Prominent corporate lawyer and former NBA President, Mr. Olumide Akpata, 51, is running for governor of Edo State on the platform of Labour Party. The election is scheduled for September next year. Announcing his aspiration last week, Akpata said he chose Labour Party because it is people-oriented. But the governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, prefers another corporate lawyer, Mr. Asue Ighodalo, 64, as his successor. APC is yet to make its choice. The stage is therefore set for a titanic electoral battle in Edo with the main combatants being two prominent Lagos lawyers who are also friends. I know both of them, but in this piece, I want to share a few tips with Akpata on what he should expect as he prepares to take on an incumbent who does not brook dissent. Outgoing governors usually invest all the resources at their disposal, including their emotions, ego and psychology, into installing their preferred successors, so much so that the governor begins to assume that the contest is a personal affront to him. To that extent, Olumide Akpata should have in the back of his mind that he would be contesting against Godwin Obaseki; or to put it more appropriately, he would be confronting the incumbent governor; and he may take it personal.

Succession politics could be a matter of life and death for some exiting chief executives because the power of incumbency is the most potent political force in Nigeria. In fact, since 1999, less than 10 % of all outgoing governors have failed to put their anointed choices as their replacements. Statistically, the odds do not favour the opposition candidate. You must therefore be well prepared for the battle ahead. I have some experience in this. Since 2015, I have served as a communication consultant to three different opposition governorship candidates in Akwa Ibom State, and I can confirm that being an opposition candidate no be moi moi.

The first hurdle to overcome is the issue of zoning; and this depends on how strong this factor is in Edo politics. Gov. Obaseki and former governor Lucky Igbenedion are from Edo South, while former governor Adams Oshiomhole is from Edo North. Akpata is from Edo South and Ighodalo from Edo Central. Since 1999, Central has not produced a governor apart form Prof. Osunbor Oserheimen who was on the seat for only 18 months before he was sacked by a court judgement in 2008 and was replaced by Oshiomhole. Within PDP, the sentiment is that the next governor should come from Edo Central, but Labour and APC are yet to make a categorical statement on their zoning preferences. In some states like Akwa Ibom, zoning is a very strong factor and so the governorship position moves to another senatorial district every eight years. There is no debate. But if zoning is not such an important consideration in Edo, then Akpata ought not to worry. He should, however, be well prepared to give a convincing justification for why he is running in case voters in Edo Central come up with ‘’it is our turn’’ protests. No doubt, Gov. Obaseki will definitely play it up.

By the electoral law and INEC Guidelines, party primaries are held six months to the election. There is a bit of time to prepare for it, but as a major opposition candidate, Akpata will do well to pay attention to a few important things now. It is crucial that he secures the backing of the national and state leaders of his party. As the national leader, Peter Obi will be an important influence in deciding who secures the nomination, but other NWC and SWC leaders are also very crucial and he should endeavour to establish very close relationships with them. I am pleased to note that the State Chairman of the Labour Party, Mr. Kelly Ogbaloi, had already pledged to be fair to all the aspirants. But nothing should be taken for granted. The party executives in Benin will expect Akpata to fund the party handsomely, in addition to making regular cash payments to them ‘’for logistics’’. As we say in this business, he is now the new ATM of the party! The demands will be many and regular, and if he fails to meet their expectations, the leaders may turn treacherous and back another aspirant, or even an opposition party candidate. They will then give some strange reasons for their about-face; something like: ‘’Akpata is not serious. Politics is not law. We are not joking in this business’’. I have seen it all.

In addition, the rank-and-file supporters will also exert pressures on him for financial gratification. If he does not have a thick skin and deep pocket, he may not accommodate their varied requests – money for food; school fees; hospital bills; house rents; house-warming; wedding; baby dedication and even funeral expenses. In return, they will pledge to ‘’win my Local government 100% because nothing happens in my polling unit without me. I am the one that makes things happen on election day’’. Some may not even have a voter’s card! As election day approaches, the more senior politicians and party excos will also ask him for money for sundry items – to arrange for security; to settle INEC; to see the DPO or Commissioner of Police; to see ‘’Abuja’’ or ‘’clear road’’ or for ‘’voter appreciation’’ (another name for vote-buying). They too have their language. ‘’I am on the ground in my ward. On election day, I can commandeer everything. I have been on ground since the days of Action Group. I have never lost my unit’’. I don’t know about Edo, but in my state, there are basic terminologies that convey the message. They include: ‘’trans’’; ‘’close the meeting, etc’’. They all refer to putting down cash to be shared to party members at the end of every meeting.

