FEATURES
The Independent National Electoral Commission is contemplating a policy to withdraw and destroy Permanent Voter Cards that remain uncollected for a decade, The PUNCH has learnt.
This recommendation was among 208 proposals arising from the commission’s review of the 2023 general elections.
The move stemmed from the persistent issue of unclaimed PVCs, with over six million cards still uncollected as of the 2023 elections, including many issued as far back as 2015.
Stakeholders in the post-election review recommended that INEC address the backlog of uncollected PVCs by implementing a policy to withdraw PVCs that remain uncollected for extended periods, starting with cards issued in 2015.
“Following the publication of the Register of Voters, the commission made available the PVCs for collection by voters on December 12, 2022. The exercise was initially planned to end on the 22nd of January 2023. However, the fact that a huge number of registered voters had yet to collect their PVCs forced the commission to extend the deadline to the 5th of February 2023 after devolving the collection to the ward level between January 6-15, 2023 to ease the process.
“The low rate of PVC collection and other related challenges are illustrative of the problem of processing and managing voters in Nigeria. To increase the rate of collection of PVCs, the commission implemented a policy that made it possible for voters to locate their PVCs online and subsequently pick them up. Several CSOs supported the commission’s drive to increase PVC collection by working with INEC’s state/FCT Offices to record all uncollected PVCs and to inform their owners where and how to collect them.
“With support from the development partners, some of the CSOs also created information centres in selected states and the FCT to assist voters locate and collect their PVCs. Despite these efforts, over six million PVCs remained uncollected, many of them dating back to 2015.
Consequently, one recommendation from the review was that the commission should consider withdrawing PVCs issued in 2015 since it is not clear if the owners will ever collect them,” INEC said.
Also, the commission proposed plans to modernise Nigeria’s electoral process, including the gradual phase-out of PVCs and the introduction of diaspora voting.
It was explained that with the adoption of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, PVCs may no longer be necessary for voter accreditation. Instead, voters could use computer-generated slips or credentials downloaded from the commission’s website.
“Unlike the SCR, the voters’ register is now resident in the BVAS. The new device does not read and extract voters’ details from the PVC. Moreover, the Electoral Act 2022 has made biometric accreditation (fingerprint or facial) mandatory for voting.
“The utility of the PVC is now limited to voter identification. It is therefore possible to identify voters using their registration slips which obviates the need for PVCs, the cost of producing them, the logistics for their distribution and the fact that voters without them are unable to vote, thus raising serious issues of disenfranchisement. With the BVAS, voters can be identified using their registration slips otherwise known as the Temporary Voter’s Card and accredited biometrically without the need for a plastic PVC.
“However, such a step requires the amendment of Section 47(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 which makes the presentation of the card (PVC) to the PO at the PU mandatory before accreditation and voting,” the recommendation said.
Political parties divided
Political parties in the country hold differing opinions about INEC’s plan to destroy uncollected PVCs.
In an interview with The PUNCH, the National Legal Adviser of the Labour Party, Kehinde Edun, believed that the initiative was in order, stressing that there was a need to declutter the voters register, especially if it is confirmed that many of those registered have died.
He said, “I am sure most of those uncollected PVCs must have been as a result of irregularities in the process of registration and all that. If truly people register to vote and register as eligible electorate, they must have collected over a long period, after being given enough time.
“But I believe no system is perfect. So I think destroying them may be in order. If people have not collected over a long period, there is a likelihood those lapses were the result of some irregularities in the process of registration.”
But the Peoples Democratic Party raised a concern that destroying uncollected PVCs could be another ploy by INEC to distract Nigerians.
The PDP Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, who spoke to The PUNCH, said INEC had given Nigerians enough reasons to be suspicious.
He asserted that people refused to collect the PVCs because they had lost faith in INEC to make their votes count during elections.
Osadolor said, “How do you contemplate destroying cards produced with billions of taxpayers’ money because INEC has failed the credibility and integrity test that has made millions of Nigerians lose faith in the commission’s ability to organise free, fair and credible elections?
“I urge INEC to, as a matter of immediate action, begin an image laundering and rebranding campaign to convince Nigerians and stakeholders that the commission is ready to be truly independent in spelling, actions and character.”
Also, the New Nigeria People’s Party advised INEC to reconsider the plan to destroy PVCs.
The National Publicity Secretary of the NNPP, Ladipo Johnson, said destroying over six million voter cards would amount to sheer waste of money.
He said, “If people register and haven’t come to collect over a long period of time unless they know those people have passed on, I think the cards should not be destroyed as long as they are in safekeeping.
“If you destroy about six million PVCs, and all of a sudden, some of the owners show up and want to vote, it will cost God-knows-how-much to register them again. It’s a waste of money.”
SANs back INEC
However, some Senior Advocate of Nigeria, who spoke to The PUNCH backed INEC to destroy the uncollected PVCs, asserting that there are no legal impediments.
A former Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), said some of the uncollected PVCs were likely products of double registration.
“They (uncollected PVCs) are taking space. My suspicion is that the owners don’t exist. It is double fraudulent registration by a lot of people. Just as I am sure that we are not up to 200 million neither do I believe that we are up to 90 million registered voters when only 20 percent of that is always voting. There is a lot of fake information and fake facts in this country and I’m sure this is part of it. So, let them destroy the uncollected PVCs,” he said.
