07032019 - Tribunal orders INEC to let PDP inspect materials

C 

M 

Y 

K 

OLU FASAN 

STATE OF THE NATION 

Buhari's 

re-election: 

It's victory by 

default 32 

Army, lawyers bicker over 

security on polls day 5 

Police deploy 7 DIGs, 277 

CPs for polls 

42 

Amaechi’s APC faction 

adopts AAC as Abe kicks 

Police slam Wike over 

allegation of plot to 

kidnap Rivers REC 

12 

FG should reduce excessive taxation on oil, gas investments— LCCI 

12 

19 

VOL. 26: NO. 63759 THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019 

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: 

Tribunal orders INEC to let 

PDP inspect materials 

•Materials sought include ballot papers, voters register, others 

•Declines request to subject ballot papers to forensic audit 

•Adds request to audit ballot papers outside Electoral Act 

ACF VISITS BUHARI 

STORY ON 

PAGE 8 

Buhari 

won’t allow 

saboteurs 

to lead 9 th 

Assembly 

9 

— Presidency 

Naira up to 

N360.19/$ 

in I&E 

41 

window 

Mr & Mrs 

President Muhammadu Buhari (right), with members of the Arewa Consultative Forum, during their courtesy visit to the 

President at the Presidential Villa Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida. 

PDP alleges 

mass arrest 

of members 

in N-Delta 

states 9 

COLUMNISTS 

Court 

disqualifies 

Taraba APC 

gov candidate 

over age 35 

discrepancy 

UK threatens 

visa ban on 

politicians 

inciting 9 

violence on 

social media 

Benue youths 

protest 

deployment of 

Let’s make 

governorship 

election better 

than presidential troops for 

— BUHARI 8 

polls 

GAMBO DORI 

IKECHUKWU AMAECHI 40 17 

35

2 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 7 , 2019

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 7 , 2019 — 3


vanguardnews @vanguardnews @vanguardnews 

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019 — 5 

POCKET CARTOON 

HELP—A woman being helped out of the flood at Ogba Ikeja Roundabout 

in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: NAN. 

Army, lawyers bicker over 

security on polls day 

By Emma Amaize, 

Regional Editor, 

South-South, 

Kingsley Omonobi, 

Innocent Anaba, 

Joseph Erunke, 

Brisibe Perez, Henry 

Ojelu and Onozure 

Dania 

ABUJA — Chief of 

Army Staff, Lt. 

General Tukur 

Yusuf Buratai, said 

yesterday that the Nigerian 

Army is in possession of 

intelligence showing that 

some politicians are 

planning to use 

mercenaries for acts of 

assassinations, using 

farmers/herders clashes as 

well as ethnic militias to 

perpetrate violence and 

bombings during the 

March 9 governorship/ 

state Houses of Assembly 

elections. 

His statement, however 

drew immediate reactions 

from some Senior Advocate 

of Nigeria, SANs, who 

argued it was the 

responsibility of the Police 

to maintain internal 

security. 

Similarly, elder statesman 

and former Federal 

Commissioner for 

Information, Chief Edwin 

Clark, implored the Federal 

Government to withdraw 

soldiers deployed in the 

Niger Delta for election 

purposes to avert further 

killings. 

Addressing Principal 

Staff Officers, General 

Officers Commanding and 

Field Commanders of Army 

formations in Abuja, the 

COAS said politicians have 

made these and other plans 

to use all means available 

to truncate the peaceful 

conduct of Saturdays’ 

elections. 

He, however, warned: 

“We will not allow this to 

happen. This time around, 

we shall be tough on those 

who plan to rig or disrupt 

the electoral process. 

“I want to, therefore, 

appeal to Nigerian youths 

to shun any attempt by any 

politician to use them to 

perpetrate violence.” 

He vowed that those who 

killed an Army officer and 

three soldiers who were 

performing their legitimate 

duties in the Niger Delta 

will be fished out and dealt 

with in accordance with the 

law. 

Buratai said: “Let no one 

be in doubt that those 

desperate politicians and 

criminals that attacked our 

troops in the course of 

carrying out their legitimate 

duties will be tracked down 

and brought to justice.” 

Probe panel set 

up on complaints 

On the several 

allegations of soldiers’ 

involvement in electoral 

infractions, the Army Chief 

said a high powered 

investigation committee 

had been constituted to look 

into all the complaints, with 

a view to sanctioning those 

found wanting. 

He stated further: “There 

have been reports of 

compromises by some 

personnel during the 

elections. We have received 

complaints from some 

stakeholders, major political 

parties, governors of 

Bayelsa, Ogun and Oyo 

states, of allegations of 

misconduct as well as 

unprofessional conduct by 

some of our personnel. 

“Some states have gone 

to the press with 

unsubstantiated allegations 

without recourse to the 

Nigerian Army leadership. 

Nonetheless, all these 

complaints are noted and 

will be addressed 

appropriately. 

“A high-powered 

committee has been 

convened and instituted to 

investigate all cases of 

alleged misconduct by 

troops arising from the 2019 

general elections. This is 

aimed at ensuring that all 

cases are thoroughly 

looked into, for the purpose 

of dispensation of justice 

and to uphold the Nigerian 

Army’s credibility, 

professionalism and 

apolitical stand. 

“I want to use this 

opportunity to congratulate 

you all for the professional 

manner you executed my 

directives for Operation 

Safe Conduct. 

“The proactive 

intervention of Nigerian 

Army in the recentlyconcluded 

Presidential and 

National Assembly 

elections contributed 

greatly to its successful 

conduct and credibility. 

“I am glad to note that 

both international and local 

observers and, indeed, the 

Nigeria print and electronic 

media applauded the 

professional role played by 

the Nigerian Army in 

ensuring that a secure and 

conducive environment 

was created for eligible 

voters to exercise their civic 

rights. 

“Unfortunately, some 

level of violence was still 

recorded leading to 

disruption of polls, burning 

of ballot boxes in some areas 

as well as loss of lives, 

including the death of an 

officer and three soldiers. 

“The Nigerian Army, to a 

large extent, ensured that 

the large scale electoral 

malpractices and acts of 

thuggery aimed at 

disenfranchising voters as 

witnessed in previous 

elections were curbed, 

despite the campaign of 

calumny orchestrated by 

some politicians against us. 

“Overall, I am delighted 

to note that the first phase 

of Operation Safe Conduct 

was a huge success. 

“Despite the bomb 

explosion in some parts of 

Maiduguri and attack in 

Geidam, troops of 

Operation Lafiya Dole 

were able to decisively deal 

with the attacks and 

secured the area for a 

successful conduct of 

elections. 

“We must, therefore, 

consolidate on this success 

and prepare adequately for 

the second phase of the 

election by reviewing our 

plans with a view to 

correcting observed lapses 

to ensure a peaceful poll 

that will reflect the wishes 

of Nigerians that have the 

right to determine those that 

govern them. 

“Recent security threat 

assessment and analysis of 

the coming elections 

showed that politicians 

have made plans to use all 

means available to truncate 

the peaceful conduct of the 

elections. 

“There are indications of 

their intent to take 

advantage of and to use the 

farmers/herders crisis, 

armed political thugs and 

ethnic militias to perpetrate 

acts of violence, including 

bombings. 

“Some of them also intend 

to infiltrate domestic staff of 

political opponents, 

employ mercenaries to 

carry out acts of 

assassinations, use the 

social media for smear 

campaigns, hate speech 

and spread fake news in a 

bid to disrupt the peaceful 

conduct of the elections. We 

must not allow them 

succeed. 

“Let me reiterate that the 

Nigerian Army will enforce 

Continues on Page 41 

Governorship Poll: Do you have fears? (1) 

By Bose Adelaja, Ebun Sessou, Yinka 

Latona, Sophia Ogu, 

Chiamaka Uba & Dickson Omobola 

I 

have fears about the 

elections. Voter apathy 

will be a factor because 

many voters will deliberately 

refuse to go out and vote 

as a result of what transpired 

on the day of the last 

election. There will be a 

high level of apathy due to 

the fact that the electorate 

would feel that their votes 

won’t count. Some electorate 

won’t go out to vote because 

of intimidation by the 

security agents and thugs. 

Mr. David Fidelis, Student 

I 

have no fear because 

what happened during 

the presidential election 

will repeat itself. Since all 

the APC candidates have 

tried their best to make 

Buhari win, Buhari will 

also try his best to use his 

power to make them win. 

They have worked for Buhari 

and Buhari has to compensate 

them by ensuring 

that they all win. 

Mr. Osovehe Moses, Student 

IN as much as the 

presidential election 

had some violent scenes, 

I believe the gubernatorial 

elections will be devoid 

of such as the government 

will try all within its powers 

to set things right. I 

have no fears and I believe 

other Nigerians do 

not have fears. That is a 

reason for us to come out 

en masse to vote for the 

candidates of our choice. 

Mr. Omobola Japhet, 

Cocoa merchant 

I 

do not have fears 

since the election will 

not hold in Kogi State. 

Besides, the All Progressives 

Congress, APC has 

already won the presidential 

ticket. I believe 

the governorship election 

will be a walkover; less 

violence and more order. 

Miss Okeimute Taiga, 

Student 

I 

view the gubernatorial 

election with mixed 

feelings. Party members of 

the most popular parties 

are supporting candidates 

from different parties 

against their own 

anointed party flag 

bearer. This would 

confuse the voters on who 

to vote for. I believe 

Nigerians have learnt to 

vote for their desired 

candidates and not party. 

Miss Alozie Genevieve 

A n a l y s t . 

Nigerians need not 

entertain fears 

because no evil will befall 

us. Apart from this, 

enough preparations 

were made for this 

election and the 

government tried its best 

to forestall the unforseen. 

No need to worry again 

as everything will work in 

our favour. 

Mr. Adedeji Sola 

Artisan

6—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MACRH 7, 2019 

I was mad for one month after boyfriend 

used my panties for ritual— Physiotherapist 

By Evelyn Usman 

A32-year-old lady, Rachael 

Godwin, yesterday, gave 

a startling account of how she 

narrowly escaped death, after 

her boyfriend allegedly used 

her panties for money ritual. 

Rachael, a physiotherapist, 

said she went mad for close to 

a month after the incident, but 

regained her sanity after 

undergoing prayer sessions at 

an unnamed church in Lagos. 

Rachael, a staff of the 

National Orthopaedic 

Hospital, Yaba, explained that 

she met her boyfriend, 

identified simply as Olumide, 

in January last year, inside a 

BRT bus, enroute Ikeja from 

Ikorodu. 

According to her, “when we 

got talking inside the BRT, he 

directed me on how to get to 

3 farmers 

allegedly 

poison 

friend’s 

cows 

THE Police, yesterday, 

arraigned three farmers 

before an Iyanganku 

Magistrate’s Court over 

killing three cows belonging 

to their friend by poisoning 

farm food. 

The Police charged Toyin 

Adegoke, 40; Segun Temiye, 

30, and Segun Idowu, 35, 

who all live in Oke Ofiki, 

Tapa, Ayete, with two counts 

of conspiracy and 

administering poisonous 

substance to a farm. 

The Police prosecutor, 

Sergeant Olalekan 

Adegbite, told the court that 

Adegoke, Temiye and Idowu 

conspired to commit the 

offence. 

Adegbite said the 

defendants unlawfully and 

wilfully administered 

poisonous substance to the 

farm, property of their 

friend, Abubakar 

Mohammed. 

He said the cows were 

valued at N550,000. 

The offence, he said, 

contravened the provisions 

of section 495 (1) (d) and 

517 of the Criminal Code of 

Oyo State 2000. 

The defendants pleaded 

not guilty to the charge. 

Magistrate E. O 

Enilolobo, admitted the 

defendants to bail in the sum 

of N50, 000 with one surety 

each. 

Enilolobo adjourned the 

case until March 28, for 

hearing. 

the Police headquarters and we 

exchanged contacts in the process. 

“Thereafter, in the course of our 

interactions, he told me he had a 

Sexually Transmitted Disease, STD, 

and I administered treatment on 

him. 

“From there we progressed to 

being lovers. In demonstration of 

my love for him, I submitted my 

entire savings to him. He told me 

he was a businessman and that he 

had been lodging in a hotel for four 

months. 

“At the end, I paid the hotel bill 

of N185,000 which he claimed he 

owed the hotel. I was acting like 

someone that was hypnotised. 

“Four months later, he introduced 

me to his parents. When I moved 

to my new apartment last 

November, he moved in with me. 

By December, he said he wanted 

to buy Venza Sports Utility Vehicle 

worth N11.8 million. 

“When I asked how he was 

going to raise the money, he 

said we should open a joint 

account. To ensure he 

succeeds, I used some of my 

vital documents to secure a 

loan and also borrowed from 

my company’s cooperative.” 

Forced to wear panties 

The genesis of her short 

period of insanity, according 

to her, began December last 

year, after her boyfriend forced 

her to wear one of her panties. 

She said: “Precisely on 

December 14, 2018, he told me 

to wear one of my panties. But 

I told him I don’t usually feel 

comfortable wearing panties 

any time I wore my work 

clothes. To my surprise, he 

called one of our neighbours, 

Helen, who assisted him to 

force me to wear the panties 

TOP LEFT: A pupil backing his brother through the flood 

at Omitola Street, Agege, Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO: Bunmi 

Azeez. ABOVE: A woman being helped out of the flood at 

Ogba Roundabout, Lagos, yesterday. NAN PHOTO. 

LEFT: Flooded Ijaiye Housing Estate, Agege, yesterday. 

PHOTO: Bunmi Azeez. RIGHT: Flood in Mararaba, Karu, 

Nasarawa State, yesterday. 

By Abdulmumin Murtala 

KANO State Police Command, 

yesterday, paraded 24 

suspects arrested in connection 

with dealing in hard drugs and 

possession of dangerous weapons. 

Police Public Relations Officer of 

the command, DSP Abdullahi 

Haruna, said this while 

presenting the suspects to 

newsmen at Police Headquarters 

in Kano. 

He said the suspects were 

arrested in criminal hideouts 

across the state between February 

28 and yesterday, adding that 

they were dealing in cocaine, 

Indian hemp, suck-and-die 

solution, tramadol tablets and 

other illegal drugs. 

According to Haruna, items 

recovered from the suspects 

include sticks, knives, 

cutlasses, sword and locallymade 

machetes. 

The drugs 

He also said that on 

Saturday, one Mujahid 

Abubakar and Iliya Garba 

were arrested at Sabon Gari 

Market in Kano in 

possession of hard drugs. 

while he held me. 

“Immediately after that, I 

was not myself. I started 

behaving and talking 

incoherently. I was taken to 

a church in Ibadan, where I 

regained myself after 

undergoing some sections of 

prayers and treatment.” 

Bubble bursts 

Continuing, she said: 

“When I returned home, I 

never suspected Olumide. 

On December 31, 2018, I was 

given some prayer points to 

pray at midnights in one of 

the churches I visited. But 

every time I started praying, 

he would tell me to keep 

quiet. 

“In the course of prayer in 

January, Olumide started 

behaving funny. He was 

shouting at the top of his 

The spokesman explained 

that the drugs recovered 

from the suspects were 

1,660 bottles of diazepam 

injection, 7,000 bottles of 

tranzile injection and 2,150 

tramadol injection. 

Others, he added, 

included 8,000 enjon 

merinetin injection, 180 

phenobartil injection, 40 

penzozine injection, 14 

voltean injection, 1,600 

cocadamol tablets and a 

sack containing used drugs. 

He said on Thursday, the 

command also arrested one 

voice that I should stop 

praying that he had got an 

alert of $2,000 from Alaska, 

USA. It was at that point he 

confessed to being a Yahoo 

plus guy.” 

When Olumide was 

approached, he admitted to 

have received an alert of 

$2,000 (N750,000), adding “I 

was shocked when I realised 

it was just N750,000. I gave 

Helen N300,000 and one other 

man some change.” 

He, however, kept mute 

when asked to react to the 

allegation of panties ritual. 

The suspect and others 

paraded for various crimes in 

Lagos, at the command’s 

headquarters, Ikeja, according 

to the command boss, CP 

Zubairu Muazu, would be 

charged to court at the end of 

investigation. 

Police arrest 24 narcotics, weapon dealers in Kano 

Muhammad Abdullahi of 

Hotoro Quarters, a distributor 

of cocaine, adding that four 

wraps of the drug were 

recovered from him. 

Haruna added that on 

Tuesday, 13 suspects were 

apprehended at Sabon Gari, 

who were in possession of 720 

cutlasses, and said that 

investigation revealed that 

some of them were armed 

robbers. 

According to him, a stolen 

tricycle was recovered from 

them and they confessed to 

committing the crime.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019—7 

3 injured, as explosion rocks APC 

campaign grounds in A’Ibom 

By Harris Emmanuel 

UYO—ALL Progressives 

Congress, APC, has 

condemned attacks by unknown 

gunmen on its campaign grounds 

on Tuesday night, which have left 

at least three persons injured. 

Vanguard gathered that the 

gunmen, who arrived the 

expansive grounds at about 

7:30p.m. in a car, threw dynamite 

into the premises before opening 

fire on members and supporters 

of the party. 

It was also gathered that training 

programme for APC agents for 

Saturday’s governorship and 

House of Assembly elections was 

going on at the campaign grounds 

when the incident occurred. 

Spokesman of APC Campaign 

Council in Akwa Ibom, Eseme 

By Onozure Dania 

LAGOS—MR. Tosin Owobo, an 

investigator with Economic 

and Financial Crimes Commission 

EFCC, yesterday, narrated before 

a Federal High Court sitting in 

Lagos how Air Marshal Jacob 

Adigun, a former Chief of 

Accounts with Nigerian Air Force, 

NAF, used his companies to siphon 

N12 billion from NAF intelligence 

account. 

Adigun is the second defendant 

facing a N22.8 billion fraud 

charge, preferred against former 

Chief of Air Staff, Adesola Amosu, 

who is standing trial alongside two 

other Air Force officers— Air Vice 

Marshal Jacob Adigun and Air 

Commodore Gbadebo 

Olugbenga. 

The trio are being tried alongside 

eight companies: Delfina Oil and 

Gas Limited, Mcallan Oil and Gas 

Limited, Hebron Housing and 

Properties Company Limited, 

Trapezites BDC, Fonds and Pricey 

Limited. 

The witness, who was led in 

evidence by the Commission’s 

prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, told 

the court that sequel to the signing 

of a Memorandum of 

Understanding, MoU, between 

the Nigerian Maritime 

Administration and Safety Agency, 

NIMASA, and NAF, N3 billion 

was paid into NAF Special 

Emergency Operation account in 

three tranches of N1 billion on 

different occasions. 

Owobo also told the court that 

the money was paid into Right 

Options Oil & Gas Limited, Judah 

Oil Limited, Delfina Oil & Gas, 

McAllan Oil & Gas Limited and 

Lebol Oil & Gas Limited. 

He said: “As part of the 

investigation, we invited the 

Managing Directors of Right 

Options Oil & Gas, Judah Oil & 

Gas and Lebol Oil & Gas Limited, 

who said in their statements that 

they were bureau de change 

operators and not oil dealers. 

Eyiboh, said: “This is another in 

the series of cowardly attempts at 

intimidating and cowing our party, 

APC, and its supporters in the build 

up to the March 9 governorship 

election in the state. 

“Some months ago, unknown 

gunmen fired shots into the 

bedroom of the APC governorship 

candidate, Obong Nsima Ekere, at 

his Ewet Housing Estate residence, 

with his family members narrowly 

escaping the attack. 

“The attack at the campaign office 

is a confirmation of earlier 

intelligence received by our party 

of the likely attempt by PDP to 

truncate the March 9 governorship 

polls in the state. 

“We maintain that no desperation 

for an undeserved second term is 

worth the blood of any Akwa Ibom 

citizen.” 

How ex-Air Chief siphoned N12bn 

from NAF account— Witness 

“They said when the monies 

were paid into their accounts, they 

gave the dollar equivalents to the 

Account Officers of the NAF 

Special Emergency Operation 

account for the second and third 

defendants. 

“They also stated that their 

companies were registered as oil 

and gas companies because they 

were given a high threshold of 

monies that could be transferred 

with fewer deductions.” 

The witness further gave 

evidence on the account opening 

packages of Delfina Oil & Gas and 

McAllan Oil & Gas, Owobo said 

the CAC documents that were 

used in opening the accounts bore 

Adigun’s name as director. 

According to him, investigations 

Prophetess in prison over 

alleged N500,000 fraud 

JUSTICE Sherifat Solebo of an 

Ikeja Special Offences Court, 

Lagos, yesterday, remanded a 

prophetess, Linda Mabi-Praise, at 

the Kirikiri Female Prisons for 

allegedly swindling a company of 

N500,000 through a diesel scam. 

The Prophetess was arraigned by 

the Economic and Financial Crimes 

Commission, EFCC, on an eight 

count charge of stealing, obtaining 

money by false pretence and 

issuance of dud cheques. 

According to EFCC, Mabi-Praise 

of Temple of Praise Church located 

at Adeniran Ogunsanya Street, 

Surulere, Lagos, has at least three 

related fraud cases before two 

justices of the Special Court. 

Prosecuting counsel, Mr. Frank 

Ofoma, told the court that Mabi- 

Praise and her company, Mutano 

Energy Ltd., committed the 

alleged offences in 2017 in Lagos. 

The anti-graft agency claimed 

that the defendant received N503.3 

million in five tranches from the 

complainant, Tophara Ventures 

Nigeria Ltd., and subsequently 

issued three dud cheques to the 

company. 

PDP, in a tersely-worded 

statement by its Publicity 

Secretary, Ini Ememobong, 

described the allegations as 

“careless rumour.” 

His statement read: “Our party 

has been notified of some 

careless rumours making the 

rounds that PDP members drove 

by the campaign office of APC 

governorship candidate and 

shot at their supporters. 

“Nothing can be farther from 

the truth. How did the person 

know that the shooters were 

PDP members, assuming there 

was any shooting?” 

At press time, calls made to 

the Police Public Relations 

Officer, Macdon Odiko, a 

Deputy Superintendent of 

Police, to confirm the incident 

were not answered. 

further revealed that certain 

monies that did not originate 

from NIMASA were paid from 

other NAF accounts into the 

NAF Special Emergency 

Operation Account. 

The money, he said, was in 

turn paid into McAllan Oil & 

Gas Limited, Delfina Oil & Gas 

Limited and Trapezites BDC to 

the tune of about N15 billion. 

He explained that 

investigation revealed how this 

fund was used to acquire 

property in Abuja, Ikoyi, Victoria 

Island and United Kingdom, 

respectively. 

Consequently, Justice 

Chukwujeku Aneke adjourned 

the case till March 7 for 

continuation of trial. 

Ofoma said: “On April 4, 

2017, the defendants 

fraudulently obtained N80 

million from Tophara Ventures 

Nigeria Ltd., by falsely 

representing to the company 

that the money was for costs of 

diesel importation. 

“On April 24, 2017 the 

defendants falsely obtained 

N238.2 million from the 

complainant by claiming that 

the funds were for the purpose 

of diesel trade and supply. 

“On April 24, 2017, the 

defendants dishonestly stole 

and converted N137.1 million 

from the complainant and 

sometime in 2017, she also 

stole N48 million from 

Tophara Ventures Nigeria 

Ltd.” 

The prosecution said the 

prophetess with an intent to 

defraud, had on May 3, 2017, 

issued three dud cheques to 

Tophara Ventures. 

Justice Sherifat Solebo 

admitted the defendant to N25 

million bail with two sureties in 

like sum. 

... with Emma'nKen (08163121378) 

Which is why she'll be voting in his house 

weekend, instead of polling booth 

Ken: Emma, let's pray. Father 

Lord, make us albino now! 

Madam umbrella hat help. DiVa Di'ja 

is not posing. Wind is carrying her off

8—Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019 

CONFERENCE: 

From left,Mrs 

Comfort Eyitayo, 

Second Deputy VP, 

Institute of 

Chartered 

Accountants of 

Nigeria, ICAN; 

Alhaji Razak 

Jaiyeola, 54th 

President, ICAN; 

and Mr Gbenga 

Oludaisi, Group 

Head, Business 

Operations, 

SystemSpecs Ltd, 

representing Mr 

John Obaro, MD, 

SystemSpecs, 

during the 13th 

Western Zonal 

Conference of 

ICAN, in Lagos, 

yesterday. Photo: 

Lamidi Bamidele 

Presidential poll: Tribunal orders INEC to 

allow Atiku, PDP inspect election materials 

•Declines request to subject ballot papers to forensic audit 

•Materials sought include ballot papers, voters register, others 

By Ikechukwu 

Nnochiri 

A 

B U J A — 

PRESIDENTIAL 

Election Petition Tribunal 

sitting in Abuja, yesterday, 

ordered Independent 

National Electoral 

Commission, INEC, to 

surrender all the materials 

used for February 23 

presidential election for 

inspection. 

The tribunal, in a 

unanimous decision by a 

three-man panel of justice, 

led by Justice Abdul Aboki, 

directed the electoral body to 

grant Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, and its 

presidential candidate, Alhaji 

Atiku Abubakar, access to the 

materials. 

However, the panel 

declined to allow Atiku and 

PDP to conduct forensic 

analysis on any of the election 

materials, stressing that such 

request was outside the scope 

of the Electoral Act, as 

amended. 

Justice Aboki, who 

delivered the lead ruling, 

held that Atiku’s request for 

experts to be permitted to 

conduct forensic audit on the 

election materials, could not 

be regarded as 

“examination,” as stipulated 

in section 151 of the Electoral 

Act. 

He held that a decided 

case-law in Hope Uzodinma 

Vs Osita Izunaso, which 

Atiku and PDP relied upon, 

wherein the tribunal ordered 

INEC to allow the petitioner 

to scan and conduct forensic 

audit on all the election 

materials, had since been setaside 

by the Court of Appeal. 

Justice Aboki noted that the 

said ruling was vacated on 

the basis that “extensive 

orders” made by the lower 

tribunal, were totally outside 

the ambit of section 151 of the 

Electoral Act. 

He said the appellate court 

voided the order on the 

premise that it violated the 

right of fair hearing of the 

respondents under section 36 

of the 1999 Constitution, as 

amended. 

“In that case, the orders 

were set aside and the 

appropriate order was made 

within the ambit of section 

151 of the Electoral Act,” 

Justice Aboki added 

Besides, he held that 

contrary to Atiku and PDP’s 

ex-parte motion, in 

Uzodinma’s case, the 

application was made when 

the tribunal had already 

commenced trial, “not when 

the petition was yet to be 

instituted.” 

Consequently, the tribunal 

said it would only order INEC 

to grant the applicants access 

to examine and obtain 

Certified True Copies of 

election materials used for the 

presidential election. 

“Prayers 3, 4, 5 and 6 in the 

motion paper are hereby 

refused,” the tribunal held. 

Other members of the panel 

that concurred with the lead 

ruling were Justices 

Emmanuel Agim and Peter 

Ige. 

The ruling came over three 

hours after Atiku and the PDP, 

through their team of lawyers, 

comprising three Senior 

Advocates of Nigeria, SANs, 

adduced reasons INEC 

should be compelled to 

produce the election 

materials for forensic analysis. 

Though their legal team 

was led by Dr. Livy Uzoukwu, 

SAN, however, it was Chief 

Chris Uche, SAN, that 

addressed the tribunal on 

behalf of the applicants. 

Specifically, Atiku and his 

party told the tribunal that the 

essence of the request was to 

establish that the presidential 

election was fraught with 

manifest irregularities they 

said included multiple 

thumb-printing of ballot 

papers. 

They expressed 

determination to engage 

forensic experts to scritinise all 

materials that INEC deployed 

for the election. 

In the joint motion ex-parte 

marked CA/A/P/EPT/1/2019, 

Atiku and PDP prayed the 

tribunal for leave to be allowed 

to obtain the sensitive 

materials from INEC. 

Aside INEC, other 

respondents in the motion 

were President Muhammadu 

Buhari and All Progressives 

Congress, APC. 

Uche told the tribunal that 

the motion dated March 4, 

was also filed pursuant to 

section 6(6) of the 1999 

Constitution, as amended, 

contained six reliefs. 

Materials sought 

Among items he said his 

client wanted leave of the 

tribunal to be inspected by 

forensic experts, included 

over 80 million ballot papers 

that were used for the election, 

which he said would be 

subjected to thumb-print 

analysis. 

Other items the motion 

sought to be released to the 

intending petitioners for 

scrutiny were Voters Register, 

Smart Card Reader 

Machines as well as 

information stored in INEC’s 

back-up server. 

Prayers granted 

The first prayer in the 

motion, which was granted by 

the panel, was leave for Atiku 

and the PDP to file the action 

before the pre-hearing 

session of the tribunal, as 

prescribed by the Electoral 

Act. 

The second prayer was for 

INEC to allow the applicants 

or their agents to scan and 

make photocopies of vital 

documents used in the 

conduct of the election, for the 

purpose of establishing 

manifest irregularities that 

allegedly led to President 

Muhammadu Buhari’s 

emergence as winner of the 


The applicant told the 

tribunal that reliefs they 

sought against INEC were 

for the purpose of filing and 

maintaining an election 

petition they intend to lodge 

against the outcome of the 

2019 Presidential election. 

They insisted that prayers 

contained in the motion was 

also granted in Osun 

governorship election 

dispute between Rauf 

Aregbesola and Olagunsoye 

Oyinlola. 

Chief Uche, SAN, said his 

clients decided to approach 

the tribunal with the motion, 

in view of the fact that the 

Electoral Act stipulated that 

filing of the petition must not 

exceed 21 days after the 

election result was 

announced. 

“Because of the limited 

time, the applicants who 

intend to file a petition, want 

to go and inspect, to be able 

to secure some of the 

documents that will be relied 

upon to maintain the 

petition. 

“We are urging your 

lordships to grant us this 

orders, so that if we are 

inspecting, we can make 

copies by way of scanning or 

photocopying. 

“The entire process will be 

conducted in the presence of 

INEC officials, and even the 

Respondents if they so 

wish,” Uche submitted. 

However, before the ruling 

was delivered, the tribunal 

Chairman, Justice Aboki, 

queried Uche on why his 

clients would not simply 

apply to be issued with 

Certified True Copies of the 

requested items, and if the 

extant electoral law permits 

a litigant to scan election 

materials. 

March 9 polls: Let’s make 

gov election better than 

presidential —Buhari 

A 

B 

By Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru 

U J A — — 

PRESIDENT 

Muhammadu Buhari has 

appealed to Nigerians, 

especially those of voting 

age, to make the forthcoming 

governorship and House of 

Assembly elections better 

than the presidential and 

National Assembly polls. 

The president also urged 

the electorate to come out enmasse 

and cast their votes 

bearing in mind that 

Saturday’s election is close 

to the people. 

In a message to Nigerians 

yesterday, Buhari 

commiserated with the 

families of those who died as 

a result of violence in the 

presidential and National 

Assembly elections as well as 

those who sustained injuries 

during the exercise and 

appealed to youths not to 

allow themselves be used as 

thugs during the elections. 

He said: “The second and 

final phase of the 2019 

general elections comes up 

on Saturday, March 9, with 

Nigerians voting for 

governors and members of 

Houses of Assembly in the 

states. 

"Let me once again extend 

my condolences to the 

families of those who lost 

their lives or sustained 

injuries as a result of 

accidents or criminal 

violence during the elections. 

‘’The onus is once again 

on qualified people to turn 

out in large numbers to 

exercise their civic rights. 

‘’With the presidential poll 

behind us, let us not become 

complacent, and fail to vote 

in the gubernatorial poll. 

‘’The forthcoming 

elections are as important for 

good governance as that of 

the Presidency and the 

National Assembly." 

‘’Indeed, governance at 

the state level is closer to us, 

and should touch our lives 

more directly. That is why it 

is vital for us to participate in 

the choice of who governs us 

at the state levels." 

‘’I, therefore, urge you to 

troop out massively on 

Saturday to elect your 

governors and state 

lawmakers.” 

He told the electorate to 

vote for his party, All 

Progressives Congress, 

APC, saying the party was 

guided by progressive ideals 

and will not disappoint the 

people. 

GTBank’s profit up by 9.1% 

to N215.6bn 

By Peter 

Egwuatu 

GUARANTY Trust 

Bank Plc, yesterday, 

released its audited 

financial results for the 

year ended December 31, 

2018 to Nigerian and 

London Stock 

Exchanges, posting 

profit before tax of 

N215.6 billion, 

representing an increase 

of 9.1 percent over the 

N197.7 billion recorded 

in 2017. 

A review of the results 

shows positive 

performance across some 

financial metrics and 

improved strategic 

positioning of the brand. 

Gross earnings for the 

year grew by 3.7 percent 

to N434.7 billion from 

N419.2 billion reported 

in the December 2017. 

The bank’s customer 

deposits increased by 

10.3 percent to N2.274 

trillion from N2.062 

trillion in December 

2017, however, loan book 

dipped by 12.9 percent 

from N1.449 trillion 

recorded as at December 

2017 to N1.262 trillion in 

December 2018. 

Commenting on the 

financial results, 

Managing Director/CEO 

of Guaranty Trust Bank 

plc, Mr Segun Agbaje, 

said: “In 2018, our focus 

on staying nimble, 

strengthening customer 

relationships and 

driving our digital-first 

strategy paid off. 

"We successfully 

navigated the pressures 

of our challenging and 

radically changing 

business environment, 

recorded growth across 

key financial indices and 

reaffirmed our position 

as one of the best 

performing and well 

managed financial 

institutions in Africa. 

"This result reflects, 

not just the fundamental 

strength of our brand, 

but also our commitment 

to our values of 

excellence, creating 

value for all stakeholders 

and putting our 

customers first in 

everything that we do. 

"Driven by these 

values, we are building 

the bank of the future by 

pairing the best of our 

business with the 

massive potential of 

digital technologies to 

create Africa’s first 

integrated and trusted 

platform; Habari."


Buhari won’t allow saboteurs to lead 

9th Assembly—Presidency Presidency. 

•As S-South APC makes case for Senate Presidency 

By Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru & 

Omeiza Ajayi 

A BUJA—THE 

Presidency said, 

yesterday, that President 

Muhammadu Buhari and 

his government will not allow 

the the frosty relationship that 

existed between the 

executive and the legislature 

in the eight National 

Assembly to repeat itself by 

allowing emergence of 

saboteurs in the leadership of 

the parliament. 

The relationship between 

the executive and the 

leadership of the eight 

National Assembly, especially 

the presiding officers, has not 

been cordial and the situation 

was said to have affected 

governance. 

Though President Buhari 

did not interfere in the 

election of the Senate 

president, deputy Senate 

president, speaker and 

deputy speaker of the House 

of Representatives in 2015, 

the emergence of Dr. Bukola 

Saraki and Yakubu Dogara as 

Senate President and 

Speaker respectively did not 

go down well with the 

leadership of All Progressives 

Congress, APC, that wanted 

Senator Ahmad Lawan for the 

Senate seat and Femi 

Gbajabiamila for the 

speakership. 

However, a senior aide to 

the President, who spoke on 

condition of anonymity, said 

the president will ensure that 

only persons endorsed by the 

APC National Working 

Committee, NWC, emerged 

president of the Senate and 

other presiding officers of the 

two national legislative 

chambers. 

The source noted that 

though the president has no 

preferred candidates for the 

position of presiding and 

principal officers for the ruling 

party that is expected to form 

the majority in the ninth 

assembly, which will start by 

June, he is ready and willing 

to support the decision of the 

leadership of the party in line 

with its zoning arrangements. 

The source said: “Be rest 

assured that the President 

will not micro-manage the 

process of electing the 

National Assembly leadership 

but he will not allow the 

lawlessness that happened in 

2015 to repeat itself. 

Meanwhile some sources 

in the National Assembly 

have said that the former 

Senate Leader, Senator Ali 

Ndume, stands a better 

chance to lead the Senate 

because of his friendly 

disposition and his close 

relationship with the 

Presidency. 