By now, Mr. Akpata should be going around the state, meeting with and introducing himself to key politicians, businessmen, religious and traditional leaders and other important stakeholders in all the LGAs. Known as consultation, these visits constitute the first round of campaign (well, unofficial campaign in the sense that the campaign season is yet to be officially flagged off by INEC), but it is, nonetheless, very important and not cheap to execute. The aspirant will give cash and drinks at every stop, and the hosts will pray for him and assure him of their support, depending on how pleased they are with the size of his envelops and the assortment of the drinks he brought. Note that the same prayers would be offered to all the other aspirants that visit. Even if the host is a member of Labour Party, he may open his doors and receive aspirants from other parties in the name of ‘’we are all brothers. Politics will not separate us’’. But in reality, the envelops and the drinks are the attraction. As one traditional ruler told a visiting aspirant to my hearing, ‘’my job is to receive all aspirants, pray for them and bless them, but it is up to God in Heaven to choose one of them and make him governor’’.

Consultations usually last till the beginning of the primaries. Each party decides whether to do a direct or indirect primary; the former being more easily manipulated by the Party executives than the later. If the aspirant does not have a strong standing with the party leaders in the state, he should go for the indirect primary. For the indirect, he will have to spend money to secure the delegates’ list. There are usually the ‘’Abuja List’’ and the ‘’List from the State party Office’’. May God help that aspirant who is not favoured by the Abuja List. Sometime, trying to harmonize the two lists could tear the party apart and this usually result is pre-election court cases. In 2019, Prof Pat Utomi contested for governor of Delta State. Utomi reported later that on the primary day, he was driving around looking for the venue of the primary election when he heard on the car radio that the event had been concluded and the winner’s name announced. Clearly, Utomi was not favoured by the party leaders. Party primaries have become very complicated and corruption-ridden components of our party politics.

By the Electoral Law, it is the national headquarters of the party that should conduct party primaries; and more often than not, it is their decision that stands, even if the state executives have a different opinion. But it is the state executives that work with the candidates to campaign for the election. So, if you win the party’s ticket, but you fail to secure the backing of your state executives, you could suffer calamitous back-stabbing. In the last election, I knew of one state chairman of a party who openly campaigned for another party because his party’s candidate was not generous enough! It is, however, important for an aspirant to understand how delegates emerge from the different congresses that would be conducted before the primaries. A smart and wealthy politician can influence the process, and therefore have full control ‘’the List’’.

After winning the party primary election, the aspirant becomes the candidate. This is typical a Nigerian characterization as there is no other country in which this demarcation exists. If Akpata wins the Labour Party ticket, he will go on to face Ighodalo of PDP and the APC candidate. Wherever the APC candidate comes from will have some influence on the outcome of the general election. If he is from Central, that means he will split the vote from that region with Ighodalo, the PDP candidate, and if he is from South, he and Akpata will share the votes in that zone. But since the most influential APC leader in Edo, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, is from Edo North, my sense is that the APC candidate will emerge from North. Already, Mr. Clem Agba, a former commissioner in Oshiomhole’s cabinet who also served in Buhari’s cabinet as Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, is preparing to announce his bid soon. Agba enjoys the support of the former labour leader.

