Following the death in December 2019 of Senator Benjamin Uwajumogu, then representing Imo North, a by-election had to be conducted to replace him. The fractious primaries of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) that followed produced many ‘winners’, each of whom went to court claiming to be the party’s candidate. With a multiplicity of court injunctions, it was no surprise that, in declaring APC victorious after the election held in December 2020, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) proclaimed no candidate as a winner. Apparently unable to manage the crisis, the then APC acting National Chairman and Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, accused three Supreme Court Justices of working with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to scheme the ruling party out of the seat. The Justices so accused are Mohammed Musa Dattijo, Abdu Aboki and Helen Moronkeji Ogunwumiju. 

The Supreme Court did not take kindly to the accusation, and Justice Dattijo expressed his anger in open court. Announcing the suspension of proceedings in the appeal by Chukwuemeka Ibezim against Ifeanyi Ararume in March 2021, Justice Dattijo said, “Let me confirm to all counsel in this matter that the Interim National Chairman of APC had written a petition against me and two other Justices of this court, namely Helen Ogunwumiju and Abdu Aboki.” Buni, according to Justice Dattijo, “alleged that my humble self had led my two brothers to attend a meeting with members of the PDP to strategize on how to subvert the outcome of this case. I must say that this is most unfortunate and my heart bleeds for this country. This is a reckless and irresponsible statement. That is how these useless statements were made in the past and that is why we are not taking it lightly.” 

 
In Nigeria, as it is in most countries, the Supreme Court is the final arbiter in dispute resolution, and that critical institution must be beyond reproach if its decisions are to be of any value to the larger society. For that reason, those who want to impute motives or impugn the reputation of the Justices must do so based on iron-cast evidence and in the appropriate quarters; for the sake of the system and in the interest of all of us. Fir that reason, Nigerians who sympathised with Justice Dattijo and colleagues three years ago were taken aback when, delivering his valedictory last Friday, the same man rehashed some of the damaging allegations usually levelled against him and colleagues on the bench.  

We must commend Justice Dattijo for being candid enough to allow Nigerians a peep into the apparent rot in the judiciary. It is helpful for the system. The housecleaning he called for is very important if we must restore public confidence in justice administration in Nigeria. But a note of caution here. There will always be a winner and a loser in a contested court case. Unfortunately, the inclination for the loser to impugn the judiciary and discredit the reputation of Judges has become popular, especially when it involves election petition cases. This is unhealthy for a democracy still striving to build enduring institutions. Therefore, whatever may have been his motivation, Justice Dattijo has also done enormous damage to the institution. He is like the proverbial hunter who killed an elephant with his cap. On the first day, as the Yoruba adage goes, many would hail him. But on the second day, the hailers would reflect that a hunter with such diabolic power could be too dangerous to associate with. And that would end the applause.

Meanwhile, Justice Dattijo has raised several pertinent issues that authorities must address. I will highlight only five. One, Justice Dattijo imputed a lack of transparency and accountability in the management of financial resources in the judicial arm of government and especially at the Supreme Court. From N70 billion in 2015, allocation to the judiciary is now N165 billion today. Yet, “Justices and officers welfare and the quality of service the judiciary render have continued to decline,” he claimed before the punchline: “It is instructive to enquire what the judiciary also does with its allocations. Who is responsible for the expenditure? An unrelenting searchlight need to be beamed to unravel how the sums are expended.” 

Nigerians should be very worried by this revelation from Justice Dattijo. When in June last year Justice Tanko Ibrahim Muhammad was forced out of office as CJN, following a public letter by 14 Supreme Court Justices (including Dattijo), accountability was also the main issue: “We demand to know what has become our training funds, have they been diverted, or it’s a plain denial? Your lordship may also remember that the national assembly has increased the budgetary allocation of the Judiciary. We find it strange that in spite of the upward review of our budgetary allocation, the Court cannot cater for our legitimate entitlements. This is unacceptable!” they wrote. As I surmised at the time, it was instructive that all the 14 Justices, without any exception—and representing all ethno-religious divides in a country where the elite hardly agree on anything except their personal privileges—signed the protest letter where they also stated: “Your Lordship, with all due respect, this is the peak of the degeneration of the court; it is the height of decadence, and clear evidence of the absence of probity and moral rectitude…this act alone portends imminent danger to the survival of this court and the judiciary as an institution which is gradually drifting to extinction.” Even though the CJN office has since been taken over by one of the 14 ‘coup’ plotters, Justice Dattijo is telling us that the lack of accountability that made them write the unusual letter last year has refused to go away. To change the narrative, I have been made to understand, would require a constitutional amendment. NJC operates in an opaque closed manner and has thus far resisted attempts to compel opening the financials. So, the NJC is as accountable as the CJN in office at any period.

