Former Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir Ahmed el-Rufai has dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and switched over to the Social Democratic Party (SDP). El-Rufai’s resignation letter has been submitted already to the leadership of the APC in his ward in Kaduna State. The former governor, who also served as the Federal Capital Territory minister, has instructed all his supporters and associates to join the SDP. He cited a growing discord between his personal values and the current direction of the APC as the primary reason for his decision to quit APC. In a statement today, March 10, el-Rufai expressed disappointment with the APC’s leadership, accusing the party of straying from the progressive ideals of its founding members. He said that he had raised concerns about the party’s trajectory both privately and publicly over the past two years but found no willingness among the current leadership to address the issues. “Developments in the last two years confirm that there is no desire on the part of those who currently control and run the APC to acknowledge, much less address, the unhealthy situation of the party.” el-Rufai, who played a key role in the formation of the APC in 2013, recalled his efforts in negotiating the merger of political parties that led to the creation of the ruling party. He highlighted his contributions to the APC’s electoral successes in 2015, 2019, and 2023, as well as his tenure as Kaduna State Governor, during which he implemented policies focused on education, healthcare, infrastructure, job creation, and investment. “My eight-year tenure in Kaduna State was devoted to implementing progressive policies to advance human development. “These records count for little in the current APC that has castrated its organs and treated its membership with contempt in the last two years. I find this no longer acceptable.”
Thursday, 6th March 2025, started like any other day in the Nigerian Senate. But before the day ran out, some events that would not be easily forgotten had unfolded. First: a woman Senator was sanctioned for misconduct after flouting the rules of the Senate. Second: Women Legislative Aides in the Office of the Senate President hosted a huge gathering of women for a global event. Ironically, while the women were waiting in a big conference room in the Senate wing of the Assembly for the gender-related event to kick off, a fellow woman was being escorted out of the hallowed Chamber by the Sergeant-At-Arms, having been suspended from the Senate for six months. What a coincidence! The assembly of women was led by the Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, and included some former women Senators, representatives of women groups and women activists. The gathering was to mark International Women’s Day, commemorated worldwide yearly on the 8th of March. The United Nation’s purpose for the Women’s Day celebrations is to boost global awareness on women’s rights, gender inclusivity in the economy and polity, gender equality and campaign against abuse and violence against women. The President of the Senate, Godswill Obot Akpabio, attended the event in company with some other Senators, including the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, and Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele. They left the Chamber after the day’s proceedings to participate in the event. The platform offered the Senate President an opportunity to showcase his record of commitment to women’s rights despite the negative commentaries portraying him differently. Akpabio recalled an event decades ago, when, as a Student Union Leader, he walked into the office of a Professor to fight for a female student who had complained of victimisation by the lecturer. The confrontation with the lecturer saved the student from being willfully failed. Akpabio also proudly exhibited his record as the Governor of Akwa Ibom State when he had a woman as his Deputy Governor and appointed three women as Chief Judges and two as Head of Service. He also appointed many women to his cabinet and as chairpersons of many local governments. During his tenure, the Deputy Speaker and Chief Whip of the State House of Assembly were women. And when Akpabio had the privilege to nominate for a ministerial appointment, his nominee was a woman. The record earned him the award of The Most Gender-Friendly Governor in Nigeria. Since his emergence as Senate President, Akpabio has continued to demonstrate the same commitment to gender inclusivity. He directed the management of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) to create a Gender Inclusivity Unit. He also caused the Institute to convoke a Conference of Women in Governance in August 2023. Reflecting on all of the above and many more that Thursday, Akpabio emphatically remarked: “So, l have been a great advocate for the rights of women and I will remain so till I die.” However, the Senate President challenged the gathering to ponder why, despite the increasing advocacy, the level of women’s inclusion keeps falling in Nigeria. He cited the case of the National Assembly which had nine women Senators in the Ninth Senate but only four in the Tenth Senate. For Akpabio, one way to change the narrative is for women to look inward and avoid certain things. They should not always weaponise their gender. “We can increase the number of women in Parliament by our own attitude, by preventing the idea of weaponising gender.” Then the case of Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the Kogi Senator suspended a couple of hours earlier, as expected, came up at the event. It is an episode the Senate President was reluctant to comment on in the public or outside the Chamber. But Akpabio was compelled to make some remarks on it by the comments made earlier by some speakers. For instance, a woman activist, Ene Obi, who spoke ahead of the Senate President, said if she had not brought the issue up that day, “then I’m not worthy of living.” She said for 10 days, she and her colleagues hardly slept because of Natasha’s case. She narrated how they, at different times, engaged the Senate President and Senator Natasha in an attempt to find a solution to the matter. “We told the Senate President that we have only four women in the Senate and we need them to be protected. We need them to have an environment that they can serve. And so we are really worried.” Obi concluded that the decision of the Senate earlier that day to suspend Senator Natasha “shows that we have failed,” in our mediation role. She nonetheless appealed again to the Senate President for a resolution of the matter and that they wanted more women representation in parliament. Responding, Akpabio, who Natasha accused of sexual harassment, made it clear that he had no idea anything happened between them on 8th December 2023, a day before his birthday celebration in Uyo. “So from 8th December 2023, I never heard. My wife never heard. No Nigerian ever heard. Even the husband never heard of this issue of sexual harassment until her committee was changed, and then her seat was changed. “Have you ever wondered about the trauma caused by that same woman on the other people she has accused in the past? None has been proven so far. You even wonder about the trauma caused to the 10th Senate and the image of the Senate with all these useless allegations.” To highlight the character of the Senator in question, Akpabio recalled an incident involving her and the Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, at the National Assembly. The Minister had