While Ighodalo will enjoy the support and protection of the governor, Akpata will fend for himself, grappling with series of unexpected challenges that would crop up as the campaigns progress. He may be denied use of government facilities like school premises, parks or public arenas on which to stage his campaign rallies. Sponsored thugs could be sent to disrupt his rallies or his billboards may be torn down. Even the police may turn against him, if he is seen as a serious contender who may cause an upset. Of course, the state-owned media will never carry any positive news about him. Everything depends on how fair Gov. Obaseki wants to be. Although Labour Party performed very well in Edo State during the last presidential election, Akpata should note that governorship elections are typically influenced by local issues. First, the voters will ask many questions about the candidate; his family background and his personal contributions to the state. What has been the level of his philanthropic investments in the people? Does he have a statewide empowerment programme like a scholarship scheme? Has he been extending help to the widows; market women; orphans and the poor in Edo State? In Akwa Ibom State, governorship candidates are assessed by the level of their philanthropy and economic investments in the state. Although Mr. Umo Eno was assailed by many certificate scandals which the courts eventually dismissed, his credentials as a major employer of labour through his hotel chain helped him considerably.

Funding the campaign is always a major challenge for an opposition candidate. He should, first of all, put together a campaign team, headed by a competent manager, usually referred to as Director General, who preferably should be a former senator or House of Representatives member. It pays for the DG to have cognate experience in contesting election. The campaign organization will have departments like Security; Media & Communication; Venue; Transport; Finance; Protocol, etc. A governorship campaign costs a lot of money (between N5 billion and N10 billion) and this is where the government-sponsored candidate has a major advantage over the other candidates. Sooner than later, the opposition candidate runs low on cash, and he’d be surprised that his friends and associates, who had been pushing him on, will not help much in contributing money. One rich guy blatantly refused to help his friend financially. When I asked why, he answered, ‘’I cannot see his path to victory’’. In other words, the likely your chances of success, the more funds you can raise; and without money, your chances dim and dims.

Finally, Edo is lucky to have successful professionals as the main candidates for next year’s election. I am of the opinion that if a critical mass of successful, competent and honest professionals makes their way into politics, they would make positive impact.

The management of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has responded to ticket racketeering allegations in its rail operations, saying it has suspended nine workers found culpable.

This comes after some staff members of the NRC were alleged to be involved in fraudulent dealings, collecting cash from passengers which they do not remit to the government as well as ticket racketeering.

Speaking to journalists at the Obafemi Awolowo Station in Ibadan, the Managing Director of the NRC, Fidet Okhiria, said nine members of staff involved in the fraudulent practice had been suspended.

“It’s an offence to carry an intending passenger to enter the train without having a ticket,” Okhiria said.

“We have made that arrangement and we have staff members to check the tickets before they get to the departure hall and also check the tickets before they can get to the platforms to board the train.”

The NRC boss stated that adequate steps had been taken to prevent such people without tickets from being allowed to pass into the departure hall and onto the platform to board the train.

“I just came here to remind them that anybody caught will not be spared and to ensure that we do the right thing at the right time,” he added.

[NaijaTimes]

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu has said that Nigeria, at 63, needs to become truly independent and self sufficient instead of depending on loans.

The Deputy Speaker said this while speaking at a stakeholders’ dialogue on the implementation of Section 45 of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, on Saturday in Lagos.

Kalu, who was represented by Mr Nalaraba Abubakar, Chairman, House Committee on Loans and Debt Management, noted that previous governments sustained budgets through loans, an approach he considered not sustainable.

According to him, the compliance of the provisions of Section 45 of the FRA remains crucial to the banks and other financial institutions before lending to any government of the federation.

“Lending by banks and financial institutions is contravention to the FRA 2007 is unlawful,” he said.

The Deputy Speaker further stated that it was imperative for banks and financial institutions to comply with the provisions outlined in Section 45 of the Fiscal Responsibility Act before they lend to the government.

He also noted that it was essential to consider the authorised borrowing limit specified in the appropriation Act and adhere to the extant provisions of Section 45.

Kalu, who expressed disappointment that state governments were borrowing for consumption rather than focusing on long-term capital expenditure for production purposes, argued that the trend worsens the country’s inflation and inhibits economic growth.

He, however, urged state governments to explore their own potentials and enhance local production to increase internally generated revenue instead of relying solely on the Federal Government.

“We encourage states to stop depending on federal government and boost their local production, thereby increasing internally generated revenue.

“I commend FRC in its responsibility of keeping up with promoting a transparent and accountable government fiscal management framework for Nigeria,” the deputy speaker said.

