Headline

Pendulum: Thank You Very Much, President Muhammadu Buhari

Published

8 years ago

June 9, 2018

Eric

By Dele Momodu

Fellow Nigerians, help me shout hurrah, and say a big thank you to our dear President for finally doing the unthinkable, as I recommended he should be doing only last week, in this column. The best way to lead a nation is to unite the people. Once elections are over, every actor must work together to deliver on campaign promises and return to the trenches closer to the next set of elections. This was what we expected in 2015, but now in 2018, it is as if we are still running election campaigns as the political actors continue tearing at each other’s throats. This was the basis of my recent intervention in which I pleaded that we should borrow a leaf from Kenya and heal the wounds in our own land.

I’m sure President Muhammadu Buhari must have enjoyed a deep sonorous sleep last Wednesday night, June 6, 2018, after announcing the recognition of Chief Moshood Abiola as the authentic winner of the June 12, 1993 Presidential election, and declaring the same June 12 as our true Democracy Day. Trust me, President Buhari deserves accolades and a standing ovation for this tough political decision. I really don’t care what motive(s) informed this extraordinary volte-face, but it is indeed a major coup against those who had obstinately and blatantly refused to do that which is right, fair and just.

There have been all kinds of conjectures on what must have happened to generate this veneration of Abiola and June 12 by President Buhari. Some have said the President is desperate to win substantial votes from South West Nigeria. Why not, all is fair in war. You must use what you have to get what you want. Others have concluded that President Buhari’s decision was fuelled by purely altruistic motives, and upon being nudged, he felt that it was auspicious to right this grave wrong and injustice 25 years after. Either way, I do not believe this is truly about votes. There is no guaranty that this decision, as beautiful as it is, can translate into more votes. For me, the most important thing is that the President has lifted a very heavy burden off his chest and shoulders and dumped it on all his previous predecessors, who lived in denial as if June 12 did not exist and Abiola was a ghost from outer space. What President Buhari has done is simply an act of courage and bravery. Indeed, he has enough muscles and foot-soldiers in the South West, led by the Jagaban, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as well as the power of incumbency and other appurtenances of government to do something so momentous and monumental as this on the altar of voting and political expediency. He could have wasted this glorious opportunity but God entered his heart and he took a leap of faith for fate. We must be charitable and magnanimoius enough to say “well done, for a job well done” and to give nonour to whom honour is due.

There are still many rivers to cross but my advice as always is that the President should resist the temptation of heating up the polity. There is nothing force can achieve that peace cannot achieve much better and cheaper. I have spoken with some of my brothers and sisters in the Abiola family. They are truly grateful and very happy that the President looked in their direction after suffering in silence for 25 agonising years. Chief Abiola did not deserve such cruel punishment for winning a free and fair election. His businesses also perished in the process. This was a classic example of man’s inhumanity to man. The time has come for all of us to come together, embrace and move Nigeria forward from our different corners. Never again should any Nigerian be victimised, humiliated and destroyed in the name of politics. Man shall not live by power alone. We brought nothing to the world, we shall take nothing from it.

This is not a time to taunt or witch-hunt anybody. Abiola was never a vindictive person. He was in the mould of uncommon statesmen like Mahatma Ghandi and Nelson Mandela, men of peace who taught our world the beauty of forgiveness and peaceful co-existence. Abiola did not fight with guns and bayonets but went to war with personal determination and conviction. He died, paying the supreme price with his blood, and that of so many other patriots who laid down their lives, so that democracy could flourish in Nigeria. Let every man live with his conscience and let’s leave vengeance to God.

I hope and pray this is the beginning of a new democratic dispensation in our country Nigeria. There is sweetness in doing good and only bitterness in doing evil.

AS FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON HEADS TO NIGERIA

Fellow Nigerians, I have spent the last two weeks in Paris, France. To say I love Paris is an understatement. I love to visit French restaurants, wherever I can find one. I’ve been here many times, yet I’m not tired or bored of coming to spend my quiet moments in one of the most famous tourist destinations on earth. It has been said that you must see Paris before you die. I admire the renowned patriotism, romanticism and fairness of the French. One of my biggest regrets is that I did not study French in school. It is strange how Nigeria is virtually surrounded by French-speaking countries and majority of us can’t even offer greetings to our neighbours in French.

