Off-cycle polls: INEC missed opportunity to rebuild trust, says Yiaga Africa

 Yiaga Africa, a civil society organisation (CSO), says the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) missed an opportunity to rebuild citizens’ trust in Nigeria’s electoral process.

On Saturday, off-season polls took place in Bayelsa, Kogi, and Imo states.

Briefing journalists in Abuja on Monday, Samson Itodo, Yiaga’s executive director, said: “These off-cycle elections were to test the commitment of key democratic institutions such as INEC, security agencies and the executive to restore public confidence in the electoral process”.

“Yiaga Africa is concerned about the continuous decline in the quality of our elections and the penchant to lower the integrity standards of our elections irrespective of reforms introduced by INEC and progress made in reforming our election legal framework,” Itodo said.

“The November 11 elections were another missed opportunity to rebuild trust and confidence in the electoral process.

“The elections question the commitment of democratic institutions such as INEC, political parties and other state institutions to electoral integrity and credible elections.

“The elections in Kogi and Imo reaffirm the lack of commitment to democratic principles and credible elections on the part of electoral stakeholders. 

“The zero-sum attitude to electoral politics undermines electoral integrity and citizens’ right to elect leaders.”

The CSO questioned the transparency of the election in Imo adding that elections were not held in several polling units across different LGAs in the state including nine polling units in Orsu, eight in Okigwe, eight in Oru East, seven in Orlu, one polling unit each in Ideato North, Ikeduru, Oru West and Owerri West LGAs.

“Yiaga Africa urgently calls on INEC to review and conduct a comprehensive audit of the Imo governorship election results to inspire confidence in the process and its outcome,” the statement reads.

Itodo also said reports received from Yiaga’s observers “revealed that INEC polling officials were unprofessional and partisan in over 15% and 14% of polling units in Imo and Kogi states, respectively”.

He added that “Yiaga Africa verified 101 critical incidents witnessed by WatchingTheVote citizen observers. Eighty-seven (87) of these reports were received from Imo and 14 of the reports were received from Kogi”.

However, Yiaga commended INEC for improvements in the management of election logistics across the three states.

“The commission’s prompt response to the report of cases of pre-filled results sheets (EC8A) in Kogi state was equally impressive,” the statement reads. 

“Yiaga Africa hopes the commission will fulfil its commitment to ensuring the culprits face the full wrath of the law.

“Yiaga Africa also observed a reduction in cases of election day-related violence and commends the efforts of the police and other security agencies. 

“However, Yiaga Africa hopes all reports of election offences, compromise and unprofessional conduct of some police officers are duly investigated and culprits properly punished.”

Paediatric Sickle Support Initiative of Nigeria (PSSIN) celebrates Sickle Cell Awareness Month with Children In Abuja (Exclusive Photos)

The Sickle Cell Awareness Month got off to a good start as PSSIN staged an awareness event on Saturday, September 9, 2023, at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH) Gwagwalada with over 100 parents and children in attendance. This year’s event tagged “That all may live a longer and happier life” was also a platform to call on parents, individuals, and corporations to help create awareness about Sickle Cell.

Speaking during his opening remarks the Chairman of PSSIN Pst. Stephen Adeshina reiterated the Non-profit’s unwavering commitment to the plight of Sickle Cell children in Nigeria highlighting its potential impact on target communities.

In addition, in her keynote address, the HOD Paediatric Department of the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH Gwagwalada) Professor Uche Nnebe Agumadu noted that parents should adhere strictly to Clinic appointments for their children and encourage them not to give up.

Others present include Dr. John Balogun, Mrs. Yahuza Hilma (VicePerson of PSSIN), Mr. Abdulkadir Aliyu (PRO of PSSIN), Mallam Hassan Sule (Data officer of PSSIN), and Mrs Onyebuashi Chinwedu.

The event also featured special lectures on FARMISE, recognizing danger signs, follow-up, Accessing Health care in UATH, and Pain management (The role of parents and caregivers). PSSIN’s next line of action was a bold clarion call for support for sickle cell children and awareness creation for people to know their genotype (genetic compatibility ) before getting married.