Kalu also expressed disappointment that the authorities in charge of monitoring inflow of grants into the country had no proper record of the grants.

“These grants do not just pass through the thin air, but by processes, which the commercial banks are involved in.

“It is important for commercial banks to liaise with the government by making disclosure on the inflow of the grants,” he said.

According to him, accumulation of those aids and grants are crippling the economy, which has become unbearable.

He, therefore, confirmed that the 10th Assembly was prepared to introduce legislation that would bring transparency to the processes of grants entering the country, adding that there are plans to enact a law compelling commercial banks to disclose the sources of grants, their beneficiaries, and who holds custody of the funds.

The lawmaker said: “We have billions of dollars coming into Nigeria as grants, but cannot pin point where the grants are going into in the economy.

“So, it’s important that the commercial banks work together with the government to rebuild the country, because a bouyant economy would also contribute in the activities of the banks too.”

[RipplesNigeria]

A Special Court Martial set up by the Nigerian Army, which found the former Group Managing Director and Executive Vice Chairman of Nigerian Army Properties Limited (NAPL), Major General Umar Mohammed, guilty will deliver judgment on Tuesday, THISDAY has learnt.
The Special Court Martial sitting in Abuja had found Major General Mohammed guilty of 14 out of 18 counts of charges, including stealing and other sundry offences, which are all contrary to service laws.

The charges brought against the general border on stealing, forgery, conspiracy, theft, unauthorised diversion of Army property, among others.
In one of the charges on which he was found guilty, General Mohammed was alleged to have collected the sum of $1.045,400 paid by shipping companies for the use of Nigerian Army Jetty located at no 6 Marina, Victoria Island, Lagos

He was also found guilty of a theft of $430,800 monies paid into the Nigerian Army Domiciliary account at Unity Bank, Abuja for the use of Nigerian Army Jetty, Marina, Lagos.
The court martial also found him guilty of withdrawing and confiscating the sum of N74 million out of N75 million paid for a property belonging to the Nigerian Army at Ikoyi, Lagos.

The general was however found not guilty on allegations that he sold Army property worth N200 million in Lagos as well as stole the sum of another N750 million out of the sum of N2.5 billion secured from banks as well as contributions from subscribers for Army housing estate in Asokoro, Abuja.
He was also not found guilty of charges of forging a Deed of Agreement document pursuant to confiscating another Army property in Lagos.
The Special Court Martial with Major General Kames Myam as President, has seven other Major Generals as members and a Brigadier General as Judge Advocate and it is expected to read out its sentences for the accused on Tuesday.

General Mohammed had claimed that the houses and monies accused of selling and misappropriating were released on the directive and instruction of his boss.
During the court-martial, Major General Mohammed was brought into the court in a wheelchair but the President of the court, Maj-Gen Myan said all necessary medical checks were carried out on the accused and all proved that he was fit to stand trial.
The lead counsel for the prosecution was Col. BA Oguntayo (rtd), while the lead counsel for the defence was Olalekan Ojo (SAN).

[ThisDay]

The Lagos State government has announced the sealing of a popular nightclub in the state over noise pollution.

In a terse statement on Saturday night, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, identified the sealed nightclub as Silk Club.

Located at 190, Awolowo Road in Ikoyi, the commissioner said the nightclub was sealed by the officials of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), who on his orders, conducted a nighttime enforcement operation in the area.

“As I directed, the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency @LasepaOfficial conducted a nighttime enforcement operation, leading to the closure and sealing of Silk Club at 190, Awolowo Road, Ikoyi due to noise pollution,” he disclosed this on X (formerly Twitter).

See photos below:

 

[Channels TV]

Rooney made the announcement after DC United were beaten by New York City FC. The Athletic says he doesn’t a new job lined up.

“It’s the right time [to leave D.C. United],” Rooney said. “I’ve done everything I can to get this club into the playoffs. It’s not a single thing that’s happened. It’s about timing.

“What lies ahead, I don’t know. I’ve seen a lot of reports in the media. I’m going back with nothing lined up.

