’s “protest is a signal of a maturing democracy. There is the freedom to dissent in the Nigerian constitution and in previous elections, APC also protested. It’s telling us that democracy is maturing, and this will be a big event especially if all the serving governors show up. We only hope there will be no use of unnecessary force by the security agents to avoid the breakdown of law and order.”

Though some world leaders have already sent congratulatory messages to the President-elect, there have been fears that the February 25 poll was not free and fair, that there was, indeed, irregularities in the presidential polls as per political thugs intimidating voters and doctoring results electronically.

“It is clear that the electoral process as a whole on February 25 failed to meet Nigerians’ expectations,'' Ambassador Mary Berth Leonard of the US has written. “As I said numerous times prior to the elections, Nigeria has accomplished much in just the two-plus decades since the return to democracy, and a gradual improvement in the quality of its elections in that time constitutes one of those accomplishments.”

She is not alone. A London-based institute, Chatham House, which some of the presidential candidates were invited prior to the elections, has come out to openly criticise the polls. Writing for the think-tank about the election in Nigeria, Leena Hoffman said that “INEC’s performance and controversies over these results mean that the electoral reforms and lessons declared to have been learned were not fully applied and, as an electoral body, it was significantly less prepared than it claimed.

“The logistical failures of INEC and widespread delayed opening of polling units meant that voters who showed up at the polls early were frustrated and many voters and INEC staff were not able to locate their polling units for several hours.”

“Less than half of eligible voters could participate in the elections, despite the commission’s N305 billion budgetary allocation. While Nigeria’s youth seemed energised leading up to the elections, it seems their ability to turn out is still being hugely constrained by how difficult and potentially dangerous it is to cast a vote in Nigeria.

“The INEC’s performance and controversies over these results mean that the electoral reforms and lessons declared to have been learned were not fully applied

INEC, the report continued, “failed to adhere to its own statements and guidelines, which derive from its laws, that election results would be uploaded to its portal using the BVAS directly from the polling unit in real-time for the public’s viewing…INEC’s sub-optimal performance must be taken seriously because Nigeria’s path to recovery and stability must follow the way of accountability and electoral integrity.”

It is the same complaint that Nigerians – PDP, LP, NNPP and political analysts - have now laid squarely at the doorstep of INEC, for aiding the ruling party in its electoral victory despite widespread disenchantment with its policies. Translation? Widespread cheating and intimidation of voters.

Does that, in any way, explain why there wasn’t any spontaneous jubilation across the country soon after Prof Mahmood declared Tinubu winner of the polls?

There might be some sense in that. It is a common belief that when people cheat to win in competitions, the spontaneous jubilation that follows never quite happens. And psychologists have two answers, “neither very noble. People cheat to get ahead, even if they don't qualify for the advancement and even if they can't win a fair competition. Such people don't care about anyone else but themselves.”

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Though some world leaders have already sent congratulatory messages to the Presidentelect, there have been fears that the February 25 poll was not free and fair, that there was, indeed, irregularities in the presidential polls as per political thugs intimidating voters and doctoring results electronically

Yakubu

Time to End Avoidable Train Accidents in Lagos

he fatal accident involving a train operated by the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) and a Marcopolo passenger bus belonging to the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) of the Lagos State Government last Thursday morning was clearly avoidable. The early morning accident, sadly, led to the death of six civil servants and injuring 79 others.

The victims were on their way to work in the governmentowned vehicle before disaster struck.

The stubborn driver of the staff bus is said to have thrown caution to the wind as though on a deadly mission, ignoring warnings from passersby as he ran in the way of a moving train with reckless abandon at the PWD level-crossing in the Ikeja area.

By the time the train, which was on its track came to a stop, the bus had been mangled and dragged along the rail track.

Although the bus driver escaped unhurt and was arrested by the Police, the havoc his careless action had caused was quite unimaginable. It was therefore a gory sight that early morning by the rail track as rescue and emergency aid workers tried to pull the victims of the accident out

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EDITOR: Olaolu Olusina @OLUSINA [Letters/Opinions: opinion.letters@thewillnigeria.com]

Tof the wreckage of the bus before rushing them to the nearby Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).

We are glad that the Lagos State Government moved in quickly with all the necessary assistance and information on the unfortunate incident, just as a three-day mourning period was declared with flags flying at half-mast across the state to mourn the dead and honour those injured and still receiving treatment at different hospitals in the state.

The condolence message from the Federal Government is also heartwarming, more so, the resolve to investigate the accident. The decision is surely an admission of the fact that the absence of an important infrastructure must have also contributed to the unfortunate incident.

Moreover, the latest accident in Lagos is just one of many that had been caused by the failure of the NRC to provide adequate infrastructure and signals at its level-crossings across the country. Only a few months ago, an accountant with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) met her untimely death when her car was crushed by a moving train at a level-crossing in Abuja.

Similar accidents were also recorded at different times in the past in the Agege and Fagba rail crossing in Lagos State, resulting in unnecessary and avoidable loss of lives. It is very sad and worrisome that the Railway authorities

which had spent so much on its facilities and rail tracks across the country would find it difficult to provide barriers at its various level-crossings, thus putting the lives of Nigerians in danger.

While the NRC might consider victims of such accidents as trespassers on its right of

way, we expect a responsible organisation to stop playing the victim in most cases and consider doing the needful by providing barriers to block any unruly vehicle driver whenever a train approaches the level crossings.

While we share in the pain of the Lagos State Government over this unnecessary loss, we want to encourage the state government to compel the NRC to provide barriers manned by security men at all its rail crossings in the state in order to put a stop to the frequent fatal accidents .

The state government should also, as a matter of policy, conduct psychiatry and mental stability tests on all BRT drivers in the service of the state and also conduct background checks before engaging the drivers. Recent cases of BRT drivers getting involved in activities considered to be criminal are an indictment on the recruitment process of drivers into the service of the state. We believe that every Nigerian has the right to life and a responsible government, whether at the state or the federal level, must protect this right. It is only an irresponsible government that would continue to look the other way when the lives and property of its citizens are being taken out unnecessarily due to carelessness and failure to do the needful as is now happening at railway crossings across Nigeria.

Every Nigerian has the right to life and a responsible government, whether at the state or the federal level, must protect this right . It is only an irresponsible government that would continue to look the other way when the lives and property of its citizens are being taken out unnecessarily due to carelessness and failure to do the needful

Oshiomhole And Dan Orbih Cannot Dictate to The Bini

BY DENNIS OSARETIN

The Benin Kingdom is known for its proud history and culture. It is also famous for the tenacity and bravery of its people. In spite of the numerous contentions to seize the land and subjugate its people, Benin city remained standing and its people unbowed.

Time and again, the people of Benin have been called upon to defend their honour and integrity, and at every time, they have answered the call.

In recent history, when dark elements, both within and without, tried to shake the foundation of the ancient landmark, the people rose up to the occasion and tamed the lions and tigers, as well as their Lords from Iyamho and Bourdillon, who saw the resolve of the people and took to their heels.

However, as we approach a major election again in our history, the Iyamho Lord, in collaboration with the Bourdillon Lord, have once again crawled out of their holes, this time, according to them, to take their revenge on the

Benins, who they believed hindered their takeover of the state during the last guber election. They have now also conscripted Dan Orbih in this their unholy ambition. Some have also alluded that Governor Godwin Obaseki cannot win without the support of Adams Oshiomhole and Dan Orbih, who had both supported him in time past. They have forgotten that Lucky Igbinedion won his election when the duo of Oshiomhole and Orbih were unknown in the political space.

Equally of note is the fact that Oshiomhole lost majority of the local governments in Edo North during his first tenure. The 166,577 votes he later garnered after the appeal court judgement that restored his mandate came largely from Edo South and Central.

How can someone who couldn’t deliver his senatorial district during his first tenure be the deciding factor in winning an election in Edo State?

Dan Orbih, on the other hand, couldn’t produce a councillor, a local government chairperson, neither could he produce a National or House of Assembly member from his senatorial district during his long reign as the PDP state chairman. While the Bini have always welcomed collaboration from other senatorial districts, we equally do not entertain those that wish to Lord it over us. The people will continue to resist Oshiomhole and his party, APC in Benin, who have vowed to truncate Obaseki’s regime by impeaching him if APC gets the majority in the March 18 House of Assembly election in Edo State.

I am confident and certain that Benin people will not let that happen on Saturday, they will once again reject APC and show to the invaders how election is won like they did in 2020 when they retired Oshiomhole to Iyamho. Howbeit, this time, it will be a permanent retirement.

•Osaretin is a legal practitioner based in Benin City

2023 Election as Giant Killer: End Of Power of Incumbency?

BY MAGNUS ONYIBE

When the 10th National Assembly (NASS) resumes after the inauguration of the new president on May 29, most of the current members of the Senate and House of Representatives in both the red and green chambers of NASS would be strangers.

That is because a significant number of members of the outgoing assembly, who represent the old order would have gone with the winds, as they have become victims of what l would like to term, ‘Obi-Dients Effect’.

As the political whirlwind that swept across the country, particularly in the South, with more disruptive effects in the South-East, South-South and South-West, as well as a significant swathe of the North Central geo-political zone, took its toll; politics as we used to know it has been upended in the voting bases of most members of the old political order. Hitherto, as a commentator, l had been drawing the attention of members of the Obidient Movement (which is a third force making waves in the political space), to the fact that they were handicapped based on the reality that they had no political structure.

That is underscored by the fact that universally, without structures which are the bulwark of political parties, public office seekers hardly succeed in their quest. It is one of the reasons that even in the almighty United States of America, USA, which is the melting pot of democracy and where independent candidacy is allowed, only one independent candidate has ever become president and that is Mr George Washington.

Yes, President George Washington, the first and two times US president, is the only independent candidate to date that has won the US Presidency. And on both occasions, George Washington unanimously received all the votes of the electoral college.

That is according to reports by scholars, which are documented in US archives:

“In both the election of 1789 and 1792, Washington received all votes from the Electoral College. During the first election, Washington won the electors of all ten eligible states. In 1792, Washington received all 132 electoral votes, winning each of the fifteen states, without belonging to any of the major political parties.”

Thereafter, in 1992 and 1996, the billionaire Texas Instruments owner, Mr Ross Perot, also unsuccessfully vied for the office of the president of the USA as an independent candidate.

Another politician, who attempted to become president in the US in 2016 as an independent candidate and failed, is Mr Evans McMullin.

Billionaire Perot and Mr McMullin failed to make it into the Oval Office in the White House, simply because they had no structure, which only well-established political parties can offer.

Incidentally, what just played out in the current election season in Nigeria had happened in the US in 2016 when owing to the lack of popularity of the two traditional and major parties candidates, Senator Hillary Clinton of the Democratic Party and the billionaire property tzar, Mr Donald Trump of the Republican Party, provided a window for Mr McMullin

to record the highest performance by non-Republican or Democratic Party candidates in over two decades in US politics. Co-incidentally, a scenario similar to the one painted above got replicated here in Nigeria during the February 25, 2023, presidential and National Assembly elections, as the unpopularity of the candidates of the ruling APC Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and main opposition PDP, Wazirin Atiku Abubakar, amongst the youth population that are desperately seeking a change from the old to a new order, threw up Mr Peter Obi, who ran on a platform of no significance, but who embodies the aspirations of the youths.

What the narrative above indicates is that structures matter in politics because, without them, candidates vying for the presidency of any country do not get their goals accomplished. That is why the likes of Professors Pat Utomi and Kingsley Moghalu, who are renowned intellectuals of no mean stature that are eminently qualified to lead our country, contested for the office of president at various times on the platform of fringe parties that had no structure to be reckoned with, failed spectacularly and embarrassingly.

The same situation applies to media entrepreneurs and journalists, Mr Omoyele Sowore and Bashorun Dele Momodu, who had also thrown their hats into the ring, signifying their intentions to become the president of our great country, Nigeria, but have serially failed to realise their ambition.

But in rather uncanny ways, Mr Peter Obi’s case has been better than the previous attempts by the quartet earlier highlighted in the manner that Reverend Jesse Jackson, a black rights activist, who contested for the presidency of the USA on several occasions on the platform of fringe parties that are structureless, became the forerunner to Mr Barack Obama, who achieved the feat of becoming the first and only black man to attain the position of the 44th president of the US.

The reason Jesse Jackson failed and Barack Obama made it into the White House is basically because, while the former vied for the office without a structured platform, the latter contested on the platform of an established party with a very sturdy platform – the Democratic party.

At the onset of his quest for the presidency of Nigeria, after he exited PDP, just before the primary in May and joined the relatively unknown and structureless Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi was looking like an independent candidate. Hence, l kept raising the concern about the jeopardy that he would face by running for the office of president without doing so on solid political structures.

But going forward, the LP Presidential standard bearer has shed that toga of being structureless, because LP has, owing to its tenaciousness and resourcefulness, resulting in its resounding success in the current election cycle, built the structures which we had been calling the attention of Obi-Dients to, and a critical factor which Mr Obi and his team appeared to have been treating with contempt.

As can be seen from the narrative above, the prognosis that the LP and Mr Obi would not be the party and the person respectively that President Muhammadu Buhari would be handing over the reins of government to on 29 May, is but a figment of imagination, based on a close study of the presidential system of democracy in the clime where the practice originated

– the US.

Since our presidential system of government was copied from the US, l had tasked myself with the duty of taking a deep dive into the annals of US practice of the presidential type of democracy, with a view to thoroughly interrogating it in order to figure out what worked and did not work for them. The self-assignment was accomplished by applying trend analysis. And based on my finding, l concluded that the LP and its presidential candidate, Mr Obi, had vaulting ambition for intending to occupy Aso Rock Villa as the ruling party and the president of Nigeria respectively in the current election cycle without the bulwark of a political structure.

The LP, being a relatively unknown political platform without established political structures and Mr Obi, at that time, being a sort of an unknown political quantity, exhibited the characteristics of independent candidacy as we know it in the US presidential system of government, hence l deemed his aspiration as unrealistic and unachievable since rigging is usually carried out by state actors or the establishment?

For instance, assuming for the purpose of this analogy, the APC actually doctored the results of the election held in the 176,856 polling units, set up by INEC nationwide as alleged, would the feat of rigging have been carried without its structure?

But living in denial publicly, the LP/Obi-Dients had discountenanced our wise counsel by claiming that structures were irrelevant in politics.

Meanwhile, they were privately motivating and recruiting an army of aggrieved Nigerians (mainly the youth of the #Endsars cohort), who, having had enough of bad government, were determined to force a change through a legitimate political process.