This is why I’m excited about the good news that Nigeria is about to play host to one of the youngest Presidents in the world, Emmanuel Macron, next month. And not just that Nigeria is set to host the biggest and best Alliance Francaise establishment in Africa. This means more Nigerians can learn about French culture and language in Lagos, our commercial capital. This is a welcome development which is bound to promote greater interaction between Nigeria and France and expand business opportunities, cultural exchange and employment.

The story of President Macron is bound to inspire the youths of Africa. It is a fairy-tale. He wasborn on 21 December 1977 in the French village of Amiens. He had his primary education in the village and went on to complete his final year of High School in Paris. He obtained a degree in Philosophy from the University of Paris-Ouest Nanterres La Defense. Afterwards he expressed the beginning of a literary bent which was to impact positively on his political career by being an editorial assistant to a French Philosopher writing his memoirs and also becoming a member of the editorial board of the literary magazine ESPIRIT. Subsequently, he then went on to obtain a Master’s of Public Affairs from the Paris Institute of Political Studies, Sciences Po. Thereafter, he trained and graduated from the École Nationale d’Administration (ENA) in 2004 and during the course of that training worked at the French Embassy in Nigeria.

Upon his graduation from ENA, he worked as a senior civil servant at the Inspectorate General of Finances. He resigned from the Civil Service in 2008 to become an investment banker at Rothschild & Cie Banque. President Macron was responsible for putting together several business deals at Rothschilds. He continued his affiliation and dalliance with the Press by becoming friends with a member of the supervisory board of Le Monde. Thereafter he assisted with the recapitalisation of Le Monde and was promoted to Partner level at the bank in 2010. Also in 2010, he was appointed managing director of the Bank and put in charge of Nestle’s acquisition of a subsidiary of Pfizer. He became an instant millionaire as a result of the huge success of this Nestle transaction. The money and contacts he made as an investment banker and friend of the press were to stand him in good stead during his successful 2017 Presidential bid.

His political career is the stuff of dreams for aspiring young politicians. He joined the Socialist Party of France when he was 24, but was an effective member only after 2006. In 2007, he attempted to run for office in the National Assembly on the platform of the Socialist Party, but his application was declined. He joined the staff of President Francois Hollande in 2010, but declined to be Chief of Staff to Prime Minister, Francois Fillon, that year. In 2012, he was made a Deputy Secretary-General on President Hollande’s Staff.

Macron resigned from the government in June 2014 to continue his personal aspirations and was employed as Research Fellow at the University of Berlin with the help of his rich businessman friend. Alain Minc. In this period he declined to be a candidate for municipal elections in his hometown of Amiens. Providence was soon to smile on him as he was appointed Minister of Economy and Finance in the government of Prime Minister, Manuel Valls. He was the youngest Minister of the Economy since 1962. As a Minister he pushed through several significant business reforms including his signature law package known as Macron 1.

Macron left the Socialist Party in August 2015 and launched his own party, En Marche, in his hometown in April 2016. It was soon clear that he was a popular candidate who engaged and resonated with all sectors of the French populace. He resigned from the government in August 2016 to launch his campaign to be President in the 2017 Presidential election. In November 2016, Macron declared that he would run as the candidate of En Marche! Macron was heavily supported by the media and business. He won 24% of the votes in the first round of the Presidential elections on 23 April 2017 and, as this was the most votes, went into a run-off election with Marine Le Pen of the National Front. He won this second round of Presidential elections on 7 May 2017 by a landslide victory of more than 66%, thus becoming the youngest ever French President. In June 2017, En Marche and its political partner, the Democratic Movement won a comfortable majority in the National Assembly, winning 350 seats out of 577. Indeed, En Marche itself won an outright majority of 308 seats.

Since being elected, President Macron has stamped his unique authority and style not just on French life, but also on the European Union, international politics, business, anti-terrorism, climate change, culture, religion and the general well-being of humanity. His stance on various issues including nuclear proliferation, terrorism and the unity of Europe has won him many admirers and increased the stature of France in the comity of Nations.

President Macron’s visit can therefore not be coming at a more opportune time. Nigeria is preparing for its own democratic litmus test , and it is a homecoming of sorts because of his short stint in Nigeria. It is also symbolic that his visit coincides with the beautiful renovation and refurbishment of the new Alliance Francaise building in Lagos. This is because of President Macron’s avowed belief that cultural interaction can only benefit the improvement of progressive relations between countries.

