₦airaland Forum

I am writing to inform you of my resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with effect from today, Thursday 26th May, 2022.

A copy of this letter has been conveyed to the Chairman of Ward ‘B’ Apapa Local Government, Lagos State.

The past 23 years have spent as a member of this party had been interesting until recently when I realised that my ideals are no longer aligning with what obtains in the party.

I hereby thank you personally for your sincerity and disposition towards upholding the constitution of the party despite all odds.

Thanks and God bless you.

The Electoral Committee for APC Governorship Primaries in Lagos State has revealed that only Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu was cleared to participate.

The APC special state congress to select the party’s candidate for the 2023 governorship election held on Thursday.

Adamu Yuguda, Chairman of the five-man electoral committee, stated this while reacting to allegations that the two other aspirants in the race were prevented from attending the primary election.

Mr Yuguda said: “We are aware that three aspirants bought forms for Lagos state. Three accredited for the screening. One was cleared, two were not cleared.

“So, as we speak, the other two aspirants have not been cleared by the screening committee and by the appeal committee.

“We are only attending to those that have been cleared, the aspirant that has been cleared by the two committees.”

The other two aspirants for the topmost seat in Lagos state that were not cleared are a former commissioner, Wale Oluwo, and a former permanent secretary, Abdul-Ahmed Mustapha. Both aspirants were prevented from entering the venue of the primaries.

Assessing the exercise, Mr Yuguda said that since Lagos APC was one family, it had helped in the orderliness and peaceful conduct of delegates and leaders of the party in the state.

“The exercise is transparent and going on well. Everything is taking place the way we expect it to be,” Mr Yuguda, a former deputy governor of Borno said.

He reiterated that Lagos APC had 1,225 delegates and 1,198 had been accredited.

According to him, ad hoc delegates from two local government areas have voted already as at 2:44 p.m. and the committee is moving to the third local government area.

The APC governorship special congress is holding at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, formerly known as Onikan Stadium, on Lagos Island on Thursday.

However, the downpour in the state has impeded the progress of the exercise as at the time of filing this report.

Only the incumbent, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, was on the ground at the venue.

The event is being conducted under heavy security presence and the watch of officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

I need to debunk this once & for all, cos when you allow a falsehood to fester, it starts to sound like the truth. THE NNPP WAS FOUNDED BY AN IGBO MAN, DR. BONIFACE ANIEBONAM.

Retweet this as aggressively as possible.

@PeterObi's resignation from the party is a blow below the belt! It makes @OfficialPDPNig vulnerable for many reasons. But the party will react, and I hope for the best. I genuinely wish him all the best. He is one of the good ones.

Peter Obi, the presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, has left the main opposition platform, Peoples Gazette can report.

Mr Obi’s exit, coming on the eve of a hotly-contested presidential primaries, came as the politician expressed fears he might be humiliated at the convention in Abuja.

Mr confirmed his exit to Peoples Gazette on Wednesday evening, saying he caught wind of a gang up against him.

He did not immediately disclose his next platform.

The development is expected to put additional spotlight on the PDP’s primaries scheduled told be held in Abuja this weekend, where Mr Obi was initially seen as a front runner in a race that includes Atiku Abubakar, Nyesom Wike, Dele Momodu, Bukola Saraki and other bigwigs.

Dear @Djmastermind_,

I am very confident Peter Obi will defeat every other candidate in both the APC and the PDP and in any other political party…

…as long as the elections are held on Twitter!

#TableShaker

ESN/IPOB kidnapped 2 of my cousins yesterday night. A Thread
#NnewiSouthisbleeding

1. My Cousins were coming from their Uncle's wake keep, they met ESN/IPOB at Nkwo Ekwulumili junction and they started pursuing them

2. My Cousins seeing the danger decided to drive into the village of Ekwulumili to see if they will run for their lives but these guys were bold to pursue them and double crossed him.

They took his Jeep and they also took him,
He said and I quote "They told me, We are fighting for you people but you are residing in Big Cities and you don't show appreciation" So to them people should be paying them for destroying Igboland.