Ndume has been a vocal 

voice that has always 

criticized what was said to be 

the autocratic leadership style 

of the Senate President, Dr. 

Bukola Saraki, and hostile his 

relationship with the 

S-South APC 

makes case for 

Senate Presidency 

Meanwhile, South-South 

zonal chapter of APC has 

asked Nigerians to support 

its bid to get the office of the 

Senate President zoned to it 

in the interest of justice and 

equity. 

Ntufam Hilliard Etta, APC 

National Vice Chairman for 

the zone, who made the plea 

in a statement, yesterday, in 

Abuja, said the leadership of 

the party in the zone had 

done extreme hard work 

towards stabilizing the polity 

to ensure that business 

thrives in the region. 

He said the zone had also 

informed teeming youths that 

development could only 

thrive in the atmosphere of 

peace. 

UK threatens visa ban on 

politicians inciting violence 

on social media 

THE British High 

Commission has warned 

that those who incite electoral 

violence on social media 

could be denied access into 

the United Kingdom. 

In its call for credible, 

peaceful elections on March 

9, the high commission 

asked Nigerians to turn out 

and vote on Saturday, March 

9 elections for state 

governorships and state 

Houses of Assembly. 

It said: “These elections 

are an important opportunity 

for citizens to exercise their 

democratic rights and choose 

their leaders. We hope that 

the causes of logistical issues 

on February 23 election have 

been identified and 

addressed. 

“We commend INEC staff 

and the National Youth 

Service Corps, who play a 

critical role in the delivery of 

elections, often in difficult 

circumstances. 

‘’We hope that they will be 

given every support and 

protection necessary to 

ensure the smooth and 

peaceful delivery of elections 

free from fear of intimidation 

or interference in the 

electoral process,’’ the High 

Commission stated. 

The UK also condemned 

electoral violence, stating its 

readiness to ban those who 

incite violence on and off 

social media. 

It stated further: “We were 

concerned by reports of high 

levels of violence in some 

states across Nigeria during 

the recent Presidential 

elections, including reports of 

violent clashes involving the 

military in Rivers State. 

“We condemn all acts of 

violence and call for those 

responsible to be brought to 

justice. We call on all actors, 

including political parties 

and security personnel, to 

work together to provide a 

peaceful environment for 

Nigerians to vote on March 

9." 

I won’t let you down, Buhari 

re-assures Nigerians 

By Johnbosco 

Agbakwuru 

A BUJA—PRESIDENT 

Muhammadu Buhari, 

yesterday, reassured 

Nigerians that he would not 

let them down in his second 

term in office. 

This is even as Arewa 

Consultative Forum, ACF, 

has promised to continue to 

support the president 

because he has addressed 

most of the concerns they 

brought to his attention in 

2016. 

President Buhari, who 

received the leadership of 

ACF that paid him a 

congratulatory visit at the 

Council Chamber, 

Presidential Villa, Abuja, 

said he would work harder 

in the next four years to 

address the challenges 

facing the country. 

“This is my last lap, I will 

try to work harder. I assure 

you, I will not let you 

down,” the President 

stated. 

Chairman of ACF’s board 

of trustees, Alhaji Adamu 

Fika, who led the 

delegation, said the visit 

was to congratulate the 

president on his victory at 

the polls. 

While pledging the 

group’s continuous support 

to the President, he said: 

“We wish to recall that in 

2015, a similar delegation 

of ACF visited and 

congratulated you 

following Your Excellency’s 

victory at the presidential 

elections held earlier that 

year. 

“A year later, May 2016, 

you were kind enough to 

grant an audience to 

another delegation of the 

forum. On that occasion, 

the delegation, led by late 

Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule, 

Danmasanin Kano, drew 

attention to projects of 

concern to the North and 

of benefit to Nigeria at 

large. 

“The projects included 

the Baro Dry Port, Mambilla 

hydro power, selfsufficiency 

in agricultural 

produce, road construction 

and rehabilitation, and abve 

all oil and gas exploration. 

“It is pleasing to note that 

since then, the Baro dry 

port has been 

commissioned, while all 

other projects have been 

reactivated and now being 

implemented. 

“As this is purely a 

congratulatory visit, we do 

not intend to discuss any 

Issues today. We hope and 

wish that, as it happened 

during your first term, we 

may have the opportunities 

from time to time to be 

given audience to intimate 

Your Excellency about 

problems and matters that 

are of concern to the people 

of the North and Nigeria.” 

PDP alleges mass arrest of 

members in N-Delta states 

By Dirisu 

Yakubu 

A BUJA—PEOPLES 

Democratic Party, PDP, 

last night, decried what it 

described as the the ongoing 

mass arrest and 

detention of its leaders and 

members in South South 

states of Rivers, Delta and 

Akwa Ibom by the Nigerian 

military ahead of the March 

9, 2019 governorship and 

state assembly elections. 

The party also accused the 

Presidency and All 


APC, of turning the South- 

South into a war zone, in 

their "desperation to 

suppress voters, manipulate 

the electoral process and 

forcefully take over control 

of the states.” 

In a statement signed by 

its spokesman, Kola 

Ologbondiyan, the party 

claimed that in Rivers State, 

its leaders were “being 

hounded and forcefully 

picked up in a wellcoordinated 

operation by 

military operatives attached 

to Director-General of 

Buhari Campaign 

Organisation and Minister 

of Transportation, Rotimi 

Amaechi.” 

The statement read: “Our 

party has received reports 

on how soldiers led by one 

Major Mustapha Bello from 

Sokoto Division, 

manhandled, arrested and 

took away Rivers State 

Commissioner for 

Education, Dr. Tam Gogo 

Jaja, to an unknown 

destination. 

“During the February 23 

polls, soldiers invaded the 

state and engaged in 

unrestrained harassment of 

PDP supporters, resulting in 

the killing of over 30 

innocent citizens. 

“The PDP invites 

Nigerians and the 

international community to 

note the development in the 

South-South as well as how 

the Presidency and the APC 

are provoking the people of 

the region and pushing 

them to the precipice. 

“The tension in Niger 

Delta has been dangerously 

stretched and there is a limit 

to what the people can 

stomach in the face of such 

aggressions without resort 

to self-help. 

“Moreover, Niger Delta 

remains a stronghold of the 

PDP and no amount of 

intimation and assault by 

APC can change this 

reality."

10 — VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019 

WORLD BOOK DAY: From left; Principal Elementary, Greensprings School, Mrs Kemi Famuyide, 

Boarding Principal, Mrs Ifeanyi Bernardi-Oti, Head of School and Director of Education, Mrs Helen 

Brocklesby, Globacom State Manager, Lagos 2, Mr. Akinsola Williams, Principal Secondary, Mrs 

Magdalene Okrikri and Preschool Principal, Mrs Echioma Adegoke at the presentation of Glo gifts to 

Greensprings School, Lagos in commemoration of 2019 World Book Day. 

LAGOS GOV POLL: I’ve not stepped down 

— AGBAJE •Says it'll be betrayal, a taboo 

By Dapo Akinrefon, 

Monsuru Olowoopejo 

& Gabriel Olawale 

L 

A G O S — 

GOVERNORSHIP 

Candidate of the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP in 

Lagos State, Mr. Jimi 

Agbaje, yesterday, 

dismissed speculations 

that he had stepped down 

his ambition from 

contesting in Saturday’s 

elections. 

Agbaje, in a statement 

by his Director of Media 

and Publicity, Felix 

Oboagwina, said: “I have 

not stepped down and I 

will not step down for 

anybody. 

“Neither my party nor I 

have any arrangement with 

anybody to drop out of the 

race. And at this point in 

time, no Jupiter can even 

make such a suggestion to 

me. It is taboo. It is 

indecent. It will not 

happen. Such has not even 

crossed my mind. 

“To step down for who? 

Stepping down will be an 

unfortunate betrayal of the 

hopes and dreams of 

millions of Lagosians who 

consider me as the only 

alternative to the impunity 

and corruption they have 

suffered in the hands of the 

Pharaoh who has selfishly 

cornered the state and its 

resources these past 20 

years. 

“The results of the last 

elections, despite its being 

cooked and falsified to 

favour APC, showed that 

Jimi Agbaje and PDP have 

a formidable standing and 

they are the preferred team 

to take over the leadership 

of the state. 

“We are the glimmer of 

hope. We are the light at the 

end of the dark tunnel. And 

I will never be part of 

anything to betray our 

people’s trust and hope. So 

help me God.” 

Southern, Middle Belt 

leaders back Agbaje 

Meanwhile, the Southern 

and Middle Belt Leaders 

Forum comprising 

Afenifere, Ohanaeze, 

PANDEF and Middle Belt 

leaders, have thrown their 

weight behind the PDP 

candidate in Lagos State. 

In a statement by Messrs 

Y i n k a 

Odumakin (Afenifere), 

Prof Chigozie Ogbu 

(Ohanaeze), Sen Bassey 

Henahaw (PANDEF) and 

Dr Isuwa Dogo (Middle 

Belt Forum), the leaders 

said: “We have looked at the 

build-up to Saturday 

governorship elections and 

it is clear there are two 

leading candidates. 

Of the two one belongs to 

a political party that stands 

on the way of restructuring 

Nigeria and therefore 

cannot be in our 

consideration. 

The other candidate, Mr 

Jimi Agbaje of the PDP has 

for over 20 years been 

involved in the struggles to 

rearrange Nigeria as an 

Afenifere man and we have 

no reservations in 

POLLS: Deliver your polling units, Tinubu orders APC members 

•As Ambode, Sanwo-Olu urge voters to come out en-masse 

By Olasunkanmi 

Akoni, Monsuru 

Olowoopejo & Gabriel 

Olawale 

LAGOS—AHEAD of 

the Saturday 

governorship and state 

House of Assembly 

elections, National Leader 

of the All Progressives 

Congress, APC, Asiwaju 

Bola Tinubu, yesterday, 

urged party members and 

supporters to eschew 

violence but ensure victory 

for the APC during the 

exercise. 

This came as Governor 

Akinwunmi Ambode of 

•Lagosians need to end era of overbearing godfather — FLOM 

Lagos State and APC 

governorship candidate, 

Babajide Sanwo-Olu 

assured voters that security 

challenges experienced 

during the residential and 

National Assembly elections 

would not be experienced 

during Saturday’s polls. 

Tinubu gave the charge, 

while addressing party 

members at a stakeholders’ 

meeting at Lagos APC 

Secretariat, Acme, Ogba, 

after a closed-door meeting 

with members of the 

Governor’s Advisory 

Council, GAC. 

Tinubu urged them to 

stand firm, “work and 

deliver your polling unit to 

party. If you lose your polling 

unit, you are on your own. 

If you lose your 

constituency, don’t come 

home, it means you can’t 

deliver.” 

He said: “It is shameful 

that we couldn’t get 50 per 

cent voters. Alimosho was 

a disappointment in the last 

election. Oshodi was 

struggling, Kosofe and 

Somolu barely showed off, 

they didn’t do well. 

“Go and deliver. We don’t 

want to fight, we want to 

win election. Those of us 

with high level of 

confidence are not going to 

fight. We want you to defeat 

the opposition at the polls. 

When they provoke you, 

don not react. 

“Go to your ward and see 

your leaders at the local 

government level and tell 

them what you did to bring 

out people to cast their vote. 

Act like a leader. We want 

you to work for the party 

and enjoy benefits.” 

“Go and help the elders 

and people to come out 

and vote. Don’t go out and 

play football on election 

day. Go out and perform 

your civic right.” 

encouraging our people to 

choose him as Governor of 

Lagos in the March 9 

election. 

Meanwhile, a coalition of 

political parties and civil 

society organisations, Free 

Lagos Orange Movement, 

FLOM, has urged 

Lagosians to use their 

Permanent Voters Card, 

PVCs to end the era of 

overbearing godfatherism 

in Lagos. 

Addressing a press 

conference at the NUJ 

Press Centre in Lagos, a 

group led by Mr. Olisa 

Agbakoba (SAN); National 

Publicity Secretary of 

Afenifere, Mr. Yinka 

Odumakin and Comrade 

Mark Adebayo, said that 

March 9 presents the best 

opportunity to liberate 

Lagosians from the iron grip 

and oppressive regime of 

Bourdillon that has held the 

state down for 20 years. 

They encouraged 

Lagosians to be vigilant so 

as not to be shortchanged. 

Similarly, Ambode, who 

spoke after the weekly 

Executive meeting at the 

State House, Alausa, 

Secretariat, Ikeja, noted that 

efforts have been intensified 

to ensure that every 

registered voter in the state 

participates without any 

security hindrances. 

Accompanied by his 

deputy, Dr. Idiat Adebule, 

and other cabinet 

members, the governor 

said: “We are aware of the 

incidences that occurred 

after the Presidential and 

National Assembly election 

in the state. We have taken 

proper care of that. We 

understand that everyone in 

Lagos is same. 

“The peace, harmonious 

relationship and security 

that had existed in the state 

are very paramount to this 

government. We will ensure 

that everyone that is eligible 

to vote, perform his civic 

duties without intimidation.” 

ELECTIONS: Navy, Marine Police to 

carry out 24 hrs surveillance of 

riverine communities — CP Muazu 

By Evelyn Usman 

L Commissioner AGOS—THE 

of 

Police, Lagos State Police 

Command, Mr Zubairu 

Muazu, yesterday, said a 

24-hour patrol and 

surveillance would be 

carried out on riverine 

communities in Lagos 

State, as part of security 

measures put in place to 

ensure a violence-free 

elections in Saturday’s 


Assembly elections. 

He also disclosed that 

the suspected leader of the 

thugs that disrupted the 

Presidential and National 

Assembly elections in Okota 

area of Lagos, Demola, did 

not abscond from the 

hospital, as widely 

speculated. 

Muazu stated that 

Demola and other 

suspects, arrested in 

connection with elections 

offences two weeks ago, 

have been transferred to the 

Force headquarters, Abuja, 

following the Inspector 

General of Police directive. 

Briefing journalists on the 

Command’s preparedness 

By Prince Okafor 

LAGOS—A 

survey 

has indicated that hard 

work; reverences for God are 

among the two most highlyprized 

values among 

Nigerians. 

This was the view of the 

Founder and Chairman of 

the Foundation for Values for 

Normative Change, Mr. 

Tunde Fagbenle, after a 

survey. 

The survey, conducted 

between January 27 and 

February 9, 2019, revealed 

that, 25 per cent of the 

respondents or 54 of them 

said hard work was the most 

important value, reverence 

“We encourage every resident 

that has been registered 

by INEC to come out 

and perform their civic duties. 

The security agencies 

have assured us that there 

will be adequate security in 

the state during and after the 

poll”, Ambode said. 

PSP endorses Sanwo-Olu, 

Hamzat 

On his part, the 

Chairman, association of 

Waste Managers of Nigeria, 

Mr. Oladipo Egbeyemi, 

while endorsing candidacy 

of Sanwo-Olu, urged its 

members not to relent in 

their house to house 

campaign for the APC 

governorship candidate. 

Egbeyemi said: “We are 

using this medium to 

assure our governorship 

candidate and other APC 

candidates of our support, 

and also pledge to deliver 

over 500,000 votes come 

March 9.” 

towards Saturday’s 

elections, Muazu informed 

that the command had 

reviewed and redoubled its 

strategies to ensure the 

safety of Lagosians, even as 

he urged everyone, 

irrespective of his tribe to go 

out and exercise his civil 

responsibility come 

Saturday, without fear of 

harassment. 

He described social 

media reports on the 

elections as being 

fabricated, and therefore, 

issued a warning to those 

spreading fake news to 

desist from doing so, or face 

the wrath of the command. 

He said: “The incidents 

at Okota and Okokomaiko 

generated too much fake 

news which circulated on 

social media, about a 

planned attack on Igbo 

traders in Lagos , especially 

in Oshodi and other 

prominent markets by 

hoodlums. 

“It is also insinuated that 

certain ethic nationalities 

are deliberately denied or 

prevented from voting for 

political reasons or to 

enhance the fortunes of a 

particular party.'' 

Hard work, God, others, key 

values among Nigerians 

— FOUNDATION 

for God’ was next with 24 per 

cent or 51 of the respondents 

polled. 

In a statement signed by 

Fagbenle said: “The Face 

book poll conducted among 

214 randomly chosen 

Nigerians, was designed to 

test the value preference for 

a better Nigeria. Apart from 

hard work and reverence for 

God, three other values 

highlighted in the survey 

are, integrity (23 per cent), 

honesty (15 per cent) and 

kindness (13 per cent).” 

Responding to the survey, 

the Executive Director of 

Aflon Digital Institute and 

former Secretary to the 

Government of the 

Federation, Mr. Akin 

Fapohunda, said: “It is quite 

surprising that 25 per cent 

of the respondents thought 

hard work best represents 

the underpinning of their 

values. This may be quite 

strange indeed, in the 

context of our ‘It is well’ or 

’God is in control’ mentality 

of leaving most things for 

supernatural intervention. 

“In a country where our 

sense of values has been 

evolving over the years and 

over different epochs, the 

survey is an indicative poll 

that should prepare the 

grounds for a more 

comprehensive test. 

Also, a former director of 

the Nigeria Deposit 

Insurance Corporation, Mr. 

Pascal Ebohohimen, said 

that the findings have 

implications for our families 

and leadership quality.” 

Ebohohimen said: 

“Families should imbibe key 

spiritual and cultural values, 

adding that the values 

highlighted in the survey 

were linked to and rooted 

in the family, from where 

leaders emerge.''



APC bigwigs defect to 

PDP in A-Ibom 

By Chioma 

Onuegbu 

U YO—PROMINENT 

chieftains of the All 

Progressives Congress 

APC, in Akwa-Ibom State, 

Mr Dan Akpan, a former 

member of the House of 

Representatives and Dr. 

Etido Ibekwe, a former 

Majority Leader in the state 

House of Assembly from 

Essien Udim LGA have 

defected to the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP. 

Akpan, who was defeated 

by the Speaker of the state 

House of Assembly, 

Onofiok Luke in the just 

concluded House of 

Representatives contest 

and Ibekwe, defected 

during the PDP 

governorship grand rally 

in Uyo Township stadium 

with their teeming 

supporters. 

Ibekwe who hails from 

Essien Udim LGA with 

Senator Godswill Akpabio 

said: “Today, I celebrate my 

political freedom. I thank 

Governor Udom 

Emmanuel for what he has 

done for Age Annang by 

rehabilitating the only road 

to our community that was 

abandoned for so many 

years.” 

Court voids Edo APC candidate 

for House of Assembly election 

By Gabriel 

Enogholase 

BENIN—WITH barely 

72 hours to weekend’s 



elections, a Federal High 

Court sitting in Benin City, 

Edo State, yesterday, 

voided the candidacy of Mr. 

Osaro Obaze, the All 


APC, candidate for Oredo 

East State Constituency in 

the Edo State House of 

Assembly. 

Trial judge, Justice 

Adefunmilola Demi - 

Ajayi after listening to the 

arguments by counsel to 

the plaintiff and defendant 

held that Obaze was not 

the rightful nominated 

candidate of the party for 

the election. 

Obaze was dragged to 

the court by Mr Ekhosuehi 

Eghosa, who prayed the 

court to set aside Obaze 

nomination as the 

candidate for Oredo East 

constituency. 

ABONNEMA KILLINGS: Wike sets up 

c’ttee to settle bereaved families 

By Davies 

Iheamnachor 

PORT HARCOURT: 

Governor Nyesom 

Wike of Rivers State, has set 

up a committee to identify 

victims and find out 

families of those who lost 

their lives during the 


Assembly elections in 

Abonnema Town, Akuku- 

Toru Local Government 

Area of the state. 

Wike also said that the 

government will send a 

delegation to the Nigerian 

Army to sympathise with 

them on the death of their 

officers during the polls. 

Wike spoke yesterday, at 

St Paul’s Nyemoni 

Lutheran Cathedral, 

Abonnema, Akuku-Toru 

LGA, during a Church 

service to seek God’s 

protection for the March 9, 

polls and end of period of 

mourning for victims of the 

February 23, polls 

organised by traditional 

rulers and stakeholders in 

the council. 

Wike, who named his 

deputy, Dr. Mrs. Ipalibo 

Banigo as Chairman of the 

committee, noted that the 

major term of reference was 

to identify all those who 

died during the election. 

He noted that the families 

of the victims if identified 

would be settled by the state 

government, adding that 

property destroyed in the 

area would also be rebuilt. 

Wike said: “Let me on 

behalf of the state 

government condole with 

the people of Abonnema 

over the death of our 

children and the Nigerian 

Army personnel. 

“What I heard and saw on 

the television, I could not 

believe that such 

happened in a civilian 

environment. It shocked 

me that I will be alive and 

see my community being 

destroyed just because I am 

connected to the powers 

that be, which I could not 

use for development. 

“The Rivers State 

Government has set up a 

committee to identify those 

who died during the 

incident. 

“They will also find their 

families and the 

government will settle their 

families. For those who lost 

their property, the 

government will take care 

of the damaged property.” 

Wike commended the 

Amanyanabo of Abonnema, 

Bob-Manuel, for the steps 

taken by the council of 

chiefs to ensure lasting 

peace in the area, pleading 

with youths of the area to 

shun provocation and 

maintain peace during the 

governorship elections. 

Amaechi’s APC faction adopts AAC as Abe’s kicks 

By Davies 

Iheamnachor 

PORT HARCOURT: 

The faction of the 

Rivers State chapter of the 

All Progressives Congress, 

APC, loyal to the Minister 

of Transportation, Chibuike 

Amaechi, has adopted the 

governorship candidate of 

African Action Congress, 

AAC, Engr. Awara 

Biokpomabo for the 

election. 

Spokesman of the APC in 

the state, Chris Finebone, 

disclosed this in Port 

Harcourt, yesterday. 

He said: “The members 

of the APC, in Rivers State 

will vote for the 


the AAC in the Saturday’s 

governorship election. His 

candidacy fits into the 

strategic quest of the APC 

to give Rivers people 

equity, justice and fair 

play.” 

Meanwhile, the 

Chairman of the faction of 

the party loyal to Sen. 

Magnus Abe, Prince Peter 

Odike, has insisted that the 

APC would not adopt any 

party, adding that its 

matters were still pending 

at the Supreme Court. 

In a statement yesterday 

in Port Harcourt, Odike 

said: “Attention of the APC, 

Rivers State chapter has 

been drawn to a directive 

from the Minister for 

Transportation, Chibuike 

Amaechi, to members of the 

party in the state to vote for 

the candidates of AAC in 

the governorship and 


elections on March 9, 2019. 

“I, Odike, the state 

Chairman of the APC, 

Rivers State chapter, on 

behalf of the State Working 

Committee of the party 

hereby calls on all members 

and supporters of the party 

in Rivers State to 

discountenance the said 

directive of Amaechi. 

“Let me inform our 

members and supporters 

that the matter of the APC, 

in Rivers State is presently 

pending before the 

Supreme Court and that 

the party never held any 

meeting during which the 

decision to enter into any 

alliance with any other party 

was reached. Let it also be 

known that Amaechi is 

completely acting as an 

individual on this matter." 

Police slam Wike over allegation of plot 

to kidnap Rivers REC 

By Davies 

Iheamnachor 

PORT HARCOURT: The 

Rivers State Police 

Command has attacked 

Governor Nyesom Wike of 

Rivers State over claim that 

the police had perfected 

plans to kidnap the 

Resident Electoral 

Commissioner, REC, of the 

Independent National 

Electoral Commission, 

INEC, in the state, Obo 

Effanga. 

Wike had in a statement 

by his Special Assistant on 

Electronic Media, Simon 

Nwakudu, raised the alarm 

over the alleged planned 

kidnap of Effanga, to allow 

for the postponement of the 

gubernatorial and state 


elections scheduled for 

March 9, 2019. 

However, in a statement 

yesterday in Port Harcourt, 

the state Commissioner of 

Police in the state, Usman 

Belel flayed the comment, 

describing it as unfounded, 

vowing that the comment 

would be investigated. 

Belel read: “9. 

“The Nigeria Police Force 

being the lead agency in 

Internal security and on 

election security duties is 

disturbed by this 

unverifiable, unfounded, 

baseless and malicious 

allegation and hereby, 

wishes to refute and condemn 

the allegation in the 

strongest terms and to allay 

the fears and apprehension 

generated by that 

unnecessary and alarmist 

report by the Rivers State 

Government. 

“The Inter-Agency 

Consultative Committee 

on Election Security, 

ICCES, headed by the 

Commissioner of Police, 

met several times and 

fashioned out modules on 

the security of the entire 

election process, which was 

largely responsible for the 

successful conduct of the 


Assembly elections in the 

state." 

We won't tolerate hijack of INEC's functions 

by army —Ijaw youths 

By Prince Okafor 

AHEAD of Saturday’s 

gubernatorial and state 

Assembly elections, 

Egbeme-Ijaw youths, has 

called on the Chief of Army 

Staff Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai 

to call the Nigerian Army 

personnel to order. 

In a statement its leader, 

Mr. Ebipade Kari, said, 

“Our attention has been 

drawn to purported plans 

by the ruling party at the 

centre to take over Delta 

State by all means in 

connivance with the 

Nigerian army. 

“As peace loving citizens 

endowed with 

fundamental and 

inalienable socio-political 

rights, we wish to call on 

the Chief of Army Staff to 

call his personnel to order 

and not to allow the highly 

revered military force in 

Africa to be used as petty 

thugs by the ruling 

government. 

“The shaky and flimsy 

excuse of providing 

security is mere gimmicks 

scripted to actualise the 

biddings of the ruling party. 

It is now clear that the 

ruling party is bent on 

controlling the states in the 

oil-rich region."


35 political parties in Kwara collapse 

structures, back APC candidates 

By Demola 

Akinyemi 

ILORIN— AHEAD of 

Saturday’s governorship 

and House of Assembly 

elections, no fewer than 35 

registered political parties in 

Kwara State on the platform 

of Kwara Like-minds 

Political Parties, KLPP, 

yesterday, collapsed their 

structures into All 


APC, and endorsed its 


Abdulraham Abdulrazaq. 

Among the parties are 

Peoples Party of Nigeria, 

PPN; African Democratic 

Party of Nigeria, ADPN; 

National Conscience Party, 

NCP; National Conscience 

Party of Nigeria, NCPN; 

People for Democratic 

Change, PDC; Change 

Advocacy Party of Nigeria, 

CAPN; Peoples Trust, PT, and 

National Democratic Liberty 

Party, NDLP. 

The latest development 

has boosted the chances of 

APC governorship candidate 

of APC, and all the party’s 

candidates for the state 

House of Assembly in the 

March 9 elections in the 

state. 

Spokesperson of the 

political group, Mr Sunday 

Oladele, at a briefing in 

Ilorin, said: “The group has 

been in existence for over 

two years now and has been 

working round to join hands 

with like-minds in the 

struggle to liberate the state 

from a single hegemony that 

had been running the affairs 

of the state for over 40 years. 

"The group had worked 

with APC underneath 

during last year's by-election 

of Irepodun /Isin/Oke-Ero/ 

Ekiti federal constituency 

that produced Raheem Ajulo 

and it was successful. 

“But, today, we decided to 

come out publicly to throw 

our support to APC and its 


Alhaji Abdulrahman 

Abdulrasaq, and also 

support all the 24 members 

of the state House of 

Assembly of APC during the 

March 9 governorship and 

state House of Assembly 

polls in the state.” 

Oladele, flanked by the 

state chairmen of the political 

parties that collapsed their 

structure into APC, noted: 

“Kwara Like-Mind Political 

Parties, comprising different 

registered political parties in 

Kwara State, showed up 

when it matters because we 

are at a critical stage in our 

country, but most especially 

our dear state is already in 

the political labour room. 

"We are joining hands with 

APC and other stakeholders 

in Kwara State in taking a 

successful delivery of 

liberated Kwara come March 

9 governorship and state 

House of Assembly elections 

in the state. 

“Today is not meant for any 

unending discussion but to 

let the whole world know that 

when Kwarans are dying 

slowly in the hands of 

political tyrant, the KLPP 

showed up. When Kwarans 

are groaning and gnashing 

their teeth under the bad 

governance in the state, 

posterity will be fair to KLPP 

for showing up. 

"Members of KLPP, hereby, 

once again instruct our 

members and appeal to the 

teeming voters in Kwara 

State to come out enmasse on 

March 9, 2019 to vote for 

Alhaji Abdulrahman 

Abdulrasaq of APC and all 

APC candidates to Kwara 

State House of assembly.” 

Earlier, State chairman of 

APC, Bashr Bolarinwa, 

thanked the group for 

identifying with APC in the 

state in its quest to liberate 

the people of the state, 

saying there was no doubt 

that the superlative outing 

of the party had endeared 

many stakeholders and 

groups to come out publicly 

to support the party ahead 

of March 9 elections in the 

state. 

FIDAU PRAYER: From left, Osun State Governor, Mr. Gboyega 

Oyetola; his wife, Kafayat, and Alhaja Mulikat Odewale, during 

the eight years fidau prayer in memory of the governor's mother, 

Alhaja Wulemot Oyetola, at the deceased's residence, Iragbiji, 

yesterday. 

Kogi election petition tribunal 

relocates 

Assembly 

By Boluwaji 

Obahopo 

LOKOJA — 

PRESIDENTIAL 

and National Assembly 

elections petition 

tribunal for Kogi State, 

which is supposed to sit 

in Lokoja, the state 

capital, has been 

relocated to Federal 

Capital Territory, Abuja. 

This was disclosed by 

the tribunal secretary, 

Mrs Aisha M’ohd, in a 

release, yesterday. 

The tribunal was yet to 

commence sitting or 

draw out any timetable 

to carry out its duties. 

M’ohd, who didn’t 

reveal the specific FCT 

High Court where the 

sitting would be holding 

when the hearing 

begins, did not also state 

why the tribunal was 

relocated to Abuja. 

She, however, notified 

the police, Department 

of State Service, DSS; 

the media and the 

general public of the 

development, saying 

specific location of the 

court would be disclosed 

soon. 

She said: “Notice is 

hereby given to the 

police, Department of 

State Service, DSS, 

media and the general 

public that the National 

and State Houses of 

Election 

Petition Tribunal slated 

to hold in Lokoja, Kogi 

State, has been 

relocated/moved to 

Federal Capital Territory 

High Court, FCT, 

Abuja.” 

NIWA, Liebherr sign N1.6bn 

contract for Lokoja River 

port 

By Boluwaji 

Obahopo 

LOKOJA — NATIONAL 

Inland Waterways 

Authority, NIWA, has signed 

a N1,600,344.513 contract 

with Messrs Liebherr 

Nigeria Limited, for the 

supply and installation of 64 

tonnes mobile harbour crane 

for Lokoja-Jamata River Port 

complex. 

Signing the contract at 

NIWA headquarters in 

Lokoja, yesterday, 

Managing Director/Chief 

Executive Officer of the 

board, Senator Olorunnimbe 

Mamora, said the contract 

signals the beginning of the 

revamping of waterways 

transportation. 

Mamora disclosed that the 

project was one of the four 

river ports under construction 

that is at the heart of the 

Federal Government. 

He said: “The essence of 

building these ports is to 

enhance inland waterways 

transportation across the 

country and boost 

employment opportunities 

for our teeming youths.” 

He also said the agency 

was set to curb water mishap 

that had suddenly become 

a recurring decimal in the 

country of recent. 

He attributed non 

compliance with NIWA 

code, over-loading, overspeeding, 

substance abuse 

by operators and unworthy 

vessels as some of the 

reasons for the upsurge in 

water mishap. 

He, however, said the 

agency had commenced 

steps towards curbing the 

occurrences, stressing that 

the agency was, however, 

hampered by challenges of 

funding and personnel. 

Court sacks Adamawa 

APC Rep-elect 

By Umar Yusuf 

YOLA —A Federal 

High Court sitting in 

Yola, yesterday, sacked 

All Progressives 

Congress, APC, member 

of the House of 

Representatives-elect 

representing Yola North, 

Yola South and Girei 

federal constituency, 

Abdurauf Moddibo. 

The incumbent member 

of the House of 

Representatives for the 

constituency, Lawal 

Garba, had dragged the 

member-elect to court on 

the ground that the 

primary election that 

made him a candidate of 

APC was inconclusive. 

The court ruled that 

APC did not field a 

candidate for Yola North, 

Yola South and Girei 

federal constituency. 

Delivering judgment, 

Justice Abdulaziz Anka 

directed Independent 


Commission, INEC, to 

withdraw the certificate 

of return given to 

Modibbo and issue 

same to the runner up of 

the polls, Jafar Ribadu, 

PDP candidate. 

Counsel to the 

plaintiff, Yahaya 

Dangana, said he 

represented the plaintiff 

in four consolidated 

cases in the case of 

Lawal Abubakar, Saad 

and host of others. 

He said consequent 

upon the conduct of the 

primaries on October 7, 

2018, by APC, the 

primary was adjudged to 

be inconclusive coupled 

with what transpired and 

a petition was written to 

the appeal committee of 

APC that the primary be 

revisited since it was 

believed to be 

inconclusive. 

Polls: Plateau stakeholders 

move to prevent violence 

By Marie- 

Therese Nanlong 

JOS—WORRIED by 

rising tension ahead 

of governorship and 


elections, stakeholders in 

Plateau State have 

stepped up measures to 

forestall all forms of 

violence that could derail 

the electoral process in 

the state. 

They appealed to 



INEC, to play by the rule 

to avoid triggering 

violence during the 

exercise. 

The stakeholders at a 

community dialogue on 

electoral violence 

organised by Centre for 

the Advocacy of Justice 

and Rights, CAJR, 

highlighted the flaws 

observed on the part of 

INEC and security 

agents during the 

Presidential and 


elections and called for 

urgent review to avoid a 

repeat. 

Pointing out the 

shortcomings and 

preferring solutions, the 

stakeholders, including 

security agencies, 

National Orientation 

Agency, NOA; Christian 

Association of Nigeria, 

CAN; Jama’atu Nasril 

Islam, JNI; Civil Society 

Organisations, CSOs; 

media, market women, 

INEC among others, 

urged politicians to 

desist from votes buying 

and other forms of 

rigging. 

Speakers, including 

Julius Arago of CAN, 

Umar Musa of JNI, 

Tabitha Dusu, Steve 

Aluko of CSOs, Sadiq 

Busabuji, among others 

faulted the nonfunctioning 

of smart card 

readers, delay in voting 

processes, delay in 

announcing the election 

results, among others, 

stressing that those were 

some of the things that 

cause tension and might 

trigger violence. 

On his part, Arago 

cautioned against 

unnecessary exploitation 

of religion for political 

gains, saying: “INEC as 

the referee in this 

exercise should be 

sincere and fair in the 

conduct of the election. 

INEC should be focused 

and not by its conduct 

trigger violence. 

“Introducing religious 

angle to the election is a 

dangerous trend and a 

situation where religious 

centres are being used 

to campaign for 

particular candidates 

should be discouraged to 

avoid reinforcing 

violence in the society.” 

For improved security, 

the stakeholders called 

for increased number of 

security agents per 

polling unit as well as 

security cover at 

collation centres.

14 —Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019 

Fayose’s aide, others dump PDP for APC 

•We’re battle ready for Ekiti Assembly poll — Police 

By Rotimi Ojomoyela 

A S DO-EKITI— 

P E C I A L 

Assistant to former 

Governor Ayodele Fayose 

on Local Government 

Affairs, Mr. Ayodeji Adu, 

yesterday, dumped the 

Peoples Democratic Party, 

PDP, for the All 


APC, in Ekiti State 

This came as the Police 

Commissioner, Ekiti 

Command, Mr Asuquo 

Amba has said his men are 

battle ready for the success 

of Saturday’s election, 

warning those harbouring 

sinister intentions to desist, 

saying his men are well 

mobilised to deal with 

trouble makers. 