Playing co-host to President Macron as he visits Nigeria, is the French Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency Denys Gauer. Ambassador Gauer is a seasoned International diplomat who has served in various capacities both domestically and internationally on behalf of the French Foreign Ministry. He is an adept and able diplomat whose views are well respected and cherished. He has done a lot for Franco-Nigerian relations since arriving in Nigeria as the French Ambassador which has led to increased business and cultural relationships between French and Nigerian citizens. Indeed, it is this sort of interaction that has facilitated the spectacular facelift that Alliance Francaise Lagos now enjoys.

The Alliance Francaise Fondation is the premier cultural organisation in the world, founded on 21 July 1883, and now has 800 local associations in about 133 countries. It is supported by grants from the French Government and the generosity of patrons, including its founding fathers who are notable Frenchmen like the scientist, Louis Pasteur, the publisher, Armand Colin and writers, Jules Verne and Ernest Renan.

The renovated building, which is a villa now has new additions which have transformed it almost completely. There are spectacular alterations done to the amphitheatre and the internal auditorium to make them bigger and better. The accommodation has been improved and increased. And there is superb space for the library and administrative offices. Quite simply, the modernisation that has gone into the building is simply breath-taking and only befitting of an organisation with the size and stature of Alliance Francaise Fondation.

Headline

Opposition Parties Reject 2026 Electoral Act, Demand Fresh Amendment

Published

8 hours ago

February 26, 2026

Eric

Opposition political parties have rejected the 2026 Electoral Act recently passed by the National Assembly, which President Bola Tinubu swiftly signed into law.

The parties called on the National Assembly to immediately begin a fresh amendment process to remove what they described as “all obnoxious provisions” in the law.

Their position was made known at a press briefing themed “Urgent Call to Save Nigeria’s Democracy,” held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja on Thursday.

In a communiqué read by the Chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) Ahmed Ajuji, the opposition leaders stated:

“We demand that the National Assembly immediately commence a fresh amendment to the Electoral Act 2026, to remove all obnoxious provisions and ensure that the Act reflects only the will and aspiration of Nigerians for free, fair, transparent and credible electoral process in our country. Nothing short of this will be acceptable to Nigerians.”

Some of the opposition leaders present in at the event include former Senate President David Mark; former Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; former Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi; and former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, all from the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

The National Chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Ahmed Ajuji, and other prominent members of the NNPP, notably Buba Galadima, were also in attendance.

The coalition said the amended law, signed by Bola Tinubu, contains “anti-democratic” clauses, which they argue may weaken electoral transparency and public confidence in the voting system.

At the centre of the opposition’s concerns is the amendment to Section 60(3), which allows presiding officers to rely on manual transmission of election results where there is communication failure.

According to the coalition, the provision weakens the mandatory electronic transmission of results and could create loopholes for manipulation.

They argued that Nigeria’s electoral technology infrastructure is sufficient to support nationwide electronic transmission, citing previous assurances by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The parties also rejected the amendment to Section 84, which restricts political parties to direct primaries and consensus methods for candidate selection.

They described the change as an unconstitutional intrusion into the internal affairs of parties, insisting that indirect primaries remain a legitimate democratic option.

The opposition cited alleged irregularities in the recent Federal Capital Territory local government elections as evidence of what they described as a broader pattern of electoral compromise.

They characterised the polls as a “complete fraud” and said the outcome has deepened their lack of confidence in the ability of the electoral system to deliver credible elections in 2027.

The coalition also condemned reported attacks on leaders of the African Democratic Congress in Edo State, describing the incidents as a serious threat to democratic participation and political tolerance.

They warned that increasing violence against opposition figures could destabilise the political environment if not urgently addressed.

In their joint statement, the opposition parties pledged to pursue “every constitutional means” to challenge the Electoral Act 2026 and safeguard voters’ rights.

“We will not be intimidated,” the leaders said, urging civil society organisations and citizens to support efforts aimed at protecting Nigeria’s democratic system.

On February 18, 2026, President Bola Tinubu signed the Electoral Act (Amendment) 2026 into law following its passage by the National Assembly. The Act introduced several reforms, including statutory recognition of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and revised election timelines.

However, opposition figures such as Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi have also called for further amendments, particularly over the manual transmission fallback clause, which critics say leaves room for manipulation.

The president said the law will strengthen democracy and prevent voter disenfranchisement.

Tinubu defended manual collation of results, questioned Nigeria’s readiness for full real-time electronic transmission, and warned against technical glitches and hacking.

The Electoral Act sparked intense debate in the National Assembly over how election results should be transmitted ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Civil society groups under the “Occupy NASS” campaign demanded real-time transmission to curb manipulation.

