₦airaland Forum

Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, yesterday, said that the late philanthropist and winner
of State Governor, Yahaya Bello, yesterday, said that the late philanthropist and winner of the 1993 presidential election, Chief Moshood Abiola, shared similar qualities with the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The Kogi governors noted that both Abiola and Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State were at the forefront of the struggle for democracy that Nigerians are enjoying today.

Bello, who spoke in Abuja, at an event to commemorate the 2022 Democracy Day, organised by the Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND) insisted that Tinubu won the APC presidential primaries free and square.

He, therefore, urged his supporters to throw their weight behind Tinubu as the 2023 general elections draw closer.

In her remarks, the founder of KIND and Director-General of Yahaya Bello Presidential Campaign Organisation, Hafsat Abiola-Costello, said that conversations her principal had so far with Tinubu strongly indicate that “there is hope for Nigerian women. There’s hope for Nigerian young people. The best hope for Nigerian people with special needs.

The former governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, may soon regain his freedom from the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

A source told The Guardian that the former governor has met the administrative bail conditions given to him by the anti-graft agency.

A senior official at the commission told The Guardian that a thorough verification of some of the documents Obiano submitted in fulfilment of the bail terms was being carried out by operatives of the commission.

It was gathered that the former governor had been ordered to produce two directors on grade level 17 in the Federal Civil service as one of his bail conditions.

Another condition is that the two Federal directors must be landlords in Maitama, Asokoro or the Wuse district of Abuja.

“We are still in the process of perfecting that bail terms,” the EFCC source said. “It is possible he may be released today but we are still in the process of verifying some of the things he submitted.”


Obiano was last Thursday arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos while trying to board a flight to Texas, United States.

The EFCC had in November last year placed the former governor on a watchlist.

In a letter to the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service dated November 15, 2021, the Commission requested the Service to place the governor on a watchlist and inform it anytime he is travelling out of the country from any of the International airports and other points of entry and exit.

The Guardian learnt that the former governor was arrested for misappropriating N5bn Sure-P and N37 billion security vote funds, which were withdrawn in cash.

Part of the funds was also allegedly diverted to finance political activities in the state.

Nigeria’s former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), has warned that the soaring hardship in the country might result into another nationwide conflagration, worse than the 2020 #EndSARS protests against police brutality.

He cautioned the Federal Government against increasing pump price of fuel, saying a rise in petrol price now will push more Nigerians deeper into poverty.

Abdusalami, who ruled Nigeria between 1998 and 1999, said this, yesterday, at the 19th Daily Trust Dialogue with the theme: ‘2023: The Politics, Economy and Security.’

While noting that the past three months had seen an improvement in economic growth rates and inflation, Abdulsalami, however, said the impact of these numbers on the lives and wellbeing of the ordinary Nigerian is suspect.

He said unemployment and underemployment remain at record levels, adding that over 80 million Nigerians are still caught up in needless poverty.

He said: “All of these tend to have negative effects on security. In fact, Nigeria now faces a food security crisis that is compounded by COVID-19 pandemic and banditry in many states in northern Nigeria.
"
These have disrupted the fragile value chains across the country and negatively impacted the ability of Nigerians to produce, process and distribute food. The result is a continuing rise in prices of food items beyond the reach of many families.

On top of all these, fuel prices are expected to rise significantly in the coming months as announced last November. When this happens, as the government has planned, it will push many millions deeper into poverty.

“Young people and women are the demographic groups most affected by the country’s dire economic outlook. For example, estimates by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that while the national unemployment rate stood at 33 per cent by the end of 2020, unemployment for young people between ages 15 and 34 years was 10 per cent higher at 42.5 per cent.

“If not carefully managed, the frustrations of these groups could easily boil over into a national conflagration worse than what we saw months ago during the #EndSARS protests. However, these are not doomsday predictions, but a warning to which all stakeholders must pay heed.”

On insecurity, Abdulsalami, who is also the Chairman of the National Peace Committee (NPC), stated that the situation has overstretched the country’s security forces and has led to the death of thousands.

He noted that major cause of insecurity is the proliferation of all calibre of weapons in Nigeria in particular, and in the West Africa sub-region generally.

Quoting the Global Conflict Tracker report compiled by the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations, Abdulsalami said some 350,000 persons have been killed and three million displaced directly or indirectly in the conflict in the Northeast since 2009.

He said: “I have not seen this country in serious challenges of its existence as seen at this time. I have witnessed the Nigerian Civil War and not even that was so much a threat to our existence like we are witnessing today.