Adu, Fayose’s kinsman 

defected to APC alongside 

scores of the PDP 

supporters in Afao Ekiti, 

when the campaign train of 

the APC assembly 

candidate in Irepodun/ 

Ifelodun state constituency 

II, Hakeem Jamiu hit the 

town on Wednesday. 

Leading the defectors, he 

said they were captivated 

by Governor Kayode 

Fayemi’s sterling 

leadership qualities in 

taking the decision. 

Adu said: “This decision 

to dump PDP for APC was 

borne out of patriotism and 

it is for the betterment of my 

state and country. 

“Afao despite producing 

the Governor of the state for 

eight years is still in 

shambles without 

meaningful development, 

hence, the need to embrace 

the right ideas that can take 

the town out of the current 

economic and social 

despondency. 

“I pledge my 

commitment to the 

success of the APC 

candidate in Afao-Ekiti. I 

want to assure that the 

APC would have a block 

votes in the town come 

Saturday. 

Meanwhile, the Ekit 

Police boss, who spoke 

through the Command’s 

Spokesman, DSP Caleb 

Ikechukwu, in Ado Ekiti, 

said that Ekiti residents 

contributed largely to the 

success of the presidential 


elections with their 

peaceful conducts on 

Election Day. 

He said: “We are ready 

for the assembly election. 

We are going to retain the 

structures we used for the 

presidential poll, which 

were two personnel across 

each of the 2,195 polling 

units across the state. 

“Our Special Protection 

Squad and Special Tactical 

Squad will be operational. 

We also have other special 

squads that will dress in 

mufti and other sister 

agencies shall join us to 

make the election 

successful.” 

VISIT: From left; APC governorship candidate for Lagos State, Bababjide Sanwo-Olu; Elegushi of 

Ikate Kingdom, Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi and member of the House of Representatives, Hon. 

Jimi Benson when Sanwo-Olu visited the monarch at his palace at Ikate, Lekki, Lagos yesterday. 

INEC’ll not rig for anybody, Oyo REC tells politicians 

By Adeola Badru 

I Resident BADAN—THE 

Electoral 

Commissioner, REC, in 

Oyo State, Mr. Mutiu 

Agboke, yesterday, issued 

a strong warning to 

politicians that the 



INEC, would not rig in 

favour of any politician or 

political party. 

He made this known 

while speaking with 

newsmen during the 

inspection of sensitive 

election materials deployed 

to the state at the Central 

IBEDC upgrades services, 

asks customers to offset bills 

THE Ibadan Distribution 

Company, 

IBEDC, has appealed to its 

customers to show appreciation 

by offsetting their bills 

and lodging complaints in 

a civil way whenever the 

need arises. 

It made the appeal yesterday 

while also asking 

cusomers to take advantage 

of the various complaint 

channels that IBEDC had 

provided. 

According to the company, 

IBEDC has recently 

upgraded two distribution 

Substations at Awujale and 

GRA Distribution Substations 

in Ijebu-Ode Business 

Hub under Ogun region of 

the its franchise areas. 

It said the company upgraded 

the overloaded 

200KVA 11/0.415KV transformer 

of GRA substation to 

500KVA 11/0.415KV distri- 

bution Transformer. 

The company said it had 

fulfilled promises to customers 

in its franchise area for 

quality and improved service 

delivery. 

It said customers at Oke- 

Aje market, Igbo Electronic 

market, JDPC and Lekan 

Bello Avenue, Heritage Estate, 

Stadium road and 

Ijebu-Ode Club road had 

been experiencing 

incessant power outages as 

a result of the overloaded 

200KVA transformer. 

The company said the 

new upgrade had brought 

improved and quality supply 

to the community. 

Also, the company replaced 

the old and burnt 

200KVA 11/0.415KV transformer 

which threw the residents 

of Igbeba under 

Awujale Substation into 

darkness with a new one. 

Bank of Nigeria, CBN, 

Dugbe in Ibadan. 

Agboke said: “I want to 

assure members of the 

public that they should go 

out on Saturday and cast 

their votes for the 

candidates of their choice. 

“Their votes will count. 

We shall not allow anybody 

to rig against anybody and 

INEC will not rig for 

anybody. We shall not allow 

any politician to rig against 

fellow politicians. 

“INEC, as a commission, 

will not allow itself to be 

used as agent of rigging for 

anybody or groups of 

individuals.” 

He equally appealed to 

the electorate not to mount 

pressure on the electoral 

officers to resort to manual 

accreditation or voting if the 

available smart card readers 

refuse to work. 

He said: “If you followed 

our report, INEC has come 

up with an official statement 

that anybody or anywhere 

they disregard the use of 

smart card readers, the 

results of those areas would 

not be reckoned with. And 

by our regulation, it will 

attract zero votes.” 

He expressed the 

readiness of the 

commission to conduct 

free, fair and credible 

election on Saturday. 

“I can tell you with all 

authority that all the 

sensitive materials for the 

Saturday, March 9 

Governorship and House 

of Assembly elections are 

already in Oyo State. So, 

we have started 

distributing to local 

governments. We are good 

to go for the election. 

“After the last election, we 

evaluated the performance 

of our officers, we looked 

into various areas of 

challenges. We identified 

them, cutting across the 

issues of late arrival of 

materials, the late arrival of 

our transport workers and 

other issues affecting the 

smart card readers. 

OGUN GOV POLL: Disregard threats 

to life — OSINBAJO 

By Daud Olatunji 

APRESIDENT BEOKUTA—VICE- 

Yemi 

Osinbajo, yesterday, 

doused the tension over the 

rumoured premeditated 

attacks to be carried out 

during the Governorship 

and State House of 

Assembly elections in Ogun 

State on Saturday. 

Osinbajo said this while 

addressing traders and the 

crowd at Kuto, Itoku, 

Lafenwa and Panseke 

markets, Abeokuta, the state 

capital respectively during 

a mega rally held at Ake 

Abeokuta. 

He said security reports 

reaching the presidency 

indicated that some people 

in a position of higher 

authority in the state have 

been threatening fire and 

brimstones thereby, 

discouraging the electorate 

from coming out in the 

coming Saturday, March 9 

Governorship and State 


elections in the state. 

He said: “We will do all 

humanly possible within the 

ambit of the law to provide 

adequate security for all and 

sundry on and after the 

NOSDRA not prevented from 

investigating explosion site 

— AITEO 

LAGOS—CONTRARY to 

media reports, oil 

company, Aiteo Eastern 

Exploration and Production 

Company, AEEPCo, did 

not stop National Oil Spill 

Detection and Response 

Agency, NOSDRA, from 

investigating the 

fire incident at its oil well 

in Nembe, Bayelsa State on 

March 1, new evidence 

suggests. 

On March 2, 2019, 

several national and 

international media outlets 

had erroneously reported 

that scores of people were 

missing after an explosion 

occurred along the Nembe 

Creek Trunk Line, NCTL, 

the major crude oil pipeline 

traversing the Nembe area. 

Aiteo is the operator of the 

NCTL as well as the Oil 

Mining Lease, OML, 29 

Further details on the 

incident from the affected 

area as well as statements 

from Aiteo and the Nigerian 

National Petroleum 

Corporation, NNPC, have 

cleared that it was not a 

pipeline explosion but a fire 

Accord Party aligns with APC in Oyo 

By Rotimi Agbana 

I Accord 

BADAN—THE 

Party, 

yesterday, aligned with the 


APC, in Oyo State, 

facilitated by Senator Soji 

Akanbi, a former chieftain of 

the Action Democratic 

Congress, ADC. 

APC had moved to 

salvage its loss of the 

presidential election in 

the state by reconciling 

with Senator Akanbi. 

At a state delegates’ 

meeting, ADC formally 

formed an alliance with 

APC in Oyo State in a bid 

to win the state for the APC. 

Senator Akanbi, at the 

meeting, told Accord 

members that his return to 

help APC’s recovery 

process was hinged on 

recent reconciliation efforts 

of APC national leaders. 

His words: “We are here 

to cement a relationship 

that will bring massive 

development to the state 

because the ruling party 

coming governorship and 


elections in the state. So, 

don’t panic as we are up to 

the task ahead. 

“The coming 

governorship election in 

Ogun State is very crucial 

and we should all come out 

and vote. 

“You are to cast your votes 

for Prince Dapo Abiodun as 

the Ogun State governor. 

Also, vote for all House of 

Assembly candidates of the 


APC, in the election. 

“By and large, ensure 

your votes are counted in 

your presence before you 

leave the polling booths." 

In his remarks, former 

governor of the state, Chief 

Olusegun Osoba, enjoined 

the people of the state to cast 

their votes for Abiodun as 

the state's next governor. 

He said the Vice- 

President, who was a 

representative of the 

President for the mega rally 

had brought good tidings 

for the people of the state 

and also to express 

appreciation for the 

electoral victory of the 

President Muhammadu 

Buhari and Osinbajo. 

at a nearby oil well. 

Also, Aiteo stated that 

there was no casualty from 

the incident. This was 

corroborated by community 

people who later confirmed 

that there were no missing 

individuals. 

Fresh documents made 

available to newsmen 

indicate that Aiteo had 

contacted the relevant 

agencies, including 

NOSDRA on the matter 

within 24 hours as 

stipulated by law. 

A document referenced 

AEEPCo/PRD/2019/05 and 

signed by its Chief 

Operating Officer, 

Emmanuel Ukegbu reads: 

“At the early hour of today 

01/03/19, we received a 

report from the Mile 1 

Community of a suspected 

explosion at Nembe Creek 

Well-7, following which, 

our Operation ER Team was 

triggered. Preliminary 

investigation suspects a 

possible explosion that 

resulted into fire at about 

01.00 hours in the vicinity 

of Nembe Creek Well-7.By 

01:30hrs, the fire has 

tapered down." 

leadership has a mandate 

to win in Oyo State. We 

recognize that we only can 

win together and that is why 

we are calling on fellow 

progressive-minded people 

to join the winning side.” 

State Chairman of AP, 

Engr. Muda Ogunsola, 

lauded the senator for 

placing the masses’ interest 

first, explaining that his 

party’s decision to support 

APC in Saturday’s 

governorship election has 

been well accepted by all 

stakeholders in the party.

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019—15 

Allow peaceful elections, Abdulsalami, 

Kukah beg Imo politicians 

•Nigeria suffering severe acute rigging syndrome —Archbishop Obinna 

By Chinonso 

Alozie 

O WERRI—THE 

chairman of National 

Peace Committee, NPC, 

Abdulsalami Abubakar 

yesterday pleaded with 

Imo people to conduct 

themselves in a way that 

would ensure free and fair 

election ahead of 

Saturday’s governorship/ 

Houses of Assembly polls. 

Also joined in the call for 

a peaceful election in Imo 

State was the Catholic 

Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, 

Matthew Hassan Kukah. 

The duo delivered their 

message through 

Mr. Duke Anoemuah at a 

one-day National Peace 

Committee, NPC, high 

level dialogue for peace 

held in the state capital, 

Owerri. 

CAMPAIGN: Enugu 

State Governor and 

gov candidate of PDP, 

Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi 

(2nd left); his deputy 

and running mate, 

Mrs. Cecilia Ezeilo 

(right), the Deputy 

President of the 

Senate 

Ike 

Ekweremadu; and 

Chairman, Udenu 

LGA, Frank Ugwu, 

during the grand 

finale of the PDP 

d o o r - t o - d o o r 

campaign held in the 

council area ahead of 

the March 9 

governorship and 

state assembly 

elections, yesterday. 

88 suspected cultists arrested in Anambra 

By Vincent 

Ujumadu 

AWKA—THE Anambra 

State police command 

said yesterday that it 

apprehended 88 persons 

suspected to be cultists 

ahead of Saturday’s 

governorship and House 

of Assembly elections. 

The suspects were 

arrested at different 

locations in the state by the 

Command’s Special Anti- 

Cultism Unit. 

The state Commissioner 

of Police, Rabiu Ladodo, 

while briefing reporters on 

Anoemuah said among 

other things that the high 

level dialogue with 

members of political 

parties, civil society 

organisations, the clergy 

and police was to sanitise 

the people on the benefits 

of having a peaceful 

election. 

He said: “We are here in 

Imo State to extend to you 

the good people of the state, 

an appeal made by the 

NPC for a peaceful conduct 

of the gubernatorial and 

house of assembly elections 

scheduled for Saturday, 9th 

of March 2019. 

“This forum is one in a 

series of interventions at 

state level jointly organized 

by the NPC and supported 

by the department for 

International 

Developement ,DFID. 

“The goal of this forum is 

the command’s preparation 

for the elections said the 

suspects were arrested at 

different locations in the 

state by the command’s 

Special Anti Robbery 

Squad. 

According to him, out of 

the 88 suspects arrested, 31 

have been screened out, 27 

charged to court, while 30 

are still under investigation. 

Ladodo said exhibits 

recovered from the suspects 

include, one double barrel 

gun,14 live cartridges, dry 

leaves suspected to be 

cannabis sativa, and 

to sensitize and mobilise 

stakeholders to the 

desirable need to have a 

peaceful election that will 

guarantee the future of their 

children.” 

Nigeria suffering 

from severe acute 

rigging syndrom 

Also speaking at the 

event, Catholic Archbishop 

of Owerri Diocese, Anthony 

J. V Obinna said Nigeria 

is suffering “severe acute 

rigging syndrome,” noting 

that it is the reason the 

country is not developing. 

The Catholic Archbishop 

said: "I am not happy. 

Democracy in Nigeria is not 

working; what we are 

suffering from is severe 

acute rigging syndrome. 

This democracy will not 

work if we allow politicians 

to continue to use the state 

substances suspected to be 

cocaine, which were 

concealed inside a phone. 

Other items recovered from 

them were two axes, one 

dagger, one machete and 

razor blades. 

In the meantime, the CP 

said the 4,608 polling units 

in the state would be 

effectively covered by the 

police and other security 

agencies in the state during 

the election, adding that 

adequate deployments had 

been made at INEC 

registration centres and the 

Anambra State branch of 

the Central Bank of 

facilities to do what they 

want. 

“The time has come for 

security to understsnd that 

they should serve the 

people and not an 

individual. What it looks 

like is that the person who 

pays the piper dictates the 

tune. They should know 

that the people provide the 

money for their salaries and 

not an individual.” 

He added: “For 26 years, 

I have been in battle for 

democracy in Nigeria and 

today, it does not seem 

anything near what we 

expected. 

“Rigging in our elections 

has become endemic. We 

need a mental and spiritual 

restructuring of our leaders 

before any other 

restructuring can be 

effective.” 

Nigeria, CBN, to secure 

election materials, facilities 

and INEC staff. 

He said: “Let me also 

warn mischief makers, 

ballot box snatchers and 

their sponsors, political 

thugs, etc, to have a rethink 

and desist from their 

criminal intention forthwith, 

as the command is 

prepared for them. 

"I also want to crave the 

indulgence of the good 

people of Anambra State to 

come out en-masse and 

exercise their franchise on 

Saturday." 

Obi charges voters ahead 

of governorship, state 

assembly polls 

VICE Presidential 

candidate of the 

People’s Democratic 

Party, PDP, in the 2019 

general elections, Mr. 

Peter Obi, has called on 

the Nigerian electorate, 

especially supporters of 

the PDP not to be 

deterred by the events 

that played out in 

February 23 Presidential 


elections but go out and 

vote for candidates of 

their choice in the 

forthcoming 

governorship and states 

assembly elections. 

Addressing PDP 

faithful yesterday at the 

Senator Uche Ekwunife 

Events Centre, Awka, 

Obi expressed worry over 

the alleged threat by 

some influential people 

in parts of the country 

like Lagos State, that 

the electorate who vote for 

any party other than the 

All Progressives 

Congress, APC, would 

be dealt with. He 

described such people as 

ignorant of the law. 

Ekweremadu, Nwobodo, Onuaguluchi, others eulogise Ugwuanyi for unity 

By Chinedu Adonu 

PROMINENT leaders 

of the Peoples 

Democratic Party (PDP) in 

Enugu State, yesterday 

unanimously applauded 

Governor Ifeanyi 

Ugwuanyi for entrenching 

peace, tranquillity and 

good governance in a 

manner that has never 

been experienced before in 

the history of the state. 

The PDP chieftains, 

namely the Deputy 

President of the Senate and 

Senate-Elect for Enugu 

West Senatorial District, 

Senator Ike Ekweremadu, 

former Governor of old 

Anambra State, Senator 

Jim Ifeanyichukwu 

Nwobodo, Senator Fidelis 

Okoro, Senator Hyde 

Onuaguluchi and 

Ambassador Mrs. Justina 

Eze, discribed Gov. 

Ugwuanyi as a man of 

history, expressing delight 

that he has united 

everybody in the state 

irrespective of political 

leaning. 

The leaders made the 

commendation at the 

country home of Gov. 

Ugwuanyi, during the 

grand finale of the door-todoor 

campaign of the PDP 

held at Udenu Local 

Government Area 

headquarters, ahead of the 

March 9 governorship and 

state assembly elections. 

They told Ugwuanyi that 

the culture of peace and 

good governance he has 

entrenched in Enugu State 

was unprecedented and 

will earn him a landslide 

victory at the polls, urging 

people of the state to come 

out en masse and vote 

massively for him on 

Saturday. 

He said: “The Nigerian 

constitution guarantees 

both indigenes and nonindigenes 

the right to vote 

for candidates of their 

choice wherever their 

location is within Nigeria.” 

Obi insisted that every 

Nigerian is free to vote 

where he resides without 

molestation, adding that 

those who are trying to force 

people to vote for a 

particular political party are 

kicking off what they 

cannot control. 

“Our people are lawabiding 

and they have 

contributed immensely in 

developing the places 

where they live. Therefore, 

they have the right to help 

in determining who 

governs them,” he stated. 

While urging the 



INEC, to correct the 

anomalies it noticed during 

the February 23 elections, 

the former governor of 

Anambra State said that 

without the use of card 

reader as stipulated by the 

law, the election won’t make 

sense. 

7 candidates collapse 

structure for APGA candidate 

in Anambra 

By Vincent 

Ujumadu 

A 

W K A — 

CANDIDATES 

of seven political parties 

in Anambra State have 

stepped down and 

collapsed their structure 

for the candidate of All 

Progressives Grand 

Alliance, APGA, for Awka 

Constituency 1, Hon 

Nnamdi Okafor. The 

political parties involved 

are NCP, PRP, NEPP, 

BWPP, NACP, DCP, and 

Kowa Party. 

Speaking after their 

meeting in Awka 

yesterday, the chairmen 

of the seven political 

parties said they 

decided to endorse the 

APGA candidate after 

weighing all the options 

available to them in 

Saturday’s House of 


Their spokesman and 

the state chairman of 

BNPP, Mr. Nelson 

Ihenatuoha said Hon 

Okafor had been a worthy 

representative for the 

constituency, adding that 

he would be returning to 

the House as a ranking 

member, which would be a 

great advantage to the 

constituency. 

He said: “The chairmen 

of the respective political 

parties have at the same 

time, agreed with the 


candidates of their 

respective parties in Awka 

1 to step down for Okafor. 

“We did this after noting 

his contributions in the 

House of Assembly where 

he has been exceptional in 

the performance of his 

legislative duties. It is on 

record that the said Okafor 

sponsored one of the most 

important bills passed by 

the outgoing legislature, 

the Anambra State Health 

Insurance Bill, which will 

benefit all Anambra people. 

“It was also Okafor that 

sponsored the popular bill 

for a law prohibiting 

hawking and unauthorized 

advertisement of medicinal 

products in any part of the 

state.


UNVEILING: Enyioma Anaba, Group Head, Brands, Interswitch; Alhaji Ibrahim Saad, Deputy Director 

of Education, National Examinations Council, NECO; Akachukwu Anumudu, winner, InterswitchSPAK 

1.0; Cherry Eromosele, Group Chief Product and Marketing Officer, Interswitch and Oladapo Ojo, 

GMD, DM Holdings, at the briefing unveiling InterswitchSPAK 2.0 in Lagos, yesterday. 

Ikpeazu to Abia workers: You're my strength, 

pillar of our success 

By Emmanuel 

Elebeke 

UState MUAHIA—ABIA 

Governor, Dr 

Okezie Ikpeazu, has 

described civil servants in 

the state as the strength and 

pillar of success of his 

administration. 

Governor Ikpeazu made 

this declaration during an 

interactive meeting with the 

Abia work force in Umuahia 

ahead of Saturday’s 

governorship election. 

The Governor who was 

visibly overwhelmed by the 

large turn out and show of 

support from the workers, 

thanked them immensely 

for their support to his 

administration despite past 

challenges. 

According to him, "You’re 

my strength and pillar of 

our success in this 

administration since we 

assumed office in 2015. 

Even at our trying 

moments, when our 

common political enemies 

held us in court for over 

three years, you stood firm 

behind us. Without Abia 

work force this Government 

wouldn't have been able to 

achieve its desired 

objectives.” 

Governor Ikpeazu also 

expressed his desire to 

ensure regular training and 

retraining of workers in the 

state, saying, “It is my wish 

and hope that our 

government will now go 

S-South APC youth leader woos electorate 

ahead Saturday's election 

By Alemma Aliu 

BENIN CITY—FOUR 

days to Saturday’s 

governorship and house of 

assembly the Zonal Youth 

Leader South-South of the 


APC, Engr Gabriel Iduseri 

yesterday called on voters 

and party members in Edo 

State to throw their support 

and vote for the candidates 

of the APC in Saturday’s 

House of Assembly election 

in the state. There would 

be no governorship election 

in Edo State till 2020. 

Addressing a press 

conference in Benin City 

beyond payment of salaries, 

which should be taken for 

granted, and work towards 

capacity-building for Abia 

work force. 

“From now, what we 

should be talking about is 

re-tooling our work force 

ICT-wise, getting them to 

become more efficient, then 

calibrating whatever they 

are doing against their 

Polls: Non indigenes endorse Okowa, 

vows 500,000 votes 

By Festus Ahon 

ASABA—TWO days to 

the Governorship and 

State Houses of Assembly 

elections, Non Indegenes 

in Delta State, yesterday 

endorsed Governor Ifeanyi 

Okowa for a second term 

in office, describing him as 

the peoples Governor. 

Speaking at the well 

attended endorsement rally 

held at the Cenotaph in 

Asaba, chairman of the 

Non Indegenes, Chief 

Joseph Ikena said they 

would deliver over 500,000 

votes to Governor Ifeanyi 

Okowa on Saturday. 

Noting that Governor 

Ifeanyi Okowa was doing 

well in the State, he said 

the only way we could 

reward him was to vote 

massively for his reelection. 

He said Governor 

Ifeanyi Okowa had at 

different occasions come to 

their aids, adding that the 

yesterday, Iduseri said the 

party needed a “friendly” 

House of Assembly to 

ensure that the good work 

the state gvernor has been 

doing in the state could be 

sustained. 

He said allowing the 

opposition to dominate the 

house of assembly could be 

a hindrance to the 

continuous development of 

the state. 

He said; “With the 

agenda of the state 

government properly spelt 

out, it is imperative that the 

active contributions by the 

legislative arm is required 

output and giving them 

responsibilities that can 

enable them express 

themselves. 

“Going forward, in the 

second term of this 

administration, we should 

be able to think beyond 

salaries, plan for your 

development and build up 

your capacity. This has 

become necessary because 

the human brain is the 

Governor assisted them 

when their shops got burnt 

in 2015. 

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa 

in his brief remarks, 

thanked them for believing 

in him and endorsing his reelection 

bid. While them to 

protect their votes, Okowa who 

was represented by the Director 

General of the PDP campaign 

council, Mr Funkekeme 

NNPP raises concern over 

Gov, Assembly polls 

By Olasunkanmi 

Akoni 

LAGOS—AHEAD the 

Governorship and Houses 

of Assembly elections across the 

country, the New Nigeria 

Peoples Party, NNPP, has raised 

concern over ability of the 

Independent National Electoral 

Commission, INEC , to conduct 

credible exercise. 

The group claimed that after 

to ensure that the 

progressive programmes 

of the current 

administration are not only 

visualized but efficiently 

implemented. 

“We are all witnesses to 

the consequences of 

having an assembly 

dominated by the 

opposition it is neither to 

work for the people or 

support people oriented 

policy of the executive, but 

an opportunity to settle 

political scores by 

stampeding any effort 

made by the executive just 

to satisfy their parochial 

needs” 

biggest computer ever, and 

the only way to sustain the 

functionality of the computer 

is to use it for the right 

purposes. 

Also speaking at the 

session, Head of Service, Sir 

Onyi Wammah, while 

addressing the civil 

servants, assured them of a 

new era in the state civil 

service under Governor 

Ikpeazu. 

Solomon, told the people to see 

the State as their own. 

In another development, a 

group, Tubegbe Political Forum, 

yesterday, cautioned against the 

disenfranchisement of indigenes 

of Tubegbe Federated 

Communities, Burutu Local 

Government Area, Delta State 

through the disruption of 

movement of electoral materials 

by soldiers in the March 9, 



declaration of All Progressives 

Congress, APC as winner of the 

Bauchi North senatorial election, 

INEC officials were forced to 

falsify results to allegedly deny 

their candidate his mandate. 

The party added that results 

of elections at two of the seven 

Local Governments that 

constitute the senatorial district 

were also not announced at 

collation center, as stipulated by 

the electoral law, but was 

transferred and announced 

elsewhere. 

Addressing pressmen, at the 

weekend, in Lagos, Chairman 

of the party, Dr. Boniface 

Aniebonam, maintained that 

while results were announced 

at the designated collation 

centers within the other five local 

governments, results for 

Gamawa and Zaki councils 

were not declared. 

Other councils that constitute 

the senatorial constituency are: 

Katagum, Itas Gadau, Shira, 

Giade and Jama’are. 

Aniebonam alleged that the 

party’s candidate was denied 

his mandate after some 

individuals within the 

constituency allegedly realized 

the votes polled were more than 

that of the APC candidate that 

did not even campaign before 

the election. 

Tunisia's annual inflation rises to 7.3% 

in February 

TUNISIA'S annual inflation rate rose to 7.3 

percent in February from 7.1 percent in 

January, official data showed on Wednesday. 

The central bank of Tunisia raised its key interest 

rate to 7.75 percent from 7.65 percent last month 

to combat high inflation, the third increase in 12 

months. 

Annual inflation was 7.1 percent in January, down 

from 7.5 percent in December. 

Inflation hit 7.8 percent in June, the highest level 

since 1990. 

Last month, central bank governor Marwan 

Abbasi said he expected inflation to fall to 6.8 

percent, or 6.9 percent in 2019, from 7.5 percent 

in 2018, after the central bank's decision to raise 

its benchmark interest rate. 

U.S. trade deficit just hit a 10-year high 

THE U.S. trade deficit surged to a 10-year high 

in 2018, with the politically sensitive shortfall 

with China hitting a record peak, despite the 

Trump administration slapping tariffs on a range 

of imported goods in an effort to shrink the gap. 

The Commerce Department said on Wednesday 

that an 18.8 percent jump in the trade deficit in 

December had contributed to the $621 billion 

shortfall last year. The 2018 deficit was the largest 

since 2008 and followed a $552.3 billion gap in 

2017. 

The trade deficit has deteriorated despite the 

White House’s protectionist trade policy, which 

President Donald Trump said is needed to shield 

U.S. manufacturers from what he says is unfair 

foreign competition. 

The United States last year imposed tariffs on 

$250 billion worth of goods imported from China, 

with Beijing hitting back with duties on $110 

billion worth of American products, including 

soybeans and other commodities. Trump has 

delayed tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese 

imports as negotiations to resolve the eight-month 

trade war continue. 

Foreign holdings in Egyptian treasuries 

at $15.8 bln- Finance Minister 

FOREIGN investors held $15.8 billion of 

Egyptian treasury bills and bonds at the end 

of February, the finance minister said on 

Wednesday, up from $13.1 billion in January. 

Foreign holdings of Egyptian treasuries stood at 

$23.1 billion at the end of March 2018 and $17.5 

billion at the close of the last fiscal year which 

ended in June. 

They had fallen to $14 billion by the end of 

September after a turbulent summer for emerging 

markets. 

“That’s great news,” said Allen Sandeep, head of 

research at Naeem Brokerage, adding it signals 

foreign investors’ rebounding appetite for 

Egyptian debt. 

Crude prices fall after steep U.S. stock 

build 

C 

RUDE oil futures fell nearly 1 percent on 

Wednesday after U.S. government data showed 

a sharp build in crude inventories, but a third weekly 

draw down in gasoline stocks kept losses at bay. 

Brent crude futures fell 15 cents, or 0.2 percent, to 

$65.71 a barrel by 11:31 a.m. EST (1631 GMT). U.S. 

crude oil futures was 53 cents, or 0.9 percent, lower 

at $56.03 a barrel. 

U.S. crude inventories rose 7.1 million barrels last 

week, far exceeding analysts’ expectations for an 

increase of 1.2 million barrels, the Energy 

Information Administration said. 

“The report is bearish, and it stands in contrast to 

last week’s data as it relates to crude oil,” said John 

Kilduff, a partner at Again Capital LLC in New York, 

referring to the previous week’s drawdown of nearly 

9 million barrels. 

However, “gasoline demand is picking back up, 

which is a supportive feature of the report.”

The judiciary: Matters arising (2) 

REPLACING a serving Chief 

Justice is not a matter that is 

contemplated lightly and executed 

whimsically by any sensible leader. 

It is a delicate issue which would 

be more so when viewed against 

the unfolding political 

developments in the country at the 

time when the decision to unseat 

Justice Walter Onnoghen was 

taken. The expedience of state and 

urgency of the moment must have 

compelled the President to react 

swiftly to charges made against the 

suspended Chief Justice, when it 

became clear that his situation had 

become untenable and he must, 

therefore, step aside or be removed 

from his post. 

Justice Onnoghen’s obduracy in 

failing to see the writing on the wall 

and seek a dignified exit the 

moment the revelations about his 

conduct as the highest judicial 

officer in the country became 

manifest, left the President with no 

other option, but to take the 

courageous and quite appropriate 

measure to suspend him and as is 

usual in such circumstances, 

replace him with the next ranking 

judge, Justice Ibrahim Tanko 

Muhammad. 

Many matters arose from this 

action. It appears that both the 

suspension of Justice Onnoghen 

and his replacement with Justice 

Tanko did not sit well with some 

people in and outside the country 

By Sufuyan Ojeifo 

THE dusts generated by the conduct and 

outcomes of the February 23 Presidential 

and National Assembly elections have yet to 

settle. The reason is that the presidential 

candidate of the opposition Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, 

has gone ahead to challenge the outcome of 

the poll at the Presidential Election Petition 

Tribunal. To be sure, Atiku is not the only 

aggrieved candidate who is heading to the 

Tribunal. Many National Assembly 

candidates who reportedly lost the election had 

indicated the same intention. Therefore, the 

nation should brace up for legal fireworks 

within the six months that the Tribunals will 

sit. 

This path is consistent with the dictates of 

constitutional democracy that accommodates 

ventilation of electoral dissonances at the court 

of law and not at the court of the people. In a 

partisan rage, the people’s court is always 

susceptible to extreme reactions. It is largely 

characterised by ideals on retreat into the 

Hobbesian state of nature where jungle justice 

was an article of faith and directive principle 

of survivalist policy. 

In angst, people often resort to self-help. 

Government cannot escape blame for the 

unruly actions of the people. Therefore, 

government must be proactive in dealing with 

situations of social insurrection and political 

resistance. Otherwise, government would have 

failed in its constitutional responsibility of 

maintaining peace, law and order in the 

society. This is why the courts are there to 

mediate between and among the governments 

at the federal and the state levels and the 

governed in the context of fidelity to the 

political and social contract. 

The decision by Atiku to seek redress in court 

is thus commendable. After all, President 

Muhammadu Buhari went to court in 2003, 

2007 and 2011 to challenge the outcomes of 

the presidential elections in which he was 

defeated. He did not encourage mass protest 

for reasons that are not difficult to 

fathom. The outcry that was 

initially generated was mostly 

politically motivated. I am 

surprised that governors from 

Justice Onnoghen's geopolitical 

zone decided to meet on this matter 

to support their son despite 

evidence of wrong doing. They 

even issued threats. The outcry by 

the opposition Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, and threat to suspend 

their electioneering campaign on 

account of Onnoghen’s suspension 

also failed to generate any 

sympathy from Nigerians. 

The outpouring of righteous 

indignation from civil society 

organisations and other aimless 

busy bodies likewise did not halt 

the inexorable march of justice in 

its course. The meddling into the 

internal affairs of the country, 

given rise to by the Justice 

Onnoghen incident, by foreign 

governments and their envoys, 

regrettable though it is, did not 

affect the resolution of the 

government to deal appropriately 

with the case either. Regrettably 

also, a lot of the negative 

comments and ill-feelings 

exhibited by those who took issue 

with the suspension of Justice 

Onnoghen entailed irresponsibly 

partisan condescension towards 

the person of the man appointed 

as acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, 

Justice Tanko. Predictably, the 

in order to make the country ungovernable. As 

long as he does not incite social unrest and 

political upheaval, Atiku is only following in 

the footsteps of Buhari. 

The Atiku option should be embraced by 

candidates who are “defeated” in Saturday’s 

governorship poll. Once they have their minds 

and eyes fixed on legal redress, the propensity 

for do-or-die approach to the election will 

recede and the prospects of forestalling 

Armageddon in some red flag states become 

high. States of concern in the governorship 

election are Imo, Ogun, Benue, Rivers, 

Zamfara, Lagos, Oyo, Delta and Plateau. 

Peace is a necessity; it is 

needed more than ever 

before in the overall effort 

to ensure civilian-tocivilian 

transfer of power 

President Buhari has responsibility to ensure 

that life and property are not lost during the 

election. Fatalities in the February 23 

Presidential and National Assembly polls were 

too much. The death of any Nigerian during 

an election, not a war, is a sore point and an 

albatross the government must bear. Therefore, 

this government cannot afford to have blood 

stains on its profile. Having secured his reelection, 

the President should no longer be 

bound by considerations other than national 

interest. If any personal political interest must 

be promoted, the President must do so, stricto 

sensu, within the context of overarching 

national interest. 

In essence, I expect the President to ensure 

maximum security in the red flag states to avert 

theft of people’s mandates and the loss of lives. 

By now, I expect the President would have been 

on top of security arrangements in the states of 

security concern. He should be ready to address 

the nation on the eve of the governorship poll 

to assure anxious Nigerians on measures 

deployed in ensuring peaceful election. 

purveyors of hate could neither 

rise above petty religious 

sentiments nor sectional 

antagonism, when they exhibited 

their crass ignorance and 

jaundiced views on his 

appointment. 

Normally judges do not advertise 

their resume. You know them by 

their antecedents and 

pronouncements. In this account, 

and by all estimation, Justice 

Tanko is not your run in the mill, 

pedestrian, judge. His rapid rise in 

the judicial rungs since he became 

a magistrate in 1982 attests to that. 

He is eminently qualified to hold 

any judicial position in this 

country, including the post of Chief 

Justice of Nigeria. No product of 

Justice Tanko is 

the man for the 

moment and the 

right tool for the 

job of overhauling 

the judiciary 

the Faculty of Law of Ahmadu 

Bello University, ABU, Zaria of his 

time could emerge from that 

venerable institution as 

unqualified or half-baked product. 

ABU’s Faculty of Law is one of 

the oldest in the country. Though 

said to start in 1962 along with the 

the University of Lagos and 

University of Ife (now Obafemi 

Awolowo University), dispensing 

legal education has long been 

taking place, since the 1950s, in 

the Institute of Administration 

(Kongo Campus) – one of the 

forerunner institutions of ABU, 

along with Nigerian College of 

Arts and Science, Institute of 

Red flags in Saturday’s governorship/assembly polls 

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019 —17 

Agricultural Research all in Zaria, 

and Ahmadu Bello College in 

Kano. Ever since the later part of 

the 1950s, the legal department in 

the Institute of Administration had 

been mounting a preparatory 

course for students taking the 

English Bar Examination. 