Two, Justice Dattijo alleged that the CJN (current occupant: Olukayode Ariwoola) runs the judiciary without any checks and balances. As presently structured, according to Justice Dattijo, “the CJN is Chairman of the National Judicial Commission which oversees both the appointment and discipline of judges. He is equally the chair of the Federal Judicial Service Commission, the National Judicial Institute, and the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee that appoints Senior Advocates of Nigeria.” After listing other positions occupied by the CJN whom he accused of making most of the appointments in the sector without conferring with, or seeking the inputs of, fellow justices, Dattijo noted: “Such enormous powers are effortlessly abused. A person with absolute powers, it is said, corrupts easily and absolutely.” This implies rancour among the most senior judicial officers in the country who seem incapable of resolving their own internal dispute amicably. Changing these dynamics would also require a constitutional amendment, from what I understand. But in instances where the CJN have been good leaders, there were no problems. We can leave that for another day. 

Three, Justice Dattijo spoke to how, by transferring the onus of determining outcomes of elections to the court rather than the voters, the judiciary is being increasingly compromised. In citing cases involving the 2019 Imo State gubernatorial election and the recent election of former Senate President Ahmad Lawan, Justice Dattijo gave veracity to insinuations of unwholesome practices. It is difficult to fault him. I enjoin readers to visit the INEC website and check the 2019 Imo gubernatorial election result. The name of the person declared validly elected by the commission has not changed, even as of last night. To go with the figures conjured by the Supreme Court, as INEC officials have explained to me, would mean that the total votes cast in the election exceeded the number of accreditations by 131,340! And despite enormous pressure by some desperadoes in the past three years, INEC has refused to buckle on the matter. That perhaps explains why the sobriquet ‘Supreme Court Governor’ may forever be a permanent indictment not only on the Justices who presided over the Imo case at the apex court but also on the rule of law in Nigeria. Justice Dattijo of course referenced some unnamed respected people in the bar to deliver his point. “It is difficult to understand how and where, by these decisions, the judicial pendulum swings. It was not so before, they contend. In some quarters, the view is strongly held that filth and intrigue characterize the institution these days! Judges are said to be comfortable in companies they never would have kept in the past. It is being insinuated that some judicial officers even campaign for the politicians. It cannot be more damnifying.” I don’t know what else I can add to that except to say that many of our Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) are also complicit. Besides, we cannot exclude the judiciary from the mercantile values that now drive our society. I will also come back to this issue another day.

Four, Justice Dattijo lamented that unlike in the past when “appointment to the bench was strictly on merit,” that is no longer the case. “It is asserted that the process of appointment to judicial positions are deliberately conducted to give undue advantage to the ‘children, spouses, and mistresses’ of serving and retired judges and managers of judicial offices”, he stated. The consequence: “Public perceptions of the judiciary have over the years become witheringly scornful and monstrously critical. It has been in the public space that court officials and judges are easily bribed by litigants to obviate delays and or obtain favourable judgments.” In a milieu where, as I once wrote, politicians are no longer content hiring senior lawyers but must also have their own Judges, the less said about this the better.  

Five, Justice Dattijo revealed how sectionalism has crept into the Supreme Court. “While the South-South and North-East have two serving justices, the North-West and South-West are fully represented with three each,” he stated on the current vacancies that are yet to be filled before raising a poser for which he also provided an answer. “Why have these steps not been timeously taken? It is evident that the decision not to fill the vacancies in the court is deliberate. It is all about the absolute powers vested in the office of the CJN and the responsible exercise of same.”  