spoken ahead of Akpabio but only about a favourable disposition of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly to women, which was demonstrated in the increase of the budget of the Ministry of Women Affairs by 1000 percent. But Akpabio said the Minister failed to mention the experience that made her cry when she appeared before the Senate to defend the 2025 budget of her Ministry. According to Akpabio, a female senator walked her out, remarking that the minister had not come prepared. Other Senators pleaded to allow her to defend the budget because she had another function with Mr President in Lagos. However, the female Senator insisted that the way she started was disrespectful to the Senate. All pleas and entreaties fell on the Senator’s deaf ears and the minister left the Senate in tears that day. “I had to call her (Minister) to tell her, that does not represent us. And the woman that walked her out of that committee was Distinguished Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. Here we are talking of character,” Akpabio told his women audience. “Your attitude determines your altitude. Our women must rise above pettiness. We must go back to where we see an upward movement of women in all spheres of life. That is the only way I will have hope and fulfilment that I have left a solid legacy behind in politics. “We must condemn all issues of sexual harassment that are not fake. We must tell women not to use tears to look for sentiments when they are making false accusations. We must also let women know that governance is not about vanity. If a common seat can cause a kind of hullabaloo and then you asked why don’t you want to move from the seat and somebody sits on Television and said that is the only place camera catches me well. Are we doing a beauty contest in the Senate? It is a serious place. It is not a place you look for the camera to come and catch you. But we have left room for reconciliation. The debt I owe Nigerian women, through my late mother, is so deep in me that I will, throughout my life, continue to work for the upliftment of the women in this country.” On low women representation in governance, Akpabio said: “Let us talk to ourselves. Listen to the minister. The minister just suffered from a fellow woman. Put up a woman in any senatorial district today for Senate, women will vote for the men. You will never vote for yourselves. So let us start by questioning you. How come you don’t elect your own? When the minister was speaking, the minister said women constitute 51 percent of the voting population in Nigeria. So why, again, are you taking the backstage in terms of political representation? Women will never vote for themselves. Ask me, if a woman does not want to vote for a woman, am I the one that will force the woman to vote?” However, Akpabio offers a solution to the complex problem. He cited the measures adopted in some countries he has visited, like Tanzania, South Africa and Malawi, where a certain percentage of seats are constitutionally reserved for women. In countries like the United Arab Emirates and Somalia, he said it is done by appointment of a number of women into the Parliament. “We are discussing that in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. If it means tinkering with the Electoral Act to enable women have a say in the Parliament, we will do so. Women are better managers but sometimes women can be harder than men. When they take decisions, they take decisions, but they are very prudent in all aspects of life,” Akpabio said.
When in July 2024, the Supreme Court gave a ruling that effectively granted financial autonomy to the 774 local government councils in the country, the development was received with mixed reactions. While many celebrated the position of the nation’s apex court with regards to the third tier of government, Nigerian governors were clearly not happy because, over the years, the state chief executives have appropriated the resources meant for the local governments to themselves. Indeed, the governors’ total grip on the local government was so strong that many considered the implementation of the Supreme Court judgment impossible. Even Justice Emmanuel Agim, who read the lead judgment of the apex court, alluded to the governors’ influence when he scolded the decades-long refusal of the state governments on financial autonomy for local governments. The governors had in 2019 under then President Muhammadu Buhari successfully frustrated the decision by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) regulating transactions on State and Local Governments Joint Accounts, limiting cash withdrawals from local governments accounts to a maximum amount of N500,000 per day with penalties for banks that failed to comply. But, the Bola Tinubu administration was determined to implement the judgment. It followed through by setting up a 10-member inter-ministerial committee to implement the Supreme Court judgment. In a broadcast marking Nigeria’s 64th Independence anniversary, President Bola Tinubu said, “As part of our efforts to re-engineer our political economy, we are resolute in our determination to implement the Supreme Court judgment on the financial autonomy of local governments.” However, the state governors continued their lobby against the enforcement of the Supreme Court judgment. The governors have continued to mount pressure on top officials of the Tinubu Administration to soft-pedal on the implementation of the apex court judgment. As a result of these developments, government’s actions have been subjected to all sorts of interpretations, most of them wide off the mark. For instance, consider the story titled “LGAs financial autonomy faces fresh hurdle on CBN demand” in the Business Day of February 2, 2025. According to the story, which relied on sources, “Local governments across Nigeria are facing a new challenge in their push to receive monthly allocations directly from the federation accounts, as they must now submit a two-year account audit to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) before funds can be disbursed.” Continuing, it said: “The direct revenue remittance, initially scheduled to begin in January, was postponed after many of the 774 local councils failed to provide the required account details. As a result, their N361.754 billion share from the total N1.424 trillion distributable revenue for the month was routed through the state governments. “The CBN has begun the process of opening accounts for local governments to facilitate direct payments, in line with the financial autonomy secured through a Supreme Court ruling in July 2024. “However, with the next allocation due in a few weeks, concerns are growing over the ability of councils to submit the mandated audit reports before the February meeting of the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC). Sources at the CBN confirmed that the bank would not proceed with account openings without a clear understanding of each local government’s financial position.” Why should a move aimed at ensuring accountability, probity, and transparency be considered a hurdle? Are we saying that local governments have no record of their spending? What exactly are you trying to say. The CBN, we must not forget, is an independent institution with its own standard operating procedure (SOP). But it is also held accountable by relevant government institutions and agencies. If the CBN is expected to always present its audited report despite its independence, why should LGs not be subjected to the same?How many Nigerians will be