Amongst the graduates of this 

early legal education in Zaria are 

a number of former Justices of the 

Supreme Court of Nigeria, 

including Justices M.L. Uwais 

(who ultimately became a chief 

justice), Saidu Kawu and Bashir 

Wali. It is this hallowed precinct 

that Justice Tanko came into in the 

mid-1970s to earn a degree in law. 

He later went back to the same 

institution to earn a Masters 

Degree, and as an icing on the 

cake, a PhD. 

What made the Faculty unique 

at that time was that it was perhaps 

the only law institution that was 

offering the regular law course and 

also the Islamic law which is 

applicable to a large chunk of 

Nigeria’s population. Though 

Justice Tanko specialised in 

Islamic Law, he is a master of both. 

In his career trajectory he has been 

a Magistrate, a Provost of College 

of Islamic and Legal Studies, a 

Kadi (Judge) of Shari’a Court of 

Appeal Bauchi State. He was later 

elevated as Justice of the Court of 

Appeal, before he became Justice 

of the Supreme Court in 2006. It is 

this rich, varied background that 

Justice Tanko is bringing to the 

Supreme Court. 

Those acquainted with the acting 

Chief Justice say that he also brings 

to the exalted office three critical 

traits that should make the 

judiciary more encompassing and 

less insulated and therefore, no 

longer pedantically disposed 

towards the administration of 

justice in Nigeria. These traits are 

the African, Western and Islamic 

understanding of justice, all of 

which have today become 

cornerstones of Nigeria’s public 

system. 

These three civilizational 

endowments that Justice Tanko 

brings into office should ideally be 

welcomed by all and sundry. 

Predictably, the purveyors of hate 

could not bear to see a man of his 

background and training 

occupying the premier judicial 

seat in the country. The qualities 

and background that Justice 

Tanko is bringing to his new office 

are not unprecedented in the 

annals of the Nigerian judiciary. 

Long before him, Justice Prince 

Bola Ajibola, brought this “triple 

heritage” to the judiciary, having 

an inherited Afro-centric view, a 

deep understanding of the Western 

legal system and of course, a wideranging 

appreciation of the 

Islamic legal system or Sharia. 

Justice Tanko also brings into the 

office an austere incorruptibility 

and embodiment of justice 

seasoned by disinterested view of 

material wealth. At a time when 

the nation needs a bearing and 

corrective disposition, especially in 

the dispensation of justice, the 

arrival of Justice Tanko on the 

scene should be loudly and 

joyously celebrated by all wellmeaning 

Nigerians. Those who 

shiver in their shoes with 

trepidation on account of their 

alignment with corruption and 

abuse of office, should retreat into 

the shadows where they rightly 

belong. 

Justice Tanko is the man for the 

moment and the right tool for the 

job of overhauling the judiciary. 

We welcome his appointment 

enthusiastically and praise 

President Muhammadu Buhari for 

his courage and decisiveness in 

nipping an embarrassing situation 

in the judiciary in the bud. 

Besides tasking the nation’s security 

apparatchiks to tweak their architecture in 

order to effectively cover the entire field, the 

President should have reduced the list of 

flashpoints by taking steps to deal with peculiar 

situations in the states and marking them off 

as resolved. For instance, the tension in Imo 

and Ogun states is traceable to the supremacy 

battle within the APC. The President should be 

able to rein in the combatants. 

Before the poll, the President should have 

sent a clear message to Governor Rochas 

Okorocha of Imo State to ensure he does not 

work against the interest of the APC in the state 

and similarly for Governor Ibikunle Amosun 

of Ogun, not to work against the interest of the 

APC. Significantly, both Okorocha and Amosun 

are APC senators-elect. Failing to rein them 

in, one can be sure there will be wars in both 

states by power mongers who boast of special 

relationship with the president. The prospects 

of APC’s Hope Uzodinma and Dapo Abiodun’s 

victories in Imo and Osun states, respectively, 

are expected to douse crises in both states. 

Once the knotty situations in Imo and Ogun 

are resolved, there is certainty that other 

identified red flag states of Lagos, Benue, 

Kaduna, Rivers, Delta, Zamfara and Oyo states 

will be easily brought under control. In Lagos, 

what is expected to foreclose crisis is allowing 

the Igbo residents in the state to vote without 

hindrance. In Benue, any plot by untoward 

forces to manipulate the election against the 

incumbent, Samuel Ortom, is bound to 

precipitate crisis. But there are indications that 

the APC, under Senator George Akume, will 

push for the victory of the party’s governorship 

candidate, Emmanuel Jime. 

Governor Nasir el-Rufai’s Kaduna State 

must be watched. Formidable forces have 

massed against his re-election. In Rivers, where 

Governor Nyesom Wike practically has no 

opposition, there are enemies within that have 

determined to cause bedlam in the state. It is 

seemingly in the character of political 

leadership in the state to be violent. 

In Delta, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s reelection 

bid will experience considerable 

opposition from APC’s Great Ogboru who is 

targeting votes haul in Delta South and 

Central. But the entrenched influence of former 

Governor James Ibori is expected to neutralise 

the Ogboru challenge and swing victory in 

favour of Okowa’s Delta North. Ibori has 

predicated his support for Okowa’s re-election 

on the bases of justice and equity. Delta Central 

and South, having both enjoyed the 

governorship position for 16 years (two terms 

apiece), it would only be fair for Delta North to 

occupy the position for eight years before it 

rotates to any of the other zones. That is the 

beauty of the Ibori political intervention. 

In Oyo, the battle line is drawn between the 

PDP and the APC. With about 1000-votes 

difference between them in the presidential 

election, the APC is challenged, especially with 

the defeat of the sitting governor, Abiola 

Ajimobi, in the senatorial election. While 

Senator Ahmed Tinubu has deployed his 

political sagacity and muscle to get former 

APC leader and governorship candidate of 

Action Democratic Party, ADP, Alao Akala, to 

endorse APC’s candidate, Adebayo Adelabu; 

former Governor Rasheed Ladoja has led a 

coalition to endorse the PDP candidate, Seyi 

Makinde. So, it is going to be a grueling twohorse 

race in Oyo. There are fears the battle 

may become intense and degenerate. Security 

alert is imperative. 

Zamfara State must also be watched. What 

will play out is local politics between the APC 

and the PDP. But there is internal crisis in the 

APC that could abort reasonable expectations 

and precipitate a conflagration in the 

state. Therefore, the acting Inspector General 

of Police, Mohammed Adamu, should ensure 

utilitarian deployment in the red flag states 

that will cage any potential crisis. The states of 

security concern should benefit from 

deployment of more police officers and other 

supporting forces. Peace is a necessity. It is 

needed more than ever before in the overall 

effort to ensure civilian-to-civilian transfer of 

power. 

Ojeifo contributed this piece via 

ojwonderngr@yahoo.com

18 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019 

ACTING Inspector-General of 

Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, has 

announced plans by the Force to 

ensure the prosecution of no fewer 

than 323 alleged electoral offenders 

so far arrested after the Presidential 

and National Assembly elections 

which took place on February 23, 

2019. Two policemen were reportedly 

killed on duty during the polls, while 

some others were assaulted or 

wounded. 

The IGP made this disclosure when 

the Police hierarchy conducted a postelection 

evaluation meeting in Abuja 

last Monday. IGP Adamu assured that 

the Special Electoral Offences team 

of the Police would collaborate with 

the Independent National Electoral 

Commission, INEC, to prosecute 

electoral offence culprits. 

While we see this as a positive 

development which will give the bite 

to the laws governing elections in the 

country, we urge the Police and other 

Electoral offenders must face the law 

law-enforcement agencies to go 

beyond the small fry captured at the 

crime scenes if we are to make any 

headway in curtailing electoral 

crimes. 

Sections 117 to 132 of the Electoral 

Act 2010 (As Amended) deal with the 

panoply of offences punishable 

throughout the electoral processes, all 

the way from registration of voters 

to the recall of elected officials. Most 

of those now in Police net are culprits 

captured on Election Day whose 

offences are covered under Section 

129. These offences are punishable by 

fines of up to N100,000 and between 

six-month and two-year 

imprisonment. 

Since these laws were enacted, there 

is scant evidence to prove that any 

offenders have been sanctioned. It is 

because the authorities handle 

electoral criminals with kid gloves 

(perhaps due to the influence of their 

sponsors) that these hoodlums 

operate with impunity to sabotage the 

supreme will of the people and hijack 

their mandates. We hope IGP Adamu 

and the INEC will show their 

seriousness by ensuring diligent 

prosecution of all culprits and their 

sponsors after the general elections. 

The more disturbing trend that is 

stoking ethnic tensions and 

threatening the peace in parts of the 

country, particularly Lagos, was the 

sponsorship of thugs to prevent a 

section of the population from voting. 

It was a flagrant violation of the 

constitutional rights of law-abiding 

Nigerians to vote candidates and 

political parties of their choice. 

Unfortunately, the law enforcement 

agencies were nowhere to be found 

to arrest the miscreants and make a 

good example of them. 

This should not be allowed to repeat 

itself as it will not augur well for the 

peace and stability of the country. 

Unless electoral offenders and their 

sponsors are firmly made to face the 

law, criminals will continue to roam 

unimpeded and prevent law-abiding 

Nigerians from exercising their 

legitimate franchise. 

That would be the death of our hardwon 

democracy. 

Elections belong to the people 

By Dennis Alemu 

ELECTIONS all over the world are seen 

as the very embodiment of the political 

culture of a people. It is on the basis of this that 

demographers and development experts use 

elections as one of the broad-based criteria to 

classify countries into developed, developing 

or underdeveloped nations. Of course, the way 

and manner a people elect their leaders can be 

used also as a good barometer to safely 

calibrate or measure their level of civilisation 

as a society. The measurement of how civilised 

a society is, vis-à-vis public elections, can be 

deciphered by their disposition towards the 

electoral process. 

In other words, the more peaceful, 

responsible and law-abiding a people are in 

conducting themselves to carry out their civic 

duty in an election, the more civilised they are. 

By this logical reasoning, the reverse also holds 

true: the more violent, irresponsible and 

lawless a people are towards elections, the less 

civilised they are. Abraham Lincoln, one of the 

best presidents that had led America, made a 

profound statement about elections. He said: 

“Elections belong to the people. It’s their 

decision. If they decide to turn their back on 

the fire and burn their behinds, then they will 

just have to sit on their blisters.” 

In America, where the Nigerian presidential 

system of government was imported from, 

people don’t elect leaders with guns, machetes, 

bombs, and other dangerous weapons, but with 

their votes or ballots. However, the picture of 

elections in Nigeria is a graphic portrayal of 

war, violence, criminal impunity, abuse of 

public institutions, oppression and subversion 

of the will of the people that gives credibility to 

the electoral process itself and legitimacy to 

the government so elected. 

Equally in America, the military as a defence 

institution has no business whatsoever with 

the electoral process, whereas elections in 

Nigeria are militarized, especially in the Niger- 

Delta states, with the consequent result that 

the inviolable or inalienable right of the people 

to freely exercise their franchise is infringed 

upon. Thus, the goal of conducting free, fair 

and credible elections is hampered. 

Moreover, the Nigerian media is replete with 

reports of isolated cases of molestation of lawabiding 

citizens, hijack of election materials 

and killings by military personnel at the behest 

of public functionaries during elections, as was 

the case in Akuku-Toru LGA of Rivers State, 

and at Oweikorogha in Southern Ijaw LGA of 

Bayelsa State, during Presidential and 

National Assembly elections there. Sadly, the 

perpetrators of election-related crimes such 

as these are often not brought to justice. 

In America, elections are fairly free and fair, 

and no citizen is made to vote against his 

conscience or choice under duress, but in 

Nigeria, elections are a do-or-die affair, in 

which even electoral officials themselves are 

kidnapped and forced to falsify election results 

at gunpoint. In America, the electoral will or 

mandate of the people is respected and kept 

sacrosanct, because elections carry the voice 

of a people’s consent to be governed by 

whomsoever they freely choose. But in Nigeria, 

more often than not, the opposite is the case 

because those in the commanding heights of 

political power have little or no regard for the 

Rule of Law, and Democracy as an institution 

with laid-down procedures and rules. 

Nigeria has failed to attain her full greatness 

as a nation largely because she is yet to pass 

the test of leadership selection. The real march 

to national greatness actually begins the 

moment elections reflect the true will of the 

people, and when this is seen to be done 

through a transparent and credible process 

OPINION 

which measures up to international best 

practice. 

The only time Nigeria came so close to 

achieving this in her post-Independence 

Republics was during the NRC/SDP political 

era, wherein the winner of the June 12, 1993 

Presidential Election, the late Chief MKO 

Abiola, was stopped by the Nigerian military 

establishment from assuming office as 

President. As one did mention in an earlier 

piece, the flawed electoral process had been a 

Nigeria has failed to attain 

her full greatness as a 

nation largely because she 

is yet to pass the test of 

leadership selection 

major source of infamy to the country right 

from independence in 1960. It is remarkable 

that the 2019 Presidential and National 

Assembly elections, as many independent 

election observers had also pointed out, were 

way off below the standard attained in the 2015 

elections under the Goodluck Jonathan 

administration. 

In fact, there are a lot of issues raised by the 

manner the INEC conducted the February 23 

elections, after it had called off the election 

just hours to the commencement of voting on 

the original date of February 16. One of the 

issues on the spotlight is the use of the Electronic 

Card Reader, ECR, for the accreditation of 

voters. Whereas the ECRs were used in states 

in the South, it was reportedly not used for 

accrediting voters in many states in the North, 

with the result that there was a wide margin of 

votes between states in the North and those in 

the South. In many states, ECRs were 

malfunctioning and failed to read the cards of 

many duly registered and eligible voters. 

The February 23 elections were also 

characterised by the over-delayed 

commencement of voting in many centres and 

the hijack of election materials and violence 

in some wards and constituencies, as was the 

case in parts of Southern Ijaw and Nembe LGAs 

of Bayelsa State. And yet, the INEC went ahead 

to declare “results” from elections that didn’t 

hold in the affected constituencies! 

One believes the Gubernatorial and State 

House of Assembly Elections this weekend will 

be a departure from what one saw in the 

Presidential and National Assembly Elections. 

Nigerians must rise in one accord to ensure 

that their votes count in the election and they 

are not forcibly subjected to political 

incapacitation. 

The INEC must ensure that all necessary 

logistics for a hitch-free election are provided 

and it must demonstrate to the world that it is 

truly an unbiased, non-partisan electoral 

umpire that is resolved to uphold its 

independence at all times in the interest of the 

nation’s democracy. As the flagship of the 

electoral process, the INEC must respond 

responsibly to genuine and evidence-supported 

complaints of electoral fraud and 

irregularities before, during and after the 

election. 

Furthermore, the nation’s military and 

security agencies deployed for the elections 

should operate strictly in accordance with the 

rules of engagement. The Nigerian Army, 

Police, NSCDC and other arms of the nation’s 

security infrastructure have no duty to perform 

at the elections other than to secure INEC staff 

and materials, and to ensure the peaceful and 

orderly conduct of voting, counting and 

collation of votes. 

Continues Online 

•Mr. Alemu, a public affairs analyst, wrote 

from Lagos.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 7 , 2019 — 19 

FG should reduce excessive taxation 

on oil & gas investment — LCCI 

By Naomi Uzor 

The Lagos Chamber of 

Commerce and Industry, 

LCCI, yesterday called on 

the federal government to reduce 

the burden of excessive 

taxation on oil and gas investment 

in the country. 

The President of LCCI, Mr. 

Babatunde Ruwase made this 

call in a parley with pressmen 

on the agenda for the new government, 

adding that, there is 

currently a proposal by the Nigeria 

Ports Authority (NPA) to 

impose $1 levy on every barrel 

of oil export and also new levies 

are being proposed under 

the National Oil Spill Detection 

and Response Agency 

[NOSDRA] amendment bill as 

well as the Maritime University 

amendment bill. 

“There is an urgent need to 

improve the regulatory environment 

in the oil and gas industry. 

This will unlock huge foreign 

direct investment in the 

sector, especially in gas and 

deep-water exploration. This 

is one of the major objectives of 

the Petroleum Industry Bill 

[PIB]. The journey for this legislation 

started over 15 years ago 

and not much progress has been 

made. We request that a more 

expeditious consideration be 

given to the bill through appropriate 

collaborative actions with 

the national assembly. ” 

“Crude oil export is our biggest 

foreign exchange earner; 

ironically, the biggest foreign 

exchange expenditure is also on 

the importation of petroleum 

products. Increases in crude 

oil price benefit the Nigerian 

economy with regards to foreign 

exchange earnings but 

penalises the economy in terms 

CURRENCY BUYING SELLING 

US DOLLAR 

POUNDS 

EURO 

FRANC 

YEN 

CFA 

WAUA 

RENMINBI 

RIYAL 

SDR 

DANISH 

RAND 

$96.45 0.00 

2,158.00 0.00 

$12.28 -0.16 

305.9 306.4 306.9 

402.8397 403.4982 404.1566 

346.8294 347.3963 347.9632 

305.7166 306.2163 306.716 

2.7325 2.7369 2.7414 

0.5096 0.5196 0.5296 

425.2046 425.8996 426.5946 

45.6279 45.7029 45.778 

81.5646 81.698 81.8313 

425.874 426.5701 427.2662 

46.4632 46.5392 46.6151 

21.6237 21.6591 

21.6944 

$65.82 -0.04 

$56.17 -0.39 

CBN Exchange rate as at 06/03/2019 

of the huge foreign exchange 

commitment to importation of 

refined petroleum products and 

high energy cost. We need to 

prioritise local refining of petroleum 

products to ease pressure 

on our reserves” he said. 

He said the chamber also seek 

protection for the manufacturers 

of gas cylinders to promote 

industrialisation, self-reliance 

and conservation of foreign 

exchange, adding that, the 

country already have huge 

capacity to meet local cylinder 

demands. 

Ruwase noted that top 

government functionaries have 

repeatedly expressed concerns 

over the funding gap that exist 

in government, adding that, it 

is therefore important to quickly 

develop a fiscal sustainability 

strategy as the administration 

progresses into its second term. 

“We need to deal urgently with 

the cost of governance as well 

as the issue of value for money 

in government expenditure. We 

recognize that there is a 

correlation between investment 

growth, GDP performance and 

tax revenue. This underscores 

the very important role that 

investment can play in boosting 

the revenue of government. As 

investment grows, job creation 

will improve, and tax revenue 

will be positively impacted.” 

“The government also need to 

watch the growth of recurrent 

expenditure in order to give 

more room for infrastructure 

financing. Currently, the 

summation of recurrent 

expenditure and debt service is 

equal to total government 

revenue. This financing 

structure is certainly not 

sustainable; what this means is 

that capital project will naturally 

be funded by borrowed funds. 

It is important to put in place an 

appropriate Public Private 

Partnership to attract private 

capital in the financing of 

bankable public sector projects” 

he said. 

From left, Chairman, Capital Market Master Plan Implementation Council Mr Olutola 

Mobolurin, Acting Director General, Securities and Exchange Commission, Ms Mary Uduk 

and Minister of Finance, Hajiya Zainab Ahmed during a Meeting between SEC Management 

and Minister of Finance in Abuja, Tuesday 

National MfB will not crowd out other operators-Emefiele 

•To offer loans at 5% interest,7yrs tenor 

By Emma Ujah, Abuja 

Bureau Chief 

G overnor, 

Central Bank 

of Nigeria, CBN, Mr. 

Godwin Emefiele 

yesterday said that the 

National Microfinance 

Bank, MfB will not 

crowd out other 

microfinance banks 

saying the new bank will 

offer loans to Small and 

Medium Scale 

Enterprises, SMEs at 

five percent interest rate 

and seven year tenor. 

Emefiele disclosed this 

in Abuja during a facility 

tour of the Gwagwalada 

Abuja branch of the 

bank, known as 

NIRSAL Microfinance Bank 

(NMB), adding that the bank 

would change the outlook of 

SMEs funding in Nigeria. 

He said: “The existing 

microfinance are doing their best 

and I have heard this is an 

attempt to crowd them out but this 

is not an attempt to crowd them 

out but to complement their 

services and see to it that 

whatever services is being 

provided by these microfinance 

banks should be seen to be fair to 

their customers. 

“I also know about the rural 

communities where the 

microfinance banks charge very 

prohibitive interest rate but here 

we are talking about making fund 

available to these people. This 

will help to create some form of 

competitive landscape so that 

those kinds of practices will no 

longer arise.” 

The governor said that the 

NMB has been designed to make 

it possible for SMEs operators to 

obtain long-term loans at five per 

cent interest rate, without 

collateral. 

“Interest rate for this loan will 

be at five per cent and the loan 

will be for a tenure of seven years 

with two years moratorium”, he 

said. 

NMB was established through 

a tripartite collaboration between 

the NIRSAL (wholly owned by the 

CBN), the Bankers’ Committee 

and Nigerian Postal Service 

(NIPOST). 

According to the governor, 

“This is collaboration between 

Aiteo faults 

NOSDRA over 

Nembe oil well 

fire 

By Michael Eboh 

Aiteo Eastern Exploration 

and Production Company, 

AEEPCo, yesterday faulted claims 

by the National Oil Spill Detection 

and Response Agency, NOSDRA, 

that it is trying to frustrate investigation 

into the fire incident in one of its 

facilities in Nembe, Bayelsa State. 

Aiteo, in a statement in Abuja, declared 

that NOSDRA’s assertions 

seem inconsistent with available evidence 

and suggests ‘either a communication 

gap within the 

organisation or an unexplainable 

fabrication.” 

NOSDRA, had on Monday, accused 

Aiteo of frustrating efforts to 

investigate the incident. 

Francis Umeh, Head of NOSDRA’s 

Field Office in Bayelsa had disclosed 

that the stance of the oil firm was slowing 

NOSDRA from promptly carrying 

out its mandate. 

Umeh also accused Aiteo of not 

reporting the incidence within 24 

hours of occurrence as stipulated by 

law. 

“The incident occurred on Friday 

and it took them some time to report 

it officially to NOSDRA; we have 

plans to visit the site, but the operator 

is resisting and frustrating our efforts,” 

Umeh had said. 

However, in its reaction, Aiteo insisted 

that it had notified NOSDRA 

of the fire incident within 24 hours of 

its occurrence, as stipulated by law.” 

It said, “Contrary to some reports, 

AEEPCo notified NOSDRA of the 

fire at its oil well in Nembe, Bayelsa 

State on March 1. Recall that on 

March 2, 2019, it was erroneously 

announced that scores of people 

were missing after an explosion occurred 

along the Nembe Creek 

Trunk Line, NCTL, which is the 

major crude oil pipeline traversing 

the Nembe area. Aiteo is the operator 

of the NCTL as well as the Oil 

Mining Lease (OML) 29. 

NIRSAL, Bankers Committee 

and NIPOST and I want to say 

that we really need to set up a 

microfinance bank that will reach 

out to the unbanked. 

“The biggest problems that 

small businesses had always 

have is access to credit and I am 

happy that with the establishment 

of this microfinance bank which 

would be in at least one local 

government and we are talking 

about the 774 locations in all the 

country, we would be able to have 

a financial institution that will help 

deepen financial inclusion to 

make it easy for people to access 

credit particularly the small and 

unbanked people because we 

have always said that these are 

the very weak. So this is just part 

of our initiative to deepen 

financial inclusion in Nigeria.”



22— VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019 

With the Presidential 

candidate of the 

People's Democratic Party, 

PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar 

and his party, lodging their 

petitions before the 

Presidential Election 

Petitions Tribunal, 

challenging the outcome of 

the February 23, 2019 

presidential election, the 

attention of Nigerians is 

gradually shifting to the 

tribunal, where the knotty 

issue of technicalities have 

not been fully addressed. 

Though the elections are not 

over as the governorship 

and state House of 

Assembly election is 

scheduled for this Saturday, 

the need for election 

petitions to be decided on 

merit and on time have been 

an on-going campaign. 

Until the recent amendment 

of the Electoral Act, there 

was no time limit for the 

disposal of election 

petitions, as the 

inauguration of the 

victorious candidates comes 

immediately after election, 

but the campaign has been 

for the inauguration to only 

take place after the final 

determination of petitions, 

hence the limit in time 

frame for the conclusion of 

petitions. 

Even with the time limit, 

victorious candidates have 

used all sorts of antics to 

slow down the process, just 

to achieve an expiration of 

the mandatory 180 days, 

following which they will 

return to the tribunal to 

plead that time had elapsed. 

These among many other 

technicalities, advocates 

have called to be changed, 

to allow petitions to be 

decided on merit, also on 

time or in the alternative, for 

the swearing-in of the 

winners, only after the 

petitions have been decided. 

One of the simple argument 

is that if the winners know 

that their resumption of 

office is dependent on the 

conclusion of the petitions, 

they will not resort to 

technicalities to slow down 

the process. 

In this edition of Vanguard 

Law and Human Right, 

lawyers spoke on the 

relevance of technicalities in 

determining election 

petitions. 

Among those who shared 

their views are, former 

Lagos State Solicitor- 

General, Mr Lawal Pedro, 

SAN; rights activist and 

lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, 

SAN; Mrs Titilayo 

Akinlawon, SAN; Publisher, 

Supreme Court Law Reports, 

Mr Layi Babatunde, SAN; 

Senior Law lecturer, Lagos 

State University, Mr 

Gbenga Ojo; Executive 

Director, Access to Justice, 

Mr Joseph Otteh and 

Convener, Voters’ Initiative, 

Mr. Wale Ogunade. 

Technicalities should be 

heard along with 

substantive petition- Pedro, 

SAN 

08152060944 

Election Tribunal: Lawy 

wyer 

ers divided over ‘tec 

echnicalities' 

By Henry Ojelu 

•Pedro, SAN 

Pedro said: “Any technicality 

at the tribunal should be 

taken together in the 

substantive petition and any 

party dissatisfied with the 

decision of the Tribunal on 

either or both issues of 

technicality and substantive 

matter can appeal to the 

Appeal Tribunal. By the 

current position of the 

Constitution and Electoral 

Act, technicalities which 

tend to delay proceedings in 

election cases is ill-advised 

for a litigant that has a good 

case. 

“However, due to the time 

frame for prosecution of 

election petition, justice may 

be slaughtered on the altar 

of speed as sometimes some 

relevant facts and 

documents necessary to give 

merit to the case but not 

readily available may be 

excluded in the haste to file 

and conclude the petition 

within time. 

“There may also be 

circumstances beyond the 

control of counsel or the 

Tribunal that may likely 

cause delay and the 180 

days would expire without 

judgment being delivered by 

the Tribunal. A grave 

injustice will be done to the 

petitioner if his petition 

should be dismissed or 

struck out for effluxion of 

time. Unfortunately, that is 

the law and no extraneous 

matter can change that. 

Technicalities create legal 

hurdles for petitioners- 

Falana, SAN 

Falana said: “The resort to 

technicalities in the 

resolution of election 

disputes by Nigerian courts 

has created insurmountable 

legal hurdles for petitioners 

in a presidential election 

petition. The legal 

impossibility of proving 

election petition in a 

presidential election was 

noted by the Supreme Court 

in the case of Buhari v 

Obasanjo in 2005. It was 

pointed out by the apex 

court that thousands of 

witnesses are required to 

impeach the validity of a 

presidential election. If a 

petitioner is able to 

assemble the many 

witnesses, time is not on his 

or her side as the court of 

appeal has only 180 days to 

prove the petition. 

“The law has imposed the 

onus of proving that an 

election was marred by 

malfeasance squarely on the 

petitioner. Since allegations 

of election malpractice are 

criminal in nature, they have 

•Babatunde, SAN 

to be proved beyond 

reasonable doubt. Apart 

from proving that an election 

was not conducted in 

substantial compliance with 

the law, the petitioner has to 

show that the noncompliance 

with the law has 

vitiated the election. On 

account of such 

technicalities, the courts 

have continued to dismiss 

weighty allegations of 

electoral malpractice.” 

Nigerians look 

forward to 

electoral 

justice, not 

technical or 

legalistic 

‘justice’ in the 

adjudication of 

election cases 

•Akinlawon, SAN •Otteh 

time limit to election 

petitions and inauguration of 

candidates came up before 

disposal of the case but 

politicians have used all 

sorts of means and tactics to 

frustrate the judicial 

process. In advanced 

countries, delays in 

disposing electoral disputes 

are not acceptable or 

condoned. Accordingly, it is 

required to cure the mischief 

of protracted litigation in 

election petition. In as much 

as they are constitutional, I 

do not consider them as 

technicalities in the strict 

sense of the word. They 

constitute the law, which 

must be complied with. Most 

of the grounds by which 

election results can be 

challenged are quite 

subjective, thus the 

technicalities are to be 

checks to prevent abuse of 

process. 

“Furthermore, if those 

technicalities and time lines 

are absent, then it would be 

possible for an impostor to 

hold office for a number of 

years before the courts 

would be able to remove 

him. I honestly believe that 

the technicalities are there 

to curb several mischief and 

those 

provisions 

(technicalities) should be 

strictly enforced.” 

Technicalities should be 

strictly enforced- 

Akinlawon, SAN 

Mrs Akinlawon said: “So 

what do we consider as 

technicalities? Could we be 

referring to the timelines in 

the 2 nd Alteration to the 

Constitution that stipulates 

that election petitions should 

be filed within 21 days from 

the declaration of the 

election result? It similarly 

provides that an Election 

Tribunal shall deliver its 

judgment within 180 days 

from the date of filing of the 

petition while an appeal 

therefore should be heard 

and disposed of within 60 

days from the date of the 

delivery of judgment of the 

tribunal or Court of Appeal. 

“The relevance of 

technicalities in determining 

election petition is as 

follows: For speedy 

dispensation of Justice; To 

weed out frivolous and 

useless, flimsy excuses or 

sometimes ridiculous 

reason; To dislodge 

incumbents by the courts 

due to protracted long cases 

which sometimes took two to 

three years for example in 

the OSUN & EKITI 

2007 gubernatorial elections; 

Avoidance of conflicting 

judgments. 

“Until recently, there was no 

Technicalities leave 

everyone wondering- 

Babatunde, SAN 

Babatunde said: On this 

issue of technicalities, I 

cannot do better than what 

the Supreme Court said in 

MAERSK LINE v. ADDIDE 

INVESTMENT LTD ( 2002) 4 

SC (pt II ) 157 that ‘the 

judicial process malfunctions 

and is discredited when it is 

bogged down by 

technicalities and is 

manipulated to go from 

technicality to technicality 

and thrive on technicalities. 

That is why, at all times, the 

tendency towards 

technicality should be 

eschewed and the 

determination to do 

substantial justice should 

remain the preferred option 

and the hallmark of our 

judicial system. 

Those who approach the 

Tribunals do so in search of 

truth and justice. Both the 

petitioners and those 

dragged before the tribunals, 

deserve nothing less, in 

accordance with the law. 

Also, beyond the parties 

before the tribunals or court 

as the case may be, those 

who trooped to the polls to 

cast their votes deserve to 

know the true outcome of 

every poll as opposed to 

sheer technicalities which 

leave everyone wondering. 

May justice roll down like 

waters. May our country 

thrive in justice, brotherly 

love, peace and progress." 

Nigerians look forward to 

electoral justice, not 

legalistic justice- Otteh 

Otteh said: “This round of 

election disputes 

adjudication comes at a very 

perilous time in Nigeria’s 

history, given the clear and 

unprecedented attempts to 

exert pernicious influence 

and strategic control over 

the leadership of Nigeria’s 

judiciary. Nigerians are 

watching these events 

closely, with palpable 

apprehensions, disbelief and 

fear about how the hardly 

veiled efforts to reconfigure 

the leadership of the third 

arm of government at this 

momentous time will impact 

the adjudication of election 

cases. 

“For a lot of people therefore, 

it is not just election 

disputes that will go to trial; 

the Judiciary will itself be on 

trial. How the Judiciary 

manages to both decide 

those election disputes as 

well as allay the concerns of 

its credibility, independence 

and fairness will define how 

Nigerians relate to it, going 

forward. At this time, public 

confidence in our institutions 

of justice is not reading 

positively and well. 

“In spite of this, Nigerians 

look forward to electoral 

justice, not technical or 

legalistic ‘justice’ in the 

adjudication of election 

cases. Electoral tribunals 

have a duty to ensure that 

they are truly vehicles that 

help to revalidate democratic 

choices made by voters, and 

that they cannot afford to 

delegitimize those authentic 

democratic voices of the 

people. There have been 

many complaints of rigging, 

falsifications, violence and 

disenfranchisement during 

the last elections. It is now 

the responsibility of the 

Judiciary to decide whether 

we can, as a country whose 

Constitution says is founded 

on the ideals of Freedom, 

Equality and Justice, live on 

less than our Constitution 

guarantees.” 

Tribunal should extend 

time in special 

circumstances - Ojo 

Continues on Page 23 

C 

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VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019 —23 

There's no justice in silence —Soibi Oviais 

By Innocent Anaba 

Mrs Soibi Oviais is a 

Partner with Duale 

Ovia & Alex-Adedipe, DOA 

law firm. She is a litigation 

and dispute resolution lawyer 

based in Lagos. She 

specialises in civil and 

commercial litigation and 

other forms of dispute 

resolution including 

Arbitration, Negotiation and 

Mediation. 

In this interview, she speaks 

on experience of women in 

the law profession, among 

many other issues. 

Excerpt: 

In your assessment of the 

legal practice in Nigeria, do 

you think female lawyers have 

had equal opportunities? 

In the early years of the legal 

profession, it appeared to be a 

male-dominated profession, 

until the very gradual 

disruption of this stereotype 

began in the early 1980s. It took 

10 long years for the first 

woman, Chief Folake Solanke, 

SAN, to be conferred with the 

rank of Senior Advocate of 

Nigeria being the highest rank 

attainable by a legal practitioner 

in Nigeria. 

The path to equal 

opportunities in the legal 

profession, as in any aspect of 

life is a journey, the recent years 

Election Tribunal: Lawy 

wyer 

ers divided over ‘tec 

echnicalities' 

Continued from Page 22 

Ojo said: “The main issue 

that is ridiculous is running 

of time to take steps in 

election. Granted that time 

should be of the essence but 

the way it is now, is not good 

at all. If the last date to file 

election petition falls on 

Saturday, Sunday or any 

public holiday, when the 

registry of the Tribunal does 

not open for business, time 

runs and the election petition 

filed on the next working day 

is statute barred. I think that, 

the Tribunal should be 

empowered to extend time in 

special circumstances. Many 

petitions were struck on this 

basis. Where is the fair 

hearing? Furthermore, this 

point can be raised on 

*Mrs Soibi Oviais 

have been excellent in terms of 

the increasing symmetry 

between the number of women 

in the legal profession and the 

number of women in leadership 

positions in the society at large. 

Nigeria has only produced a 

female CJN in history to the 

best of my knowledge. What 

do you think is responsible for 

this disparity? 

In my opinion, the reason for 

the sole female CJN is merely 

that of chance as the office of 

the CJN comes with the 

hierarchy of rank among the 

•Ogunade 

appeal. Meaning that, a 

respondent that lost a case at 

the Tribunal will raise the issue 

on appeal that the case was 

statute barred. Appeal in many 

cases were allowed. The effect 

of this is that a respondent that 

lost because he did not win the 

election will become the 

Supreme Court Justices. This is 

coupled with the mandatory 

retirement age for Justices 

which means there are a 

number of Justices who would 

never become CJN including a 

number of female Justices. No 

doubt, if we have more female 

Justices elevated to the 

Supreme Court of Nigeria, we 

may see our chances of having 

another female CJN increase in 

the near future. 

