Datti Baba-Ahmed, the vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), says Bola Tinubu did not meet the constitutional requirements to become Nigeria’s president.

Speaking on Wednesday in an interview on Channels Television, Baba-Ahmed said Tinubu failed to fulfill the requirements stipulated in the section of the 1999 constitution (as amended) for election to the office of the president.

On March 1, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Tinubu as the winner of the February 25 presidential election.

Tinubu, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), scored 8,794,726 votes and secured the 25 percent threshold of total votes in 30 states of the federation but failed to have the threshold in votes cast in the federal capital territory (FCT).

Section 134 (2) of the 1999 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.

The declaration of Tinubu as the President-elect despite not getting 25 percent of the votes cast in FCT has continued to generate debates.

Speaking on the development, Baba-Ahmed said swearing in Tinubu as president is “ending democracy” and a clear violation of the 1999 constitution.

He asked Olukayode Ariwoola, the chief justice of Nigeria (CJN), not to participate in the swearing-in of Tinubu as president over what he described as a “violation” of the constitution.

“Section 134 stipulates who should be declared and issued a certificate of return. It is only that candidate that has scored the highest number of votes and at least 25 percent each in at least two-thirds of the states of the federation and the FCT,” he said.

“Now, it is very clear that Tinubu does not have 25 percent in the FCT, we denied him. We got 61 percent. Atiku does not have 25 percent in the FCT. We denied both of them.

“By clear and unambiguous provisions of the Nigerian constitution, which must not be breached, Tinubu has not satisfied the requirement to be declared President-elect. Accordingly, there is no President-elect for Nigeria now. Because the declared one violates the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and I know what I’m saying.

“Swearing in a ticket that has not met the constitutional requirement is ending democracy. That is indeed the correct interpretation. You cannot swear in people who have not met the constitutional requirement. if you do it, you have done something unlawful and unconstitutional.

“Mr President, do not hold that inauguration. CJN, your lordship, do not participate in unconstitutionality. It is extreme and I’m saying it. It was more extreme for Yakubu to issue that certificate. It was reckless.”

The national working committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has suspended Ayo Fayose, former governor of Ekiti, over alleged anti-party activities.

The PDP also suspended Anyim Pius Anyim, former secretary to the government of the federation, Ibrahim Shema, former governor of Katsina state, and two others over the same allegation.

The NWC said Samuel Ortom, governor of Benue, has been referred to a disciplinary committee.

Other suspended members are Dennis Ityavyar (Benue) and Aslam Aliyu (Zamfara).

In a statement issued on Thursday, Debo Ologunagba, PDP spokesperson, said the decision to refer Ortom to the national disciplinary committee over his alleged involvement in anti-party activities was taken after a “very extensive review of the affairs of our party in the country and pursuant to the provisions of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017)”.

The party’s spokesperson said the suspension of the four members was with immediate effect.

“The PDP urges all leaders, critical stakeholders, and teeming members of our party across the country to remain united and focused at this critical time,” he said.

Fayose’s suspension comes days after he mocked Aminu Tambuwal, governor of Sokoto, for losing the state to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the March 18 governorship election.

He had also said anyone planning to “unseat” President-elect, Bola Tinubu through the court is “daydreaming”.

Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the PDP, is challenging Tinubu’s victory in the court.

Anyim had declared support for Francis Nwifuru, APC governor-elect in Ebonyi, days before the governorship poll in the state.

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed his sadness that some candidates lost in the just concluded general elections in Nigeria.

He also hailed the conduct of the elections, describing it as credible.

He made the comment while speaking at a farewell meeting with the outgoing United States Ambassador, Mary Beth Leonard, at the State House in Abuja on Tuesday.

“President Muhammadu Buhari says, given the chance of a free and fair election as well as non-interference as was witnessed on February 25th and March 18th elections, Nigerians have proved to be capable of deciding who leads them without anyone telling them what to do," Presidential aide Garba Shehu said in a statement.

President Buhari who expressed satisfaction with remarkable passion towards democracy exhibited by Nigerians through the choices they made in the Presidential, National Assembly and the subsequent Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections, said Nigeria’s democracy has truly matured.

