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Tag: President

  • How my husband, President Yar’adua died, ex-First Lady Turai recalls

    How my husband, President Yar’adua died, ex-First Lady Turai recalls

    On the 13th memorial of the death of former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, his wife Hajiya Turai, has stated that her husband lived a simple and corrupt-free life.

    Turai spoke in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service in Kaduna on Saturday.

    “He was simple. He was not carried away by worldly things. For example, he could be using a wristwatch continuously until the strap gets broken into two. Unless I see it, he would continue to use it like that,” she stated.

    My husband was not taking alcohol, he would not go after women and he was not corrupt. He was a very simple person who did not attach importance to worldly things. Even leadership, Allah destined he would be but he wasn’t that ambitious about it”.

    Speaking on life without her husband, the former First Lady said: “I think about him everyday. Every day seems like any other day. The only difference is that today, people gathered to pray for him, eulogize him and I’m happy. I thank them.”
    Recalling the last moments with the late President, Turai regretted leaving him to break her fast. “I was fasting on that day. In fact, I had been fasting non-stop from when he took ill and even after he died, I did not stop. So when it was time for me to break my fast, he was lying down looking at me. I felt he did not want me to leave, so I told him I was going to break my fast. He then shook his head and I left. I was later called and I met him struggling with his breath. That moment still lingers in my mind. I even quarrelled with myself on why I left to break my fast, I should’ve stayed.”

    Continuing, Turai noted that her interest in politics died with her husband, even as she disclosed that she was still in a good relationship with YaÁdua’s political associates including former President Goodluck Jonathan.

    She said: “I don’t will be involved in partisan politics. I knew what’s politics, I was in politics during my school days. When my husband was President of the Katsina Students Union, I was an executive member. But when Umaru died, my politics also died. But the children and grandchildren, I will continue to pray for them, for whichever pathway Allah has chosen for them.”

    On what she missed most about her late husband, Turai added: “Our marriage was full of happiness. People were saying they had never seen our kind of relationship. I was like a new bride every day. That was why he always returned home straight from the office. So, even if I travelled, once I reached my destination, he would be the first person I would call. That was what I really missed. The first time I travelled and no one called me to Turai how was your trip?’ That was the first time I cried over his death.”

    The former First Lady urged Nigerians to continue to pray for the country. “Looking at how this country has become, they should continue to pray. Only prayers can heal Nigeria. The way things happened, only Allah will remedy the situation. We’ve no other country but Nigeria. May Allah uplift Nigeria and bring an end to these myriad problems in an easy way,” she said.

  • Aso demonic attack is real, not a fiction -Dr Abati insists

    Aso demonic attack is real, not a fiction -Dr Abati insists

    Dr Rueben Adeleye Abati, the presidential spokesperson during the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan and anchor of a morning TV show has spoken on his article about demons in Aso Rock Villa which has remained a reference and reactions to the article he wrote.

    He said, ”that article appears to have become so popular. A lot of people thought it was fiction, but it was not fiction. What I reported in that article – the spiritual side of Aso Villa – is about direct experience in that place. In fact, you will recall that after I wrote that article, some other people gave accounts of their experience in the Villa.

    What I even narrated was not the full story. People were dying, people were losing their loved ones, people were having all kinds of strange experiences. I was simply saying that, yes the presidential villa is a security zone but there are also human beings who go through all kinds of strange experiences.

    It is so bad that it is only the people who are affected who would be able to tell the story. I’m also saying that look, to go there for four years or eight years and go back home in one piece calls for celebration and I wasn’t making up that article. I had the mind that okay, one of these days I will return to that article and rework it, add more to it and include people’s testimonies. Nigerians will think it was fiction and said Abati was giving excuses for the failure or non-performance of the Jonathan administration,” he said.