satisfied with CBN explanation when the figures fail to add up? Sadly, rather than support CBN’s position on accountability, the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), through its National President Hakeem Ambali, is warning the apex bank against aiding state governors in undermining the financial autonomy of local government councils. “There is no local government without at least three years of audited accounts. This is made possible due to the presence of the Auditors-General at the local government levels. “The CBN must understand that it can not go against a landmark Supreme Court judgment. No organisation should allow itself to be used by governors against the realisation of the autonomy for local governments,” Ambali was quoted by The PUNCH as saying. So, if truly LGs have at least three years of audited accounts, the logical question to ask is: what makes it difficult to present such audited reports and satisfy the said CBN demand? Unlike local governments, which can still be influenced by state governors through the instrumentality of state electoral bodies, the CBN is not beholden to state governments in any way. While majority Nigerians are in support of LG autonomy so that developmental projects can be executed at the grassroots level, it will be suicidal to do so in a vague and fraudulent way. Going to court, and whatever the outcome, can not change this fact. Nasir is a journalist based in Abuja
Amidst the frenzy noises, mainly in social and conventional media, and in the political arena on what has been thrown up as an impasse between the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Udusghan on one hand, and between Natasha and the Senate as an institution on the other hand, has emerged what I would like to call “voice of wisdom.” Since the crisis of authority or lack of it arose from the point of seat reallocations, up to the point at which Senator Natasha was sent on suspension with mouthwatering conditions, the media and political environment have been assailed with gargantuan muscle flexing from different angles: dividing the discourse for and against, depending on which divides the feuding media warriors found themselves. However, Senator, Oshiomhole, in a video clip that is currently trending, called for peace, insisting that there should be no division in the Senate as a an institution. In calming down the nerves that have been unnecessarily battered by what I consider to be egocentric, Senator Oshiomhole assured Natasha that a lot of the senators are her true friends, despite the little misunderstanding that has been blown to mountain. He even reminded Natasha that Akpabio had once tagged her as Princess of the 10th Senate, praying that after all the dust that has been raised, she would continue to be the real Princess of the senate. Reminding the Senate President that the quality of a leader is tested when he’s under severe provocation and how he navigates challenges, he argued that being sorry for the wrong one is believed to have done should be regarded as a sign of strength rather weakness. Oshiomhole made himself as an example when he apologized to the Senate as he trod the same path by going to complain on television about the grievance he had over accusation of embezzling money, and a few senators felt bad about it. He also made example of himself when his seat was changed without prior information, but that he accepted the change “because I know that you can only change my seat but you cannot change me or my opinions.” For the sake of argument to put things in proper perspective, one of the objective legislative analysts was empathic that Natasha’s suspension is strictly about the rules, and had nothing to do with allegation of sexual Harassment. He said that she broke Rule 6:1, 6:2, 6:9, 55:1, 62, 63, 44, 47. The analyst stressed that Natasha began a fight without due consultation and proper guidance, saying that she cannot be seeking refuge in one side of the law (order 10) while disregarding a whole lot of other parts of the same laws. If the issue of sexual harassment is presented, as it’s being done, as the groundswell for protest on the action of relocating her from her seat, what would others who were similarly moved at the same time present to justify protest against the same relocation? As a matter of fact, after the article I published on Greenbarge Reporters online newspaper when the issue of change of seat first raised the dust, these peacemaking words by Senator Oshiomhole obviously made a great deal of impact on the way out of the logjam. Any other words coming, especially outside the hallow chamber of the respected Senate should be seen as stoking more fire. Such words are mainly emanating from those who are being driven by pure sentiments, emotions and those who are promoting their social media contents simply to make money. Ditto the lawyers. As we all know of course that Senator Akpabio would not resign on the basis of the allegation (not confirmation) that are flying all over the place, just as Natasha would not be recalled by people she’s representing, and therefore, it is good if the two internalise this matter, resolve it to enable them have the unity of purpose of attaining the primary purpose of legislation, which is for the betterment of their Senatorial Districts and Nigeria at large. One imagines what kind of relationship that would prevail between the two feuding personalities when the dust is settled and they both go to work in the same chamber, without having resolved the impasse. I want to recall my point in the last write up by saying that it is a misnomer for one lawmaker to regard fellow lawmaker as “enemies” much more, the Senate President. In an ideal legislative setting, there can be no enemies or adversaries, but simply “opposition” or “horsetrading’ from where lobby, consultations, personal interactios are the natural resort. It is important to stress the point that the ideal legislative interactions between senators and senate leadership in Nigeria should be characterized by respect and transparency. Senators and senate leadership should work together to introduce, debate, and pass legislation that benefits the country. This involves active listening, open communication and a willingness to compromise. Senators should maintain a respectful tone when engaging with each other and with senate leadership, even when disagreeing. This fosters a positive and productive legislative environment. Senate leadership should, on the other hand, ensure that decision-making processes are transparent, with clear explanations for decisions and actions. This helps build trust among senators and the public. Senators should participate in debates, ask informed questions, and provide thoughtful contributions to shape legislation and they should seek clarification from senate leadership on legislative procedures, rules, and decisions. All these things point to the fact that even as human beings, we are learning everyday, either from others or from our mistakes. What differentiates the wise from the foolish ones amongst us, human, is the use to which we put such learning and even, the refusal or failure to turn such learning process into something else just to elicit unnecessary furore and sympathy. The learning and accommodation of the tumbles and tribulations is pronounced more in political turfs. Natasha and Akpabio are therefore, in this learning context not enemies per se. The earlier they realise that fact and face the legislative realities the better for them, their individual constituencies and the country.
