The National Secretary of New Nigeria’s People Party (NNPP), Olaposi Oginni, has attributed the removal of Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, to the former Presidential candidate of the party, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso.

In response to the confirmation of the removal of Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf by the Court of Appeal on the grounds of alleged irregularities and electoral malpractices, Oginni squarely attributed the blame to Kwankwaso’s avarice and relentless pursuit of power and prominence.

In a statement released to the press on Sunday, the party secretary alleged that the absence of internal democracy, orchestrated by Kwankwaso, was the root cause of the loss in Kano. He highlighted that numerous essential and constitutional measures had been neglected since Kwankwaso assumed the role of the party’s flagbearer.

Oginni further asserted that names of individuals who did not partake in the NNPP’s gubernatorial primaries were erroneously submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s portal.

Oginni cited Kwankwaso’s actions as the reason for the governor’s removal and alleged that the party leadership could no longer tolerate his anti-party activities. He urged Kwankwaso and the party to apologize to Dr Boniface Okechukwu Aniebonam for causing NNPP avoidable headaches before the final judgement at the Supreme Court.

He added, “It is unfortunate that this avoidable embarrassment of the removal of Kano State governor was as a result of unholy activities in the Maitama house of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso in the build-up to 2023 general elections when the party situation room was relocated to Kwankwaso’s bedroom“.

“It is on record that Kwankwaso and his Kwakwasya’s group joined NNPP in February 2022 with desperation to hijack the structure of the party at all levels”, Oginni said.

“It is obvious that in Kwankwaso’s desperation and greediness, most relevant and constitutional things were left undone. Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso incapacitated the defunct NWC to the extent that the then National Chairman and Secretary were crippled and unable to perform their statutory duties because of Kwankwaso.

“It was only Kwankwaso that was ordering the loading of candidate’s names in his house with or without primaries”.

“For instance in Ogun State, Kwankwaso uploaded the name of someone who never participated in the NNPP’s governorship primaries as the governorship candidate for Ogun State to replace Jobi Fayoyin, who emerged at the primary. It is very clear that the lack of internal democracy orchestrated by Kwankwaso brought about this Kano calamity.

“The Kwankwaso open display of political prostitution caused another avoidable collateral damage to the Kano State governor electoral victory of NNPP”.

“It is on record that the Board of Trustees of New Nigeria People’s Party and the New National Working Committee led by Major Agbo expelled Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso from NNPP for his anti-party activities.

“Kwankwaso who was formerly fraternizing with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in a desperate lobbying for a ministerial position was also within a few days seeing with Atiku and Obi plotting how to remove the president at the Tribunal and Supreme Court through “CSU” bullet.

“The leadership of NNPP could no longer tolerate this disgusting act of inconsistency and quickly expelled Kwankwaso from the party.

“We cannot pretend that all is well within the party with the expulsion of Kwankwaso and sacking of the Kano State Governor.

“It is nemesis catching up with the defunct NWC who stupidly passed a resolution of the expulsion of the founder of the party, Dr. Boniface Okechukwu Aniebonam.

“Recognizing that Dr. Boniface Okechukwu Aniebonam is the founder and spiritual head of NNPP, Gov. Yusuf and Kwankwaso needed to openly apologize to him for causing NNPP avoidable headache before the final judgement at the Supreme Court. I strongly believe it is not over until it’s over.

“If Kwankwaso is humble enough to beg the founder of NNPP and Dr. Aniebonam forgives. God Himself shall forgive Kwankwaso and Gov Yusuf and the hope shall rise again.

“However, one does not need to be a lawyer or judge to know that the case of Gov. Abbah Yusuf of Kano State is more spiritual than physical. This is because it is obvious that NNPP won Kano State flat in the last general election, judging from every empirical evidence, including but not limited to State, Federal House and Senatorial seat results.

“It is also settled cases in the Appeal and Supreme Courts that only the party and its members can determine who is a member or not. Even the court and the INEC do not have the locus standi to determine membership of a party.

Therefore, Senator Kwankwaso should approach God and seek forgiveness for allowing inconsequential and meddlesome interlopers to dictate and pronounce the expulsion of Knapp’s founder, a known messenger of God.

“I believe that the Supreme Court will reverse the avoidable injustice done to the governor of Kano State and the people of Kano who have elected Governor Abbah Yusuf as their choice.

“The political angle of this avoidable injustice to the electorates of Kano State is not above intervention if only Senator Kwankwaso will purge himself of arrogance and proudness”, Oginni concluded.

[pNaijaNews]

Nigeria’s headline inflation rate surged to 27.33% in October 2023, marking a 0.61% increase from September’s 26.72%.

Year-on-year, this represents a substantial 6.24% rise compared to October 2022, when the inflation rate was at 21.09%.

The impact of such inflation on investments is crucial to understand, as it erodes the purchasing power of money over time.

While investors often concentrate on nominal return’ which is the actual percentage gain or loss on an investment, it is equally crucial to consider real returns, which account for inflation.

Real returns offer a more accurate reflection of the actual increase in purchasing power and are vital in an inflationary situation.

In this context, traditional asset classes, such as bonds and cash equivalents, often face challenges in providing positive real returns, while stocks generally have the potential to outperform inflation and provide positive real returns though individual stock performance can vary widely.