Sharing a similar view, another SAN, Sam Erugo, said, “The PVCs have been uncollected over time, so I don’t see anything wrong in them destroying them because not collecting them means something is definitely wrong with the owners. Either they are dead or they are duplication. Now, that brings the question whether eligible voters have voters card or that will will impede their right to vote or not. That is a different question altogether but if they have uncollected voter cards, of course, they have a right to destroy them because that will help stop people from using them to rig elections. Given that they are uncollected, they are useless already and money has been wasted already.”
But Paul Obi (SAN) differed, calling for greater awareness instea of rushing to destroy the PVCs.
“What is the basis for destroying six million voters cards?” he queries. “Even if they are uncollected, they belong to Nigerians who are also supposed to use them in the next election and they spent money in producing them.
[Punch]
From the second stint in the White House for Donald Trump to a turbo-charged football calendar, here are five things to watch in 2025:
– Trump 2.0 –
On January 20, Donald Trump will be inaugurated as 47th president of the United States, 11 weeks after his convincing win in the election against Democrat Kamala Harris.
The Republican’s swearing-in ceremony in front of the US Capitol in Washington comes four years after the attack on the seat of US democracy by Trump supporters, who did not accept he lost the 2020 election.
Trumps’ return, at the age of 78, comes despite four indictments and a criminal conviction and after a campaign that also included two failed assassination attempts on him.
With a list including vaccine sceptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary and Elon Musk co-heading a department of government efficiency, there is concern at what his second term could mean for the United States, and the world.
He has vowed to Make America Great Again, retreating from multilateralism in favour of power politics.
In late December the president-elect pledged to “stop the transgender lunacy” on day one of his presidency, and to immediately begin “the largest deportation operation in American history” of illegal migrants.
– Climate –
Could 2025 be the year when our greenhouse gas emissions stop their steady climb around the world?
Researchers are pointing to signs from the world’s biggest polluter China, responsible for 30 percent of global emissions, where fossil fuel carbon dioxide emissions are projected to tick up only marginally this year.
Glen Peters, of the Global Carbon Project, says overall CO2 emitted by burning coal, oil and gas across the world could peak in the next few years.
This carbon pollution is the main driver of increasingly dangerous climate change.
But even if there is a peak, Ignacio Arroniz Velasco, of the E3G think tank, said countries cannot afford to “relax”, and should then quickly decrease their emissions to aim for carbon neutrality.
– Football frenzy –
In 2025 the question of football overkill and player burnout will likely dominate amid a supercharged calendar.
There is the expanded 32-club Club World Cup awaiting players in the summer, when usually they would have had time to recover from national leagues.
And this coming after a particularly busy season that sees a much-anticipated extended Champions League — the leading European club competition — in a new format.
All this is part of a trend in football to ramp up the number of high-profile matches — the next World Cup in 2026 will welcome a whopping 16 more countries, resulting in 104 games rather than 64.
The spectre of Saudi Arabia will also loom large as the host of the 2034 World Cup pumps more money into the game, with potentially transformative consequences.
Other controversies likely to cause sparks include the continued use of VAR technology, currently locked in a love-hate relationship with players, fans and pundits.
– Kumbh Mela –
The largest gathering of humanity on the planet will take place from January 13 to late February when 400 million are expected to attend a spectacular Hindu festival on India’s sacred riverbanks.
Held every three years, rotating between four different holy places, the Kumbh Mela takes place at the site where the holy Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers meet.
Classified by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage, the mega-festival will involve a makeshift city in the northern city of Prayagraj. The last time the festival took place there, in 2013, it drew 120 million people. 36 people died in a stampede.
Hindus believe that taking a dip in Sangam, the confluence of the rivers, will cleanse them of their sins and help them attain “moksha”, setting them free from the cycle of birth and death.
– Oasis and BTS comebacks –
On the one side, the grisly bad boys of Britpop, on the other the fresh-faced darlings of K-Pop.
Both Oasis and BTS are set to return in 2025, much to the delight of their fans, after stints off the stage for very different reasons.
Led by the Gallagher brothers Liam and Noel, Oasis will return after a high-profile bust-up in 2009 — one of many — led to a 15-year split.
The band behind “Wonderwall” and “Champagne Supernova”, songs that achieved anthem-like status in the 1990s, go on a world tour kicking off in Britain and Ireland then heading to North and South America.
In the initial scramble to buy tickets from official sites, many fans who missed out sought alternative sources — leading to a landslide of ticket scams.
It will be a very different vibe in South Korea, where wildly popular K-Pop boy band BTS promises to reunite in June after its seven members finish their mandatory military service.
It is the comeback millions of fans and an entire multibillion dollar industry has been waiting for.
Experts say the megastars’ return to performance and public life could lift South Korea’s cultural exports juggernaut even higher.
eab-rap-ico-ot/jmy/giv
© Agence France-Presse
South Korea’s parliament has voted to impeach Han Duck-soo, its acting president — two weeks after it voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Han, who was prime minister, took over as acting president after Yeol was impeached by parliament following an attempt to impose martial law in the country.
Opposition lawmakers first filed an impeachment motion against Han on Thursday after he blocked the appointment of three judges chosen by parliament to oversee Yeol’s case.
They argued that he was stalling Yeol’s impeachment process.