Yusuf Ozi-Usman nipr, is Editor-in-chief of Greenbarge Reporters online newspaper
Note: this piece was first published in 2018 the way it is:
Lami Fatima Babare, my beloved wife, my friend, the mother of my children. Today (March 12, 2018) marks one week of your painful death. When we got married on the 30th of October, 1992, our dream was to grow old together; to live to the age when we will walk about alone in the house with walking sticks after sending all the children on their course, reliving our early love once again, with our grandchildren, great grandchildren and more to give us some fulfilment after the long struggle to prepare our children for their life’s journey. But He who created you from my rib for me knew you would leave me in the cold night of 6th of March, just three days after your 52nd birthday. You sang and danced for me, bringing laughter to my life and our home. You made me excel because I wanted to be your king. My life, too, revolved around you. Everything I did was for you, because of you, or in consideration of you. You were always there for me; in your eyes I was the father and mother you didn’t have. I was your husband, friend and brother too. Your love was genuine and so was your submissiveness to my authority as your husband. When you were diagnosed with cervical cancer over a year ago, it was a rude shock to us. You knew, we all knew, it was just a matter of time. It became debilitating for the month you remained bedridden as the unmerciful disease ate up your insides. From Tuesday, 6th of February to Monday, 5th of March when you finally gave up the ghost, it had been from one hospital to another and one surgery after another. Yet you were always full of praise to your creator. I witnessed this because I was always with you, by your side all the days. I recall when you were to undergo a procedure called Bilateral Nephrostomy in which tubes were inserted into your left and right sides to empty your bowels as your kidneys’ functions had been impaired. We held hands by the hospital theatre entrance and your words were ‘Allah abun godiya’. You were submissive to His will and struggled on, with strength. All of us who saw you were all the time in tears but not a drop of it from your large, beautiful, enchanting eyes. You were a woman with all the attributes of women but your strength was the envy of men, and my source of strength and confidence. You put up a gallant fight for your life, but death is an inescapable foe. It does its work at the time given to it by the creator. No one escapes their appointed time. You achieved a lot. You made me a man, always a source of comfort to me and a pillow that cushioned my heart. You gave birth to, and nurtured, six wonderful children, one of whom became a lawyer at 22 while three are at various levels in the university. You have left behind two beautiful grandchildren from your first daughter.r We all will miss you. Your friends will miss you. Your relations will miss you. Mine will miss you. Your students at FCE (T), Potiskum will miss you. FCE (T) Potiskum is where you served diligently as a lecturer for 27 years without a query or reprimand of any kind and you rose to become a senior lecturer and deputy director of its remedial programme. You were also a dedicated unionist. Even though neither the college’s management nor the COEASU executive sent a delegation to visit you on your death bed, I know that you have forgiven them because you were large hearted, generous, gentle and forgiving by nature. I have been in tears since you left me but the tears are not for you; you are in a better realm now. The tears are for me. Your death has opened me up because the foundation on which my life was built was you. I now realise my home is no longer like home, because you were my home. Because you were there, I could afford to move about in the world in a carefree way, knowing that you got my back. It is now a new era for me. There is no time, but I have to start again. One’s first marriage is generally one based on sincere love because it’s generally effected by contributions from family and friends. Any other after is because one can. One cannot replicate with any other what one has done with the first wife. My only regret is that I did not take a photograph with you on your sick bed. There was always a sort of shyness between us; with you sometimes I behaved like a child in front of his mother. Perhaps I didn’t want to think I was taking the pictures as a way of saying good bye. And there was always that reserve of hope, however faint, that anything – positive – could happen with your case. I also regret not snapping you when you lay lifeless. I touched your face tenderly, closed your slightly parted lips, but it never occurred to me to take that physical snapshot, but that picture will remain indelible in my mind’s eyes. As the curtains are drawn on your worthy, earthly life, a life well spent, I eagerly look to a reunion under the shades of the trees of Paradise so that we continue from where we stopped, where I will enjoy again the endless laughter from your sweet voice. I know you are there. If your Paradise were under my feet, then you have no problem because I had raised those feet to make way for you the day I married you. It is left for me to do what will make me meet you where you are waiting for me, by living well. Thank God there is a meeting place. If there was none, I wouldn’t know how to take what has happened. It would have been too much for my poor heart. Till we meet there to part no more, my darling wife, in shaa Allah, Lami.