As such, it was easy for that highly incensed and energised crop of Nigerians that were willing and ready to get involved in salvaging their beloved country from the leadership morass that they had identified as the bane of their beloved country, Nigeria did not hesitate in serving as volunteer foot soldiers for the LP and its standard bearer, Mr Obi, which culminated into the superlative performance of the hitherto fledgling political party.

In addition to the backing of the angry youths seeking a rebirth of our country, is the heft given to the movement by political intellectuals such as prof Pat Utomi, Mr Donald Duke, Mrs Oby Ezekwesili, and Balogun Akin Osuntokun, amongst others, who were also supported with the statesmanly firepower of ex-president, Olusegun Obasanjo, who l like to refer to as president emeritus because, unlike his predecessors, he appears to be determined not to quit the political stage, hence he keeps meddling in governance.

Equally formidable is the backing from ethnic nationality groups such as the Afenifere-Yoruba sociocultural group, led by Pa Adebanjo, Pan Niger Delta ethnic and cultural group, PANDEF, led by Pa EK Clark, and Middle Belt Forum, the socio-cultural group of people of the north-central zone under the leadership of Dr Pogu Bitrus.

• Onyibe sent this article from Lagos.

•Continues online at www.thewillnigeria.com

Transcorp Hotels Plc: Cost Pressure Plagues Returns

BY SAM DIALA

Transcorp Hotels Plc 2022 full year (FY) performance was impacted by the inflationary environment that saw the hospitality key player trudge under costs pressure.

The Group’s N4.5 billion profit before tax (PBT), a 172 percent increase year-on-year, from N1.7 billion in 2021, was prominent in the headline of the statement announcing the FY 2022 results. Also highlighted was the N31.4 billion revenue haul representing a 47 percent rise from N21.6 billion in the preceding period.

Transcorp applauds its impressive performance. However, the 2022 results reinforce the Group’s moderate growth trajectory impacted by cost pressures as seen in its profit after tax (PAT) of N2.6 billion from N1.1 billion in 2021. Enhanced returns are plagued by cost pressure.

Profits are challenged by high inflation which remains the big elephant in the room impacting on businesses, and Transcorp is no exception. Consequently, the phenomenon puts unyielding pressure on the firm’s ability to achieve enhanced dividend for the shareholders given the critical sector it operates.

The persistent cost pressure showed in the Group’s cost of sales (COS) which rose by 65 percent to N9.05 billion in the review period from N5.51 billion in 2021. Signs that the COS was going to be hugely impacted showed earlier in the year up to Q3 when it hit N6.27 billion from N3.77 billion in the preceding half year, a rise of 67 percent.

The 2022 COS rose 374 percent (from N1.91 billion in Q1 to FY N9.05 billion). It was 411 percent in 2021`(from N1.08 billion in

Airlines Passenger Traffic Soars as Capacity Grows by 82%

BY ANTHONY AWUNOR

Air traffic data gathered during January 2023 indicates that African airlines witnessed a 124 per cent increase in traffic, compared with January 2022 during the same period. These carriers in the continent also saw capacity up by 82.5 per cent on Jan 2022 levels, a 13.9 percentage point rise in the

average passenger load factor.

The new development is contained in the the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) latest analysis of the passenger airline travel industry, based on traffic data gathered during January 2023. IATA, a

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Q1 to FY N5.51 billion). Operating cost rose from N11.1 billion in 2021 to N14.63 billion in 2022, or 32 percent; while finance costs rose marginally by 1.8 percent to N4.14 billion from N4.07 billion in the equivalent year.

Major revenue fonts are the Rooms and Food and Beverages from which cash flow was profuse. Calabar tops the list, suggesting that the Group taps from the growing hospitality industry of the Cross River capital popularly called ‘Canaan City’.

Revenue from Rooms grew significantly from N13.76 billion in 2021 to N19.67 billion in 2022, representing 43 percent. Food and Beverages followed the same trend. It yielded N10.22 billion revenue as against N6.46 billion in the previous year – an increase of 59 percent. However, the improvement was equally impacted by inflation as energy cost also skyrocketed.

Data gleaned from the 2022 FY results revealed that the COS of the cash cow’s: Rooms, and Food and Beverages segments, mirrored the inflationary trend. The Group must have adjusted its tariffs to reflect prevailing economic realities, the gains were however impacted by the rampaging inflation rate which moderated from 13.8 percent in January to 21.3 percent in December.

On the other hand, the COS on Rooms equally rose significantly: N3.40 billion from N1.83 billion in 2021 representing 86 percent increase, while Food and Beverages recorded a 47 percent increase in COS to N5.10 billion from N3.49 billion in 2021. The

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MORE INSIDE

Yemi Kale, Former Nigeria’s NBS Chief Joins KPMG

PAGE 34

NCC Harps on Clean Energy Usage

PAGE 35

CBN Issues Revised Regulatory Framework For Agent Banking

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has issued the Exposure Draft of Regulatory Framework for Agent Banking in the country.

The CBN said the publication was In exercise of its statutory powers for the maintenance of adequate and reasonable financial services to the public, adding that the document aims to regulate the operation of agent banking in the country.

Continues on page 34

AVIATION/INDUSTRY

Airlines Passenger Traffic Soars as Capacity Grows by 82%

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Transcorp Hotels Plc: Cost Pressure Plagues Returns

Continued from page 32

overall Operating Expenses of the Group rose by 32 percent hitting N14.63 billion from N11.10 billion of the previous year.

Another area of concern was energy. The Group recorded significant energy cost during the review period. Energy cost rose from N1.67 billion in 2021 to N2.33 billion in 2022, an increase of 40 percent. Employee cost rose to N2.19 billion from N1.67 billion or 32 percent, an indication of the Group’s handsome reward policy. This mirrored the high energy cost that took toll on businesses as diesel prices soared 182.6 percent to N820 per litre fromN290 per litre across the country.

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reputable air transport industry professional body at the continental level represents some 300 airlines comprising 83 per cent of global air traffic Noting that the recovery in air travel demand is continuing in 2023, based on January traffic results, the international air transport body pointed out that total traffic in January 2023 (measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometers or RPKs) rose by 67.0 per cent compared to January 2022. With such projection, globally, traffic has hit about 84.2 per cent of January 2019 levels.

IATA further added that "domestic traffic for January 2023 rose 32.7 per cent compared to the year-ago period, helped by the lifting of the zero-COVID policy in China. Total January 2023 domestic traffic was at 97.4 per cent of the January 2019 level".

"International traffic climbed 104.0 per cent versus January 2022 with all markets recording strong growth, led by carriers in the Asia-Pacific region. International RPKs reached 77.0 percent of January 2019 levels", IATA said.

In his remarks, Willie Walsh, IATA’s DirectorGeneral said, “Air travel demand is off to a very healthy start in 2023. The rapid removal of COVID-19 restrictions for Chinese domestic and international travel bodes well for the continued strong industry recovery from the pandemic throughout the year. And, importantly, we have not seen the many economic and geopolitical

uncertainties of the day dampening demand for travel.”

“With strong travel demand continuing through the traditionally slower winter season in the Northern Hemisphere, the stage is set for an even busier spring and summer. At a time when many are just beginning to enjoy their newly restored travel freedoms, it is especially disappointing to see the Dutch government making plans to limit their movements by unilaterally and unjustly reducing operations at Schiphol Airport", Walsh added.

Meanwhile, in Nigeria passenger traffic seems to be on the increase despite COVID-19. This is added to the fact that Nigerian roads have remained insecure for travellers, a situation that made some Nigerians to settle for air transportation.

For instance, in 2021 alone, 13 million passengers travelled through airports in the country.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) that obtained the figure from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) stated that the figure represented an increase of 43.41 per cent compared to the nine million recorded in 2020. The NBS stated that there were 6.5m arrivals in 2021, higher than 4.9m recorded in 2020. Similarly, departure stood at 6.5m in 2021 compared to 4.2m in 2020. It said that 2.2m international passengers passed through Nigerian airports in 2021, as against 1.4m passengers in 2020, which represents a 57.61 per cent growth rate.

The Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport Abuja recorded a total of 4.76m domestic travellers, accounting for 37 per cent of the passengers in 2021. It was followed by the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos State had 4.09m domestic passengers, accounting for 31 per cent of the total figures. For foreign travel, there were 1.1m arrivals in 2021, while passengers’ departure was at 1.1m, making it 2.2m foreign movements in 2021.In the same vein, the foreign movement statistics showed that arrival in Q1 2021 was 212,977 while passengers’ departure stood at 222,453 in the same quarter. Similarly, second quarter 2021 recorded 220,171 (arrival) and 232,501 (departure).

In Q3 2021, passengers’ departure stood at 285,189, and arrival was 318,841. In Q4, the figure arrival stood at 391,284, and departure was at 335,730. The surge in passenger traffic in the year has been predicted by stakeholders especially as widespread insecurity persists in the country, especially on the roads. Bandits and kidnappers have made Nigerian roads unsafe, leaving many Nigerians with no option than to travel by air.

Similarly, the rise in the food and beverages supply chain stemmed from the impact of severe flood and massive oil theft that put Nigeria on the spotlight of economic devastation in 2022. Agriculture, manufacturing and oil suffered the impact and contributed to the poor Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for 2022, The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in its 2022 fourth quarter report said the overall GDP annual growth rate dropped to 3.10 percent from 3.40 percent in 2021 as critical sectors suffered a decline.

Businessman and Chairman, Heirs Holdings, Mr Tony Elumelu, in March 2022 bemoaned the fact that Nigeria was losing over 95 per cent of its oil production to thieves.

Elumelu, who narrated the ordeal of some of his colleagues at work on his official Twitter handle, urged the citizens to be “vocal” about the way they are governed and hold their leaders more accountable.

“How can we be losing over 95 per cent of oil production to thieves?

Look at the Bonny Terminal that should be receiving over 200,000bpd quantity of crude oil daily, instead it receives less than 3,000 barrels, leading the operator, Shell, to declare force majeure.

“Why are we paying taxes if our security agencies can’t stop this?

It is clear that the reason Nigeria is unable to meet its OPEC production quota is not because of low investment but because of theft, pure and simple,” Elumelu lamented.

Analysts and industry experts believe that the hostile environment posed a huge challenge for Transcorp known for its top-flying performance as rising costs persisted in critical areas – energy, supply chain, finance and human capital.

“Inflation puts the Group under pressure, making it difficult to explore the available opportunities for better growth and to deliver enhanced dividends to the stakeholders,” said Mike Akhimien, a finance expert.

An oil and gas operator, Sly Aboderin, said the expansion capacity of the Group was impeded by cost pressure. It may appear ‘small’ from the outside

because the figures are in the middle and upper double units, the effects are considerable.

“Transcorp’s FY results showed the Group is cruising comfortably in key performance ratios. However, cost pressure cannot be ignored, especially for a firm in the flying mood. This may take some time to normalise because Transcorp is still growing,” Aboderin said in a telephone chat.

Notwithstanding the scenario, the Group believes it has delivered exceptional performance amid unyielding economic headwinds.

Commenting on FY 2022, the Managing Director/CEO of Transcorp Hotels Plc, Dupe Olusola, noted that Transcorp Hotels recorded another year of exceptional revenue growth amidst the uncertainty in the macro-economic conditions.

"This impressive achievement is the highest revenue generated since the inception of the Hotel and has set the Group above pre-COVID performance levels.

“The full-fledged return of the International Business Travel segment and the bolstering leisure segment contributed immensely to this performance.

”We continuously strive to achieve a dynamic mix of business types closely managing our hotel occupancy and guest experience.

"Our excellent financial performance in 2022, despite adverse economic conditions, is the direct result of our concerted efforts and commitment to deliver excellent value to our stakeholders and customers,” Olusola added.

The Group declared a dividend of 13 kobo per share for 2022.

A major impact the Group’s report may not have spotlighted is the huge indirect job opportunities it created through the relevant supply chains. The NBS Q4 2022 report showed Service as a key contributor to Nigeria’s GDP while agriculture, manufacturing and oil sectors slide.

Air travel demand is off to a very healthy start in 2023. The rapid removal of COVID-19 restrictions for Chinese domestic and international travel bodes well for the continued strong industry recovery from the pandemic throughout the year

Our excellent financial performance in 2022, despite adverse economic conditions, is the direct result of our concerted efforts and commitment to deliver excellent value to our stakeholders and customers

Yemi Kale, Former Nigeria’s NBS Chief Joins KPMG

Dr Yemi Kale, former Nigeria’s Statistician-General and Chief Executive Officer (CE)< National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has been appointed as partner and chief economist at KPMG Nigeria.

KPMG Nigeria, one of the leading professional firms providing audit, tax and advisory services, announced Mr Kale’s appointment in a statement on its official Twitter page Thursday.

The statement states that as the chief economist, Mr Kale will lead the firm’s view on macroeconomics and enhance the breadth of solutions involving economic modelling and macroeconomic analysis, in private and public sector clients.

International Women’s Day Celebration on March 8, 2023.

CBN Issues Revised Regulatory Framework For Agent Banking

The CBN defined Agent Banking as the use of third parties for the provision of banking and other financial services to the public.

It said the operations of agent banking has enabled banks and other financial institutions to extend their services to locations where they may not have physical presence, adding that the agent banking initiative in Nigeria has proved to be a viable tool for achievement of the financial inclusion targets set for the country.

The apex bank noted that the exponential growth in the number of agent banking operators and the meaningful impact on the financial inclusion strategy necessitated the need to review the agent banking guidelines.

“Over the years, the agent banking initiative has resulted in the ubiquity of financial services agents across Nigeria, resulting in a significant and growing portion of financial transactions being conducted through the agents. This has necessitated the review of agent banking regulations to streamline activities in agent banking while ensuring that appropriate risk mitigation measures are taken by stakeholders,” the Bank said in the document published on its Website Thursday, March 9, 2023.

The registration requirements include the explicit statement that agents shall not be allowed to charge any fees directly

to customers and that the details of remuneration for the agent shall be specified in the contract between the agent and the principal.

“Measures to mitigate risks associated with agent banking services include, at the minimum, limits on customer transactions, cash management, cash security, security of agent premises and insurance policies.

“Explicit statement that FIs and their

agents shall fully comply with AML/ CFT/CPF and KYC requirements” the document stated.

The guideline excludes faith-based, and non-for-profit and other nongovernmental organisations from the scheme.

“Any entity, which is faith-based or not-for-profit, a non-governmental organization, an educational institution, bureau-de-change, or any other entity which, under any applicable law is not allowed to carry on profit-making business shall not engage in agent banking as an agent.

“Any entity, which is subject to any regulatory authority under any written law or is a public entity, shall obtain the consent of the regulatory authority or the appropriate oversight body or authority prior to being appointed an agent.”

The guidelines maintained the oversight functions of the CBN over the agent banking activities to ensure they operate within the laid down rules.