The event also featured a cultural display by the children, a dance competition for mothers, food, cake cutting, gifts, and testimonies by Champions (Sickle Cell Survivors).

Over the years PSSIN has supported and represented children and families affected by Sickle Cell disorder to improve their overall quality of life; working alongside healthcare professionals, parents, and people living with Sickle Cell.

See the exclusive photos below:

Photo News: Biden takes selfie with Okonjo-Iweala at G20 summit

The Director-General, World Trade Organisation, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has said she was surprised by US President Joe Biden, after he took photos with her and her staff at the ongoing G20 Leaders Summit in New Delhi, India.

She shared the photos on her X account on Sunday captioning them, “At the G20 Leaders Summit. Some great moments with President Joe Biden #POTUS and also with #JakeSullivan46 National Security Advisor, discussing #WTO reform especially reform of the Dispute Settlement System.

American President Joe Biden and Ngozi Okonjo Iweala on Sunday in New Delhi, India.

PHOTO NEWS: Lagos Unicaribbean Business School Celebrates 10th Anniversary, First Graduation Ceremony

The Unicaribbean Business School on 22nd July 2023 celebrated its first batch graduation and 10th-anniversary ceremony. The colorful ceremony was held at the 400 Capacity Afe Babalola Auditorium of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Lagos-Nigeria. Dignitaries at the auspicious event include the Founder and President of the Unicaribbean Business School, Amb. Dr. Olufemi Rasheed,  Amb. Dr. Roy Oamien (Group CEO of August Eye Security Services Ltd), Sir Otunba Dr. Kenny Odugbemi, and the immediate past Commissioner of Education In Lagos State Mrs. Folasade Adefisayo was conferred with the UBS Academic Award.

Special Guest Speakers at the event include Engr. Dr. Adetola Salau, Amb. Dr. Roy Oamien, Prof. Salau Osho (Promoter of University of Women, Africa).

Graduands at the ceremony include:

Tayelolu Esther Omisakin, Bilikis Enitan Akinwande, Taye Pwanedo Thomas, Okhidievbie Elijah, Ekpo Rosemary Usoro, Olakunle Olugbengba Seyi, Adenuga Titilope, Chidy Lashrey Martins, Matthew Samuel Edigbe, Adeyemi Kehinde, Lambert Favour, Elizabeth Olubusayo, Olufemi Talabi, Helen Obiekea Emmanuel, Maxwell Young Ekanem, Adadevoh Abiodun Olusegun, IIebani Titilayo Olamide, Ereyemi Abayomi Kolawole, Ojo John Olubunmi, Prince Samuel Olaoluwa Akintoye, Charles Nzeaka, Clara Chinenye Okpara.

The PGD/ MBA category includes Olruntimehin Margaret Olufisayo, Sobande Tobi Olasipupo, Uzah Christiana.

The Fellow and Doctorate category includes-

Associate Professor Muhammed Yahaya,

Engr. Dr. Adetola Salau,

Amb. Dr. Oamien Roy,

Dr. Joyce Namirimo Tamale,

Dr. Kenny Odugbemi,

Prof. Michael Nwokolo,

Engr. Dr. John Bosco Habumugisha,

Dr. Oyesigye Onesmus,

Mrs. Folasade Adefisayo,

Mrs. Lovelyn Egwono Asaolu,

Miss. Viola Akhigbe,

Mrs. Anyanwu Maryanna Odichi and Comr. Dr. Ediesuwa Segun Felix.

Sir Otunba Dr. Kenny Odugbemi, presenting awards to the immediate past Commissioner of Education In Lagos State Mrs. Folasade Adefisayo

There was also the UBS New Main Campus Building Fundraising.

Watch this special documentary anniversary video about the Unicaribbean Business School First batch graduation ceremony:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/2hMR9fYvBHE

At the Unicaribbean Business School, you can enroll for Certificates, Diplomas, Advanced Diplomas, Post Graduate Diplomas, MBAs, Executive MBAs, DBAs, and International Ph.D. Programs? Study Abroad Programs. The mode of study is online and physical classes.