“I want to say on record to everyone involved in the club. Staff, players: I’m grateful.”

[NewsGuru]

Former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Peterside Idah has disclosed that it would take Nigeria more than 40 years to host the FIFA World Cup.

Idah cited the country’s poor maintenance culture of its sports facilities, which he said has affected some of the quality stadiums in the country.

The 49-year-old in an interview on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily, noted that the only available stadium, where good football can be played at the moment, remains the Godswill Akpabio International stadium in Uyo.

He emphasized that neglecting these facilities could limit Nigeria’s ability to compete on the global stage, not only as a future World Cup host but also as a genuine challenger in a variety of sporting disciplines.

“On record presently, the only playing field which we have is a grass stadium and it is the Uyo stadium, but 20 anything(years) is still very long maybe in the next 40 years, we would have had some kind of stability,” he said.

“We have facilities everywhere like in Port Harcourt where I live in Port Harcourt now, we have three stadiums in Port Harcourt, and we play well. This stadium must be working. We have the civic centre that had everything such as the swimming pool but these facilities are not being maintained. And once these facilities are not maintained how do you expect us to firstly chunk out athletes and be able to contest or contain the world. We have to go back to basics.”

Nigeria last hosted a global football tournament back in 2009, which was the U-17 FIFA World Cup with Switzerland emerging as champions and Golden Eaglets taking the runner-up spot.

[Leadership]

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has instituted a Scholarship Award scheme for 550 indigent students in the Remo Federal Constituency of the state in honour of his late son, Gbemiga Abiodun, who died six years ago.

The scholarships cover pupils in primary and secondary schools as well as those in vocational and tertiary institutions.

The scholarship was spread across all schools in its coverage area.

Speaking at the launch of the Gbemiga Abiodun Education Scholarship Award held at Iperu, Ikenne Local Government Area, Prince Abiodun said the scheme would ensure that brilliant students and those whose parents could not afford to educate them, have access to quality education.

According to him, the number of beneficiaries will increase to 1000 in the next 12 months, which will be the minimum at any given time.

He also promised that the scholarship would be extended to the other federal constituencies in the state for maximum spread. He said: “It is against this backdrop that my family came up with a scholarship scheme called GBEMIGA ABIODUN MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP AWARD, in memory of our son, Gbemiga Abiodun, which is strictly for indigent learners of Public Primary, Secondary Schools, Technical College, and Tertiary Institutions, as well as Special Needs Learners within Ikenne, Remo North, and Sagamu Local Government Areas, to provide support to selected learners who are from the aforementioned local government areas of Ogun State.

“The Award is in two phases. The first phase is to be a Scholarship Award, designed for indigent and brilliant students while its alternative form; the second phase will be a Bursary Award for in-need but not necessarily brilliant indigent students whose chances of upward socio-economic mobility are probable with bursary support.

“This Scholarship award is designed for a period of three (3) years and within the age bracket of 6-25, and selection will be determined by the State Ministry of Education Science and Technology, using the Cumulative Promotion Examination Result obtainable from the OGSERA platform while the beneficiaries for tertiary institutions were recommended by their respective institutions.”

[Nation]

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has said that the history of the ancient city of Ile-Ife is deeper than what is available in academic institutions.

Ooni disclosed this on Saturday during a press conference on the theme, “International Conference on Ile-Ife and Yoruba Civilisation: The Nexus between Tradition and Modernity,” held at his palace in Ile-Ife, Osun State.

He lauded the organisers of the event saying that it would pave the way for proper documentation of Ile-Ife history.

“As the 51st Ooni of Ife, in the third dynasty of Ife, I noted that there are so many facts that were not written down about the nexus of tradition and modality.

“Our oral tradition has not been adequately written down, so many facts and figures were distorted from the original history of Kaaro-o-o-jiire.

“For me to build the legacy for the entire Kaaro-o-o-jiire race, that is known as Yoruba people, we are discovering every day that our history is deeper than what we have in various academic institutions,” Ooni said.

He commended the team led by a Lecturer at the Department of History, International Studies, Osun State University, Prof. Siyan Oyefeso, as very passionate and fantastic people working together to put history in the right perspective.