It said, “Notwithstanding the responsibility of FIs to monitor and supervise their agents, the CBN may at any time, exercise regulatory and supervisory powers under BOFIA and CBN Act and may request for such data or information or carry out such inspection as it deems necessary.”.

Financial institutions and their agents shall ensure full compliance with extant laws and regulations on the combating money laundering and illicit fund activities as provided in extant laws.

“In fulfillment of AML/CFT/CPF requirements, FIs and their agents shall comply with the requirements of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2022 and Financing of Terrorism (Prevention & Prohibition) Act 2022 and relevant extant AML/CFT/CPF regulations,” the exposure draft provided in the guidelines.

Equity Market Maintains Bullish Trend as Capitalisation Rises by 0.48%

The NGX All-Share Index and Market Capitalization appreciated by 0.48% to close last week at 55,794.51 and N30.395 trillion respectively, the Nigerian Exchange announced in its weekly report ended March 10, 2023.

The report stated that a total turnover of 1.023 billion shares worth N20.221 billion in 18,650 deals was traded in the week by investors on the floor of the Exchange, in contrast to a total of 1.910 billion shares valued at N18.436 billion that exchanged hands last week in 20,311 deals.

The Financial Services Industry (measured by volume) led the activity chart with 414.427 million shares valued at N5.646 billion traded in 8,136 deals; thus contributing 40.50% and 27.92% to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively.

The Conglomerates Industry followed with 307.868 million shares worth N479.512 million in 1,122 deals. The third place was the Industrial Goods Industry, with a turnover of 104.234 million shares worth N10.354 billion in 1,334 deals.

Trading in the top three equities namely Transnational Corporation Plc, Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc and BUA Cement Plc. (measured by volume) accounted for 447.809 million shares worth N9.556 billion in 2,018 deals, contributing 43.76% and 47.26% to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively.

For the Exchange Traded Products (ETP) segment, a total of 11,382 units valued at N1.883 million were traded this week in 74 deals compared with a total of 30,547 units valued at N7.299 million transacted last week in 50 deals.

For Bonds, the report further revealed that a total of 54,802 units valued at N55.699 million were traded in the week in 14 deals compared with a total of 39,151 units valued at N37.062 million transacted last week in 17 deals.

“Similarly, all other indices finished higher with the exception of NGX Main Board, NGX CG, NGX Banking, NGX Pension, NGX AFR Bank Value, NGX AFR Div. Yield, NGX MERI Growth, NGX MERI Value, NGX Consumer Goods and NGX Oil and Gas indices which depreciated by 0.09%, 0.74%, 1.82%, 0.57%, 2.04%, 0.57%, 0.88%, 1.91%, 0.26% and 3.82% respectively while the NGX ASeM index closed flat.”

It added that Mr Kale holds a B.Sc. Honours degree in Economics (first class), Addis Ababa University, and an M.Sc. (distinction) and PhD in Economics from The London School of Economics and Political Science.

“He has deep experience, gained from both the private and public sectors, in macroeconomic analysis, financial, economic and investment research and fiscal and macroeconomic policy advisory.

“From 2011 to 2021 he served as the Statistician General of the Federation/ Chief Executive Officer of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS),” it said.

Mr Kale was first appointed in August 2011 as the statistician general of the federation and chief executive officer of the National Bureau of Statistics, (NBS), for an initial five-year term. Before assuming office, he was the Special Adviser to the then Minister of National Planning.

In October 2016, he was reappointed for a second term of five years by President Muhammadu Buhari. He served in that position until 2021.

Mr Kale received his undergraduate degree from Addis Ababa University and a Doctorate from the London School of Economics & Political Science. He has served on several presidential committees and advisory bodies. He is also an alumnus of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government leadership in government programmes.

The new appointee belongs to several professional bodies.

He is a Fellow of the UK Royal Statistical Society, Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Administrators and Researchers of Nigeria, Member at the World Economics Federation, Member at the Royal Economic Society and Member of the Nigerian Statistical Association.

L-R: Chief Digital Officer, Nigerian Exchange Limited, (NGX), Olufemi Oyenuga; Country Officer, International Finance Corporation (IFC), Mohammed Aliyu; Member, Women Executives on Board (WEoB), Kemi Adewole; Divisional Head, Capital Markets, NGX Jude Chiemeka; Gender Solutions and Advisory/ Program Lead, Nigeria2Equal, IFC, Adaorie Udechukwu; Co-chair, WEoB Rosie Bichard; Founder, Women at Risk Foundation, (WARIF), Kemi Dasilva-Ibru; Director, NGX, Erelu Angela Adebayo; Divisional Head, Business Support Services/General Counsel, NGX, Irene Robinson-Ayanwale; Member, WEoB, Aku Odinkemelu; Member, WEoB, Bola Tinubu; Member, WEoB, Bisola Giwa-Osagie and Founder, Lady Wheelers Association, Nkechi Abiola at the Ring the Bell for Gender Equality in commemoration of the 2023

Continued from page 32

Kale

L-R: Director General, African Development Bank Group, Mr. Lamin Barrow and Executive Secretary, Hadejia Jama’are

Bdliya during the official signing of the EUR 362,000 grant for Preparation of a Strategic Action Plan for Water Resources

Basin Phase II, in Abuja on March 8, 2023.

NCC Harps on Clean Energy Usage

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has reiterated commitment to clean energy usage as it sets to host an event in Abuja spotlighting its regulatory initiatives on clean energy usage in the telecoms sector. The event is to mark the 2023 World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD).

As contained in a press release by its Director, Public Affairs, Reuben Muoka, the Commission has continued to promote consumer protection and enlightenment.

This is what has become a tradition in the Commission since when it declared 2017 as “Year of the Telecom Consumers” when it honoured telecom consumers by connecting with the global theme for the commemoration to celebrate the Day with landmark activities.

The theme of the 2023 edition of the Day is “Empowering Consumers through Clean Energy Transitions.”

NCC’s Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Barrister Adeleke Adewolu, said the theme provided opportunity for NCC to share with beloved telecom consumers and other stakeholders, as well as the public, policies it has instituted, and other actions taken to encourage operators in the sector to transition to environmentally-friendly and renewable energy sources in their operations.

Adewolu represented the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Professor Umar Garba Danbatta, at the inauguration of the committee to organisation the event.

He said NCC was committed to reducing the impact that telecommunications operation has on climate change and the environment.

He also noted that the peculiarities of Nigeria’s electricity supply have resulted in the telecommunications sector being a contributor to carbon emissions.

Danbatta, a Fellow of the Renewable Alternative Energy Society (FRAES), stated that studies have shown that renewables and energy efficiency,

Imo Economy Under Threat as NLC Embarks on Strike – Condemns Govt-Sponsored Disruption of its Election

The bad state of Imo economy which has suffered tremendous set-back over insecurity attacks is set to worsen as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the state has embarked on strike. The state leadership of the NLC said the strike is to protest the use of thugs and police to disrupt the conduct of its elections in Imo.

The NLC president, Joe Ajaero, disclosed this in a statement in which he also declared the group’s indefinite industrial action in the state.

Fund, Dr.

boosted by substantial electrification, can provide over 90 per cent of the necessary reductions in energy-related carbon emissions.

He said increasing the use of electricity sourced from renewables presents the best opportunity to accelerate the world's energy transformation.

“The theme is very apt this year, as we know the implication of the climate change disaster facing the world. So, as a Commission, we are committed to reducing the impact of climate change.

“The telecoms sector contributes to global emissions, particularly when you realise that there are over 54,000 base transmitter stations powered, in some cases, 24 hours seven days a week, by generators. You can just imagine the emissions from these,” Danbatta said.

He explained that NCCg was already looking at introducing a policy to encourage ethical energy source, as part of the Commission’s commitment to safeguarding the environment for consumers and other users of telecom services.

The move, he noted, was also in tandem with the process of actualising some of the key items of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The EVC further stated that, in recent years, the Commission has introduced a regulatory framework on infrastructure sharing and collocation among the licensees.

The regulatory framework, he said, has been encouraging operators to fully maximise their already-deployed infrastructure.

“By sharing infrastructure, some operators do not need to entirely build a telecoms site in an area where another operator had deployed one.

“With the challenge of inadequate public electricity supply in Nigeria, telecom companies rely on dieselpowered generators to keep their telecom sites live round-the-clock.

“But a regulatory framework such as infrastructure sharing and collocation is helping in this regard,” the EVC said.

Fraudsters Becoming More Creative — NDIC Warns Bank Customers

The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has warned bank customers and the public against displaying their bank details saying fraudsters were becoming more creative.

The NDIC in its official website on Friday gave out four tips for bank customers to safeguard their accounts.

The Corporation said that customers should ensure that their phones had password and they must not share their bank mobile application password with anyone.

NDIC also warned bank customers to ensure that their token were secured and other parties did not have access to it.

The Corporation also urged customers to ensure that their debit card numbers and Card Verification Value (CVV) were not exposed to people.

The warning is coming on the backdrop of increased bank fraud as reported by the Financial Institute Training Centre (FITC) in its report for the second quarter of 2022.

The FITC received a total of 68 returns on cases of fraud and forgery from twenty-24 deposit money institutions¹ in the second quarter of 2022. An analysis show that 22 returns were received in April, while 24 returns were received in May, and 22 returns were received in June.

“For the second quarter of 2022 under review, a total of 27,356 incidents of Frauds and Forgeries were reported, compared to 40,522 reported cases in the first quarter of 2022, representing a 32.49 per cent decrease between the periods.

“The trend shows that mobile fraud which includes fraud activities through USSD transactions had the highest occurrence followed by computer/web fraud and POS fraud. Appendices I and II present the various fraud activities that occurred throughout the period.

“For Q2 2022, the data analysis show that the total sum reported to be involved in fraud cases decreased notably by 40.05 per cent, from N14.65 billion in Q1 2022 to N8.78 billion in Q2 2022. Likewise, for the total amount lost due to fraud incidences, there was a slight decrease of 23.66 per cent from N1.54 billion in the first quarter of 2022 to N1.17 billion in the second quarter of 2022,” the report stated.

Mr Ajaero said the NLC had instructed its State Councils across Nigeria to prepare for the State Delegates’ Conference for the election of new leadership in all the council areas of the country.

Some NLC officials were deployed to various states to act as returning officers in the elections billed for last Tuesday, he said. The NLC president alleged that the Imo State Government “sought to influence the outcome of the elections in the state,” by offering gratifications to the delegates to vote for their “chosen candidates.”

“This meddlesomeness was resisted by the delegates who refused the unholy offerings and baits to vote for their chosen candidates,” he said.

Mr Ajaero claimed that the state government was enraged by the delegates’ rejection of their offerings and resorted to violence ostensibly to disrupt the exercise.

“When it was obvious to the government and their goons that their stooges were going to overwhelmingly lose in the elections, thugs who were armed to the teeth descended on the Delegates inflicting various degrees of injuries on them, chasing them away and carting away materials meant for the conduct of the elections that was supposed to be at the heart of the conference.

“As if that was not enough, security agents led by the police and the so-called State Investigative Bureau invaded the venue and completed the sordid episode,” he stated, insisting that the “blood cuddling” and act of violence on people who gathered for a democratic election was inexcusable.

Continuing, he said, “NLC considers this the height of irresponsibility thus unacceptable and falls far below accepted standards of behaviour by individuals who occupy high offices in Nigeria, especially the government of states.

“It truly does demonstrate the level of decay that has continued to fester in leadership circles in the country. It does also show the level of militarisation that pervades the state from one end to another and we also feel that it may be a serious pointer to the source of the violence in the state which has made the state the epicentre of killings and brigandage in the South-east.”

The NLC president called on “well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on the government of Imo State to mind its business and focus more on rendering good governance to the people and allow us continue setting good examples on how transition of power ought to be”, stressing that the government cannot choose leaders for the NLC.

“The NLC holds the governor and his government responsible for any loss of life in this wanton display of hooliganism against unarmed Nigerian workers who were going about their lawful business of organising a statutory delegates’ conference.

Komadugu Yobe Trust

Hassan

Development for Komadugu-Yobe

Politics, Economics And Nigeria’s Trudging Economy

BY MARCEL OKEKE

The Supreme Court ruling on Friday, March3, 2023 that all redesigned Naira notes and the old ones will remain legal tender and in circulation till December 31, 2023 climaxed the lingering titanic struggle between political power brokers and managers of the Nigerian economy.

Since the announcement of the Naira redesign policy on October 26, 2022, some sort of ‘war’ had been raging between the drivers of political ‘expediency’ and economic imperatives of the Nigerian polity. For the first time in living memory, wielders of political power openly confronted and stoutly stood against economic management policies of the Federal Government. In what looked like an incestuous confrontation, top political officeholders of the same party took opposing positions on a single monetary policy.

Specifically, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) came up with the seemingly innocuous Naira redesign initiative to deal with a number of obvious challenges facing the trudging Nigerian economy. Some of these stubborn challenges included a very high and steadily rising inflation rate (standing at almost 22 per cent as at end-January 2023), huge illicit and counterfeit funds and large volumes of cash in circulation—yet outside the banking system.

The policy was also aimed at fast-tracking the attainment of financial inclusion and cashless economy objective of the Federal government. The apex bank therefore gave a timeframe for all existing Naira denominations of 200, 500 and 1,000 to be returned to the banking system (deposited). This was to be achieved within about one hundred days— October 26, 2022 to January 31, 2023.

However, as the end-January deadline was approaching, powerful political power brokers and their cohorts were perfecting both clandestine and obvious moves not only to scuttle the currency initiative but to have it fully reversed and jettisoned. Thus, to effectively pre-empt the deadline, three state governments sued the Federal Government at the Supreme Court; and the apex court pronto gave an ex parte ruling, suspending the stoppage of the old currencies (200, 500 and 1000 Naira notes) from being legal tender. This was even after the CBN had extended the earlier deadline from January 31 to February 10, 2023.

Surprisingly, even before the unprecedented move of the three states (Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara) in suing the Federal Government over its monetary policy, both arms of the National Assembly (the Senate and the House of Representatives) had harangued and arms-twisted the CBN to push forward the deadline for the stoppage of the use of the old currency notes.

Similarly, state governors under the aegis of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) had applied several tricks and persuasion to get the CBN to cave in to their stance of not stopping the use of the old currency notes as scheduled. The NGF equally carried their ‘appeal’ to Mr President who asked them to give him a ‘reprieve’ of seven days!

