Robert Clarke, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, has identified the 1999 Constitution as the source of Nigeria's problems.
He made the revelation on Tuesday while reacting to the truce reached as President Bola Tinubu once again intervened in the Rivers State crisis.
“The 1999 constitution is the cornerstone of our problems. In every area of political line, especially in the area of election, when the constitution restricts those who can come and be voted for, or who can vote for, something must be wrong with that constitution. The problem today is not what the President says,” he said while answering questions on Arise TV’s Good Morning Show.
He faulted the demolition of the state House of Assembly complex by the Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
“Why should a governor bring a caterpillar and bring down the state House of Assembly? Does that show sanity and you voted for such a person?,” he questioned.
When asked if the President has a constitutional role in solving sub-national matters, the SAN disclosed that Tinubu has no constitutional role in the matter.
“The constitutional role of the President in all these fracas, there should have been none. The only time the constitution allowed the Federal Government to put its mouth was during the First Republic,” he stated.
Clarke called for the amendment of the Constitution.
“All that we are running after today is power and money. Those two elements, where do you get them in Nigeria? They are only from politics.
“If you count down governors who have served in Nigeria since 2000, ask them to come show us their bank account, you will be shocked.
“We have to ask ourselves, is politics in Nigeria only meant for politicians? Why can’t people like us contest an election without joining a political party? Why do we need a political party? This is the problem we have in Nigeria today,” Clarke expressed.
He suggested three areas in the constitution that need amendment. The three areas, according to him are: Local government; election; who can belong to a party and why should a party be the dominant factor in elections in Nigeria.
“Once you do the three areas in Nigeria today, I can assure you, you won’t hear about any court cases. This country will move forward,” he articulated.
The PUNCH reports the political crisis in Rivers state may have ceased as parties reached a truce on Monday night.
This followed about three hours of the talks at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, between President Bola Tinubu, Rivers Governor, Mr Siminalayi Fubara; his Deputy, Mrs Ngozi Odu; a former governor of the State, Peter Odili and the immediate past governor now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesome Wike, and other stakeholders.
According to an eight-point resolution signed at the end of the meeting on Monday night, the President directed that all lawsuits instituted in the courts by Fubara and his team regarding the political crisis in Rivers State be withdrawn immediately.
The resolution was signed by Fubara; his deputy, Ordu; Wike; Ribadu; factional Speaker of the Rivers State Assembly, Martin Amaewhule; Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers State, Aaron Chukwuemeka, and his All Progressives Congress Chairman, Tony Okocha.
According to the directive, Fubara was mandated to re-present the 2024 appropriation bill he had earlier presented to the four-member state House of Assembly to the full House.
Also, the directive read that all impeachment proceedings initiated by the Rivers Assembly against Fubara should be dropped immediately.
All-Africa Students Union (AASU) has honoured distinguished Africans, including the group chief executive officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Malam Mele Kolo Kyari and the managing director (MD) of Rokel Commercial Bank Sierra Leone Limited, Dr Waltone Gilpin in recognition of their contributions and positive impacts on the young people in the continent.
They were presented with the insignia of commendation by the international president of AASU, Osisiogu Enyinnaya, at the weekend in Abuja.
Enyinnaya said Kyari was honoured by the African students “for the capitalisation of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, under the sterling leadership of Malam Mele Kyari”, and for making “Africa proud, being so capitalised and being a model on the continent.”
Others who were honoured at the event included, Dr Daysman Oyakhilome of the Loveworld Global Fellowship, who is the president of the United Youth of Africa Nation (UYAN); Dr Gloria Kudi Ahmed, the national coordinator, Open Government Partnership (OGP) Nigeria and director of Special Duties, Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, for her contribution; and Chief Charles Okechukwu Anyanwu, the group of chairman of DCL Group for his contributions to the laboratory development space.
Others were Comrade Ademola Babatunde, a 2019 presidential candidate; Barr. Paul Edeh, the founder of the Naija Ratels Football Club, who has developed young persons over the years and has been part of sports development, not only in Nigeria but in Africa; Alhaji Abba Musa, the Director of Corporate Services North East Development Commission; and Dr Reuben Abati of Arise Television, among others.
The president of AASU explained that the awardees were recognised for contributing “positively to Africa’s quest for development in their various fields. And we’re doing this to encourage them to do more so that we have a better Africa.”
“We hope, just like Martin Luther King Jnr said that if you’re called upon to sweep the streets, sweet the streets the same way Shakespeare composed poems,” he said.
[Leadership]
Egbin Power Station, one of the largest thermal power stations in the country, has been temporarily shut down to facilitate maintenance work on a crucial gas pipeline.
The shutdown, which commenced at 11:13 hours on December 18, 2023, is expected to last for three days, causing a substantial reduction in the national power grid’s capacity.
Egbin Power Station, a cornerstone in Nigeria’s power generation framework, contributes a substantial 676MW of bulk power to the national grid.
Why the shutdown
The station’s closure is necessary to allow the Nigeria Gas Company (NGC) to conduct vital maintenance on the gas pipeline that supplies the facility.