4. They recklessly drove his Jeep and jumped into a big hole and the motor couldn't move again, and their own car will not contain them so they took his elder brother and left him and his car there.

5. My cousin said they didn't just operate in Ekwulumili, News from Akwaihedi, Osumenyi etc shows that they collected cars from different people that same Yesterday.

6. They later allowed the elder brother to go after collecting money from them.
@CCSoludo @AfamDeluxo @Ekwulu @adaigbo_2022 @UchePOkoye @Tokwonna @obyezeks @OnyedikaAnambra We need your voices, my people are in bondage.

7. I heard from good authority that they have different groups, Group of boys will organize themselves and claim they are ESN and start terrorizing the towns and villages they can intimidate with guns
#Nnewisouthisbleeding


8. They target anybody that comes home for burial, marriages and meetings once you are dressed well with car they will target you and kidnap you.

9. @CCSoludo Sir I heard that the names of the people who reported ESN were released to the police and bc of that people are afraid to report them.
I don't know if this is true the Town Union presidents are afraid instead they are paying dues to ESN to avoid attacks from them.

10. Something drastically have to be done and done quickly.
Unubi
Ekwulumili
Amichi
Akwaihedi
Ebenato
Osumenyi
Utuh
Ezinifite
Ukpor
We need your help
We are in bondage
#Nnewisouthisbleeding

As the consultations with delegates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) across the country by Presidential Aspirant and former Minister of Transportation, Rt Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi continue to attract high profile support, a former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai has endorsed the former Minister, stating that his loyalty and love for Nigeria and humanity is unmatched.

Gen. Buratai who is currently, Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Republic of Benin, gave this endorsement at a parley with delegates of the APC in Bauchi, Wednesday night, when he and other dignitaries accompanied the Presidential hopeful, Chibuike Amaechi to solicit delegates’ support in Bauchi ahead of the party’s primaries.

Burutai stated that he was spurred to give his support to Amaechi due to his outstanding profile and vast experience in governance.

He said, “You can see from the introduction, the experience of our Presidential aspirant. The profile of Rt Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is quite intimidating. He has proven to be a sound administrator, a versatile leader, a good strategist and a politician per excellence, who has shown good qualities in all areas he had worked. As Speaker, as Governor, as Minister and also first among equals during his tenure as Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum, as well as the dexterity and the quality of the campaign (for President Buhari) that he led on two occasions. That is why I am giving him my full support.

“He did that diligently with all his determination, loyalty and of course with love for Nigeria and love for humanity irrespective of what religion you belong to. This is quite commendable, that’s why he’s here today to solicit for your votes. From what you have heard about him, I believe you know that he’s the man of the moment. He is the right choice. So, I urge you to make the right choice and vote for him,” Buratai said.

Addressing the delegates, Amaechi said he is the only aspirant in the party with impressive records that would defeat the opposition party. He urged the delegates to vote for him for the overall benefit of all Nigerians.

According to him, “This is the moment of decision. For twenty two years I have held public office, as Speaker, as Governor and as Minister. And in all of these, you will see my footprint. There’s a railway construction going on from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri. It includes Bauchi and it’s called the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri railway. If you vote for me, that project will be completed and it will create employment. So vote for me, make me the candidate of the party. I doubt that the other aspirants have the capacity to defeat me, If you vote for me I will defeat PDP.”

Earlier, at a visit to the Emir of Bauchi, HRM Dr. Rilwan Suleiman Adamu, Amaechi used the occasion to re-emphasize his commitment to deliver on infrastructure and tackle insecurity if elected.

“Your Highness, I am here to seek for your blessings, to appeal to the Bauchi delegates to give me their votes on the day of the primaries, because there is no aspirant in our party that is as prepared as I am to be the President of Nigeria.

“I have the energy, I have the capability, I have the knowledge and the strength to be the President of Nigeria. I have the experience of what the problems are and what the solutions should be and I’m seeking your support to provide solutions to those problems.