“People are realising their power. Given the chance of a free and fair vote, nobody can tell them what to do. I am unhappy that some candidates lost in the election. But I am inspired by the fact that voters were able to make their own decision, to decide who won and who lost. With the currency change, there was no money to spread around but even then, I told voters to take the money and vote according to their consciences.”

Hundreds of residents and supporters of the Labour Party (LP) in Abia State have staged a peaceful protest in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately declare Alex Otti the winner of the governorship election having scored the highest number of votes in last Saturday’s election in Abia state.

Carrying placards with various inscriptions, the protesters gathered around the INEC office, insisting that the results represent the wishes and aspirations of the entire people of Abia State.

They maintained that the Labour Party (LP) candidate is already leading with about 90,000 votes with 16 local government results collated so far, therefore Obingwa Local Government Area – with less than 27,000 accredited voters as captured in INEC’s data – should not prevent INEC from declaring Oti as the winner.

The protesters added that there are no justifiable reasons why INEC should continue to delay Otti’s declaration.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Umuahia branch, has asked INEC to declare Otti the winner of the poll to save the state from the avoidable crisis.

While addressing journalists, the chairman of the branch Barr. Jasper Ejimofor said the evidence emanating from INEC indicates that the Labour Party candidate has won the governorship election with a very wider margin

He further called on President Muhammadu Buhari, the INEC national chairman, the national body of NBA, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), civil society groups, heads of security agencies and well-meaning Nigerians to intervene and prevent a scenario that could lead to a bloodbath in the state.

A former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has maintained he won’t join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

He made the comment on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, days after the conduct of the 2023 elections. Fayose who opposed his party – the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar from northern Nigeria – maintained that power should move to the south.

“Many people in Nigeria have been confronted with what they have said at different times and they either recant or say something new. I stand here to tell you that I will never be a member of the APC. I am not in politics for what it is anymore. I have been given a fair opportunity to lead Ekiti two times and defeated two incumbents.”

‘No Apology for my Action’

According to him, his support for president-elect Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was based on the principles of equity which meant southern Nigeria should take over power at the federal level.

“I have no apology for my action now and in the future. I have not hidden my respect for Bola Asiwaju,” he added.

As far as the former governor is concerned, the main opposition PDP was fractured and never prepared for the 2023 elections. Fayose called on the party to close its ranks and work towards the 2027 polls if they want to take power.

He also warned leaders in the country to buckle up, saying the events leading to the 2023 elections and the massive interest shown by young people, show that it is no longer business as usual.

“Young people did not hide their disdain. They went for the leaders’ neck and took it out, sacked them, and occupied the space. Let me tell you again, this is a warning and further warning for those people coming in and returning that if you mess with the people, they will mess with you in four years’ time,” Fayose said

The Labour Party and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State have rejected the results of the house of assembly elections in the state.

After Saturday’s election, the All Progressives Congress (APC) won 26 seats out of the 27 seats in the Imo State House of Assembly.

According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Imo State, the only result from Ahiazu Mbaise is yet to be declared as the election in the area was declared inconclusive.

Meanwhile, the Labour Party and the peoples Democratic Party in the state have both described the election as a sham.

They alleged that INEC and security operatives in the state colluded with the ruling APC to manipulate the results of the election in favour of the party.

On the other hand, the APC in the state has congratulated all the members-elect describing the outcome of the election as the true wishes of the Imo people and the result of the commitment and developmental contributions of the ruling party led by Governor Hope Uzodimma to the welfare and well-being of Imo citizens.

The APC described allegations by the Labour Party and the PDP as untrue, saying they are bad losers whose claims of winning the election are a figment of their imagination

Rivers State governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has congratulated Governors Seyi Makinde (Oyo); Senator Bala Mohammed (Bauchi) and Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos) on their re-election.

Governor Wike said the re-election of governors Makinde and Mohammed through free, fair, and credible elections in their respective States, is indeed a triumph for Nigeria’s democracy.


“I am excited by the cheering news of the resounding re-election of governors Makinde, Mohammed and Sanwo-Olu. I am pleased to express to Your Excellencies the most sincere fraternal congratulations.

“I look forward to us consolidating the bonds of brotherhood and friendship between our States and peoples.”