Some stocks may indeed experience negative real returns, especially if their growth doesn’t outpace inflation.

The interplay becomes especially evident in stock investment when considering the total return of stocks, which includes capital gains and dividend yields, about the inflation rate.

In 2022, for example, this played out, showcasing divergent outcomes among stocks. Some recorded positive real returns, indicating growth that outpaced the closing inflation rate of 21.34%, while others grappled with negative real returns

Take, for instance, Guinness Nigeria Plc, which achieved an impressive total return of 87.99% for 2022.

Considering the inflation rate closing at 21.34%, Guinness Plc secured a real return of 54.93%. This indicates that the investment in Guinness Plc not only outpaced the inflation rate but also provided a substantial real return, reflecting strong performance during the period in question.

In contrast, within the penny stock category, AXA Mansard recorded a total return of +4.21% in 2022. However, when factoring in the inflation rate of 21.34%, the real return for AXA Mansard turned negative, settling at -14.12%.

This reminds us that even in a positive total return scenario, the impact of inflation can result in a diminished real return.

In 2023, penny stocks have shown resilience and growth. Over 40 of these stocks have year-to-date gains above the current inflation rate.

Notably, ten standout performers, including CHAM, JAPAULGOLD, FTNCocoa, Ikeja Hotel, OMATEK, Golden Breweries, ABC Transport, THOMASWY, SUNUAssurance, and TRIPPLEG, have not only outpaced inflation but have soared with triple-digit year-to-date gains.

Penny stocks, identified by their modest per-share value often below N5, present an accessible entry into the market, making them an attractive option for investors.

Their affordability, coupled with the potential for significant returns, positions penny stocks as an enticing opportunity for individuals seeking to venture into investing without a substantial upfront commitment.

However, it’s essential to acknowledge the dual nature of penny stocks. Characterized by high volatility, these stocks are prone to substantial drawdowns, making them a blend of high-risk and high-profit instruments.

Consequently, some stock analysts caution against adopting long-term buy-and-hold strategies in the penny stock sector.

The tendency for short-term trades in this domain highlights the need for investors to navigate with care and consider the associated risks in their investment decisions.

This cautionary approach becomes particularly relevant, even when examining the performance of the top ten penny stock performers in 2023 in comparison to their 2022 performance.

In 2022, except for Thomas Watt Nigeria, which recorded a year-to-date gain of +169.44%, the remaining nine top performers for 2023 either remained stagnant or experienced negative year-to-date returns.

Therefore, it becomes crucial for investors to discern opportune moments to capitalize on profits, given the cyclic returns often associated with these stocks.

However, it’s crucial to acknowledge the absence of guarantees in equity investments. At best, such investments may be considered inflation-protected.

Against the backdrop of the current inflation rate of 27.33%, these penny stocks have not only weathered the economic storm but have also surpassed the rising inflation.

Omatek Ventures: +335% YTD

Omatek Ventures, with a 335% share price YtD gain, emerged as the 5th most-performing penny stock on the NGX.

It commands trading liquidity with a trading volume of 393 million shares over the past four months, ranking it as the 17th most traded stock on the NGX.

OMATEK, which operates in the ICT/Computers and Peripherals sector/subsector, is presently the 112th most valuable stock with a market capitalization of NGN 2.56 billion.

However, it has not paid dividends for the past five years, and there are concerns about the share price growth being unsupported by earnings, given the company’s loss after tax recorded over the past five years.

Ikeja Hotels Plc: +349.52% YTD

In 2022, Ikeja Hotels faced a setback, witnessing a decline and losing about 14% of its share price value. However, a turnaround occurred in the current year, as the stock rebounded significantly, gaining around 350%.

In contrast to OMATEK, Ikeja Hotels has a relatively positive dividend history. It has distributed dividends for three out of the last five years.

Additionally, the company displayed financial resilience in the first nine months of 2023, reporting a pre-tax profit of N1.070 billion compared to a pre-tax loss of N72 million in the corresponding period of the previous year.

Despite this recent positive performance, the company’s earnings have not been stable over the last five years, including a reported pre-tax loss of N3.357 billion in 2022.

This inconsistency in earnings might raise questions about the sustainability of the share price rally and whether it is fully supported by underlying fundamentals.

FTN Cocoa Processors: +489.66% YTD

FTN Cocoa Processors is the 22nd most traded stock on the Nigerian Stock Exchange over the past three months with a total volume of 226 million shares.

This suggests significant market activity and investor interest in the stock and could have an impact on the share price.

Higher trading volumes often indicate increased market liquidity and may attract more investors, contributing to price movements.

However, it is better to approach FTN Cocoa’s share price rally with caution, as it appears not to be supported by the company’s financial performance.

The company has consistently reported pre-tax losses over the past five years, and this trend continued into 2023 with a pre-tax loss of N332 million in Q3.

Additionally, FTN Cocoa lacks a stable dividend history, having not paid dividends over the last five years.

Given these factors, investors are advised to carefully consider the risks and potential implications of the share price movement considering the company’s financial record.

Japaul Gold and Ventures Plc: +507.14% YTD

Japaul Gold, formerly known as Japaul Oil and Maritime Services Plc, operates as a Nigerian upstream service company involved in diverse sectors including mining, oil and gas, maritime, dredging, transportation, engineering, and construction services.