As a partner at a reputable 

firm, it is inevitable that you 

may have been involved in the 

recruitment process. Are you 

gender-sensitive when you 

select candidates or when you 

have to recommend someone 

for promotion? 

At our law firm, we ensure we 

create a balanced and equal 

opportunity for our people and 

an environment conducive for 

every member of our team. The 

firm adopts a transparent 

performance-based system for 

recruitment, promotions and 

professional development by 

ensuring the key performance 

indicators and assessment 

points are available to every 

team member undergoing the 

process. 

What are some of the gender 

stereotypes that are prevalent 

in legal practice in Nigeria for 

female lawyers? 

•Falana, SAN 

“winner” by Courtney of the 

court. This is an area that needs 

to be addressed very well 

otherwise, a person that lost the 

election and so found by the 

Tribunal will retain the victory. 

Justice should not be delayed. 

It also should not be stampeded. 

Every industry/profession has 

its stereotypes, the legal 

profession is not an exception. 

For instance, there is a 

predominant assumption that 

litigation lawyers are mostly 

men and where female 

litigators exist, they deal 

mostly with non-contentious 

matters. There is also the notion 

that a company secretary 

should be a woman. There have 

been various arguments 

proposed to defend these 

stereotypes, however, it should 

...it should not 

be that a person, 

regardless of their 

skills set, and 

experience 

becomes more 

suited for a role 

only based on his 

or her gender 

not be that a person, regardless 

of their skills set, and 

experience becomes more 

suited for a role only based on 

his or her gender. 

Have you had any personal 

encounter wherein your ability 

to perform a task was 

questioned because of your 

gender? 

A benefit I have enjoyed in 

my career so far is the 

environment and culture of the 

firms and organisations I have 

worked at. My previous 

employers and my partners 

have never discredited me or 

undermined my ability based 

on my gender. 

FIDA is one of the 

international associations that 

has been very proactive in 

championing the rights of 

women. Do you think we need 

more associations like that to 

strengthen female lawyers? 

The International Federation 

of Women Lawyers, is an 

international nongovernmental, 

non-profit 

organisation aimed at ensuring 

the improvement of women and 

children’s welfare, the study of 

comparative law, and promoting 

a just and equitable 

environment where the 

interests of women are 

protected and guaranteed. 

Associations with similar goals 

targeted at female lawyers will 

contribute immensely to 

promoting and strengthening 

the rights and interests of 

female lawyers. 

Sexual harassment is a 

commonplace practice in the 

work environment and is a 

leading reason why some 

women have missed out on 

promotions or other 

opportunities. What’s your 

take and what are some of the 

suggestions you have for 

women lawyers who may be 

dealing with this at the 

moment? 

Speak up. This has also been 

my ethos on the issues of sexual 

harassment and bias at the 

workplace generally. I believe 

there is no justice in silence and 

that the more women voice out 

their experiences in the 

workplace and outside of the 

workplace, the more they lend 

a credible voice to women all 

over the world to stand up and 

speak up against all forms of 

harassment, bias and 

discrimination. 

What initiative(s) do you have 

now or aspire to take on in 

future to promote equal 

opportunities for women 

lawyers, destroy negative 

stereotypes, or any other 

gender-related issue? 

At our law firm, we make it a 

duty to initiate all lawyers in any 

area of practice as their 

competence allows. We do not 

see any practice area as too 

volatile for any gender and 

encourage all our lawyers to 

tackle issues arising in any 

given situation they encounter. 

More organisations around 

the world are designing the 

structures that can make the 

workplace more inclusive. Do 

you know of any organisational 

policy in your law firm that has 

contributed to the wellbeing of 

women? E.g. crèche services in 

the law firm, flexible working 

hours for nursing mothers or 

mothers of children below age 

12 etc? 

We allow for flexible working 

hours for pregnant and nursing 

mothers and give adequate 

leave periods with full benefits. 

EDITORIAL 

Innocent Anaba 

( Head) 

Ikechukwu 

Nnochiri 

Contributors: 

Henry Ojelu, 

Onozure Dania 

C 

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Train the boy child well, 

women charged 

BY CHRIS ONUOHA 

WHEN some women 

got together on Friday 

February 22, at Wheatbaker Hotel, 

Lagos, eve of Nigeria’s general 

elections, one would have thought 

politics would be the major topic. 

However, it was not far from that, 

as vital issues bordering on homes 

and parenting of leaders of 

tomorrow were brought to the front 

burner. 

The event which held under the 

auspices of LagosMums in 

collaboration with boys to MEN 

Foundation, drew a sizable 

audience to talk, educate and 

sensitize the populace about 

parenting challenges in the 

society. The conveners are 

members of the Women in 

Management, Business and Public 

Service, WIMBIZ; an association 

that has relentlessly decried the 

societal imbalance women are 

faced with at home, workplace and 

in the polity. 

Panelists included Kene 

Okwuosa, Group CEO, Filmhouse 

Cinemas; Bridget Itsueli, 

Chairperson, Relate Africa; Pastor 

Wale Adefarasin, Senior Pastor, 

Guiding Light Assembly; Ifeoma 

Idigbe, Vice-Chairman, boys to 

MEN Foundation, Yetty Williams, 

founder, LagosMums and Ronke 

Onadeko as moderator. 

Under a focal point themed: 

Talking boys: a parenting event, the 

The journey to 

Endometriosis world 

I had a patient who had 

cough for 18 months, 

unfortunately, there was no 

solution to it until she started 

coughing blood and the 

surgeon said her chest would 

be pierced because it was 

revealed through an X-ray that 

the drug she was using was not 

going to its location so he 

suggested that the chest be cut 

open. The lady used to work 

in NNPC. One day, we got to 

the hospital and discovered 

that she had disappeared. 

Such a story cannot be 

forgotten in a lifetime. 

discussions aimed at boys and 

their specific needs, reviewed 

method of their upbringing in the 

context of social constructs and 

societal pressures. Speakers spoke 

on the following topics: How are 

boys different? What makes a man; 

Understanding ‘masculinities’ as a 

gender concept, Toxic masculinitysocietal 

and cultural precedents; 

Fatherhood: what fathers bring to 

parenting boys; Reversing negative 

Everybody was looking for her, 

even in her workplace, they 

were looking for her as well as 

the hospital, Lagoon Hospital 

where I worked. 

And then, I started Nordica. 

We were in VGC when I 

started and this woman 

walked into my consulting 

room. I did not forget her name 

and when I saw the name, I 

said to myself, this name is 

familiar. I was still ruminating 

on that when she walked into 

my office. She looked at me and 

started smiling. She said: “Do 

you remember me?”, and I said, 

“I think so. And she said, “Yes, 

I was a patient in the Lagoon 

trends-what can parents do? and 

lastly, Counselling and therapy. 

In an opening remark by coconvener, 

Ifeoma Idigbe, founder, 

boys to MEN Foundation, she 

stressed the need for proper 

parenting, saying that the kind of 

parenting children receive 

significantly influences who they 

become. 

“Today, our key consideration is 

the power and influence of parents 

and the potential impact of good 

parenting. We will explore 

particularly the various influences 

Many marriages have crashed 

due to endometriosis — Dr. Ajayi 

...says one out of 10 women has endometroisis 

BY EBUNOLUWA SESSOU 

*From left: Pastor Wale Adefarasin, Mrs. Yetty Williams, Mr. Kene 

Okwuosa; Mrs. Ifeoma Idigbe; Mrs. Bridget Itsueli and Ms. Ronke 

Onadeko, speakers at the ‘Talking boys’ parenting event. 

Dr. Abayomi Ajayi is a Nigerian Obstetrician/Gynaecologist. He is also the 

Managing Director, Nordica Fertility Centre, Lagos which pioneered the 

Intracytoplasmic Morphologically Selected Injection, IMSI in Nigeria; the 

clinic specialises in In-Vitro Fertilization, IVF and treatment of infertility. 

In this interview, he speaks on the emergence of endometriosis and its 

effect on young women in their early thirties. According to him, one 

out of 10 women is presented with endometriosis which has affected 

many marriages the world over. 

*Dr Ajayi 

Hospital and I said, what 

happened to you, she said she 

went abroad and what was 

wrong with her was 

endometroisis, a condition 

resulting from the appearance 

of endometrial tissue outside 

the uterus and causing pelvic 

pain, especially associated with 

menstruation. That was the 

pattern. Then I remember that 

I also had a patient when I was 

in UCH as a Registrar, the 

problem was the same way but 

they did a borehole for her in 

the brain. Actually, they thought 

she was bleeding in her brain. 

And it was then they got the 

males are subjected to, and discuss 

the challenges of parenting boys. 

That is why we have called this 

event Talking boys, how to raise 

boys,” said Idigbe. 

...without proper 

guidance for 

growing boys, they 

will create their own 

social order, 

governed by rules 

we find abhorrent 

but which within 

that order, are 

considered normal 

sample and found out that it was 

endometroisis. This woman also 

came to me when we started 

Nordica. She has relocated to 

the United Kingdom, but she 

was reading some of the things 

I was writing. I was a columnist 

with the City People magazine. 

And so, she came and we had 

the operation. At that point in 

time, we had our own 

Laparascopic surgery and we 

were just finding 

endometroisis. Then, I said to 

myself, this is a message for 

me. It all suggested that I must 

Continues on page 25 

She also stressed how modern 

culture and exposure to 

technology provided via education 

and travel has influenced children 

negatively, and queried if 

absorption of these new trends has 

made us better. “We have also 

carried out some research on this 

subject and found out that without 

proper guidance for growing boys, 

they will create their own social 

order, governed by rules we find 

abhorrent but which within that 

order, are considered 

normal…new deviant social 

constructs that if not arrested, 

become ‘acceptable’. 

At the panel of discussion, Mrs. 

Bridget Itsueli described her 

experience while working with 

male counterparts as problematic. 

She also revealed that in the course 

of teaching teenagers, she 

observed that something very vital 

was missing which is father 

hunger. She noted that there is an 

epidemic of father hunger among 

the boys which, according to her, 

leads to suicidal tendencies, 

domestic violence among others. 

She noted that absence of fathers 

in the home, not spending quality 

time with children leads to some 

females having surrogate fathers 

to take up the father role in the 

family and also leads to increase 

in female infidelity. She also 

revealed that about 50 per cent of 

married men beat their wives or 

display all kinds of negative 

attitudes towards women due to 

lack of adequate parental care as 

children. 

For Ifeoma Idigbe, her focus on 

critical things; what she called 

‘digital sunsets’ mirrored the 

digital age that affects the 

children. According to her, digital 

devices and best way to use them 

should be put into consideration. 

She noted that children are prone 

to hook up to inappropriate sites 

when unchecked as those sites keep 

popping up when clicked 

unknowingly. She also identified 

that programmes such as Parents, 

Teachers’ Association, PTA 

meetings are not meant for 

mothers alone, that the imbalance 

affects a child’s love/care from both 

parents. 

Kene Okwuosa in his own 

strength as a cinema expert 

advised that there’s nothing 

wrong with parents attending 

cinema shows with their children. 

“I agree that children should be 

allowed to watch movies with their 

parents in attendance in the sense 

that if you don’t take them along 

to know the kind of movies they 

watch, they will end up watching 

the wrong movies, even at home,” 

said Okwuosa. 

He, however, urged men to rise 

up to their responsibilities. “It is 

not women’s fight alone, men 

should be committed, hold 

themselves accountable for these 

duties at home,” Okwuosa added. 

Pastor Wale Adefarasin admitted 

that there is a crisis with men in 

the home. “We have reached a 

point of developing a state of 

emergency to put things right in 

the home. Every Sunday, 60 per 

cent of Nigerian men sit in the 

church, listen to the preacher, and 

sometimes do not understand or 

practice what they are hear. Men 

need help too. But first, a man 

should acknowledge he needs help 

on how to deal with parenting at 

home,” he said. During the 

question and answer session, the 

panellists proffered solutions on 

how to deal with the issues at hand. 

C 

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Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 7 , 2019 — A1

A2 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 7 , 2019








Many marriages have crashed due 

to endometriosis — Dr. Ajayi 

Continues from page 24 

take endometroisis as a major 

case study. And so, we started 

14 years ago. We discovered 

that the condition is right with 

us and there was no reason 

ignoring it. Fortunately, people 

are now diagnosing 

endometroisis more. It is not a 

problem that is peculiar to 

Nigeria. Even in the UK, it takes 

about nine years between onset 

of symptoms before diagnosis 

is made. And that is why we 

have been doing that for 14 

years. It is getting louder now 

but it is still a whisper. Many 

people have not heard about it. 

So, what we are trying to do this 

year is to go to secondary 

schools all over the nation 

because we have seen that this 

problem usually starts when the 

girl-child had her first 

menstruation which is always in 

the secondary school. Some girls 

have been labelled lazy, and 

even promiscuous especially 

when she is having pains 

during her menstruation period. 

Some people will say she has 

aborted her pregnancy but the 

fact is that majority of them had 

endometroisis. So, the 

commonest thing that 

endometrosis presents is 

painful menstruation. And the 

painful menstruation comes 

from the fact that there is an 

inner covering in the ovary 

called the endometrium. That is 

where the baby is supposed to 

stay but the woman sheds it 

every month when she is not 

pregnant. These people have 

the tissue called the 

endometrium in some other 

places apart from where it is 

supposed to be. It is like 

displaced endometrium. So, the 

commonest places where it is 

located could be the ovary, 

tubes, intestine and sometimes, 

it could be in the chest. And that 

is why sometimes, they can 

cough out blood, and because 

the symptoms are not common, 

it could be varied. The only 

thing that ties them together is 

that the symptoms are worse 

during their menstrual period. 

Sometimes, some people bleed 

from the navel during menstrual 

period. Those people are called 

witches. I have seen a woman 

that was carried from one church 

to the other because she had 

endometroisis. When you do not 

spot endometroisis on time, it 

becomes complicated such that 

when such a woman has 

intercourse, it becomes very 

painful because the organs 

have already gummed together. 

It also results to infertility. Most 

of the time, we see them alone 

because they cannot have 

children. And it is when we are 

investigating for infertility that 

endometroisis is discovered. 

Most of the time, such women 

have been made to bear their 

painful menstruation because it 

is normal; the parents and 

doctors are not aware. Some 

doctors say it is in their brain. 

They have been made to live 

with their pains and majority of 

them are not normal. Some are 

depressed because they are 

different from other people and 

that is why we have taken the 

awareness to the people by 

sensitizing them about the 

effects, symptoms, causes and 

solution to endometroisis. 

Unfortunately, for the fact that 

it is not cancer, nobody is 

sponsoring us. Year in, year 

out, we gather, invite people, 

and people are yet to come to 

terms with the issue of 

endometroisis. It costs us about 

N10 million annually and we 

have been doing that all the 

way. Endometriosis is estimated 

to affect between three per cent 

and 10 per cent of reproductiveage 

women. Endometriosis can 

only be truly diagnosed by a 

doctor performing a 

laparoscopy (a surgery where a 

doctor looks in the abdomen 

with a camera usually through 

the belly button) and taking a 

sample of a suspected 

abnormality. Thus, the 

proportion of women affected by 

endometriosis differs among 

women having surgery for 

different reasons. In women 

without symptoms who are 

having surgery for elective 

sterilisation (having their tubes 

tied), 1-7 per cent will actually 

have endometriosis diagnosed 

at the time of their surgery, as 

will 12-32 per cent of women 

having surgery for pelvic pain, 

and 9-50 per cent of women 

having surgery for infertility. 

Endometriosis is rarely found in 

girls before they start their 

period, but it is found in up to 

half of young girls and teens 

with pelvic pain and painful 

periods. 

Causes of endometriosis 

There are several different 

By Ebunoluwa Sessou 

AS Nigeria joins the rest 

of the world to mark this 

year’s International Women’s 

Day, IWD, Nigerian women 

have been charged to seize 

opportunities in the second 

term administration of 

President Muhammadu Buhari 

in order to give voice to the 

voiceless. 

Executive Director, Lagos 

International Trade Fair, LITF, 

Mrs. Lucy Ajayi, gave the 

charge recently during a warm 

reception in Lagos to 

congratulate President 

Muhammadu Buhari over his 

victory at the last Presidential 

polls. 

Ajayi who noted that with 

the theme of this year, 

BalanceforBetter, Nigerian 

women should build a genderbalanced 

world with everyone 

having a part to play every 

ideas of how and 

w h y 

endometriosis 

happens. One 

idea is that when 

a woman has her 

period, some of 

the blood and tissue 

from her uterus 

travels out through 

the fallopian tubes and 

into the abdominal cavity. 

This is called retrograde 

menstruation. Another idea is 

that some cells in the body 

outside of the uterus can 

change to become the same 

kind of cells that line the uterus. 

This is a common explanation 

for endometriosis at unusual 

sites like the thumb or knee. 

Another possible explanation is 

that the cells from the lining of 

the uterus travel through the 

Sometimes, some 

people bleed from 

the navel during 

menstrual period; 

those people are 

called witches. I 

have seen a woman 

that was carried 

from one church to 

the other because 

she had 

endometroisis 

time. 

According to her, the theme 

should not end on the 

International Women’s Day, it 

is an avenue for women to 

play active politics in 

providing a unified direction to 

guide and galvanize 

continuous collective action in 

governance. 

She advised women to build 

a gender balanced world 

adding that, women’s issues 

should be taken as real 

business that borders on all 

aspects of human endeavours. 

She noted that gender balance 

is essential for economies and 

communities to thrive. 

In the same vein, the LITF 

boss assured Nigerians that 

better days are ahead, saying 

that genuine Nigerians have 

nothing to fear. 

“With Buhari on the saddle 

again, Nigerians have nothing 

to fear as he would surely put 

•Dr Ajayi 

blood vessels or through the 

lymphatic system to reach other 

organs or body areas. Also, 

endometriosis can spread at the 

time of surgery. For example, a 

woman with endometriosis that 

undergoes a cesarean section 

could inadvertently have some 

endometriosis cells attach to the 

abdominal incision so that she 

has endometriosis in the scar 

from the surgery. 

Interestingly, nearly all 

women have some degree of 

retrograde menstruation, but 

only a few women will get 

endometriosis. This may be due 

to differences in a woman’s 

immune system. Also, 

endometriosis is much more 

common if a close relative also 

has endometriosis, so there may 

be genes that influence 

endometriosis. 

Why is endometriosis 

associated with pain? 

When a woman with 

endometriosis has her period, 

she has bleeding not only from 

the cells and tissues inside the 

uterus, but can also have 

bleeding from the cells and 

tissue outside the uterus. When 

IWD: Ajayi urges women to seize 

opportunities in Buhari’s 2nd term 

...says genuine Nigerians have nothing to fear 

smiles on their faces. He is a 

silent achiever, who the 

propaganda machine of the 

opposition finds it very hard to 

stop. 

“Like I said prior to the 

election, his works have 

spoken for him, sincere people 

know who to vote for,” she said. 

Commenting on the 

erroneous statement making 

the rounds that the economy 

might nosedive again, Lucy 

dispelled the rumour citing the 

LITFC as a probable pointer to 

a better Nigeria, all thanks to 

Buhari. 

“Take for instance, what we 

have been able to do at Lagos 

International Trade Fair is a 

testimony. We are gradually 

restoring its lost glory, owing 

to Buhari’s forthrightness. 

“I make bold to say Nigeria 

will work again, Buhari is 

seriously pursuing that cause 

and it is already yielding fruits 

blood touches these other 

organs, especially inside the 

abdomen, it can cause 

inflammation and irritation, 

creating pain. Sometimes, scar 

tissue can also develop from 

the endometriosis which can 

also contribute to the pain. 

What is the age range of 

victims of endometroisis? 

It starts when a young girl 

begins to menstruate but 

because it is related to infertility, 

it is diagnosed in the thirties. 

That is why we are looking at 

the possibility of making the 

diagnosis early so that before 

complications start coming up, 

it would have been addressed. 

Endometriosis affects one’s 

decision-making. I will advise 

anyone who has endometriosis 

and not ready to start having 

babies early to go and store her 

eggs. It is expected for couples 

to be aware of this development. 

Many marriages have crashed 

because of endometroisis. 

In Nigeria, what is the 

percentage of women with 

endometroisis? 

All over the world, the 

percentage is the same. One out 

of 10 women has endometroisis 

in different places. 

If it is not easily detected, 

what happens? Is it a death 

sentence? 

Of course not. It does not kill 

as the disease itself does not 

kill. It only reduces the quality 

of life. It could also make one 

to be infertile. It affects 

relationships. These people 

bleed regularly. She could be 

at a function and start bleeding. 

It affects all aspects of their lives 

including education, career 

among others. 

Is the treatment affordable to 

all? 

It has to be treated. It depends 

Continues on page 28 

•Lucy Ajayi 

via our GDP. 

“Massive infrastructural 

works across the country and 

the direct economic face-lift for 

the downtrodden are clear 

pointers to better days coming. 

Genuine and patriotic 

Nigerians have nothing to 

fear,” she reiterated.


British Council, AHI 

wins ‘Fight against 

female genital 

mutilation in Osun State 

BY CHRIS ONUOHA 

The UnCUT Initiative in 

collaboration with the 

British Council and Action 

Health Incorporated, AHI has 

embarked on a social 

intervention drive leading five 

communities - Tankoka, Aba 

Omooba, Olupo, Manlaye and 

Ile-Ogo in Asa village, Ola- 

Oluwa Local Government Area, 

Osun State, Nigeria in the 

fight against female genital 

mutilation, FGM to eliminate 

the practice. 

The initiative held recently 

in Osun State is in 

commemoration of the 

International Day of Zero- 

Tolerance for female genital 

mutilation marked in the 

month of February annually by 

the United Nations. Female 

Genital Mutilation is a harmful 

on what exactly the 

endometriosis presents. It is not 

everybody who has 

endometriosis that would be 

infertile. It is only about 30 to 

40 per cent of them.Therefore, 

if you have infertility, you have 

to treat it. Three main symptoms 

that endometriosis can give 

include pain, irregular bleeding 

and infertility among others. 

practice and a gross violation of 

human rights and the host 

communities during the 

intervention, unanimously 

agreed to discontinue the 

practice. This is a big victory 

for the The UnCUT Initiative, 

with a mission to ensure that 

young women and girls across 

high risk communities in 

Nigeria are free from FGM 

practice and in full protection 

of their rights through proper 

implementation of the Anti- 

FGM policy. 

The declaration was 

supported by the British 

Council, Action Health 

Incorporated and The New 

Generation Girls and Women 

Development Initiative, 

NIGAWD. Present at the 

declaration were the 

Chairman of the local 

government, Hon. Oyediran 

Asimiyu, traditional rulers and 

chiefs from the host 

communities. The declaration 

was made possible through 

the cooperation of anti-FGM 

Champions - Oyebamiji 

Olalekan, Ogundipe Abass, 

Adesina Kikelomo, Isa 

Sekinat, Akeeb Monsurat, 

Makinde Bolaji and 

perpetrators which constituted 

quack doctors and traditional 

birth attendants. All 

Many marriages have crashed due to endometriosis 

Continues from page 25 

Why is endometriosis 

associated with infertility? 

Between 20 and 40 per cent 

of women with infertility will 

have endometriosis. 

Endometriosis seems to impair 

fertility in two ways: first, by 

causing distortion of the 

fallopian tubes so that they are 

unable to pick up the egg after 

ovulation, and second, by 

creating inflammation that can 

adversely affect the function of 

the ovary, egg, fallopian tubes 

or uterus. 

Endometriosis Symptoms 

Pain, including pelvic or 

lower abdominal pain and 

pain with menses, is the most 

common symptom of 

endometriosis. Women may 

also have pain with 

intercourse. The symptoms 

are often “cyclical” meaning 

that the pain is worse right 

before or during the period, 

and then improves. Women 

may have constant pelvic or 

lower abdominal pain as well. 

Other symptoms include subfertility, 

bowel and bladder 

symptoms (such as pain with 

bowel movements, bloating, 

constipation, blood in the 

urine, or pain with urination), 

and possibly abnormal vaginal 

bleeding. 

Diagnosing endometriosis 

To diagnose endometriosis, 

a doctor must perform a 

laparoscopy (a surgery 

where a doctor looks in the 

abdomen with a camera 

usually through the belly 

button) and take a sample of 

a suspected endometriosis 

lesion. Some physicians and 

patients may try to treat 

suspected endometriosis with 

certain medications to see if 

symptoms are improved without 

having to undergo surgery. 

Although this may be possible, 

endometriosis cannot be 

diagnosed by improvement in 

symptoms with medication 

alone. During surgery, 

endometriosis lesions are often 

described as looking like 

“cigarette burns” inside the 

abdomen, although there are 

many different variations as to 

how an endometriosis lesion 

may appear. Endometriosis can 

be located on and even within 

an ovary, causing an 

endometrioma or a cyst of 

endometriosis. These cysts are 

often referred to as chocolate 

cysts because the material 

inside the cyst looks like 

chocolate syrup. 

Advice to Federal 

Government especially in the 

treament of diseases like 

endometroisis 

The problem we have is that 

we lump everything at the gate 

of the Federal Government and 

the government has its plate 

full. Meanwhile, it is not as if 

the money is there. I know 

corruption is there but we do not 

have so much money. But, there 

is the organised private sector 

that can sponsor the treatment 

of endometriosis. The issue 

with cancer is that there is donor 

*Recipients of the UnCUT Initiative awards with the traditional rulers from Osun State during the 

programme. 

money earmarked for the 

treatment. When you see many 

people investing in something, 

it is because they want to get 

grants. But,that is not the way 

to go about it. Our people have 

issues. And we have not even 

spoken about how to bring the 

treatment of endometriosis as 

well as the reason for doctors 

not speaking about it. Very few 

hospitals have the equipment 

for endometriosis in Nigeria. 

We are also training doctors to 

share their experiences on 

endometriosis, we hold the 

programme every year. We have 

doctors whose main 

specialisation is endometriosis 

in adolescent. We have reached 

the stage and that is why we 

should be looking for 

endometriosis in the adolescent. 

We can’t even pick it up in 

people with infertility in their 

thirties. It is complex and that 

is why we are thinking that 

other people should be 

interested in this. It is complex 

because many people do not 

understand. 

Does it cease with the onset 

of menopause? 

It gets better and sometimes, 

it ceases for many people. 

Majority of the people get 

better after menopause. 

Can you estimate the 

percentage? 

10 per cent. Unfortunately, it 

is unrecognised. 

How many women attend the 

programme yearly? 

Last year, we had about 1,000 

women. We usually do it to 

coincide with the International 

Women’s Day. 

stakeholders signed the social 

agreement which clearly 

stated that they were aware of 

the adverse effects of FGM, its 

implication by law and support 

advocacy against it. 

The Project Director of the 

UnCUT Initiative, Dolapo 

Olaniyan during the 

declaration, expressed joy in 

the successful implementation 

of this public declaration. 

She further stated the different 

hurdles the project had faced 

in the communities and why 

advocacy had to be intensified. 

“Last year, I got reports from 

one of the Anti-FGM 

champions about a month-old 

baby that was circumcised in 

Ile-Ogo community. This 

sparked a new drive in me to 

support the champions in 

carrying out strict advocacy in 

these regions. I am happy we 

achieved this and I hope other 

communities in the state will 

follow suit,’ says Olaniyan. 

At the end of the declaration, 

certificates of recognition were 

given to the anti-FGM 

champions for their great 

commitment towards ending 

female genital mutilation in 

the state. They were also 

admonished by traditional 

rulers to put in more efforts in 

reaching other practising 

communities across the state, 

by working hand-in-hand with 

other anti-FGM champions. 

We have a duty to deconstruct 

the notion of seeing female as 

second-class 

By Elizabeth Uwandu 

ARMED with the belief that the female folk can achieve 

goals if properly given the right leverage, Miss Esther 

Chioma Uwandu, founder, Impact Her Initiative, IHI, stated 

that it was the obligation of everyone to dispel the notion 

that the girl-child is lesser human or a second-class citizen. 

Speaking at the PadaGirl campaign to mark this year’s 

Valentine’s Day at Mabchris Comprehensive College, 

Lawanson, Surulere, Uwandu stated that the need to educate 

young girls who see Valentine’s Day as a day for sexual 

escapade informed the campaign. 

The IHI founder spoke in the presence of other speakers 

such as Lydia John, a Nollywood actress and motivational 

speaker; Brenda Nwafor, Association of Nigerian Authors, 

ANA, Lagos Secretary and entrepreneur, and award-winning 

writer/poet, Madam Iquo Diana-Abasi. 

She explained: “Our Valentine outreach for girls was borne 

out of the fact that girls, and ladies in general, usually fall 

victims to the caprices of deception, sexual abuse and genderbased 

violence. 

“We want you as girls to know that love is beyond Valentine’s 

Day. Valentine is just a day, but loving oneself, neighbours 

and country should be done everyday. We want you to know 

that you are enough for yourselves; you can learn to pursue 

your dreams and avoid distractions, because you are special 

individuals,” she urged the girls. 

The event saw the girls sensitized on proper hygiene during 

menstruation; the need to have self esteem and career 

pathway discovery. It also featured the distribution of items 

such as sanitary towels, pant liners; tissue paper, noodles 

and snacks etc. to students of Mabchris Comprehensive 

College.






32— Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019 

LET’s get down to brass tacks: 

Muhammadu Buhari won 

this year’s presidential election, 

and Atiku Abubakar lost it. The 

election was, of course, marred by 

significant irregularities and 

shortcomings, including violence, 

intimidation, disenfranchisement 

and vote-buying. But, as the 

doctrine of substantial 

performance goes, while these 

anomalies undermined the 

legitimacy of the outcome, they 

didn’t materially change it. So, 

Buhari won, Atiku lost! 

But Buhari’s victory brought to 

mind the famous words of the 

French philosopher Joseph de 

Maistre that: “In a democracy, 

people get the leader they 

deserve.” This puts responsibility 

on followers rather than leaders. 

For, in a democracy, citizens have 

a duty to choose the right leader, 

but if they shirk that duty, they 

must, as de Maistre implied, take 

responsibility for the choice they 

have made! You’ve made your 

bed, now lie in it, one might say! 

Those were my thoughts as I 

considered the oddities in the 


Think of the abysmal turnout. 

One analysis shows that, at 35 per 

cent, the turnout in this year’s 

presidential election is the lowest 

since 1999. How could a country 

have 82 million registered voters 

and only 27 million of them 

bothered to vote? Good 

governance and democratic 

accountability are seriously 

undermined when the majority of 

eligible voters refuse to adjudge 

Buhari’s re-election: It’s 

victory by default 

the performance of elected 

politicians at the ballot box. 

They would simply govern by 

appealing only to their supporters 

knowing that the independent, 

non-partisan “wailers”, often the 

majority in most countries, would 

never put their money where their 

mouth was. In other words, they 

would never vote. For them, it’s 

all bark and no bite! 

Buhari is probably the most 

criticised president in Nigeria for 

his poor handling of the economy 

and his sectional approach to 

national unity. Yet, in an election 

in which, for the first time, there 

was a different candidate with 

alternative economic and political 

visions, potentially competent 

approach to governance and 

inclusive and consensual 

leadership style, Buhari’s 

vociferous critics, mostly in 

Southern Nigeria, largely refused 

to vote, with the average turnout 

being less than 25 per cent. 

In Lagos State, only 18.5 per 

cent of the 5.5 million voters who 

collected the PVCs voted! The 

Halting further electoral violence 

By Adewale Kupoluyi 

IN spite of the initial disappointment and 

anxiety, the presidential and national 

assembly elections have finally been held 

across the nation. A major feature of the 

elections is that cases of violence and electoral 

malpractices were reported. Past elections 

across the country had recorded one crisis or 

another before, during and after the polls 

leading to colossal loss of lives and property. 

Preliminary assessment of the just-concluded 

elections shows that electoral violence was 

prevalent as was the case with previous 

editions. 

Electoral violence is ignited when politicians 

and their supporters foist their inordinate will 

on others or when there is resistance to such 

imposition. Such violence is associated with 

rigging, ballot-snatching/stuffing, 

disenfranchisement, shooting to scare away 

voters, rewriting of results, falsification, votebuying, 

kidnapping and outright killing. For 

now, it appears that is almost impossible to 

completely wipe away electoral violence from 

our polity. According to Human Rights Watch, 

the 2011 general elections had no fewer than 

800 people that lost their lives, just as the 

National Human Rights Commission, its preelection 

report, stated that 58 people died 

between December 2014 and January 2015. 

This year’s general elections have been 

keenly-contested between the ruling All 

Progressives Congress, APC, and the main 

opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, most 

especially because the presidential candidates 

of the dominant parties are from the Northern 

part of the country and are also Muslims. It is 

worthy of mention that APC and PDP consist 

of recycled members that had once moved from 

one party to another, suggesting that both 

parties are two sides of a coin. Media tracking 

of the elections so far indicate that supporters 

of the main parties in some states such as Abia, 

Bayelsa, Borno, Kogi, Kano, Lagos, Oyo and 

Rivers perpetrated bloody electoral violence. 

For instance, in a polling unit in Aguda, 

Surulere, Lagos State, thugs allegedly 

pummeled voters out of queues while at the 

Okota polling unit, miscreants set ablaze 

already thumb-printed ballot papers and in 

Mushin, street urchins or ‘area boys’ stormed 

a polling booth and carted away ballot boxes. 

In Lekki, four young men allegedly beat up a 

younger man who was ferreted out of a polling 

unit. One Demola, suspected to be local head 

of the Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, was 

attacked at Okota and beaten to a pulp, as 

another victim was allegedly shot and stabbed 

to death. Nine suspected thugs were arrested 

at Somolu for allegedly molesting voters with 

charms, just as six suspects were apprehended 

at Epe and another three at Ajao Estate, 

respectively. 

In Anambra State, many ballot boxes and 

papers were said to have been burnt to ashes; 

and in Rivers State, two brothers and a soldier 

became victims, while 15 persons were said to 

have been shot dead during a violence that 

erupted at the Akuku-Toru council area of the 

state where soldiers allegedly unleashed 

violence on party members and killed their 

agents in the Emohua council area. Ten youths 

were arrested for allegedly attempting to snatch 

ballot boxes in Abia State while two persons 

were said to have been murdered in Amukpe, 

near Sapele, Delta State when gunmen 

stormed the polling unit while voting was 

ongoing. Similarly, one person was killed by 

suspected hoodlums in a bid to snatch ballot 

box in Ibadan, Oyo State, as counting of votes 

was ongoing. 

Similarly, rampaging armed men in military 

uniform allegedly murdered a photographer 

and another victim at Oweikorogha in Bayelsa 

State alongside a ward chairman of a major 

party in the area while awaiting the counting 

of votes. In Borno State, a terrorist group 

allegedly claimed responsibility for a rocket 

attack on Maiduguri, as another explosion 

occurred at the headquarters of the Nigerian 

Army Seventh Division when troops were 

preparing for operations in which soldiers were 

South certainly wanted change, 

obvious from the fact that 14 out 

of the 17 Southern states voted 

for Atiku, who lost another, Osun, 

by just 10,000 votes. Yet, they 

lacked the courage of their 

convictions by not voting in large 

numbers. 

Buhari is probably 

the most criticised 

president in Nigeria, 

for his poor handling 

of the economy and 

his sectional 

approach to national 

unity 

But here’s another oddity: the 

voting behaviour of the poor. Why 

did the poor vote to be poorer? I 

say that advisedly because, over 

the past four years, Buhari’s statist 

economic policies have further 

impoverished an already poor 

nation, and, given his socialist 

mindset, he is unlikely to generate 

economic prosperity in his second 

term. 

Indeed, the immediate negative 

reaction of the stock market to 

Buhari’s re-election, with N196bn 

lost in one day, was evidence of 

the doubts that his victory was a 

real shot in the arm for Nigeria’s 

economy and polity. As the global 

business media outfit, Bloomberg, 

reported: “Bank stocks in Nigeria 

fall most since 2016 after Buhari 

victory”, a confirmation that the 

anti-business president, whose 

economic record and grasp of 

economic fundamentals are 

miniscule, was not investors’ 

preference. 