Governor Wike urged the governors to use the election for their second tenure in office to continue to create a better life, and prosperity for all their peoples.

Kelvin Ebiri

Special Assistant on Media to the Rivers State governor.

March 20, 2023.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says it will honour President Muhammadu Buhari with an award in recognition of his achievements in the defence and promotion of democracy in the subregion.

Garba Shehu, the president’s spokesperson, said in a statement on Tuesday, that Umaro Sissoco Embalo, the ECOWAS chairman, announced the decision at a bilateral meeting with Buhari on the sidelines of the ongoing 5th United Nations conference on least developed countries (LDCs) in Qatar.

Buhari is expected to be back in the country on Wednesday, March 8.

Shehu quoted Embalo as saying that Nigeria’s leader had done more than any other to support democratic governments in West Africa just as he had done exceptionally well in waging battles against the emergence of non-democratic regimes.
The ECOWAS chairman said Buhari would have his name on the “Roll of Honour” in the community’s new headquarters building upon its completion in Abuja.

This, he said, would enable future generations of West African citizens to know about the greatness Buhari achieved and to emulate his laudable examples.

Buhari welcomed the proposition, saying that democracy remained the best pathway to bringing together diverse people and a dependable vehicle for the achievement of national development.

The widow of late football legend Pele will inherit 30 percent of his assets, according to his will, which also mentions a woman who could be Pele’s unrecognized daughter, the widow’s lawyer told AFP on Tuesday.

The will states that Marcia Cibele Aoki, Pele’s third and last wife, will inherit his mansion in Guaruja, a seaside resort town south of Sao Paulo, where the couple lived, according to her lawyer Luiz Kignel.
Other assets belonging to Pele, who died after battling cancer in late December at age 82, include more real estate and a stake in the Pele brand, Kignel said, adding that a complete inventory has yet to be made.

The remaining 70 percent is reserved for Pele’s children, including an unrecognized daughter that he may have.
“He indicated the possibility of the existence of another daughter, whose recognition will depend on a DNA test, which could not be carried out (on Pele) due to the pandemic and the state of his health,” said Kignel.
According to Kignel, the woman in question is a Brazilian national and she has taken legal steps to be recognized as Pele’s daughter.

In September 2022, a court in Sao Paulo ordered Pele to submit to a DNA test, according to the G1 website. The test must now be performed on one of his seven recognized children.

Ojo Arowosafe, the ace Nigerian actor popularly known as Fadeyi Oloro, has passed away.
Arowosafe, who featured as Fadeyi Oloro in ‘Arelu,’ a classic Yoruba TV series of the 80s, died on Tuesday evening.


Fasunwon Bidemi Oluwafunke, the actor’s daughter, confirmed his demise to Premium Times.

The movie star had battled an undisclosed ailment for a couple of years.
Last month, Fadeyi was featured in a live Instagram session with Daddy Freeze, the media personality.

During the session, the Yoruba actor appealed to the public for financial assistance in order to foot his medical bills.

His plea attracted the attention of Tobi Adegboyega, the UK-based Nigerian pastor of SPAC Nation, who gifted him the sum of N3 million.
Daddy Freeze also disclosed that some unnamed persons supported Fadeyi with an additional N261,000.

Arowosafe was born on September 15, 1957, in Igbara Odo, Ekiti.

He gained fame during the cinematic era for his antagonistic roles and energetic recitation of incantations in Yoruba movies.

He also featured in hundreds of films like ‘Alagbara Ilu’, ‘Jagun Ina’, ‘Inu Bibi’, and ‘IJA Abija’.
Others included ‘Osimi Ika’, ‘Adani Lori’, ‘Fitu Fona’, ‘Ruke Rudo’, ‘Bola Ele’, and ‘Ade Ogun’.

In December 2021, the coalition for a better Nigeria called on well-meaning Nigerians to support the Yoruba actor in salvaging his ailing health.

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has raised the alarm over an alleged plot by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to destroy evidence contained in the BVAS machine under the guise of reconfiguration.

National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, raised the alarm at a press conference in Abuja, late on Tuesday.
“This reprehensible action by INEC to frustrate the desire of Nigerians to get redress through the court is a clear recipe for crisis and a deliberate design by the Commission to derail our democracy and trigger anarchy in the country.”
Ologunagba invited Nigerians to recall how the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu superintended over the manipulation of the results of the presidential election and hurriedly announced a winner in spite of widespread outcry and complain over numerous evidence of malpractices and violation of several provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022 by INEC and its officials.