Apply now at https://unicaribbeanedu.ng

What Every Salesperson/ Executive should know in 2023

After my graduation from the University of Benin some nine years ago, I have always feared any job that has to do with sales and marketing, but i have come to realise that generally in life everyone is selling or marketing something. When I worked first as a teacher, I discovered I had to sell by trying to get the school more students from the locality. When I ventured into journalism I found out also that apart from writing stories and covering events I still needed to sell advert spaces in the online newspaper to increase the revenue base of the media house. Then when I became a Personal assistant to a government aide, I also had to sell the image and programmes of my boss and the government to target audiences. 


 A groom that wants a wife must have something he sold to the bride to make her accept to wed him. Even our politicians are selling their manifestos persuading the people to buy their agenda. We are continuously in this world selling one thing or the other. It can be our skills, experiences, products, ideas or knowledge.


Therefore, for people to buy what you are selling you must have a selling point and then things to look out for. So, whether you work in sales in the Media, Real Estate, Fast Consumer Moving Goods (FCMG), e-commerce, entertainment, fashion, Tech, etc there are some key performance index (KPIs) you should watch out for as a salesman or person in 2023.


1.) Achievement of sales targets: As a salesperson one of the KPIs to watch out for in 2023 is your  achievement of monthly sales targets. At least if you can’t do 80%, 70 is not a bad performance. Ability to achieve individual and overall team targets is crucial.

2.) Translate your sales prospects to bring in cash– You have not sold until you translate your sales prospects to give you cash in exchange for what you are offering and recover all outstanding debts from your customers. It is a must your sales should translate into cash, revenue & profitability for the business.

3.) You must be innovative in managing people– you must be prudent in managing people in your sales team, your customers, and your resources and keep everyone  well motivated as possible. In addition, be proactive about carving out new sales territories/ audiences  to dominate.

4.) Communicate Properly & promptly – You must be ready to communicate appropriately and promptly to your customers prices, promotions and offerings. Take out you time to do this effectively, people love freebies and discounts, so be prepared to also communicate this.

5.) Foresee the impossible – As a sales person be prepared to handle controversies, theft, in-house conflicts, resignations, sack, work reviews, stiff competition, etc. Anything can happen, it is good to always have a back up plan. Again, you have to stay up to date with product knowledge, industry trends and what have you.

6.) Ability to work flexible hours– As a salesperson, you must be willing to work odd hours/ schedules including weekends and public holidays to ensure you meet targets. As a salesperson there are several public holidays I had to report at the office or meet some strategic prospects. It was hectic, but like they say nothing is easy in life. You just have to encourage yourself and be passionate.
Finally, you must have a customer centric attitude. You must  be ready to handle customer escalations and resolve issues or complaints in a professional and timely manner.
Remember, the customer is KING. A salesperson must also be able to build and maintain a strong relationship with customers to drive repeat purchase or generate referrals.

I believe with these I have been able to share my little knowledge on sales with you? I will be happy to hear from you soon.  Cheers to a better selling  experience in the remaining quarters of 2023.


Happy selling!!

Bonaventure Osagie is a Sales Manager at Hayat Kimya Abuja. He can reached on Twitter at @storiesosagie

Is Japa to the UK on a student visa greener pasture or self-imposed hardship?

BY FRANCISCA CHIEDU OTU

I have seen different videos of students in the UK complaining about life in the UK. I have tried to look the other way, but I think some people may be truly ignorant about coming to the UK using the student route. My post may well benefit those who really don’t understand what they are getting into so they can save themselves the stress of opening the book of Lamentations on YouTube and other social media platforms.

I think some people lied to themselves when they moved to the UK on a student visa. Most people relocating to the UK are well aware they are expected to have at least nine months of their living expenses as the 20 hours work permit can only cater for basic expenses. Coming to the UK on a student visa is not cheap. Most cheap schools charge an average of £12,000. High-end schools cost between £16,000 – £25,000. Now if you are fortunate to get the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) exchange rate of ₦580 to a pound, then your school fees should cost around ₦6,960,000, that’s about ₦7 million for tuition alone. If you don’t get the CBN rate, then tuition should be about ₦11.5 million. This is for just tuition fees.