On Thursday, February 16, 2023, however, President Muhammadu Buhari made a nationwide address in which he ordered the CBN to “allow the old 200 naira notes and redesigned 200, 500 and 1000 naira notes to coexist” until April 10, 2023. This meant that even with the pendency of the ex parte ruling of the Supreme Court, the old 500 and 1000 Naira notes have ceased to be legal tender courtesy of the Presidential order. However, rather than assuage frayed nerves, this conflicting scenario created more tension and confusion in the polity. By this time, the apex bank, apart from re-introducing the ‘old’ 200 Naira notes as ordered by Mr President, had practically mopped up all ‘old’ notes and stuck to its new policy of ‘minimal’ cash withdrawal limits by all economic agents.

Yet, the suspicion remained high that many top and desperate politicians still had huge volumes of the old Naira notes stashed away in their strong rooms and private vaults to keep ‘oiling’ their electioneering towards the Presidential and National Assembly elections slated for February 25 as well as the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections scheduled for March 11, 2023. This desperation apparently led to some state governors making public addresses, largely direct counterpoise to Presidential orders on the way forward in ensuring the success of the Naira redesign initiative. Some even told their constituents not to bother about doing away with their ‘old’ Naira notes as directed by Mr President.

All these played out as the total ‘drying up’ of liquidity in the economy—as neither the ‘old’ Naira notes were available nor the ‘new’ ones in circulation enough to facilitate commerce and business generally. Either due to sabotage or systems failure, bank electronic channels that were to be used as alternatives to cash payments—all virtually collapsed. In

this milieu the apex court refused to vacate its ex parte stance but instead adjourned its ruling to March 3, 2023. As February 25 (elections) got closer, the polity got asphyxiated, financially—and virtually every bank branch across the country was mobbed by deluge of customers who wanted to have some cash. In not a few locations, crowds of bank customers (perhaps infiltrated by hoodlums) went wild and razed and/or vandalised bank buildings and other properties.

Apparently laden in all of these was the devious ways of the politicians in applying their very long and strong ‘tentacles’ to have a tight grip on the new bank notes rolling out of The Mint. Thus, as the CBN was assuring the polity about the volume of cash being minted and circulated, the ‘scarcer’ the currency got. This scenario did not only lead to the closure of many bank branches but also put point-of-sale (PoS) operators out of business—they had totally lost access to cash for their trade.

Covertly or overtly, branch heads of not a few banks in collusion with top politicians in their various localities, hoarded volumes of the new naira notes available to them. In many localities across the country, the masses took to some sort of trade by barter; in fact, in some boundary locations, foreign currencies like French Franc (CFA) were for a while adopted in Nigerian territories as means of exchange—just to keep business going!

As backdrop to all these, President Buhari kept reiterating his determination, through the Naira redesign and allied policies, to create and sustain a level playing field for the politicians—by ensuring that “nobody holds so much resources to enable him to intimidate opponents or use money to influence voting in any locality.” This shows without equivocation that the currency policy was also frontally directed at ‘sucking’ away or rendering waste, huge sums of Naira widely believed to have been stashed away by politicians, their cronies and other economic saboteurs. This way, the largely destabilizing role of money in elections and electioneering would be minimized and curtailed substantially.

However, the monetary policy had also come up with a motely of unintended sequels and ripples, including the stifling of the economy and diminishing of the quality of life of the citizenry. In point of fact, the acute cash shortages across the country since February 2023 practically grounded the Nigerian economy. For instance, Stanbic IBTC Bank, in its February Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) report has disclosed that the PMI data dropped below the 50.0 no-change mark to 44.7 per cent in February, from 53.5 in January, reflecting a decline in both micro- and macroeconomic activities.

Specifically, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) came up with the seemingly innocuous Naira redesign initiative to deal with a number of obvious challenges facing the trudging Nigerian economy

•Okeke is an economist, sustainability expert and business strategy consultant.

SHOTS OF THE WEEK

Photo

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo SAN, (middle); Prelate of the Methodist Church, His Eminence The Most Rev. Dr Oliver Aba (right) and His Grace, The Most Rev (Dr.) Michael O. Akinwale, the new Archbishop of Abuja Diocese (left), at the Methodist Church of Nigeria in Abuja. March 5, 2023.

L-R: Special Adviser, Budget, Economic Planning and Performance Management, Mr Niyi Adebabyo and Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji at the opening session of a three-day workshop on the National Chart of Accounts (NCOA) for Directors of Finance and Accounts Directors of Administration and Supplies, and Directors of Planning, Research and Statistics (DPRS) in Ado-Ekition March 7, 2023.

L-R: Lagos State Head of Service, Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola; Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Director Clinical Service, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Prof. Adebowale Adekoya and Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Rabiu Olowo, during the Governor's visit to the victims of the Train and

BRT Staff Bus Accident at LASUTH, in Lagos on March 10, 2023.

L-R: Representative of the DG, Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Mr. Francis Onyeji; Director, Digi E-Business Solution, Dr. Emmanuel Ezeugwu; Chairman Kano street Tyres and Accessories Dealers Association, Coal camp Enugu, Chief John Omekagu and Director, National Metrology Institute, Enugu, Mr. Bede Obayi, during the closing of SON Sensitization Forum on ' Life Endangering Auto Spare Parts Products ' in Enugu on March 8, 2023.

L-R: State Secretary, Nigeria Labour Congress, Rivers State, Mr. Mathew Plane; Chairman, (NLC), Mr. Alex Aganwor and Chairman, Rivers State Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JNC), Mr. Emecheta Chuku, during a visit to Gov Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, in Port Harcourt on March 8, 2023.

L-R: Executive Director, Large Enterprise, BOI,  Mr. Simon Aranonu; Managing Director, BOI, Mr. Pitan Olukayode; Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Engr. Simbi Wabote and Director, Finance & Personnel Management, NCDMB, Mr. Isaac Yalah, at the launching of a $50m  fund for NOGAPS Manufacturing Product Line in Lagos on March 7, 2023.

Editor: Peace Udugba [08033050729]

Francesca Uriri, wears many feathers on her cap. She is a Nigerian social entrepreneur, public relations expert, author and founder of a non-profit organisation, Leading Ladies Africa, which aims at providing skills to African women necessary for their success and promoting gender inclusion. In commemoration of the International Women’s Day, she speaks with SHADE WESLEY-METIBOGUN about her passion for the girl child, Leading Ladies Africa and sundry issues. Excerpts:

SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS WILL END DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN IN WORKPLACES – URIRI

Whatinspired Leading Ladies Africa and how has the journey been?

Leading Ladies Africa was founded with the primary aim of creating a platform that amplifies and celebrates the achievements of African women and women of African descent, as a means of inspiring a new generation of African female leaders and change makers. Our work includes pushing for gender parity and equality by building a community that includes diverse African women who thrive in the areas of business, career and leadership. It has been an incredible journey, one that has connected me with amazing women from all over the world and given expression to some of the things that deeply move and inspire me.

What challenges have you encountered so far in the course of running Leading Ladies of Africa? What have you achieved?

Although we are a non-profit organisation, we face the typical challenges that entrepreneurs face in running businesses sustainably, human capital development, scaling up and delivering sustainable programmes, knowing when to pivot and shift focus, etc. However, in terms of achievement, I would say that we have covered a lot of ground and gained a lot of momentum. For example, Leading Ladies Africa has disbursed $40,000 in business funding and scholarship since its inception. Through our Enterprise and Leadership Programme (ELP), 5000 female entrepreneurs have received direct training, coaching and funding for their businesses.

LLA has collaborated with organisations like the Coca-Cola Foundation, Union Bank of Nigeria, and the China Europe International Business School for training during this programme. 500 career women have received coaching and training and have been paired with mentors to strengthen their workplace efficiency and effectiveness.

LLA partnered with FBN Quest on past cohorts of this programme. 500 girls from underserved communities have received leadership and education training, school kits as well as mentorship opportunities, to ensure that they are able to reach their highest potential in life. Through community engagement programs, targeted storytelling, webinars, online sessions and leadership circles, LLA reaches an average of 500k women and girls every month.

LLA is driving some of the most important and urgent conversations that seek to address key issues and challenges that African women and girls currently face. We’ve really made a lot of progress and I’m hopeful that we’ll continue to do so with a right mix of programmatic and content initiatives.

If you are asked to choose between writing, public relations, advocacy or women empowerment, which one will it be and why?

I don’t have a favourite, as these are all different parts of my life that I express differently. More importantly, they all feed into my life’s purpose of being a light in my career, to my family and loved ones, and to the community of women and girls that I serve.

You moved to Silicon Valley a couple of years ago, how has the journey been?

So far, so good. It’s been an extremely rewarding journey, but not without some challenges, of course. I would say that it has stretched me in the most meaningful and impactful ways, both professionally as well as personally.

What are some of the things you cherish as a career woman?

There are many standout moments I’ve had in my over 16-year career. However one of the major things is the opportunity for growth and expansion. I’ve had the opportunity to work in different sectors as a Corporate Communications and Public Relations Professional. Sectors like Oil and Gas, Consulting, Social Impact, Private Equity, and now Technology. These opportunities have given me room to learn something different each time. And I really like that because they shape me, not only as a career professional, but also as a human being.

From your perspective, what kind of challenges are women likely to battle in their career?

There are so many challenges. One is discrimination and bias. Some individuals still erroneously believe that women are “less than,” and so our impact and opinions are still not valued as they should. We’re seeing some changes, but, in my opinion, they are coming too slowly. There is also a wage gap. Why do women who work the same jobs as their male counterparts earn less? Then as a black woman, the obstacles are even more, as you add some of what I’ve mentioned and then include micro aggressions and all the systematic challenges that get in the way of black women getting ahead in the workplace. The data is there, and instead of just pointing out the challenges, it’s important that organisations and individuals begin to do more intentional work of creating sustainable solutions. Like you’ve said, this is from my perspective, and from purely anecdotal accounts from those I’ve encountered. But I believe they are still valid, nonetheless.

How can discrimination against the female gender be addressed in the work place?

Discrimination in the workplace is often systematic, which means that even if individuals are the ones committing these discriminatory acts, there is a system that allows them to do so. So, organisations must work more closely together with their HR and Employee Relations teams to institute practices that deter, and punish (where applicable), these acts of discrimination. It’s not enough to do training or put-up cute posters, there has to be deep reaching systematic work to ensure that bias is completely eradicated from the workplace.

Some women have complained about sexual harassment in the workplace. What do you think can be put in place to address this problem?

It is what I said above. Individuals are perpetrators, but they are only able to thrive and get away with it because the system allows it. So organisations must put in place the necessary frameworks that encourage reporting or flagging of some of these occurrences, and then follow through by punishing those who commit these harmful practices.

What are your best and worst career decisions as a woman?

I don’t look at my career in terms of best and worst. Everything is either an opportunity to grow, or an opportunity to learn. Or both. I’ve found that even in the most challenging and difficult moments of my career which I have had a few, there was something to learn there. And that really is the spirit, to always be learning and open to learning and growing.

Some women believe their gender is their greatest enemy, especially in the workplace. They don't believe in the phrase 'women supporting women'. What is your opinion about that?

I think that the more we ask this question, the more we perpetuate what I honestly believe is a myth. First of all, a woman in the workplace shouldn’t support you just because you’re a woman. She should support you because you have potentials, bring value to the table and are open to constructive growth and feedback. Once you have these elements, it really becomes easier to get the support that you need to grow and advance in your career.

How best do you think women can position themselves for leadership roles?

I think it was Oprah who said 'Opportunity meets preparation.' So if you want to be in leadership positions, you must be prepared to get into those positions. Be competent, capable, skilled and focused and do all of this consistently, so that when the opportunity comes up, you’re more than ready for it. Also, service is an important element in leadership. To lead, you must know how to serve, to be in service to your organization or team’s vision, to decenter yourself and to focus on the goals ahead.

March is generally known all over the world as International Women's Day. Any plan by Leading Ladies Africa to reach out to women?

March is our favorite month at Leading Ladies Africa, because we have a few activations that celebrate and highlight the impact and achievements of women. Specifically, we’ll be publishing the annual #100 Most Inspiring Women in Nigeria list, which we’ve done every year for the past 9 years. We’ll also be hosting an IG Live session with some of Nigerians leading female entrepreneurs, talking about how to build and scale sustainable businesses. And then in April, we follow that up with our Leadership by Design Summit, which supports our goal of championing inclusion and diversity for African women and women of African descent. So lots of initiatives all around.

What advice do you have for women as the world marks International Women's Day?

Don’t ever underestimate the value and impact you bring to this world. And be kind to yourself. Always.

How was growing up?

My father was in the Nigerian Navy, so I grew up in a very diverse, multicultural context with people from different tribes, religions and even races. That has impacted and shaped a lot of who I am today, as I’m incredibly curious, constantly open to learning about new experiences, people, ideas, places and culture, and understand that there isn’t a singular worldview to anything.

What are the values instilled in you that have shaped who you are today?

My parents raised my brother and I to speak our minds respectfully and with candor, not to be afraid to question things that we don’t understand. My father in particular raised me to be confident, curious and bold enough to stand up for what I believe in, even if the crowd was not in agreement. That has shaped the way I see the world and how I navigate through life. I’m not afraid to question or challenge stereotypes, and I’m never interested in following the crowd or doing what everybody else is doing.

Uriri

Uriri

STORIES BY IVORY UKONU

TONY ELUMELU SOLIDIFIES INFLUENTIAL STATUS

Donald Duke's In-Law Follows in His Footsteps

Last week, the Chairman of HEIRS Holdings, Tony Onyemaechi Elumelu, posted on his social media page, a video of the president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, exchanging banters with him. The video captured the moment Tinubu alighted from his SUV into his warm embrace with Elumelu hailing him saying, "The last man standing, he is still standing".

He captioned the video, "Last night, I was honoured to receive the Nigerian President-elect @ officialasiwajubat at my home. We discussed ways in which

the incoming administration must empower and support our immensely talented Nigerian youth. We have so much young potential to unleash!"

Without mincing words, the video spoke volumes. But one of the few things the video offered is an insight into how Tinubu holds Elumelu in high esteem to warrant him paying him a visit in his home. While most Nigerians, particularly some of Elumelu's business counterparts like Aliko Dangote, Africa's richest man and Femi Otedola, flew into Abuja to seek an audience with and jostled

for photographs with Tinubu as soon as he was declared presidentelect by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Tinubu thought it expedient to honour Elumelu by flying into Lagos to pay him a visit in his home. Obviously, Elumelu must have played a very important role in the process that led to Tinubu's emergence as president-elect. From the video and pictures posted, both men looked relaxed in each other's company as Elumelu took his time to introduce some of his staff present in his home. The only other person Tinubu has visited personally since he was declared president-elect is the Oba of Lagos, his Royal Highness, Rilwan Babatunde Osuolale Aremu Akiolu. And this is simply because of his royal status. It is pertinent to state that while Elumelu kept his choice of presidential candidate to himself, without openly aligning, subtly or otherwise with any of them, Otedola made his preferred candidate known quite early when he flew all the way to France to visit Tinubu mid 2022, shortly after he declared his intention to rule Nigeria. Need I add that posting the video sent a strong message to Nigeria's business and political class about the rise in his network (networth). Elumelu was subtly putting out the message that he is not just a mere businessman as many have come to regard him but also an important and influential power broker who rubs shoulders with those who 'really' matter.