    He added that, “but here we are, eight years after the fact, nobody is referring to Dr Jonathan as a ‘clueless president’ anymore because Nigerians have been confronted with the true definition of cluelessness. President Jonathan has been vindicated before the very eyes of Nigerians. So, sometimes, people talk about things they don’t know about or what they have not experienced. But part of our training as literary persons is to observe society and as journalists to report society and to give a picture of the society and hold a mirror to the society so that the society can see their reflection.

    “So, I’m sure people who have now also gone to the Aso Villa and who will be excited will have their own stories to tell. Not many of them will come out and say when they were there they were having visions of an encounter with angels except they do not want to tell the truth,” he explained.

    Source tribune

  • Tinubu and May 29, 2023: Thus Saith The Lord Or Thus Saith The Plan? By Kolawole Johnson

    Tinubu and May 29, 2023: Thus Saith The Lord Or Thus Saith The Plan? By Kolawole Johnson

    The Corsican-born French Military Commander, Napoleon Bonaparte, rose to prominence during the French Revolution. He later transmogrified into a political leader, abolished the consul in 1804 and declared himself the Emperor Napoleon1 of France. He claimed to be the state, embodying the sovereignty of the state of France. Though the popular revolution had pushed him up the ladder, he nonetheless embraced the subterfuge of power and just as Thomas Sowell explicated, Napoleon incorporated “politics as the art of making your selfish desires seem like the national interest”. Today, there are likely some more vicious Napoleon Bonapartes in the Nigerian political orbit.

    After years of military rule, Nigeria again embraced democracy in 1999 and favourably promoted the idea of a rotational presidency between the South and the North in a gentlemanly way though some members of the political class tend to jettison this arrangement in every election cycle. It has to be said that despite the tendency to abort the rotational principle halfway, the generality of the Nigerian electorate has kept faith in it.

    Chief Olusegun Obasanjo emerged in 1999 and had eight unbroken years as the President after which power shifted to the North in 2007 when Umar Musa Y’aradua from Katsina in Nigeria’s North-west geopolitical zone succeeded Obasanjo in 2007. Sadly, poor health and finally, death cut short his reign. His deputy from the south, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, emerged through the doctrine of necessity to complete the tenure after some vested interest had erected a stonewall to hamstring him from naturally succeeding his late principal in a seamless transition as the Constitution envisages it.
    Trouble, however, started when Dr Jonathan presented himself for election in 2011 and won. True to his name, Goodluck’s emergence, no doubt, exuded considerable elements of happenstance; nonetheless, some northern conservative forces were truly incensed. They felt, rightly or wrongly so, that the South should have wittingly allowed the North its own eight-year of Presidency. Since then, there had been a silent scheme to self-compensate for this perceived ‘injustice’.

    Then came President Mohammadu Buhari in 2015. Buhari emerged through just nationwide popularity as his clout turned ‘NEPA bill’ into an acceptable qualification. He was, however, most shielded by the gritty northern forces at the inception of the administration when he had health issues. The decision to retain power in the region had long been a matter of regional interest, though first held closely by these conservative forces. It fueled appointments into key positions, especially the military formations. The military intervention appeared to be an option on the schemers’ table should there be a repeat of Umar Musa Y’aradua’s scenario.

    In 2019, there was a mild drama within these forces: the conservative clique’s agenda came under internal scrutiny, resulting in contemplation to support Atiku in order to secure a 12-year chance of presidency in the north but there was no consensus. The conclusion was, however, not ambivalent nor ambiguous: there must be concentrated efforts to retain power in the north beyond the plausible eight years in order to recover the’ lost’ years of Y’aradua’s presidency. It was no longer a hidden agenda at some point. What was hidden, perhaps, was the varying options of strategic considerations by the forces.

    In plain terms, I had told many in my circle since 2021 that the South would need more than the usual efforts to have the presidency come 2023. I also mentioned clearly that if the elections were held in 2023 at the set dates, the handover may not happen, depending on who wins, eventually. I was not blabbing, after all.