Ordinarily, where Judges or litigants hail from should not matter in justice dispensation but Justice Dattijo is telling us that at the Supreme Court, it does. And he illustrated his point with the just concluded election petition cases. He said that “to ensure justice and transparency in presidential appeals from the lower court, all geopolitical zones are required to participate in the hearing,” whereas the Southeast and North Central are currently excluded because no Justice is from both geopolitical zones. “It is therefore dangerous for democracy and equity for the two entire regions to be left out in the decisions that will affect the generality of Nigerians. This is not what our laws envisaged.” 

This betrays the kind of thinking that goes on at our apex court and may then explain why the CJN, Justice Ariwoola as well as Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun and Justice Ogunwumiju (three of them, Yoruba) recused themselves from membership of the presidential election appeal panel. The CJN and some other Justices may have recused themselves because they speak the same language as the president whose matter was brought before them. But for a CJN to recuse himself on such a sensitive matter that impinges on national security is beyond shameful. That he succumbed to social media intimidation can only fuel future bullying. He ought to have shown courage. I must also make a point of caution here to those who believe it is right to share the private numbers of Judges and be threatening them and their families. These are dangerous lines that should not be crossed. There must be a limit to partisan politics.   

Meanwhile, Judges have an ethical obligation to recuse themselves if they know of any reason to do so. But according to Andrea Westerfeld, a former United States District Attorney in the state of Texas, recusal is not something that should be taken lightly. “Judges have a duty to sit and decide matters brought before them unless a valid basis exists for recusal. Judges are presumed to be impartial and are trusted to apply the law fairly to all sides” hence recusal should be “where he has shown himself to be so prejudiced against one of the parties or the case’s subject matter that he cannot be trusted to rule fairly.” On 18th March 2004, the late Justice Anthonia of the United States Supreme Court settled the issue of recusal in a courageous manner.

In December 2002, Scalia had gone to the duck-hunting camp of a friend in Louisiana, along with the then Vice President Dick Cheney on Air Force Two. But at that period, Cheney had a case before him. That was what prompted the Sierra Club to file a petition asking Justice Scalia to step aside from the case. In dismissing the petition and refusing to step aside from the case, Justice Scalia’s judgement (which I once referenced on this page) was interesting, and this was the way he started: “The implications of this argument are staggering. I must resign because a significant portion of the press, which is deemed to be the American public, demands it. The motion attaches as exhibits the press editorials on which it relies. Many of them do not even have the facts right. The length of our hunting trip together was said to be several days (San Francisco Chronicle), four days (Boston Globe), or nine days (San Antonio Express-News). We spent about 48 hours together at the hunting camp. It was asserted that the Vice President and I ‘spent time alone in the rushes, huddled together in a Louisiana marsh,’ where we had ‘plenty of time to talk privately’ (Los Angeles Times); that we ‘spent quality time bonding together in a duck blind’ (Atlanta Journal Constitution); and that ‘there is simply no reason to think these two did not discuss the pending case’ (Buffalo News)…” 

After highlighting the various inconsistencies in the editorials attached to the motion, the late Justice Scalia now said most memorably: “while the political branches can perhaps survive the constant baseless allegations of impropriety that have become the staple of Washington reportage, this Court cannot. The people must have confidence in the integrity of the justices, and that cannot exist in a system that assumes them to be corruptible by the slightest friendship or favour.”  

I have in the past decade written dozens of columns on our judiciary because of its importance to our democracy. We must appreciate the work that our Judges do even in the face of many daunting challenges. From inadequate funding to being castigated in a society where most people are bad losers to being scorned and trolled on social media, it is now very difficult for judicial officers in Nigeria. Yet, many of them are professional in their duties, strive to dispense justice according to law and are not corrupt. Sadly, public perception is often drawn from the antics of the corrupt few.

In the spirit of Justice Dattijo’s valedictory speech, let me end this piece with excerpts from my August 2016 intervention, ‘When Judiciary Goes on Trial’ where I referenced David Philip Pannick’s book, ‘Judges’, published in 1987 by the Oxford University Press. I enjoin judicial officers in the country to find the book and read it. Now, I can leave readers with a rehash of what I wrote seven years ago: “In Nigeria, we have had situations where politicians are openly heckled as thieves, and some have had to survive mob attacks by whiskers. We must not allow a situation in which the people would also openly turn against our men and women on the bench.  