“And of course all attention is focused on the political class. The solutions to all the problems that have been highlighted particularly security and economy are problems the politicians are expected to solve.”

FORMER Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, said the country needs a capable leader who will address the problems facing the nation.

Also speaking at the Daily Trust dialogue, he said: “What is important now is to identify a competent leader that can get us out of these crises.

“We have the capacity to pull this country out of her present predicament. We must do the needful and most importantly, I believe a leadership that will prioritise education is desirable.”

IN his remarks, Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, urged Nigerians to be part of politics and governance, as the institutions are too important to be left for politicians alone.

“We learnt in military training that war is too important to be left to the soldiers alone. Therefore, national development is too important to be left to the politicians alone,” he said.

Abubakar, who is also President of the Nigeria Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), stressed that dialogue remains the best option to resolve issues.

He said: “What wars cannot resolve, dialogue can resolve it. I am an advocate of dialogue and I cannot be tired of dialogue. Without security, you can’t develop, you can’t even worship God. We cannot get tired and we must not get tired of talking peace.”

Speaking, spokesman of the Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF), Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, said the situation in the country has shown Nigerians that the country does not need an ethnic president in 2023.

While expressing concerns over the tension in the polity in the buildup to the general elections, Baba-Ahmed said 90 per cent of Nigerian governors have no business being anywhere near power.

According to him, most of the governors don’t have the preparation, background, and competencies to govern.

“One of the worst things you can do is to create huge additional anger around the cost of living, the cost of fuel, cost of prices, pushing the citizen into more depression and you want to have elections just a few months after”, he stated.

While calling for restructuring of the country, he added: “What we really need to do is put the federal system on the table and ask what is wrong.

“What is it that makes it impossible to reduce the powers or to regulate the powers of governance, restructure the country but this is a word that is anathema to a lot of people in power today.”

For Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State, Nigerians must look into the possibility of selecting good leaders rather than the elections itself

Says Attempt To Cede Its Powers To NASS, NCC Breach Of Constitution
• Insists Nigeria Has Adequate ICT Infrastructure To Achieve E-transmission
• Says Mobile Networks Cover 93% Of Polling Units

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has said the recent debate on electronic transmission of election results in the National Assembly was marked by “entrenched partisan positions, unsubstantiated fears, incomplete information, groundless conspiracy theories and profound misconceptions.”

This is as the Commission insisted that obtaining approval from the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) and NASS to implement electronic transmission of election results would be in breach of the Constitution.

INEC, in a 25-page document titled: “Position Paper No. 1 of 2021 on Electronic Transmission of Election Results,” released yesterday in Abuja, said contrary to misconceptions, it has developed adequate structures and processes to successfully transmit election results electronically.

In the document signed by its Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the commission said the electoral umpire’s position on the subject matter was necessary, due to recent debates over provision of Clause 52 (3) of the Electoral Bill 2021, regarding the electronic transmission of election results.

It argued that none of the sides in the controversy appears to substantially question the desirability of electronic transmission of election results, noting that only INEC’s preparedness and capacity of national infrastructure were questioned.

“This is particularly the case regarding the level of understanding of the position, requirements and preparedness of INEC on the question. It is curious that the perspectives of the Election Management Body on this very important issue of election management remain either completely absent in the debates or at best misconceived. This is a major missing link in the debates and this position paper seeks to address it,” INEC stated.

Continuing, INEC said: “Our position is not meant to support or undermine any side in the ongoing debates. Our understanding is that as a responsible corporate citizen, particularly one whose constitutional responsibilities are at stake, INEC should lend its voice to such a momentous issue of public concern.

“As such, INEC’s intervention in these debates, particularly through this position paper, should not be misconstrued as denuding the powers of any other agency or authority to perform its functions or to hold views on the issues in questions that are contrary to those of the Commission.”

The electoral umpire argued that e-transmission of results would improve the quality of election result management, and that its engagement with stakeholders shows that the Nigerian public supports it.

“Consequently, if the choice was up to INEC, the Commission prefers to transmit election results electronically, once the necessary legal framework is provided,” it said.

INEC maintained that it had developed a longstanding partnership with several government agencies and organisations in its determination to establish a world-class electoral process, insisting that its collaboration with NCC and Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) should be seen in this regard.

“Constitutionally, however, it is the role of INEC alone to register voters, register and regulate political parties and conduct elections. Any process that facilitates the denudation of INEC’s constitutional responsibilities to conduct elections or subject those constitutional responsibilities to the approval of an agency of government will only undermine the electoral process.