    I remember warning, also, the supporters of Vice President Yemi Osibanjo and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu on social media in the build to the All Progressive Congress presidential primaries in 2022 to desist from destroying themselves as none of the two camps would enjoy the support of the Buhari presidency, which turned out to be the way I had initially projected. The self-destruction was a sweet end favoured by the cabal who wanted power to stay in the north beyond Buhari.

    There had been a long conclusion on candidates of northern extraction in the two leading political parties at that time. The emergence of Senator Ahmad Lawan as the consensus candidate was not a happenstance or fluke; he was the product of a long-hatched plot long in the pipeline. The final decision was taken right at the heart of the villa. It may be safe at this point to skip many other details regarding the multi-headed strategies the proponents deployed, even to the southern political space which later boomeranged.

    The Tinubu cyclone, consciously backed by the northern ‘progressive’ forces, overwhelmed the plot in the ruling party during the primaries but not without the resolve of the internal enforcers to frustrate his candidacy. The pain of defeat from the primaries became a perfect alibi to enlist more strategic hands into the plot. For some, it was a vendetta mission; to others, it was a surviving political orchestration. Many more were actively hauled into the illusory circus without the knowledge of the larger picture, regrettably.

    From the emergency currency change(confiscation) to many other intrigues and subterfuges, the internal conspiracy against the APC candidate, Bola Tinubu, was unprecedented. The Napoleons at the highest echelon succeeded in turning personal interest into national interest, wielding the emperor-like power to make and unmake, gauging, also, apparently, a fallback position if the polls failed to deliver on expectations. Feelers had it that the said option has always been on their table. It was said to be the military option the country’s Secret Service later ‘exposed’. It, however, became somewhat prying when this option suddenly got echoed from the pulpit as prophecy!

    Too many questions. Are they seeing their plans from the spirit? Have the Napoleons expanded the circle? Could they have possibly conscripted some men from the pulpit? I should have shrugged off the mind-boggling suggestions but I know you cannot take anything away from this political ecosystem. How else would they have designed the required acceptance?

    But I am a believer. I know God speaks. I know God sees even the most hidden thoughts in the heart of men. Also, I know God is not an author of confusion.

    Funnily, the aftermath of the 2023 electioneering process has further heightened the misapprehension. Political Crisis, instability, and selfish Interests are some of the reasons for military intervention in a democratic setting. Selfish interests, therefore explain the subtle call for military intervention by defeated politicians and their collaborators with military contacts. Some are curiously doing that lately.

    Something else caught attention. A love-lost ally of President Buhari, Alhaji Buba Galadima, on primetime programme on Arise Television, berated the secret agency for not uncovering the interim government plan long before the 2023 elections. In his word, “The DSS has not been harvesting intelligence, because if they do, they should have uncovered this (the interim government plan) over one year ago”. Need I say more that the plot has nothing to do with Peter Obi neither was it designed to favour him? The prophecy that included him in a plan we knew was long designed for a purpose that is antithetical to his ambition thus caught my attention.
    Is it possible that the Napoleons had a cut into the vulnerable circle of men of the collar to give what they would have described as first-hand intelligence with the assurance of its certainty while adding Obi’s name to buy in more unsuspected groups? What awaits Nigeria on May 29th? Whose report do we believe? Are we hearing, truly, THUS SAITH THE LORD OR THUS SAITH THE PLAN?

  • Nigeria worse not having Osinbajo as president – Sanusi

    Nigeria worse not having Osinbajo as president – Sanusi

    Deposed Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has said Nigeria will become worse not having someone like Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo as the country’s president.

    He spoke at the virtual launch of a book: “Osinbajo Strides: Defining Moments of an Innovative Leader,” yesterday.

    The former Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, governor, pointed out that Osinbajo was one of those in the current administration willing to debate any matter and yield a superior argument.

    “And I dare say, we all agree that Nigeria is worse off for not having someone like him (Osinbajo) as president, but I do hope that he will be available to serve and to advise and to put in his best for the country and continue to do.