There was chaos in parliament as the vote held on Friday.
Woo Won-Shik, speaker of the assembly, announced that only 151 votes would be needed to pass the impeachment bill. This meant that votes from the ruling People Power Party (PPP) were inconsequential.
The announcement elicited a protest, with the PPP lawmakers who gathered in the middle of the chamber chanting “invalid!” and “abuse of power!”
They asked the speaker to step down, with most of them boycotting the vote.
A total of 192 lawmakers voted for Han’s impeachment. The acting president will be suspended from his duties as soon as he is officially notified by parliament.
Like Yeol, his impeachment would have to be confirmed by the constitutional court, which has 180 days to rule on whether the vote should be upheld.
Reacting to the impeachment, Han said “I respect the decision of the national assembly,” adding that he “will wait for the constitutional court’s decision”.
[TheCable]
Abimbola Fashola, wife of Babatunde Fashola, the former governor of Lagos, says her husband does not discuss political matters with her.
In an interview aired on News Central television on Thursday, the former first lady of Lagos said there is a source through which she gets political updates about her husband.
Abimbola did not provide any information when asked about her husband’s “strained” relationship with his predecessor, Bola Tinubu, during Fashola’s second term as governor of Lagos.
“My husband doesn’t discuss political things with me. I don’t get to hear from my husband. I get to hear from a source. I have a source,” she said.
“It is like a spiritual guide for you to know what you are praying about. That is the way I see it. I don’t have two prayers.”
On accusations that the former Lagos governor had children outside of wedlock, Abimbola said it was a defamation of character and a plot to separate her from her husband.
“Some of my elderly women that I know told me not to worry about everything that was being said,” she said.
“They said that they had defended me, and I should accept the children. They said they know me very well and that I would ask anyone who has a child for my husband to bring them in.
“It was defamation of character. I did not talk about it at all with him. My father had several wives; I have younger ones.
“They thought I was going to leave my husband. And I know he did not do it. Most people would think we don’t talk. I’m not saying he is a perfect man, but he carries me along.”
Oodua People’s Congress, OPC, has expressed sorrow over the death of over 65 Nigerians rushing for donated free foodstuffs, just as it urged President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency on food nationwide.
The OPC in a statement by its General Secretary, Bunmi Fasehun, lamented the reported deaths last week of 35 people in Ibadan capital of Oyo State, 20 in Okija area of Anambra State, and 10 in Abuja the Federal Capital Territory.
Fasehun said: “As a matter of national emergency, Tinubu must intervene to bring down food prices to reduce hunger in Nigeria and ameliorate the sufferings of the citizens.
“The government must declare a state of emergency on food immediately.
“OPC urges the government to open the borders and ports for food to enter Nigeria quickly. Tinubu must allow for free movement of local and imported rice and other food items through the Nigerian highways. This government must mandate Customs and other agencies to stop seizing food and to stop hindering the transportation of edibles and consumables.”
Expressing the sympathy of OPC on the tragic incident, Fasehun said the deaths reflected the hopelessness and frustration experienced by a vast majority of Nigerians.
Fasehun said: “These avoidable deaths sound a loud and tragic message about the millions of Nigerians who are constantly confronted by crippling starvation and deep poverty. Yet governments at all levels show no concern.
“Why should Nigeria, with its reputation as the giant of Africa, record such tragic mishaps? Those deaths are a disgrace to our status as a nation blessed with natural resources, abundant human capacity and millions of hectares of arable land mass.
“Truth be told, the palliatives the government feels it has provided are not working because they never reach the intended targets. Such provisions, no matter how well-intended, are grossly inadequate. Even worse, the distribution channels are too few and too selective to get the items to the really needy among Nigeria’s 240 million citizens.
“Today, a bag of rice has risen to more than N100,000, three times its price under Muhammadu Buhari, and about 15 times its value under Goodluck Jonathan.
“Cooking gas has risen to over N18,000 today, from less than N10,000 under Buhari, and N2,000 under Jonathan. The cost of transportation is higher than it has ever been.
“There is scarcity of Naira notes. Banks are rationing notes and customers are not able to collect more than N5,000 to N20,000 cash per day. This is unacceptable.
“The government must scrap all policies that have impoverished Nigerians and brought unprecedented economic hardship on poor citizens. Policies that must go include: Zero-fuel subsidy, increased tariff on electricity, and high fees in government-owned educational institutions.
“Every policy must have a human face. What is the use of government recording increases in revenue allocation when inflation eats up all the gains and Nigerians are being killed by hunger, frustration and desperation?
“President Tinubu’s government must dedicate itself to guaranteeing food security. Every effort must be aimed towards restoring to Nigerians the conducive atmosphere and secure space to help farmers return to their farms.”
Former spokesperson and Director-General of Peter Obi’s Presidential Campaign Organisation, Dr. Doyin Okupe, has stated that the South, not the North, should produce Nigeria’s president in 2027.
Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Lagos, Okupe argued that geopolitical considerations make it unfair for the North to reclaim the presidency after President Bola Tinubu’s tenure.
Okupe acknowledged that the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, is eminently qualified to run in 2027.
However, he contended that Atiku’s candidacy would face the same challenges as in 2023 when his bid was perceived as disrupting the North-South power rotation.