Surely, that’s bad omen for 

Nigeria’s economy and for the 

prosperity of its people, 

particularly the poor and the 

vulnerable. Nigeria has more 

extremely poor people than any 

other nation, with nearly 90 

million Nigerians living in 

extreme poverty, 66 per cent of 

who, according to a World Bank 

report, reside in the North. 

Alarmingly, six Nigerians fall into 

extreme poverty every minute, 

according the Brookings 

Institutions. It’s no surprise that 

Nigeria ranked eighth out of 128 

in the world’s misery index in 

2018. 

So, then, back to the question: 

Why did Nigerians vote to 

become poorer? Why did they reelect 

a president on whose watch 

unemployment rose from 8.2 per 

cent to 23 per cent and youth 

unemployment skyrocketed from 

Political parties 

should allow internal 

democracy to flourish 

and caution their 

members against hate 

speech 

killed and 20 civilians were injured. In Lokoja, 

Kogi State, a police inspector, Mohammed 

Hammani and two others lost their lives to 

electoral violence. In Kano State, the police 

‘invited’ a member of the House of 

Representatives, Abdulmumin Jibrin, over his 

alleged role in a bloody clash that occurred in 

the Bebeji council area of the state, among 

other cases. 

No doubt, electoral violence promotes jungle 

justice and discourages eligible voters from 

voting, making their level of participation to 

be greatly inhibited. The emergence of 

candidates becomes questionable when the 

political turf is left to hooligans and troublemakers. 

This invariably affects the quality of 

leadership that would emerge at the end of the 

day. Good governance is only possible when 

truly democratically-elected representatives 

are given daunting state responsibilities. Bad 

leadership has been the lot of Nigeria, as many 

citizens continue to wallow in abject poverty 

and suffer in the midst of plenty, despite the 

nation’s rich endowments. National security 

is seriously being threatened by the prevailing 

acts of religious extremism, official brigandage 

and terrorism. 

The role of local and international election 

observers is greatly whittled-down whenever 

violence is unleashed, thus creating credibility 

and integrity problems for election outcomes. 

This should not be. As a way forward, there is 

need for attitudinal change on why people 

should play decent politics, if we are ever going 

three million to 13 million (a 263 

per cent increase)? In hardly any 

civilised country would an 

incumbent with President 

Buhari’s appalling economic 

record secure a second term. 

But, let’s face it, Buhari won by 

default. The American journalist 

Franklin Adams famously said 

that: “Elections are won by men 

and women because most people 

vote against somebody rather 

than for somebody”. Thus, Buhari 

won because millions of poor 

Nigerians voted against Atiku 

rather than for him. They knew 

that Buhari’s government hadn’t 

improved their lives, but preferred 

him, an ascetic, puritanical 

socialist, to his brash, amoral 

billionaire opponent. The election 

was fought on integrity, and 

Buhari’s perceived integrity, his 

reputation for incorruptibility, 

helped him among the poor, who 

were puzzled by Atiku’s wealth 

and its source, and loathed his 

perceived lack of integrity. 

Of course, Buhari weaponised 

the integrity issue. He won by 

exploiting socialist, anti-wealth, 

anti-elite rhetoric, which, more or 

less, elevated poverty as a virtue. 

But, as Aristotle said: “Politics is 

the pursuit of the higher good of 

living well”, and, in the words of 

Thomas Jefferson: “The care of 

human life and happiness is the 

only legitimate object of good 

government”. Poor and 

vulnerable Nigerians won 

President Buhari a second term, 

the onus is now on him to show 

they didn’t vote to make 

themselves poorer! 

to get it right as a nation and get many decent 

people into politics, as obtainable in saner 

climes. Political parties and contestants should 

always realise that the ultimate decision of the 

people is what matters. Politicians should 

desist from lording their wills over the 

electorate. Law enforcement agencies should 

be more proactive in nipping in the bud, 

potential crises that may snowball into 

electoral violence. The practice of signing 

peace accord by party contestants should not 

be limited to presidential candidates alone but 

it should be extended to other contestants, to 

get their commitments to shun violence. 

To ensure that justice is done and seen to 

have been done, the Socio-Economic Rights 

and Accountability Project, SERAP, has 

requested the Nigerian government to 

immediately refer violence-related cases to the 

International Criminal Court, ICC, pursuant 

to Article 13 of the Rome Statute, to which 

Nigeria is a state party. It said cases of electionrelated 

violence, intimidation and killings 

between 1999 and 2019 should be initiated 

for proper investigation and prosecution. The 

Independent National Electoral Commission, 

INEC, should intensify its awareness, 

enlightenment and public education 

programmes on the dangers of electoral 

violence and sanctions to be meted out to 

perpetrators. 

Political parties should allow internal 

democracy to flourish and caution their 

members against hate speech. More 

importantly, there is need to make political 

offices less attractive, to discourage the current 

penchant for do-or-die politics, god-fatherism 

and neopatrimonialism. Sponsors and those 

caught engaging in electoral violence should 

be severely punished in line with the Electoral 

Act, 2010 (as amended). Being a civil offence, 

executive immunity does not cover election 

petitions and electoral offences, as per the case 

of Turaki v. Dalhaltu (2003) 38 WRN 54 at 

168, hence no one should be shielded from 

prosecution. 

•Kupoluyi wrote from Federal University of 

Agriculture, Abeokuta, FUNAAB.


We’ll turn riverine communities to modern towns— Okowa 


A SABA—GOVERNOR 

Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta 

State, yesterday, assured 

that his administration will 

turn most of the riverine 

communities to modern 

towns in the next four 

years, when re-elected to 

office for a second term. 

Okowa, who gave the 

assurance while 

commissioning some 

projects in Oboghoro and 

Don’t turn N’Delta to battlefield, 

Ijaw tell FG 

By Emma Amaize 

& Perez Brisibe 

THE Ijaw nation, on the 

platform of Ijaw 

National Congress, INC, 

has asked President 

Muhammadu Buhari and 


APC-led Federal 

Government not to 

militarise Ijawland ahead of 


and state House of 


Similarly, Ijaw Youth 

Council, IYC, has warned 

political actors and security 

agencies against turning 

Niger Delta states into war 

zones over the polls. 

IYC, in a statement by 

Mr. Eric Omare, said it was 

worried by the mounting 

tension in the region, two 

By Onozure Dania 

A 

political pressure 

group, G8, yesterday, 

commended the recent 

appointment of one of their 

own, Mr. Sunday Eguke, 

as Special Assistant on 

Youth Mobilisation to 

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of 

Delta State. 

The group, after its 

meeting, also promised to 

massively mobilise votes for 

Utonlila communities, Warri 

North Local Government 

Area of the state, said those 

living in the creeks should 

not be deprived access to 

basic amenities. 

Some of the projects 

commissioned are 24 units 

of two bedroom semidetached 

bungalows, 

multipurpose hall, water 

scheme with treatment 

plant, concrete walkway, 

pedestrian bridge, concrete 

landing jetty, fishing boats, 

days to March 9 elections, 

especially in the light of the 

accusations and counteraccusations 

by the major 

political parties and actors 

across key Niger Delta 

states of Delta, Bayelsa, 

Rivers and Akwa Ibom. 

INC, on its part, also 

pledged its support for 


PDP, noting that “PDP and 

its governorship candidates 

share the kind of aspiration 

that the Ijaw nation shares 

when it comes to 

restructuring and liberation 

of its people.” 

Ijaw Council’s stance 

Speaking to Vanguard 

yesterday, spokesperson of 

INC Steering Committee, 

Alaowie Broderick Bozimo, 

explained that the position 


PDP, in the March 9 

elections. 

The group, in statement 

by its Secretary, Mr. 

Morgan Ogapha, said the 

Okowa-led administration 

has done so much for the 

people of Ughelli North 

Local Government Area of 

the state, and the only way 

to appreciate Governor 

Okowa was to come out 

massively to mobilise and 

among others. 

He also commissioned 

concrete jetties at Ogheye 

Dimigun community and 

Koko, all in Warri North 

council. 

He said: “It is important 

as a country that we 

begin to think of how to 

impact lives of our people 

in the riverine areas. If 

you seek peace, and 

partnership with the 

people, you need to do 

things that will make 

•...accuse security agents 

of being party tools 

taken was that the Ijaw will 

support the PDP in the 

forthcoming governorship 

elections, specifically 

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of 

Delta State and other 

candidates in the Southern 

states where the Ijaw 

nation is predominant. 

He said: “Though the 

position has been 

highlighted by the INC 

steering committee, but I am 

re-emphasising that 

position as we believe that 

PDP can deliver for us and 

we demonstrated it during 

the presidential election 

and do not want that 

message confused now 

that we have got to the 

governorship stage. 

“So I am appealing to our 

sons and daughters that the 

G8 lauds Okowa over Eguke’s appointment 

canvass votes for him for 

Saturday’s election. 

G8 noted that before 

Eguke's appointment, they 

had plans to give massive 

votes to Okowa, pointing 

out that the appointment 

further spurred them to 

expedite action on their 

resolve to go to all parts of 

Ughelli North to ensure the 

people turn out en masse 

for Okowa, Prince Eric 

Oharisi and Kenneth Ibru. 

them happy. 

“I can see that people 

are excited, but I am more 

excited to be in this 

community, because from 

your statements this is the 

first time a governor is 

visiting this area to 

commission projects. 

“Living in the creeks 

should not deprive people 

of basic necessities of life 

and in the next four years, 

we shall develop more 

towns in the creeks.” 

BRIEFING:From left—Personal Assistant to Moyosore Ogunlewe, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, 

candidate, Lagos State House of Assembly, Kosofe Constituency 1, Mr. Seyi Stephen; the candidate, 

Moyosore Ogunlewe, and Alhaji Tokunbo Yusuf during a briefing on the response to murder allegation 

against him in Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO: Kehinde Shonola. 

Ijaw have taken a position 

to stand firm for PDP in the 

March 9 election.” 

IYC 

Omare of IYC, on his part, 

said: “We have strong 

concerns that there may be 

outbreak of violence if the 

major players do not 

apply caution it their 

quest for power. 

“In order to nip this 

rising tension in the bud, 

we call on security 

agencies and the 



INEC, to be transparent in 

the conduct of the elections. 

“The security agencies 

must see themselves as 

officers and servants of 

the Federal Republic of 

Nigeria rather than any of 

the political parties or 

actors. In all the instances 

of violence recorded in 

the presidential and 


elections, the infamous 

role played by security 

agencies contributed 

greatly to the crisis. 

“Therefore, we call on 

the Chief of Defence Staff 

and the Inspector General 

of Police to strongly call 

on their officers to strictly 

comply with the rules of 

engagement.” 

C’River elders insist on zoning, 

back Ayade's re-election bid 

By Emma Una 

C ALABAR— 

POLITICAL 

leaders of the seven local 

government areas of the 

Central senatorial district 

of Cross River State have 

insisted on retaining the 

existing zoning 

arrangement in the state 

and have, therefore, 

thrown their weight 

behind the re-election of 

Governor Ben Ayade in 


election. 

Chief Asuquo 

Ekpenyong, leader of 

the 7-Alive Southern 

Senatorial Forum, said 

the district was billed to 

produce the next 

governor of the state in 

2023 after Ayade and 

therefore, their support 

was to enable the 

governor complete his 

PDP Chair says Presidency 

can’t make Deltans vote Ogboru 

By Akuopha 

Ochuko 

O 

Z O R O — 

CHAIRMAN of 

Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, in Isoko North 

Local Government Area, 

Delta State, Prince 

Godwin Ogorugba, has 

said All Progressives 

Congress, APC, cannot 

succeed in using the visit 

of Vice President Yemi 

Osinbajo to the state to 

hoodwink Deltans to vote 

for Chief Great Ogboru 

in the March 9 

governorship election. 

Reacting to the visit of 

the Vice President for a 

town hall meeting held 

at Effurun, Ogorugba 

said APC cannot 

withstand PDP at the 

polls, noting “no 

external forces, including 

I won't accept defeat 

until...—Onowakpo-Thomas 

By Gab Ejuwa 

FOLLOWING news 

reports, wherein 

Minority Leader of the 

House of Representatives, 

Mr. Leo Ogor, 

advised Joel 

Onowakpo-Thomas, 

House of Representatives 

candidate of All 


APC, for Isoko federal 

constituency to accept 

the February 23 National 

Assembly election result, 

Onowakpo-Thomas 

yesterday, insisted that 

the Independent 


Commission, INEC, 

must correct the 

eight years tenure and 

hand over to the district. 

His words: “We have 

supported this government 

from the start and we 

cannot abandon it now. 

With the Southern district 

set to produce the next 

governor in 2023, we have 

to do our best to make the 

transition hitch free.” 

Ekpenyong called on 

the leaders in the district 

to mobilise voters to vote 

en masse for Ayade and 

other contestants without 

fear as Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, would win 

without much struggle. 

“There is no fear of 

federal might because we 

are in charge and nobody 

can intimidate us. 

“It is when you do not 

have support that federal 

might can work. But we 

have massive support and 

so we fear nobody.” 

the Presidency, can 

determine who governs 

Delta State. 

“It is only Deltans that 

will vote for the governor 

of their choice and they 

have made up their minds 

to vote massively for 

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa. 

“No amount of 

intimidation with this visit 

of the Vice President can 

make Deltans change 

their minds on their 

collective resolve to vote for 

Okowa for equity and 

continuation of good 

governance.” 

He also condemned 

claims by APC's House of 

Representatives candidate 

for Isoko federal 

constituency, Mr. Joel 

Onowakpo-Thomos, that 

electoral materials were 

hijacked in Okpe-Isoko 

and Oyede communities. 

administrative error made 

when declaring results. 

He added that untill then 

he would not accept defeat 

or congratulate any 

fraudulent victory. 

In a statement by his 

media aide, Obah Sylva, 

Onowakpo-Thomas said: 

“Instead of giving answers 

to the issue raised in their 

statement, Ogor asked us 

to accept defeat. 

“Our issues are clear; we 

are yet to understand how 

a heavily-rigged election 

with less than 11,000 

winning margin can be 

termed a successful 

election, when there are 

over 41,000 votes that are 

outstanding.”

34—VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019 

GUBER, ASSEMBLY POLLS: 

INEC assures of uniform 

timing nationwide 

By Chinedu 

Adonu 

E 

N U G U — 

INDEPENDENT 


Commission, INEC, has 

assured uniform timing in 

the commencement of 

Saturday’s Governorship 

and State Assembly 

elections nationwide. 

INEC National 

Commissioner in-charge of 

Enugu/Anambra/Benue 

States, Mr Festus Okoye 

gave the assurance while 

briefing journalists in 

Enugu. 

Okoye, who spoke to 

newsmen on the 

preparedness of the 

commission for the polls, 

also said that there would 

be full deployment of the 

smart card readers 

nationwide. 

He said that the 

commission was ready to 

conduct free, fair and 

credible elections, adding 

that it had fine-tuned all 

the loose-ends 

encountered during the 

just concluded 


Assembly polls. 

According to him: “This 

time around, we want to 

ensure that each polling 

unit in the federation 

starts the process at 8 a.m. 

on the day of the 

elections. 

“So we want to make 

sure that all our ad-hoc 

staff and materials got to 

the polling units before 

7.30 a.m. 

“And the usage of the 

smart card readers will be 

universal in all the polling 

units”, he said. 

Okoye advised 

presiding officers to 

remain calm in the face of 

any threats from any 

quarters at the polling 

units but score that polling 

unit zero vote at the 

collation centre. 

70 political parties adopt 

Ugwuanyi 

By Chinedu 

Adonu 

SEVENTY political 

parties in Enugu State, 

under the auspices of 

Coalition of Registered 

Political Parties, CRPP, have 

unanimously adopted 

Governor Ifeanyi 

Ugwuanyi and 


the Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, as their 

consensus candidate for the 

March 9 governorship 

election in the state. 

The leaders of the political 

parties, who conveyed their 

stance to Ugwuanyi, when 

they paid him a courtesy 

visit at the Government 

House, Enugu, stated that 

“our mission here tonight 

is to reaffirm our total, 

unalloyed, unequivocal 

and unconditional support 

for your re-election as 

governor come March 9, 

2019, which is barely 

three days away.” 

The group’s coordinator, 

John Nwobodo, recalled 

that the body had in 

March 2018, “then 

consisting of 34 of the 

existing 40 registered 

political parties endorsed 

you for a second term in 

office”, disclosing that 

“today, the number of 

political parties that have 

joined in the crusade has 

increased to 70.” 

The representatives of 

the parties who 

expressed delight that 

Ugwuanyi’s ideology and 

programmes were “in 

tune and in line with 

theirs,” told the governor 

that “you now not only fly 

the flag of the PDP but you 

also the flags of the other 

political parties.” 

Caution those threatening lives, property 

of Igbo people, Ohanaeze youths urge FG 

By Chinedu 

Adonu 

E NUGU—YOUTH 

Wing of Ohanaeze 

Ndigbo, the apex Igbo 

socio-cultural group, has 

urged the Federal 

Government to caution 

those threatening the lives 

and properties of Igbos in 

Lagos. 

This warning was 

contained in a 

communiqué issued 

yesterday in Enugu after an 

Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth 

Wing meeting at the 

Enugu APC threatens to withdraw from 

gov, house of assembly polls 

By Emeka Mamah 

E NUGU—ENUGU 

State chapter of All 

Progressives Congress, APC, 

has threatened to boycott 

Saturday’s Governorship and 

State Assembly elections if the 



INEC, failed to produce result 

sheets for the election. 

State chairman of the party, 

Dr.Ben Nwoye and Director 

General of Senator Ayogu Eze 

Campaign Organisation, its 


KGB Oguakwa spoke at a 

joint news conference in 

Enugu. They issued the threat 

yesterday, saying that APC 

had uncovered a plan by 

the State Resident Electoral 

Commissioner, Emeka 

Ononamadu to hand over 

the result sheets of the 

election to the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, in 

the state. 

They alleged that PDP 

agents led by a serving 

senator had taken full 

posession of all the 

sensitive electoral materials 

at the Central Bank of 

Nigeria, CBN, office in 

Enugu and were removing 

the result sheets to make 

sure they had their way on 

Saturday. 

They further alleged that 

PDP agents along with the 

state chairman, Augustus 

Nnamani, were enjoying 

unfettered access into the 

CBN where the materials 

were deposited even as 

stern looking policemen 

prevented APC agents from 

gaining entrance to inspect 

polling materials. 

According to Nwoye, he 

was walked out of CBN 

when he responded to 

distress calls from some 

APC agents at the apex 

bank "but to my utter 

surprise, the state 

chairman of the PDP , 

Augustine Nnamani was 

given a warm reception in 

an air conditioned room 

inside CBN.” 

INEC and CBN officials 

however dismissed the 

allegation as false and 

baseless and urged all to 

come out and vote. 

secretariat of the group in 

Enugu. 

It called on state 

governors of the South- 

East and other Igbo 

speaking states to sit-up to 

their responsibilities of 

protecting and projecting 

Igbo identity and ideology. 

“The interest of the Igbo 

nation must be sacrosanct 

in the Nigerian factor. We 

urge them to use their good 

offices to beckon on 

President Muhammadu 

Buhari to act fast in the 

interest of peace and 

national cohesion.” 

The statement 

condemned in totality, the 

Igbo/Yoruba crisis in Lagos 

State, adding that leaders 

of the state should exercise 

caution in their words and 

actions, so as to stop 

heating up the polity. 

“Every citizen of Nigeria 

should be protected in any 

part of the country. The 

protection of lives and 

property of Ndigbo in Lagos 

and any other parts Nigeria 

is sacrosanct to Igbo nation, 

hence we advocate for 

peace. 

“We commend the 

Nsukka moves to get UNN VC position 

By Chinenyeh 

Ozor 

N SUKKA—THE 

people of Enugu 

North Senatorial Zone 

have risen and intensified 

efforts towards the 

realisation of the 

appointment of an 

indigenous vice chancellor 

for the University of 

Nigeria, Nsukka. 

Rising from a town hall 

meeting of the zone, 

Nsukka Town Union 

resolved to be more united 

in the struggle for an 


of the University which was 

cited on the soft green hills 

of Nsukka in 1960 and ever 

since then, the vice 

chancellorship position 

continued to elude the 

people inspite of all the 

efforts made in the recent 

past for the zone to produce 

an indigenous vice 

chancellor. 

Addressing the people, a 

prominent community 

leader and Special 

Assistant to the Enugu 

State Governor on Market 

Matters, Chief Aniebonam 

Ezugwu (Ike Echara) 

harped on the need for 

Nsukka to produce the next 

Vice Chancellor of the 

University as the 

incumbent vice chancellor 

Prof Benjamin Ozumba 

winds up his tenure June 

this year 

“Nsukka can’t continue 

with minor appointments 

such as security staff and 

gardener jobs with towering 

degrees while other 

citizens from different parts 

of the country occupy 

vantage positions in the 

university which remains 

the only feasible industry in 

the zone since 1960. 

"We have to go all out to 

achieve the dreams of 

having an Nsukka 

professor as the next vice 

Ikpeazu sacks 3 LG chairmen 

By Anayo Okoli 

U MUAHIA—LESS 

than two weeks after 

their appointment as 

Transition Committee 

chairmen, Governor 

Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia 

State has sacked three of 

the 17 chairmen and 

appointed their 

replacements. 

The Local Government 

Councils involved were 

Arochukwu, Osisioma and 

Isuikwuato. The chairmen 

appointed to oversee them 

were unceremoniously 

removed last week and 

immediately replaced. 

Though the governor did 

not make public the reasons 

for their removal, it was 

learned from sources that 

they were not seen as 

trusted PDP members 

“who will deliver their 

council areas to the party 

because that was the 

reason the governor 

Afenifere for their positive 

intervention in the matter,” 

it said. 

The statement also called 

on President Buhari to 

assent to the South-East 

Development Commission 

Bill. 

It congratulated Igbo all 

over the world for the show 

of brotherhood and sense 

of unity in the Feb. 23 

presidential elections. 

“By this singular act, we 

have shown to the rest of 

the world that the Igbo 

nation is united and 

indivisible,” it said. 

From left—Andrew Clark, Vice President, Moven; Olufemi Muraino, Executive Director, 

Inlaks; Anil Uttamsingh, International Business, Moven; Femi Adeoti, Managing Director, 

Inlaks; and Kesh Talwar, Global Revenue Officer, Moven at Inlaks head office in Lagos. 

chancellor of UNN for the 

first time,” he said. 

Ezugwu called on 

stakeholders in the six local 

government areas of the 

zone to join hands in the 

crusade for the realisation 

of the appointment of an 


of the university, adding 

that it was high time the 

zone stopped sitting on the 

fence. 

The governor’s aide 

urged prominent 

indigenes of Nsukka 

extraction to rise up and 

draw attention of the 

powers that be at the 

presidency and National 

Assembly to the plight of 

Nsukka people with respect 

to the vice chancellorship 

position at UNN. 

inaugurated the chairmen 

this time”. 

Swearing-in the new 

chairmen, Governor 

Ikpeazu charged them to 

ensure electoral victory for 

the PDP in Saturday’s 

election in their respective 

councils. 

According to him, the 

appointees were carefully 

chosen to intervene to bring 

stability and victory to the 

PDP in Saturday’s polls.

VANGUARD, THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019—35 

Court disqualifies Taraba APC gov candidate over age 

By Femi Bolaji 

JALINGO—LESS than 

three days to the 



elections, a Federal High 

Court sitting in Jalingo, 

Taraba State capital, has 

disqualified the state's 


All Progressive Congress, 

APC, Sani Danladi, over 

age falsification. 

The court, presided over 

by Justice Stephen Pam, 

gave the order in a case 

filed by Usman Udi, Joshua 

Paaku, George Geoffrey 

and Tanko Muslim 

By Etop Ekanem 

DELTA State Deputy 

Governor, Kingsley 

Otuaro has urged Deltans 

and Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, supporters in 

riverine communities of the 

state, to leverage on military 

presence and troop out en 

masse and vote during the 


House of Assembly polls on 

March 9, 2019. 

Otuaro, who represented 

Governor Ifeanyi Okwa in 

Warri yesterday, at a 

stakeholders' meeting of 

Delta South senatorial 

district, allayed fears that 

the increased military 

presence, especially in the 

riverine areas of the state, 

may lead to intimidation/ 

harassment of voters during 

the polls. 

He said: “I have the 

instructions of Governor 

Okowa, who is the Chief 

Security Officer of the state, 

to assure you that the 

security forces in all parts 

of the state are not here to 

molest anyone who goes 

out to peacefully exercise 

his or her civic 

responsibility of voting in 

the elections. 

Munkaila against Danladi, 

APC and Independent 


Commission, INEC. 

The court, in its ruling, 

ordered that “the first 

defendant, Sani Danladi, is 

prohibited from parading 

himself as the candidate of 

the second defendant, APC 

in the governorship 

election for Taraba State 

slated for March 9 or any 

subsequent date. 

“It is hereby declared that 

the information contained 

in Danladi's affidavit 

supporting his personal 

particulars that he was born 

on February 14, 1968 is in 

“Voters, therefore, need 

not be afraid of the military 

presence. 

“I want to advise speed 

boats operators conveying 

voters to various locations 

in the riverside 

communities in Delta 

South to drive carefully 

By Jimitota 

Onoyume 

WARRI—NIGER Delta 

activist, Chief Rita 

Lori-Ogbebor, has led 

hundreds of Itsekiri women 

in Warri, Delta State, on the 

platform of Warri women 

Consultative Assembly, to 

call for the re-election of 

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa 

for a second term. 

Lori-Ogbebor, in an 

address read by her aide, 

Mr. Kennedy Awani, 

yesterday at the rally, said 

Governor Okowa had 

revisited and completed 

several abandoned 

projects in Itsekiri 

communities, adding that 

he had shown that he truly 

deserved a second term to 

conflict with his date of birth 

contained in the West 

African Senior School 

Certificate submitted by him 

to the third defendant, 

INEC, which indicates that 

he was born on April 3, 

1977. 

“That the information 

given by Danladi as to his 

age in the affidavit in 

support of his personal 

particulars in INEC Form 

CF001 submitted to INEC 

by him is hereby declared 

false and hereby 

disqualified from 

contesting election as the 

candidate of APC in the 

governorship election for 

within reasonable speed 

limits and freely raise alarm 

for help to the military 

security operatives around, 

in the event of imminent 

danger. 

“The security operatives 

have been tasked to exhibit 

high professionalism and 

are expected to protect and 

would not, in their duties, 

harass voters. 

effectively develop the state. 

She recalled how the 

governor constructed a jetty 

in her Ajigba community 

through the Delta State Oil 

Producing Areas 

Development Commission, 

DESOPADEC, within a 

space of three months, 

stressing that Okowa had 

been focused on 

developing communities 

since he came on board as 

governor of the state. 

She said: “I took a picture 

of Olere Creek; this is an 

area which produces the 

wealth of this country. Most 

of the oil in Delta State 

comes from Dibi/Olero 

creek. Yet these people have 

no water to drink and no 

hospitals. 

“I took my complaints to 

Taraba state.” 

Reacting, Chairman of the 

state APC, Ibrahim Elsudi, 

in a briefing, claimed 

agents of PDP were behind 

the disqualification. 

He noted that while efforts 

were on to seek legal 

redress, “we wish our 

teaming supporters to note 

that this issue had been 

taken to court in the year 

2007 and was subsequently 

dismissed by the Appeal 

Court. 

“It should also be noted 

that judgments passed by 

the appeal court supersedes 

those of the lower courts in 

the country.” 

MTN SMART FEATURE: From left—Senior Manager, Data &Devices Marketing & Strategy 

Division, Mr. Abiodun Ajayi; Sales & Distribution Executive, Mr. Adekunle Adebiyi; Chief Enterprise Business 

Officer, Lynda Saint-Nwafor; Chief Marketing Officer, Mr. Rahual De, and General Manager, Brand & 

Communication, Mr. Richard Nweanoge, all of MTN Nigeria, at the launch of MTN Smart Feature Phone 

in Lagos. PHOTO: Akeem Salau. 

Okowa assures Deltans of security 

during polls 

“I like to reassure you and 

through you to the teeming 

supporters of PDP, especially 

in the riverine areas, to 

come out en masse and 

massively vote Okowa and 

all other PDP candidates to 

help us continue our visible 

and positively-impacting 

prosperity-for-all 

programmes and achieve a 

stronger Delta State.” 

... as Rita Lori-Ogbebor leads Itsekiri women 

in campaign for Okowa's re-election 

Governor Okowa and with 

the picture of abandoned 

water projects, hospitals 

that had been done halfway 

and deserted. 

“You could see the pity in 

his eyes and he said to me, 

‘I will do it. Give me two 

months, I will deliver’. 

Ubeji Road had been 

neglected for years, he is 

nearly completing it. It is 

for these reasons we are 

backing him. 

“We have an unwritten 

agreement where the 

governorship is rotated 

among the ethnic groups. 

“It is the turn of Delta 

North ,where Okowa 

comes from. We must give 

him the opportunity to 

complete his term for 

peace sake.” 

Vote APC candidates, 

Oyegun tells Edo electorate 

By Gabriel 

Enigholase 

B 

E N I N — 

IMMEDIATE 

past National Chairman 

of All Progressives 

Congress, APC, Chief 

John Odigie-Oyegun, 

has appealed to the 

electorate to vote for all the 

party’s candidates at the 

March 9 elections, to 

enable Governor Godwin 

Obaseki have the 

legislative backing. 

In a statement in Benin 

City, yesterday, the former 

governor of Edo State said 

the state House of 

Assembly plays a vital role 

in the decisions that affect 

the economic and social 

wellbeing of the people, 

adding that the governor 

“requires a solid majority 

to successfully discharge 

By Peter Duru 

M AKURDI— 

BENUE youths, 

yesterday, trooped into the 

streets of Makurdi, the 

Benue State capital, 

protesting the recent call 

by the leadership of All 


APC, for the deployment 

of the military to the state 

to oversee Saturday’s 



elections in the state. 

The youths, who 

displayed placards some 

of which read “We say no 

to the militarisation of 

Benue,” “Where was the 

military when our people 

were butchered by 

herdsmen,” “Don’t use 

the military to rig Benue 

elections,” “APC don’t 

drag the military into 

politics,” matched to 

Government House to 

AHEAD of Saturday’s 

governorship and 

Houses of Assembly 

elections, 36 political 

parties, yesterday, 

declared support for the 

re-election bid of 

Governor Samuel Ortom. 

The political parties, on 

the platform of Forum of 

Registered Political 

Parties, Benue State 

chapter, made the 

declaration through the 

forum’s Chairman, Mr. 

Godwin Odeh, when 

leaders of the parties paid 

a solidarity visit on the 

governor in Makurdi. 

Mr. Odeh said the forum 

resolved to support 

Governor Ortom after an 

assessment of his efforts 

his responsibilities.” 

His words: “The 

presidential and National 

Assembly elections have 

come and gone and APC 

won. We must now repeat 

that victory in a more 

resounding and emphatic 

way in the forthcoming 

state House of Assembly 

election. 

“It has become 

necessary to make this 

strong appeal. Each time 

I am in Benin, I have 

observed an 

overwhelming consensus 

across all levels of the 

society that the governor 

has performed excellently 

in all areas of governance 

and that he does so with 

no attempt at selfglorification. 

“Such a man deserves 

undiluted legislative 

support.” 

Benue youths protest 

deployment of troops for polls 

register their protest. 

Speaking on behalf of 

the youths, Pastor Dave 

Ogbole said they had it on 

good authority that a top 

military personnel had 

already been drafted to 

the state to oversee the 

Saturday elections. 

Receiving the youths, 

Governor Samuel Ortom, 

who noted that elections 

in the state had been 

peaceful, regretted that 

leaders of APC were bent 

on using the military to 

subvert the coming 

election. 

He said: “APC in Benue 

has been depleted due to 

in-fighting. We are going 

into the elections 

prepared. 

“It is not a do-or-die 

matter. We know and they 

also know that Benue is 

PDP and the people will 

resist any attempt to 

subvert the process.” 

... as 36 parties endorse Ortom 

in ensuring the defence of 

the Benue Valley against 

internal and external 

oppressors. 

According to him, “by 

this decision we have also 

resolved to channel our 

networks through our 

structures to mobilise our 

members to vote for you, 

Governor Ortom in 

Saturday’s election. 

“We have no other 

choice but you, hence 

through our expanded 

networks we have also 

fought to ensure Benue 

land was not surrendered 

to external and internal 

oppressors and we will 

continue to remain committed 

to the struggle for a 

better and free Benue.”


Tinubu as punching-bag of 

sore election losers 

By Salisu Balogun 

THE voting pattern in the South-west on Febru 

ary 23 when Nigerians voted for President will 

surely continue to draw varied reactions from across 

the land. There are those who consider it a hardearned 

victory for APC salesmen who did a yeoman’s 

job and there are those who like to downplay 

the glory of such APC leaders. 

On aggregate, incumbent President Muhammadu 

Buhari defeated his closest rival, Atiku Abubakar, 

hands down in Yorubaland, except in Oyo and Ondo 

where the candidate of Peoples Democratic Party 

(PDP) won by a narrow margin. 

Across the country, APC scored 15,191,847 votes 

to defeat PDP which scored 11,262,978. But the figures 

are generally considered unimpressive given 

the total number of registered voters in the country. 

Out of over 82 million names on INEC’s voters register, 

only a paltry 28 million showed up that day, 

representing a third of the registered voters. 

But whichever way we look at it, the February 23 

exercise was quite historic in the sense that a few 

myths were shattered just as a good number of those 

hitherto considered political heavyweights were completedly 

demystified in their respective bases. 

First is the cult of retired generals who did not hide 

their opposition to Buhari’s candidature and did 

everything humanly possible including a campaign 

of calumny to stop him, but to no avail. The outcome 

of the elections clearly showed that they were out of 

tune with the people who actually determine who 

becomes president, governor or what have you. 

Again, you also have ethnic entrepreneurs, especially 

in the south, who had hedged their fortune on 

Buhari’s defeat, just as we also have closet politicians 

masquerading as religious leaders. This latter 

category had more or less turned their sectarian platforms 

to a whip to lash Buhari continuously. You also 

have their allies in a section of the media who resorted 

to name-calling, all targeted at demarketing the 

APC presidential candidate. 

Having watched their dream turn smoke following 

the announcement of the polls’ results, this coalition 

of sore losers seem to have found a new pastime 

- bashing of the co-Chairman of the APC Presidential 

Campaign, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. It explains 

the spate of media attacks on APC National Leader 

lately. 

Perceived low turnout of voters in Yorubaland 

Even while joyous members of APC are still toasting 

Tinubu and other leaders of the campaign council, 

these sore losers have gone to the ridiculous extent 

of trying to detract from the victory by peddling 

the falsehood that Tinubu was no longer influential 

in South-West on account of perceived low turnout of 

voters in Yorubaland and Buhari’s loss in two states 

- Oyo and Ondo. Very funny indeed. Like we say 

rhetorically in Yorubaland, they say someone is bigger 

than you and you sneer shamelessly that it is 

just by a bit. So, if it is that easy, why were you unable 

to add that “small bit” to your own so that you 

can be bigger than that person? 

Of course, PDP’s victory in Oyo is easily attributable 

more to two local factors: popular disenchantment 

with some of Abiola Ajumobi’s policies as well 

as the discontentment arising from the APC primaries 

which led to the exit of influential members like 

Christopher Alao-Akala to ADP and Senator Soji 

Akanbi to ADC to pursue his senatorial ambition. 

He is the incumbent senator representing Oyo South 

senatorial district. 

In electoral mathematics, Ibadan city alone undoubtedly 

accounts for about sixty percent of Oyo 

vote. The truth of the matter is that many influential 

groups in Ibadan were unhappy with the chieftaincy 

reforms introduced by the Ajimobi administration. 