“One of the things I did to fight militancy in Port Harcourt was to create employment. I will introduce agricultural programmes to create jobs for the people. I will provide infrastructure in Bauchi, I am full of experience, If you vote for me I will chase the criminals away. I did it in Port Harcourt and Rivers State and I am prepared to do it again. I will do my best to restore security in the country. Please tell your people to vote for me and I will bring that experience to bear, Amaechi said.

Those responsible for the brutal murder of #Deborah must be arrested, and sentenced to life behind bars.

The Islamic Extremism coming out of north Nigeria reflects a serious societal problem. It has reached a point where reforms will require a change of administration, into a government that doesn’t tolerate and support fanatics. It’s time for a real leader. You already know this.

For the record, ALL religion is blasphemy. The Christian God/Son of God (Jesus) is considered a prophet (Isa) in Islam, and a nobody in Judaism.

The Yoruba deity Èşù Láàlù was substituted for "Satan" by Samuel Ajayi Crowther when translating the Christian Bible into Yoruba.

Your religion is someone else's blasphemy. If blasphemy is to ever be considered as an actual thing that exists and is worth ending a human life over, everyone on earth including atheists should be dead.

We are all blasphemers. Every. Single. One. Of. Us.

An aspirant in the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim has bowed out of the 2023 presidential contest, saying his day will come.

He said the decision emanated from series of consultations and reflections on current developments in the political scene,

In a statement by his media office in Abuja on Friday, Olawepo-Hashim explained: “Certain developments have necessitated my withdrawal from the 2023 presidential race, as a result of which I did not pick the nomination form.

“Retreating not out of the lack of will to fight for our resolve and collective aspiration for a New Nigeria, a struggle which has attracted enormous support. Sometimes WILL and RESOLVE, Energy and Preparation may not be enough to engage in an encounter.”

He maintained his aspiration “is not an ambition but an historic burden, as a team player.

“My current political pursuit must now bow to our collective National interest. It is not about me but about Nigeria,”

“I stepped aside believing that another day will come. I hope our party will still be able to find a candidate for the 2023 election that will unite and secure our country. One that will lead an inclusive government, and build a prosperous economy that will not leave anyone behind. I leave the race believing that by the Grace of God my own day will come.”

He expressed gratitude to those who connected with his messages and those who have offered support and prayers, assuring that pausing his presidential run is not quitting the struggle for a better Nigeria, “a struggle I have committed myself to the better part of my adult life.

“It is a tough decision for me but in the present circumstance it is the best thing in my judgement to do.”

A group of armed men that claimed to be from the oil-rich Niger-Delta has endorsed Godwin Emefiele for president in 2023.

The so-called Niger Delta Freedom Reserve Force said the CBN governor is the only credible politician with the capacity to resolve Nigeria’s myriad crises if elected next year, according to a propaganda video the group circulated on Thursday. The video showed six men, clad in white hoods, holding heavy firearms as they made their demands.

“We are tired of recycling politicians in the system,” the group said. “We have settled for the governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele. If he is truly contesting, and the rumours are true, we believe that he will bring meaningful development and help the country get back on its feet.”

The group, which had no prior break in public discussion, said it is not a force against the Nigerian government or a separatist group. The men, however, pledged to quote “surrender our arms” if Mr Emefiele emerges as the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress.

A spokesman for the CBN did not return requests seeking comments about whether or not the governor had seen the video and his position about it.

Mr Emefiele has been making movies to join politics and contest the 2023 presidential election as a member of the ruling All Progressives Party, raising questions about the dire economic consequences of his unprecedented moves.

But three weeks to the primaries of major political parties, Mr Emefiele has yet to publicly declare his 2023 interest, which would force his resignation. Last month, what seemed like campaign vehicles bearing the governor’s picture surfaced online.

The APC’s strongest aspirants for 2023 are Southerners, while the PDS’s strongest aspirants for 2023 are Northerners.

At the end of the day it’s about winning election for both parties, so i see no reason while one party should be arm twisted into zoning.