In the Senate, lawmakers clashed during consideration of Clause 60, which allows manual transmission of results if electronic transmission fails.

Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (ADC, Abia South) demanded a formal vote to remove the proviso permitting manual transmission, arguing against weakening real-time electronic reporting.

The move led to a heated exchange on the floor, with Senate President Godswill Akpabio initially suggesting the demand had been withdrawn.

After procedural disputes and a brief confrontation among senators, a division was conducted. Fifteen opposition senators voted against retaining the manual transmission proviso, while 55 supported it, allowing the clause to stand.

Earlier proceedings had briefly stalled during clause-by-clause review, prompting consultations and a closed-door session.

In the House of Representatives, a similar disagreement came up over a motion to rescind an earlier decision that mandated compulsory real-time electronic transmission of results to IReV.

Although the “nays” were louder during a voice vote, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas ruled in favour of rescinding the decision, triggering protests and an executive session.

Headline

AFP: How Tinubu’s Govt Paid Boko Haram ‘Huge’ Ransom, Released Two Terrorists for Kidnapped Saint Mary’s Pupils

Published

3 days ago

February 24, 2026

Eric

The Nigerian government paid Boko Haram militants a “huge” ransom of millions of dollars to free up to 230 children and staff the jihadists abducted from a Catholic school in November, an AFP investigation revealed Monday.

Two Boko Haram commanders were also freed as part of the deal, which goes against the country’s own law banning payments to kidnappers. The money was delivered by helicopter to Boko Haram’s Gwoza stronghold in northeastern Borno state on the border with Cameroon, intelligence sources told AFP.

The decision to pay the militants is likely to irritate US President Donald Trump, who ordered air strikes on jihadists in northern Nigeria on Christmas Day and has been sent military trainers to help support Nigerian forces.

Nigerian government officials deny any ransom was paid to the armed gang that snatched close to 300 schoolchildren and staff from St. Mary’s boarding school in Papiri in central Niger state on November 21. At least 50 later managed to escape their captors.

Boko Haram has not been previously linked to the kidnapping, but sources told AFP one of its most feared commanders was behind the mass abduction: the notorious jihadist known as Sadiku.

He infamously held up a train from the capital in 2022 and netted hefty ransoms for the release of government officials and other well-off passengers.

Boko Haram, which has waged a bloody insurgency since 2009, is strongest in northeast Nigeria.

But a cell in central Niger state operates under Sadiku’s leadership. The St. Mary’s pupils and staff were freed after two weeks of negotiations led by Nuhu Ribadu, Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, with the government insisting no ransom was paid. Nigeria’s State Security Service flatly denied paying any money, saying “government agents don’t pay ransoms”.

However, four intelligence sources familiar with the talks told AFP the government paid a “huge” ransom to get the pupils back. One source put it at 40 million naira per head – around $7 million in total.

Another put the figure lower at two billion naira overall. The money was delivered by chopper to Ali Ngulde, a Boko Haram commander in the northeast, three sources told AFP.

Due to the lack of communications cover in the remote area, Ngulde had to cross into Cameroon to confirm delivery of the ransom before the first group of 100 children were released.

Nigeria has long been plagued by mass abductions, with criminals and jihadist groups sometimes working together to extort millions from hostages’ families, and authorities seemingly powerless to stop them.

Source: Africanews

Headline

Unlawful Invasion: El-Rufai Drags ICPC, IGP, Others to Court, Demands N1bn Damages

Published

3 days ago

February 23, 2026

Eric

Former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has slammed a ₦1 billion fundamental rights enforcement suit against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for what he claimed was an unlawful invasion of his Abuja residence.

El-Rufai, in a suit filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, also listed the Chief Magistrate, Magistrate’s Court of the FCT, Abuja Magisterial District; Inspector-General of Police, and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) as 2nd to 4th respondents respectively.

According to the suit filed through his lawyers, led by Oluwole Iyamu, El-Rufai prayed the court to declare that the search warrant issued on February 4 by the Chief Magistrate, Magistrate’s Court of the FCT (2nd respondent), authorising the search and seizure at his residence as invalid, null and void.

Security operatives had stormed and searched the former Governor’s residence in the ongoing investigations against him.

However, he argued in the case marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/345/2026, that the search was in violation of Section 37 of the Constitution, and urged the court to declare that the search warrant was “null and void for lack of particularity, material drafting errors, ambiguity in execution parameters, overbreadth, and absence of probable cause thereby constituting an unlawful and unreasonable search.”