Note: This piece was first published on March 12, 2018, nine days after her death. It is repeated wholly with only a headline change as a posthumous birthday seven years after.
Hassan Gimba, anipr, is the CEO/Publisher of Neptune Prime.
Former Nigeria’s Vice President Atiku Abubakar has made it clear that he is firmly in the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as he continues to pursue a coalition of all political parties to kickout the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) at the center in the 2027 general elections. Reacting to what he called “unverified information” that he had abandoned the PDP, Atiku said that such rumour is a total fallacy that holds no merit in logic. Atiku said that he had persistently called for a coalition of opposition political parties in Nigeria “ahead of the 2027 general elections with the aim of ousting the incompetent and pain-inflicting All Progressives Congress, in order to give Nigerians a new lease of life.” He said that his advocacy for a robust coalition is aimed at bringing into one fold all opposition parties including the PDP. “Hence, it is fallacious and unfounded to allege that the Waziri is jumping PDP ship. Such an allegation is antithetical to the objective of the grand coalition, which the former Vice President is currently driving alongside other prominent political leaders in the country. “We, therefore, wish to state unequivocally that Atiku remains a principal bonafide member of the PDP, the main opposition party. “Any insinuation to the contrary is contrived to confuse Nigerians about the magnitude of the grand coalition that is at work to rescue Nigeria from the grip of the APC.
“My father died a while ago! Janaza will be at Sultan Bello Mosque Kaduna after Jumuat prayer Insha Allah”….This was the sombre message that greeted me on my phone from Sadiq Kabir Dangogo, son of the legendary Mallam Kabir Dangogo, as I awoke for the Ramadan Sahur at 4:00 AM on Friday, March 7, 2025. For a moment, I was paralyzed by disbelief. I pinched myself to ensure it wasn’t a nightmare and sought further confirmation. The reality soon sank in: the man who had inspired countless African public relations professionals was no more. Mallam Kabir Dangogo was not just a name in the field of public relations; he was an institution. His contributions to the profession were monumental, and his legacy will continue to inspire generations of PR practitioners. My first encounter with Mallam Dangogo was through his writings during my early years in PR. However, it was an unforgettable honor to share a podium with him when we were both recognized as PR Personalities of the Year by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) Kano/Jigawa Chapter exactly 30 years ago. The event, held on August 5, 1995, at Daula Hotel in Kano, was graced by dignitaries such as the NIPR President, Alhaji Sabo Muhammad; former Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Ali Saad Birnin Kudu; and my boss Alhaji Abu Gidado, then Minister of State for Finance, who was the Special Guest of Honour. That moment marked the beginning of a mentorship and professional relationship that profoundly shaped my career. Mallam Dangogo’s towering presence in strategic communication opened doors to numerous opportunities and networks. His establishment of Timex Communications and Training School after his retirement further cemented his commitment to nurturing the next generation of PR professionals. As a revered authority in financial public relations and reputation management, Mallam Dangogo’s expertise transcended borders. On February 21, 2019, we had the privilege of hosting him at the PRNigeria Centre in Abuja for a mentorship session with our interns, mostly Mass Communication students. Unbeknownst to him, we had orchestrated a surprise 70th birthday celebration in his honor. At exactly 4:00 PM, as I led him into our conference room, the staff and interns erupted into a melodious rendition of “Happy Birthday.” The look of surprise on his face was priceless. The celebration deepened as calls began pouring in from top PR practitioners across the continent. The first was from the President of the African Public Relations Association (APRA), Mr. Yomi Badejo-Okusanya, followed by the President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Mr. Mukhtar Sirajo, and many others, all extending heartfelt wishes. A Short Tribute to Mr. Kabir Dangogo by Asare Okae-Anti A Legacy of Integrity: Remembering a Forthright Mentor, Mallam Kabir Dangogo by Nkechi Alli-Balogun In his remarks that day, Mallam Dangogo admitted that he had long forgotten his birthday, which he rarely commemorated. With a sense of nostalgia, he reflected on the golden days of public relations, when decorum, ethics, and professionalism were the guiding principles of the profession. He lamented the current state of PR in Nigeria, emphasizing that the profession was not merely about crafting grammatically impeccable press releases or delivering eloquent speeches at press conferences. He urged young practitioners to be hardworking, diligent, and steadfast in upholding the ethics of the profession.
Born on February 21, 1949, Mallam Kabir Dangogo was a scholar and a trailblazer. He earned academic degrees from Ohio University, Athens, in the United States in 1981, and the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom in 1987. Mallam Dangogo’s illustrious career began in journalism, where he worked at the New Nigerian newspaper and the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). He actually served as the Managing Editor of New Nigerian newspaper between 1988 and 1989, a Senior Lecturer at Kaduna Polytechnic in the late 1980s, and the Press Adviser for the United States Information Service in 1990. He later transitioned into public relations, serving as a Public Relations Officer at the Bank of the North Limited and Union Bank of Nigeria Plc. He was the founding President of the Association of Corporate Affairs Managers of Banks (ACAMB). He served as Secretary-General of the Federation of African Public Relations Associations (FAPRA later known as APRA) while also being the Chairman of the Nigeria Chapter of the International Public Relations Associations (IPRA) between 2002 and 2006, bringing pride to Nigeria on the continental and global stage. After 32 years of distinguished service in various corporate organizations, Mallam Dangogo voluntarily retired from Union Bank on June 26, 2005, as the Assistant General Manager (AGM) of Corporate Affairs. He then established Timex Communications, a PR firm and communication training school that hosted global events in Nigeria. His contributions to the profession were recognized globally. In 1981, he was elected a Fellow of the International Radio and Television Society (IRTS) in New York. He became a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) in 2000 and received the NIPR President’s Award for Excellence in Public Relations in 1996. He was also a Fellow of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) and received the Lagos State Chapter of the NIPR Award for Excellence in Public Relations in 2005. Mallam Kabir Dangogo was a multi-award-winning PR practitioner whose decades of distinguished practice left an indelible mark on the communications landscape and the banking industry. His remarkable journey is a testament to his exceptional leadership, professionalism, and unwavering commitment to excellence. As we bid farewell to this doyen of public relations in Africa, we celebrate a life well-lived and a legacy that will endure. May his soul rest in peace.