The PDP spokesman further said, “The INEC Chairman bypassed all the steps and procedures provided by the Electoral Act 2022 for the declaration of results, including to announce and declare only results that were transmitted directly from the polling units to the INEC server/website and to review the results in the event of disputes and objections as to the correctness and consistency of the collated result.

“For emphasis Section 64 (6) of the Electoral Act clearly states that: ‘(6) Where during collation of results, there is a dispute regarding a collated result or the result of an election from any polling unit, the collation officer or returning officer shall use the following to determine the correctness of the disputed result-

“(a) the original of the disputed collated result for each polling unit where the election is disputed;

“(b)the smart card reader or other technology device used for accreditation of voters in each polling unit where the election is disputed for the purpose of obtaining accreditation data directly from the smart card reader or technology device
"(c) data of accreditation recorded and transmitted directly from each polling unit where the election is disputed as prescribed under section 47 (2) of this Act

“(d) the votes and result of the election recorded and transmitted directly from each polling unit where the election is disputed, as prescribed under section 60 (4) of this Act.

“Furthermore, Section 65 (1)(c) of the Electoral Act, 2022 states as follows;

“S. 65.-(1) The decision of the returning officer shall be final on any question arising from or relating to-…. (c) declaration of scores of candidates and the return of a candidate;

“Provided that the Commission shall have the power within seven days to review the declaration and return where the Commission determines that the said declaration and return was not made voluntarily or was made contrary to the provisions of the law, regulations and guidelines, and manual for the election.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the Igbo socio-cultural organisation, has dissociated itself from a media report that Peter Obi was not destined to be Nigeria’s president.

The report was allegedly signed by Tony Chiemelu Obizoba, director general, implementation and strategic planning, Ohanaeze Ndigbo General Assembly Worldwide.

Alex Ognonnia, the national publicity secretary of the group, said in a statement on Monday, that the organisation was rather impressed by the performance of Obi during the February 25 presidential election.

“The attention of Ohanaeze Ndigbo has been drawn to a mischievous publication being circulated in the media, that Peter Obi is not destined to be Nigeria’s president,” the statement reads.

“As a body, we are impressed, thrilled, and fascinated by the groundswell and intimidating support for the Obi-Datti movement.

“For the purpose of clarity, Ohanaeze Ndigbo vehemently dissociates itself from any remark suggesting that Obi is not destined to rule Nigeria.

NAN reports that the organisation described Obi as a man with a track record of efficient performance in governance and business.

The group expressed worries over the pervasiveness of social media in spreading fake news.

On Wednesday, March 1, Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was declared the winner of the 2023 presidential election with 8,794,726 votes.

Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came second with 6,984,520 votes, while Peter Obi polled 6,101,533 votes to come third.

Chris Aburime, press secretary to Chukwuma Soludo, governor of Anambra, has dismissed an allegation of a plot to assassinate Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP).

A message has gone viral on social media claiming that Soludo has been offered money to assassinate Obi.

“Hold Soludo Responsible If Anything Happens To Peter Obi,” the title of the message reads.

“Yesterday, a Helicopter entered Awka by 1:30 am and took Soludo to a secret meeting at Government House, Owerri. The agenda of the meeting is Peter Obi and how to stop him physically, politically, and otherwise,” the message reads.
Soludo was given five million dollars in 100 dollar bills for the hatchet job and Soludo promised to eliminate Peter Obi.”

Reacting to the viral message on Monday, Aburime said the governor wasn’t offered any money to harm anyone, saying that Soludo wishes Peter Obi well.

“I want to state categorically that there is no iota of truth in that write up, he did not go to Owerri and he was not offered any sum of money to harm anyone, not even his brother Mr Peter Obi an illustrious son of Anambra,” NAN quoted Aburime as saying.
Soludo wishes Obi well, he appreciates Anambra voters for supporting him massively, of course, he predicted his victory in Anambra, and remember, there was no form of violence or electoral malfeasance in Anambra, that speaks a lot about the peaceful nature of Soludo.”