Over the past three months, Japaul Gold has experienced significant trading activity, with an impressive volume exceeding 1.3 billion shares.

This places the company as the 6th most traded stock on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NGX).

Japaul Gold’s financial performance has been a mix of ups and downs. Investors might perceive the company’s 9M 2023 results as a return to its golden era in 2019 when it reported a substantial pre-tax profit of N41 billion.

CHAMS Plc: +827.27% YTD

Chams Plc is Nigeria’s leading provider of integrated identity management and payment transactional systems. CHAMS Plc with a share price YtD gain of 827.27% is ranked first on the NGX in terms of share price YtD performance.

The stock has also seen trading liquidity, with a substantial volume of 707 million shares traded over the past three months.

This suggests a significant level of market activity and investor interest in Chams Plc.

The positive momentum in Chams Plc’s share price may be attributed to investors perceiving its financial performance in 9M 2023 as a welcomed improvement.

The company has recorded pre-tax losses over the last five years; however, in 9M 2023, it reported a pre-tax profit of N255 million.

[Nairametrics]

The Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress clashed on Sunday following the sacking of Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State by the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja.

In a judgment on Sunday, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal led by Justice Elphreda Williams-Dawodu ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Mutfwang and issue a fresh one to Nentawe Goshwe of the APC whom the court declared as the valid winner of the March 18 governorship election.

Mutfwang was the third opposition governor to be sacked by the Court of Appeal within three days.

Last Thursday, the appellate court nullified the election of another PDP Governor, Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State, declaring that the governorship election in the state was inconclusive.

The following day, the same court invalidated the election of the Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, of the New Nigeria Peoples Party

Worried by the serial losses suffered by their governors and lawmakers at the courts, the PDP Deputy Legal Adviser, Okechukwu Osuoha, declared that the recent court judgments were not in tandem with the law.

 But the Director of Publicity for the APC, Bala Ibrahim, riposted that it was people who did not understand how the judicial process works that were accusing both the APC and the Presidency of trying to turn Nigeria into a one-party state.

 Mutfwang of the PDP had scored 525,299 votes while the candidate of the APC, Goshwe polled 481,370 votes in the March 18 governorship election in the state.

Goshwe challenged the victory of Mutfwang at the tribunal claiming that the governor was not validly nominated and sponsored by his party.

He also said there was non-compliance with the Electoral Act in the election.

The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal had dismissed his petition for lacking in merit, but Goshwe headed to the appellate court.

However, Justice Williams-Dawodu, in the lead judgment, set aside the decision of the tribunal.

The judge held that Mutfwang was not validly sponsored by the PDP and that he was not qualified to have contested the election because the PDP did not conduct valid state, local government, and ward congresses ordered by a High Court of Plateau State and it had no structure as at the time of the election.

Citing section 177 of the Constitution, she held that the governor was not validly sponsored by the PDP during the election.

She held that the party violated a court order, directing it to conduct a valid congress in the 17 Local Government Areas of that state.

Williams-Dawodu said there was no evidence that the PDP complied with a subsisting High Court order which had directed it to conduct the party congress prior to its sponsorship of the governorship and other candidates.

 The court held that the issue of qualification is both a pre-election and a post-election matter contrary to the findings of the tribunal which held that the appellant lacked the locus to contest the validity of the respondent.

 The court also noted that under section 134 of the Electoral Act, it is the sole right of a political party to sponsor its candidate having met the necessary requirements to do so.

 She then ordered INEC to retrieve the certificate of return issued to the governor and issue a fresh certificate of return to the Goshwe.

Williams-Dawodu said,” The judgment of the Tribunal affirming the election of Governor Caleb stands to be set aside. The appeal is hereby allowed. The issue is resolved in favour of the appellants.”

PDP kicks

Speaking on the verdict, the Deputy PDP legal adviser, Osuoha, who said he did not have a copy of the judgment yet explained that there were three grounds for the election petition matter.

He said, “One is that when somebody is claiming that he won an election with the most number of valid votes, the person will have to prove it. The second is malpractice; the person who alleged would have to prove it.

 “Then qualification; whether the person was qualified or not. So these are the grounds. It is in the public domain that Nigerians and PDP are not too comfortable with judgment from the courts.

 “In the ruling party, APC, impunity is so much. They try to influence some of these institutions to force their party on Nigerians. That is the ugly side of it.”

 Osuoha stressed that “Most of the recent judgments are not really in tandem with the law. Most times the justices come up with technicalities.

 “The court now portrays itself as a court of technicalities and not a court of justice and it is not too palatable for our system, our country, and democracy.”

 The lawyer noted there is still a window for the party and Mutfwang to appeal the judgment.

 “The people hold the judiciary in high esteem so that confidence should not be eroded.”

 “Nigeria is suffering today because most of our institutions are not strong. I believe that our legal system, our Court should stand out. The court should be impartial in their decisions,” he admonished.

 Also, PDP Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor alleged that   “the highest bidders were getting favourable rulings.’’

 Osadolor warned “The clock is ticking and the thin patience of our people is running out. Our judges should remember the heroes past or become today’s heroes by excusing themselves from money-tainted judgments and pronouncements.

 “Some people want to force APC on Nigerians, but we will resist it.”

Judicial rascality

Meanwhile, the New Nigerian People’s Party’s National Auditor, Ladipo Johnson described the judgment as part of the  “judicial rascality that is unfolding.’’

