Nigeria Is Proud Of You, Buhari Tells Afrobeat Crooner, Tems

February 6, 2023

President Muhammadu Buhari has assured Afrobeat crooner, Tems, for emerging a winner as “‘Best Melodic Rap Performance” category at the Grammy Awards that Nigeria is proud of her..

The President, in a statement today, February 6, congratulated the fans, lovers of Nigerian music all over the world for the new heights and recognition attained by the musical idol.

The President commended Tems, Temilade Openiyi, for showcasing her talent to the world, with dedication and hard work, which has placed Nigeria in the spotlight for excellence.

The President appreciated all Nigerian nominees for this year’s Grammy, including Burna Boy, for pursuing their passion with vigour and continuously reinventing global entertainment, with creativity.

He also acknowledged the creative industry, particularly managers, producers and directors, for encouraging talents, like Tems, who have taken Nigeria’s culture and tourism to the world, further displaying the resourcefulness and potentials of a great nation.

The President wished Tems, her partners, colleagues and well-wishers more years of glory.

OPC Washes Hands Off Planned Attacks On Non-Indigenes In Lagos, South-West

Editorial staff

February 6, 2023

The Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) has disassociated itself from purported plan by some Yoruba self-determination groups to attack non-indigenes in Lagos and the South-West.

Reacting to today, February 6, to reports in the social media on the plan by the group to unleash such attack on non-indigenes, OPC President, Otunba Wasiu Afolabi Askari, asked the citizens to go about campaigns and voting without fear of harassment, intimidation and violence.

In a statement by Bunmi Fasehun, OPC General Secretary, Afolabi said: “Anyone caught planning to foment trouble or actually perpetrating violence should be treated as a criminal and should be handed over to the law-enforcement agencies for arrest and prosecution.

“We cherish the peace that we enjoy in the South-West today and we shall guard it jealously. OPC has contributed greatly to this peaceful environment and we will do nothing to jeopardise it. Whoever is planning electoral violence, whether he is a Yoruba man or not, will have OPC to contend with. OPC will not tolerate any plan, attempt or move aimed at intimidating voters or preventing anyone from freely expressing their democratic choice.

”Politics should not be a do-or-die affair. OPC will neither subscribe to do-or-die politics nor be used to implement the nefarious and evil plans of politicians.

“In our midst are responsible businessmen and businesswomen graduates and artisans, as well as students of higher institutions and Muslim and Christian clergymen. Our organisation will not be used for political thuggery before, during or after the elections.”

The OPC leader dismissed allegations that some self-determination groups might be planning to unleash mayhem on certain ethnic groups who might vote against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the OPC leader, saying: “the security agencies should do their job –hunt out such potential troublemakers and destroy such a plan.”

Afolabi called on Lagos and South-West politicians to learn from other parts of the country and the world where people are armed to get individuals into power only for such arms to be used to turn such places into enclaves of war and terrorism.

According to him, OPC is no stranger to democracy as its leaders emerged through the democratic process as laid down by the late Founder, Dr. Frederick Fasehun.

“OPC is a non-religious and non-political Yoruba socio-cultural organisation. Within the organisation, members belong to different political affiliations. It is their right and no one can dictate to them. OPC respects its members’ individual right to freedom of association and freedom of thought.

“Moreover, Yoruba people enjoy cordial and fraternal relations with all ethnic groups in the country –Hausa, Igbo, Ijaw, Edo, Tiv and others. We do business together and we have even intermarried. So how can we now attack our in-laws and business partners because of some individuals’ selfish political ambition?

“Hundreds of OPC members shed their blood to purchase this democracy that we enjoy today. We will never be part of destroying what we built with our own hands and the blood of our people.”

Afolabi recalled that the OPC’s Founder, also, formed the Coalition of Ethnic Nationalities of Nigeria (CENN) as an umbrella body and platform to promote unity and understanding among the country’s regions.

The OPC President warned politicians to desist from turning the elections into a battlefield.

“As has always been our prerogative, we shall be extending our hand of fellowship to security agencies to ensure the election is smooth and peaceful.”

APC Turns Presidential Campaign Rally In Katsina Into Prayer, Mourning

Editorial staff

February 6, 2023

The presidential campaign rally of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Katsina State was largely turned into a prayer session and mourning over the recent murder of over 40 vigilantes in Bakori Local Government Area of the state by bandits.