They considered them as an attempt to erode 

the power, prestige and influence of the Olubadan 

of Ibadan. 

So, the anger was expressed loudly by voting 

against APC. 

Also, Alao-Akala’s exit negatively impacted on APC 

as the party lost a significant number of votes in 

Ogbomoso where the ADP candidate is strong. But 

the the good news is that the party leaders have now 

done the needful by reconciling with him ahead of 

the state election and he has promised to join forces 

with APC for the March 9 polls. 

It is, therefore, wrong to say that APC’s loss that 

day was an expression of dislike for Buhari. Rather, 

it was brought about by the mismanagement of local 

*Bola Tinubu 

politics by the ruling party. 

As for Ondo State, it was clearly the case of a divided 

house. Though the governor’s stool is not in contest 

this year, there were unresolved issues around 

the primaries conducted last October to select candidates 

for the state assembly as well as the National 

Assembly. Most of the candidates that emerged were 

not the favorites of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu. The 

former NBA president has never hidden his bitterness 

over the development. Unfortunately, the issues 

were not redressed before the party went into the 

February 23 election. The result was the defeat of the 

party by Atiku. 

Of course, overall, it should be admitted that PDP 

had a bankable message for the South-west voters 

on February 23 - restructuring. Anyone familiar with 

the progressive values subscribed to by the Yoruba 

generally will easily understand that Atiku’s promise 

quite resonated well with the people. It gave some 

So, let no one try to downplay the 

yeoman’s role Tinubu and other 

APC leaders did in the South-west 

to tip the pendulum of victory in Buhari’s 

favour 

elements within Afenifere whose electoral value had 

depreciated in their respective bases because of their 

flirtations with Goodluck Jonathan in his failed bid 

for second term a new political oxygen of sorts. 

Suddenly, they had something to crow about and 

a perfect excuse to take up briefs from Atiku as his 

salesmen in Yorubaland. While executing their brief 

as Atiku’s marketers, it became quite fashionable 

for these elements to portray Tinubu as opposing 

restructuring and therefore working against Yoruba 

interest by campaigning for Buhari’s second term. 

They got even dirty by trying to blame the migrant 

herdsmen’s sacking of farmlands in Yorubaland 

and inflicting bodily wounds on farmers on 

Tinubu. 

It, therefore, took a lot of hardwork and leg-work 

to convince the people otherwise. The discerning 

Yoruba surely know better. They refused to buy the 

cheap stories by such mischief-makers. They know 

Tinubu’s partnership with Buhari has paid off for 

South-west in terms of dividends of democracy. 

Thanks to his negotiating skills, a Yoruba man in 

the person of Professor Yemi Osinbajo became Buhari’s 

running-mate in 2015 and has now been reelected 

with Buhari for a second term which ends 

in 2023. Not only that, Yoruba were saddled with 

strategic portfolios in Buhari’s first term. In term of 

federal projects, the South-west could not be said to 

have been marginalized in anyway. Ready examples 

is the construction and completion of new railway 

line between Lagos and Abeokuta, even as 

work is in advanced stage for the Lagos-Ibadan 

end. 

So, let no one try to downplay the yeoman’s role 

Tinubu and other APC leaders did in the South-west 

to tip the pendulum of victory in Buhari’s favour. 

*Engineer Salisu Balogun wrote from Ibadan, 

Oyo State. 

Restructuring versus the 

labours of our heroes past 

By Isidore Emeka Uzoatu 

THE much maligned 2019 

federal elections has come 

and gone. Like so many pundits 

were cocksure even before 

the first ballot was cast, President 

Muhammadu Buhari was 

by it returned to a second tenure 

of four years. Notably, among 

other things, it was wished in 

the main to enable him finish all 

the good works he had begun 

upon victory in the 2015 exercise. 

As the hullabaloo about the 

‘resounding’ electoral success 

yet simmers, the time is apt to 

regurgitate some of its determinants. 

The restructuring of the country’s 

geo-political architecture 

remains the hottest in this volatile 

field. Even as many are yet 

to come to terms with it, apart 

from the corruption and integrity 

doppelganger, it remains the 

next distinguishable parameter 

between the two frontrunners in 

the election. Any wonder then 

that most of the ‘ethnic’ groupings 

through their umbrella organisations 

endorsed the candidate 

that promised to carry out 

this – no doubt – onerous surgery 

on the country upon his 

ascension to the presidency after 

the election. 

These organisations apart, 

notable voices of reason across 

the country did not fail to personally 

harp on the rationale for 

this all-important move. Like 

Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former 

Secretary General of the Commonwealth 

of Nations. In one 

of his observations to the federal 

government and INEC ahead 

of the selfsame elections, he 

opined that it was the only way 

for our country to succeed on the 

road to political stability and realisation 

of its rich development 

potential. According to him, all 

this will involve is the restructuring 

of our present governance 

architecture ‘to the true federalism 

practised in the years before 

the military intervened in our 

national politics’. 

And there lies the rub. 

It was well known that before 

the achievement of independence 

from Britain, the heroes 

of that struggle had endless harangues 

with Westminster. It 

ended up bequeathing us a federalist 

constitution that saw the 

constituent regions agreeing to 

develop each according to its 

ability with little emphasis on the 

centre. Like the document specified, 

each was then to pay requisite 

taxes to the central government. 

All agreed, it was 

signed, sealed and delivered on 

the 1st of October, 1960 well before 

its republican follow-up 

some three years later. 

As recorded in the Time Magazine 

of 10th November, 1958 

‘delighted’ Londoners watched 

‘ceremonially dressed Nigerians’ 

for an entire month ‘parade 

into Lancaster House’ for the 

historic conference that bequeathed 

us independence. As 

derogatory as the piece came, it 

highlighted the internal divisions 

between the then three regions 

that made up the country 

very well. ‘Behind the scenes,’ 

it went, ‘the conference had revealed 

ominous signs of trouble 

to come.’ So much that in spite 

of all the jubilation accompanying 

the ‘success’ of the assembly, 

in the article’s words, ‘Nigeria’s 

West African Pilot felt 

obliged to warn: ‘’Independence 

without difficulties is a 

dream of Utopia.” 

According to him, 

all this will involve is 

the restructuring of 

our present governance 

architecture ‘to 

the true federalism 

practised in the years 

before the military intervened 

in our national 

politics’ 

It should therefore beat the 

imagination of every supposedly 

true citizen of this country that 

all it took to dismantle this noble 

arrangement was the action 

of five disgruntled majors of the 

nascent nation’s military. Following 

their abortive attempt to 

take over the government of the 

country, they had been overrun 

by the military hierarchy. In the 

confusion they had bequeathed 

us a unitary system that has 

proved our undoing to date. Like 

is, since 1966, it has survived 

military coups on end till the 

1999 return to a military-gifted 

democracy that still has since the 

army in charge somehow. 

As they ran out of ideas in 

uniform, their retired officers had 

run the gauntlet overtly and covertly 

to the utter disdain of true 

democrats. Sidelined to mere 

errand men, the best brains in 

the land have watched the land 

battered by all kinds of malaise 

occasioned by purposeless and 

inept leadership. Indeed, it has 

come to appear as though the 

military is the only place to acquire 

leadership potentials in 

this land. The development it 

was that had seen its first 

graduate member enlisting, to 

his own avowal. Albeit 

prompted by developments in 

South America, this was to 

play out to the letter here. And 

surprisingly, it still does; as 

proved by the just concluded 

poll. 

However, now that the reality 

is slowly dawning on us, 

this is a call to all who have 

realised the importance of this 

clarion call not to lose hope. 

Like evangelists we should 

keep the good fight up. The 

journey of a thousand miles, 

it is said starts with a single 

step. Like it is, we are well past 

the second. Proselytising does 

not often have to be by force or 

electoral fraud to be real. To be 

most effective, it has to come in 

the shape of a ‘reality yarn’ as 

the young will rap. 

To this has been given the credence 

of the truth that oil money 

on which the fiction of our 

unitary economy is based is 

slowly drying up worldwide. 

Like it stands, the possibility of 

the nation subsisting on this fictive 

arrangement for longer is 

now clearer than crystal. Therefore, 

the sooner we shape up, 

the better for us living now as 

well as generations yet unborn. 

If nothing else, we would have 

succeeded in playing to those 

iconic lines of our national anthem 

that says that ‘The labours 

of our heroes past/Shall never 

be in vain.’ 

*Isidore Emeka Uzoatu, author 

of the novel Vision Impossible, 

wrote in from Onitsha.

Abia charter of equity and social justice 

By Enyinnaya Appolos 

ABIA State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, 

recently put the governorship 

candidates of the All Progressive Grand 

Alliance, APGA, Mr. Alex Otti and All 

Progressive Congress, APC, Mr. Uche Ogah, 

on the spot when he questioned their 

understanding of the political consideration, 

based on the existing Abia Charter of Equity, 

that defines power sharing or leadership 

succession in the state. 

Speaking when he commissioned the 3.8km 

Umuode road in Osisioma Ngwa Local 

Government Area, Ikpeazu, who is also the 

governorship candidate of the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, in Saturday’s 

governorship election in the State, said his 

opponents (Otti and Ogah) lack basic sense of 

social justice and equity. He added that they 

cannot comprehend the scale and scope of what 

his administration has done for the 

development of the state. 

According to him: “Our opponents can’t just 

comprehend the scale and scope of what we 

are quietly doing. They are not on the political 

firmament of our state, and they do not exist. 

How can those who lack basic sense of social 

justice and equity want to run for the position 

of governor in a state. We will not allow them 

to destroy the understanding of equity and 

justice which our fathers signed in the Abia 

Charter of Equity, at the creation of our dear 

state. 

“The Abia Charter of Equity stipulates that 

the governorship seat of Abia will rotate 

among the three senatorial districts of the 

state- that is Abia North, Abia Central and 

Abia South. Abia North governed from 1999 

to 2007 when Chief Orji Uzo Kalu was 

governor. After his eight years tenure, he 

handed over to Abia Central from 2007 to 2015 

with Senator Theodore Orji in charge. I came 

in 2015 for Abia South; going by the provision 

of the Abia 

Charter of Equity, 

Abia South 

should be 

supported by 

Abia North and 

Central to 

complete their 

term of eight 

years. No one 

zone in Abia is 

more Abian than 

the other zone. 

Abia belongs to 

all Abians, and 

we from Abia 

South will not 

allow anyone to 

deprive us our 

right.” It should 

Equity in 

politics is all 

about sharing 

political power 

among the three 

zones of the 

State; our charter 

of equity has to 

be binding on 

anyone who 

wants to run 

gubernatorial 

election 

be noted that 

Uche Ogah hails from Isiukwuato local 

government area in Abia North, while Alex 

Otti hails from Arochukwu local government 

area in the same Abia north, where former 

governor Kalu also hails from. In what appears 

to be singling out Otti who hails Arochukwu 

and chose a running mate from Ohafia, 

another local government in Abia North, 

Governor Ikpeazu said: “One of my opponents 

is from Arochukwu, a local government area 

in Abia North, and he went to Ohafia, another 

local government area in the same Abia North, 

and picked his running mate. Meanwhile, 

Arochukwu and Ohafia local government 

areas are in one federal constituency with a 

seat in the House of Representatives. So what 

will this opponent of mine tell the rest 15 local 

governments in the state? That is why I said 

they they lack basic sense of social justice, 

equity, and we will not allow them destroy our 

states.” 

In a related development, Prof. Mkpa Agu 

Mkpa, who is a major Abia stakeholder from 

Abia North Senatorial District, former 

commissioner for education during the Orji 

Kalu (1999-2007) administration and former 

Secretary to State Government (SSG) (2007 - 

2015) during the Theodore Orji 

administration, has called on his Abia North 

brothers- Ogah and Otti, to abide by the 

provisions of the Charter of Equity, which he 

argues favoured the zone when Orji Kalu 

•Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, Abia State governor 

governed the state for eight years of two four 

year terms. 

Professor Mkpa, who was also a former Vice 

Chancellor of the Abia State University 

said: “Equity in politics is all about sharing 

political power among the three zones of the 

State. Our charter of equity has to be binding 

on anyone who wants to run gubernatorial 

election. It is not optional to be obeyed. It is 

only greedy people and those who do not 

respect agreements that would disobey equity. 

“As you know, we are Igbos, we cry and weep 

that Federal Government relegates and 

marginalises us. Since after the war, we have 

been crying, asking when will it be our turn. 

That is the same thing those who founded Abia 

decided in 1981 and they planned it. I have a 

copy of the document. Our founding fathers 

said the seat of governorship should be 

rotatory. 

“Anyone who wants peace and development 

in Abia should accept and obey the Abia charter 

of equity. It is not lawful for people not to allow 

Governor Ikpeazu to complete his second 

tenure. We should respect it. Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu 

took eight years for Abia North, Chief T. A Orji 

took eight years for Abia Central; in Abia South, 

Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu should be allowed to 

complete eight years too. 

“ I think it is greedy, disobedience, ignorance, 

negation of peace that made people to 

disregard equity. If not greed, those two men 

from Abia North should have waited for 

another time. I call on them to be patient as 

four years is not four centuries. Would they like 

it if they are denied the opportunity to run for 

election when it is shifted to their zone? Abia 

charter of equity should be sustained. If it is 

destroyed, it would affect Abia North and 

Central negatively because Abia South and 

their brothers of Isiala Ngwa North, Isiala 

Ngwa South and Osisioma LGAs who are part 

of Abia Central, have the population. 

Speaking further on why he should be reelected, 

Governor Ikpeazu said: “Our 

government is a vision-driven. I have 

challenged those contending with me to discuss 

their vision. Can they forget what we have not 

been able to do and put forward their own 

vision? Let them do that because it was also 

their mistake in 2015 and they are repeating 

the same. They spend much time talking about 

what they feel I should have done and they 

forget to market their own vision. 

“But for me, Abians have seen what we have 

done in four years despite distractions by the 

same individuals contending with me now, and 

they know I will surely do more if re-elected as 

I know they will surely re-elect me on Saturday. 

The Enyimba Economic City we are driving is 

a private sector driven thing. The Leather City 

we’ve just done the ground-breaking is also on 

similar PPP model. Nibra Brazil is leading the 

Leather City, they are coming to collaborate 

with our government to do a private sectordriven 

thing. 

“Today, Abia is one of the strongest states in 

Nigeria in terms of foreign direct investment. 

The latest FDI report says Abia is also the third 

best in Nigeria, with more than $1.2 billion 

coming our way because of the work we have 

done in marketing the state. And I have proven 

to the people that I am a strong marketer; 

remember what we have done so far with 

Made-In-Aba.” 

•Appolos is CPS to Abia State governor 

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019 —37 

Ethnic strain as PDP’s election weapon 

By Tunde Rahman 

FOR Lagosians, this Sat 

urday’s governorship 

election promises to be decisive. 

It will put many issues 

finally to bed. One of the issues 

that must be put to rest is 

the chasm that some are trying 

to create disaffection between 

Yoruba and Igbo people 

in Lagos. Even among 

brothers within the same family 

who love and care for each 

other, differences arise at 

times. No two people can see 

eye to eye on all things. But 

because of the bonds of affection, 

shared interests and 

common objectives, brothers 

usually mend their differences 

and this process can even 

evoke a stronger, more empathetic 

relationship. 

The same holds true for the 

relationship between the two 

tribes. The relationship is a 

complex, multidimensional 

one running the full gamut of 

socio-cultural and political 

interaction and exchange. 

This means there will be 

points of harmony and convergence 

of interests as well 

as points where interests diverge. 

This is but a function of 

human nature and thus 

should generate no unique 

animus between the two 

groups. Truth be told this same 

dynamic is at work within 

each group. Neither Yoruba 

nor Igbo are entirely monolithic. 

Subdivisions and divisions 

exist within the groups 

that are as profound and telling 

as those between the two 

groups. The real issue is not 

that there are differences. The 

more pertinent issue is how we 

treat those matters. Do we allow 

these differences to enflame 

ethnic passions? Or do 

we resolve these differences as 

Lagosians seeking to resolve 

matters in a way that benefits 

all as citizens of the same Lagos. 

Cosmopolitan and 

broad-minded in outlook 

Lagos has been very accommodating 

because the people 

and the government in the 

state are cosmopolitan and 

broad-minded in outlook. The 

Lagos model has been a very 

good one. On a functional, day 

to day basis, we have tried to 

minimize the harsh distinction 

many places draw between 

indigene and others. We want 

people to function and see 

themselves as Lagosians. With 

the inclusion of Igbo in appointments 

as commissioners 

and chairmen of agencies in 

the state, which began during 

the Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s era 

as governor, Lagos has set a 

standard of ethnic inclusion in 

the governance of this state. 

The prism through which we 

view Saturday’s governorship 

elections has been altered by 

the results of the presidential 

election. Prior to the presidential 

contest, the PDP doused the 

nation with fulsome boasting 

that the election was already 

in their hands. They were celebrating 

victory before the players 

had even taken the field. 

Then reality came. They lost 

and lost by a great margin. 

Buhari won over 15 million 

votes. Barely clearing 11 million, 

Atiku Abubakar’s and the 

PDP’s defeat was a resounding 

one. They can shout as loud 

and as long as they want, they 

lost and they know they lost. 

The reality of this loss has set 

them on the path of desperation. 

Being rebuked from the 

seat of federal power, they have 

become adamant that they 

must conquer Lagos. They 

crave Lagos because they need 

access to government funds to 

maintain themselves and their 

party. They are still not accustomed 

to being the party in 

opposition. The funds they 

amassed after 16 years with 

their hand in the federal purse 

have been sorely depleted. If 

they can’t have access to federal 

money for another four 

years, then tapping into the 

Lagosian treasury is the next 

best thing in their estimation. 

Additionally, a sense of revenge 

motivates them to attack 

Lagos. Lagos is the home 

of the APC National Leader 

Asiwaju Tinubu. The PDP understands 

the pivotal role Tinubu 

played as the co-chairman 

of the winning presidential 

campaign council. He was at 

the heart of the campaign 

planning and strategy that culminated 

in the deracination of 

the PDP’s presidential hopes. 

So, in an act of desperate revenge, 

the PDP and many of its 

key personalities have shifted 

their angry attention and dwindling 

resources to Lagos in a 

bid to capture the state. 

PDP Presidential Candidate 

Atiku, outgoing Senate President 

Bukola Saraki, who also 

succumbed by tumultuous defeat, 

and their agents have 

committed themselves to this 

spiteful objective. The PDP believes 

Igbo were the bulk of the 

vote that Atiku achieved in 

Lagos during the presidential 

poll. The PDP has misread this 

as a sign of a great divide between 

Yoruba. 

Part of the dynamics at work 

during the presidential election 

has much to do with the 

presence of former Anambra 

State governor, Peter Obi, on 

the ballot as running mate to 

Atiku. Again, we must remember 

that the relationship is a 

complex one with many points 

of interaction. Some will be in 

unison but some will be different. 

Just as the Yoruba may understandably 

gravitate toward 

the APC because of VP Osinbajo, 

Igbo may have favored 

the PDP ticket because of Obi. 

Yet, this should not be construed 

for animosity. It is a 

point to develop greater understanding 

of each other for such 

is the way of human nature. 

Lagosians 

should vote for a 

greater Lagos 

where Igbo and 

Yoruba as partners 

join hand in 

friendship and 

productive cooperation 

Contrary to the prejudiced 

wagging of PDP hired tongues, 

Igbo in Lagos have fared well. 

Many important businesses 

and investments in Lagos belong 

to them. Ethnicity is not 

used as a bar to prevent anyone 

from realizing their dream 

and seeking their fortune in Lagos. 

No one is denied school, 

medical care or housing because 

of their surname. The 

Igbo who live here are fully Lagosians. 

They have a stake in 

the state and the state is better 

because of their contributions 

and the contributions of all 

who live here. Having invested 

in Peter Obi in the February 

23 vote, many Igbo will likely 

vote for Sanwo-Olu as governor, 

not due to any ethnic factors 

but simply because he is 

the most qualified and prepared 

candidate and because 

the PDP is not a viable alternative 

in Lagos since the PDP’s 

designs on Lagos are to drain 

the state resources not to use 

those resources for the people. 

Whereas the APC and its candidate 

are moving to douse 

whatever tension may have 

been engendered by any unfortunate 

and isolated incidents 

that occurred during the 

presidential poll, PDP and its 

candidate Agbaje are eagerly 

stoking discord because they 

believe such confrontation will 

profit their harmful aims. A few 

people may be taken in by these 

tricks. However, most people 

will maintain their rectitude 

and reason. Most people inherently 

know that such an 

important election – no election 

for that matter – should 

be reduced to ethnic bitterness 

and contestation. Rather, a 

meaningful election must be 

a contest of ideas between the 

candidates and a decision as 

to which candidate shall lead 

them to a greater Lagos. A 

greater Lagos benefits all while 

a lesser state impairs us all, irrespective 

of whether we are 

Yoruba or Igbo. 

You don’t need to look too 

deep to see the difference in 

posture between the two parties. 

The APC leaders and its 

candidate, Sanwo-Olu, have 

re-doubled their efforts, meeting 

Igbo leaders and people 

and members of other ethnic 

groups to ensure harmony, 

which remains our hallmark 

even during the intensity of the 

electoral period. This is why 

the atmosphere is one of tranquility 

and cooperation at the 

massive Aspamda Market 

and Balogun Business District 

among other places with 

heavy Igbo presence. 

Only on Tuesday, Asiwaju 

Tinubu met with NURTW 

leaders in Lagos where he appealed 

to them to eschew violence. 

According to him, people 

have the right to vote for 

any candidate of their choice. 

Links between the Yoruba 

and Igbo in Lagos 

Conversely, the PDP wants to 

rend the links between the Yoruba 

and Igbo in Lagos. Agbaje’s 

talking about Igbo allegedly 

receiving a short end of 

the stick in Lagos is but a cynical 

attempt at winning votes 

by lighting an ethnic bomb. 

But ask Agbaje, what has he 

ever really done for Igbo or 

anyone when he had a chance? 

He has only acted in his selfinterest. 

In the final analysis, however, 

what will win the election is 

not who best ignites ethnic dispute 

but who presents the better 

way to guide the state forward 

so that all of its people 

enjoy prosperity, live under 

equal justice and carry the 

hope of a greater future. Such 

things are not to be found with 

those who sow discord. These 

greater things are only found 

with those who have vision and 

who are compassionate and 

wise enough to understand that 

division only reduces what the 

future may bring. 

Lagos is for Lagosians and 

Lagosians must be for Lagos. 

That must be our standard. 

Any ploy to divide us is but a 

plan to ruin us. Lagosians 

should vote for a greater Lagos 

where Igbo and Yoruba 

as partners join hand in friendship 

and productive cooperation 

and not for a Lagos where 

our hands are at each other’s 

throat because we were deceived 

to see one another as 

enemies. If we are true to the 

spirit of Lagos, then we know 

that we are of each other. On 

Election Day, let us vote down 

animus and the PDP brokers 

of hatred. Let us vote for and 

realize our dream of an even 

greater Lagos. 

*Rahman, former Editor 

Thisday on Sunday Newspaper, 

is Media Adviser to Asiwaju 

Tinubu.

38— Vanguard, THURSDAY March 7, 2019 

YOUR LUCK TODAY 

By Joshua Adeyemo Phone 08056180139 

PISCES; Today’s influence does not encourage carelessness 

with money as such can actually lead to avoidable 

but serious troubles. Avoid jealous approach. 

ARIES; Do not encourage anybody and/or anything 

to under-rate others to their resentment the way you 

too’ll be negatively affected. Don’t ignore your spouse. 

TAURUS; Do away with whatever can not be placed 

above board. Take your health seriously today more 

than before. 

GEMINI; Today’s Moon’s placement can tempt you to 

expose your love life unnecessarily. Separate your private/personal 

affairs and open friendship. 

CANCER Your mood may be affected and make you 

aggressive but, encouragement of tension along your 

career line and/or within your business circle can not 

help your cause now. Protection of your image is important 

however. 

LEO ; Moon’s placement may bring you what you’re 

likely to see as an insult but in reality it is not one. You 

only need to be on the right side of the law so that you’ll 

have the last laugh to the detriment of your opponents. 

Discourage all types of jealousy. 

VIRGO; There may be tension around you but, the best 

way for you not to be the loser is to make sure your 

finances are well protected. Then green eyed monster 

called jealousy may make things a little bit difficult. 

L E I S U R E 

TAKE HEART — ELLA RANDLE 

If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in 

small way.”- Martin Luther 

So keep the dream alive, we are never too old or too young to 

pursue our dreams. Always remember, the process is much 

more important, there is always one more step in continuity. 

Metaphorically. So look out for your shooting star in the night 

sky...they shine for us to make our lives brighter. 

— Ella Randle 

TERROR MUDA in “Never say goodbye” 

SAYINGS OF 

OUR PEOPLE 

As porridge benefits 

those who 

heat and eat it, 

so does a child 

benefit those 

that rear it. 

~Amharic Proverb 

By Kola Fayemi 

LIBRA; Personality clashes base on envy from the other 

party indicated. Slow down and give peace a chance at 

least for now. 

SCORPIO Moon’s influence points to possible misunderstanding 

(probably) within your working arena. This 

is the wrong time to fan the embers of discord. 

DUDU in “ROLLING HOT” By A.O. OLAIDE 

SAGITTARIUS; Although there may be tension, your 

wish is to have your good time. It’s wrong to under-rate 

the havoc jealousy can wreck. 

CAPRICORN; There will be pressure from many fronts, 

the more noticeable ones are career/business and domestic 

related types. 

AQUARIUS; You will need to watch what you sign and 

verbally agreed to do. If you fail to respect the law, it’ll 

back-fire very soon. 

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING 

ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELLING 

Send your date e and place of birth th to the Astr 

trological 

Counselling, P.M.B 100 

007, 7, Apapa, Lagos 

BASIC CHARACTERISTICS OF PISCES 

Pisces is the 12th of twelve Zodiac signs ruled by 

mysterious Neptune. It quality is mutable while it element 

is water. Mutable aspect of Pisces indicates 

that people born under this Star are changeable, by 

this I mean they change their minds often times. Being 

a water sign, natives of this Star have very strong 

intuition and can flow into anybody heart and/or 

mind. 

Neptune as the ruler of Pisces brings compassion and 

ARTISTIC talents into Pisces born people’s creativity 

quotient. Neptune rules psychic related thing and 

many of things that cannot be placed above board; 

Neptune makes most natives of this star sign secretive, 

hard to understand and dreaming. 

Two opposing fishes as joint symbol of Pisces 

oftentimes responsible for occasional confusion suffer 

by all natives of Pisces one time or the other. It is 

truly important for them to learn how to control both 

their emotion and mind. Because it is easy for Pisces 

people to become pessimistic unnecessarily The reasons 

are while one of the fishes may head for optimism 

and day dreaming, the other’s inclination may 

be of fear, despondency and timidity. Thus, confusion 

can creep in and that will be to the detriment of their 

confidence. 

Cultivation of practical nature and adoption of realistic 

method in all you do will be of great importance. 

It is equally important for Pisces born people 

to take psychic related things more seriously because 

they can make use of psychic and/or spiritual related 

things. 

VIRGINIA 

HOME & ABROAD 

dadadekola@yahoo.com 

By Lawrence Akapa



Imo 2019: Many candidates, easy choice 

AS Nigerians vote 

again on March 9, 

all eyes will be on Imo 

State for two reasons. 

First, with the exception 

of Rivers State, Imo, the 

Eastern Heartland, has 

acquired the notoriety of 

being the country’s 

electoral malevolence 

capital under Governor 

Rochas Okorocha’s 

watch. 

In the eight years that 

he has been at the helm 

of affairs, all rules of civil 

engagement have been 

torpedoed. He has taken 

the state hostage, 

literally. 

The chairman of the All 

Progressives Congress 

Imo State Governorship 

Primary Committee, 

Ahmed Gulak, narrated 

in October 2018 how he 

narrowly escaped being 

kidnapped in the state 

by persons he described 

as agents of Okorocha. 

Gulak, who said he left 

Owerri “under the cover 

of darkness at about 4:00 

a.m.,” declared the result 

of the primary election in 

Abuja. 

Fast-forward to the 

February 23 Presidential 


polls, in which Okorocha 

was a senatorial 

candidate. 

The Returning Officer, 

Prof Innocent Ibeawuchi, 

alleged that he was held 

hostage for almost 16 

hours until he declared 

Okorocha winner of an 

inconclusive election. 

“I was compelled to 

announce the result 

which was inconclusive. 

I am a man of integrity 

and it is not true that the 

governor (Okorocha) 

slapped me but I was 

held hostage by agents 

working for him. I was 

manhandled and I thank 

God I came back alive,” 

Ibeawuchi said on 

Monday, February 25, 

after he regained 

freedom. For his 

audacity, Okorocha 

labelled the Federal 

University of Technology 

Owerri, FUTO, lecturer a 

mad man and a criminal. 

On Tuesday, March 5, 

the Imo State Resident 

Electoral Commissioner, 

Prof. Francis Ezeonu, 

weighed into the matter, 

rebuking the governor. 

“Out in the field, there 

was too much turmoil, we 

battled with thugs for 

INEC materials; corps 

members were hijacked 

and returning officers 

harassed and intimidated 

and in a few places forced 

to declare results that 

were obviously concocted 

under duress. Some other 

staff were obviously 

compromised. The 

maxim was either to play 

along or be battered.” 

Ezeonu warned that if 

the state and its political 

gladiators continue on 

that trajectory, “we may 

come to a stage where no 

person will be willing to 

officiate during 

elections”. 

The brigandage is 

Okorocha’s winning 

formula which he hopes 

to deploy maximally in 

the governorship 

election. 

The second reason why 

Imo is the cynosure of all 

eyes is the fact that 65 

candidates, the highest in 

the 29 states holding 

governorship election on 

Saturday, are jostling to 

succeed Okorocha. 

The election will be 

interesting because the 

frontline contestants – 

Emeka Ihedioha, Hope 

Uzodinma, Ikedi 

Ohakim, Ifeanyi Ararume 

and Uche Nwosu – are 

well-known to the Imo 

electorate. So, while 

some of the governorship 

wannabes will be 

contented having their 

names on the ballot, the 

battle is that of the big 

five. 

Ihedioha, the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, 

hopeful was a Deputy 

and Acting Speaker of the 

House 

of 

Representatives. 

Uzodinma, the All 


APC, candidate, is a 

senator. Araraume, a 

former senator, flies the 

All Progressives Grand 

Alliance, APGA, flag and 

Nwosu, the Action 

Alliance, AA, flagbearer is 

Okorocha’s son-in-law 

and Chief of Staff; while 

Ohakim, the Accord 

Party, AP, candidate was 

a governor. 

The implication is that 

while the battle is tough, 

choice may be easy for 

the electorate given that 

they know the 

antecedents and 

pedigree of the major 

candidates. 

Today, Imo is in a deep 

hole dug by inept 

leadership and needs a 

steady hand that will pull 

it out of the morass. 

The state needs a man 

who has the capacity to 

do the yeoman job and 

not someone who revels 

Today, Imo is in 

a deep hole 

dug by inept 

leadership and 

needs a steady 

hand that will 

pull it out of 

the morass 

in leadership without 

responsibility. 

Imolites don’t want a 

helmsman who will be 

teleguided from outside, 

neither do they want a 

strongman. They simply 

want a leader who 

listens, an astute 

administrator, a due 

process aficionado, who 

will play by the rule. 

The way and manner 

each of the big five 

emerged as candidate is 

instructive. Three of 

them – Uzodinma, 

Nwosu, Ararume – are 

flying the APC banner on 

different political 

platforms. 

Ararume who was 

handed the APGA ticket 

by Anambra State 

governor, Willie Obiano, 

at the behest of Aso Rock, 

less than one month after 

defecting from the APC, 

will sure go back to his 

former party with the 

governorship trophy if 

he wins. 

Nwosu, the ultimate 

pawn in Okorocha’s 

political chessboard, also 

defected to AA because 

the Adams Oshiomholeled 

APC leadership 

preferred Uzodinma. If 

he wins, he will go back 

to APC. The trio are all 

part of the elaborate plot 

of the ruling party to 

retain power in Imo. 

Of the three, 

Uzodinma’s candidacy is 

the most intriguing. He 

neither enjoys the 

support of President 

Muhammadu Buhari 

who told party faithful in 

Owerri to vote for 

candidates of their 

choice, nor Okorocha. 

He is only in bed with 

Oshiomhole and many 

are wondering why the 

national chairman of a 

party that claims to be 

fighting corruption 

would throw his weight 

behind a man dogged by 

corruption allegations. 

Okorocha echoed the 

same sentiment last 

Friday when he 

wondered thus: “If 

Oshiomhole had meant 

well for APC and Imo 

people in particular, 

would he have given the 

ticket of the party to a 

man facing five 

corruption charges and 

having travel ban 

slammed on him to be 

the party’s candidate?” 

But that question 

should not be left for 

Oshiomhole alone to 

answer. It is one 

question that must 

concentrate the minds of 

Imo electorate as they 

cast their ballot on 

Saturday. 

And while not losing 

sight of Okorocha’s poser 

on Uzodinma, they must 

also remember 

Oshiomhole’s 

allegations against the 

governor and his son-inlaw 

at a campaign rally 

in Owerri late last year. 

The APC national 

chairman accused the 

chairman of his party’s 

Governors Forum of 

corruption and 

maladministration and 

urged the people to vote 

against him and his 

confederates. 

Truth is that Okorocha, 

Uzodinma and Nwosu 

are birds of the same 

plumage and Nwosu’s 

candidacy, like 

Uzodinma’s, is a 

poisoned chalice. Imo 

needs a candidate with a 

pedigree and 

governance worldview, a 

candidate that believes in 

something. 

After eight years of 

unmitigated disaster, the 

state needs a political 

thinker, a leader who 

believes in something, a 

man consumed by his 

vision of greatness and a 

mission to accomplish, a 

man who sees politics 

and acquisition of power 

as a means to an end, the 

end being the good of the 

many. 

The state needs a 

leader who will give the 

people an early heads up 

about what needs to be 

done to climb out of their 

hole of despair, not one 

that will continue 

digging. Imo does not 

need a governor who will 

eat and shoot the breeze. 

Okorocha has done so 

much damage that it will 

take a leader with 

maximum capacity and 

grit to turn things 

around. 

Of the big five, only 

Ihedioha with his 

penchant for due process 

and the rule of law fits 

the bill. His legislative 

background imbues him 

with the discipline 

needed to do the job. 

But most importantly, of 

the big five, Ihedioha is 

the only one without the 

albatross of corruption 

allegations. This is 

remarkable considering 

that he has been in the 

public glare in the last 20 

years, occupying some of 

the highest and most 

sensitive offices in the 

land, yet a ruling party 

that has deployed the 

anti-corruption bogey to 

whip political 

“dissidents” into line 

has not found him 

wanting because like 

Caesar’s wife he is even 

above suspicion. 

It is important for Imo 

to have a governor who 

lives above board 

because the state cannot 

afford to be distracted. 

Imo needs a governor 

who will not catch cold 

whenever any of the anticorruption 

agencies 

sneezes; a governor who 

cannot be blackmailed. 

Ihedioha is 

dependable, steadfast, 

trustworthy and 

visionary. He is his own 

man, a fact which some 

misconstrue as 

arrogance. 

His fidelity to agreed 

causes is second to none. 

In this era of brazen 

political harlotry when 

politicians switch 

political allegiance so 

whimsically, Ihedioha 

has remained steadfast, 

committed to PDP even 

when it seemed 

politically inexpedient to 

do so. 

So, while it is true that 

Imo parades an unwieldy 

crowd of 65 governorship 

candidates, it may well be 

the state with the easiest 

choice to make as 

Nigerians go back to the 

polls on Saturday to elect 

their governors and state 

lawmakers. 