 Johnson in an interview with our correspondent declared that APC has a long way to go to foist itself on Nigerians.

 He said “The bottom line is that the judiciary have put themselves on trial because of some inconsistent principle that we are seeing. Most recent judgments by the judiciary are very troubling to a lot of us in the Country.”

 On whether this is a deliberate effort to foist APC on Nigerians, he said “Even if this is not an attempt to foist APC on Nigerians, it will have the effect. It is a long way for them to force APC on Nigerians because PDP has many states. So, it is far away from it.’’

 The NNPP National Auditor declared “So there is judicial rascality going on. Yes, I haven’t read the judgment, but from the extract have seen, there is a sort of rascality going on. We no longer have confidence in the judiciary.

 “But we are hoping that the Supreme Court will put some clarity on these issues and follow their precedent as it were.”

The leadership of the Labour Party also expressed concern that the administration of President Bola Tinubu might have been “using the judiciary to hound opposition parties and steal the mandate of the people.’’

 Reacting to the sacking of three opposition governors by the court, the chief spokesman for the LP Campaign Organisation, Yunusa Tanko, concluded that the judgments might have been spurred by some ‘vicious’ persons in the executive arm of government who were using the judiciary as a tool to capture the states.

 He said, “As I said earlier, these particular set of people in power are vicious politicians. I repeat the word vicious again for emphasis.

 “Gradually, we are beginning to witness completely captured states where all the institutions have already been bought, intimidated or blackmailed to do the bidding of the present political party and the government in power.

 “There is no hanky-panky about it. They are clear on what they want to do and they are putting our democracy in power.

 “It is now left for us to really challenge these particular people otherwise they are going to take us completely to the cleaners. And they don’t care how, when, and where they do it as long as it favours them. This is the danger.’’

 “Now the electorates are being discouraged from going out to vote for candidates of their choice knowing that the mandate can be snatched. They are already in control of the state apparatus.

 “We had a similar situation at a point when the PDP was in power. These particular people in power will be referencing how virtually everybody was joining the PDP (during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration) then.

 “There was no clear ideology and that was what gave birth to the APC conglomerate. But in this case, it is a different matter entirely. These people in power are just too vicious,” he stated.

 But the APC Director of Publicity, Ibrahim, dismissed the allegations that the judiciary was induced by his party.

 He said, “Nobody is turning Nigeria into a one-party state. These are some of the baseless allegations coming from people who don’t know how the system works. The judiciary is independent.

 “There is just no way any arm or the executive can intimidate or make the judiciary act against its own wish. People are not applying their logic sensibly.

“There are areas where the ruling party has lost and we have castigated, lambasted or cast aspersion on the judiciary. We know the judiciary may have their reason to take the decision against us.

“That is not to say people should think it is the executive that is manipulating the judiciary every time we win.

“People should learn to be good sportsmen. Where you lose today, you may win tomorrow. We should have confidence in the system, ourselves and democracy.

“As long as we continue to be selective in our assessment of the system, we will always get it wrong. We should allow the judiciary to work with the psyche of independence and continue to encourage the system to strengthen democracy. Let us not be judgmentally selective.”

Temporary setback

 In his reaction to the court judgment, Mutfwang described the loss as a temporary setback that will not deter him from repositioning the state on the path of unity, peace, and progress.

 He expressed strong optimism that the mandate ‘’overwhelmingly given to him by the people of Plateau State would be restored,’’ as he had instructed his legal team to file an appeal at the Supreme Court.

 The governor in a statement on Sunday, admonished citizens of the state and supporters of the PDP to remain calm, assuring them that  “as long as God remains on the throne, the mandate of the people will be preserved and protected.’’

 He reiterated his commitment to the rule of law and assured the people that there is light at the end of the tunnel, as he has unwavering faith in the judiciary and the constitution of Nigeria.

 Mutfwang concluded with a strong appeal to supporters, as well as citizens of the state to maintain law and order.

He affirmed that Plateau will be victorious to the glory of God and reassured of his commitment to continually serve the state with dedication and integrity.

Meanwhile, former governor of Plateau State and Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, has described the judgment as an affirmation of the mandate unanimously given to Nentawe and his running mate, Pam Bot-Mang, by the people of the state.

In a statement on Sunday by his Special Adviser on Media, Dr Macham Makut, the minister said the development is a good omen for Plateau State ‘’as the Governor-elect, Dr Nentawe Yilwatda and his running mate will now have the opportunity to implement the Generation Next mantra and the ACEES agenda to take Plateau State to the next level.’’

 The minister said though the PDP and its ousted candidate have the constitutional right to exhaust all the legal opportunities available to them, he is confident that Nentawe’s victory would endure.

Lalong appealed to the members of the APC and the governor-elect to be magnanimous in victory  “and consider this joyous moment as a celebration for the entire people of Plateau State who are yearning for good governance, security and development.’’

He further called on the citizens of Plateau State to continue to be law-abiding and shun any attempt to incite them to take any unlawful action that is capable of threatening the peace and security of the state.

Reacting to the judgment in a statement on Sunday, the Chairman of the House Committee on Navy, Yusf Gagdi, described the development as the dawn of a new era.