Let competence win.

Abuja-Kaduna train attack: Passengers killed after Nigeria gang hits rail link - BBC

Seven passengers have died after gunmen attacked a busy train between Nigeria's capital, Abuja, and Kaduna city, hospital sources have told the BBC.

The gang mined the track forcing the train, carrying 970 passengers, to a stop on Monday evening.

Gunmen subsequently surrounded the carriages and opened fire, one passenger told the BBC.

An unknown number of passengers were abducted from the train, considered the safest way to get between the cities.

Kidnapping for ransom has become commonplace across Nigeria.

The Abuja-Kaduna highway is one of the most dangerous roads in the country as kidnappers have been known to have ambushed vehicles at several points along the expressway.

Over the last few years this has pushed many to avoid the 150km (93-mile) journey by road instead opting for the rail link, which opened in 2016. It is more expensive but considered safer as the trains have armed guards on board.

This is the second time the rail line between the cities has been targeted in the last six months, but is by far the most serious, says the BBC's Chris Ewokor in Abuja.

According to the BBC Hausa service, 22 people, who were injured in the attack on Monday evening, are being treated at a military hospital in Kaduna.

One woman working as a hospital volunteer in Kaduna told the BBC's Focus on Africa radio programme that the first-hand accounts she had heard were "scary" and "traumatising".

A railway worker told her he had manged to escape from the kidnappers by running away as they took him and "25 people into the forest" on foot.

Another person recounted that when she was shot "the bullet went through her knee" and that she had been saved by the military.

A senior security source told the AFP news agency that military personnel rushed to the scene.

"The attack has been repelled by the troops who deployed in time. The terrorists fled when the soldiers arrived. The train is bulletproof, this saved the passengers who lay still on the floor."

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has suspended operations along the route.

The governor of Kaduna state has also condemned the attack, describing it as a "terrorist" incident and sent his condolences to the families of the victims.

The rail line is a gateway for millions of people in north-western states who want to travel to Abuja and further south.

The authorities in Kaduna state say they are liaising with the NRC to find out where all the passengers are and who exactly is missing.

Armed gangs carrying out killings and kidnappings for ransom have continued to unleash violence, especially in northern Nigeria despite military bombardments of their hideouts.

Just last Saturday, they attacked Kaduna's international airport.

The association of Fulani Christians has spoken out about the insecurity in Nigeria and other West African countries, saying it is still possible to defeat banditry and kidnapping.

Speaking at the end of its annual conference in Jos, the Plateau State capital on Sunday, the Fulani Christian community blamed the political class for fanning the embers of hatred in Nigeria.

The Fulanis emphasised the need for national unity without racial or religious discrimination, which they say would be a solution to the security challenges facing Nigeria and other West African countries.

The Chairman of Fulani Christians Association, Rev. Aliyu Buba, identified nepotism, injustice and discrimination perpetrated by the political class as causes of violent crimes in Nigeria.

Emphasising the need to fear of God, Rev. Buba stressed that the Bible provides the inspiration to lead a righteous life.

He said, “This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Fulani Christian Association and since then we have been committed to peace building.

"Let me explain that historically it's a taboo amongst the Fulanis to either steal or kidnap someone. Sadly, today the Fulani race has been stereotyped, designated as kidnapping race, banditry race, cattle rustling race and other violent criminal gangs.

"I believe the Fulani Christian Association can play a role to ending violent crimes. I'm calling on our Fulani Muslim counterparts to accept us as fellow Fulani so that together we can work to end terrorism in this country and West Africa.”

The event was attended by Christian Fulanis from across Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali.

Salihu Tanko Yakasai, a former aide of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State , has called for the resignation of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Yakasai, who got sacked by Ganduje over a similar comment, took to Twitter to call for Buhari’s resignation over the attack on rail passengers on Monday night.

In a series of tweets, the former member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) alleged that Buhari lacked the ability to secure Nigerians.