    “So I’m sure he will, in whatever capacity he finds himself in the future, and maybe we’ll still be lucky to have him lead us at some point or take some leadership role as a statesman,” Sanusi said.

  • My father will make Nigeria a better place – Seyi Tinubu assures Nigerians

    My father will make Nigeria a better place – Seyi Tinubu assures Nigerians

    Seyi, son of President-elect, Bola Tinubu, has assured Nigerians of a better country and a renewed hope in the incoming administration.

    He gave the assurance on Saturday in Abuja when he joined other supporters and admirers of his father at the Day 34 of the pre-inauguration hangout.

    The daily pre-inauguration hangout which began on March 26, was organised by a political pressure group, Patriots in Defense of Democracy.

    Mr Seyi, who arrived at the Unity Fountain, venue of the hangout along with his team, was ushered in with various scintillating cultural displays.

    He appreciated all supporters present at the hangout and assured youths that the incoming administration would give priority to their needs in all areas, particularly in appointive positions.

    The group’s convener, Mr Tosin Adeyanju, said the daily pre-inauguration hangout was in solidarity with the mandate freely given by Nigerians to Tinubu on Feb. 25.

    He said the hangout was aimed at redirecting the ongoing narratives about the presidential election and the emergence of Mr Tinubu as the president-elect.

    Mr Adeyanju said that the hangout would continue until May 29, when Mr Tinubu would be sworn in as the country’s 16th democratically elected president.

    “The attendees had been here for 34 days now to chase out anti-democracy preachers as well as to stand on the mandate freely given to Mr Tinubu, the President-elect.

    “We have had several events, including a medical outreach to bring health facility closer to the attendees as a way to adding colour to the hangout,” he said.

    Mr Adeyanju said the hangout was being sustained by contributions from friends and Mr Tinubu’s well-wishers.

  • It’s difficult for Christian to become Nigeria’s president – Asari Dokubo

    It’s difficult for Christian to become Nigeria’s president – Asari Dokubo

    Former Niger Delta militant, Asari Dokubo has disclosed that it would be difficult for a Christian to become Nigeria’s president.

    Speaking on Facebook live, Dokubo said the Muslim-Muslim ticket has come to stand.

    “Today, it will be very difficult for a Christian to become president of Nigeria because Tinubu cannot change anything – like what he did in Lagos.

    “Muslim-Muslim ticket has come to stand. There is nothing you can do.

    “You don’t start a war that you cannot finish.

    “The people that have promoted religion in everything in Nigeria are Christians,” he said.

  • Soludo and Okonjo-Iweala were my best appointees as president – Obasanjo reminisces

    Soludo and Okonjo-Iweala were my best appointees as president – Obasanjo reminisces

    Chief Olusegun Obasanjo on Saturday said Chukwuma Soludo and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala were the best appointees he made as president of Nigeria between 1999 to 2007.

    Obasanjo stated this during a ceremony to mark the first year in office of Soludo as Governor of Anambra State.

    He said he did not support Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, initially.

    The former president said: “Soludo was close to me as an economic adviser when I was president and never misadvised me even once. That was why I sent him to the Central Bank of Nigeria later on.

    “Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Chukwuma Soludo were the best appointments that I made while I was president.

    “When Soludo came to me when he wanted to be governor previousIy, I didn’t support him. Of course, I didn’t disguise my anger towards him. I told him he should be thinking of something national or international.

    “The experience I had of Anambra governorship then was that of Ngige and Chris Uba. I once told Soludo that this is what will continue to happen if people like him are running away from governance. So, when I told him I was disappointed in him going for governor, he also reminded me that I had earlier accused him of running away from governance. So, when he came back and told me he wanted to run, I told him he could go. I also told him – don’t forget that I reserve you for national assignment, so you can use governor as an appetizer.

    “From what I have heard and what I have seen, you have not disappointed me and I believe you have not disappointed the people of Anambra State. When you are done with this, you can think of something international, or national, that is where you belong,” Obasanjo said.