A statement today, February 6, by Abdulaziz Abdulaziz from the Tinubu Media Office, said that apart from scaling down the number of participants at the rally, which had President Muhammadu Buhari in attendance, the event was conducted in a sober atmosphere at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium.

He said that some party leaders, including the APC Presidential Candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Katsina State Governor Aminu, Bello Masari and Chairman of Progressive Governors’ Forum and Kebbi State Governor Atiku Bagudu attended the prayer session.

He said that the leaders gave a thought to the fact as to whether to postpone the rally outright in view of the mournful atmosphere.

“We decided to go on because some people are already here and it will be disappointing for them to come without getting to see the President and Asiwaju. But we are here to condole with you. We will be back,” said Governor Bagudu.

President Buhari regretted that he inherited a poorly managed country and that his administration has done well in turning the fortunes of the country.

He condoled the people of Katsina over the banditry attack, urging them to remain courageous and hopeful in order to defeat terror.

Asiwaju Tinubu saluted those who summoned courage to attend the rally in spite of the sorrowful situation, as he expressed condolences to the government and people of Katsina State.

He assured the Katsina electorate of working hard to eliminate banditry in the state.

“We will definitely deal with them. They will not go scot-free. Whether they derive some moment of joy or satisfaction, we are saying we are courageous, we are strong, we believe in Allah and we will defeat them. They are evil. We will eliminate them.”

Tinubu charged participants not to allow what he called “Poverty Development Party” to come back to power. “No to PDP, no to evil, no to killers,” he chanted along with the crowd.

Katsina State Governor Masari had warned Nigerians not to trust PDP with power again.

“They had the opportunity. They didn’t do anything meaningful and now they want to deceive. Don’t fall for their sugar-coated words,” he said.

The APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu and Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong urged Katsina electorate to queue behind President Buhari to support the APC presidential candidate and other candidates.

Court In Kogi Orders Arrest, Remand Of EFCC Boss, Bawa, In Prison For Contempt

Editorial staff

February 6, 2023

Kogi State High Court, presided over by Justice R.O. Ayoola, has ordered the arrest and remand in prison, of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, for allegedly disobeying a court order.

The judge specifically directed the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba in Lokoja, to arrest Bawa and remand him in Kuje prison, Abuja, for the next 14 days until he purges himself of the contempt of court.

The judgment followed the alleged disobeyance of the court ruling delivered on November 30, 2022, directing the EFCC boss to produce the applicant in the case, Ali Bello. Bello had taken Bawa to court for arresting and detaining him illegally after the court had ruled in his favour and also arraigning him for alleged money laundering.

The court refused EFCC’s applications for setting aside and stay of execution of the ruling for want of merit.

The Court had, in Form 49, Order IX, Rule 13, marked, “HCL/697M/2022” and titled, “Notice to Show Cause Why Order of Committal Should not be Made,” asked the EFCC Chairman to appear before it on January 18, 2022 to explain why he should not be jailed for flouting the order given on December 12, 2022 in a case filed by Ali Bello against the EFCC and Bawa, as the 1st and 2nd respondents, respectively.

The court ordered that the EFCC and Bawa be served the motion of notice together with Form 49 by substituted means.

The court had declared the arrest and detention of the applicant in the face of a subsisting court order made by a court of competent jurisdiction and without a warrant of arrest “or being informed of the offence for which he was arrested” as unlawful, unconstitutional, and in contravention of the personal liberty and dignity of human person guaranteed under Chapter IV of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).

In addition, the court had ordered the respondents to tender an apology to the applicant in a national newspaper and awarded N10 million compensation in his favour.

Peter Obi To Gov El-Rufai: Thank You For Calling Me Nollywood Actor; Actors Protest

Editorial staff

February 5, 2023

The Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has thanked the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, for referring to him as a Nollywood actor.

El-Rufai had, while featuring on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout yesterday, February 4, described the former governor of Anambra State as a Nollywood actor who was incapable of winning the elections and would score little per cent in the north.

And in an interview on Arise TV today, February 5, Peter Obi said that El-Rufai’s claim would enable him to intensify the means to woo more Nigerians, thereby increasing his percentage in the northern part of the country.

The LP flagbearer pointed out that Nollywood is part of the critical sector that needs development in Nigeria.

