|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Politics › Re: Bakare Stepped Down And Worked For Desmond Elliot In 2022 - Femi Marshal (Photo) by naptu2(op): 4:21pm On May 18 |
|
| Politics › Re: Bakare Stepped Down And Worked For Desmond Elliot In 2022 - Femi Marshal (Photo) by naptu2(op): 4:19pm On May 18 |
Chop life guy @badguy6qo Femi is not lying, I knew when Femi was taking him around surulere. You think because Desmond is a popular actor that means people will vote for him? https://x.com/i/status/2056345186309935575 |
| Politics › Re: Bakare Stepped Down And Worked For Desmond Elliot In 2022 - Femi Marshal (Photo) by naptu2(op): 4:18pm On May 18 |
|
| Politics › Re: Bakare Stepped Down And Worked For Desmond Elliot In 2022 - Femi Marshal (Photo) by naptu2(op): 4:18pm On May 18 |
|
| Politics › Bakare Stepped Down And Worked For Desmond Elliot In 2022 - Femi Marshal (Photo) by naptu2(op): 4:17pm On May 18 |
Femi Ayinde Marshal is the son of King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal. He currently serves as the Special Assistant on Entrepreneurial and Skills Development to the Speaker of the Nigeria House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas. He previously served as an aide to the chief of staff to President Tinubu, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila. @femimarshall I was the one asked to lead all the aspirants into a room. Gbaja asked them to speak with one another and decide on the way forward, while still appealing to them to support Desmond. He wasn’t such a terrible person then, right?
Hon Laguda
Hon Barakat
Leye
Bukky
Hon Desmond
I personally took Desmond around in 2022 when nobody wanted him. I begged people for him, and they supported him. Only for him to see me in Abuja and refer to me as “my enemy” today is Monday, Wednesday is next tomorrow.
In this picture, he was thanking her for how she carried his election on her head. She was asked to step down, but she didn’t go home to sleep! she worked tirelessly for him.
This is not hearsay. Na me wear white. I handled the situation room for his election. Source
|
|
|
| Politics › Re: DSS Re-Arraigns El-rufai Over Alleged Phone-tapping by naptu2: 11:43am On May 18 |
Sowore vs DSS operative outside the court.
|
| Politics › Re: Court Grants Nasir El-Rufai ₦100m Bail by naptu2: 11:29am On May 18 |
Sowore vs DSS operative outside the court.
|
|
|
|
| Politics › Re: All Other Aspirants Have Stepped Down For Me Except Desmond Elliot - Bakare by naptu2(op): 8:11am On May 18 |
Desmond Elliott alleges intimidation, withdrawal of security aides ahead of Surulere APC primaries
A member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Desmond Elliott, has alleged intimidation, political victimisation and the withdrawal of his security aides ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for Surulere I constituency.
In a viral video circulated on Sunday, Mr Elliott accused unnamed party leaders and local government officials of allegedly coercing party members to support a preferred aspirant ahead of the APC House of Assembly primaries scheduled for 20 May.
The lawmaker, who represents Surulere Constituency I in the Lagos State House of Assembly, alleged that some local government officials were removed from their positions because of their support for him.
According to him, the political atmosphere within the Surulere chapter of the APC had become tense due to alleged intimidation and attempts to force party members to support certain candidates.
“Intimidation, coercion, twisting and forcing people to follow their own candidate is what is existing today in Surulere,” Mr Elliott said in the video.
“Telling them that they will not be beneficiaries of some empowerment that is coming some other time. Please, this is not done and should not be done.”
The actor turned politician alleged that the local government leadership had openly backed another aspirant months before the primaries.
“It is bad enough that the LGA and the local government already took a side months ago. The local government already took a side to support a particular aspirant,” he stated.
Mr Elliott also claimed that several individuals associated with him had allegedly suffered repercussions because of their political alignment.
“We’ve been intimidated so much so that a lot of people from the local government have been fired because they follow me,” he alleged.
The lawmaker further alleged that his security personnel were withdrawn under unclear circumstances.
“My security personnel were taken away from me yesterday for reasons best known to them. Now I am left alone to myself. What have I done?” he queried.
He also raised concerns over possible violence during the primaries, alleging that some persons planned to mobilise outsiders to disrupt the exercise.
“They are coming out to fight us. They want to bring people from outside and from within to cause mayhem and trouble,” he alleged.
Mr Elliott appealed to party leaders to intervene and ensure that the primaries are peaceful, transparent and credible.
“I want to ask our party chieftains, please investigate this matter,” he said.