The ex-presidential spokesman said the problem with the idea of Atiku’s presidency in 2027 is geopolitics, not age, adding that the South should be allowed to complete its eight-year term, just as the North did before Tinubu’s coming.
Okupe said, “Atiku failed in 2023, not because he was not a good person, but because people felt that a northern Muslim cannot succeed another northern Muslim after eight years.
“If Atiku still contests in 2027, he has a right. He is eminently qualified and one of the best we have, but geopolitics is an issue.
“The conditionality still persists, a Southerner would have just completed four years and needs another four-year term.
“It’s not in the constitution, but we agree that when a Northerner does his eight years, a Southerner will do.
“So, the North cannot now terminate the tenure of the South in 2027. It is not going to work.”
The ex-LP chieftain said Peter Obi, the 2023 Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party could also vie for the highest office in the country in 2027 as a southerner.
He, however, said it would be difficult for Obi to dislodge Tinubu as the President.
“Obi can contest. Obi is a young man, very dynamic and very ambitious; but geopolitics is important in a country that has not achieved horizontal and vertical unity.
“The person who is occupying the place right now, Tinubu, is also a Southerner, who is doing well.
“We can see what this gentleman (Tinubu) is doing. I wish Obi luck, but it is going to be an uphill task,” he said.
On whether alliances of politicians and parties could unseat Tinubu in 2027, Okupe said he did not see any political gang-up working against the president.
According to him, alliances against Tinubu will fail because the participants will not be willing to give concessions.
Okupe stated, “I have been in this game for 40 years and above. I came into politics in 1978. I have been in several talks, and discussions and I have represented my party, and my movement in several alliances.
“We have not attained that maturity to get to the level of being rational and reasonable and ready to give the necessary concession for a group interest. We are not there yet.
“Even if you look at our private businesses, go and check, 90 per cent of business partnerships will crumble within the first three years.
“I wish those who are trying alliance, I wish them luck but it is going to end up the same way it has always ended up. All the alliances will end up in futility.”
On the alliance that brought ex-President Buhari in 2015, Okupe said that though he criticised the alliance, the leader of the alliance, Tinubu, conceded everything to make it work.
“The man who spearheaded that alliance has grown beyond this constitution of naivety and selfishness.
“You put up an alliance, you set up a dining table, you cook food, and say other people should go and eat it. It is not done anywhere.
“Everything, he conceded, so that the thing could work,” he said.
He expressed doubt in the readiness and willingness of opposition leaders such as Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (PDP), Peter Obi (LP), and Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso, mulling an alliance against Tinubu in 2027, to concede for one another.
“If you look at it very well, that kind of maturity does not exist,” Okupe added.
NAN
The Kogi State Police Command has arrested a man, Abdulmuqeet Musari, for allegedly luring his 19-year-old friend, Usman Tijani, to a burial ground, robbing him of N200,000, and slitting his throat in the Adavi Local Government Area of the state.
Tijani, a Point-of-Sale operator and a 200-Level Cybersecurity student at Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, was attacked on December 24, 2024.
He was later found critically injured and is currently undergoing surgery at a Lokoja hospital.
A family member of the victim, Zainab Avosuahu, who narrated the incident, disclosed that the suspect on Tuesday allegedly lured her nephew into the bush, collected N200,000 from him, and slit his throat.
“We received a shocking call from my sister on Tuesday that left us devastated. Please, this is a call for justice for my nephew, whom his friend dragged to the bush, collected 200k from, and still had his throat butchered.
“He is currently undergoing surgery in Lokoja while the ‘devil in disguise’ of a friend is on the run. Please, we are on the lookout for him. This is all the information we can get now, as the victim can’t say much,” she stated.
However, the suspect was later apprehended by the vigilante and security architecture of the local government, who followed him to a neighbouring community in Ekiti.
According to Suleiman Acheneje, the Senior Special Assistant to the LG chairman, Bashiru Okatenwu, the security personnel of the LG swung into action when they heard about the situation.
He stated, “In the late hours of December 24, 2024, 7 pm to 8 pm precisely, unforeseen circumstances happened around Adavi burial ground, where a young boy named Usman Tijani got attacked by one of the bad eggs we still have in our society.
“Usman who happens to be a 200-level student of Cyber Security in Confluence University of Science and Technology Osara was brutally injured by Abdulmuqeet Musari, whose intent was no doubt to kill him.
“The victim was found nearly dead and rescued around 2am (on Christmas day) in New Zango, Adavi LGA, where he was immediately rushed to Lokoja and has since been receiving treatment in a very sound hospital there.
“The culprit was already on the run but kudos to the Executive Chairman Of Adavi, and their security intel, as they were able to apprehend the culprit in Ekiti state.”
It was gathered that the suspect had been handed over to the police.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Williams Aya, confirmed the incident and the arrest of the suspect.
Aya said, “The suspect has been arrested and is currently in police custody, and the investigation is ongoing. He will be arraigned in court on completion of the investigation,”
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Thursday, knocked a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Uche Secondus, for describing him (Wike) as an enemy of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
Wike, who spoke at the Ahoada East and Ahoada West PDP End of Year Thanksgiving in Rivers State, said Secondus was Fubara’s real enemy.
According to him, as PDP Chairman, Secondus opposed the choice of Fubara as Rivers governor in 2023.