He expressed joy in being associated with the Nollywood industry and asked everyone to support him to ensure the good of their operation.

“I thank El-Rufai for what he said, at least he gave me some percentage, so I’m going to work around and improve those percentages. And he also recognized the fact that I’m an actor and I think what is holding the country from development is the ability to release those engines that will develop us.

“One of the most critical places I want to focus on is improving our entertainment industry which includes Nollywood, and now that I’m an acclaimed actor, am asking all those in the entertainment industry because I am one of them, to support me, so I can improve their operation.

“What more can you do when those in the industry recognize me as one of them? I want them to support me so that we can be able to ensure the good of their business pattern.”

This was even as the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) demanded a retraction of the said statement and an apology from the Kaduna State governor, describing el-Rufai’s comment as an insult to the Nollywood group.

In a statement today, signed by the Guild’s Director of Communication, Kate Henshaw, AGN said that the governor’s usage of an actor to make such examples in that context is unintelligent and arrogant.

If I Lose This Election, I Will Regard It As My Fate And Accept It In Good Faith – Atiku

Editorial staff

February 5, 2023

Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar has made it clear that if he loses the February 25, 2023 Presidential election in Nigeria, he would regard it as his fate and accept the result in good faith.

Answering questions on the Arise Television programmed today, February 5, Atiku said that he has put his all into the contest so much that he is not expecting failure but a resounding victory that will make him become the President in the next four years.

Atiku said that he had been determined to become the President to give him an opportunity to make Nigeria a better country for his children and future generations.

“I have many of my children schooling both in Nigeria and overseas, and my thinking is that if the country goes on like this, such children of mine will find it impossible to come home and serve their fatherland. There are similar other children and youths across the country that are living in despair. We cannot continue like this.”

The PDP flag bearer looked at the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi and concluded that he would not go anywhere because he doesn’t have any structure anywhere in the Nigeria, which is very essential to win Presidential contest.

“He doesn’t have a single governor, no senator, no House of Representatives member, no local government chairman, yet he and his supporters are hoping that he will win the 2023 Presidential election. That is an impossible dream

“Of course, Peter Obi has started well and needs to be patience, plan ahead for the future. You cannot start an effort from the top.”

How Lux Tera Roots For Good Leadership, Informed Citizenship, By Felix Anayo

Editorial staff

February 5, 2023

In the build up to the 2023 general elections, the Network and Advocacy Group of Lux Tera Leadership Foundation has been in the forefront of organizations working assiduously to drive citizenship education.

It has organized various leadership training programmes, targeted campaigns, public enlightenment programmes, youth development initiatives and community-based initiatives.

The Foundation has also organized developmental workshops, in the course of which it generated and spread advocacy materials, to guide the citizenry towards informed political decision-making.

One of the tool it has deployed most effectively is the media, especially by the facilitation of television discussion programmes in this regard.

Besides its own branded television programme, it has also, on various occasions and through its programme partners and Members of its Think Tank, expanded the frontiers of national discourse through the deployment and appearance of Third Parties to drive its developmental narratives, and the one goal of creating a better society, on various media platforms.

For the 2023 elections alone, the organization has remained consistently visible in the public space through its well thematized initiatives, including, and especially, through its Advocacy Thursday interventions.

These are periodic releases, skits and educational content, which focus on core legal, statutory and social responsibility steps and issues that would lead to free, fair, transparent and credible elections. These issues are central to the integrity of the electoral process/outcomes, as well as lasting development and citizenship education.

By ensuring that each such Advocacy Message addresses specific, current and urgent matters of leadership, citizenship, general public interest and general public good, the foundation has created a unique, impactful and admirable approach to building public awareness in a sustainable way. It is working with a carefully selected persons with confirmed Voice and Credibility in the Nigerian media, public and political space. It, thus, now has a committed group of persons who are held together by their convictions about the paradigms for sustainable leadership and followership in Nigeria.

The Foundation’s installmental and targeted advocacy works in such a way as to ensure that each advocacy theme builds on the one before its. The result is a series of mutually reinforcing narratives that allow breathing space for absorption and application in everyday life. This has been the approach in its handing of matters pertaining to the coming elections.

The communication/campaign on the new electoral Act did not come before the one on display of voters’ register. Nor did the one on the collection of Permanent Votes’ Card (PVC) come before the advocacy message on the need to register, etc.