He said the development, protection of lives and property, and sustainable progress of Anambra should be the bigger picture occupying the minds of supporters than their personal interests.

In November, Soludo penned an article where he forecasted that Obi “can’t and won’t win” the 2023 presidential election.

The LP candidate came third behind Bola Tinubu, the president-elect and Atiku Abubakar, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the election that was conducted on February 25.

Bode George, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, says there is a “grand design” to “secretly eliminate” Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP).

Speaking at a press conference in Lagos on Monday, George said if anything happens to Rhodes-Vivour, Nigerians “should know who to hold”.

“We wish to inform Nigerians about the heinous plan, to secretly eliminate the Labour Party governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the latest move by the take Lagos occupiers, to take him out of circulation before the election on Saturday,” Goerge said.

“We, hereby, warn that, should anything happen to this vibrant bonafide Lagosian, who fate has thrown up to free our dear state from the stranglehold of marauders, Nigerians should know who to hold.”

The PDP chieftain also called on Lagosians to shun “divisive politics of annihilation” and come out in large numbers to vote for the LP candidate in the March 11 election.

“As we speak, there are grand designs, to provoke the peace-loving Nigerians, whose resolve is to effect change through the ballot box on Saturday, as threats are being issued against voters suspected to be willing to vote against incumbency,” he said.

“To this disposition, we, the Omo Eko Pataki, say it is the most heinous crime against humanity in this 21st century, and condemn such in all its entirety.

We reject this divisive politics of annihilation of innocent Nigerians, which seek to create anarchy and provoke the anger of the citizenry. We wish to remind all the non-Lagosian agents of the Lagos state government, that Nigerians have lived together in peace, irrespective of any political party in power,”

“We equally urge the electorate in Lagos to go out in their numbers on Saturday, to vote against the plundering that has bedevilled our prosperous state for over two decades as adequate security is assured to everyone out to exercise their civic responsibility.

“We also call on INEC, to ensure the use of a transformational BVAS regime, for the transparency of the exercise, a departure from the February 25 archaic system, where result sheets were moved manually from polling units.

“24 hours in politics is a very long time, people are discussing at various levels from Abuja to local government because everybody has realized that the electorate is bigger than card-carrying members of your party.”

A meeting with the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, is being contemplated by some high profile members of the National Assembly made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives, Vanguard learned today.
The agenda of the meeting is the constitution of the leadership of the national parliament which principally falls on the presiding officers of both chambers.

Recall that Vanguard had, weekend, exclusively reported that barring any unforeseen circumstances, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) will before the end of the week or early next week officially release the power sharing formula among the six geopolitical zones of the country.
The source, which craved anonymity, said that the factors included balance of power and avoidance of a Muslim-Muslim National Assembly leadership.

Others included the “most marginalised zones” and the zones where Tinubu got huge votes in the last presidential election.

It will be also be recalled that the President-elect, Tinubu and the Vice President-elect, Senator Kashim Shettima, are both Muslims from South-West and North-East regions, respectively, which may not be expressly endorsed for any other juicy office in the National Assembly.

Though no time was given with regards to when the meeting was scheduled, the source said it would hold sooner after the members-elect converge on Abuja on Tuesday and Wednesday to collect their certificate of return from the Independence National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The source added that majority of the party’s NWC members were working on reaching an agreement with other members of the party leadership to zone the Senate presidency to the South-East, as part of moves to pacify the people of the region.

The governorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos State, Abdul-Azeez Adediran also known as Jandor, has said that Igbo people in the state deserve respect and protection for their immense contribution to the development of the state.

Adediran, in company of his running mate, Funke Akindele and other PDP leaders, made the remark at a town hall meeting with an Igbo group, Ndigbo Na Lagos Bu Otu, in Surulere on Sunday.

“Everytime I have the opportunity to speak with our brothers and sisters of Igbo extraction in Lagos, I always remember to express our appreciation.

“Appreciation of Lagosians of the first order who understand that all Igbo people in Lagos are one of those who have contributed immensely to our prosperity in the state of Lagos.

"Your investments in our major markets in Aspanda, Ladipo, Trade Fair, Alaba International Market and every Igbo dominated market contributes immensely to the status of Lagos of being the richest state in Nigeria today.