He wrote: “President @MBuhari your government has failed us. We will continue to remind you this. I am reiterating my call for you to resign! If you can’t secure us we don’t want you there anymore. You lack empathy, you lack emotions, & you do not value our lives. #BuhariMustGo.

“Anytime Nigerians are killed, @MBuhari through Garba & Femi will release a statement & call for security meeting in the Villa. Some actions will be taken but wont be sustained, only for another attack to happen & they repeat the process. This cannot continue! #BuhariMustResign.

“We are angry, we are mad, and we don’t want anything again but for @MBuhari to resign! It’s clear that you can not secure us. We don’t feel safe anymore in our homes let alone on the streets. We are frustrated, tired & can’t go on like this. #BuhariMustResign.”

There has been a nationwide outrage since the latest terrorist attack.

Hungary does not want to risk the lives and safety of the Hungarian people and will not allow the supply of weapons to Ukraine through its territory, and will not refuse Russian oil and gas, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said.


"Yesterday at the summit of EU prime ministers, Volodymyr Zelensky repeated two well-known Ukrainian demands: to allow the supply of weapons through our country and at the same time stop buying natural gas and oil from Russia. We understand that the president of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people are most important. However, for us, the security of Hungary and the Hungarian people is of paramount importance. We will do everything in our power to keep Hungary out of war, so we will not allow weapons to enter our territory," he said on Facebook.

According to him, these supplies will become a military target for destruction, and Hungary does not want to risk the lives and safety of the Hungarian people.

"At the same time, we will not allow the Hungarian people to pay for the war. Cutting off the supply of natural gas and oil from Russia would make it impossible to supply Hungary with energy and at the same time lead to a sharp increase in overhead costs. Therefore, we still do not support the spread of sanctions for the supply of energy resources," he said.

Idiko1:
Most Nigerians allow their palpable idiocy to cloud their school of thought. How does corporation amount to fear? I guess when Russia looked the other way to allow Israel attack Iranian interests in Syria and Lebanon, it was also fear of Israel? Those who considered themselves powers on earth also know how to play the game of interest.

KYIV, Ukraine — The Israeli government rejected requests from Ukraine and Estonia in recent years to purchase and use Pegasus — the powerful spyware tool — to hack Russian mobile phone numbers, according to people with knowledge of the discussions.

Israel feared that selling the cyberweapon to adversaries of Russia would damage Israel’s relationship with the Kremlin, they said.

Both Ukraine and Estonia had hoped to buy Pegasus to gain access to Russian phones, presumably as part of intelligence operations targeting their increasingly menacing neighbor in the years before Russia carried out its invasion of Ukraine.

But Israel’s Ministry of Defense refused to grant licenses to NSO Group, the company that makes Pegasus, to sell to Estonia and Ukraine if the goal of those nations was to use the weapon against Russia. The decisions came after years of Israel providing licenses to foreign governments that used the spyware as a tool of domestic repression.

Pegasus is a so-called zero-click hacking tool, meaning that it can stealthily and remotely extract everything from a target’s mobile phone, including photos, contacts, messages and video recordings, without the user having to click on a phishing link to give Pegasus remote access. It can also turn the mobile phone into a tracking and secret recording device, allowing the phone to spy on its owner.

In the case of Ukraine, the requests for Pegasus go back several years. Since the Russian invasion of Crimea in 2014, the country has increasingly seen itself as a direct target of Russian aggression and espionage. Ukrainian officials have sought Israeli defense equipment to counter the Russian threat, but Israel has imposed a near-total embargo on selling weapons, including Pegasus, to Ukraine.

In the Estonian case, negotiations to purchase Pegasus began in 2018, and Israel at first authorized Estonia to have the system, apparently unaware that Estonia planned to use the system to attack Russian phones. The Estonian government made a large down payment on the $30 million it had pledged for the system.

The following year, however, a senior Russian defense official contacted Israel security agencies to notify them that Russia had learned of Estonia’s plans to use Pegasus against Russia. After a fierce debate among Israeli officials, Israel’s Ministry of Defense blocked Estonia from using the spyware on any Russian mobile numbers worldwide.