- This maintenance is crucial for ensuring the long-term reliability and safety of the power supply system.
- The temporary shutdown of the Egbin Power Station will result in a significant reduction of power available to distribution companies and load centers nationwide.
- This decrease in supply could lead to temporary power outages or load shedding in various parts of the country, potentially impacting residential, commercial, and industrial activities.
It stated,
“This is to notify the general public that as at 11:13 hours of 18th December 2023, Egbin Power generating station was shut down to allow the Nigeria Gas Company (NGC) to maintain linking gas pipelines supplying gas to Egbin Power station”
“The station will be shut down for 3 days from today”
“This means a reduction of 676MW of bulk power generated into the nation’s grid for 3 days consequently the quantum of bulk power available to be delivered to distribution companies load centres nationwide for the period” Egin Power Station
In response to the shutdown, the government and power distribution companies are expected to implement contingency measures to mitigate the impact on end-users.
These measures might include the activation of alternative power sources and the implementation of strategic load management to balance the reduced supply.
Optics
The public has been advised to anticipate possible power fluctuations during the maintenance period and to plan accordingly.
- The power sector authorities have reassured the public that the maintenance is a necessary step towards ensuring the long-term stability and efficiency of the national power grid.
- The temporary shutdown of the Egbin Power Station poses immediate challenges to power distribution across Nigeria, especially for Lagosians who will have to grapple with epileptic power supply for the period.
- However, the maintenance work conducted by the NGC is essential for ensuring the reliability and safety of the power supply, ultimately contributing to the country’s economic and industrial growth.
About Egbin Power Station
The Egbin power station is located in the Ikorodu area of Lagos state and supplies around 16% of the total electricity to the National Grid. It has an installed capacity of 1320MW which makes it the largest provider of electricity in Nigeria.
- In June, Egbin power station recorded a 1000MW power generation peak representing around 29.9% of the total electricity generated by all 19 power-generating plants in the country.
- In 2022, Egbin Power Plc experienced a fire incident at its power plant, causing blackouts in parts of Lagos state and its surroundings.
The power generation company reported that the fire outbreak was effectively controlled by its firefighting team, working in collaboration with firefighters from the Nigeria Gas Company at Egbin.
[Nairametrics]
Nigerian singer, Adewale Mayowa Emmanuel, popularly known as Mayorkun, has vowed never to perform in Calabar, the Cross River State capital again.
He announced this via his X (formerly Twitter) page on Tuesday morning, saying he wishes other artists coming into the city to perform “good luck.”
He wrote, “Calabar, You’ll probably never ever see me again, good luck to the other artists coming for your festivals tho.”
The singer, who performed at an event in Calabar recently, was said to have been robbed while there, according to fans who reacted to his post via the comment section.
Some of the fans claimed that Mayorkun’s multi-million naira necklace was stolen in Calabar.
Meanwhile, singer Iyanya has reacted to the alleged robbery of his colleague, Mayorkun in Calabar.
He appealed to whoever stole from Mayorkun to return the item and he would personally compensate the person.
Quoting Mayorkun’s tweet, he wrote, “My Calabar people, this is very bad for the peaceful people I know us to be. The government has brought my colleagues to entertain you, all you owe them is protection and great hospitality. If you know anyone who stole from my brother, please return it and I will personally compensate you. Drop it at The Grand Hotel. I will personally compensate you please.”
[DailyPost]
Pastor Richard Adeboye, the pastor in charge of Redeemed Christian Church of God‘s Region 12, has urged more people to pray for the nation’s leaders to overcome the variety of difficulties and problems.
Adeboye stated that Nigerians should rely on prayer as a tool for a desired turnaround for the sake of the nation, as opposed to complaining and condemning them as they had in the past without any positive result.
The cleric said this in an interview with reporters at this year’s Halleluyah Mega Praise Night, Season 2, which had the theme “Dominion” and was hosted at Shimawa High School in Ogun state.
He said: “There is no nation like Nigeria. The fact that we are still surviving is a symbol that God has created this nation in a very unique way and very soon, we shall shout victory at last.
“Nigerians should stand in the place of responsibility, because I have this philosophy that every possibility of God is compelled by the responsibility of man. Let’s do what we’re supposed to do.
“Let’s move closer to God. And let’s believe in God and whatever we need to do physically, let’s do it. We’re not saying we should protest or fight against the government. We have done that in the past, we didn’t win the battle.
“The Bible says that the heart of the king is in the hand of God. If only we could talk to God that put them there, I believe things will change and very soon, it will change for the better.
“My message to our leaders is that they should recognise the one that actually put them on the throne. We should stop fighting our leaders. The role of the church is to preach righteousness and establish integrity. If the world sees that what we preach is what we are doing, I believe it will go round and it will be contagious, and very soon, everybody will be affected.”
[TheNation]
Claudette, Celine Dion’s sister, has provided a grim update on the singer’s ongoing fight with Stiff-Person Syndrome.