Despite the allegations, the lawmaker said he would accept the outcome of the primaries if the process is free and fair.
“By the grace of God, if I, Desmond Olusola Elliott, win, Alhamdulillah. If I lose, I will throw my support behind the winner. But please let it be under a free and fair election,” he added.
He also urged his supporters not to be intimidated, assuring them that adequate security would be provided during the exercise.
Mr Elliott further used the video to campaign for other APC candidates, including Wasiu Eshilokun, Kadri Hamzat and Bola Tinubu.
Earlier, the Director-General of the Desmond Elliott Campaign Organisation, Bless Koye, announced his withdrawal of support for the lawmaker’s fourth-term bid.
Mr Koye declared his support for Barakat Odunuga-Bakare, an APC aspirant for Surulere Constituency I in the Lagos State House of Assembly.
“I’ll decamp from Desmond group to Barakat group,” Mr Koye reportedly said while announcing his decision.
Background
The latest controversy comes days after Mr Elliott publicly apologised to Femi Gbajabiamila over his alleged involvement in moves to impeach Lagos Assembly Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa.
Mr Gbajabiamila had claimed that he nearly lost his position as Chief of Staff to President Tinubu because of Mr Elliott’s alleged role in the impeachment plot.
According to reports, Mr Gbajabiamila said President Tinubu informed him about Mr Elliott’s alleged involvement, which he initially denied until the State Security Service (SSS) reportedly confirmed it.
Reacting during an appearance on TVC’s Your View, Mr Elliott apologised to the president’s chief of staff, describing him as his political mentor.
“The Gbaja this and Gbaja that of the world. My own baba. I know you’re upset, and I want to say I’m sorry in front of everyone,” he said.
“And I grew up learning everything I knew in politics through him.”
Mr Elliott also hinted during the interview that he was seeking another term in the Lagos Assembly. https://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/ssouth-west/880377-desmond-elliott-alleges-intimidation-withdrawal-of-security-aides-ahead-of-surulere-apc-primaries.html |
| Politics › Re: All Other Aspirants Have Stepped Down For Me Except Desmond Elliot - Bakare by naptu2(op): 7:57am On May 18 |
There is intimidation and my security has been withdrawn - Desmond Elliot.
|
| Politics › All Other Aspirants Have Stepped Down For Me Except Desmond Elliot - Bakare by naptu2(op): 7:56am On May 18 |
“The others stepped down and are supporting me and they’re all here, but the only person that didn’t step down and insisted on going to the primaries is Hon. Desmond Elliot. I wish him all the best, and I wish myself luck too. I’m praying that on Wednesday, I emerge as the APC candidate for the Lagos State House of Assembly, Surulere Constituency I.”
—Hon Barakat Odunuga Bakare during her official declaration to contest for the Lagos State House of Assembly seat, Surulere Constituency I. 
|
|
| Business › Re: Bayo Ogunlesi Targets Growth Of $30 Billion Asset Exposure In South Africa by naptu2(op): 7:28am On May 18 |
Adebayo Ogunlesi
Adebayo "Bayo" O. Ogunlesi CON (born 20 December 1953) is a Nigerian lawyer and investment banker. He is currently chairman and managing partner at the private equity firm Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP). Ogunlesi was the former head of global investment banking at Credit Suisse First Boston before being promoted to chief client officer and executive vice chairman.
Early life and education
Ogunlesi comes from Makun, Sagamu, Ogun State, Nigeria. He is the son of Theophilus O. Ogunlesi, the first Nigerian professor of medicine at University of Ibadan. His family is of Yoruba origin.
Ogunlesi went to King's College, Lagos, a secondary school in Lagos, Nigeria. He received a B.A. with first class honors in philosophy, politics and economics from Oxford University in England. In 1979, Ogunlesi received a JD–MBA from Harvard Law School and later Harvard Business School. During his time at Harvard, he was on the Harvard Law Review.
Career
From 1980 to 1981, Ogunlesi served as a law clerk to associate justice Thurgood Marshall of the United States Supreme Court. Ogunlesi was an attorney in the corporate practice group of the New York City law firm of Cravath, Swaine & Moore, where he had been a summer associate while studying for his M.B.A.
In 1983, Ogunlesi joined the investment bank First Boston as an advisor on a Nigerian gas project. At First Boston, he worked in the Project Finance Group, advising clients on transactions and financings and has worked on transactions in North and South America, the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. From 1997 to 2002, he was the Head of the Global Energy Group of the by then renamed Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB). In 2002, Ogunlesi was appointed Global Head of CSFB's Investment Banking Division. Also in 2002, he served as a member of Credit Suisse's Executive Board and Management Committee. From 2004 to 2006, Ogunlesi was Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Client Officer of CSFB.