    Earlier, Soludo had taken time to reel out his achievements in the past year of being the governor of Anambra State.

    “Here, our mantra is ‘doing more with less’. We want to build a state that everyone will be proud of, and my children and great-grandchildren will be happy to live in.

    “We want to transform Anambra to a liveable and prosperous homeland so that wherever we are, we will desire to be here. The Igbo man no matter where he lives, always desires to be brought back and buried here when they die. But we want to build a place we will not only be happy to be brought back for burial but that we will also like to live in.

    “For me, I will be proud to live here, even when I am done with this job. The goodwill is here, the environment is getting better and we shall continue to strive to make it work. We only ask that wealthy Anambra people should help us by bringing back part of their investment. If we can get Anambra people in other states, who can pay their taxes here, then just sit back and see your money work for you,” Soludo said.

    He said that in one year as governor, he had employed 5,000 teachers at once, 3,000 health workers and constructed several roads in the state.

    “Nigeria is a place where governors only employ massively when they are leaving office, but in one year, we have made many employments in the education and health sector, and we are planning more.”

    The event, which was attended by several dignitaries from across the country, including prominent Anambra indigenes, was held at the International Convention Center, Awka.

  • Infantino re-elected unopposed as FIFA president

    Infantino re-elected unopposed as FIFA president

    Gianni Infantino has been re-elected as the president of the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA).

    The election was held on Thursday during the 73rd Congress in Kigali, as Infantino stood unopposed, making his re-election as head of football’s governing body a formality.

    Controversies surrounding him include,  the treatment of migrant workers in the run-up to last year’s World Cup in Qatar and a failed plan to play the tournament every two years.

    Infantino, however, promised record revenues in the next four-year cycle of $11 billion as he called for more football to be played around the world.

    “It is an incredible honour and privilege, and a great responsibility.

    “I promise to continue serving FIFA and football around the world.

    “To those that love me, and I know there are many, and those who hate me, I love you all,” Infantino said.

    Infantino confirmed FIFA’s income hit record levels in the last cycle from 2019-2022, but promised to substantially raise this again on the back of expanded men’s and women’s World Cup tournaments and the introduction of a 32-team Club World Cup.

    “Revenues rose to a record $7.5 billion (to 2022) in a period that was hit by COVID-19.

    “When I arrived, FIFA reserves stood at around $1 billion, today they are at almost $4 billion,” Infantino said.

    “We promise new record revenues for the next cycle of $11 billion, and the new Club World Cup is not included in that figure, so it could increase by a couple of billion (more).”

    Infantino said FIFA would continue to review the transfer system to “improve transparency” and suggested the organisation might discuss a salary cap.

    “We must improve our regulations and the FIFA statutes. We will continue to evolve our good governance principles and look at the transfer system, and maybe have a discussion to improve transparency of transfer fees and salaries.

    “It might be necessary to introduce a cap, we have to think how we can do that. We will look at it with all stakeholders and see what we can do.”

    Amid the financial success of his seven years in office, Infantino has also courted controversy that has made him unpopular with some member associations.

    He accused critics of host Qatar’s human rights record of hypocrisy and racism at the World Cup.

    The tournament in the desert state led to a significant amount of political discussion around the host’s treatment of migrant labour, its approach to LGBT rights and FIFA’s threats to penalise players for political statements.

    This included the banning of the anti-discrimination “One Love” armband which drew anger from a number of quarters.

    FIFA has previously spoken about setting up a legacy fund to assist and compensate migrant workers who helped build the stadiums and other infrastructure for the World Cup.

    But the FIFA boss made no mention of it in his address, since no concrete plans have been revealed.

    He did suggest that FIFA had cleaned up its act with regards to governance.

    “Every single dollar that is being invested in projects and associations will undergo an independent audit. Money just doesn’t get lost any more.

    “That is why the institutions have regained their trust in FIFA. The Department of Justice of the United States has given us more than $200 million back that was stolen by corrupt officials. We have re-invested that in football.”