INEC Excludes Gboyega Adefarati From List of Reps-Elect

The joy of Gboyega Adefarati, son of a former governor of Ondo State, Adebayo Adefarati, at winning the keenly contested National Assembly polls on February 25 has been cut short by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The electoral body excluded his name from the published list of the house of representatives' members-elect from Ondo state. Gboyega was elected to represent Akoko south-east and south-west federal constituency in the 10th assembly under the All Progressives Congress (APC). The INEC’s returning officer for the national assembly election in the state declared him winner, after polling 25,872 votes to beat his closest rival, Gbenga Kolawole of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who secured 18,403 votes. The electoral body, while stating the reason behind the delisting, cited a February 17 court order which nullified the party’s primary that produced Gboyega as the candidate

for the constituency. Segun Ategbole and John Adanike, aspirants in the primary election of the party, in 2022, approached the court, alleging infractions in the voting exercise. They also sought to be declared winners in their separate suits. Also, Ogunleye Teloye, Zenith Labour Party (ZLP)’s candidate for the seat, in 2022, also approached the court with an originating summons. Ogunleye asked the court to disqualify the APC from participating in the election over the party’s failure to conduct a primary election 180 days before the parliamentary poll. However, T.B. Adegoke, the presiding judge, held that the APC had no candidate for the house of representatives election, pointing out that the party did not hold a valid primary election. Adegoke, who cited the 180 days window as provided in the electoral

MEET

act 2022, restrained the APC from conducting any fresh primary poll. The judge also restrained INEC from accepting the names of Ategbole and Adanike, or any name from APC, just as she prohibited Adefarati from presenting himself as the candidate of APC for the February 25 election.

It's youth o'clock not only because of the increasing number of youths who have shown interest in vying for public office but also with their better halves. Hopping on this trend, albeit, inadvertently, is Peter Mbah, the Peoples Democratic Party candidate for Enugu State. His wife is young and a go-getter. She is a Generation Z or Gen Z for short, the demographic succeeding millennials and preceding Generation Alpha. They are the first generation never to know the world without the internet and were born between 1997 and 2012.

Nkechinyere is a philanthropist, child health and sustainable nutrition enthusiast. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Biotechnology from the Federal University of Technology, Imo State, Nigeria, as well a professional certificate in Women Entrepreneurship and Leadership for Africa, from the China Europe International Business School, Pudong, Shanghai, in collaboration with Harvard University. She is currently running a Masters Degrees Program in Food Science, Biotechnology and Innovation at the Manchester Metropolitan University, England.

Mrs Mbah is a Non-Executive Director at Pinnacle Oil and Gas Limited and her contributions and innovative concepts on the Board of Directors, have seen the Company through numerous challenges and opportunities in complicated and highly regulated environments. Her passion for sustainability has kept the Company on the right track towards ensuring environmental safety and health. She has been central to the Company's most significant sustainability projects such as the generation of policies for local community relations as well as the Company's Community Development and Empowerment Projects.

She is one of the founders and facilitators of the Peter Mbah Foundation, a Charity Organisation geared towards grass root empowerment and development for communities, women and children.

Peter on his part is the CEO of Pinnacle Oil and Gas whose FZE Terminal facility, a humongous facility costing over $1 billion, President Muhammadu Buhari virtually commissioned in Lagos late last year.

Like most politicians who desire to see their children emulate them politically, Donald Duke, former governor of Cross Rivers State isn't lucky in that regard. His female children want nothing to do with politics and are content with following their own path. But seeing that one of his in-laws has shown that he has an eye for public service, Duke has been guiding Daniel Asuquo Ekpeyong to actualise his dreams. Suave, soft-spoken and cerebral, Ekpeyong is married to Nela, Duke's second daughter. One cannot deny Duke's savviness on Ekpeyong's political success as the youthful politician successfully dismantled the political status quo and sent the old brigade into oblivion. The one-time youngest commissioner in Nigeria trounced incumbents and veterans in the game to win the Cross River South Senatorial election. A finance professional and investment banker, 39 years-old Ekpeyong started out as a lecturer in the faculty of management sciences of the University of Calabar, in the department of banking and finance where he worked from 2009 to 2012. In November 2015 he was appointed the commissioner of finance by Governor

Benedict Ayade, a position he held until he resigned in 2022 to contest for the seat of the state governorship on the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC. Upon realising that his governorship ambition was a tall order, he quickly realigned his ambition and focused on running for a seat in the senate. Ironically, while his father in-law is a strong supporter of a Peter Obi presidency, despite being a member of the Peoples Democratic party, PDP, Ekpeyong is a staunch APC member. Ekpeyong owns Iquasu limited, one of the largest indigenous logistics service providers in Nigeria.

Gbenga Agboola Splurges $7.1m on Miami Beach House

Despite the fact that fintech startup, Flutterwave is still reeling from the effect of over N2 billion naira illegally transferred by hackers from its account, its co-founder and CEO, Olugbenga Agboola seems unperturbed and has gone on to make a significant purchase in the luxury real estate market. Agboola bought a six-bedroom, seven-bathroom house in Miami Beach for $7.1 million. The property was previously owned by the Boschetti Group, a real estate development firm that purchased the plot for $1.2 million in 2021 and built the home last year. Although Flutterwave denies that its account was hacked, there are reports that it obtained an ex-parte order freezing up to 1000 bank accounts of its customers in the wake of financial loss as a result of the hack. Flutterwave does have a history of serious consumer data breaches and data protection gaffes. Only recently the fintech company faced regulatory obstacles in Kenya, its second-largest market after Nigeria after the country's central bank ordered local banks to sever ties with it in July 2022,

citing the company's lack of licensing and frozen accounts due to anti-money laundering laws. The company was eventually cleared of any wrongdoing.

Founded in 2016 with the goal of improving the payments infrastructure for banks and global businesses, Flutterwave has since raised $474.5 million in funding and achieved a valuation of $3 billion. Agboola's contributions to technological advancement were recently recognised when he received the Nigerian National Honour Medal of the Officer of the Order of Niger in October 2022.

Mbah

Tinubu and Elumelu

Agboola

Ekpeyong

Adefarati

STORIES BY SHADE WESLEY-METIBOGUN

MAKINDE, SHITTU ON WARPATH

worse liability to the people of Oyo state who never felt the impacts of his ministerial position.

Olatunji said that the former minister has exposed his political ignorance and naivety with the ridiculous statements credited to him maintaining that Makinde who never held any elective office prior to becoming the governor has now become a political juggernaut and a template for good governance in Nigeria’s political landscape. He also stressed that the opposition party is no longer on ground in Oyo State after losing all serious politicians in its fold to the PDP and other political parties.

Emir of Kano Appointed Justice of Peace

The Emir of Kano, his Royal Majesty, Aminu Ado Bayero, has been appointed Justice of Peace by the Chief Judge of Kano State, Honourable Justice Nura Sagir Umar. The title was given for his contribution to the state even before he was made an Emir. He had headed different local governments, became district head and counsellor in Kano State before he ascended to the throne. The Chief Judge of Kano State, Justice Sagir Umar and some officials of the court were at the Gidan Rumfa, which is the Emir's palace, to present the

award frame to the traditional ruler. Appreciating the kind gesture, he thanked the legal luminary for the honour and promised to continue to ensure that justice rules in the daily administration of the state. Bayero ascended the throne in 2020, following the deposition of his nephew, Muhammad Sanusi II by the Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. Born to the family of Ado Bayero, who was the Emir of Kano for more than five decades. His late father was the longest serving emir in the history of Kano State.

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and a former Minister of Communication, Barrister Adebayo Shittu seem to be warming up for a showdown. It all started after Shittu made some allegations against the number one citizen of Oyo State while commenting on the outcome of the general election where the three Senatorial Districts in Oyo State were won by the All Progressives Congress, APC, while the ruling party in the state, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, won four House of Representatives seats with two declared inconclusive.

The APC chieftain who was once a gubernatorial candidate in Oyo State stated that Makinde became governor without the necessary psychological preparation or political experience for the position. Shittu said Makinde had never been a counselor, commissioner, legislator or political executive at any level and that was why his style

of administration had proven that experience cannot be purchased at a store. He questioned the fact that all the APC elements who joined forces with him to become governor in 2019 have left him and not one of them has remained with him till date.

Responding to his outburst in a statement released through the PDP Publicity Secretary, Akeem Olatunji, Makinde dismissed Shittu’s claims as spurious, unfounded, petty and cheap. He described the former minister as a political parasite who has zero electoral value but was privileged to secure his last ministerial appointment largely based on a personal relationship with President Muhammadu Buhari. He advised Shittu to wake up from daydreaming, stressing that despite being a minister for four years the latter’s selfish personality towards politics greatly fueled his greed and covetousness making him even a

Olatunji also reminded Shittu that Makinde was able to manage Oyo’s economy, in spite of a ravaging global pandemic and national economic recession, and increase the state’s internally generated revenue while meeting its financial obligations with ease without pushing additional burden on the masses.

The statement further stated that while Makinde was easily meeting his financial obligations to workers, pensioners, retirees in the state as well as providing free qualitative education alongside economic expansion, other APC-controlled states, especially in the South-West, continued to struggle with simple payments of workers’ salaries and other basic financial obligations.

It noted that Makinde’s street credibility and popularity among the electorates, students, market men and women, artisans, farmers, and grassroots politicians have increased despite the outcome of the last election because of the positive impacts of his economic policies and programmes.

Why Henry Nwosu Will Always be Grateful to Gov Babajide Sanwo-Olu

Former Super Eagles Star and coach, Henry Nwosu, will forever be grateful to the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-olu who saved him and gave him another lease of life after being bedridden with stroke and other related ailments which left him with slurred speech. The former midfielder who played for Nigeria’s senior national football team for 11 years and was also part of the Green Eagles at AFCON 1982, 1984 and 1988 is gradually recovering, thanks to the timely intervention of the governor.

Nwosu, who was receiving treatment at the Asaba

Deji Confers Chieftaincy Title on Bashir Jamoh

The Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration Agency, NIMASA, Dr Bashir Jamoh, has been conferred with a chieftaincy title in Ondo State. The Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi, Odundun II, gave the chieftaincy title of Baatona of Akure, to him. The honour was bestowed on Jamoh for impacting lives positively and contributing immensely to the development

of the country coupled with his friendly disposition to Akure kingdom and the monarchy. According to the traditional ruler, Jamoh is a detribalised Nigerian who is truly committed to the development of the nation through the maritime sector which is also another reason he was chosen for the title of Baatona which means pathfinder. The traditional ruler wished the new chief well while congratulating him for the

honour well deserved and urged him not to relent in the good path that earned him the worthy recognition.

The newly installed chief, who was excited about his title, extolled the values of the people of Akure. He described them as very hospitable adding that he is proud to be associated with the King and the entire Akure people. He promised to do all within his capacity to add more value to the Kingdom.

Mbong Sule Quits Acting, Turns Food Blogger

Specialist Hospital, Asaba last year was eventually moved to Lagos State after his health kept deteriorating. On Sanwo-olu's instance after Nwosu reached out to him, the top management of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital performed a delicate surgery on the football star. Sanwo-olu did not stop there, he personally settled the bills incurred throughout Nwosu's stay in the hospital. Even after being discharged from the hospital, the governor paid a visit to Nwosu's residence to check up on him and further gave more financial assistance from his own pocket for his upkeep.

Former beauty queen, Mbong Sule, has added content creation to her growing resume. The mother of one who has not been visible in the movie industry for a couple of years now has started her journey into food blogging. Sule quit the movie industry fully about five years ago. Before her exit, she was very active in the industry because she had relocated to Los Angeles, United States of America where she was living with her family. She would jet into the country once a while to feature in a movie. A few years after her relocation, her marriage of five years with her movie

producer husband, Jeta Amata hit the rocks. She took a break from the industry and at one point, her ex-husband had to cry out that she was missing. She later resurfaced again in 2022 and announced that she had found love and walked down the aisle with Thomas Sule. After settling down in marriage, Sule took interest in food blogging on social media where she shares different food recipes, healthy food drinks and their recipes. Her love for healthy living and diet dates back to her first marriage where her former husband, Amata would always praise her cooking skills.

THEWILLNIGERIA THEWILLNG THEWILLNIGERIA

Makinde Shittu

Bayero

Aladelusi and Bashir Jamoh

Nwosu and Sanwo-Olu Sule

STORIES BY SHADE WESLEY-METIBOGUN

WHY YOUTHS ARE NOT HAPPY WITH DESMOND ELLIOT

Funmi Ajila Ladipo Hosts Disco Party to Mark 60th Birthday

Nollywood actor cum politician, Desmond Elliot, is not in the good books of youths across the country, especially those from his constituency in Surulere, Lagos State. The Lagos State House of Assembly member representing Surulere 1 constituency has been in the seat of power for two terms and still seeking another term. However, youths in his constituency are not satisfied

with the lawmaker's two terms in office. They highlighted some of the areas he failed to live up to expectations. According to the aggrieved youths, Elliot, who was first sworn into office on 11 April 2015, did not produce any positive results from his stint in the House of Assembly. Instead, he allegedly turned his back on the youths during the End SARS protest in 2020, by pushing for a bill to regulate and control speech on social media at the Lagos State House of Assembly. Some revisited the video of the actor while he was speaking during a plenary session of the Lagos State House of Assembly where he referred to Nigerian youths as children. Stressing how the social media the lawmaker wanted to wage war against then, has taken a lot of youths from the jaws of poverty and joblessness to being selfemployed and even turning some to millionaires, the youths demanded that the lawmaker should not have

mentioned social media because it puts food on their table. They criticised the fact that Elliot wants it regulated as lawmakers can turn around and sponsor bills that would throw them back into poverty. Reference was made to the Twitter ban in Nigeria by the Federal Government and how thousands of youths lost their means of livelihood and some were frustrated out of business which was not a palatable time for them. The actor cum director was told he could have done better. The lawmaker was also accused of not having a good response to the constituent's demand. While seeking their votes in 2015, he had promised to look into the electricity challenge his constituency was facing. However, in 2016, when one Adeyi Samiat reminded him of his campaign promise about constant electricity, he told her that he was not Power Holding Company Nigeria but he had been interfacing with the right authorities. The youths argued that he shouldn't have turned them off with such an insensitive response. Reference was also made to the kick out coronavirus buckets and basins used for washing hands at the entrance of some streets in his constituency. He was hugely criticized for decorating the buckets with his tickers and also castigated that he would have done better then.