The UK expects you to show that you have at least £1,334 per month for nine months if you are studying in London, i.e. £12,006 ~ ₦6.9 million. If you are studying outside London you need £1,023 times nine months, i.e £9,207 ~ ₦5.3 million. You are expected to have these funds to sustain yourself in the UK.

In addition to the fees and living costs, you need to pay £363 for the visa fee and an international health surcharge (IHS) which costs £470 per year, but because your student visa is typically for a year and four months, it is prorated, so you might end up paying about £800 or more for IHS. So that’s another £1,200 cost which you will source from the black market as there’s no CBN provision for this. So for visa and IHS budget, another ₦1.2 million. If we add tuberculosis test, flight, and miscellaneous expenses while processing your visa, you are likely to spend another ₦500,000 if you book your flight in advance. Some people spent up to a million naira for the flight alone.

“Japa and new dispensation” is not cheap. If we do the math, an average tuition fee is ₦7 million + ₦5.3 million (living costs) + ₦1.2 million (Visa/IHS) + ₦500,000 (flight & miscellaneous) = ₦14 million. By the way, these are just estimates. You may pay less if you get cheap schools in some locations with fewer economic activities. The location of your place of study is very important, but this is a story for another day.

Now, most people who travel typically have a third of this amount and arrive in the UK thinking they can perform magic. They work tirelessly to pay rent, bills, and school fees, then come online to say people don’t have a life in the UK. I think people should at least be truthful about why they don’t have a life. This is what happens when you live a lie.

UK universities typically request an initial deposit of £3,000, which is 20–25% of the tuition fee. As of last year, the CBN exchange rate for pounds was about ₦500. Some people paid ₦1.5 million and then showed they held the balance of the tuition fee and nine months’ living expenses in a bank for 28 days after making the payment. So if your tuition fee is £12,000 and you paid an initial deposit of £3,000, you just need to show £9,000+9,207 = £18,207 ~ ₦9.1 million. Often, people get this as a loan with an interest rate of 3–5% for two months and pay proof of funds agents ₦700,000 –900,000 for the service. Let’s do the math again, ₦1.5 million (school fees deposit) + ₦700k (POF interest) + ₦1.2M (visa + IHS) + ₦500k (flights/tuberculosis test) + ₦600,000 (initial living expenses) = ₦4.5 million (rough estimates).

Now my calculations are just estimates just to give you an idea of what a “sufferhead” budget looks like. I call it “sufferhead” because people who typically have a budget of ₦4–5 million to move to the UK often end up with embarrassing stories on YouTube. Now when you arrive with your ₦5 million budget, don’t forget you still have an outstanding £9,000 tuition fee. You need to pay £300–600 for accommodation and food. Then you need some time to settle into your studies and get a job. Let’s say you get a job immediately after arriving; you still have an outstanding fee, and you must pay your landlord, transport, and feeding. In the end, you are working back-to-back to meet up. Most end up working more than 20 hours. To be clear, I am giving rough estimates for a student without dependents. You see, for those who come with family, theirs is a different story.

Many students struggle to pay their tuition fees. Some students couldn’t meet up, the university reported them to the Home Office, and they were asked to leave the UK. Some switched to the care visa and abandoned the programme, thinking they would get away without paying fees, which may affect their credit rating in the future. So when I see people lamenting on YouTube, I wonder what they were expecting. They paint the impression that people in the UK don’t have a life. When you do those videos, simply say you don’t have a life because you have unpaid tuition fees and bills to cover. Also, if you come with that popular visa offering minimum wage, you are most likely to work more hours to survive. It is what it is!