Gagdi, who represents Pankshin/ Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency, Plateau State, said, “The triumph of lies over truth is indeed fleeting. It is the dawn of a new era in Plateau State with the victory of our Governor-elect, Nentawe Goshwe at the Court of Appeal today ( Sunday) where his victory was affirmed as the legally recognized winner of the March 18, 2023 gubernatorial elections in Plateau State, following the nullification of PDP’s pyrrhic victory.

“We have always indulged our teaming supporters to exercise restraint in their conducts, despite unwarranted provocation by our political opponents who unleashed all weapons of propaganda and emotional blackmail in their arsenals to sway the pendulum of justice and curry public sympathy in their desperation to hold unto power.

 “Our belief in the judiciary as the bastion of justice and the last hope of the common man has always been unwavering, and we hold the same in the highest esteem as we look forward to approaching the final phase of the legal tussle.

 “While I call on all APC supporters to be magnanimous in victory and celebrate this milestone with all sense of modesty, it is my fervent prayer that our joy shall never be cut short by the evil machinations of our adversaries.’’

[Punch]

Former President Muhammadu Buhari has said that he does not miss his time as president.

Buhari made the disclosure in an interview with the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA).

Daily Trust reports that this is his first interview since leaving office on May 29, 2023.

The former president, when asked about what he misses from his time in office, responded saying: “Miss. I don’t think I miss much.”

The teaser of the interview was released by NTA on its X handle. The full version of the interview will be aired on Monday by 10:30 pm.

Buhari had previously said he would not miss his time in office because he was being “harassed”.

In December 2022, the former president said he was doing his best for Nigerians, but it was not good enough.

“I believe I’m trying my best, but still my best is not good enough. I wonder if I am going to miss much. I think I’m being harassed,” Buhari had said.

Between 2015 and 2021, Buhari spent 171 days on medical vacation in the United Kingdom.

2017 alone accounted for 152 days away.

“I think only my doctor can honestly answer this question,” he had said while speaking on the nature of his illness when he was president.

[DailyTrust]

Rosalynn Carter, wife of former United States of America President, Jimmy Carter is dead.

Carter died at the age of 96.

The news of her death was officially announced by the couple’s non-profit organization, the Carter Center, in a statement released on Sunday at 2:10 pm.

Rosalynn Carter, recognized as a passionate advocate for mental health, caregiving, and women’s rights, breathed her last at her residence in Plains, Georgia, surrounded by her family.

“Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, a passionate champion of mental health, caregiving, and women’s rights, passed away Sunday, Nov. 19, at 2:10 p.m. at her home in Plains, Georgia, at the age of 96. She died peacefully, with family by her side,” the Carter Center stated.

[DailyPost]

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, on Sunday, nullified the election of Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State.

The appellate court, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel of Justices, held that Mutfwang was not validly nominated and sponsored by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to participate in the gubernatorial contest that held on March 18.

It held that all the votes that were credited to him and the PDP after the election amounted to wasted votes.

Consequently, the appellate court panel, led by Justice Elfrieda Williams-Dawodu, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to withdraw the Certificate of Return that it earlier issued to Mutfwang of the PDP as winner of the governorship poll.

It ordered that the candidate that got the second majority lawful votes at the election, should be sworn in as governor of the state.

The judgement followed an appeal that was lodged against governor Muftwang’s election by the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress, APC, in the state, Mr. Nentawe Goshwe.

INEC had declared that Mutfwang of the PDP won the gubernatorial contest with a total of 525,299 votes, ahead of the APC candidate, Goshwe, who polled 481,370 votes.

Dissatisfied with the outcome of the election, Goshwe, went before the Plateau State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal to challenge it.

He, among other things, contended that the PDP lacked a political structure in the states and was therefore incapable of validly nominating or sponsoring any candidate for the governorship poll.

Besides, he argued that the election of Mutfwang was not conducted in compliance with the Electoral Act, insisting that he did not win the majority of lawful votes cast during the election.

Meanwhile, a three-member panel of the tribunal headed by Justuce R. Irele-Ifijeh, in a unanimous decision, dismissed Goshwe’s petition as lacking in merit.

Not happy with the judgement of the tribunal, Goshwe brought the case before the appellate court, maintaining his ground that the PDP candidate, governor Muftwang, lacked the platform and legal qualification to contest the election.

He further alleged that the election was marred by over-voting and non-compliance with key provisions of the the 2022 Electoral Act.

While adopting his final brief of argument, Goshwe, through his team of lawyers led by Prof. Fakunle Olagoke, SAN, told the court that Mutfwang was not qualified to contest the election by virtue of a lack of valid sponsorship by a political party, contrary to section 177 (C) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

However, the governor, through his counsel, Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN, urged the court to dismiss the appeal and uphold the earlier verdict of the tribunal.

Agabi, SAN, argued that the issue of nomination and sponsorship of a candidate for an election was purely an internal affair of a political party which no court had the jurisdiction to wad into.

More so, he contended that the Appellant lacked the locus standi to query a nomination and sponsorship of the candidate of another political party.

Likewise, the counsel for the PDP, Mr. Emeka Etiaba, SAN, urged the court to strike out grounds 1 and 8 of the Appellant’s grounds of appeal, saying they lacked competence.

Etiaba, SAN, argued that governor Mutfwang emerged as gubernatorial flag-bearer of the PDP, through a validly conducted primary election he said was duly monitored by INEC.