Abdulraham Abdulrazaq, Aisha Pategi End Rift

The Kwara State governor, Abdulraham Abdulrazaq and the former commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy title in the state and former senatorial aspirant for Kwara North Senatorial district, Aisha Pategi have ended their rift which lasted for almost four years. It all started when Pategi was the commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in the state. She was one of the key members of Abdulrazaq's cabinet until she accused the state’s ministry of finance of diverting N300 million local government funds. The allegation was denied by the ministry and she was moved to the ministry of special duties during a cabinet reshuffle as one of the measures to resolve the fraud allegation while investigation was going on. She had to resign her appointment because she wasn't satisfied with the way the case was being handled. After her resignation, Pategi who was a member of the All Progressive Congress, APC publicly dared the governor in a tweet to publish the local governments’ financial accounts starting from 2019. The APC Women Network for Buhari, Kwara North Zone had to come to her aid by defending her. They raised an alarm after a toxic propaganda and character assassination was targeted at denigrating the reputation of Pategi. The group warned the state

HOW STELLA ODUAH FELL FROM GRACE TO GRASS

governor to call the people concerned to order. The aggrieved commissioner had to dump the APC for that singular reason. She called on the people of Kwara North constituency to disown any of their indigenes that voted for the APC in 2019. She described APC in the state as a fuji house of commotion because of its persistent crisis. Pategi even added that she tried to reach out to as many stakeholders in the APC then but not a single one cared. Abdulrazaq, who was supposed to step into the crisis and resolve it, looked away while ignoring the commissioner. He only set up a panel to investigate the allegation but the result of their findings was not released. Despite all efforts by Pategi to reach out to him,

he maintained his distance from the embattled commissioner. The two were not in talking terms for a long time until recently after Pategi went ahead to express her willingness to support Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq’s administration and political career. It was gathered that her change of mind came about after some stakeholders whom she had accused of not showing concern towards her plight a few years ago in the APC mediated peace between them. The governor on the other hand was happy about the development and he has extended his support also Pageti revealing that there is no political ambition she would signify interest in the future that she would not have his support.

Aformer Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, seems to have come to the end of her political journey after losing out in the National Assembly Election held on Saturday, February 25. Oduah was the senatorial candidate for Anambra North Senatorial District. The oil and gas mogul was a crest-fallen in defeat as no area deemed her fit to retain her political power. She recorded losses in all the seven local government areas of Anambra North Senatorial District, namely Onitsha North, Onitsha South, Oyi, Ogbaru, Anambra East, Anambra West and Ayamelum. One wouldn't think that the woman who was once a delegate chosen by the President Muhammadu Buhari to attend the Papal inauguration of Pope Francis with a few other ministers would lose political relevance anytime soon. Many have attributed her defeat to the magnitude of controversies surrounding her or perhaps to the fact that she closed her ears to opposition and warning of the aggrieved elders who were not satisfied with her performance during her second term in office.

The Anambra North Elders Forum, ANEF, had rejected her third term political ambition, labeling her eight-year tenure in the 9th Senate a failure. She was accused of constantly fighting corruption cases and did not have time to sit in the hallowed chambers to sponsor any bill or motions that would positively impact the people of her constituency.

The Adaeze Chukwu of Ogbaro land was also said to have failed woefully in empowering people despite the huge money that was accrued to her office. Having enjoyed a fair share of representation, she was advised to take a bow and allow another person take over. The senator also faced other opposition in an attempt for a third term bid. She was dragged to court by one John Emeka who accused her of lying under oath in her nomination forms. Her participation in the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC was questioned and he had asked the court to disqualify her from seeking an elective post in 2023, however, the case was later dismissed. I n 2014, Oduah was sacked in absentia at the Federal Executive Council meeting by the Goodluck Jonathan Administration. She was booted out despite the fact that she was part of the inner circle of the then President. She was the director of administration and finance of Jonathan’s campaign team. It was gathered that the lawmaker inflated the cost of two cars bought by the Nigeria Civil Aviation, there was no provision for such a purchase in the budget and their acquisition process did not comply with public procurement policy.

Funmi Ajila-Ladipo, the former president of the Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria, FADAN, is excited to join the diamond jubilee club. The ageless woman spared no cost as she rolled out the drums in celebration of her landmark age. The creative director of House of Regalia kicked off her diamond jubilee celebration tagged, 'A Journey through Stitches' with a thanksgiving service at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Redemption Pavilion Parish on Victoria Island. The event, which was attended by members of FADAN, family, friends and wellwishers, ended with a praise session led by saxophonist, Bolaji David Banjojo, popularly known as Beejay Sax. The celebration continued in the evening with a disco party which

had some guests adorning old school costumes to rock melodious disco tunes from the 70’s and 80’s. The two-time president of FADAN was greatly eulogized by close friends who were in attendance. The Ekiti State born designer has been a household name in the fashion industry for more than two decades now. She studied fashion and textile designing at the Yaba College of Technology.

My Upbringing Influenced Who I am Today - Charles Chinedu

Fast rising model, Charles Chinedu, has revealed that his growing up has hugely influenced who he is today. The Anambra State born was brought up in a family of eight with a disciplinarian father who ensured the values instilled in him shaped him to a better human being. He started his broadcasting career after hosting the national children's parliament. And also worked with the Anambra State broadcasting service where he contributed his quota during his short stay at the station. Despite pitching his tent in the media, his love for modeling has reflected in the work he has done in the industry as he joggles it with script writing.

The young man who has faced harassment and depression when he was a teenager has looked beyond his past to create a colorful future.

Ladipo

Chinedu

Pategi

Abdulrazaq

MEMBERS OF NIGERIA'S SOCIAL ESTABLISHMENT WHO GOT TROUNCED AT THE POLLS

Sequel to last week's compilation of second-generation families who were successful at the National Assembly polls, Ivory Ukonu, ex-rays a few members of high society who were either seeking reelection into the National Assembly or tried to make their debut, as well the circumstances that led to their defeat.

Nnenna Elendu Ukeje: Contrary to expectation, Nnenna Ukeje will not be returning as a member of the 10th National Assembly in the House of Representatives. A former member of the lower chamber, Ukeje was seeking reelection for a fourth term after she was defeated in the 2019 general election, to represent the people of Bende Federal Constituency in Abia State on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party. Nnenna is the daughter of late Captain Sunday ElenduUkeje, a decorated pilot with the Nigerian Air Force and Nigerian Airways. Her mother, Roseline Ukeje, a retired Chief Judge of the Federal High Court and the first female judge of the High Court of Nigeria is known for the role she played in giving former Abia State governor, Theodore Orji access to immunity against being probed for committing monumental fraud as the chief of staff to a former governor of the state, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu. Ukeje's loss at the polls may not be unconnected to her lackadaisical attitude towards members of her constituency for the three terms she was in the house. Months before the election, she was accused of not delivering the dividends of democracy to her constituency all through the 12 years she was a lawmaker. To further drive home their point, some disgruntled indigenes decided to take their grievances with her to a sickening level by setting her country home on fire. A huge setback, this unsettled her greatly and while many condemned the despicable act, their sympathy failed to speak for her at the polls as she scored a paltry 3,930 votes as against her Labour Party opponent who scored over 6,000 votes and her All Progressives Congress opponent who scored over 10,000 votes.

Natasha AkpotiUduaghan: It doesn't look like scoring a political success is on the horizon for Kogi State born politician, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. First, she tried to run for senate to represent the people of Kogi Central Senatorial District on the platform of Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 2019 but that didn't happen. Then she set her eyes on occupying Kogi government house. That ambition didn't sail either. And then in 2023, she tried again to run for senate on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Unfortunately, she lost to her closest rival, Abubakar Ohere of the All Progressives Congress, APC who secured 52,132 votes against Natasha’s 51,763 votes. She rejected the result and wrote to the electoral umpire alleging that the results were manipulated in favour of Ohere.

A close look at Natasha's situation shows the influence of the state governor, Yahaya Bello, with whom she has been on a war path for a while, as being responsible for her strings of defeat. The most recent being the excavation of roads linking to her senatorial zone, a few days to the elections, in a bid to forestall transportation of electoral materials to her district. Bello however denied that was the reason for the road excavation, insisting that the excavations were done to prevent access by hoodlums who have made the route a thoroughfare for themselves.

Kolapo Kola-Daisi: A greenhorn on the political terrain, Kolapo Kola-Daisi, the son of Ibadan industrialist. Bashorun Kola Daisi and a son-in-law to the late Oyo State governor, Abiola Ajimobi was embarrassingly defeated at the polls, his lofty plans and pedigree, notwithstanding. The former banker who left the banking halls for the murky waters of politics had hoped to actualise his political dream to represent the people of Oyo South senatorial district at the National Assembly. But that currently seems to be out of the equation. Although he was declared winner of the senatorial primary on the platform of All Progressives Congress, the primary was later cancelled on discovering that there was over voting by delegates. A re-run was scheduled and Sharafadeen Alli, a former secretary to the state government and chief of staff in the administration of former governor Rashidi Ladoja emerged winner. Grieved by what he considered injustice against him, as the review of the result of the election was not done through the appropriate electoral appeal process in line with the constitution of APC and also in accordance with relevant laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Kolapo rejected the results and sought the intervention of the party leadership. When that wasn't coming forth, he moved to Accord Party hoping he could get the muchneeded sympathy he wanted. But the electorates were not swayed. His situation was further compounded ahead of the polls, by whisperings from some quarters about his time as the head of the treasury department in Heritage Bank.

Ndudi Elumelu: Currently the minority leader representing Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Ndudi Elumelu, the younger brother of Tony Elumelu, the chairman of UBA Group, HEIRS Holdings, Transcorp, Tony Elumelu Foundation, HEIRS Oil and Gas, HEIRS Insurance etc, suffered a massive defeat at the polls. The three-term house member was trounced by Ngozi Okolie of the Labour Party who secured 53,879 votes against his 33,456 votes. His defeat could largely be attributed to the unhappiness of members of his constituency who accused him of refusing to deliver the dividends of democracy for 12 years. Although he rejected the election results, particularly those from Aniocha South and Oshimili South councils, alleging they were marred by irregularities, process manipulations, massive over-voting, voter intimidation, as well as other infractions, obviously nothing can be done to reverse the case as Okoli has already been given his certificate of return.

Ikenna Iyiegbu: Just like Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the gubernatorial candidate of Labour Party in Lagos State is riding on the popularity of Peter Obi and the 'Obidient' movement with hopes of occupying the seat of power in Alausa, Ike Iyiegbu aka Ike Cubana, the older brother to businessman and nightlife entrepreneur, Obinna Iyiegbu aka Obi Cubana, had hoped to ride on the waves of his brother's popularity and acceptance to win a seat to represent Idemili North/ South federal constituency on the platform of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA. Unfortunately, his desire did not manifest at the polls.

A green horn, he must have thought that the massive love Nigerians have for his brother would automatically be transferred to him on election day by default, unknown to him that politics in Nigeria is far beyond popularity and one's ability to unravel its intricacies is dependent on how deep one is willing to sink to actualise one's ambition. Perhaps he should take a refresher course from Ndudi Elumelu, a former three term member who was trounced at the polls without any recourse to his background, influence or how long he has been in the lower chamber.

Shina Peller: To say that Shina Peller was astounded he got trounced at the polls would be just putting it mildly. The king of nightlife and proprietor of Quilox Club is still reeling from the shock and realisation that he may no longer be a permanent fixture in the Federal Capital Territory. His woes began when he allegedly, subtly spoke against Bola Ahmed Tinubu's presidential ambition. He had stated in an interview that the next president of Nigeria should not be chosen based on personality cult or subjective feelings but rather, on strong institutions rather than individuals. He said that the criteria should be set, leaving whoever meets the criteria to occupy the office. He further added that relying on personalities to save Nigeria was a mistake, as the country had made such a mistake at least twice. Well, not a few people were unimpressed about his views. Shina who is currently a lawmaker representing lseyin/ltesiwaju/ Kajola/lwajowa federal constituency of Oyo State decided not to run for a second term in other to keep to his promise of giving room to people of Kajola and Iwajowa Local Government Areas to produce a federal representative in the constituency. Instead, he decided to run for a seat in the senate to represent Oyo North Senatorial District on his party's platform, All Progressives Congress, APC. Unfortunately, the incumbent, Fatai Buhari trounced him in the primary. He garnered only five votes as against Buhari's 570 votes. Shina accused the party of rigging the elections against him and even alleged an assassination attempt on his life. He would later resign from APC to berth at Accord Party and at the polls, he got trounced again. Livid, he slammed the electoral body for not conducting a credible election. But by the fourth day after his defeat, he caved in and congratulated Bola Ahmed Tinubu who was declared president-elect by the INEC and whom he earlier criticised.

IWD: Grant Thornton Pushes For Parity as Progress on Women in

Senior Leadership Keeps Stalling

Apandemic-prompted change in working practices has brought about only slight progress for women in senior leadership, according to Grant Thornton’s 2023 International Business Report (IBR) research into women in business in the global midmarket. Unless businesses develop cultures that empower people through flexible ways of working and take additional steps to support women into senior leadership positions, only 34 per cent of senior leadership positions in midmarket businesses globally will be held by women in 2025.

While progress on the overall number of women in senior leadership continues, Grant Thornton’s latest research reveals it has been slow, increasing only half a percentage point to 32.4 per cent in the past year, and only 13 per cent since the research was first undertaken in 2003.

“The 30 per cent threshold was seen as a ‘tipping point’ which would trigger an acceleration toward more genderbalanced workplaces. Given the incremental change since mid-market businesses in our research reached 30 per cent, it is clear we now need to inject greater determination to fully reap the benefits of diversity,

Managing Partner/CEO of Grant Thornton Nigeria, Dr. Ngozi Angela Ogwo, opined that mid-market players in the country should make concerted efforts to empower women in their organizations to aspire and be engaged in senior roles in the corporate environment, she says, “parity is the way to go, it is about achieving equality, equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging in the corporate environment, let’s consolidate the gains from breaking gender bias and increase the pace to more sustainable businesses”. She said.

Reiterating this, Karitha Ericson, the global leader of Grant Thornton network capability and culture says “The increasing emphasis on corporate responsibility and global standards is putting pressure on firms to form diverse leadership teams, and not doing so will

Don Seeks Adoption of Outcome-based Education in Engineering

Prof. John Olorunmaiye, the former Vice-Chancellor, Crown-Hill University, has called for the adoption and implementation of the Outcome-Based Education (OBE) to enhance the quality of engineering education in Nigeria.