“Consequently, while INEC needs the partnership of NCC to transmit election results electronically, it does not require its approval. In fact, Section 160 of the Constitution empowers INEC to “impose duties” on other Federal Government agencies in the discharge of its functions…”

On the state of infrastructure required to transmit results electronically, the Commission disclosed that the INEC/NCC Joint Technical Committee on “Electronic Transmission of Election Results” established in 2018 found that mobile networks adequately covered 93 per cent of INEC Polling Units, with capacity to cover the outstanding seven per cent, adding that the argument that 2G cannot transmit election data was incorrect.

It said the MNOs and the NCC were aware that only 2G Network existed in some places in the country, when in 2018, they concluded that electronic transmission of results was possible.



The electoral umpire noted that the committee had allocated Polling Units to the four major mobile network operators – Airtel, Glo, 9Mobile and MTN – for the purpose of transmitting election results.

“Based on the foregoing, INEC is convinced that the nation has the infrastructure to implement electronic transmission of election results. The MNOs have the capacity to do so, and network coverage across the country is adequate and secure.”

Rather than the ongoing controversy, the Commission said what is urgently required is a legal framework that enables, rather than inhibits electronic transmission of results, including full electronic voting generally.

“There should be broad provisions that enable the Commission to introduce relevant technologies at the right time. Consequently, provisions that refer to specific technologies, such as the Smart Card Reader, which could become obsolete, inapplicable or irrelevant in future, should be avoided.”

INEC said sections of the Electoral Act that entrench the manual processes should be amended to make both manual and electronic methods legitimate and discretionary for the Commission.

The Federal Government has said it would not allow any separatist group to disrupt the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra state.

National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno (Rtd) gave the warning at a meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, (ICCES) in Abuja, on Thursday.

Mugono spoke against the backdrop of some of the recent activities of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra(IPOB) in the Southeast.

In May this year, unidentified hoodlums carried out series of attacks on government facilities, including setting ablaze the headquarters of INEC in Anambra.

Though the police accused members of IPOB of being responsible for the attacks, the group vehemently denied such allegation.

There are also fears that the separatist group may call on residents of the state to boycott the November 6 governorship election.

But Mungono, represented by Sanusi Galadima, warned that government would not tolerate any group or persons to disrupt the poll.



He said: “With the prevalence of security threats occasioned by different dissident separatist groups in the Southern region of the country, who are bent on scuttling efforts of government in achieving national cohesion and undermining the democratic processes in the country, the Federal Government of Nigeria will not tolerate any group or persons planning to impede smooth conduct of elections.

“While acknowledging the constitutional rights of citizens to freely express their legitimate grievances within the ambits of the law, it is also important to state that the Federal government will not abdicate its constitutional responsibility of securing lives and property as well as a secure environment for citizens to pursue their legitimate means of livelihood”, he stated.

The NSA, therefore, assured of robust security deployments to countering any threats and ensuring peaceful conduct of the elections.

In his welcome address during the meeting, Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, said the commission had made arrangements to replace materials that were lost during the attack on its office in Akwa.

He said plans were also underway to rebuild the physical facilities which, he said would be completed before the election.

• CISLAC, commission want stiffer penalties for parties breaching election expenses

From Sodiq Omolaoye and Matthew Ogune, Abuja


The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it does not need the approval of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to transmit election results electronically.

It argued that the decision by the National Assembly to subject its constitutional power to conduct elections to the NCC was absolutely unconstitutional.

Recall that during the debate on Section 52(3) of the Electoral Amendment Act Bill (which deals with electronic transmission), by lawmakers, they had asked the electoral umpire to seek the approval of the NCC before going on with e-transmission of results.

Speaking at the Commission’s third quarterly meeting with media executives, yesterday, in Abuja, National Commissioner and Chairman, Electoral Operations & Logistics Committee, Prof. Okechukwu Ibeanu, said rather than seeking NCC’s approval, the electoral body has the constitutional mandate to impose duties on NCC to achieve the electronic transmission of results.

Ibeanu was responding to a poser from the Editor-in-Chief of The Guardian, Martins Oloja, on INEC’s constitutional power regarding the rules regulating it activities on election matters.

“That is absolutely unconstitutional. You cannot ask INEC to seek the approval of another agency of government to transmit result electronically when actually INEC has power to impose duties on NCC to achieve electronic transmission of results.