In the suit dated and filed February 20 by Iyamu, ex-governor, who is currently under detention, sought seven reliefs.

He prayed the court to declare that the invasion and search of his residence at House 12, Mambilla Street, Aso Drive, Abuja, on Feb. 19 at about 2pm and executed by agents of ICPC and I-G, “under the aforesaid invalid warrant, amounts to a gross violation of the applicant’s fundamental rights to dignity of the human person, personal liberty, fair hearing, and privacy under Sections 34, 35, 36, and 37 of the Constitution.”

He urged the court to declare that “any evidence obtained pursuant to the aforesaid invalid warrant and unlawful search is inadmissible in any proceedings against the applicant, as it was procured in breach of constitutional safeguards.”

El-Rufai, therefore, sought an order of injunction restraining the respondents and their agents from further relying on, using, or tendering any evidence or items seized during the unlawful search in any investigation, prosecution, or proceedings involving him.

“An order directing the Ist and 3rd respondents (ICPC and I-G) to forthwith return all items seized from the applicant’s premises during the unlawful search, together with a detailed inventory thereof.

“An order awarding the sum of N1,000,000,000.00 (One Billion Naira) as general, exemplary, and aggravated damages against the respondents jointly and severally for the violations of the applicant’s fundamental rights, including trespass, unlawful seizure, and the resultant psychological trauma, humiliation, distress, infringement of privacy, and reputational harm.”

The breakdown of the ₦1 billion in damages includes “a N300 million as compensatory damages for psychological trauma, emotional distress, and loss of personal security;

“A ₦400 million as exemplary damages to deter future misconduct by law enforcement agencies and vindicate the applicant’s rights.

“A ₦300 million as aggravated damages for the malicious, high-handed and oppressive nature of the respondents’ actions, including the use of a patently defective warrant procured through misleading representations.”

He equally sought ₦100 million as the cost of filing the suit, including legal fees and associated expenses.

Iyamu argued that the search warrant was fundamentally defective, lacking specificity in the description of items to be seized, containing material typographical errors, ambiguous execution terms, overbroad directives, and no verifiable probable cause.

He added that the warrant violated Sections 143-148 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015; Section 36 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC) Act, 2000, and constitutional protections against arbitrary intrusions and several other constitutional provisions.

“Section 146 stipulates that the warrant must be in the prescribed form, free from defects that could mislead, but the document is riddled with errors in the address, date, and district designation;

“Section 147 allows direction to specified persons, but the warrant’s indiscriminate addressing to “all officers is overbroad and unaccountable.

“Section 148 permits execution at reasonable times, but the contradictory language creates ambiguity, undermining procedural clarity,” he submitted.

Iyamu stated that the execution of the invalid warrant on Feb. 19 resulted in an unlawful invasion of his client’s premises, constituting violations of the rights to dignity (Section 34), personal liberty (Section 35), fair hearing (Section 36), and privacy (Section 37) of the Constitution.

He further argued that the search was conducted without legal justification and in a manner that inflicted humiliation and distress.

“Evidence obtained without a valid warrant is unlawful and inadmissible, as established in judicial precedents such as C.O.P. v. Omoh (1969) NCLR 137, where the court ruled that evidence procured through improper means contravenes fundamental rights and must be excluded,” he said.

In the affidavit in support of the application, Mohammed Shaba, a Principal Secretary to the former governor, averred that on Feb. 19 at about 2p.m., officers from the ICPC and Nigeria Police Force invaded the residence under a purported search warrant issued on or about Feb. 4.

According to him, the said warrant is invalid due to its lack of specificity, errors, and other defects as outlined in the grounds of this application.

He said the “search warrant did not specify the properties or items being searched for.”

Shaba stated that the officers failed to submit themselves for search as provided by the law before proceeding with the search.

“That the Magistrate did not specify the magisterial district wherein he sits.

“That during the invasion, the officers searched the applicant’s premises without lawful authority, seized personal items including documents and electronic devices, and caused the applicant undue humiliation, psychological trauma, and distress.

“Now shown to me and marked as ‘EXHIBIT B’ Is the list of the items carted away.

“That no items seized have been returned, and the respondents continue to rely on the unlawful evidence.

“That the applicant suffered violations of his constitutional rights as a result, and this application is brought in good faith to enforce same,” Shaba said.

Source: Naijanews.com