The royal father revealed that Ghanians had traced their lineage to Aga-Ako in Ile-Ife and that Ethiopians are sons and daughters of Oranmiyan in Okerewe, Eredumi ruling house in Ife to date.

“Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania categorically told me when I traveled to their countries that they migrated from Ile-Ife and they are sons and daughters of the source, while all these cannot be found in any archive.

“We are leading the team globally, nobody has documented the three dynasties, only the last dynasty, Ife Akanlubebe, which I’m the 51st Ooni, was documented to a large extent.

“But the two,  Ife Oodaye and Ife Ooyelagbo, some professors talked briefly on them, but during this international conference, the duo will be deeply rooted.

“Their rulers, supernatural beings that form these dynasties like the Luwos, the Agbaakos., the Oromos, Oranmiyans, all over the continents of Africans, the Bantoos, the Baribas will be dealt with,” Ooni added.

Oba Ogunwusi tasked the indigenes to support the conveners of the conference in order to properly document the history of their race.

“If we fail to do it this time around, nobody will do it for us. We cannot be waiting for any Western country to continue with wrong documentation,” he said.

Earlier, Oyefeso had said the conference is an international academic gathering that needs the royal blessing of Ooni.

Oyefeso said that apart from the royal blessing, the conference would deepen the body of literature on Ile-Ife and Yoruba civilisation.

He stated that facts would be established that Ile-Ife is not just the cradle of the Yoruba race, but a place where Yoruba identity was formed.

“Right from the Oduduwa revolution to the three phases of Ile-Ife history, Ife Oodaye, Ife Oyelagbo and Ife Akanlubebe, have not been put in the right perspective.

“We want to ensure that Nigerians are aware that before the  51st dynasty, there had been three phases and it’s the third phase that his royal majesty is now the 51st Ooni of Ife.

“So when people talk about the history of Ile-Ife, they talk about it in generic terms, we want to draw that distinction,” the convener said.

“The main purpose of the conference is to invite a body of scholars at the international, national, state and local levels to reexamine the existing literature.

“And to come out with a new original and unsearched evidence which might have been unresearched. A number of experts in Yoruba history, and archeology would be part of the conference.

“Eminent scholars overseas and in Nigeria that would partake in the conference are Prof. Cordelia Osasona, Professor of Architecture, OAU; Prof. Oyeronke Olademo, Professor of Comparative Religious Studies of the Unilorin.

“Others include Prof. Akin Ogundiran, Professor of Africana Studies, Anthropology & History of Northwestern University, United States of America and the 18th President of the Society of Africanist Archaeologists among others.

“In less than eight years of Oba Ogunwusi on the throne, there are a lot of changes in the architectural and infrastructural landscape in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife within the 60 years of establishment.

“Ile-Ife is now the home of tourism and hospitality, it is a great destination of today, Ooni is a proprietor of Ojaja University, Eyenkorin, Ilorin, Kwara.

“He established the hospitality industry in the leading city of Nigeria today like Ife Grand Resort, Ojaja Arena, Ojaja Cinema, Adire Odua hub, Ojaja More in Ife, Ede, Ibadan, Akure, Lagos among other cities,”  Oyefeso expressed.

The historian said that Oba Ogunwusi had impacted greatly on Yoruba history and culture, encouraging archeologists and historians to partner by coming together to deepen their understanding, not just of the history of Ile-Ife but of the entire Yoruba race.

He said that the academic conference would be held between Oct. 10 and Oct. 12 at Ojaja Arena, Ife Grand Resort, Km 4, Ife-Ibadan Expressway, Ile-Ife.

“The Ooni has positioned Ile-Ife as a leading light in the making of modern Nigeria, embarked on several local and foreign trips to tie the loose ends and reestablish the cultural significance of the Yoruba race.

“Ooni is passionate about the preservation and restoration of the ancient city of Ile-Ife, since ascension to the throne,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria {NAN} reports that the conference would basically be on documenting the history of Ile-Ife in terms of culture, archeology, history, tourism, hospitality and international networking.

NAN