“At the bottom of the crisis of integrity bedeviling the Nigerian judiciary is a flagrant abuse of the concept of rule of law. The rule of law is underwritten by some fundamental assumptions. It assumes that all citizens are equal before the law and therefore can approach the court expecting to get justice irrespective of their station in life. It also assumes that those who will interpret the law and dispense justice will be above reproach and remain impartial. It is moreover predicated on orderly conduct to the extent that the judiciary in most dispensations is allowed to be self-regulating, hence its independence. 

“Unfortunately, recent developments within the Nigerian judiciary, especially the cascade of spurious judgments and the frequent instances of misconduct among judges, only point to a betrayal of nearly all those foregoing assumptions. Yet, when judges are compromised, public confidence in the rule of law as the basis of order in society also evaporates. But the NJC can save the rest of us from the prospect of disorder. As things stand in Nigeria today, it is also in its enlightened interest to do so. May the day never come when an enraged public would begin to stone or disrobe otherwise eminent judges in the marketplace…” 

Finally, it speaks volume that valedictories are now being used by the high and mighty to make confessions that expose the underbelly of the judiciary in Nigeria. Four months ago, on the floor of the Senate, it was Senator Bulkachuwa who told us some inconvenient tales. Now, it is Justice Dattijo’s turn. And to borrow his own word, nothing can be more ‘damnifying’. I hope it would engender the necessary soul-searching among his colleagues. If this democracy is to survive, as I have repeatedly stated, it is imperative that the judiciary as an institution and judges as individuals not only be impartial in justice administration but also that the wider public have the confidence that cases affecting their well-being will be decided fairly and in accordance with the law. I wish Justice Dattijo happy retirement.

Congratulations, Ngozi Azodoh

It was a measure of her resourcefulness and diligence that two former Health Ministers, Professor Ihechukwu Madubuike and Dr Olorunnimbe Mamora joined hundreds of other prominent personalities last Saturday at The Everlasting Arms Parish (TEAP) of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) to celebrate Dr Ngozi Azodoh as she retired from the civil service after 30 meritorious years. Until she left the civil service, Azodoh was the Director, Health Planning, Research and Statistics at the Federal Ministry of Health. Congratulations, my sister.

—It was attempted murder –Labour

The brutalized President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero has been rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Owerri with his right eye completely shut.

The NLC Head of Information and Publicity, Comrade Benson Upah, described what happened to Ajaero as an act of abduction that degenerated into attempted murder.

He said that “contact has been made with Congress President, Comrade Joe Ajaero this evening around 15:30 hours at the Police Hospital in Owerri from where he was taken to Federal Medical Centre, Owerri where he is receiving medical attention.

“Thoroughly brutalized, his right eye at the time of contact was completely shut.”

He further said, “Ajaero, who said little stated that immediately after his arrest, he was beaten up and blindfolded and taken to an unknown destination where more brutalisation took place, sometimes with bottles.

“His phones, money and other personal effects were taken off him and have not been returned to him.”

The Imo State Police Command on Wednesday said they were not involved in the alleged arrest of the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Joe Ajaero in Imo.

The Police through the state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Henry Okoye, made this known to newsmen in Owerri while commenting on the arrest of Ajaero by security operatives in Owerri on Wednesday, during the NLC strike action in the state.

Explaining further, the Police said: “The Imo State Police Command wishes to clarify some sketchy reports alleging the arrest of the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Joe Ajaero, in Owerri. It is pertinent to state that the NLC President was in Owerri as part of arrangements of the Congress to mobilize workers for a mega protest rally in the state. In the course of their planning, it was reported that suggestions arose for the lockdown of some essential facilities particularly the airport which led to some workers and other individuals resisting the picketing process leading to scuffles heated arguments and an eventual attack on the person of the president by a mob.