Israel’s relationship with Russia has come under close scrutiny since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began several weeks ago, and Ukrainian officials have publicly called out Israel’s government for offering only limited support to Ukraine’s embattled government and bowing to Russian pressure.

During a virtual speech to the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, on Sunday, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine criticized Israel for not providing his country with the Iron Dome antimissile system and other defensive weapons, and for not joining other Western nations in imposing strict economic sanctions on Russia.

Invoking the Holocaust, Mr. Zelensky said that Russia’s war was aimed at destroying the Ukrainian people just as the Nazis had wanted destruction for the Jewish people. Mr. Zelensky, who is Jewish, said “mediation can be between states, but not between good and evil.”

The New York Times reported last month that Israeli officials in August rejected a request by a Ukrainian delegation to purchase Pegasus, at a time when Russian troops were massing at the Ukrainian border. On Wednesday morning, The Washington Post and The Guardian, part of a consortium of news organizations called The Pegasus Project, reported that these discussions dated back to 2019, and first reported that Israel had blocked Estonia’s efforts to obtain Pegasus.

A senior Ukrainian official familiar with attempts to acquire the Pegasus system said that Ukrainian intelligence officials were disappointed when Israel declined to allow Ukraine to purchase the system, which could have proved critical for monitoring Russian military programs and assessing the country’s foreign policy goals.

The official said Ukraine’s view was that Israel, in making decisions about licensing Pegasus, gave more weight to a government’s relationship with the Kremlin than its human rights record.

Representatives of the Ukrainian embassy in Washington and the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment. In a statement, NSO said the company “can’t refer to alleged clients and won’t refer to hearsay and political innuendo.”

Both Ukraine and Estonia were once part of the Soviet Union, and since then have had to live in the long shadow of Russia’s military. Estonia is a member of NATO.

Russia plays a powerful role throughout the Middle East, particularly in Syria, and Israel is wary of crossing Moscow on critical security issues. In particular, Russia has generally allowed Israel to strike Iranian and Lebanese targets inside Syria — raids the Israeli military sees as essential to stemming the flow of arms that Iran sends to proxy forces stationed close to Israel’s northern border.

Israel’s government has long seen Pegasus as a critical tool for its foreign policy. A New York Times Magazine article this year revealed how, for more than a decade, Israel has made strategic decisions about which countries it allows to obtain licenses for Pegasus, and which countries to withhold them from.

Israel’s government has authorized Pegasus to be purchased by authoritarian governments, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, that have used the weapon to spy on dissidents, human rights activists and journalists in those countries. Democratically elected leaders in India, Hungary, Mexico, Panama and other countries also abused Pegasus to spy on their political opponents.

Israel has used the tool as a bargaining chip in diplomatic negotiations, most notably in the secret talks that led to the so-called Abraham Accords that normalized relations between Israel and several of its historic Arab adversaries.

“Policy decisions regarding export controls, take into account security and strategic considerations, which include adherence to international arrangements,” the Israeli defense ministry said in a statement in response to questions from The Times. “As a matter of policy, the State of Israel approves the export of cyber products exclusively to governmental entities, for lawful use, and only for the purpose of preventing and investigating crime and counter terrorism, under end use/end user declarations provided by the acquiring government.”

Since NSO first sold Pegasus to the government of Mexico more than a decade ago, the spyware has been used by dozens of countries to track criminals, terrorists and drug traffickers. But the abuse of the tool has also been extensive, from Saudi Arabia’s use of Pegasus as part of a brutal crackdown on dissents inside the kingdom, to Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary authorizing his intelligence and law enforcement services to deploy the spyware against his political opponents.

Last November, the Biden administration put NSO and another Israeli cyberfirm on a “blacklist” of firms that are barred from doing business with American companies. The Commerce Department said the companies’ tools “have enabled foreign governments to conduct transnational repression, which is the practice of authoritarian governments targeting dissidents, journalists and activists outside of their sovereign borders to silence dissent.”