Delivering its judgement in the matter on Sunday, the appellate court upheld the appeal and nullified the election of governor Mutfwang.

Other Justices on the panel were; Muhammed Mustapha and Okon Abang.

It will be recalled that the same panel of the appellate court had on November 7, also sacked a Senator and three members of the House of Representatives in the state that won their respective elections on the platform of the PDP.

The panel based its decision on failure of the PDP to fully comply with a court order that was made in 2022, which it said directed the party to conduct congress in the 17 Local Government Areas in the state.

It held that an evidence the PDP produced to prove that it complied with the order, showed that 12 LGAs were excluded in a purported congress it held to select its candidates for the 2023 general elections.

The appellate court, therefore, held that though the lawmakers won their respective seats during the National Assembly election that held on February 25, all the scores that were credited them, amounted to wasted votes as they were not valid candidates.

[Vanguard]

The last time I saw Chief Ogunbanjo was on Tuesday, 14^th December 2021, when I visited to celebrate with him on his 98^th birthday. The Chief was doing very well for ninety-eight and I joined him in drinking red wine and toasting to his health. Encouraged by a saxophonist, Chief Ogunbanjo rose from his chair, and danced in celebration. A really memorable occasion. I was indeed sad when the news broke a few weeks ago that Chief Ogunbanjo had passed away. This was on the 7^th October 2023 – just a few weeks short of his 100^th birthday! He lived a long and impactful life and I join in celebrating the memory of a truly great personality.

I first met Chief Chris Ogunbanjo in 1978. I had just come back to Nigeria after graduating from university and was attending the Nigerian Law School in Lagos. I was always broke, as my father believed that his obligation was simply to pay my school fees at the Law school, and nothing more. He simply could not understand why I needed an allowance since I was living at home where food was provided. And so, having just come from the UK where I worked part-time jobs whenever I needed money, I started looking for a part-time job.

But it was not easy in Nigeria to get a job as a student. With my post graduate law degree from Oxford University, I felt I could secure a part time job as a research assistant, so I approached one or two senior lawyers offering to help them in conducting legal research. They were amused at the suggestion that I could be of any use to them, not having been called to the bar. One of them even advised me that, rather than spending time looking for part-time work, I should concentrate on my studies to ensure that I did not fail in my law school exams! I had almost given up on the possibility of being retained by any senior lawyer when a friend suggested that I approach Chief Chris Ogunbanjo.

I thought the suggestion was rather a long shot as, at that time, Chief Ogunbanjo was generally acknowledged as the leading corporate lawyer in Nigeria. In the early 1950s he, together with Chief Samuel Oladoke Akintola and Mr. Michael Odesanya had formed one of the first law partnerships in the country, called ‘Samuel, Chris & Michael’. Whilst Chief Akintola moved on to politics, and Michael Odesanya ultimately to the judiciary, Chief Ogunbanjo stayed on in legal practice and became a dominant force in commercial legal practice, continuing practice under the name of Chris Ogunbanjo & Co. And it was this great man that my friend was suggesting I contact! However, as a young man I was never afraid of taking on challenges and I decided to try it on the basis that ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained’. I therefore made an appointment to see the Chief.

Arriving in his waiting room about 15 minutes to the appointed time I became very nervous. His waiting room was very imposing and, as I entered, his substantial portrait which adorned the entrance seemed to be staring at me. I almost turned back, fearing I had made a big mistake. But I steeled myself, introduced myself to the secretary who, clearly seeing how nervous I was, asked me to sit down and make myself comfortable as Chief Ogunbanjo was expecting me. At exactly the appointed time, I was ushered into Chief’s office. He listened to me without interruption and at the end of my long-winded explanation of what I wanted he simply smiled and said to me “Young man, I see you are looking for something to do? When do you want to start?”.

Thus started my relationship with Chief Christopher Ogunbanjo.  I worked with him until I completed law school and was called to the bar.  When I went off for my NYSC, which I served in Kano, he gave me a note to Chief J. B. Majiyagbe, who also gave me a part-time job. After my NYSC, I had brief stints as a lecturer at the University of Lagos, and as an investment analyst at Chase Merchant Bank. But I missed the atmosphere at Chris Ogunbanjo & Co and returned to Chief Ogunbanjo who employed me as a junior counsel in his firm. My time with Chief Ogunbanjo was memorable and impactful. He looked after his staff very well and we were well compensated. He exposed his junior lawyers to major transactions, and it was with him that I developed confidence in dealing with the heads of major companies. From time to time, he would even invite one of us to join him for lunch as his guest at the Metropolitan Club where the captains of industry and the movers and shakers of the Lagos industrial and commercial world dined.

I enjoyed working with Chief Ogunbanjo. Those of us who worked with him were made to feel special. It was there that I bonded with my colleague and fellow junior counsel, Mr. George Etomi. Chief Ogunbanjo gave us advice as to how to conduct ourselves as lawyers. He wrote elegant, well researched, legal opinions that were clear, precise and succinct, without any obfuscation or equivocation. I learnt a lot from what he taught me. But I learnt even more from associating with him and watching how he conducted himself. Even though I worked with Chief Ogunbanjo for less than two years, it was an experience that helped set me on the road to building a successful commercial legal practice.