This year, there’s a twist to the Japa wave. Schools now ask for a 50–80% tuition fee deposit, and some schools are asking for £5,000–8,000 initial deposit. CBN’s pound rate has increased from ₦500 to about ₦580. What this means is that people need to raise more money to study. There are schools with a £3,000 initial deposit, they will be flooded with applications, but they have their limits. I think it makes sense for universities to increase deposits. I have been wondering why this wasn’t an option. With this, the student numbers may slightly reduce, and at least the whole rhetoric about high numbers from Nigeria may reduce. If your tuition deposit is £5,000, you should budget ₦3 million initial deposit.

If you want to save yourself the embarrassment of making videos of how impoverished you are in the UK, please try to pay 50–70% of your tuition fee and have sufficient living expenses. When I came to study in the UK in 2011, I only came because I had a $30,000 scholarship, so I didn’t have to pay fees and show proof of funds. Since my scholarship sponsor is known to delay payment, I came to the UK with about £5,000 (₦1.2 million because at the time the pound was ₦250). I never worked while studying until I became a sabbatical officer and earned a salary as student president. I got admission in 2010, but I didn’t come because I didn’t want to subject myself to misery and tales of woes. I could have taken to desperation and commenced my studies in 2010 to take advantage of the post-study work (PSW) visa because the UK government announced that they would discontinue the programme in 2012. I just couldn’t bring myself to pay the initial deposit and borrow proof of funds, then regret leaving the comfort of my home country.

I waited until I got a scholarship, spent an extra year saving for my living cost, and with support from friends and family. It was a great experience. So my experience of the UK has remained positive. You can truly have a positive experience in the UK if you don’t come here in debt. You can enjoy the UK if you have the skills to earn a decent income.

Before you join the Japa wagon, ask yourself if you can truly afford it, and say no to self-imposed misery!

2023 Guber Elections: Profile of Lagos Governorship Candidates

e race to become the governor of Nigeria’s commercial hub in the upcoming gubernatorial elections in Lagos State reaches a crescendo on the 18th of March, 2023.

Sixteen candidates are vying for the government seat in Alausa, and one of them, the incumbent governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, is vying to retain it for his second term.

Below are some of the things you need to know about the four top contenders, including the incumbent governor.

Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran (45) (PDP)

Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran popularly known as Jandor is the Lagos State Gubernatorial candidate of the People’s Democratic Party.

Education
Jandor attended the Polytechnic Ibadan. He’s also an alumnus of Modul University, Vienna; the Prestigious Howard University School of Business, Washington DC, USA; and Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom.

He was awarded an honorary doctorate in the field of leadership and governance by the South American University in Lagos, Nigeria, in the year 2021.

Work Experience
A journalist for up to two decades, Jandor is the CEO of Core Media Services, the parent company of CoreTvNews, a 24-hour national digital terrestrial network.

He is also the chairman of Datanet Project Services and Floral Consult.

He is also the head of the Jandor Foundation, a non-profit organization in Lagos State.

Political Career
Jandor is the lead visioner of Lagos4Lagos, a movement whose aim is to make Lagos “work for everyone and not just a privileged few.”

In 2022, he won the PDP gubernatorial ticket after decamping from the ruling APC in 2021.

Partner
Jandor is married to Maryam Olajide Adediran.

Running Mate
Jandor’s running mate is Nollywood actress and filmmaker, Funke Akindele.

Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (40) (LP)

An architect by training, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour is the Labour Party candidate for the upcoming gubernatorial elections in Lagos State.

Education
Rhodes-Vivour bagged a degree in Architecture at Nottingham University before going for his master’s at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Boston.

Rhodes-Vivour was awarded a distinction by a reputable institution for his master’s degree thesis, “Traditional revolution: formalizing the informal: a proposal for the “periphery urbanite” Lagos, Abuja & Port-Harcourt.” The research focused on building a network of recycling facilities and garbage collectors in the aforementioned municipalities to turn waste into an important source of revenue and employment.

He holds another master’s degree in research and public policy from the University of Lagos.

Experience
Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour worked with Franklin Ellis Architects when he was in the United Kingdom.