Yushau A. Shuaib is the author of “A Dozen Tips for Media Relations” and “Introduction to Financial Public Relations in Nigeria.” yashuaib@yashuaib.com
Immediate past President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari recently relocated to his known residence on Sultan Lane, GRA, Kaduna. This came almost two years after he exited the Presidential Villa in Abuja, on May 29, 2023. He had been in his country home in Daura, Katsina State until his movement to his old house in Kaduna. Credible sources said his relocation to Daura was actually a stop gap measure after leaving office pending the completion of his Kaduna house. It was learnt that the house was demolished and thereafter rebuilt by one of the leading construction companies in Nigeria. When our correspondent visited the location of the house, there were heavily armed security operatives, making it difficult to go much close to the building. He, however, managed to get a picture of the area, even as the newly built house could be seen from the distance. The Kaduna house is where Buhari was known to reside prior to his swearing in as president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on May 29, 2015. The house used to be a modest edifice said to have been built when he was serving as a senior officer in the army and years before he became head of state in 1983. During those years, visitors to the house were often surprised at the modesty of the entire building, which stood on a vast compound, compared to what other former heads of state have as abodes. The duplex stood in front of a lawn, which took most of the space on the plot accommodating the house. For the eight years that Buhari held sway as president, sources said not much was done to upgrade the house as he spent his vacation mostly in his home town of Daura. Careful about his modest lifestyle, the former president has always insisted that he did not use his office either as military head of state or president to enrich himself. Close to the end of his second tenure in 2023, Buhari surprised many when he gave notice that on leaving office, he would be returning to Daura instead of Kaduna to stay away as far as possible from the seat of power in Abuja. When he handed over to President Bola Tinubu, Buhari retired straight to Daura, where he lived for close to two years. In an interview on NTA’s ‘Conversations With History’ aired in November 2023, Buhari had said: “People charter buses and come to see me from time to time. I thought I had stayed as far away from Abuja as possible, but they still come. I would have gone to Niger if the borders were opened.” And at a recent event organised by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Katsina, Buhari emphasised that he had just three houses, two in Kaduna; one, which he was occupying before he became president, and another, which he said he had put up for rent. The third one is his country home in Daura. Sources said it was while he was in Daura that the Kaduna house was “reconstructed completely,” befitting his status as a former military head of state and later, president. In a surprising twist to his earlier promise, Buhari relocated to Kaduna to a well redesigned and reconstructed edifice. The surprise for many is the ease with which the edifice came out, given the acclaimed frugal nature of the former president and his preference for a near Spartan lifestyle. Our correspondent, who visited the area, observed that the narrow street where the former president’s residence is located was largely deserted, with only a few vehicles parked in front of neighbouring houses. Soldiers and policemen were seen stationed at the entrance gate, along with plain clothes security personnel believed to be undercover operatives maintaining vigilance. It was also gathered that the first house on the left of the street belongs to the late General Shehu Musa Yar’adua and was guarded by soldiers. Other notable figures residing in the area include a former minister of environment, Mahmoud Abubakar and a former Kaduna State governor, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero. There are indications, however, that the former president may have taken advantage of one of his privileges as a former president to have the house redesigned. As a former president, Buhari is entitled to remunerations and other packages as recommended by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC). They include free medical treatment for himself and members of his immediate family; 30 days of annual vacation within and outside Nigeria; a well-furnished and equipped office in any location of his choice; a well-furnished five-bedroom house to be provided in any location of his choice, all at the expense of the federal government. It is believed that it is the last benefit the former president may have taken advantage of to work on and expand his Sultan Lane residence, which now wears a new look. It is obvious, even from the outside, that there are more buildings now in the compound, unlike in the past where lawns took up vast spaces on the plot. The glistening creamy colour it now wears also stands it out from other property within the vicinity. Credible sources told one of our correspondents that indeed, it is the federal government that reconstructed the house. Meanwhile, efforts to get the reaction of the Presidency on the development were not successful as Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, declined comment on the development. However, a source within the Presidency told Weekend Trust that issues concerning the welfare of the past presidents were domiciled in the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF). The source said: “I think issues that have to do with the welfare and emoluments of former presidents and their vice are domiciled in the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. “To my knowledge, I do not think that you would get what you want in the Presidency here. It is better if you check at the SGF’s office.” Also, efforts to get comments from officials at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) were not successful as those contacted said they did not have any information on the matter. However, top officials in other sectors of the government said it was the Presidential Villa that could answer such question, especially if that was captured in the severance package of former President Buhari or was based on request from the later. In the 2023 budget, the federal government earmarked a total of N13.8 billion for the upkeep of former presidents, vice presidents, heads of state, chiefs of general staff, retired heads of service, permanent secretaries, as well as retired heads of government agencies and parastatals for the 2024 fiscal year. The provisions for former presidents/heads of states and vice presidents/chiefs of general staff under the budget stood at a cost of N2.3 billion. Since his early military days, Buhari was known to have lived in Kaduna, and his recent move is seen as a home coming of sorts. A resident who refused to disclose his identity said the house was given a total overhaul. Sources said Buhari performed his Juma’at prayer penultimate week at the Yahaya Road Juma’at Mosque, GRA, Kaduna amidst tight security. He was seen at the mosque near his residence a few minutes before 1pm last Friday, escorted by security personnel. It can be recalled that on February 27, the former president was accompanied to his Kaduna residence by Vice President Kashim Shettima and other high-profile dignitaries, including the Borno State governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, Kaduna State governor, Uba Sani, current and former deputy governors of Katsina State, a former Inspector-General of Police, former ministers and several personal aides. Source: Weekend Trust.