“It behoves every sensible owner of the Lagos to protect and respect those who have come to add to the prosperity but unfortunately what we have in Lagos today is not like that,” he said.

According to Adediran, if elected, he would not treat Igbos and other ethnic nationalities without respect but protect them and create an enabling environment for their businesses to thrive.

Esosa Iyawe, a 40-year-old graduate of Benson Idahosa University, who was elected as the member representing the Oredo Federal Constituency of Edo State in the House of Representatives during the February 25 National Assembly election, talks to ADEYINKA ADEDIPE about his recent achievement

How did you get into politics?
I have always had an interest in good leadership but I was put off because of the way Nigerian politicians conduct themselves. Before you can venture into politics, you must have a lot of cash or do a lot of things before you become a candidate. I have been patient. However, meeting a noble man like Mr Peter Obi several times in Abuja, I discovered that he is a man of integrity and impeccable character. So when he left the Peoples Democratic Party and became a major force in the Labour Party, I followed him and inquired about how to get a form, which I acquired with my little savings and I became a candidate
How much did the form cost?
It wasn’t expensive at all or as much as the other two big parties sold theirs. It was a form a civil servant could buy with their salary.

Apart from that leadership problem, what other factors made you go into politics?

In Nigeria, you find out that things don’t get better as you grow old. They degenerate more. I guess a lot of things worked better when I was younger and I have friends who kept relocating to other countries. I had a lot of people asking for assistance, families could not afford to feed and people who were qualified could not get jobs to at least earn the minimum wage. No sector works well in Nigeria; all the sectors are either down or near comatose. It is only the cabals who made life good for themselves, their family and their cronies.
What encouraged you to pick the nomination form of the Labour Party?

At one point, I even had plans of relocating to another country because the more one works, the less one gets as the naira loses value daily. The cost of living is high while inflation is also skyrocketing even though Nigeria is blessed with natural resources. A lot of countries don’t have one-10th of what we have but they are living well due to proper planning while we are still battling to make things work for several years and we remain underdeveloped. So, I decided to put my hat in the ring to ensure that if Obi became the president, I would assist in making and supporting bills that would enable him to function well as one of his disciples. I believe that we need laws based on common sense to make things work. As an engineer, I believe that I have the capacity to do things that will positively impact the people of Oredo. That was why I actually jumped into the race.

Did you think you would win when you picked the form?

I prayed to God for people in the constituency to see the good things I was doing during the campaign. I didn’t conduct my campaign the way others did. I went to see the common man who the leaders had been using over the years. I told them that they could not collect money for their votes and still expect to get power. Collecting money means you sell your right to question the leaders when things are not going well in the country. My slogan during the campaign was: ‘You either take power or money’. I let them know that taking power means a better future for our children. If I wasn’t a candidate, I would have been among the people at the forefront of campaigning against the old order.

In 2019, Ghana’s Foreigner Identification Management Systems revealed that citizens from about 167 countries resided in the country.

Nigerians are not left out. As of June 2020, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs estimated that 1.7 million Nigerians were in diaspora.

A specialised market and consumer data company, Statista, stated that in 2021, about 77,000 Nigerians lived in several regions of Ghana. Nigerian male and female residents were 50,329 and 26,632, respectively.

The $1m levy
According to the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre Act, 2013 Act 865, Section 28 (Enterprises eligible for foreign participation and minimum foreign capital requirement) subsection two states that non-citizens may engage in a trading (purchasing and selling of imported goods and services) enterprise if they have an investment of not less than $1m in cash, goods or services relevant to the investment.

Due to the implementation of this act, over 600 shops belonging to Nigerians were closed for months in December 2019.

The Nigerian traders were told to pay the $1 million foreign equity/capital base for the Ghana Investment Promotion Council registration.
The shop closures, according to the President of the Nigerian Union of Traders in Ghana, Mr Emeka Nnaji, was an experience they had long endured but resurfaced at intervals.

But Nigeria and Ghana are members of the Economic Community of West African States and are covered by the ECOWAS Promotion of Free Trading Policy.