“Upon receiving this report, the Imo Police Command swiftly deployed police operatives to the scene where the Officer in Charge exercised his operational discretion by taking the NLC President into protective custody at the State Command Headquarters to ensure the protection of his life and that he was not lynched in the scuffle that followed. The Commissioner of Police thereafter directed that he should be taken to the Police Medical Services, Owerri, where he would be accorded medical attention as a result of the attack. He has therefore been accorded adequate security cover to proceed on his other legitimate engagements for the day.”

“It is however necessary to emphasize the existence of a court injunction from the National Industrial Court of Nigeria held in Owerri with Suit No. NICN/OW/41/2023 dated 27th October 2023, barring the NLC from holding the intended protest rally in Owerri.

“The Commissioner of Police, Imo State Police Command, CP Mohammed Ahmed Barde, psc (+), therefore urges all concerned parties to ensure compliance with the Court directives to avoid jeopardizing the current security arrangements on Owerri and other parts of Imo State, even as the State gears up for the forthcoming electioneering process on 11th November 2023,” he said.

President Bola Tinubu has requested the Senate to approve the sums of $7.8 billion and €100 million in his administration’s proposed 2022–2024 borrowing plan.

The president made the request in a letter read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio on the floor of the upper legislative chamber on Wednesday.

More to come…

President Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, challenged his 48 ministers to deliver on their responsibilities or get sacked.

Tinubu said he is determined to succeed in discharging his duties as President and charged his cabinet members to ensure they don’t become clogs in the wheel of Nigeria’s progress.

The President gave this charge while declaring open, a three-day Cabinet Retreat at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja.

The retreat themed, ‘Delivering On The Renewed Hope Agenda’ had ministers, permanent secretaries, presidential aides and top government officials in attendance.

The Director of Strategic Communications for the Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Council, Dele Momodu, on Wednesday, slammed the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike for acting as if he owned Rivers State.

Momodu that Rivers State is neither his property nor inheritance.

Momodu stated this in a post on his on X handle (formerly Twitter).

He had earlier praised the former Rivers State governor for the executions of infrastructural projects under his administration.

He, however, stated that Wike had many flaws, among which are lack of anger management, and his forgetfulness that God has been kind to him.

The tweets partly read, “Rivers is neither your property nor perpetual inheritance. There were governors long before you cut your teeth and there must be others after you.”

Momodu said that Wike had “one tragic and fatal flaw, and yours is lack of anger management. There are other flaws, like forgetting that God has been extremely kind to you and that you will never be God, and so you should beg God to grant you the spirit of humility and the wisdom of Solomon.”

He reminded Wike of his rise to prominence from being a Local Government Chairman in the state, to a Chief of Staff; a prequel to his ministerial appointment at the FCT, saying that he (Wike) was blessed with “divine favour.”

“From a Local Government Chairman in Rivers State to Chief of Staff, to Minister of State Education, to governor for eight years and now back to Minister of the Federal Capital Territory…I do not know anyone with your kind of divine favour.

“This should satisfy you but your insatiable hunger and thirst for power is driving you into believing that you must have your way all the time. It would have been nice if you were in private business and running your personal enterprise,” Momodu said.

He noted that Wike became “inconsolable” after he lost his presidential bid, adding that he “acted more like an opposition leader than a long-standing member of PDP.”

The tweets read further, “My dear brother, this now is the crux of the matter. You can’t eat your cake and still have it. You installed a new governor in the PDP. You’re a minister in APC. And you still want to maintain absolute power in PDP.”

Momodu urged Wike to allow the state governor Sim Fubara, “to grow and be a man of his own.”

He concluded, “Please, have a quiet rethink and adjust your overbearing style a bit. Sadly, you’ve allowed Fubara to demystify you.”

The PUNCH reports that the state House of Assembly had made efforts to impeach Fubara.

This has led to the arrest of 122 youths who allegedly invaded the official residence of the Speaker of the House, Martins Amaewhule, during a protest in Port Harcourt, the state capital, on Tuesday.

However, on Tuesday, President Bola Tinubu and governors under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party intervened to stop the impeachment moves against Fubara.

The President reportedly conferred with the embattled governor and his predecessor, Wike, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has spoken about the crisis in the state.

The governor on Wednesday, stated that the issue involving himself and the immediate past governor, Nyesom Wike, is an internal issue which will be resolved in no time.