    Player welfare groups have questioned FIFA’s decision to expand the men’s World Cup from 64 to 104 games, but Infantino said there was need to be more football played around the world.

    “When I hear there is too much football, yes, maybe in some places, but not everywhere. In fact, in most parts of the world there is not enough football played.

    “We need way more and not less competitions, we want football to develop worldwide.

    “We are discussing organising a women’s Club World Cup and a FIFA World Series in March every two years, when teams are free from playing qualifiers.”

    Infantino was first elected in an Extraordinary Congress in 2016 following the resignation of his predecessor Sepp Blatter, and retained his position unopposed three years later.

    But this counts as his second term of office and he would therefore be available for a third and final term in four years’ time.

  • Why Tinubu needs 25% votes in FCT to be president – By Anietie Usen

    Why Tinubu needs 25% votes in FCT to be president – By Anietie Usen

    By Anietie Usen

    I am not a lawyer. My first daughter and first son are. But that does not convey to me any scintilla or atom of knowledge of the law and the technicalities thereof. I have two degrees only in political science and have attended many executive leadership courses in Harvard Business School, Oxford Business School, Wharton Business School, Manchester Business School, Boston Business School, and of course our own prestigious Lagos Business School. So I can at least lay claim to common sense. By the way, Common Sense was my nickname way back in my University of Calabar days decades ago.

    Common sense tells me that many premeditated wrongdoings took place on February 25, 2023, during the presidential election in which Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the ruling APC government, was hastily declared the winner. So much has already been said and written in the local and international media about the embarrassingly abysmal performance of the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, and how the hitherto efficient INEC computers and servers mysteriously and disgracefully collapsed in their moment of glory, even as all eyes globally were riveted on Nigeria. The shame is still boldly written on the faces of INEC officials, as they struggled vaguely in vain all week to explain to the world on Cable TV how a phantom computer ‘glitch’ visited them with colossal failure at the edge of their breakthrough.

    However, Nigerians and the international community are no longer in doubt of the identity of the or ‘glitch’ or ‘glitches’ at INEC, on a day the entire hope of a nation was pinned on the electoral umpire. ‘Glitch’, we now know, is not rocket science or anything hi-tech. Based on video evidence and the plethora of similar complaints from a multitude of Polling Units across the country, the ‘glitch’, many now know, must have been a man and woman in INEC, who simply strolled into the Server Room of INEC and switched off the servers that were connected to the portal of the presidential elections result. In virtually all cases, the Polling Unit officials were able to upload the results of the National Assembly elections stress-free, but curiously they could not upload the results of the presidential elections. I call it ‘selective glitch’, defined as a veritable equivalence of selective amnesia, during which attempts to pull a wool over the eyes of Nigerian electorates floundered.

    In any case, the big question for me is: at whose expense should INEC’s so-called ‘glitch’ be? At my expense? Who pays the price for the blundering and fumbling at INEC? The candidates who traversed the length and breath of the country and their constituencies at great cost to persuade electorates? Or the poor innocent electorates who laboured for hours on end at polling units to cast their votes and their votes were not electronically counted nor transmitted to INEC as required by law? Who pays the high price for the failure or sabotage or both at INEC? Should Nigerians simply look the other way and celebrate the historic failure that INEC and its paymasters wrought? INEC and its cohorts must pay for this mess. Or must the weather-beaten, battered and beleaguered Nigerians continue to pay everyday for every mess of their leaders?

    This is however not the subject matter of my interrogation. My concern is that in declaring Tinubu as the president-elect, someone obviously dropped the ball and left a fly in the ointment. Tinubu was fortunately or unfortunately denied the required 25% votes in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, as required by the Constitution of Nigeria. He is the first ever president-elect in Nigerian history to score below 25% in the FCT. This put a bold question mark not just on his popularity but also his electability.