Ikechukwu Amaechi 

is the Managing 

Director/Editor-in- 

Chief, TheNiche on 

Sunday newspaper, 

Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria. 

Tel:08055069065, 

08094000031. 

Stop Okorocha 

from rigging Imo 

polls or Imo'll boil, 

Uzodnma tells 

security agencies 

By Elizabeth 

Uwandu 

O this WERRI—AHEAD 

Saturday governorship 

election in the 

country, the governorship 

candidate of the All 


APC, in Imo State, Senator 

Hope Uzodinma has 

appealed to security 

agents to ensure that the 

votes of Imo people 

counts, alleging that 

governor Rochas 

Okorocha has perfected 

plans to unleash mayhem 

on APC members 

during the exercise. 

According to him, “the 

governor has imported 

thugs across the 27 Local 

Government Areas of the 

state while he has also 

armed members of the 

Imo State Security out fit. 

He has been spending 

the resources of the state 

to rig in his son in-law 

Uche Nwosu, wasting 

the resources of Imo people 

due to his selfish desire 

to plant his son-law 

as governor. 

Uzodinma stated this 

when 53 different groups 

including the Kowa 

Party, Market women 

across the 27 Local Government 

areas of the 

state endorsed him for 

governor. 

He said: “ While we 

have been busy campaigning 

across the nook 

and cranny of the state, 

Okorocha who is now suffering 

from gonorrhea of 

the mouth is threatening 

every body that he will 

use thugs to chase us 

away. That he will not allow 

our people to come 

and vote because they 

will vote against Uche 

Nwosu. 

“I am proud that I delivered 

my polling unit, 

ward and Local Government 

to President 

Buhari. But Rochas son 

in-law Uche Nwosu who 

boasted that himself and 

his boss will give the 

President one million 

votes lost his unit, ward 

and Local Government to 

PDP. 

“His boss Okorocha 

was battling to win senatorial 

election and you 

saw howit went. He is 

also planning to rig 

again but we are waiting 

for him. And I am glad 

that people are joining us 

without conditions. The 

election of Saturday is 

between Imo people and 

Rochas Okorocha. APC is 

the ruling party and we 

must retain the state for 

the party. 

“Okorocha should stop 

using the money of Imo 

people to blackmail 

them. He should use the 

money to pay salaries, 

pensioners and build 

hospitals. The governor 

is busy camping thugs 

every where but I can tell 

you one with God is majority. 

But on Saturday he 

will know that Imo people 

are ready.

42 — Vanguard, THURSDAY MARCH 7, 2019 

Police deploy 7 DIGs, 

277 CPs for polls 

The acting Inspector-General of 

Police (I-G), Mr Mohammed 

Adamu, has deployed Seven Deputy 

Inspectors-General of Police (DIGs) 

to the six geo-political zones across 

the Country. 

A statement by the Force Spokesman, 

Mr Frank Mba, an Assistant 

Commissioner of Police, on Wednesday 

in Abuja, said 10 Assistant Inspectors-General 

of Police (AIGs) 

were also deployed to zonal commands. 

Mba said that an additional 62 

Commissioners of Police (CPs) were 

also deployed to the 36 states commands 

and FCT to complement the 

efforts of the commissioners in the 

commands. According to Mba, each 

command now has additional three 

CPs deployed to the three senatorial 

districts in their respective 

states of assignment. 

By Ike Uchechukwu, Calabar 

Two hundred and sixty-eight can 

didates will battle for the 25 seats 

in the Cross River State House of 

Assembly in March 9 election. 

The Resident Electoral Commissioner 

in the state, Dr. Frankland 

Briyai, disclosed this in Calabar on 

Wednesday. 

Speaking through the Independent 

National Electoral Commission Public 

Affairs Officer in the state, Mrs. 

Aneh Kanu, Briyai said the candidates 

were fielded by the dominant 

parties in the state including the Peoples 

Democratic Party and All 

Progressives Congress as well as 

Social Democratic Party which is just 

trying to muscle its way to the top. 

On whether APC has submitted 

fresh names of candidates for the 

governorship and House of Assembly 

seats as ordered by the court, he 

said no names had been submitted 

as at Wednesday. 

He also said sensitive materials had 

He said that based on security assessment 

earlier carried out by the 

force, some Local Government Areas 

(LGAs) in Plateau, Benue, Imo 

and Taraba have one commissioner 

of police each to coordinate security 

in the LGAs. The spokesman said that 

each of them was expected to work with 

the command CP to ensure adequate security 

in each of the senatorial districts 

under their watch. 

In a related development, Mba 

said that four CPs have been 

posted to Anambra, 

Bayelsa, Edo and Sokoto 

commands specifically for 

the Saturday elections. He 

said that the I-G has reassured 

the force would remain 

civil, firm, professional 

and apolitical in the 

discharge of their duties •IGP, Mohammed Adamu 

in the Saturday elections. 

(NAN) 

256 candidates battle for 25 seats in Cross 

River House 

By Marie-Therese Nanlong 

Jos - The alleged endorsement of 

All Progressives Congress, APC 

candidates for the Governorship and 

House of Assembly seats by the 

apex body of the Izere nation is 

threatening the unity of the tribal 

group. 

Izere also called Afizere is one of 

the tribes in Plateau State and found 

predominantly in Jos North and Jos 

East local government areas in the 

Northern Senatorial zone of the 

State. Its apex body, Afizere Cultural 

and Community Development 

Association, ACCDA had summoned 

an emergency meeting last Sunday 

and purportedly resolved to endorse 

all APC candidates contesting the 

POLLS: APC deploying fake 

soldiers in Delta - PDP 

...It's not true - APC 


ASABA-THE Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP, in Delta State, yesterday, 

alleged plots by the All 

Progressives Congress, APC, to deploy 

armed ex-militants fully dressed as 

military personnel into PDP strongholds 

in the state to harass and arrest 

PDP chieftains during the election on 

Saturday. 

Briefing newsmen in Asaba, the Director 

General of the PDP campaign 

council, Chief Funkekeme Solomon, 

accused the APC of plotting "to psychologically 

disorganize the PDP 

members in the identified areas by 

Protest against alleged moves by APC 

to coerce endorsement on the Plateau 

coming election. 

But the Peoples Democratic Party, 

PDP caucus from the tribe has 

kicked against the said endorsement 

saying such is the antics of 

APC members in Izere nation and 

questioned the neutrality and credibility 

of the ssociation. 

In a statement issued yesterday 

in Jos and signed by a former Member 

representing Jos South/Jos East 

in the National Assembly, Bitrus 

Kaze and Theresa Kaze on behalf 

of Joint Izere PDP Caucus, Jos 

North and Jos East local government 

areas, they asked the people 

to discard the alleged endorsement 

and go out to vote only candidates 

of their choice on the election day. 

been sorted out at the Central Bank 

and that movement of the materials 

to the 18 local government headquarters 

would begin yesterday. 

Just as the presidential and National 

Assembly elections, the Saturday 

election would be conducted 

in 2,283 polling units in 193 wards 

across the 18 local government areas 

of the state. 

arresting and/or placing key members 

of His Excellency, Governor Ifeanyi 

Okowa's cabinet and top PDP officials 

of the state, under forced house arrest 

in order to dissolve their resolve, quarantine 

them to prevent free movement 

to go and cast their votes and weaken 

the stronghold of the People's Democratic 

Party in those areas. 

"To give law abiding citizens and non 

indigenes residing, especially in Delta 

Central, the 'Lagos Treatment' by Identifying 

and violently stopping them 

from voting and destroying electoral 

materials where voting has actually 

taken place, just as they shamelessly 

did in Okota in Lagos state, during the 

February 23, 2019 Presidential and 

National Assembly elections. 

The PDP named those behind the 

plot to include a vocal national official 

of the APC whom it described as an excomrade, 

a former governor of Delta 

State and a former serial top loser to 

PDP. 

"We recall vividly that the National 

Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, 

APC, ex-Comrade Adams 

Oshiomhole, had boasted and vowed 

repeatedly and with audacity that his 

ultimate ambition is to unseat the PDP 

and Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as the 

Governor of Delta State and conquer 

Delta State as if Deltans are slaves, and 

he will unleash the full weight and 

power of the 'Federal might' to achieve 

this objective." 

In a swift reaction, spokesman of the 

APC Presidential campaign council in 

Delta State, Dr Cairo Ojougboh denied 

the allegations, adding that they were 

law abiding in APC. He said; "Mr. President 

has admonished all members not 

to engage in acts inimical to the 

progress of Nigeria. And we abide by 

what the President has said. What they 

are alleging is their own plan." 

Bayelsa CUPP, 

IPAC want REC out 

By Samuel Oyadongha 

YENAGOA THE Coalition of United 

Political Parties, CUPP, and Inter-Party 

Advisory Council, IPAC in Bayelsa State 

have called for the immediate redeployment 

of the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, 

Pastor Tom Udoh over alleged 

"bias." 

At a press conference yesterday in 

Yenagoa the groups said they have lost 

confidence in the ability of the REC to 

conduct free, fair and credible elections 

this Saturday due to what happened during 

the last presidential and National Assembly 

polls. 

Chairman of CUPP, Mr. Tari Edwin 

said: “we will not tolerate any manipulation 

this time around. 

“We are calling on the National INEC 

to immediately redeploy the state REC 

due to the poor handling of the last presidential 

and National Assembly elections 

under his watch. 

"We do not see any reason why he 

should be conducting this Saturday elections. 

In the last elections materials were 

hijacked and carted away by thugs." 

BMO accuses PDP, 

Atiku of inciting unrest 

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and 

its Presidential candidate Atiku 

Abubakar are deliberately inciting their 

supporters with the false impression of a 

"stolen mandate", according to the Buhari 

Media Organisation (BMO). 

This, it said, is a calculated attempt by 

the opposition to cause a breach of the 

peace after its candidate was rejected by 

a large majority of eligible voters on February 

23. 

BMO said in a statement signed by its 

Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary 

Cassidy Madueke that what the PDP is 

doing is an assault on the sensibility of 

Nigerians. 

“We find it worrisome that PDP has been 

regaling Nigerians with hollow tales of a 

stolen mandate even before INEC completed 

the announcement of the Presidential 

election results. 

“Equally worrisome is the attempt to 

equate their grouse with that of genuine 

pro-democracy groups over the June 12 

1993 elections, and thereby nudge their 

supporters to take to the streets in protest. 

31 governorship 

candidates sign second 

peace accord in Kano 

By Abdulmumin Murtala, Kano 

The Kano State Electoral Peace Com 

mittee in collaboration with the National 

Peace Committee yesterday led 31 

governorship candidates to sign a peace 

accord to ensure peace during and after 

the elections. 

In his address at the event, the co-chair 

of the committee and Kano Catholic 

Bishop, Rt. Reverend John Namaza 

Niyiring appealed to the candidates to see 

the election as a game with sportsmanship 

and not a do or die affair. 

The Bishop also called on the youths not 

to allow themselves to be used by the politicians 

in disrupting the desired peace for 

their selfish whims. 

Sheikh Nura Manzo the Chief Imam of 

Kofar Ruwa Jumaat Mosque in Kano on 

his part appealed to the contestants and 

the youths to be peaceful and avoid any 

act that will lead to violence saying "whosoever 

commits an atom's weight of good 

will be rewarded for it by God Almighty 

and whosoever commits an atom's weight 

of evil shall be punished for it in the hereafter." 

Also in his own address, the Emir of 

Kano Malam Muhammadu Sanusi II, 

represented by Alhaji Aliyu Maharazu, 

the Bauren Kano, said the country is in 

need of political security and this can only 

be achieved through abiding by the rules 

and regulations binding the process.

Vanguard, THURSDAY MARCH 7, 2019 — 43 

Ondo: Fayemi, others step in 

to help Akeredolu 

By Dayo Johnson 

GOVERNOR Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti 

State has embarked on a trouble-shooting 

campaign to repair the years long 

strained relationship between Governor 

Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State and Senator-elect, 

Prof. Ajayi Boroffice. 

The strained relationship between the 

duo dates back to the 2015 governorship 

primaries which was won by Akeredolu. 

Boroffice and others including Chief 

Olusola Oke and Dr Olusegun Abraham 

challenged the result of the governorship 

primaries but the leadership of the All 

Progressives Congress, APC, threw out 

their petitions. Abraham's case against 

Akeredolu had since been thrown out by 

the Supreme Court on technical grounds. 

The Boroffice group including a former 

deputy governor, Alhaji Ali Olanusi and 

former chairman of the party Hon lsaac 

Kekemeke, decided to remain in the party 

despite being sidelined by Akeredolu. 

Akeredolu was believed to have tried to 

stop Boroffice during the last senatorial 

primaries but the National Working Committee, 

NWC, of the party gave automatic 

tickets to Boroffice and the other two senators 

representing the state. 

Akeredolu was believed to have then 

sponsored his friend, Dr Tunji Abayomi in 

the Action Alliance, AA, in a bid to sack 

Boroffice. However, Boroffice won the election 

with a wide margin. 

Reports had it that Ekiti state governor 

decided to intervene after the not too good 

performance of the APC in the state in the 

presidential elections in which the Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, Candidate Alhaji 

Atiku Abubakar won in Ondo. 

Aside Fayemi, former South-West National 

Vice Chairman of the APC, Chief Pius 

Akinyelure had equally intervened but to 

no avail. 

Fayemi's intervention is said to be in the 

overall interest of the APC ahead of Saturday's 

House of Assembly election. 

Reacting, Mr. Segun Ajiboye, chief press 

secretary to the governor, denied knowledge 

of the trouble shooting efforts of 

Fayemi. 

Ajiboye, however said that the governor 

was not averse to like minds ready "to join 

By Demola Akinyemi 

ILORIN – THE ruling Peoples Democratic 

Party, PDP in Kwara State was no doubt hit 

by the devastating result of the February 23 

National Assembly election where it lost all 

three senatorial and six House of Representatives 

seats to the main opposition All 

Progressives Congress, APC. 

The leadership of the party had quickly gone 

back to the drawing board to re-strategize and 

cover up for the lost ground in the last poll. 

Vanguard reliably gathered that the political 

leaders known to be very close to the Senate 

President, Dr. Bukola Saraki were said to have 

been openly castigated by the "good boys" 

when they came to visit the "leader" to discuss 

the way forward after the election. 

The political leaders were rebuked for causing 

the Senate president political misfortune 

by allegedly diverting to private use various 

resources, logistics and political appointments 

meant for the masses, which made many of 

the party faithful fell prey to O to ge merchants 

in the APC. 

Vanguard investigations also revealed that 

instead of the usual fanfare campaigns they 

previously embarked upon, the party has now 

resorted to door to door aggressive campaign 

to woo more members ahead of this Saturday's 

poll. 

The party leaders across the state, sources 

claimed are now directly reaching out to traditional 

rulers, artisans across board and various 

political interest groups on the need to 

give Dr Bukola Saraki another chance to reclaim 

the political leadership of the state. 

The agents of the PDP in this door-to-door 

campaign were said to have placed premium 

•Akeredolu 

hands with him in the patriotic task of 

building a new Ondo State. 

However, the Director General of Senator 

Boroffice Campaign Organisation in the 

last election, Barrister Tolu Babaleye confirmed 

the intervention of the party leaders 

including Governor Fayemi in reconciling 

Akeredolu and Boroffice. 

Kwara: PDP in strong moves for revival 

on the need not to bastardise the Ilorin tradition 

and culture by conceding Kwara State to 

the alleged whims and caprices of the political 

rulership of Asiwaju BolaTinubu. 

Copious examples of sad tales being currently 

experienced by people of Osun, Lagos Ekiti, 

Oyo, and Ondo states in the hands of Asiwaju 

Bola Tinubu are now being recited as reasons 

the electorate should vote for Hon Razaq 

Atunwa, the PDP gubernatorial candidate and 

others going for the House of Assembly in 

order to preserve the tradition and culture of 

Ilorin and its emirates. 

More importantly, campaigns for the daughter 

of Emir of Ilorin, Princess Aishat Sulu 

Gambari, the PDP candidate in Magaji Ngeri 

constituency in the state assembly were being 

seriously pursued in honour of the monarch. 

Consequently Magajis were allegedly sent 

from the palace to the electorate, to as a mat- 

Buhari Support group asks Nigerians 

to put presidential election behind 

By Mike Ebonugwo 

Mr. Emmanuel Umohinyang, Con 

vener, Re-elect Buhari Movement 

(RBM) has urged Nigerians to put the 2019 

presidential election behind as issues that 

marred the election are addressed. 

Speaking in an interview, he said: 

“The 2019 presidential election has come 

and gone. It is behind us now. A winner 

has been declared and the celebration that 

goes with the celebration of the winner will 

tell anyone that indeed that is was an elec- 

"It is true that some leaders of our great 

party including the respected Governor of 

Ekiti State Dr Kayode Fayemi and Chief 

Pius Akinyelure have reached out to Senator 

Boroffice with the aim of bringing him 

to the same "table of peace" with the Governor 

of Ondo State in the overall interest 

of the state and the party,'' he said. 

ter of priority, consider the interest of Emir of 

Ilorin, Alhaji Sulu Gambari. 

Vanguard sources also claimed that major 

stakeholders in Magaji Ngeri constituency 

are being begged to forget their political affiliations 

and consider honouring the emir of 

Ilorin by voting for his daughter. 

Meantime, on Tuesday, the Conference of 

Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) in Kwara 

State of which PDP is a key player complained 

about non-usage of card readers in the last 

presidential and National Assembly elections 

in the state to the Independent National Electoral 

Commission (INEC) 

Speaking with journalists in Ilorin the state 

chairman of the CNPP, Alhaji Adebayo Lawal, 

said that only 20 per cent of the 486,254 voters 

who voted during the last presidential and 

National Assembly elections in Kwara State 

were validated by card readers, adding that 

many of those who voted did so manually. 

tion that has more to do with the people, 

not necessarily with the few elites who feel 

things should normally go their own way. 

“I think generally the election was peaceful, 

but for a few skirmishes in a few states. 

You cannot fault the credibility of that election. 

We should commend INEC, the Federal 

Government and Nigerians. Particularly, 

we must commend the President for 

ensuring that not only was the election free, 

it was fair and above all it was credible as 

attested to by local and international observers.” 

INEC disengages 

incompetent 

ad-hoc staff in 

Niger 

By Wole Mosadomi 

Minna – The Independent National 

Electoral Commission, (INEC), in 

Niger State says it has disengaged some 

of the ad-hoc staff it engaged for the last 

presidential and National Assembly 

elections for incompetence. 

The Resident Electoral Commissioner 

in the State, Prof. Sam Egwu who made 

this known at the Presidential and National 

Assembly Elections Evaluation, 

and Analysis organised by the Nigeria 

Union of Journalists (NUJ) State Ministry 

of Information Chapel in Minna, 

Niger State yesterday. 

He said the disengaged staff could not 

meet up with the expectations of the 

Commission and could not therefore retain 

them in their various posts to avoid 

messing up the Saturday elections. 

He further disclosed that the disengaged 

staff have been replaced for more 

effective conduct of the Saturday Governorship 

and House of Assembly elections. 

Earlier, the facilitator of the training, 

Mohammed Mohammed called on politicians 

to see themselves as partners in 

progress for the sustainability of our Democracy 

especially for the success of the 

Saturday Elections. 

Lagos INEC sets for 

supplementary elections 

in 148 polling units 

•Receives sensitive 

materials ahead of 

Saturday 

By Olayinka Ajayi 

The Independent National Elec 

toral Commission, INEC, yesterday 

said it would conduct House 

of Representatives supplementary 

elections in six federal constituencies 

alongside the Saturday governorship 

and state legislative 

elections. 

The supplementary elections in 

148 polling units would hold in 

Oshodi/Isolo I, Oshodi/Isolo II, 

Ojo, Eti-Osa, Somolu, and 

Ajeromi/Ifelodun where voting 

was marred or the election declared 

inconclusive on February 

23. 

Fielding questions from newsmen 

yesterday, the INEC Resident 

Electoral Commissioner, 

REC, in Lagos, Sam Olumekun 

who commended Lagosians for 

conducting themselves properly 

during the last Presidential/National 

Assembly elections, said: 

“Although, there were pockets of 

violence and disturbances in 

some parts of the state during the 

elections, I commend the perseverance 

and resilience of 

Lagosians throughout the period.” 

His words: “After a careful, 

painstaking review of the Presidential 

/National Assembly elections 

in the state, the Commission 

observed that six federal constituency 

elections were inconclusive 

as a result of political 

thuggery, snatching and disruption 

of ballot papers and boxes, 

manual voting and over-voting in 

some polling units. The Rerun 

elections will hold in 76 Registration 

Areas, and 148 polling 

units with a total of 43,660 registered 

voters.”


OGUN GOV POLL: 

My support for APC is 

for survival of 

progressive politics 

—Osoba 

*Says Amosun’s suspension has brought normalcy 

Former governor of Ogun State, Chief Segun Osoba, in this interview, 

examines the issues that have characterised the buildup 

to the governorship election in the state and concludes that the 

suspension of Governor Ibikunle Amosun from All Progressives 

Congress ,APC, has brought a breath of fresh air to the party. 

By Charles Kumolu, Deputy Features Editor 

*Osoba 

WHAT does the suspension of 

the governor mean to Ogun 


APC, leaders and what do you foresee 

on election day? 

Amosun totally decimated the party in 

Ogun State. I am so grateful to our National 

Working Committee, NWC, particularly 

the National Chairman of the 

party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole for 

the courage he displayed by suspending 

the person, who had been a serious 

clog in the wheel of progress of the progressives. 

With the action of the National 

Working Committee, the original progressive 

family is back and united. We 

are now witnessing massive realignment 

with other progressives who were driven 

out of the party by retrogressive forces. 

After the President’s victory in the 

state, Amosun’s faction of the APC 

took credit for the success. To 

what extent were those outside 

the governor’s camp instrumental 

to the victory of the APC not 

just at the presidential poll but the 

National Assembly election? 

I am the father of progressive politics 

in this state. Of the living politicians in 

this country only two can claim to be my 

senior in terms of closeness to the late 

sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. The two 

are Alhaji Lateef Jakande and Chief Ayo 

Adebanjo. Amosun cannot deny that he 

emerged governor in 2011 here in my 

house. He cannot deny that I spent my 

personal resources in 2007 to make him 

governor. I supported him in 2011 to 

become governor. I never wanted him but 

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu begged on his behalf. 

I gave four reasons in Amosun’s 

presence why I was not going to support 

him but Tinubu begged. I said 

Amosun is not a sincere person. In his 

presence, I said he is not a party person. 

He is a lone ranger with multiple agenda. 

I told the leadership of the party in 

his presence that we will regret sponsoring 

him under the banner of the progressives 

because I know he is not a progressive. 

Chief Bisi Akande, Otunba 

Niyi Adebayo, and Asiwaju Tinubu all 

admit today that my assessment of him 

was right. From his behaviour recently, 

my reasons for not wanting him in 2011 

has been justified. At the age of 80, I am 

I am passionate about 

progressive politics and 

survival of APC in the 

Southwest; Amosun 

spent eight years, 

while Daniel spent 

eight years and I did 

not expect anything 

from them 

voted, Titi Oseni had 106 votes to beat 

Amosun, who scored 80 votes. If not that 

I begged party members, they would have 

joined the elites who are up in arms against 

Amosun and beat him silly. The votes that 

assisted him were the votes of the party. In 

all the elite areas, people voted against 

Amosun. If my appeal did not make any 

meaning they would have rejected my appeal 

not to vote against Amosun. I appealed 

that they should not take vengeance by voting 

against him. I reminded our party members 

that vengeance belongs to God. On 

Saturday, people will see the difference. 

How do you feel about the impression 

that you are the face of Dapo Abiodun in 

this race? 

Dapo Abiodun is the closest person to 

Amosun. I am happy that the Alake of Egba 

land and the Awujale are alive. When he 

started his multiple agenda, the Awujale 

of Ijebu land and Alake of Egba land convened 

a meeting at the palace of the Awujale. 

I was very furious and told the Awujale 

that I felt insulted to be asked to sit 

with someone I am old enough to be his 

father. I said that one of the reasons I was 

annoyed was that I supported him to become 

governor and he kept lying to people 

that he is the one feeding me. He came 

with Dapo Abiodun and another close 

friend of his to the closed-door meeting. I 

made it clear that I was at the meeting out 

of my respect for the crown not because of 

Amosun. At that point, Abiodun and their 

friend who came with them prostrated. 

Amosun also prostrated begging me. That 

shows how close Amosun and Dapo are. 

Amosun should be the one to explain why 

he is after Dapo. How can I sponsor Dapo? 

On the eve of the election when he decided 

to go back to the Congress of Progressive 

Change, CPC, it was this same Dapo, 

who came to beg me. Amosun should explain 

why he is so bitter against one of his 

most intimate friends? As a responsible citizen, 

I pay my tax to the Ogun State government. 

Amosun should confirm or deny 

that I pay taxes. I am grateful to God that 

I don’t have to look for government contracts 

to survive. God has given me a contented 

life. I pay tax in Ogun and Lagos. 

When the President visited Ogun 

State, he told the people to vote for 

any candidate of their choice during 

the governorship election. Peocomes 

of Amosun's mobilisation 

for the President's victory. How 

true is that? 

What he won’t say is that my son had 

more votes than him in some polling 

units. My son had 33, 000 votes, while 

his nominee, who is his lackey and his 

first son politically, Miky Kazeem was beaten 

with a wide margin. What does that 

imply? Miky scored 14, 000 votes. The 

difference is very clear. If my son defeated 

him in his polling unit, how does he explain 

that? But for the fact that I came to 

appeal to party members, he would have 

been beaten silly. I told the people that if 

he engaged in anti-party activities we 

should not commit the same offence by 

voting against him. I voted here in the Government 

Reserved Area, GRA, where the 

elites voted. At the polling unit where I 

old enough to be his father but he is raining 

insult on me. I am praying for him 

to live longer than 80. He has given 

himself a target of 90, but I pray he gets 

to 100 so that he would see the result of 

all the things he did to me. I want him 

to live long in good health so that he 

will see multiple of all that he did to me. 

I am not cursing him but that is my 

prayer for him. Sunny Ade in one of his 

songs said when one looks at an elder, 

he should remember that he can be an 

elder someday. 

Your son's success at the polls 

was mentioned as one of the out- 

ple had expected him to make a 

case for the candidate of his party. 

Are you not worried that the implications 

could affect the chances 

of Dapo Abiodun? 

I started my political life as a reporter 

on the Political Desk. Any discerning political 

reporter should know that the man 

standing there on that day was wearing 

two caps. One was the cap of a politician 

and the cap of the President of Nigeria. 

When he spoke about his own candidature, 

he spoke as a politician, when he 

spoke about people exercising their rights, 

he spoke as the President of this county 

and a statesman. The right to vote is guaranteed 

in the constitution. The stupidity 

of the other side is that they thought 

the President would say that he is supporting 

them. The President has no vote 

in Ogun State. I have told the President 

many times when I had private 

meetings with him that the Awolowo 

political family is supporting him because 

of his takalakawa agenda, which 

is in line with Awolowo’s philosophy of 

welfarism and egalitarianism. 

Some will find it surprising that you 

are still supporting Abiodun to become 

governor after the disrespectful treatment 

you claimed Amosun gave to you. 

Why are you backing the APC candidate 

in the light of this? 

I was trained by Papa Awolowo to always 

be a party man. I will only be disappointed 

if I expect anything from the 

governor in terms of image and influence. 

I seek none of those things. I 

should learn from history. I am not just 

supporting Dapo Abiodun, I am passionate 

about progressive politics and 

survival of APC in the Southwest. Amosun 

spent eight years, while Daniel 

spent eight years and I did not expect 

anything from them. What Abiodun will 

do when he gets to office is none of my 

business. I am contented. My pension 

is N 676,000 monthly and I pay tax to 

the government. I have learned my lesson. 

People should learn from Wammako 

and Tambuwal, Obiano and Obi 

and Obiano, Kwankwanso and Ganduje. 

There are so many instances to cite. 

When he gets there what he does is his 

business. I cannot be disappointed because 

I seek nothing. I will continue to 

depend on my resources.

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019—45


Falcons finish 7th at 

Cyprus Women's Cup 

The Super Falcons yesterday beat 

Thailand 3-0 to finish 7th at the 

annual Cyprus Women Cup. 

Assisat Oshola opened scoring in 

the 23rd minute after she was put 

through by Francisca Ordega. 

Defender Onome Ebi made it two after 

she was set up by Chinaza Uchendu, 

and in the 74th minute Amam Imo 

sealed the victory after Oshola laid a 

good pass. 

The Falcons who last December 

won the Africa Women Cup of Nations 

for the ninth time used the tournament 

Mikel eyes EPL return with Boro 

• Mikel 

Traffickers used 

Russia’s World 

Cup to enslave us 

—Nigerian women 

Blessing Obuson thought Russia’s FIFA 

World Cup would be an opportunity 

to find a job and so flew into Moscow from 

Nigeria last June on a fan ID. Instead, she 

found herself forced to work as a prostitute 

Instead, she said she was locked in a 

flat on the outskirts of Moscow and forced 

into sex work along with 11 other Nigerian 

women who were supervised by a madam, 

also from Nigeria. 

“I cried really hard. But what choice 

did I have?” Obuson told Reuters after 

being freed by anti-slavery activists. 

She said her madam had confiscated 

her passport and told her she’d only get it 

back once she’d worked off a fictional debt 

of $50,000 (38,000 pounds). 

Obuson told her story to a rare Englishspeaking 

client who got anti-slavery 

activists involved. 

Two Nigerians were later arrested and 

charged with human trafficking after 

striking a deal to sell Obuson for 2 million 

roubles (around $30,000) to a police officer 

posing as a client, according to her lawyer, 

statements from prosecutors, and 

evidence presented at court hearings in 

the case attended by Reuters journalists. 

The case is still under investigation. 

Kalu’s mother’s kidnap 

cost him 30th appearance 

of the season 

Super Eagles midfielder, Samuel 

Kalu did not make his 30th 

appearance of the season in all 

competitions when Bordeaux host 

Montpellier in the French Ligue 1. 

Bordeaux coach Eric Bedouet 

logically decided not to retain Samuel 

Kalu for the visit of Montpellier due to 

recent circumstances as his mother, 

Ozuruonye Juliet Kalu was earlier 

kidnapped on February 27. 

“He is a good professional. We’ll 

help him”, says Hugo Varela, the 

skipper of the Girondins de Bordeaux. 

Kalu’s mom was released around 

midnight on Monday but the Police 

have not confirmed if a ransom was paid 

before she got her freedom. 

as testing ground for the upcoming FIFA 

Women World Cup billed for June in 

France. Before the classification match 

against Thailand, The Super Falcons 

played in group C where they finished 

third with three points. They lost to Austria 

4-1, Belgium 1-0 and then saving their 

faces with a 4-3 win over Slovenia. 

The Amaju Pinnick led Nigeria Football 

Federation (NFF) are expected to line up 

more international friendly games for the 

Super Falcons before the 2019 FIFA 

Women’s World Cup which will hold in 

France later in the year. 

Super Eagles captain, John Mikel Obi 

says promotion to the Premier 

League with Middlesbrough would rank 

as one of his finest moments in football. 

“If we manage to pull it [promotion] 

off, it would be amazing,” he said. 

“It would be up there as one of my 

greatest achievements.” 

A drop into England’s second tier 

was something new for the Nigeria 

international, who captained his country 

at the 2018 World Cup and won the 

Africa Cup of Nations with the Super 

Eagles in 2013. 

“I’m still hungry and want to win 

trophies. I’m never satisfied with what 

I have achieved. If I was, I would just 

sit at home,” he told BBC Sport. 

“I want to achieve something with this 

club and that is to get this club 

promoted. 

“I love challenges and I knew coming 

in here would be a challenge for me, 

and being in the second division would 

be a challenge for me." 

Fenerbahce turn to 

Moses for goals 

Fenerbahce coach, Ersun Yanal is looking to 

try Victor Moses in a top striking role 

following a goal drought suffered by Ghana’s 

Andre Ayew. 

According to Turkish sports daily Fanatik, 

the Yellow Canaries want Moses as alternative 

striker in a bid to get more goals. 

Moses has been playing as a striker in 

training matches ahead of the forthcoming 

game against Medipol Ba_ak_ehir, and coach 

Yanal expressed satisfaction with the 

performance of the Nigerian. 

The 28-year-old was a top striker before he 

was converted into a winger by the youth team 

coaches at Crystal Palace. 

Moses has versatility in his locker and can 

also be utilized as a right and left wing-back, 

right and left winger and playmaker. 

The Chelsea loanee has netted two goals in 

his last five games in the Turkish Super Lig. 

Joshua: I must get rid of 

Miller in his hometown 

Anthony Joshua won’t mind hearing some boos 

for a change. The unbeaten British superstar 

figures Jarrell Miller’s fans will let him hear it 

when they square off June 1 at Madison Square 

Garden. Though thousands of British fans are 

expected to make this transatlantic trip to witness 

his first fight in America, the 29-year-old Joshua’s 

first professional fight outside of the United 

Kingdom will take place in Miller’s hometown. 

“I’ve gotta get rid of Miller,” Joshua said. “You 

know, I had fun with Parker when I fought him. I 

said, ‘I’m gonna out-box him,’ because they said, 

‘Oh, he can’t box. You can knock someone out.’ 

But no one really said I can box until then. So [it 

was] just [about] proving I can go the rounds and 

I can box. But I’m done with that now. It’s back to 

knockouts and Miller’s number 23 on my list.”


Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019 

TODAY’S PUZZLE 

Sudoku 

FRIDAY’S ANSWER 

TODAY’S CROSSWORD 

QUICK CROSSWORD 

THURSDAY’S SOLUTION 

How to Play Sudoku 

ACROSS 

1 Bizarre (10) 

7 Speed (8) 

8 Comply with orders (4) 

9 Border (4) 

10 Moscow citadel (7) 

12 Amused (11) 

14 Soon (archaic) (7) 

126 Fit of shivering (4) 

19 Breakwater (4) 

20 Until now (8) 

21 London rail terminus 

(10) 

DOWN 

1 Grossly overweight (5) 

2 Idea (7) 

3 Analagous (4) 

4 Dawn 8) 

5 Tempest (5) 

6 At the back (6) 

11 Soaked (8) 

12 Insect with large rear 

pincers (6) 

13 Lack of proper care (7) 

15 Immature form of insect (5) 

17 Devoured (5) 

18 Renowned public school 

(4) 

Place a number (1-9) in each blank cell. (No line can have two 

of the same number). 

Each row (nine lines from left to right), column, (also nine lines 

from top to bottom) and 3 X 3 block within a bold block (nine 

blocks) contains number from 1 through 9. This means that no 

number can appear twice in any block, column or row. 

No mathematics is involved – no adding, subtraction, division or 

multiplication, just plain logic and your imagination. 

Printed and Published by VANGUARD MEDIA LIMITED, Vanguard Avenue, Kirikiri-Canal, P.M.B.1007, Apapa. Phone: Newsroom: 018773962. Deputy Editor: 01-4548355. Advert Hotline: 

08027767834; 01-4544821. Abuja office: 7, Dambata Close, Area 7, Garki, 09-2921024. Ikeja office: 73, Awolowo Way. V.I. Office: Murplus Plaza, 27, Sanusi Fafunwa Street. Asaba: 21, Anwai 

Road. Benin City: 4E, Arusa Street. Port Harcourt: 50, Ikwerre Road; Warri: 102, Efurun-Sapele Road. Advert: advertproduction@yahoo.com; E-mail: editor@vanguardngr.com, 

news@vanguardngr.com, letters@vanguardngr.com. Website: www.vanguardngr.com (ISSN 0794-652X) Editor: EZE ANABA. Phone: 01-4548355. All correspondence to P.M.B. 1007, Apapa Lagos.

07032019 - Tribunal orders INEC to let PDP inspect materials

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