Embattled Natasha Akpoti-Udusghan, senator representing Kogi State Central Senatorial District, has dismissed her suspension from the Senate for six months. Reacting to the suspension which was recommended by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Public Petitions and Privileges, Natasha thundered: “this Injustice will not sustain.” She was refused to make any comments after the committee’s report was submitted for consideration at today’s plenary. The committee’s seven points recommendation are as follows: 1. Suspension for 6 months 2. She must write a written apology before she resumes 3. She should be suspended from 6th March, 2025. 4. Her office should be locked for the duration of six months, and handover property 5. She must not come close to the National Assembly complex 6. Her salaries, allowances and security details should be suspended 7. She must be barred from presenting herself as a Senator for local and international media.
The Senate Committee on Ethic and Privileges recommended that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan be suspended for six months amid her sexual harassment allegation against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio. The committee also recommended that Senator Natasha, who is representing Kogi Central, must apologise to the Senate for “disrespecting the Senate.” The committee further recommended that her salary and security details be withdrawn for the period of the suspension.
The recommendation of the Committee came today, March 6, shortly after Senator Natasha resubmitted a sexual harassment petition against Senate President during plenary. This time, she submitted the petition on behalf of her constituents, led by Zubairu Yakubu. Following the presentation, Senate President Akpabio inquired whether there were any legal impediments to accepting the petition. Senator Natasha responded that there were none. At 12:38 PM, Akpabio instructed her to formally lay the petition before the Senate. The petition was subsequently referred to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions, led by Senator Neda Imasuen (LP, Edo South), with a directive to report back to the plenary within four weeks after legislative review. This development follows a similar petition submitted by Senator Natasha the previous day, which sparked controversy. The Senate Chief Whip, Senator Mohammed Monguno (APC, Borno North), had raised a point of order, citing Senate Standing Order 40. He argued that the matter could not be entertained or referred to the Ethics Committee, as it was sub judice due to an ongoing court case involving Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan and Ekaette Akpabio, the wife of the Senate President. Monguno also contended that the petition could not be considered since Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan had personally signed it. As a result, the Senate Ethics Committee dismissed the petition, declaring it “dead on arrival.” This latest petition adds to the ongoing tensions between Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Akpabio.
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Akpabio, Natasha And Gender Issues, By Ola Awoniyi
Thursday, 6th March 2025, started like any other day in the Nigerian Senate. But before the day ran out, some events that would not be easily forgotten had unfolded. First: a woman Senator was sanctioned for misconduct after flouting the rules of the Senate. Second: Women Legislative Aides in the Office of the Senate President hosted a huge gathering of women for a global event.
Ironically, while the women were waiting in a big conference room in the Senate wing of the Assembly for the gender-related event to kick off, a fellow woman was being escorted out of the hallowed Chamber by the Sergeant-At-Arms, having been suspended from the Senate for six months. What a coincidence!
The assembly of women was led by the Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, and included some former women Senators, representatives of women groups and women activists. The gathering was to mark International Women’s Day, commemorated worldwide yearly on the 8th of March.
The United Nation’s purpose for the Women’s Day celebrations is to boost global awareness on women’s rights, gender inclusivity in the economy and polity, gender equality and campaign against abuse and violence against women. The President of the Senate, Godswill Obot Akpabio, attended the event in company with some other Senators, including the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, and Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele. They left the Chamber after the day’s proceedings to participate in the event. The platform offered the Senate President an opportunity to showcase his record of commitment to women’s rights despite the negative commentaries portraying him differently.
Akpabio recalled an event decades ago, when, as a Student Union Leader, he walked into the office of a Professor to fight for a female student who had complained of victimisation by the lecturer. The confrontation with the lecturer saved the student from being willfully failed.
Akpabio also proudly exhibited his record as the Governor of Akwa Ibom State when he had a woman as his Deputy Governor and appointed three women as Chief Judges and two as Head of Service. He also appointed many women to his cabinet and as chairpersons of many local governments. During his tenure, the Deputy Speaker and Chief Whip of the State House of Assembly were women. And when Akpabio had the privilege to nominate for a ministerial appointment, his nominee was a woman. The record earned him the award of The Most Gender-Friendly Governor in Nigeria.