In August 2020, The PUNCH reported that the Ghanaian Minister of Information, Kojo Nkrumah, defended the imposition of the trade levy on Nigerians, stating that Nigeria had “equally issued executive orders preventing foreigners from getting jobs Nigerians can do.”

He noted that the then closure of the Seme Krake borders in August 2019 by the Nigerian government affected neighbouring countries.

In his response to the shop closure over the non-payment of the trade levy, Nkrumah said, “The compliance exercises conducted in the selected markets revealed gross violations of retail trade laws and regulations by Ghanaians and foreigners, including Nigerians.

“These violations included tax evasion, immigration offences, trading in substandard products, violation of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre Law, improper registration of firms, under-payment of business operating permits, falsification of documents, among others.”

In a bid to resolve the issue, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, arrived in Ghana on September 2, 2020, on a “legislative diplomacy” and to meet with the Speaker of the Ghanaian Parliament, Prof. Mike Oquaye.

The national power grid will collapse if electricity generation hits 6,000 megawatts, the President of Nigeria Consumer Protection Network, Kunle Olubiyo, has said.

Nigeria’s highest quantum of electricity ever generated on its national grid was 5,802MW, which was generated on March 1, 2021, and was evacuated at a frequency of 50.09 hertz.

The Transmission Company of Nigeria had stated at the time that this quantum of electricity was transmitted to power distributors, adding that the figure was higher than the previous peak by 186.20MW.

“TCN successfully transmitted an enhanced peak generation of 5,801.6MW at 9:30 pm on March 1, 2021. The peak generation was transmitted at a frequency of 50.09Hz. This value is higher than the 5,615.4MW recorded on February 28, 2021, by 186.20MW,” TCN stated.
Since then, power generation on the grid had continued to fluctuate between 4,000MW and 5,000MW, despite the increasing demand for electricity by the over 200 million people in Nigeria.

On Friday, for instance, figures obtained by our correspondent from the Federal Ministry of Power in Abuja showed that the quantum of electricity generated on the national grid was 4,962.7MW as of 6.00 am.

But amid calls for an increase in power generation, the NCPN president revealed that the national grid would collapse should it get up to 6,000MW of electricity from power generation companies.

Three of the five aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party lost their bids to go to the Senate, DIRISU YAKUBU examines the implication of the loss for the governors and the members of the Integrity Group led by the outgoing Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike

For months, reconciliatory efforts were made by chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party to bring its aggrieved five governors back to its fold but to no avail. For Nyesom Wike, the governor of Rivers State and leader of the Integrity Group, together with his four colleagues, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, Samuel Ortom of Benue State and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, there was no pathway to peace unless Iyorchia Ayu, the National Chairman of the PDP stepped aside before the elections.

The governors premised their anti-Ayu stand on the alleged violation of the PDP constitution which provides for fair distribution of elective and national offices between the North and South. They maintained that with Atiku Abubakar’s emergence as the party’s presidential candidate, Ayu’s continued chairmanship was no longer acceptable.

Following the collapse of peace talks between the two sides, Atiku kept Ayu and worked with loyal governors of the party for the presidential election which was held on February 25.

PDP chieftains including its immediate past National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, ex-National Secretary, Ibrahim Tsauri, former Governors Ahmed Makarfi (Kaduna), Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Ibrahim Idris (Kogi) and a host of others had argued that it was in the interest of the rebellious governors to sheathe their swords and team up with Atiku.

Tsauri was particularly philosophical; he told our correspondent in an interview that “It is better for your enemy to win in your party than for your friend to win in a rival party.” As it were, the Wike-led group rebuffed the gestures and counsel of party faithful including their colleague governors.

In several meetings held home and abroad, Wike assured the PDP that lessons would be learnt the hard way, even as he vowed on behalf of others to reveal their adopted candidate before the election.

But unlike Wike who was not contesting any position, Makinde is seeking re-election while the trio of Ortom, Ikpeazu and Ugwuanyi were seeking seats in the Senate to represent their respective senatorial districts.

At the final collation of ballots however, the outgoing governors lost their elections, granting their enemies and political opponents the grounds to mock them.

Ortom lost to Titus Zam of the All Progressives Congress in the race for the Benue North-West Senatorial District. Zam, who served as Special Adviser to Governor Ortom on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs before his defection to the APC, polled a total of 143,151 votes to defeat Ortom who polled 106, 882 votes.