“I completely agree that in the context of underscoring the independence of the Commission, Section 160 of the Constitution has done everything it needs to do. What is left is for INEC to use the power it has under the constitution to achieve its aim,” Ibeanu said, while quoting relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution.

MEANWHILE, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and INEC have called for the amendment of the Electoral Act to provide stiffer penalties against violators of rules on election expenses.

This was disclosed at a forum on ‘Strengthening Accountability Networks Among Civil Societies in Nigeria’, yesterday, in Abuja.
Executive Director, CISLAC and Head, Transparency International, Nigeria, Mr. Auwal Rafsanjani, expressed concern over the overbearing influence of money in some recent elections. He said checking undue influence of money in politics would prevent subversion of the people’s will.

He said: “The laws are in place and we should regulate how money enters politics. We seem to have so much money in politics that it seems to erode the power of our institutions.

“It is sad that the laws are ignored outright because some people think they are above the law. But we cannot flourish as a democracy, if the rule of law is ignored and there is no set of guidelines to regulate how we behave.”

On his part, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, said sanctions against violators of directives on party finances and election expenses are relatively mild.

He said this accounts for the disdain exhibited by parties and candidates towards the law. He said sanctions must include increase in fines and prison terms for leaders of defaulting parties.

Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, has said that the number of universities in the country is too small, given the nation’s population.

He made the comment, yesterday, at the presentation of provisional licences to 20 newly approved private universities by the National Universities Commission (NUC) in Abuja.
With the approval, Nigeria now has 99 private universities, and a total of 197 universities, private and public.

The minister underscored the need to increase the number of universities in the country, taking into consideration the country’s 200 million population.

Adamu, who was represented by the Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, noted that private universities have contributed to the opening up of admission space for the swelling population of candidates seeking university education in the country.

To him, the argument in some quarters that private universities have become too many in Nigeria, is not plausible, noting that comparative figures of universities in other countries show that Nigeria needs more universities.

“Government is also well aware that countries that are consistently well-ranked in human development indices have, in recognition of the important role of universities in human capital development, maintained a respectable number of universities relative to their population.

“In relation to Nigeria’s population of over 200 million, the current 193 universities is quite low when compared to those of other economies such as Brazil (209 million), 441 universities; Mexico (126million), 375 universities and Russia (1445 million), 741 universities,” the minister explained.

According to him, “In 2019, the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) announced that out of over 1.8 million candidates registered for the UTME, only 612,000 were admitted in Nigerian universities representing 34 per cent. This shows gross inadequacy in terms of access. The above scenario indicates that Nigeria needs more universities.”

From Sodiq Omolaoye, Abuja

There are strong indications that the planned deployment of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) for the November 6, 2021, Anambra State governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) might have hit the rock.

It was gathered that the non-passage of the Electoral Act Amendment bill by the National Assembly before the end March as promised was a major impediment to the plan.

The Guardian also learnt that the Easter break embarked on by the lawmakers would further delay the amendment process, as they would not resume plenary until Tuesday, April 13, 2021.

It could be recalled that the 8th National Assembly had passed the bill in 2018 and transmitted it to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent. But the President withheld his assent to the bill on the grounds that the proposed law would usurp the constitutional powers of the INEC to decide on election matters and would create “some uncertainty about the legislation to govern the process.”

The 9th Assembly, however, reintroduced the bill and it passed both the first and second reading in the House of Representatives in November 2020.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, told The Guardian yesterday that if the electoral legal framework does not come into force at least six months before the Anambra election, the Commission would deploy the manual voting system.

Okoye explained that INEC is a creation of the constitution, stressing that all its activities must conform to and fall within the ambit of its constitutive instruments.

According to him, the processes and procedures for the conduct of elections are guided by and set out in the constitution, the Electoral Act, the rules, regulations and guidelines of the Commission.

His words: “Section 52 of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) gives the Commission the power and discretion to determine the procedure for voting in any election. Specifically, Section 52(2) of the Act provides that, ‘Voting at an election under this Act shall be in accordance with the procedure determined by the INEC.’

“However, there are other provisions of the Act that affect the procedure for the conduct of elections and they have to be amended to allow the Commission unimpeded deployment of technology in the electoral process.

“For instance, Section 49(1) of the Electoral Act provides that, ‘Any person intending to vote with his voters card shall present himself to a Presiding Officer at the polling unit in the constituency in which his name is registered with his voters card’.

“Section 49(2) also provides that, ‘The Presiding Officer shall, on being satisfied that the name of the person is on the register of voters, issue him a ballot paper and indicate on the register that the person has voted.’