In addition to his busy law practice, Chief Ogunbanjo was sought after by many companies and businesses to serve on their boards. He was an active member of many chambers of commerce, such as the Lagos Chamber of Commerce, the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce, the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce etc. He was highly regarded in Lagos business and commercial circles and was often described as the Patriarch of the Organised Private Sector. Even though Chief Ogunbanjo was a very busy man, he always found time for public and community service. He has contributed enormously to the development of his hometown – Erunwon, to the church, to the Boy Scout Movement and to various charities, as well as establishing the Chris Ogunbanjo Foundation for the promotion of peace and conflict resolution.

Amongst his very many achievements, I would like in this tribute to make special mention of his contribution to two public sector institutions. The first is the Centre for Management Development and the second is the Corporate Affairs Commission.

In the period after independence in the 1960s, it was increasingly recognized that one of the major bottlenecks to raising productivity in Nigeria was the comparatively low quality of management skills at all levels. The Federal Government therefore decided, on the advice of prominent Nigerian professionals and businessmen, to set up a Council for Management Development Education and Training to be headed by an experienced private sector person of distinction. Thus, Chief Ogunbanjo was approached, and he accepted to serve as the first chairman of the Council, the governing board of the Centre for Management Development (CMD). Chief Ogunbanjo brought to bear his expertise and experience to set up a high-quality institution. He used his extensive connections to attract some of the best staff to the CMD.  The setting up of the CMD has provided training opportunities for hundreds of Nigerian managers. When I served as Minister of Budget and National Planning, I was responsible for the CMD. On my inspection visit to the CMD, I was impressed with the foresight in locating the Centre in a wide expanse of land, surrounded by trees and greenery. Even today, it still stands out as a well- appointed facility for management training and education.

A second initiative for which Chief Ogunbanjo must also be remembered is his role in the setting up of the Corporate Affairs Commission to act as the regulatory agency for companies. It will be recalled that, up till the 1980s, the registration of companies was handled by the companies’ registry, a unit of the Ministry of Commerce and Industries. It was a most unsatisfactory state of affairs and the registration of new companies became a nightmare over time, with files littered all over the floor of the Companies Registry. As a result of widespread dissatisfaction with the company’s registration process, the Federal Government decided to constitute a 120-member Consultative Committee on Company Law to advise on a total overhaul of Companies Law. And who more fitting than the doyen of commercial law, Chief Chris Ogunbanjo, to head the Consultative Council. Amongst other far-reaching recommendations, the Consultative Council recommended the setting up of a Corporate Affairs Commission, as an autonomous body, to regulate the formation and management of companies in Nigeria. This was contained in the Companies Decree (now Act) which was promulgated into law in January 1990.

By this time, I had already set up my own legal practice, and the then Federal Military Government, headed by General Ibrahim Babangida, decided to appoint me as the first part-time chairman of the Corporate Affairs Commission. It was therefore my responsibility to set up the Commission from scratch, including finding a suitable person to recommend for appointment as the Registrar General and Chief Executive of the Commission. I relied heavily on the access I had to Chief Ogunbanjo, having previously worked with him, and consulted him extensively in setting up the Commission. He made available to me all the reports of the Consultative Committee and explained to me the rationale for each of the major innovations contained in the 1990 Companies Decree. I am grateful to him for that assistance. And I must say that the Corporate Affairs Commission has become one of the most successful and effective agencies of Government.

Chief Ogunbanjo was a man who believed in Nigeria. Even though he was not himself visibly active in partisan politics, he encouraged those of us who decided to go in, because he was always concerned about the future of the country. When his son, Tokunbo, joined me in the Senate, he encouraged us to work together to improve things in the country. He was a true Nigerian who had friends and associates from every part of the country. He was always optimistic about the future. Like many of his generation he was worried about the deterioration of values in the country but, whenever I had an opportunity to speak with him, he did not spend too much time lamenting about missed opportunities. Instead, I always found him interested and up to date about current developments. I found him engaging to converse with and he always had a suggestion to make about how things could be improved. He continued to believe that the best was yet to come for Nigeria. I believe that the greatest tribute we can all pay to Chief Christopher Ogunbanjo, and all those other public-spirited persons of his generation, who worked hard to improve things in Nigeria, is to commit individually, and collectively, to continue to work hard to achieve the Nigeria of their dreams. They may have left us for their well- deserved rest, but their dream of a better Nigeria must never be allowed to die!

Adieu! Chief Christopher Ogunbanjo! You have played your part and I wish you peaceful repose. Fare thee well!

Senator Udoma Udo Udoma

Former Minister of Budget & National Planning

On behalf of the people and government of Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu celebrates former President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, on his 66th birthday, for his unique demonstration of statesmanship and for his distinguishing achievement as a leader, who gave Nigeria and Africa, a pride of place in democratic lore by upending the vitiating paradigm of those who seek to hold onto power by all means.

President Tinubu shares the joyous occasion with one of our icons of democracy, whose humility continues to inspire hope for good governance in the country and on the continent.

The President believes the former President possesses a distinguished profile on leadership, rising up the ladder as Deputy Governor, Governor, Vice-President and President, and now championing the cause of peace in Africa by bringing together and counselling leaders on harmonious co-existence for the benefit of the people they serve.

The President commends former President Jonathan for committing himself to the service of humanity and to strengthening democratic institutions, exemplified by his relentless peace missions and advocacy of non-violence in the peaceful transition of power across the African continent.