The approach allows for a period of assessment, a feedback mechanism and periodic review that monitors impact, the objectives attainment of desired impact and for the recalibration of subsequent interventions. All the focal issues for communication, advocacy and public enlightenment are articulated to improve the people’s understanding of the true meaning of development, better leadership, service delivery in office, sense of community, improved political decision-making among the citizenry and a better-governed society.

As we walk into the last weeks before the elections, Lux Tera must be counted among the few organizations that have maintained a consistent focus on improving governance, leadership, citizenship and political engagement in Nigeria. When its Network and Advocacy Group Think Thank is measured against the background of its task as platform for the birth new ideas, promote discourse and suggest solutions for extant and emerging leadership, developmental and citizenship issues in Nigeria, the Foundations stands tall in every sense of the word.

The creative initiative of creating a pool of informed persons who, in addition to being active on their own across several socio/political advocacy platforms and activities of their own, are now part of the Lux Tera team of informed advocated is a unique achievement of the Foundation. By generating, and projecting, new ideas towards creating a better Nigerian society, the Foundation’s well produced Advocacy materials have been effective in this regard.

The print, electronic and social media, and also Talk Shows and Roundtables, have been veritable platforms for advancing the Foundation’s enlightenment and developmental programmes. Its outreach and youth leadership training programmes, including the programmes organized for school teachers, students and education stakeholders are all now dovetailing into three main focal channels, namely: (1) Measurable political education, the expansion of social consciousness/ group cohesion, and (3) Confirmed commitment to, and impact on, the imperative of free, transparent, fair and credible elections in Nigeria.

Nigeria, Niger Republic Sign Pact On Frequency Utilization Along Their Borders

Editorial staff

February 5, 2023

Nigeria and Republic of Niger have signed a bilateral agreement in Abuja for the coordination of frequency utilization along their borders to ensure seamless deployment of services around within the two countries.

A statement today, February 5, in Abuja by the director of Public Affairs of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Reuben Mouka said that the agreement signing ceremony was one of the highlights of the two-day Digital Economy Regional Conference, hosted by the Nigerian government and facilitated by the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, which ended at the Transcorp Hilton Abuja.

He said that the Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, signed on behalf of Nigeria, while his Nigerien counterpart, the Minister of Post and New Information Technologies, Moussa Baraze, signed on behalf of his country.

According to Mouka, the agreement will help in effective coordination and sharing of frequencies and channels in the ‘buffer zone or area’ on borderlines between the two countries and also help to address one of the major issues of signal interference regulation that may arise in telecoms signal transmissions by terrestrial telecoms service providers, as it spells out the procedures for regulating such cases.

He said that the agreement provides, in part, that in case of harmful interference affecting one of the parties, the affected party shall inform the other party in writing for necessary action to be carried out.

“Also, the party from whence the interference is originating shall ensure that all necessary means are used to resolve the harmful interference within 30 days of receipt of the notice”, the agreement says.

He said that while the Agreement is without prejudice to the rights and obligations of the parties specified in the Convention, the Constitution of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and other inter-governmental arrangements, it however, states that the land and mobile services whose use is restricted for security, maritime and national defence or for which information is not available, shall not be subjected to the provisions of the agreement.

The NCC Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Professor Umar Danbatta and Niger Republic’s Chairperson of the National Council for Regulation of Electronic Communications and Post, Mrs. Aichatou Oumani, were witnesses to the agreement, which applies to the co-ordination of frequencies existing in the Nigeria-Niger trans-boundary areas between 87.5 megahertz (MHz) to 30 gigahertz (GHz).

Tinubu Campaign Team Says Nextier Is A Jester For Predicting Peter Obi Winning Presidency

Editorial staff

February 5, 2023

Presidential Campaign Council of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has described as a jester, Nextier, a public policy advisory firm that just conducted Gallup Poll on the winner of the February 25 Presidential election in the country.

A statement today, February 5, by the Council’s Director of media and publicity, Bayo Onanuga, said that another farcical Presidential Election Poll result was released by Nextier, saying that the exercise sought to mislead Nigerians.

According to Onanuga, the Patrick Okigbo-led organization appears to have the agenda to create confusion and chaos in the country.

“For a start, Nigerians should know that promoters of Nextier are members of Mr. Peter Obi’s Presidential Campaign Council and active campaigners for the Labour Party Presidential Candidate.