“Furthermore, Section 52(4) of the Act also provides that, ‘All ballots at an election under this Act at any polling station shall be deposited in the ballot box in the open view of the public.’”

Okoye insisted that all the above sections and other corresponding sections must be amended to allow for a seamless deployment of technology in the electoral process.

He explained that the timetable and schedule of activities for the Anambra governorship election was based on the existing legal framework.

He disclosed that the commission had interacted with companies that manufacture EVMs, adding that its ICT department was working out the modalities for the selection of the solution that suits Nigeria’s circumstances.

He, however, noted that while the Commission was engaging with manufactures of EVMs and making preparations for their procurement, it was conscious of the fact that the existing legal framework was based on manual voting.

He added: “It will be tardy and unconscionable for the Commission to be caught unawares in the area of technological solutions. So, we are not leaving anything to chance considering the fact that EVMs are specialised equipment that takes time to manufacture and configure especially given the reality of the pandemic that has affected the production capacity of most companies.

“If the Electoral Act is amended on time and the Commission is in good stead in the timelines for procurement of the hardware and software for electronic voting, then we will deploy for the Anambra governorship election.

“On the other hand, if the electoral legal framework does not come into force at least six months before the elections, then the Commission will look towards the Ekiti and Osun Governorship elections for the roll
out of EVMs.”

The reported ultimatum by a group based in Sokoto, “Muslim Solidarity Forum,” calling on the Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev Matthew Hassan Kukah to tender an unreserved apology to the entire Muslim Ummah over his recent “malicious comments” against Islam, or quietly and quickly leave the state, is wrong because it is not in line with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Under our Constitution, every citizen has the right to, among others, freedom of speech and expression, the right to own property and reside in any part of the country, and the right to move freely without any inhibitions. Nigeria’s strength lies in its diversity. The right for all religions to co-exist is enshrined in this country's Constitution. The duty of the government, more so, this democratic government, is to ensure that the Constitution is respected. But all must respect the rights and sensitivities of their fellow Nigerians.

Father Kukah has greatly offended many with his controversial remarks against the government and the person of the President, with some even accusing him of voicing anti-Islamic rhetoric.

On matters such as these, responsible leadership in any society must exercise restraint. Knee-jerk reactions will not only cause the fraying of enduring relationships, but also the evisceration of peaceful communities such as Sokoto, the headquarters of the Muslim community as beacon of pluralism and tolerance. The Sultanate has historically had good relations with followers of all faiths. That is why Father Kukah was received on his arrival in Sokoto with friendship and tolerance.

Under our laws, groups or factions must not give quit notices, neither should they unilaterally sanction any perceived breaches. Where they occur, it is the courts of law that should adjudicate. Unilateral action is not the way to go.

Groups such as the Muslim Solidarity Forum must be seen to share and uphold the country’s multi-religious principles. And individuals like Father Kukah must respect the feelings of his fellow Nigerians in his private and public utterances.

Garba Shehu
Senior Special Assistant to the President
(Media & Publicity)
January 13, 2021

The All Progressives Congress (APC)has described events that followed the United States of America’s November 2020 presidential election and President Donald Trump’s refusal to concede defeat as condemnable.

The APC said this in a statement signed by Sen. John Akpanudoedehe, Secretary of its Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee on Saturday in Abuja, while reacting to the development.

“The events of the past 72 hours in the U.S. are, to say the least, condemnable. Over time, elections in the U.S. had been used as a touchstone for elections in other democracies.

“It is settled that strong institutions are fundamental to the sustenance of democracies.

“However, this U.S. election saga strongly underscores the fact that the integrity of the country’s leader essentially complements the workings of these institutions.

“President Muhammadu Buhari contested and lost elections a couple of times and followed the process through to the Supreme Court on all accounts. This is an outstanding credential of a true democrat,’’ he said.

Akpanudoedehe noted that upon ultimately gaining electoral victory in 2015, the APC-led administration had carried out fundamental reforms to strengthen institutions.

This, he said, included non-interference in the functions of INEC among others.

He recalled that the APC contested elections; won some, lost some without splitting hairs, adding that at some point, it lost more than five states to the PDP, yet allowed democracy to prevail.

Akpanudoedehe added that the APC had remained resolute in its belief that in every electoral contest, popular will must prevail.

This according to him is a far cry from the days of the do-or-die politics where civilians took control of security apparatus to subvert the people’s will and determine the outcome of elections.

He stressed that electoral reform was a core plank of the programs of the APC-led administration and a legacy that President Buhari had promised to bequeath to Nigerians.