Fubara stated this when the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, led a military delegation to the Government House in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

The governor said there is nothing wrong for a father and a son to have problems, stressing that all issues, if any, will be resolved.

He said, “For our dear state, I know everybody is wondering what’s going on, what’s not going on. We are okay, there is no problem.

“If we have an internal issue, it will be resolved and everything will go back to normal.

“There is nothing wrong if a father and a son have a problem if there is any problem but I don’t think there is anything, whatever it is, we will definitely resolve the issue.”

Fubara also restated the resolve of President Bola Tinubu for

The Confederation of African Football has released the list of nominees for the men’s categories for the CAF Awards 2023, scheduled for December 11, 2023, in Marrakech, Morocco.

A statement by CAF on Wednesday read in part, “A panel of CAF Technical Experts, African Football Legends, and selected media representatives from several countries put together the preliminary list for the various categories with the performance of the nominees between November 2022 and September 2023 serving as the period under consideration.”

Thirty players made the cut for the top prize; CAF African Player of the Year, whilst 20 players have been nominated for the CAF Interclub Player of the Year.

Coach of the Year, CAF National Team of the Year and Club of the Year have ten  nominees each just as CAF Young Player of the Year – for players under the age of 21.

For the first time, CAF has introduced the CAF African Goalkeeper of the Year Category (Men and Women) in the prestigious event that seeks to reward and celebrate exceptional Players, Officials and Administrators during the period under review.

It will be the first time that shot stoppers will be acknowledged for their performances, further expanding the network of winners for the annual event. 10 players have been nominated for the novel award.

The ultimate winner of each category will be decided after votes from a voting panel consisting of CAF Technical Committee, media professionals, Head Coaches & Captains of Member Associations and clubs involved in the group stages of the Interclub competitions.

The Africa’s football governing body said nominees for the Women’s categories will be announced in due course.

Senegal forward Sadio Mane was crowned CAF African Player of the Year whilst Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala was coronated CAF African Women’s Player of the Year for a record fifth time during the last Awards Gala in July 2022 in Rabat, Morocco.

Full List of Nominees (in alphabetic order by Member Association):

Player of the Year (Men)

1. Ramy Bensebaini (Algeria and Borussia Dortmund)
2. Riyad Mahrez (Algeria and Al Ahli)
3. Edmond Tapsoba (Burkina Faso and Bayer Leverkusen)
4. Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa (Cameroon and SSC Napoli)
5. Vincent Aboubacar (Cameroon and Besiktas)
6. Ibrahima Sangare (Cote d’Ivoire and Nottingham Forest)
7. Seko Fofana (Cote d’Ivoire and Al Nassr)
8. Chancel Mbemba (DR Congo and Olympique Marseille)
9. Fiston Mayele (DR Congo and Pyramids)
10. Mahmoud Abdel Moneim “Kahraba” (Egypt and Ahly)
11. Mohamed Abdelmonem (Egypt and Al Ahly)
12. Mohamed ElShenawy (Egypt and Al Ahly)
13. Mohamed Salah (Egypt and Liverpool)
14. Mohammed Kudus (Ghana and West Ham United)
15. Thomas Partey (Ghana and Arsenal)
16. Serhou Guirassy (Guinea and VfB Stuttgart)
17. Yves Bissouma (Mali and Tottenham Hotspur)
18. Achraf Hakimi (Morocco and Paris Saint-Germain)
19. Azzedine Ounahi (Morocco and Olympique Marseille)
20. Hakim Ziyech (Morocco and Galatasaray)
21. Sofyan Amrabat (Morocco and Manchester United)
22. Yahya Jabrane (Morocco and Wydad Athletic Club)
23. Yassine Bounou (Morocco and Al Hilal)
24. Youssef En-Nesyri (Morocco and Sevilla)
25. Peter Shalulile (Namibia and Mamelodi Sundowns)
26. Victor Osimhen (Nigeria and SSC Napoli)
27. Sadio Mane (Senegal and Al Nassr)
28. Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal and Tottenham Hotspur)
29. Percy Tau (South Africa and Al Ahly)
30. Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane (Tunisia and Ferencvaros)

Goalkeeper of the Year (Men)