The MOEX Russia Index added 9% by 10:52 a.m. local time, paring its 29% slump for the year. The benchmark advanced as much as 12% earlier today.

The Moscow Exchange resumed trading in 33 Russian equities out of 50 listed on the benchmark, including in some of the biggest companies, for a shortened four-hour session.

To shield the assets from the impact of sweeping international sanctions, Russia has banned short selling in these shares, adding to an earlier restriction on foreigners exiting local equities. It has also said its wealth fund will step in and prop up the equity market with up to $10 billion when it reopens. President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday propped up the sinking ruble by demanding local-currency payments for natural gas purchases from “unfriendly” nations.

“Foreign investors are not able to sell their holdings and secondly, the welfare fund in Russia is also supposed to step in and stabilize the market. Those those two things are limiting the downside at the moment,” Jakob Christensen, head of international macro and emerging market research at Danske Bank A/S, said by phone.

Christensen said “it’s too early to say” whether the market recovery can continue. “Fundamentally, the prices will be hit, of course, and therefore, I would be skeptical that we are not seeing significant downward price pressure in the market,” he said. “I would expect that to take place, if not today, then over time, and especially as foreigners also want to exit.”

Among the biggest advancers today were oil company Lukoil PJSC and gas giant Gazprom PJSC, while Aeroflot PJSC slumped. Other oil majors also outperformed. The sanctioned VTB Bank PJSC fluctuated.

“With restrictions on foreign selling and repatriation this is not a functional market in terms of efficient price discovery, given foreigners dominate the market’s free float,” said Hasnain Malik, a strategist at Tellimer in Dubai. “The one fundamental factor that has improved during the stock market’s suspension is the partial recovery in the currency as Russia tries to shift oil and gas trade to rubles.”

READ: Putin Demands Ruble Payment for Gas, Escalating Energy Fight

Since the local market last traded on Feb. 25, the U.S. and Europe have imposed harsh penalties on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine -- hitting everything from its ability to access foreign reserves to the SWIFT bank-messaging system.

Only equities that have primary listings in Russia are active today, meaning Yandex NV, TCS Group Holding Plc, Ozon Holdings Plc and other companies with main listings abroad haven’t resumed trading.

Iskander Lutsko, chief investment strategist at ITI Capital in Moscow, said the government support measures would limit selling pressure and allow for a recovery in stocks. “For now, we should see, strangely enough, a recovery in the market,” Lutsko said. “New money will be looking for opportunities to buy Russia’s oversold equities, so overall we might end up in a net positive situation rather than a net negative until non-residents will be allowed to sell their remaining stakes.”

On the day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, the benchmark MOEX Russia Index slumped as much as 45%, the fifth-worst plunge in equity market history. Foreigners have fled the assets of the world’s most sanctioned nation.

Russian stocks have been excluded from global benchmarks and exchange-traded funds tracking the country’s shares have been frozen, while European companies with business exposure to the country have lost more than $100 billion in market value since the war risks surged, and Russian companies’ global depositary receipts slumped more than 95% before being halted.

The White House slammed the partial resumption of Russian equities trading, calling it a “Potemkin market opening.”

“Russia has made clear they are going to pour government resources into artificially propping up the shares of companies that are trading,” the statement said. “This is not a real market and not a sustainable model—which only underscores Russia’s isolation from the global financial system.”

Still, Lutsko said local investors could flock to Russian equities as a hedge against inflation, which has surged near levels unseen since the government’s debt default in 1998.

“People have been taking the money out of deposits, because they understand the considerable risks from the pick-up in inflation,” he said. “So it makes more sense to find alternative investments, anything that is not within the current capital restrictions, and equity markets present a great opportunity in that sense.”

Presidential aspirant and National Chairman of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has vowed to release from detention the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, and the leader of Yoruba Nation Agitator, Sunday Igboho, if he becomes the President of Nigeria in 2023.

He made this known on Tuesday in Abuja at his formal declaration to run for the position of Nigeria’s president in the next year general elections.