Like Ortom, Ugwuanyi had no answer to the Peter Obi-induced Labour Party hurricane that swept across the country in a spectacular fashion. His bid to represent Enugu North was frustrated by Okechukwu Ezea of the LP whose 104, 948 votes were far above the governor’s 46,948 votes.

The story was the same with Ikpeazu who lost to the All Progressives Grand Alliance candidate, Enyinnaya Abaribe, who garnered a total of 49, 903 votes to beat LP’s Chinedu Onyeizu and Ikpeazu as the duo secured 43, 903 and 28, 422 votes respectively.

Some analysts who spoke to our correspondent made some posers; were the governors not aware that Wike had little to lose in the game that saw them more as anti-party agents than believers in the PDP creed? Could they have won had they remained loyal to the Ayu-led National Working Committee without bickering? And didn’t they know it was difficult for people to vote for different parties in elections that held the same day and the same polling units at the same time, since they already took a stand not to support their party in the presidential election?

There seems to be no straight answers to these posers but Timothy Osadolor, the Deputy National Youth Leader of the PDP, is of the view that the outgoing governors failed to realise that they had a life outside their agitation for Ayu to go.

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Bode George, shares with AYOOLA OLASUPO his thoughts on the declaration of Bola Tinubu as the President-elect among other national issues

What is your general assessment of the presidential and National Assembly elections held on Saturday?

Without missing words, it was shambolic, shameless and full of inadequacies and futility. I am so heartbroken because I thought we were going to lift Nigeria to the level of a civilised world, that from every polling station, the results would be transmitted electronically into the server and it was done during Anambra, Ekiti and Osun states governorship elections. We were all clapping, happy, and ready to elevate this nation from the dull room of filth to the level of a civilised world. And as a professor, I am so disappointed, because if the National Chairman of INEC, Mahmood Yakubu, knew that there were hitches in the system, the best he could have done morally was to say ‘stop’ to all these operations. He continued with the shenanigans, rubbish and nonsense and started collating, and went back to the old system where they were manipulating the results.

Did you see it coming that Atiku would lose the election?



In our party, I kept shouting and reminding these people that a divided house will be a defeated house. We have created the avenue for these things but that will be a port-mortem analysis within the party. As an elder in the party and a member of the Board of Trustees, we saw it coming. We discussed it because of the failings of the managers of the party. I told them that the South-West had been completely disenfranchised. Look at the way those children came out. The kids between the ages of 18 and 35 came out in millions believing this is the time. They want to change the direction of Nigeria but what did we give them?

Would you ascribe that loss to the lack of support from the G-5 and Integrity Group?

Of course, where did Peter Obi come from? Most of the people who got angry went away from the PDP; a divided house is a defeated house. You said the South-West doesn’t matter. If they added Obi’s votes to PDP’s, Tinubu would have been washed away. Divided we fall, and you can see it even with the manipulation that they did. The Labour Party won them because people are tired of the All Progressives Congress. In Lagos now they are trying now to espouse the theory of Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour being an Igbo man. You see the lie, who told them Rhodes-Vivour is an Igbo man? Saturday is the election and it will be based on justice, fairness, and equity. I pray that Yakubu and his team use the electronic transmission of results otherwise he will send this country to the bottom of the sea.

The Labour Party said it had engaged the services of at least 20 senior advocates of Nigeria to challenge the outcome of the February 25 presidential election on behalf of its presidential candidate, Peter Obi.


According to sources within the party, the lawyers drawn from different chambers were being furnished with materials that would be used as evidence in court.

The president-elect and candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, was announced the winner of the keenly contested election last Wednesday.

Tinubu polled 8,794,726 votes to defeat the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and the LP flag bearer, who got 6,984,520 and 6,101,533 votes respectively.

But Atiku and Obi rejected the results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission, with each claiming at separate press conferences that the election was fraught with violence and massive rigging.

The drama took a twist last Friday when the two major opposition candidates were reported to have approached the court to seek permission for the inspection of election materials used during the poll.

At least six states – Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo and Sokoto – had dragged the Federal Government before the Supreme Court over the conduct of the February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections before withdrawing the case last Friday.