In July 2006, Ogunlesi started the private equity firm Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a joint venture whose initial investors included Credit Suisse and General Electric. He currently serves as chairman and managing partner.
In 2006, GIP bought London City Airport. In 2009, GIP acquired a majority stake in London Gatwick Airport in a deal worth £1.455 billion. The Nigerian press has given him the nickname, "The Man Who Bought Gatwick Airport." GIP also owns Edinburgh Airport, which they bought in 2012, and Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori, which they bought in February 2018.
In January 2024, BlackRock agreed to buy Global Infrastructure Partners for about $12.5 billion. BlackRock will pay $3 billion in cash and 12 million of its own shares as part of the deal to buy GIP. The 400 people directly employed by GIP will receive some of the stock, and five of the six founding partners, including chief executive Ogunlesi, will join BlackRock as part of the deal.
Additional work
Ogunlesi is a member of the District of Columbia Bar Association. While working at Credit Suisse First Boston, he was a lecturer at Harvard Law School and the Yale School of Management, where he taught a course on transnational investment projects in emerging countries.
In October 2012, he was appointed to the board of directors at Goldman Sachs. On 24 July 2014, he was named lead director.
In December 2016, it was announced that Ogunlesi, among other business leaders, would be part of Donald Trump's Strategic and Policy Forum, which was disbanded on 16 August 2017.
In January 2025, Ogunlesi joined the board of directors of OpenAI.
Personal life
Ogunlesi has been married to British-born optometrist Dr. Amelia Quist-Ogunlesi since 1985. They have two children. In his song "Wonderful," Burna Boy pays tribute to Adebayo, citing his hard work. As of 2025, Forbes estimates his net worth at US$2.5 billion.
Awards and honors
Recipient of The International Center in New York's Award of Excellence. Ogunlesi was cited as one of the Top 100 most influential Africans by New African magazine in 2019. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adebayo_OgunlesiBayo Ogunlesi |
| Business › Re: Bayo Ogunlesi Targets Growth Of $30 Billion Asset Exposure In South Africa by naptu2(op): 7:16am On May 18 |
|
| Business › Bayo Ogunlesi Targets Growth Of $30 Billion Asset Exposure In South Africa by naptu2(op): 6:40am On May 18 |
Ogunlesi targets growth of $30 billion asset exposure in Africa’s largest economy
Solomon Ekanem
14 May 2026
Nigerian billionaire Adebayo Ogunlesi is positioning South Africa as a key destination for large-scale infrastructure capital, backing a strategy that could significantly expand a roughly $30 billion asset footprint in the country over the next five years.
⚫️Adebayo Ogunlesi is increasing infrastructure investments in South Africa, aiming to substantially grow a $30 billion asset base over the next five years.
⚫️Ogunlesi highlighted significant opportunities in energy, transport, and logistics if policy consistency and implementation improve.
⚫️He emphasized that investor confidence relies on regulatory clarity and efficient infrastructure delivery to attract more global capital.
⚫️President Cyril Ramaphosa noted major recent investment commitments, including $500 million from BlackRock and a record $54 billion in new pledges.
Nigerian billionaire Adebayo Ogunlesi has signalled a deeper push into South Africa’s infrastructure space, saying the country’s long-standing infrastructure challenges present a significant opportunity for long-term private investment, provided reforms remain consistent and implementation improves.
Ogunlesi said BlackRock currently oversees around R500 billion in South Africa-linked assets under management, equivalent to roughly $28–$30 billion depending on exchange rates, and expects this exposure to increase significantly over the next five years as investment conditions improve.
Ogunlesi made the remarks in Cape Town during the BlackRock South Africa Infrastructure Investment Summit, where he joined South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and global investors and policymakers to discuss financing solutions for large-scale infrastructure development in the country.
Ogunlesi, the chairman and CEO of Global Infrastructure Partners, now part of BlackRock, said South Africa remains underdeveloped in critical infrastructure sectors that are essential for sustained economic growth, including energy, transport and logistics.
“We think that infrastructure in South Africa and indeed on the African continent as a whole is at an inflection point. The simple fact is that South Africa, like many other countries, has underinvested in infrastructure that underpins its strength and vitality,” Ogunlesi said.
He added that investor confidence is closely tied to policy certainty and efficient execution, noting that infrastructure delivery must improve if the country is to attract larger pools of global capital.