Since his emergence as Senate President, Akpabio has continued to demonstrate the same commitment to gender inclusivity. He directed the management of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) to create a Gender Inclusivity Unit. He also caused the Institute to convoke a Conference of Women in Governance in August 2023.
Reflecting on all of the above and many more that Thursday, Akpabio emphatically remarked: “So, l have been a great advocate for the rights of women and I will remain so till I die.”
However, the Senate President challenged the gathering to ponder why, despite the increasing advocacy, the level of women’s inclusion keeps falling in Nigeria. He cited the case of the National Assembly which had nine women Senators in the Ninth Senate but only four in the Tenth Senate.
For Akpabio, one way to change the narrative is for women to look inward and avoid certain things. They should not always weaponise their gender. “We can increase the number of women in Parliament by our own attitude, by preventing the idea of weaponising gender.”
Then the case of Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the Kogi Senator suspended a couple of hours earlier, as expected, came up at the event. It is an episode the Senate President was reluctant to comment on in the public or outside the Chamber. But Akpabio was compelled to make some remarks on it by the comments made earlier by some speakers.
For instance, a woman activist, Ene Obi, who spoke ahead of the Senate President, said if she had not brought the issue up that day, “then I’m not worthy of living.” She said for 10 days, she and her colleagues hardly slept because of Natasha’s case. She narrated how they, at different times, engaged the Senate President and Senator Natasha in an attempt to find a solution to the matter. “We told the Senate President that we have only four women in the Senate and we need them to be protected. We need them to have an environment that they can serve. And so we are really worried.” Obi concluded that the decision of the Senate earlier that day to suspend Senator Natasha “shows that we have failed,” in our mediation role. She nonetheless appealed again to the Senate President for a resolution of the matter and that they wanted more women representation in parliament.
Responding, Akpabio, who Natasha accused of sexual harassment, made it clear that he had no idea anything happened between them on 8th December 2023, a day before his birthday celebration in Uyo. “So from 8th December 2023, I never heard. My wife never heard. No Nigerian ever heard. Even the husband never heard of this issue of sexual harassment until her committee was changed, and then her seat was changed.
“Have you ever wondered about the trauma caused by that same woman on the other people she has accused in the past? None has been proven so far. You even wonder about the trauma caused to the 10th Senate and the image of the Senate with all these useless allegations.”
To highlight the character of the Senator in question, Akpabio recalled an incident involving her and the Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, at the National Assembly. The Minister had spoken ahead of Akpabio but only about a favourable disposition of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly to women, which was demonstrated in the increase of the budget of the Ministry of Women Affairs by 1000 percent.
But Akpabio said the Minister failed to mention the experience that made her cry when she appeared before the Senate to defend the 2025 budget of her Ministry. According to Akpabio, a female senator walked her out, remarking that the minister had not come prepared. Other Senators pleaded to allow her to defend the budget because she had another function with Mr President in Lagos. However, the female Senator insisted that the way she started was disrespectful to the Senate. All pleas and entreaties fell on the Senator’s deaf ears and the minister left the Senate in tears that day. “I had to call her (Minister) to tell her, that does not represent us. And the woman that walked her out of that committee was Distinguished Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. Here we are talking of character,” Akpabio told his women audience.
“Your attitude determines your altitude. Our women must rise above pettiness. We must go back to where we see an upward movement of women in all spheres of life. That is the only way I will have hope and fulfilment that I have left a solid legacy behind in politics.
“We must condemn all issues of sexual harassment that are not fake. We must tell women not to use tears to look for sentiments when they are making false accusations. We must also let women know that governance is not about vanity. If a common seat can cause a kind of hullabaloo and then you asked why don’t you want to move from the seat and somebody sits on Television and said that is the only place camera catches me well. Are we doing a beauty contest in the Senate? It is a serious place. It is not a place you look for the camera to come and catch you. But we have left room for reconciliation. The debt I owe Nigerian women, through my late mother, is so deep in me that I will, throughout my life, continue to work for the upliftment of the women in this country.”
On low women representation in governance, Akpabio said: “Let us talk to ourselves. Listen to the minister. The minister just suffered from a fellow woman. Put up a woman in any senatorial district today for Senate, women will vote for the men. You will never vote for yourselves. So let us start by questioning you. How come you don’t elect your own? When the minister was speaking, the minister said women constitute 51 percent of the voting population in Nigeria. So why, again, are you taking the backstage in terms of political representation? Women will never vote for themselves. Ask me, if a woman does not want to vote for a woman, am I the one that will force the woman to vote?”
However, Akpabio offers a solution to the complex problem. He cited the measures adopted in some countries he has visited, like Tanzania, South Africa and Malawi, where a certain percentage of seats are constitutionally reserved for women. In countries like the United Arab Emirates and Somalia, he said it is done by appointment of a number of women into the Parliament.
“We are discussing that in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. If it means tinkering with the Electoral Act to enable women have a say in the Parliament, we will do so. Women are better managers but sometimes women can be harder than men. When they take decisions, they take decisions, but they are very prudent in all aspects of life,” Akpabio said.
***Ola Awoniyi wrote in from Abuja