Sowore said he would release all political detainees particularly IPOB Leader, Kanu, and Yoruba agitator, Igboho, because they were being held illegally in the custody.

He said he threw his hat in the ring to ensure that justice was served to all ethnic groups agitating for self-determination.

Sowore told those in government to intensify efforts and rehabilitate prison centres across the country saying that they might need to spend some time there after their tenure.

He said, “As soon as I am sworn in on June 12, 2023, I will release all political detainees, particularly Nnamdi Kanu and Sunday Igboho. People who are asking for self-determination should not go to prison. Those in the Diaspora must also be given the right to vote during the election.

"We will not encourage those who put them in prison; they should be rehabilitating prisons now because they may have to spend some time there as well.”

He said Nigeria would have a new constitution that would make provision for right to self- determination and referendum.

“For those who are pushing the struggle for self-determination, we will accord you the opportunity you are seeking by creating a new Constitution for Nigeria, which must necessarily contain the right to self-determination and the right to a referendum if you are tired of Nigeria,” Sowore said.

The Special Task Force, Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) in Plateau has organised a cultural dance competition to promote peaceful co-existence among the various ethnic groups in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau.

Ishaku Takwa, the spokesperson for the taskforce, in a statement on Sunday in Jos, said that the maiden event was held on Saturday in Barkin Ladi.

Speaking at the event, Ibrahim Ali, the commander of the operation, said that the competition was part of its non-kinetic approach toward achieving peace in communities.

Represented by Amos Egbejule, his Chief of Staff, Mr Ali said that the military would continue to adopt various strategies toward ensuring that peace and harmony returns to all parts of Plateau.

“Let me use this opportunity to charge Plateau people to utilise their rich cultural heritage to promote unity and peaceful co-existence among the diverse ethnic groups in the state.

“There is no alternative to peace and the beauty of peace is when people come together to celebrate their beautiful cultural diversity as one united entity,” he said.

Mr Ali urged the people to cooperate and support the security agencies toward achieving sustainable peace and security in the communities.

He further advised residents of Plateau to shun all forms of violence and learn to live in peace with their neighbours.

Abdulmumin Jibrin, a former member of the House of Representatives, has spoken on Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s source of wealth and real age.



Jibrin, who is the Director-General of Tinubu’s campaign organisation for the 2023 presidential election, said that the source of wealth of the former Lagos State Governor has been a controversy.

There have been doubts and controversies regarding Tinubu’s perceived stupendous wealth but the former lawmaker said he was himself shocked to recently discovered that the APC National Leader is a shareholder in English club, Manchester United.

Jibrin also said he finds it so embarrassing that some people are asking questions about the real age of Tinubu, reminding them that his principal is 69-70 years.

Speaking on Tinubu’s source of wealth, Jibrin, according to Guardian, said, “It has never been a source of controversy. We talk about the aids, source of wealth, Asiwaju’s spending. It has always been in the public space.

“I find it very embarrassing that we ask about his age when it is public knowledge. It is there every year, he is 69 years old and getting to 70.”

Continuing on his source of wealth, Jibrin said “For somebody who has been (head) hunted, right from his schooling days; by multi-national organisations, worked in Arthur Andersen, worked for Mobil and got into politics. This man didn’t go into politics as a poor man.

“I can assure you that no Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is a poor man. He went into politics as a senator of the federal republic. It is in public glare that this man has business in his DNA, both in exporting and the rest. All the people are fully aware that he was sponsoring pro-democracy singlehandedly.

“Nobody has come out with a contrary opinion to that pro-democracy activism in the mid-nineties all through.

“So, why are they asking from where he was getting all that money? And, over the years, here is a man who has had investment all over the world, massive share (holding) in Apple.

“I was surprised lately, while watching a football match with him, to get to know that he is a shareholder in Manchester United (Football Club). So, he has been in business.

“So, you can categorise his business, working life and we can categorise his massive goodwill from well-wishers, that should not come to us as a surprise.”