Olorunmaiye made the call at the second Prof. Olusoji Ofi Distinguished Academic Lecture 2023 organised by the Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers (NIMechE), Ibadan chapter, on Thursday.

He said the adoption of OBE in the training of engineers would make them employable globally.

According to him, OBE emphasises studentcentered learning and focuses on output instead of input.

Lagos Train, Bus Crash: Corps Marshal Condoles Victims, Urges Gate Construction

make it more difficult to raise capital and attract investors.”

The research shows that many midmarket businesses have focused on succession planning to get more women into senior leadership positions, including implementing programmes for mentoring, coaching, leadership development, and wellbeing. Businesses should now focus their attention on developing more transparent pathways to leadership and more transparency across recruitment, promotions, and performance. “Clarity and equal opportunity regarding every aspect of leadership roles, from recruitment to performance reviews, is crucial,” says Karitha.

Additionally, a significant boost to the number of women in leadership roles will come from more businesses committing to flexible working and developing the right organisational culture to support it. Grant Thornton’s research has found that flexible, hybrid and home-based models have the highest levels of women in senior leadership roles. In mid-market businesses that have adopted a hybrid way of working, 34% of senior leaders are women, while in businesses that are fully flexible where staff choose how they work, it’s 36 per cent. Just 29 per cent of senior management is female in midmarket businesses with predominantly office-based models.

“With many businesses not embracing hybrid or flexible ways of working, women are being forced to consider part-time work, which could stifle their career progression,” says Karitha. “And businesses that don’t have flexible working practices tend to be less attractive workplaces to senior women.”

Amid a global skills shortage and talent crisis, businesses that adopt flexible working may also reap the benefits of improved cross-border working and access to a larger talent pool, such as people with disabilities, those living in geographically remote locations or those seeking better work/life balance.

The Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Dauda Biu, has expressed his heartfelt sympathy to the Ikeja, Lagos train and bus crash victims.

Biu expressed this in a statement by the Corps Public Education Officer, Mr Bisi Kazeem, on Thursday in Abuja.

The FRSC boss enjoined relevant authorities to construct level crossing railway gates to enhance safety in train operations across the country. He called on traders to avoid the unwholesome practice of displaying wears around or on rail tracks.

He also cautioned all categories of road users, to desist from undue interference with rail tracks whether or not the rails are been engaged by trains.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the fatal crash involved a moving train and the Lagos State Staff Bus at PWD railway crossing along Agege motor road, Lagos on Thursday, The crashed Marcopolo bus with registration number 04A-48LA conveyed 85 passengers out of which six adult occupants were confirmed dead.

The remaining 79 occupants who sustained varying degrees of injuries were rescued and presently receiving treatment at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja.

The Corps Marshal commiserated with the families of the dead and also wished the injured quick recovery and the families of the deceased the fortitude to bear the losses.

He commended the FRSC team and all first responders like Nigeria Police, LASEMA, LASTMA for prompt rescue of the victims and promised that the crash will be investigated.

Olorunmaiye, the guest lecturer at the event, listed some of the problems affecting the delivery of high quality engineering education in Nigeria as inadequate number or quality of academic and non-academic staff in many universities.

“We also have excessive number of students in some universities especially public universities, lack of modern equipment or inadequate number of equipment in the laboratories, weak or poor industrial training programmes and poorly motivated staff, among others,” he said.

“Specific and clearly defined outcome must be described to the students to set their own expectations and means to achieve the desired outcome.

“If the students trained in the engineering programmes run in Nigerian universities are to compete well with products of similar programmes trained in developed countries, there is a need to enhance the quality of engineering education,” he said. Also speaking, the National Chairman, NIMechE, Dr Olufunmilade Akingbagbohun, said that the lecture was apt as it addressed what the country needs for growth and development.

Akingbagbohun said engineering remains the bedrock of growth and development for any country.

“Any nation that aspires to grow or develop requires engineering because the profession is about problem solving,” she said.

She said that NIMechE had created many solutions in engineering with professional development and innovation strategic programme.

“We have started industry academic parley by taking people from industry to the academia to bridge the huge gap between the classroom and industry,” she said.

The celebrant, Prof. Olusoji Ofi, the former Deputy Vice-Chancellor Administration, University of Ibadan (UI), said that the guest lecturer who also graduated from UI represented the original design concept of engineering profession of the university.

Ofi, a Fellow of Nigeria Society of Engineers and the inventor of the first instant powdered pounded yam in the world, thanked NIMechE for the recognition of his contributions to the engineering profession.

Earlier, Chairman, NIMechE, Oyo State chapter, Mr Victor Ogunranti, also a Fellow of Nigeria Society of Engineers, said that the lecture was named after the celebrant to give him a long-deserved proper recognition for his humble sacrifice and service as the doyen of Mechanical Engineering.

Some of the victims of the Train and BRT Staff Bus Accident at LASUTH for treatment in Lagos on March 10,

2023.

Nigerian Army Rescues Abducted C'River Commissioner After 35 Days in Captivity

The Nigerian Army has rescued Professor Gertrude Njar, the Commissioner for Women Affairs in Cross River State.

Prof Njar was rescued by officers of the 13 Brigade after spending about 35 days in captivity.

Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Calabar, Capt. Dorcas Oluwatope Aluko, who confirmed her release, said the rescue team acted on actionable intelligence on the victims whereabouts.

According to her, "Troops laid a tacit ambush for the kidnappers around Peter Effiong Creek, Messembe, Jebs.

"The gallant troops tactically sprung an ambush to take the kidnappers by surprise while on search of the victim. In the ensuing melee, the criminals

2023:

Abiodun

Seeks Support of Igbo Community

abandoned the victim and fled into the creeks."

The statement stated that the Army are still trailing the kidnappers who are on the run, stressing that the victim is at the moment in one of the hospitals in Calabar metropolis having medical attention stressing that she would be discharge home to join her family after she regains her health.

She added that the Commander of the 13 Brigade, Nigerian Army lauded the troops for exhibiting extra-ordinary courage in the rescue of the abducted lecturer.

Njar was abducted by unknown gunmen on February 1, 2023 as she was driving back home around Main Avenue in Calabar South Local Government Area, within the state capital.

Akwa–Ibom: Come With Evidence of Alleged Rigging Plot, PDP Challenges YPP

Following the claims by the Young Progressives Party, (YPP) in Akwa Ibom State that the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) has collaborated with the ruling party, the PDP to rig the coming Gubernatorial/ State Assembly elections, the state chapter of the PDP has challenged YPP to produce evidence of its claims.

The state chairman of YPP, Apostle Nyeneime Andy, had while briefing newsmen alleged that Governor Emmanuel visited and spent several hours with the INEC to plan how to rig the coming polls.

Andy claimed that the party had received an intelligence report of an alleged plot to favour the ruling PDP in the state and called on the police, the DSS and international observers to take curious interest in Akwa Ibom’s election to avert the plot.

He alleged that the state PDP with the support of INEC has perfected plans to rig the forthcoming polls. However, in a swift reaction through a

SEGUN AYINDE

Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State has described the Igbo Community in the state as a vibrant one that looks out for other members of the society.

Abiodun who stated this at his country home, Iperu-Remo during an engagement with the Igbo Community led by the Eze Ndigbo, commended the community for comporting themselves and for always ensuring that peace reigns in the state.

While calling on the community to always continue to ensure that the peace, cooperation, co-existence and collaboration being enjoyed between the Igbo community and other communities in the state does not suffer setback, he noted that a peaceful society is critical to achieving the socioeconomic development of the state.

The governor while thanking the Igbo community in the state for coming out en masse to vote for the presidential candidate and national assembly candidates of the ruling APC, he urged them to go all out and educate their kinsmen on the need to vote for him for a second term.

Continued from page 10

... Socio-economic And Political Implications

As valid as INEC’s reason for the postponement of the poll may look, it would be recalled that INEC under Yakubu Mahmood did the same during the 2019 General election as it shifted the presidential / national assembly elections by one week.

Speaking then, Mahmood said, “Following a careful review of the implementation of its logistics and operational plan and the determination to conduct free, fair and credible elections, the Commission came to the conclusion that proceeding with the elections as scheduled is no longer feasible”.

Many Nigerians have criticised INEC’s decision to reschedule the elections. They see it as an act borne out of lack of good planning.

INEC has been reassuring Nigerians that the election dates are sacrosanct. Based on this, many Nigerians had to re-adjust their social engagements in the first quarter of 2023 to accommodate the elections dates.

The restriction of movement on Election Day forced many to fix wedding ceremonies and other social engagements for a date outside the election calendar. In a situation where the new date for the elections clashes with the dates fixed for such engagements, there will be great dislocation.

The postponement has also stressed many Nigerians a lot. There are those who travelled to other parts of the country where they hoped to cast their votes and quickly return. With the postponement, such people will return before the new election date because they didn’t prepare for the added days while travelling. They may also not be willing to go back to vote because of the extra cost of doing so.

As for political parties, campaigns are very costly and extending the campaign period because of election postponement will cost them more money, which they didn’t bargain for. Candidates in the postponed elections are going to incur more expenses, mostly through borrowing.

statement on Friday, titled” 2023 Elections and YPP’s First Alibi for Looming Defeat” the state PDP Publicity Secretary, Mr. Borono Bassey challenged the YPP chairman who is an overseer of an Uyo-based church to produce evidence to buttress his claims without which he should not stand on the pulpit to preach against the sin of lying.

The statement reads in part “We challenge Apostle Nyeneime Andy to produce even the tiniest shred of evidence that show that governor Udom Emmanuel had visited INEC office on the said day, else the lying state chairman of YPP should never stand before his church to preach against the sin of lying.

“We are shocked that the ill-fated and makeshift Political Party – YPP, is using reverse psychology to make false accusation on the electoral umpire, INEC, our Party, the PDP and Governor Udom Emmanuel, given that the security agencies have received several tip-offs about heinous activities by known YPP chieftains ahead of the forthcoming elections.

Earlier in his remarks, the Eze Ndigbo, Willy Okwonkwo, commended Governor Abiodun for his contribution to the development of the Igbo community in the state, noting that the community is 100 per cent ready to support his return to Oke Mosan for second term.

Meanwhile, Governor Abiodun has welcomed the support extended to his second term reelection bid by the Progressive Movement Association from Ogun Central Senatorial District.

The Progressive Movement Association is a group of businessmen and women with over 1,000 members.

While welcoming the support group into his country home, Iperu-Remo, the governor commended them for their vision and mission to support credible candidates during election periods.

Abiodun, who urged the members to start mobilizing support for him from their various wards, noted that with their strength, vision and mission, it won't be long for them to get the needed recognition from their ward and local government executives.

Also foreign and local observers, as well as foreign missions monitoring elections in Nigeria will have to cater for additional days in terms of logistics, such as extra accommodation fees, feeding and other ancillary that were not planned for.

Speaking with THEWILL, an Abuja based public affairs commentator, Adigun Agbaje, said that INEC usually postpone elections without looking at the economic and social effects that its action will have on Nigerians.

“Aside social engagements that the new date may disrupt, even the academic calendar of schools are forcefully altered. Election Day is a full day- off in every Nigerian’s Calendar and I think INEC should stop altering the date for election. “Postponement of election also affects the finances of the candidates. They will undoubtedly spend more in terms of mobilisation of their supporters and the party’s expenses. The best for INEC is to factor all these in, before announcing the dates for elections,” Agbaje said.

L-R: Wife of the Vice President, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo; her Husband, Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, as the Vice President celebrates his 66th Birthday with the Students of the Learning Centre of the North East Children's Trust Fund in Maiduguri, Borno State on March 8, 2023.

FROM BASSEY ANIEKAN, CALABAR

2023 World Cup: Nigeria's U-20 AFCON Goal-Scoring Problem

BY JUDE OBAFEMI

There was palpable optimism around the fortunes of Nigeria's Under-20 national team, the Flying Eagles, ahead of the TotalEnergies 2023 African Cup of Nations. The chances of the team extending their African record of seven AFCON titles was very high. Indeed, team coach Ladan Bosso expressed confidence in his team's ability to be successful at the Egypt-hosted tournament especially after their performances in preparatory matches for the February to March competition.

The coach's optimism was buoyed by results like the Flying Eagles emerging victorious in an international friendly match against the Junior Chipolopolo of Zambia, with a score of 4-2. The match was played in Abuja on February 4, just a few days before the team's departure to Egypt. In his post-match interview with newsmen, Bosso described the game against Zambia as a good test match for his team. He praised his charges for giving a good account of themselves and showing that they were ready to take on the rest of Africa. Bosso added that the match had allowed him to assess his team's strengths and weaknesses, and that his boys had played with the right attitude and spirit.

There were several grounds for Bosso's optimism, especially after it became obvious that the Flying Eagles were going to face a daunting challenge having been drawn to play hosts Egypt, Senegal and Mozambique in Group A of the competition. One positive for the team was that goalkeeper Nathaniel Nwosu finished the WAFU qualifying competition as the safest hands. Although Nwosu was responsible for some of the errors during the match against Zambia, Bosso retained his faith in the player's abilities. He

teams

noted that Nwosu had even been invited to the Super Eagles camp, indicating that he was not someone who could be relied on.

Bosso had also highlighted the synergy in the team, pointing out that they had gone through a lot of hard work and training to get to the level where they were at the time. He did not hesitate to hail the most improved players in the team, Yahaya Abubakar and Haliru Sarki, and attributed their improvement to the team's approach of identifying and working on each player's strengths and weaknesses. Overall, the coach was confident that the Flying Eagles had a winning team capable of doing Nigeria proud at the U-20 AFCON in Egypt. His team was determined to

maintain their philosophy, culture, and style of play to make Nigerians proud.

However, it took the opening fixture of the competition to challenge the confidence of the coach and the squad and to shake the hopes of football fans in Nigerian itching for a trophy from any of the national teams. The Flying Eagles squad, composed of goalkeeper Nwosu, Augustine Njoku, Solomon Agbalaka, Daniel Daga, Abel Ogwuche, Daniel Bameyi, Rilwanu Haliru Sarki, Nicholas Jonathan, Ahmed Abdullahi, Muhammad Aminu and Ibrahim Muhammad, Benjamin Frederick, Emmanuel Uchegbu, Onuche Ogbelu, Jude Sunday, Akanbi Saheed Jimoh, Ayuba Francis Abubakar, Samson Lawal, Olamilekan Adams, Caleb Ochedikwu and Chijioke Aniagboso, took on the Young Lions of Teranga, Senegal's U-20 team and suffered a disappointing 1-0 loss.