In Nigeria, he worked with SISA, Cliff Consulting now called Building Partnership CCP and Patrick Wayi, before going into politics.

He founded Spatial Tectonics and serves on the boards of Alhuda Construction Nigeria and Delta International Commercial City Ltd.

Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour is the convener of Nigerians Against GMOs(NAG), an organization that advocates against the authorization or introduction of Genetically Modified Foods (GMOs) in Nigeria.

Political Career
In 2017, Rhodes-Vivour ran for the Ikeja Local Government Area chairmanship under the KOWA party.

Rhodes-Vivour contested for the senate seat to represent Lagos west under the PDP in 2019.

He won the Labour Party gubernatorial primaries in 2022.

Partner
Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour is married to Dr Ify Rhodes-Vivour (nĂ©e Aniebo), a molecular geneticist by profession.

Running Mate
Rhodes-Vivour’s running mate is Former Lagos East Senatorial Candidate in Lagos, Princess Abiodun Oyefusi.

Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu (57) (APC)

Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu assumed Office as the 15th Governor of Lagos State on 29th May 2019. Sanwo-Olu is seeking a second-term reelection bid under the All Progressive Congress (APC).

Education
Babajide Sanwo-Olu earned a bachelor’s degree in Surveying & Geo-Informatics and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Lagos. He’s an alumnus of the London Business School, The Lagos Business School, the Institute of Management Development and the John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Work Experience
Between 1994 and 1997, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu was the treasurer at the erstwhile Lead Merchant Bank. He then moved on to be the head of the foreign money market at the United Bank for Africa.

At First Inland Bank, Plc (now First City Monument Bank) he was the deputy general manager and divisional head.

Sanwo-Olu was also the one-time chairman of Baywatch Group Limited and First Class Group Limited. He is a former Managing Director/CEO of the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC).

Political Career
Babajide Sanwo-Olu was the Special Adviser on Corporate Matters to Femi Pedro, the former deputy governor of Lagos State.

He was the acting Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget until 2007 before he moved on to his appointment as the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry by then Governor, Bola Tinubu.

Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu was appointed Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions by Governor Babatunde Fashola after the General Elections of 2007.

He defeated incumbent governor Akinwunmi Ambode in 2018 to clinch the All Progressive Congress (APC) gubernatorial ticket.

Running Mate
His running mate is the incumbent deputy and former Lagos commissioner for Science and Technology, Kadri Obafemi Hamzat 

Partner
Babajide Sanwo-Olu is married to a Medical practitioner and former Chief Medical Director in Lagos, Claudiana Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu.

Funso Doherty (54) (ADC)

Funso Doherty is running for governor of Lagos State on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Educational Background
Funso holds a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from Harvard University and a B. Sc. in Accounting from the University of Lagos.

Career
Funso recently completed his tenure as Managing Director / CEO of PAL Pensions.

He previously served as the Pioneer MD/CEO of ARM Pension Managers and MD/CEO of Pensions Alliance Limited (PAL Pensions).

He has also served as Chairman of the Pension Fund Operators Association (PENOP), the umbrella body of licensed Pension Fund Managers and Custodians in Nigeria.

He is a co-founding Trustee of the CFA Society Nigeria and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria(ICAN).

Funso has worked with Goldman Sachs & Company and PNC Advisors in the United States of America and ACA and Arthur Andersen (now KPMG) in Nigeria. He is a charter holder and co-founding Trustee of the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) Society Nigeria and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria.

Partner
Funso is married to Dr Orode DohertynĂ©e Williams, a Pediatrician and public health physician.

Running Mate
Funso Doherty’s running mate is a Lawyer and former ADC Chairperson in Lagos, Mrs Giwa-Amu.

Courtesy> Bellanaija

Opinion: How Opposition Can Take Power In Nigeria- Abraham Kuti


On 29 May 2018, General Ibrahim Babangida gave the golden words on how we can have healthy democracy and how the opposition can gain power. 