“Any poll conducted by such intensely partisan and prejudicially tainted organisation should be taken with a pinch of salt.

“This is apart from the fact that the sample size of the so-called poll and methodology employed cannot stand any integrity test.

“It is quite ludicrous that Nextier Poll that projects a clean sweep of the South East Region at over 90% of registered votes also puts Peter Obi ahead of APC Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the six South West States including Lagos.

“Assuming without absolutely conceding that Peter Obi will enjoy home advantage in his part of the country, we then wonder why the pollsters at Nextier, if they have any modicum of respect for the intellect of Nigerians, thought the factors that will propel landslide victory for Obi in South east will not work for the APC candidate in his own South West base.

“Nextier Pollsters also put Labour Party ahead of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party Candidate in his home state of Adamawa.

“How more ridiculous can Nextier Pollsters get?”

Onanuga said that Nextier Pollsters even called the entire South South Region for Labour Party at 60% in Akwa-Ibom, the base of Chairman of PDP presidential campaign council.

“The partisan pollsters gave Bayelsa 62.9% to Labour Party and also claimed LP would win Delta 65.9 %, home of PDP Vice Presidential Candidate.

“The jesters in Nextier also claimed Obi would win Rivers by 77.8%, Edo 76.9% and Cross Rivers 63.2%. It did not matter to them that in these states, Labour Party has no serving councillor in any ward.

“The summary of Nextier’s so-called face-to-face nationwide poll is that Peter Obi is the preferred candidate of 37% of Nigerians with a conclusion that the Presidential election will go into a run-off.

“We make bold to say this is wishful thinking without any basis in fact and reality.”

Onanuga alerted Nigerians and the international community that the Pollsters at Nextier are working for the Labour Party and their poll results are all cooked up, far away from reality.

The PCC for Tinubu suspected that their first and second fallacious poll results are pretext to cause political crisis and riots in Nigeria after the February 25, saying that they are preparing ground for violent protest by Obi supporters who will allege rigging when their candidate is roundly defeated at the election, in which he is not likely to even come a distant third.

“We want to state categorically that Peter Obi is not a major contender in the coming presidential election in Nigeria and no fantasy and fairytale poll can change the material facts.

“We want to put it on record that Nextier Poll is useless for three reasons:

“First, the sample size of 3,000 is statistically too insignificant in an election with over 93 million registered voters and admits greater margins of error than claimed.

“Second, the distribution of the sample neither reflects voter demographics nor variations in voters turnout across states.

“Third, the main objective of Nextier Poll is to report a predetermined conclusion so that when Labour Party loses by wide margin, its rabid supporters can embark on another violent protests, similar to the destructive #ENDSARS riots of 2020.”

Senator Uche Ekwunife Asks Igbos To Forget Peter Obi And Vote Atiku

Editorial staff

February 5, 2023

Senator Uche Ekwunife, the senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for the Anambra Central senatorial district, has called on Igbos in the Southeast to forget about the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi but vote for the candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar in the February 25 Presidential election.

“Peter Obi is no doubt, a force to reckon with in the election, but will not be able to garner the required spread that will secure a win, unlike Atiku who has everything it takes to win the election with a high margin.”

Ekwunife, who reacted to an online report claiming that she had endorsed Obi in the February poll, in a statement today, February 5, said that Obi does not have the capacity to garner the required spread across the country to make him win the presidential election.

The statement with the caption, ‘My purported endorsement of Peter Obi,’ reads: “It has come to my notice that an online blog has been circulating articles claiming that I have endorsed the presidential candidate of the LP, Mr Peter Obi, in the forthcoming February poll. It further attributed statements that may translate as adopting Obi as my candidate for the election.

“I want to state categorically that those statements never emanated from me or my campaign council. I also wish to state that Peter Obi is my leader and an elder brother from Anambra Central whom I respect and hold in high esteem.

“But our political aspiration has become divergent, hence, the need for me to focus on delivering our presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and the vice presidential candidate, Ifeanyi Okowa, who are of the PDP.

“May I restate that I’m of the PDP and we have candidates in all the elective positions across Nigeria and I cannot at this point, work against my party or any of her candidates for whatever reasons?

She then asked the people of Anambra and Nigerians to key into Atiku’s presidential aspiration as a “project to rescue Nigeria and get her on the path of greatness.”

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