Wike said Secondus rather wanted his cousin, Tele Ikuru, to become Rivers Governor.
Wike, who backed Fubara to become governor, said it was this reason he plotted the removal of Secondus as the PDP National Chairman.
Who, who has now fallen apart with Fubara, berated Secondus and a former Rivers State governor, Celestine Omehia, for backing Fubara in the ongoing political war.
Last week, Secondus, who was in Rivers State as Fubara’s guest during the inauguration of a road project, told the governor he would overcome his political enemies.
“Be strong and be courageous, because you will overcome your enemies. Those who are shouting in Abuja, how were they made? It is God and some of us and the leaders seated here today that made it possible.
“Your Excellency, don’t worry, power comes from God. The same way God gave it to them through us, God has given it to you. From what we have seen, you will excel because you love and respect the people, leaders, and elders of the State,” Secondus told Fubara.
But speaking on Thursday Wike lampooned Secondus, describing him as Fubara’s real enemy.
Wike also refuted claims that he left unfinished projects for Fubara to complete, challenging the governor to name any such uncompleted projects.
He said, “I heard Secondus say the other day in Bori that I awarded the Bori Internal Road as governor.
“I paid 50 per cent and thinking that we have a governor that we all agreed to continue. Secondus was saying that his enemies; who are the enemies of the governor? Secondus that refused him to be governor!
“I kicked out Secondus as PDP National Chairman when he wanted to make his cousin, Tele Ikuru, to be governor. Today, he is saying now that we are enemies.
“He (Seconds) was the one who refused the man (Fubara) to be governor; he wanted his cousin to be governor. He has now become the governor’s friend and we have now become the enemies. To God be the glory,” Wike said.
Wike also tackled Omehia for describing him as an underperformer.
He claimed that Omehia’s grouse with him stemmed from his being booted out of the government house.
“I overheard one imbecile, and let him challenge me, an imbecile Celestine Omehia. I say so and that is why when he wanted to occupy the Government House, I kicked him out. We could not have an imbecile as governor.
“He said they should ask me what I have done for Rivers State. That is why I say he is an imbecile. If he understands that, I am not a minister of a ministry!
“I am the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. When I was Minister of Education, he would have challenged me and asked ‘What did you bring to Rivers State?’ I was Minister of Education, I brought the Faculty of Law to the University of Port Harcourt. I gave grants to Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic; I gave grants to Ignatius Ajuru University. I made sure to renovate the Federal Government Collage Port Harcourt and the Federal Government Girls College, Abuloma. That was what I thought,” Wike stated.
He said though as the FCT Minister now, he cannot bring road projects or FCT money to Rivers State, “I can help Rivers people. And I have been helping Rivers people.”
He also boasted that “by the instrumentality of Mr President, there is no governor in this state that has attracted political appointments to this state than myself. Go and count it.”
“By the instrumentality of Mr President; by his grace, by his love for us, he said, ‘Go and give me these names for political appointments’. So, Mr Omehia, are you not aware that Rivers people have more political appointments than even when you are serving somebody? Are you not aware?”
Wike described the chief host of the thanksgiving, Chibudum Nwuche, as a worthy and steadfast politician loved by his people.
“What you (Nwuche) have shown today is what is called steadfastness. It is very difficult for you to see people who are steadfast. It is very difficult,” he said.
He also thanked the Chairman of the Rivers State All Progressives Congrats and his team for coming to rejoice with Nwuche, who is former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Wike commended the Rivers APC Chairman for resolving not to play politics of bitterness but rather embracing inclusivity.
The minister said he was proud that his wife hailed from the Ekpeye kingdom.
“Today your daughter is a Justice of the Court of Appeal,” he remarked.
Earlier in his welcome address, the chief host, Nwuche, thanked President Bola Tinubu for appointing Wike as the FCT Minister.
Nwuche stated, “Today is thanksgiving for the PDP in Ahoada East and Ahoada West, products of the tribes of Ekpeye and Engine. We chose today to give gratitude to God. Like the preacher said, as it is in the Bible, those who give gratitude can ask for more from God. Those that don’t, will have their journeys cut short.”
He said though the PDP loyalists toiled to be in government, they had been pushed aside.
He urged them not to despair, saying “Time is ticking and very soon we shall reclaim our state.”
Addressing Wike, he said, “Your Excellency I want to commend the President for appointing somebody of your capacity as the Minister of the FCT.”
According to Nwuche, Wike has shown Nigerians that what he did in Rivers State was not a fluke.
“It’s your nature to transform states and cities. Wike is working. Abuja is being transformed. Projects awarded 20 years ago are now being completed. Abuja is truly a modern city compared to any other in the world.
“Ekpeye has seen over four governors, from Ada George to Dr Peter Odili to Rotimi Amaechi. You are the only governor who has given Ekpeye and Enhene a pride of place.”
Present at the event were former Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, members of the House of Representatives, including Alwell Nyosu, Solomon Bob, Victor Obizor, Dummamene Dekor, and the member representing Rivers State on the board of the NDDC, Chief Tony Okocha, among others.
The family of Jigawa State Governor, Umar Namadi, has been hit by another tragedy as his eldest son, Abdulwahab Umar Namadi, has died in a fatal car accident.
The incident occurred barely 24 hours after the governor lost his mother, Hajiya Maryam Namadi.