He sad the Buhari-led administration had brought about several institutional reforms including granting autonomy to Local Governments Councils.

He said the signing into law by President Buhari in May 2020 of the Executive Order No. 10 of 2020 for the implementation of financial autonomy of state legislatures and judiciaries and other related matters was a bold statement on institutional reforms.

“The Petroleum industry reforms particularly the deregulation of the oil and gas downstream sector is also worthy of mention,’’ he stated.

“We urge political parties, especially governors to show bi-partisanship in supporting all sectorial reforms being initiated by President Buhari for the benefit of Nigerians,’’ Akpanudoedehe added.

Person Of The Year: Our messengers of hope

Authorities in the country didn’t know enough to know that their children, sorry, the youth they have tagged as lazy and docile are well aware of the classics from a social change icon that one of the greatest liabilities of history is that all too many people fail to remain awake through the great periods of social change. They (the youth) have been awake.

They have also imbibed the fact that ‘every society has its protectors of status quo and fraternities of the indifferent who are notorious for sleeping through revolutions. The young ones in Nigeria who have seen vision of their country through learning and re-learning have noted too that their very survival depends on their ability to stay awake, to adjust to new ideas, to remain vigilant and to face the challenge of change.

The EndSARS connoisseurs don’t believe in charity anymore. They believe in solidarity. They are aware too that charity is vertical and so it’s humiliating: it goes from top to the bottom – with humiliating offerings. They have read that solidarity is horizontal: it respects the other and learns from the other. They have learnt a lot from the other significant social changers.

The resourceful anti-police-brutality protesters who have long endured the pang of the sour grapes their fathers have been eating, which have set their teeth on edge, are also abreast of a borrowed brilliance from Anwar Fazal who teaches us that even ‘little people doing little things in little places everywhere can change the world’ too. Unknown to the power elite in Nigeria, the artful disrupters in October 2020 are also aware that, ‘social change can occur too when the gap between the ideals that people hold and the realities that they see every day gets too large.

The #End SARS salvation soldiers are also armed with the power that their re-learning has given and they now know that ‘the first resistance to social change is to say it’s not necessary’. This has been the weapon the power elite and aristocracy have been wielding to disarm even the watchdogs they have changed to lapdogs.

The bold table shakers, had declared in a classical redemption song: “they are the world”. They took inspiration from a charity single originally recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa anchored by Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson in January 1985: ‘We are the world’. They had declared ‘there comes a time when they had to heed a certain call when the oppressed youth must come together as one. They felt there were young people dying through police brutality… They screamed Oh, and it’s time to lend a hand to life…the greatest gift of all. They cried as the young Jackson and Richie rallied for hapless Ethiopians in those days: ‘We can’t go on pretending day-by-day…that someone, somewhere will soon make a change…That they are all a part of God’s great big family, after all…And in truth, love from the state is all they need… They shouted: we are the world…we are the children…There’s a choice we’re making..we’re saving our own lives…It’s true we’ll make a better day, just you and me.

The EndSARs young patriots sang again then: ‘when you’re down and out, there seems no hope at all…But if you just believe there’s no way we can fall…well, well, well, well let us realise.. Oh, that a change can only come when we stand together as one, yeah, yeah, yeah..we are the world…we are the children…we are the ones who make a brighter day, so let’s start agitating for a better Nigeria.

In the main, despite the dispute and concomitant on-going presidential investigations, even the President bowed to the remarkable demands of the young patriots when he said, the voices of the young protesters had been heard loud and clear! And so for that significant testimony of awakening the sleepy and docile seats of power in the country to realise that poverty and hardship are national security threats; for shaking the table of the powerful ones without losing their mojo; for demonstrating through magnificent planning that we can be all leaders and followers of a common cause – to bring back our country; for showing the power elite what it is to be truly Nigerian; for showing that with proper understanding of the times through good leadership, Nigeria can indeed lead Africa and indeed the black race, the EndSARS Youth Movement is The Guardian’s Person of the Year 2020. The remarkable story of the table shakers of significance is well told by Dr. Tony Okeregbe and Dr. Wole Oyebade, members of our Editorial Board on pages 4 & 5.

Don’t forget to read a companion piece on The Guardian’s 2018 Person of the Year, Leah Sharibu: Remembering a forerunner of resistance on page 6. She is still in captivity.

MARTINS OLOJA
Editor-in-Chief

delzbaba:
so many sad stories today on NL,,i don cry taya.