1. Two party system
“…It is high time we look once more on the need to build unique two-party structures in the country at this critical period of the electioneering year…”


2. The Importance of Political Parties having distinct Ideologies. 
“…Our political parties since May 29, 1999 have no distinct ideologies with internal squabbles and cross carpeting that is not healthy to our democracy…”


3. Adhering to rules of political game. “…It is indeed worrisome that active politicians are not adhering to the rule of the game of politics…”


4. Unity (Politics devoid of ethnic or religious sentiments).
“…As we celebrate 18 years of democracy in our country, democratic governance has been polarised along divisive ethnic and religious lines…”


Did you know if Atiku had maintained Obi as “vice” he probably would win? Do you remember APC as a party is still a conglomerate of oppositions? It is ACN, CPC, Some members of PDP, APGA and other “mushroom” parties. In addition, Obi left to strengthen the LP, which further weakened the PDP. 


If we must analyze former General IBB’s second point, “Adhering to rules of political game”, this might not necessarily mean a specific rule but any rule that binds a people together. The rotation of power is not constitutional but it can be considered a political rule for now, in my opinion, pending Nigeria overcoming ethnic importance in politics.
Do you remember Tambuwal stepping down and asking his supporters to support Atiku, which Wike insisted was against the “rules”? Atiku gained Tambuwal supporters but lost Wike supporters, which had strengthened him in the north but not the south.

Atiku refused to compromise by taking Wike as “Vice” or asking Iyorchia Ayu to resign based on Wike’s demand and G5 who mainly were Southerners. That further increased sympathy for Wike and we later saw a strong G5 which felt they had less stake in Atiku’s project. On the other hand, Tinubu calculated the best compromise to help him get significant acceptance in the north was a Muslim-Muslim ticket, knowing that the south-west was less concerned about religion, Tinubu’s highest vote margin came from the south-west, his votes from the Northwest were almost neutralized by Atiku votes alone.

The votes of the North added to give him a win. We can go on and on analyzing the words of General IBB and a lot of wisdom will be extracted. General IBB is one of the most intelligent generals, a distinct pragmatist. Remember he was not ousted, he conducted the freest and fairest election as a way to leave power. When he realized his stay as a military leader has long stayed, he conducted an election as a proxy to hand over to another close ally whose stay in government could serve as a better protection than a democratic government which could be toppled by military men who might not be his ally.

Why all this IBB Story, the man that conducted the freest and fairest election can also best tell us how Nigerian democracy can thrive and how the opposition can win power.

ReplyForward

PHOTO NEWS: Obasanjo, Fayemi Storms Rivers to visit Wike

Former president Olusegun Obasanjo alongside former Ekiti State governor, Kayode Fayemi, has visited the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike.

Obasanjo’s visit on January 26 is the latest in a series of visits to the country home of Wike by politicians across party lines.

Wike, who is a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, has been at loggerheads with the main opposition party leadership after the presidential primary that produced Atiku Abubakar as the PDP presidential candidate.

Wike and other aggrieved PDP governors tagged G5 have been calling for the resignation of PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu.

Qatar 2022: Morocco makes history as the first African country to reach the Semi-Finals

Celebrations are in order, as finally, football is coming to Africa.

Morocco have achieved the unexpected by reaching the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ semi-finals after beating both Spain and Portugal in the knockout rounds. If little was expected of them prior to the tournament, the Atlas Lions have overcome every obstacle thrown in their way and have shocked the world in the process.

Morocco became the first African team to reach the semi-final of a World Cup on December 10.

They beat Portugal 1 – 0 to book their slot in the tournament’s Top 4.

Youssef En-Nesyri gave Morocco the lead in the 42nd minute.

Rabat – Morocco’s national football team is set to lock horns with France at the Qatar World Cup’s semi-finals after the European country defeated England in the quarter-finals on Saturday.

The pair will play against each other on December 14 at 8:00 pm at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar.

France clinched a 2-1 victory against England at the Al Bayt Stadium, with the two teams displaying a strong performance.

READ MORE

https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/articles/world-cup-qatar-2022-morocco-semi-finals-other-shocks-bulgaria-sweden-turkey-croatia-korea-republic