1. Mohamed ElShenawy (Egypt and Al Ahly)
2. Yassine Bounou (Morocco & Al Hilal)
3. Andre Onana (Cameroon and Manchester United)
4. Ronwen Williams (South Africa and Mamelodi Sundowns)
5. Edouard Mendy (Senegal and Al Ahli)
6. Oussama Benbot (Algeria and USM Alger)
7. Youssef El Motie (Morocco and Wydad Athletic Club)
8. Djigui Diarra (Mali and Young Africans)
9. Pape Mamadou Sy (Senegal and Generation Foot)
10. Landing Badji (Senegal and AS Pikine)

Interclub Player of the Year (Men)

1. Aymen Mahious (Algeria and USM Alger/Yverdon-Sport)
2. Oussama Benbot (Algeria and USM Alger)
3. Zineddine Belaid (Algeria and USM Alger)
4. Fiston Mayele (DR Congo and Young Africans/Pyramids)
5. Makabi Lilepo (DR Congo and Al Hilal/Valenciennes)
6. Hussein El Shahat (Egypt and Al Ahly)
7. Mahmoud Abdel Moneim “Kahraba” (Egypt and Ahly)
8. Mohamed Abdelmonem (Egypt and Al Ahly)
9. Mohamed ElShenawy (Egypt and Al Ahly)
10. Mostafa Fathi (Egypt and Pyramids)
11. Djigui Diarra (Mali and Young Africans)
12. Yahia Attiyat Allah (Morocco and Wydad Club Athletic)
13. Yahya Jabrane (Morocco and Wydad Athletic Club)
14. Youssef El Motie (Morocco and Wydad Athletic Club)
15. Peter Shalulile (Namibia and Mamelodi Sundowns)
16. Percy Tau (South Africa and Al Ahly)
17. Ranga Chivaviro (South Africa and Marumo Gallants/Kaizer Chiefs)
18. Ronwen Williams (South Africa and Mamelodi Sundowns)
19. Ali Maaloul (Tunisia and Al Ahly)
20. Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane (Tunisia and Esperance Sportive de Tunis /Ferencvaros)

Young Player of the Year (Men)

1. Dango Ouattara (Burkina Faso and Bournemouth)
2. Souleymane Alio (Burkina Faso and New Stars)
3. Ernest Nuamah (Ghana & Olympique Lyonnais)
4. Abdessamad Ezzalzouli (Morocco and Betis)
5. Bilal El Khannous (Morocco and Genk)
6. Gift Orban (Nigeria and KAA Gent)
7. Lamine Camara (Senegal and Generation Foot/Metz)
8. Pape Amadou Diallo (Senegal and Generation Foot/Metz)
9. Pape Demba Diop (Senegal and Zulte Waregem)
10. Amara Diouf (Senegal and Generation Foot)

 Coach of the Year (Men)

1. Abdelhak Benchikha (USM Alger)
2. Marcel Koller (Al Ahly)
3. Juan Micha Obiang (Equatorial Guinea)
4. Tom Saintfiet (The Gambia)
5. Baciro Cande (Guinea Bissau)
6. Amir Abdou (Mauritania)
7. Walid Regragui (Morocco)
8. Chiquinho Conde (Mozambique)
9. Aliou Cisse (Senegal)
10. Pape Thiaw (Senegal – CHAN)

 National Team of the Year (Men)

1. Cape Verde
2. The Gambia
3. Guinea Bissau
4. Equatorial Guinea
5. Mauritania
6. Morocco
7. Mozambique
8. Namibia
9. Senegal
10. Tanzania

Club of the Year (Men)

1. CR Belouizdad (Algeria)
2. USM Alger (Algeria)
3. ASEC Mimosas (Cote d’Ivoire)
4. Al Ahly (Egypt)
5. Raja Club Athletic (Morocco)
6. Wydad Athletic Club (Morocco)
7. Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
8. Marumo Gallants (South Africa)
9. Esperance de Tunis (Tunisia)
10. Young Africans (Tanzania)

FC Barcelona once possessed a midfield that the greats of Europe would envy without a veil. Today, they still possess a team that displays a good level of quality all around. However, there was one component of the midfield of old that truly separated Barcelona from all others.