President Ramaphosa also referenced earlier investment momentum, noting a $500 million commitment made by BlackRock to the African Infrastructure Fund III, which targets financing for energy systems, logistics corridors and transport infrastructure across the continent.
He said the pledge, announced earlier in the year ahead of the summit, reflects growing confidence in Africa’s infrastructure pipeline and the increasing role of private capital in funding large-scale development projects.
BlackRock is the world’s largest asset manager, overseeing approximately $14 to $15 trillion in assets under management, and serving institutional, intermediary, and individual investors.
Energy and logistics seen as key bottlenecks
Ogunlesi highlighted electricity supply constraints, ageing transport infrastructure and inefficiencies in ports and rail systems as major barriers to competitiveness. According to him, addressing these challenges could unlock productivity gains across multiple sectors of the economy.
“In the 21st century there simply is no excuse for unreliable electricity supply. Reliable and affordable energy is a foundation requirement for growth,” he said.
Ogunlesi also pointed to emerging demand for digital infrastructure, including data centres and power capacity, driven by the global rise of artificial intelligence and cloud computing.
He said South Africa is competing directly with developed and emerging markets for infrastructure capital, making regulatory clarity and predictable investment frameworks increasingly important.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said South Africa has attracted about R1.5 trillion in investment commitments over the first five years of its investment drive, launched in 2018, spanning sectors including energy, telecommunications, infrastructure, property, mining and advanced manufacturing.
He added that the country recently secured a record $54 billion (around R890 billion) in pledges at the 6th South Africa Investment Conference held last month.
Ramaphosa said this momentum has led government to set a new target of R3 trillion (about $180 billion) in investments over the next five years.
At the same time, the broader investment drive comes as South Africa continues to grapple with periodic xenophobic tensions and public frustration over unemployment and service delivery, factors that some analysts say can affect investor sentiment.
Despite these challenges, Ramaphosa used the summit to position South Africa as a key gateway for continental investment and encouraged deeper private sector participation in infrastructure development. https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/markets/us-based-nigerian-billionaire-ogunlesi-targets-growth-of-dollar30-billion-asset/4n1gb9ePhotos: Adebayo Ogunlesi and South African president Cyril Ramaphosa. 
|
|
|
|
| Business › Re: Aliko Dangote Tours East Africa by naptu2(op): 7:06pm On May 17 |
Alhaji Dangote was in Kenya for the Africa-France summit and in Rwanda for the African CEOs forum. |
| Business › Re: Aliko Dangote Tours East Africa by naptu2(op): 7:03pm On May 17 |
Abiy Ahmed is the prime minister of Ethiopia. Abiy Ahmed Ali @AbiyAhmedAli Last August, in partnership with the Dangote Group, we made significant progress by signing a landmark shareholders’ agreement for a fertilizer plant with a planned annual production capacity of 3 million metric tons of urea. In October 2025, we officially launched construction of the project.
This initiative represents far more than infrastructure. It is a strategic investment in Ethiopia’s agricultural transformation, food security, industrial growth, and economic self-reliance. Once completed, the fertilizer plant will play a vital role in strengthening local production capacity, reducing dependence on imports, supporting millions of farmers, and creating new opportunities for jobs and investment.
This morning, together with @AlikoDangote, I visited the project site in Gode to assess the progress achieved so far. I am encouraged by the steady momentum across the project area. Construction activities are advancing as planned across multiple sections of the site, reflecting the strong commitment and collaboration driving this important national project forward. https://x.com/i/status/2055916498971951388
|
| Business › Re: Aliko Dangote Tours East Africa by naptu2(op): 7:01pm On May 17 |
Dangote Group @DangoteGroup Dangote Gets Hero’s Welcome in Ethiopia, Raises Investment to $4bn
President of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, received a warm welcome in Gode, Ethiopia, where he was hosted by Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Both leaders visited the site of the proposed fertiliser plant to assess ongoing construction. Ethiopia had signed a shareholders’ agreement with Dangote Group in August last year to establish a urea plant with a capacity of three million metric tonnes annually.
Dangote announced an increase in investment from $2.5 billion to over $4 billion, reflecting expanded scope, including a 110km pipeline, a 120MW power plant, a polypropylene packaging facility, and a two-million-tonne NPK blending plant.
Prime Minister Abiy described the project as a strategic initiative to boost agriculture, enhance food security, and reduce import dependence. He noted steady construction progress and expressed confidence in its impact on farmers, job creation, and economic growth.
The project reinforces Dangote Group’s commitment to industrial development across Africa. |