A goal from Souleymane Faye five minutes before the end of the first half was all it took and, despite coming into the tournament unbeaten, the Eagles allowed this setback affect their rhythm. Not only did the Senegalese dictate the tempo of the game, Bosso's boys failed to convert their chances. Although Nigeria improved slightly in the second half and pushed for the equaliser, Senegal's defence did well to cage the Nigerian attack while trying to hit on the counter-attacks. Nigeria's first shot on target came in the 88th minute from a long-range shot fired by Onuche Ogbelu but comfortably saved by Landing Badji. Nigeria finished the encounter with 10 men after substitute Ahmed Abdullahi was sent off for a second bookable offense deep into stoppage time. The result saw Nigeria fall to the bottom of Group A with no points while Senegal

However, it took the opening fixture of the competition to challenge the confidence of the coach and the squad and to shake the hopes of football fans in Nigerian itching for a trophy from any of the national

...Nigeria's U-20 AFCON Goal-Scoring Problem

went straight to the top of the table.

The dismay from this first loss was lessened by the fact that in the other group match, earlier in the day, Egypt and Mozambique played a goalless draw, with both teams notching a single point apiece. Chances of the Flying Eagles making it past the group stages improved when, in an uplifting victory for the Flying Eagles but a devastating loss for Egypt’s Young Pharaohs, Nigeria earned a narrow 1-0 win at the Cairo stadium in their second game. It was a result that meant that the hopes of hosts Egypt advancing to the next round of the Africa Cup of Nations took a major hit even though they dominated the game. Nigeria frustrated the Pharaohs to keep them from capitalising on several easy goal-scoring opportunities, which ultimately cost them Egypt the match.

Solomon Agbalaka sealed the deal for Nigeria with a beautiful header in the 71st minute, taking advantage of Egypt’s lack of concentration in defense. The result left the Pharaohs in third place in Group A after two games leaving the hosts on the brink of an early exit. Only the top two teams in each group, along with the two bestperforming third-placed teams, can advance to the quarter-finals.

Just as it was becoming a worry that the Flying Eagles were barely scrapping through the Group ties, only managing to find a lone goal and also losing by a lone goal as well, Bosso and his charges finally found a 2-0 win. In a thrilling encounter at the Suez Canal Stadium in Ismailia, Nigeria defeated Mozambique to secure a spot in the quarter-finals. Two sumptuous goals in the first-half through Samson Lawal and Ibrahim Muhammad ensured that the team finished second in Group A. It was their best outing as they controlled the match from the beginning, dominating possession and creating several chances. The result saw the Young Os Mambas of Mozambique crash out together with

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Egypt, who lost 4-0 to Senegal.

The worry around the inability of the Nigerian side to score as many goals as Senegal was doing returned in the quarter-finals. The Flying Eagles secured their spot in the semis through a 1-0 defeat of Uganda in a hardfought encounter at the Suez Canal Stadium.

Although the victory ensured that Nigeria qualified for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Indonesia, it was disturbing that the goals were not as much as the chances they were creating. It was also worrying that their goal-scoring was not as frequent as their pretournament matches. Against the Hippos of Uganda, the first goal was an own-goal from Ibrahim Juma at the half-hour mark. However, qualifying for the semis

Presidential Election 2023: No INEC, Not Again

known as the National Electronic Register of Election Results which shall be a distinct database or repository of polling unit by polling unit results, including collated election results, of each election conducted by the Commission in the Federation, and the Register of Election Results shall be kept in electronic format by the Commission at its national headquarters.

(3) Any person or political party may obtain from the Commission, on payment of such fees as may be determined by the Commission, a certified true copy of any election result kept in the National Electronic Register of Election Results for a State, Local Government, Area Council, registration area or Electoral Ward or Polling Unit, as the case may be, and the certified true copy may be in printed or electronic format.”

Section 64 (4):

“A Collation officer or returning officer at an election shall collate and announce the result of an election, subject to his or her verification and confirmation that the –

a. The number of accredited voters stated on the collated result are correct and consistent with the number of accredited voters recorded and transmitted directly from polling units under Section 47(2) of this Act.

b. The votes stated on the collated result are correct and consistent with the votes or results recorded and transmitted directly from polling units under Section 60(4) of this Act”, while Section 148 states that: “148. The Commission may, subject to the provisions of this Act, issue regulations, guidelines, or manuals for the purpose of giving effect to the provisions of this Act and for its administration.”

I would have preferred an election where the winner’s hard fought win is not being tainted, just as in Tinubu’s case, because of either gross incompetence on the part

of INEC or by the ignoble roles of rogue officials in the agency.

Nigerians sacrificed so much to engage in the process and perform their civic duties. One only needs to recall the tortuous difficulties that citizens had to endure to register and pick up their voters' cards.

Then, there was the task of ensuring that one's polling unit had not been changed before the man-hours spent under the rain or in the heat of the sun, just to be able to participate in this most critical of elections, only to have this important aspect of it that should give the public comfort and confidence in the electoral process bungled.

The hopes of all Nigerians, who sacrificed so much to be ready to carry out their civic duties and who endured the haphazard logistical issues and intimidation and assaults in the hands of political thugs so as to participate in the general election, have been helplessly dashed. It can only further alienate more and more voters in a country where there is a sense of growing voter apathy. Some Nigerians were first time voters on February 25th and this is a terribly pathetic commentary on the determined push for more voter turnout.

The judiciary, especially the Supreme Court, which has serious credibility issues due to some dubious and questionable election related rulings, must equitably and judiciously determine the suits by the opposition parties challenging the declaration of Tinubu as winner as well as the conduct of the election. The suits must be determined squarely on merit and facts for it to be widely acceptable.

As we approach the March 18th Governorship and House of Assembly elections, Professor Yakubu and INEC must ensure full compliance with laws and guidelines governing the polls to avoid unnecessary rancour and disputes when it announces the winners of the polls.

and the World Cup gave the team enough to celebrate without belabouring their reduced goal-scoring statistics and the decrease in goal-conversion rates.

This shortage of goals finally impacted the team's fortunes when in a stunning upset, Gambia defeated Nigeria 1-0 in the semifinals. Gambia's Adama Bojang scored an early goal and Nigeria had a chance to level the score with a penalty, but substitute Ahmed Abdullahi's shot hit the post. This was after the first opportunity to score opened up for Ibrahim Muhammed, whose shot was off target. Gambia nearly doubled their lead on a counter-attack in the 23rd minute. Although Gambia was reduced to 10 men following a rash challenge by Haruna Rasid Njie in the 89th minute, they held on to win and secure their spot in the final for a chance to claim their first-ever AFCON title.

In the aftermath of the loss attention has rightly turned to the World Cup in the hope that lessons have been learnt. Harping on the need for improvements, the Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Sunday Dare, charged the the Bossoled squad to quickly cast off any regrets over their loss to Gambia and focus on redeeming themselves by playing a good World Cup. He made the important point of how little a time they have left before the World Cup in May and how important it is to get prepared for the tougher task that the competition will bring. There are valid worries about the capacity of the team to deliver especially as they could barely handle some lightweight teams on paper at AFCON. There is also the suspicious lack of technical input into the team's style of play and cohesion as a functional unit leading to question marks on the capacity of Bosso to create a squad of big match winners. Yet, it is too close to the kickoff of the World Cup now to effect any managerial changes.

Just as THEWILL pointed out when the Super Falcons were stopped from reaching the finals of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), it will take a lot of improvement to see an American national team that struggled at the continental level make headlines at the World Cup. Fortunately, the government has pledged to support the players. Each player is set to receive $5,000 for qualifying Nigeria to the World Cup. All the 21 players registered for this year’s U20 AFCON will benefit from this largesse. The hope is that the U-20 team will appreciate the gesture and be fired up by personal and national glory to seek to better their individual and collective performances for a better outing at the World Cup in Indonesia than they turned out at the AFCON in Egypt.

The 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup will be the 23rd edition of this prestigious event. The biennial international men's youth football championship contested by the U-20 national teams of the member associations of FIFA, since its inception in 1977 as the FIFA World Youth Championship, is already historic. It is the first time the country has ever hosted a FIFA tournament. In addition to that, the U-20 World Cup will be only the second to be held in Southeast Asia, following the 1997 event in Malaysia. It also represents the first FIFA tournament in the region since the 2012 FIFA Futsal World Cup in Thailand.

The 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup is expected to attract a significant number of visitors and generate considerable economic and social benefits for the host country and the region. It will serve as an opportunity for young players from different countries to showcase their talents and compete at the highest level of international football. With a remarkable improvement in performance and goal-conversion, perhaps Nigeria's Flying Eagles will take advantage of this opportunity.

Presidential Election 2023: No INEC, Not Again

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been heavily criticised for mishandling the results of the Presidential and National Assembly elections conducted on February 25, 2023 nationwide. There are few times when such high-handed criticisms from many Nigerians, local and international observers are spot on. In this case, it was exactly what INEC's conduct deserved.

Despite having the benefit of experiences from elections past, the lessons from years of progressive reforms, the added bonus of Electoral Act-backed application of technology, four years to prepare and conducting "trial runs" of the technology in Ekiti and Osun States and more than N350 billion allocated for the elections, the agency failed to scale up and avoid the embarrassment that the February 25 polls became.

The mishandling of the election vis-à-vis the severely delayed transmission of results in real time from polling units to the IRev, the INEC results viewing portal, significantly scuttled confidence in the poll and the progress made over time in the electoral reform process. The blame for this lies squarely on the shoulders of INEC and its embattled Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu. While it was significantly seamless for polling officers to transmit the results of the National Assembly elections from the polling units to the viewing portal in real time, a key requirement for the polls, the presidential election results could not be uploaded for several hours after voting and counting had ended because of what the agency termed ‘a glitch’, which I like many believe was humaninduced to buy time to rig the election for politicians.

Whether this is true or not will come to light someday.

The needless controversy surrounding the difficulty in uploading the result sheets of the presidential election at the polling units, despite Professor Yakubu and INEC’s assurances and reassurances of real time upload of results, has fueled allegations that the agency aided the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to victory.

Whether these allegations are true or not, the damage that INEC has done to the credibility of the electoral process and its reputation may be irredeemable. This has also tainted the hard fought victory of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the flagbearer of the ruling APC, whom INEC declared winner of the vote in the wee hours of March 1, 2023.

There is also the dispute over whether INEC significantly violated the provisions of the Electoral Act as well as its own guidelines that were supposed to govern the conduct of the February 25 elections with its inability to upload the results in real time, as well as use of the bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS) machines nationwide. The agency has not categorically responded to these claims. As at Friday night, while I was writing this piece, almost two weeks after the conduct of the election, INEC had uploaded results from 166,057 polling units out of 176, 846 as seen on the IRev. It remains unclear why it is still struggling to upload the remaining result sheets. This is the crux of the debate. Is this failure significant enough to order a cancellation and revote? The answer depends on who you ask.

Understanding Sections 25; 47(2); 60 (1), (2), (4) & (5); 62; 64(4)(a) & (b); 70; and 148 of the Electoral Act, 2022, governing the 2023 nationwide general elections and paragraphs 38 of the INEC Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections, 2022; and paragraphs 2.8.4; 2.9.0; and 2.9.1 of the INEC Manual for Election Officials, 2023, for the conduct of the presidential election, will help the public make an informed decision on the conduct of the vote.

The Electoral Act, 2022, section 25 as reproduced below

clearly stipulates how elections ought to be conducted and result declared and transmitted:

“25. (1) The results of all the elections shall be announced by the—

(a) Presiding officer at the polling unit;

(b) Ward Collation Officer at the registration area or

election ; and

(h) National Collation Centre in the case of election of the President.

(3) The Chief Electoral Commissioner shall be the returning officer at the Presidential election”.

Section 47 states thus:

“47.—(1) A person intending to vote in an election shall present himself with his voter’s card to a Presiding officer for accreditation at the polling unit in the constituency in which his name is registered.

(2) To vote, the presiding officer shall use a smart card reader or any other technological device that may be prescribed by the Commission, for the accreditation of voters, to verify, confirm or authenticate the particulars of the intending voter in the manner prescribed by the Commission.

(3) Where a smart card reader or any other technological device deployed for accreditation of voters fails to function in any unit and a fresh card reader or technological device is not deployed, the election in that unit shall be cancelled and another election shall be scheduled within 24 hours if the Commission is satisfied that the result of the election in that polling unit will substantially affect the final result of the whole election and declaration of a winner in the constituency concerned.”

Section 60 of the Electoral Act states:

“60.—(1) The Presiding officer shall, after counting the votes at the polling unit, enter the votes scored by each candidate in a form to be prescribed by the Commission as the case may be.

(2) The form shall be signed and stamped by the presiding officer and counter signed by the candidates or their polling agents where available at the polling unit.

Ward Collation Centre;

(c) Local Government or Area Council Collation Officer at the Local Government or Area Council Collation Centre; and

(d) State Collation Officer at the State Collation Centre.

(2) The returning officer shall announce the result and declare the winner of the election at—

(a) Registration Area or Ward Collation Centre in the case of Councillorship election in the Federal Capital Territory;

(b) Area Council Collation Centre in the case of Chairmanship and Vice Chairmanship election in the Federal Capital Territory;

(c) State Constituency Collation Centre in the case of State House of Assembly election;

(d) Federal Constituency Collation Centre in the case of election to the House of Representatives;

(e) Senatorial District Collation Centre in the case of election to the Senate;

(3) The presiding officer shall give to the polling agents and the police officer where available a copy each of the completed forms after it has been duly signed as provided under subsection (2).

(4) The presiding officer shall count and announce the result at the polling unit.

(5) The presiding officer shall transfer the results including total number of accredited voters and the results of the ballot in a manner as prescribed by the Commission.

“(4) A collation officer or returning officer at an election shall collate and announce the result of an election, subject to his or her verification and confirmation that the—

(a) number of accredited voters stated on the collated result are correct and consistent with the number of accredited voters recorded and transmitted directly from polling units under section 47 (2) of this Act ; and

(b) the votes stated on the collated result are correct and consistent with the votes or results recorded and transmitted directly from polling units under section 60 (4) of this Act.”

Section 62 of the Electoral Act also states as follows:

“62.—(1) After the recording and announcement of the result, the presiding officer shall deliver same along with election materials under security and accompanied by the candidates or their polling agents, where available, to such person as may be prescribed by the Commission.

(f

) State Collation Centre in the case of election of a Governor of a State;

(g) State Collation Centre in the case of a Presidential

(2) The Commission shall compile, maintain and update, on a continuous basis, a register of election results to be

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The needless controversy surrounding the difficulty in uploading the result sheets of the presidential election at the polling units, despite Professor Yakubu and INEC’s assurances and reassurances of real time upload of results, has fueled allegations that the agency aided the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to victory