According to Channels Television, Abdulwahab was returning from Kafin Hausa to Dutse with his friends when his vehicle lost control and somersaulted.
While his friends sustained various degrees of injuries and are currently receiving treatment at Dutse General Hospital, Abdulwahab was pronounced dead at the scene.
A close family source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “It is a double tragedy that has deeply shaken the family. The governor is still mourning the loss of his mother, and now this. It is a very difficult time for the family.”
Funeral prayers for the late Abdulwahab were held at the Kafin Hausa Central Mosque, attended by top government officials, traditional rulers, and community leaders.
Governor Namadi gave a brief address after the burial, expressing his grief but asking for prayers and patience.
He said, “It is Allah’s will, and we cannot question it. I urge everyone to remember us in their prayers during this challenging period.”
Dutse and Kafin Hausa residents have been trooping to the governor’s residence to offer their condolences.
A family friend, Musa Ibrahim, described Abdulwahab as a “humble and responsible young man with a promising future. He was well-loved by many and always showed respect to elders. This is a huge loss not just for the family but for the entire state.”
Jigawa State Information Commissioner, Malam Sagir Musa, expressed the government’s condolences in a statement.
“We mourn with His Excellency and his family. This is indeed a painful moment for all of us in Jigawa State. May Allah grant the deceased Aljannah Firdaus,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, hospital officials have confirmed that Abdulwahab’s friends are responding to treatment and remain in stable condition.
The opposition Labour Party; Peoples Democratic Party and others, on Thursday, lampooned the ruling All Progressives Congress over the country’s worsening poverty.
The condemnation by the opposition parties followed a viral video showing long queues of Nigerians seeking foodstuffs at President Bola Tinubu’s Bourdillon residence in Lagos on Christmas Eve.
Senator Ali Ndume, who shared the video on Wednesday via his official X account, said it highlighted the economic struggles facing the nation.
The video showed a mammoth crowd standing or sitting down in long queues at Bourdillon Raod in Ikoyi, Lagos, where Tinubu’s house is located.
Ndume, a member of the ruling APC, remarked, “Queues for presidential handouts at Bourdillon on Christmas Eve highlight a sobering reality. Poverty knows no tribe, religion, politics, or region. It is a universal challenge that demands collective action and sustainable solutions.”
The development comes in the wake of tragic stampedes at food distribution events in Oyo, Anambra, and Abuja, where over 50 persons died.
Reacting to the development, the Labour Party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, said it was sad that the ruling APC was turning more Nigerians into beggars by the day.
Ifoh challenged the APC to come out of its denial and “come to terms with the reality that there is too much poverty, hunger, and oppression in the system.”
“The statistics are out there for everybody to see. In fact, not too many people even understand that it is the season of Christmas.
So, don’t be surprised at the sight of people going to queue at Bourdillon. A time will come when even able-bodied men wearing suits and ties will also carry plates to beg at his residence.
“Imagine having to buy a bag of rice for Christmas at N100,000. What I am saying is that it is now clear to the blind and audible to the deaf that there is hunger in the land. Even the government itself has acknowledged it.
“The international community has also given out statistics to show that the poverty level in Nigeria is second to India, which has over a billion population. Nigeria has just 240 million people. But our poverty level is over 40 per cent, and there is over 70 per cent unemployment in Nigeria. So, it is no longer news.”
Also, LP’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, expressed concern about the deepening poverty in the country.
Obi, speaking through his media aide, Umar Ibrahim, said it was sad that President Bola Tinubu’s harsh economic policies were reducing more Nigerians to beggars.
“This reality is a stark contrast to what one would expect from a country with such potential and resources. The lack of effective governance is evident in the government’s failure to provide basic necessities, infrastructure, and opportunities for its citizens. It’s heartbreaking to see a nation with so much promise struggling to provide for its people,” he said.
Also, the Deputy National Youth Leader of the PDP, Timothy Osadolor, accused President Tinubu’s administration of weaponizing poverty.
He warned that Nigerians might get to the point of desperation where they would turn against the political elite.
“I have always been of the opinion, and I seem to feel it, that this Presidency, as led by Bola Tinubu, has weaponised poverty and hunger to the point that Nigerians need to beg with a pleading hand to survive. And the man has reduced the dignity of the common man to the pauper state, where they lack basic dignity and self-sufficiency. So, people have to resort to begging.
“President Tinubu’s APC administration has weaponized poverty. They unleashed hunger and hardship on Nigerians with their failed economic policies. The man has weaponised poverty and hunger to the point that you need to come to Bourdillon in Lagos to be able to afford a square meal a day or to get handouts. Across the country, they have created fields of strongmen who hand out arms and food to beggars or Nigerians they have reduced to beggars.
“It is most despicable, it is inhuman, it is insensitive. And it borders on insensitivity for any sane government to encourage armed begging and the dehumanisation of human character and dignity in such a beautiful form as this government and this presidency have done,” Osadolor said.
He warned that a time may come “when people will stop begging for food, they will eat those who are giving it to them, or go after the political elites, especially members of the APC because they caused the hardship, and that is where Nigerians are heading, if we are not careful.”
Speaking in a similar vein, the National Publicity Secretary of the Young People’s Party, Egbeola Martins, said Nigerians had never had it so bad.
“Things have never been this bad,” Martins said.