    Specifically, Section 134 (2) of the Constitution says: “A candidate for an election to the Office of President shall be deemed to have been duly elected where, there being more than two candidates for the election: (a) he has the highest number of votes cast at the election; and (b) he has not less than one-quarter of the votes cast at the election in each of at least two-thirds of all the states in the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja”.

    This section of the constitution is written in very simple English. But Nigerians are bracing up for their lawyers to split hairs over it and smile their way to the banks in the process. But common sense tells us that our constitution certainly requires 25% of votes in the FCT for Tinubu or any presidential candidate, to be declared president-elect. To say that the constitution does not require 25% votes from the winner of a presidential election in FCT as some have argued, is to say that citizens and residents of the FCT do not matter in determining a Nigerian president. It means they are irrelevant in such an important democratic responsibility. It may also cast the FCT people and residents in the image of outcasts, second class citizens or perhaps strangers, with no stake in determining the leader of their country.

    The question then is: If their votes are irrelevant in the determination of who rules Nigeria, why for God sake, were they required to register and vote in the presidential election. If their votes would not count in the final verdict, why did INEC provide polling units, ballot materials, election officials and security to ensure that they voted in the presidential election. Why were FCT citizens and residents allowed to spend upwards of 12 hours under sun and thunderstorms just to cast a ceremonial vote? For me, this ought to be the ultimate injustice and insult to FCT indigenes and residents, if the Nigerian courts are talked into and arm-twisted to rule against the fundamental right of its people.

    There are more questions than answers to this attempt to disenfranchise bona fide Nigerians in the FCT. Who disqualified the good people and residents of the FCT from being heard? The constitution? Or is someone telling us that FCT indigenes are partial and half-Nigerians after they had sacrificed their God-given land, their livelihoods and their unique identity to host the seat of power in Nigeria. Are they about to be deprived of their equal rights with other Nigerians to matter in the election of their president? Nigerians want to know whether the FCT votes of February 25, 2023, was a mere ceremonial exercise in futility? Why would the votes of other parts in Nigeria be quantified and pecked at 25% and FCT votes would be discarded? Common sense tells me that if there is any part of Nigeria that more than requires these irreducible minimum percentage of votes, it must be the FCT, the seat of the federal government, from where the president rules the rest of the country.

    I also believe that if the constitution did not intend a 25% vote for the winner of the presidential election in FCT, it would have been so expressly stated that 25% votes does not apply to the FCT. Instead, the constitution expressly stated and grouped the FCT along with 24 States (two-thirds Of 36) in the same sentence, in the same section of the constitution. It simply means that 25% votes in FCT is a constitutional requirement that Tinubu must meet to be declared the president-elect. And he did not.

    As a matter of fact, the constitution of Nigeria provides not just for the election of a president by the FCT indigenes and residents. It also provides for election of a Senator and two members of the House of Representatives , HoR, by the same FCT indigenes and residents. These three members of the National Assembly from the FCT, says the Constitution, should be elected by a ‘simple majority’ of votes. This same provision of ‘simple majority’ applies exactly to the election of National Assembly members in all 36 States of Nigeria. In other words, the rules that apply for the election of senators and HoR members in the 36 States also apply 100% to FCT. Why would the same constitution turn around to make a separate rule in the presidential election to exclude the FCT? Why would the constitutional requirement for the election of National Assembly members in FCT be exactly the same across the country and the case of the presidential election would not be the same across the country? It is certainly the same. A presidential candidate must win at least 25% in the FCT.

    For me, this is a matter of common sense, with fundamental consequences and implications for our rights and privileges as Nigerians. The truth and sincerity of Nigerian justice is also at stàke here. A lawyer friend of mine once told me authoritatively that there are three types of truth; first the truth, secondly the whole truth and thirdly nothing but the truth. Well, I told him he was wrong because he excluded the gospel truth.

    The gospel truth is that Tinubu failed to meet the constitutional requirement to be president-elect of Nigeria. To complicate matters for him, the ruling APC government and INEC, in their determinant counsel and hurry to force him on Nigeria, left a lot of trails which our judiciary should be able to trace, all the way to justice. Trace the trails and justice shall be done in no time.