As the former President clocks 66, President Tinubu affirms that his wisdom, foresight, and patriotism will continue to set an example for leaders aspiring to make a difference in Nigeria and beyond.

The President prays that God Almighty will continually sustain the former President and his wife, Patience, in good health and strength.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

November 19, 2023

A humanitarian Oyinade Samuel-Eluwole has advocated the establishment of a ministry for Men Affairs to tackle issues relating to men, particularly, the menace of suicide among male folks.

In a speech to commemorate the 2023 International Men’s Day in Nigeria, the founder Elizabethan Humanitarian Life Foundation reiterated that it was high time the federal government set up the ministry to rescue men.

Mrs Samuel-Oyewole said, ” Suicide is a global problem but it is worrisome to have Nigeria as one epicentre of suicide in the world and the majority of reported cases are males.

The foundation decried the frightening suicide statistics, adding that reports indicated that suicide incidents in Nigeria are 80.6% males, and out of this, 51.8% are married while 33.6% are students.

Getting appropriate data, according to her, is a challenge in Nigeria but we have to tackle this menace collectively to avoid losing our men to suicide.

“The major causes are not far-fetched: they are mainly financial lack and challenges, societal expectations, and marital conflicts as precipitating factors. You can see the need to allow males to express themselves and speak. This intervention and medium is what the Elizabethan Humanitarian Foundation stands for.”

She outlined far-reaching approaches aimed at tackling the menace, starting from the grassroots, to society and the world at large.

She said with the grassroots model, the foundation intends to ”talk and listen to their hearts, encourage them, and give them hope. Be a bridge between them and individuals, organisations, and governmental agencies”

” We intend to work with the Ministry of Education, Information and Strategy, Health, Interior, Youth and Sports, Justice, and Humanitarian Affairs

”Part of the experiences we gained at the outreach is the data we generated from our survey of the differentials between the male gender and female gender in terms of the level of social needs of the male gender compared to the female gender. We were also able to underscore the fundamental challenges the males face from the point of grassroots knowledge beyond some esoteric assertions of the issues that are not based on facts.

“We are still collating the figures and as soon as we finish with the data collation and analysis we will share them with the public. But, in the interim, we are aware based on our on-the-ground assessment that we are losing lots of our youths, especially the males, to drugs.

“We also noticed that the lack of financial capabilities of parents has made them let their children go to the streets. By our estimation, based on our interaction with the youths on the streets where we visited, eight out of ten of the youths are willing to leave the streets, go back to school, and are ready to learn trades, handwork, or technical jobs.

”A high percentage of them opened up to us that they were ready to move out of the streets if the opportunity comes. A lot of them clamour for free education because many are out of school, mostly because of school fees – even as low as five thousand naira only.

Sharing her experience on the level of acceptance from the society on the rescue mission, Mrs Samuel-Oluwole said” the acceptance has been very encouraging from all quarters. It is a known fact that the male gender needs help, and they are prepared to talk about it at this rate.

The acceptance level is expected because parents are losing their children not only to the streets but a lot who are still with their parents are already disconnected. While wives are losing their homes. So the overall picture is like at last, help has come. People move so fast to ask questions on what to expect and are ready to express themselves.

“Like every other venture, you don’t expect a new initiative to flow or flourish without initial teething problems and challenges. But, despite all these, we are still trudging on. We embarked on a self-sponsored opinion survey of males in our society and came to the understanding of what the male gender in our society goes through – from cradle to adulthood. We realised that the challenges are enormous.

“We also realised that to accomplish our goal we will need to partner and to collaborate with other bodies and organisations who are in similar advocacy terrain such as we do. They may not necessarily focus on the male gender as we do, but they are obviously fighting for the well-being of people in our society.

Super Eagles captain, Ahmed Musa has insisted that some Nigeria supporters are interested in betting not the team.

According to Musa, most Nigeria fans don’t support the Super Eagles because they are bettors.

The former Leicester City star spoke in Lagos on Friday during a ceremony to unveil the team’s ‘Let’s Do It Again’ mantra in their bid to win a fourth AFCON title in Ivory Coast next year. 

“I love this country and I know whenever we lose, I have a family back home, I know the pressure they face when we lose. When we are on the pitch, they say ‘na him mother be this, go insult me (this is his mother, insult her). So, I know I must put in everything I have so that people don’t insult my family,” Musa said. 

“Nowadays, with the players we have in the team, none of them stay in Nigeria. They don’t know the anger that most of us, who have families in Nigeria, face when the team loses.

“He [Amaju Pinnick] did his best so that we qualified for the World Cup. We lost a lot of money and that is why most of our players right now are facing challenges because we failed to qualify for the [2022] World Cup. So, we as players lost so much money.”

The 31-year-old added, “No matter where you are playing you always go down into your corner to think when you lose money. Nowadays I understand what football is and the anger of the fans. Most of us don’t support Super Eagles because we like them, they will say, ‘hey dem don cut my ticket, give me my money’ (hey they’ve spoiled my ticket, refund my money). You will see on most of our DMs ‘you cut my ticket, you no sabi play’ (you spoiled my ticket, you don’t know how to play), its because they are bettors. Before, you will see the love and passion for the team but nowadays, betting has spoiled everything.”