Sergio Busquets, now a Barcelona icon and former player, was once the backbone of the club’s midfield. The Spanish veteran possessed a unique ability to slow the game and make it run how his legs wanted it to. His contributions to Barcelona allowed the Catalan giants to enjoy their golden peek.

On the other hand, his departure has damaged the club just as much. In terms of a stylistic fit, Barcelona are unable to find any. No amount of money or scouting can enable the club to replace Busquets in the perfect way that they would ideally like. However, they may have just found an answer from within the walls of the club itself.

Heir to Busquets

As highlighted by SPORT, 16-year-old Marc Bernal is a player being looked at as the next big thing. The midfield talent possesses undeniable skill and has a massive potential. So much so that SPORT believes that Barcelona look at him as a possible new iteration of Sergio Busquets himself.

Able to play as a capable defensive midfielder, Bernal possesses great technical ability. Moreover, beyond just his accurate passing and ability to modify the game’s tempo, he also has a dynamic edge to his game. This ‘edge’ has allowed him to not just be a great conductor of the midfield but also act as a spearhead when needed.

Bernal’s own edge

Scoring goals and thwarting opposition defenders are an additional quality of Bernal’s. Currently mainly playing for Barcelona Athletic under the mentorship of Rafa Marquez, he continues to impress in the subsidiary.

Moreover, Barcelona even consider that the player will be able to prove his quality at its best when he travels to Indonesia soon. The Under-17 FIFA World Cup will allow Barcelona the chance to watch Bernal compete against the best of his age.

Traveling with the Spain side competing in the prestigious tournament, Bernal will carry a huge responsibility. Given that he is among the country’s most prominent starlets, he will be expected to lead the side’s midfield as the anchor.

La Masia’s latest

Just like Sergio Busquets before him, Bernal could be La Masia’s newest great. His contributions in the upcoming international tournament could help Barcelona accelerate his continuity even further.

Already impressing at an alarmingly fast rate as he progresses through the Barcelona ranks, Marc Bernal could potentially even reach his dream of playing under Xavi Hernandez depending on how he performs in Indonesia.

[barcanewsnetwork]

• Tchouameni linked with Premier League duo Arsenal and Liverpool
• The 23-year-old subject of enquiries but Real Madrid not interested in selling
• 14-time Champions League winners instead preparing to open new contract talks in 2024

Real Madrid have 'no intention' of allowing Aurelien Tchouameni to leave the club and consider him a key player for the long-term.

The 23-year-old has been linked with a move to Arsenal in recent weeks, with Mikel Arteta looking to boost his central midfield options in 2024, and Liverpool remain long-term admirers after losing out on Tchouameni's signature last year.

90min revealed in the summer that Liverpool had again asked Madrid about Tchouameni's availability ahead of their midfield overhaul, but were told that the Frenchman was not available under any circumstances.

Arsenal have also made contact with Madrid but were given the same message by officials in the Spanish capital.

Sources have confirmed to 90min that Madrid's firm stance on Tchouameni is because they regard him as a key component of their midfield moving forward, and that both club and player are very happy with how he's progressing.

It had been speculated that the arrival of Jude Bellingham could potentially impact Carlo Ancelotti's use of Tchouameni and teammate Eduardo Camavinga, but the Italian was quick to insist that would not be the case.

Aurelien Tchouameni warming up for El Clasico / Alex Caparros/GettyImages

And Ancelotti's guarantee has come to pass so far, with a tactical shift allowing Bellingham, Tchouameni and Camavinga all to feature prominently in Madrid's starting 11.

Bellingham has made a sensational start at the club, scoring 13 goals in 13 games across all competitions, while Tchouameni has established himself as a regular starter in the heart of midfield. Camavinga has flitted between playing in midfield and at left-back - a role he's learned and flourished in over the past 12 months after initially filling in for the injured Ferland Mendy.

Well placed sources have told 90min that Madrid see the trio as centrepieces of the squad for many years to come, alongside Vinicius Junior, who has signed a new four-year contract to remain at the Santiago Bernabeu until at least 2027.

A new deal for Camavinga is close to being finalised and 90min understands that talks over a new deal for Tchouameni are pencilled in for next year.

[90min]