    *Anietie Usen is a multiple award-winning journalist, author, and technocrat.

  • World Bank president announces intention to step down

    World Bank president announces intention to step down

    The World Bank Group President, David Malpass has announced his intention to step down from his position by the end of the Bank Group’s fiscal year on June 30.

    This is contained in a statement obtained from the World Bank website on Thursday in Abuja.

    According to the statement, Malpass, who has served more than four years as the bank’s president, made his intentions known to the Board of Executive Directors.

    The statement said that during Malpass’s tenure, he focused on seeking stronger policies to increase economic growth, alleviate poverty, improve living standards and reduce government debt burdens.

    It said in the last four years, the bank five institutions (IBRD, IDA, IFC, MIGA, and ICSID) responded quickly to global crises.

    “They did this by mobilising a record 440 billion dollars in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, war in Ukraine, sharp global economic slowdown, unsustainable debt burdens, climate change, food, fertiliser and energy shortages.’’

    The statement quoted Malpass as saying, “it has been an enormous honour and privilege to serve as president of the world’s premier development institution alongside so many talented and exceptional people.

    “With developing countries facing an unprecedented crisis, I am proud that the Bank Group has responded with speed, scale, innovation, and impact. The last four years have been some of the most meaningful of my career.

    “Having made much progress, and after a good deal of thought, I have decided to pursue new challenges.

    “I want to thank our staff and Boards of Directors for the privilege of working with them every day to strengthen the effectiveness of our operations in the most challenging of times.”

    The statement said that with developing countries under severe financial pressure, Malpass met frequently with world leaders to discuss supportive policies, including debt reduction to break the cycles of unsustainable debt.

    It said under his leadership, the bank group more than doubled its climate finance to developing countries, reaching a record 32 billion dollars in 2022.

    The statement said Malpass led efforts to enable and increase private sector investment and trade.

    According the statement, Malpass also contributed purposeful leadership to the bank group’s analytical products on fiscal and monetary policy, currency systems, and governance reform.

    The statement quoted Malpass as saying, “the Bank Group is fundamentally strong, financially sustainable, and well positioned to increase its development impact in the face of urgent global crises.

    “This is an opportunity for a smooth leadership transition as the bank group works to meet increasing global challenges, and facilitate private investment,

    “It is also to sharpen its focus on global public goods, and maintain strong momentum on operational delivery and portfolio performance for client countries.”

    The statement listed the accomplishments of the bank during Malpass to include: “implementing record surges in the financing of over 157 billion dollars in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and 170 billion dollars in response to the war in Ukraine’’.

    It said the bank also inaugurated the Bank Group’s Climate Change Action Plan to better integrate climate and biodiversity with development and growth.

    “The bank made 30 billion dollars available in projects to address the food, fertilizer, and fuel crisis facing developing countries.

    The statement said one of Malpass’s key initiatives was to promote debt transparency and sustainability, which was key to rebuilding investment and growth.

    “Under Malpass’s leadership, the bank group inaugurated the 2023 Global Sovereign Debt Roundtable process with the IMF to strengthen the debt restructuring process.

    The statement said another key priority of Malpass was to strengthen the effectiveness of the bank group management.

    It said he did this by prioritising transparency of internal and external activities including through detailed financial and climate disclosures.

    The statement said he implemented an important realignment of World Bank operations to deepen collaboration and better integrate the Global Practices and Regional Operating units.

    “He partnered with the presidents of six Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to promote the sharing of knowledge and talent among the institutions and developing countries.

    “He also initiated the Sexual Harassment Working Group, Anti-Racism Task Force, and Task Force on Workplace Culture to help build a better, more cohesive, collaborative, and responsive working environment.’’

    According to the statement, he also navigated multiple threats to staff security, including staff evacuations from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Sudan, and Ukraine, and following coup d’états across the Sahel.