He called on the APC-led government to urgently review its economic policies before things got completely out of hand.
He said, “We are still very much insistent on the fact that there is a need to review some of the anti-masses policies that have actually impoverished Nigerians. We are particularly concerned about the subsidy removal policy, especially with the benefit of hindsight, even though it was once a major position of critical stakeholders in the past.
“The implementation has shown that it leaves a lot to be desired. The pain this has caused Nigerians is excruciating. In our opinion, there is nothing wrong with the government reviewing this policy, especially the subsidy removal.”
But the ruling APC dismissed the criticisms, accusing the opposition of trying to incite Nigerians against the President by mischaracterising his longstanding generosity.
Speaking to The PUNCH, the APC National Publicity Director, Bala Ibrahim, said, “Tinubu has been doing this thing for ages. This is not the first time he is doing it. But this time, because he is the President, it has become extremely conspicuous, and everybody is looking at it differently.
“If it was something he initiated just after he became the President, then it can be a story for discussion. But he has been doing this thing for long. Anybody who knows Tinubu knows that he is a person that is naturally generous. He likes extending help and support to people in need.
“In fact, I think he inherited it because his mother was also doing the same. Nobody is saying that there is no hardship in the land. But that is not a reason for people to make jest of those who intend to genuinely help, especially people who have been doing so for long.”
Ibrahim, who said Tinubu’s name is synonymous with generosity, sympathy, and help, accused the opposition of always seeking fault in the President.
“The only difference between what he was doing then and now is that his current palliative is coming with a presidential tag. The Bourdillon we know now is not the same as yesterday. It is a Bourdillon that now houses the President of the country.
“There was a time he was accused of stationing a bullion van in front of his house and giving people money. Why wasn’t that painted in the same light as this? Now that he is doing it as a President, it has become a big story.
“The opposition and critics are just grandstanding. The truth is that if there were to be an announcement and he says he is also extending this hand to the opposition, they will queue up. Their own is to amass wealth to eat alone. But this is a man who feels for the ordinary man,” Ibrahim said.
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Four drug kingpins involved in the historic seizure of 2,139.55 kilograms of cocaine at an Ikorodu residential estate in 2022 have been sentenced by a Federal High Court in Lagos.
The convicts —Soji Jubril Oke, 71; Wasiu Akinade, 55; Emmanuel Arinze Chukwu, 67; and Kelvin Christopher Smith, 44, a Jamaican— were arrested by the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency operatives in various locations across Lagos between Sunday night, September 18, and Monday morning, September 19, 2022.
The arrests followed a raid at No 6 Olukuola Crescent, Solebo Estate, Ikorodu, Lagos, where over 2.1 tons of cocaine were seized. This recovery remains the largest single cocaine seizure in Nigeria’s history.
The convicts were charged with six counts under charge number FHC/L/607C/2022 in October and December 2022.
The trial of a fifth suspect, Oguntolure Sunday, who was arraigned alongside them, is still ongoing.
In a statement on Thursday, the NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, disclosed that Justice Yellim Bogoro sentenced the convicts to a combined 28 years of imprisonment with hard labour.
The statement partly read, “The trial judge handed the Jamaican, Kelvin Christopher Smith, four years imprisonment with hard labour; Emmanuel Arinze Chukwu received a total of 16 years; Soji Jubril Oke was sentenced to five years with hard labour, and Wasiu Akinade got three years with hard labour.
“The trial judge, however, gave the convicts varying options of fines, except for one who must serve the full jail term without an option of fine. They were also ordered to forfeit a grey Toyota Tacoma SUV (registration number AAA-734HT) registered in the name of Emmanuel Chukwu, $50,000 belonging to Chukwu, ₦55,099,509.50 also belonging to Chukwu, ₦9,003,168.06 belonging to Wasiu Akinade, and ₦3,052,295.20 also belonging to Akinade.”
In another development, the NDLEA secured the final forfeiture of two properties linked to the drug cartel in a suit marked FHC/L/MISC/672/2024 and filed before Justice Bogoro on December 9, 2024.
Babafemi quoted the court as saying, “An order of final forfeiture and confiscation is granted in favour of the Federal Government of Nigeria for Landed Property/House Number 6 Olokunola Street, Solebo Estate, Ikorodu, Lagos State, used for the storage and concealment of 2,139.55kg of cocaine, an illicit substance.
“An order of final forfeiture and confiscation is also granted in favour of the Federal Government of Nigeria for Landed Property/House Number J9, Road 3, Close 1, Victoria Garden City Estate, Lagos State, reasonably believed to have been purchased with proceeds from drug trafficking.
“An order is granted directing the sale or disposal of the forfeited properties by any lawful means, with the proceeds paid to the Federal Government of Nigeria.”
‘I Was Sacked Less Than Two Weeks After Some Nigerians Donated Over ₦200 Million For Projects’ – Tinubu’s Former Minister
Admin
Former Minister of Women Affairs, Uju-Kennedy Ohanenye, disclosed on Wednesday that she was sacked less than two weeks after some Nigerians donated money for some projects she wanted to implement in the Ministry.
She explained that as a minister, there were some projects she wanted to implement that were not in the current budget.
According to her, she made an appeal to raise funds for some categories of vulnerable Nigerians and was surprised that people gathered at the Aso Rock Villa and donated over ₦200 million naira.
Speaking during an interview with Channels Television, Kennedy-Ohanenye disclosed that she was however sacked less than two weeks after the donations and before the donated funds could be utilized.
The former Minister said she was, therefore forced to ask the secretary in charge to write to the bank to do a reversal of the funds to the donors.
“The programmes I initiated like the mobile courts, going to rescue small girls hawking on the streets, I did not have money for that because it wasn’t part of what was budgeted for.
“When I called on Nigerians, I was so surprised a lot of them gathered at the villa and donated money to this effect. They were very happy to support it.
Unfortunately, not up to two weeks after the donations, I was sacked. When that happened, there was no way I could use that money. I asked the secretary in charge to write to the bank to do a reversal of the funds,” she narrated.
Also speaking during the interview, Kennedy-Ohanenye said she has no regrets over some actions she took as minister.
Naija News reports that Kennedy-Ohanenye was one of the Ministers sacked by President Bola Tinubu in October 2023 during a cabinet reshuffle.
She was fired alongside four other ministers at the time – Lola Ade-John (Tourism), Jamila Bio Ibrahim (Youth Development), Tahir Mamman (Education) and Abdullahi Muhammad Gwarzo (Housing and Urban Development).
Speaking on the incident during her interview, she however disclosed she handled matters related to her office to the best of her knowledge and has no regrets.
“I have a responsibility given to me to man that place and make sure things go right. I wouldn’t have tolerated anybody trying to rubbish deceit given to me.
“There must be an impact on people. I’m glad that I didn’t give such chance and I have no regret in the way I did my job. That was the highest way I would have done that,” she said.
[NaijaNews]
Kiitan Bukola, the Nollywood actress, has revealed her fears about getting married, and what she hopes to find in a partner.
In a recent chat on Talk2B podcast, the film star revealed that she never lived with her parents, who had about 14 children.
The 34-year-old expressed her longing for the love and care of a father figure, which she never experienced in her childhood.
“I do not have a father who cared how I wanted it. Like that love of parent, father to mother together, I did not really enjoy it. So, it hurts me most of the time,” she said.
“I never lived together with my parents. The funny thing is that there are some of my father’s children that I do not know. We are close to fourteen of his children.
“I have friends who have been through so much in marriages. And I have some that have enjoyed it. I want it because I want my children to have fatherly care. If I want to have children out of wedlock, I should have done that. But I do not wish to have a child outside wedlock. I have been trying to hold myself. But I want a good home.”
Bukola said despite wanting to get married and have children, she she is scared of marriage.
She said her fear stems from her desire to provide her children with a stable and loving home, which she never had.
She also expressed worries about finding a partner who will understand her profession and not be insecure about her.
Bukola described her ideal partner as someone who is understanding, prayerful, and secure.
“I love marriage, but at the same time, I am scared of marriage because I do not want my children to grow up and not have fatherly care. I do not want to grow up in a separate home. Most people do not want it, but I do not pray for it,” she said.
“My ideal man is very understanding and prayerful. I do not want stress. I want to let someone I can call my best friend. Someone that I host with. Someone I can tell something and will not use it against me. Someone who will not be insecure. Someone who will understand the difference between my job and my home.
“I have dated someone who would tell me to return money for a job on a day I am supposed to go to set.”
In November 2022, Bukola announced her engagement, but the relationship ended in January due to infidelity.
Media
Telecom operators may get approval to increase call and data tariffs before the end of first quarter of 2025, a top official of one of the four big telecom companies said.
The top official who pleaded anonymity stated that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) might give the telcos approval to increase rates of calls, SMS, and internet bundles.
If the approval is given, it will mark the end of over a decade of lobbying by telecom giants like MTN Nigeria, Airtel, and 9Mobile, who have been consistently calling for price adjustments to reflect economic realities.
Daily Trust reports that despite soaring operational costs driven by inflation, telecom operators have not been allowed to raise prices in the last 11 years.
“We strongly hope that our approval to increase tariffs has been granted by the federal government. We hear they will allow us to do some upward review of tariffs by the first quarter of 2025. This sector is seriously bleeding; no new investment because of soaring operating costs. Some of us are already making losses. We just hope the sector will not be allowed to die”, the top official who pleaded anonymity told journalists in Lagos.
Industry sources said the telecoms tariffs could rise by up to 40%.
This means to make a one minute call may cost N15.40 up from N11 and SMS charges will rise from N4 to N5.60. For data plans, the price of a 1GB bundle will increase from N1,000 to at least N1,400.
In a December 20 interview, the minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, acknowledged the need for price adjustments, stating: “We think there may be a need for that”.
The NCC is responsible for reviewing and approving tariff adjustments in the telecommunications industry.
Daily Trust reports that MTN Nigeria reported a N137 billion loss in 2023, with losses expanding to N514.9 billion in the first nine months of 2024. Airtel Africa also reported losses of $89 million in Financial Year 2024, largely driven by challenges in Nigeria.
Despite the grim outlook in the telecoms sector for much of the year, President of the Association of Licenced Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) Gbenga Adebayo argues that cost-reflective prices will incentivise investment and help improve quality in the long run. s
The spokesperson for the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Reuben Mouka could not be reached for confirmation of proposed tariff increase approval as of filing this report yesterday.