She disclosed in a new interview that the multiple Grammy winner is having difficulty controlling some muscle movements.
“She’s working hard, but she doesn’t have control over her muscles. What breaks my heart is that she’s always been disciplined. She’s always worked hard. Our mother always told her, ‘You’re going to do it well, you’re going to do it properly.’ It’s true that in both our dreams and hers, the goal is to return to the stage. In what capacity? I don’t know,” she said.
This update comes one year after Celine announced her diagnosis of Stiff Person Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder characterized by painful muscle spasms and stiffness that typically interferes with patients’ daily lives.
Due to the disease, Celine Dion had to postpone her highly anticipated Courage World Tour indefinitely in May 2023, expressing her apologies to her fans.
In an interview with Le Journal de Montreal in August 2023, Claudette expressed optimism about their continuous hunt for therapeutic treatments for the disease.
Claudette also said that their sister Linda Dion had moved into Celine’s home to help her three sons. René-Charles, Eddy, Nelson, and their aunt are all actively involved in Celine’s treatment, rehabilitation, and recovery.
Anambra Police Command has arrested a couple trafficking one-month-old baby, purchased for thirty thousand naira from Lagos.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, who disclosed in a statement in Awka, on Tuesday, said the interception was made at Bridgehead in Onitsha on 17th December, 2023.
According to Ikenga, “The couple were travelling in a Luxury bus belonging to a popular transport company with the baby when a co-passenger observed that the mother could not breastfeed the baby despite its cry for food in the course of the journey.
“The good samaritan put a call through to Anambra Police on its Control Room hotline in Awka which then relayed the information to the Police at Bridgehead in Onitsha.”
The Police laid in wait for the luxury bus described and intercepted it in the evening hours.
“The couple and the baby were identified and brought down for questioning.
“They confessed buying the child from its mother in Ajah, Lagos for the sum of N30,000.
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Aderemi Adeoye who thanked the public spirited citizen for his humane concern in giving the information that led to the rescue of the child, commended Police Operatives for their vigilance and dedication to duty.
“The CP, has directed that the couple be handed to National Agency for Prohibition in Trafficking of Persons (NAPTIP) for further investigation and prosecution.
“Meanwhile the Baby has been handed to the Ministry of Women Affairs for care by the State Government,” the PPRO noted.
Iyabo Ojo has responded to the demands made by Naira Marley.
Recall that Naira Marley, through his lawyers, issued a letter demanding that Iyabo apologises for the things she said about him while demanding justice for the late Ilerioluwa Aloba, aka Mohbad.
The laywers added that a failure to apologise will result in them suing her for N500 million in damages.
Responding, Iyabo said they did not deliver any letter to her and she only saw it on social media.
The lawyers representing Iyabo Ojo, the Maverick Forte Legal, said they are ready to present witnesses to testify in court to back the allegations the actress made against Naira Marley.
Iyabo also demanded N1 billion from Naira Marley for deliberately misleading the public that he served her the letter. She also claimed that the public letter from Naira Marley made her lose her income and standing in society.
The Vatican on Monday approved blessings for same-sex couples, a hugely contested issue in the Catholic Church, as long as they are not in contexts related to civil unions or weddings.
In a document approved by Pope Francis, the Vatican backed “the possibility of blessings for couples in irregular situations (including unmarried couples or divorcees) and for couples of the same sex”.
“One should not prevent or prohibit the Church’s closeness to people in every situation in which they might seek God’s help through a simple blessing,” it said.
But the document, published by the Vatican’s faith department, does not change the Catholic Church’s stance on same-sex marriages or unions.
It reiterates the long-held position that marriage is between only a man and a woman, for the purpose of having children — and says no blessings should be given that confuse the issue.
“This blessing should never be imparted in concurrence with the ceremonies of a civil union, and not even in connection with them,” the document said.
But it is the first time the Vatican has opened the way so clearly to the blessing of same-sex couples, which has been a source of tension within the Church.
A blessing, generally carried out by a priest, consists of invoking God’s benevolence on a person.
Conservative Catholics, particularly in the United States, are strongly opposed to blessing same-sex couples.
But in some places, such as Belgium and Germany, priests have already been doing it, including in church.
James Martin, a US Jesuit priest and well-known advocate for LGBTQ believers, said the document was a “major step forward in the church’s ministry to LGBTQ people”.
He said it was also a “marked shift” from a 2021 decision in which the Vatican said the Church did not have the power to bless same-sex unions because God could not “bless sin”.
– Pastoral vision –
The Vatican’s announcement, known as a declaration, was published six weeks after the end of a global meeting on the Church’s future, which debated social issues such as opening doors to LGBTQ people or divorced and remarried people.
In early October, five conservative cardinals publicly asked Pope Francis to reaffirm Catholic doctrine on same-sex couples, but the hot-button issue was not addressed in the meeting’s final text.
The head of the Vatican’s faith department wrote in an introduction to the document that it was “a broadening and enrichment” of the Vatican’s stance on blessings.
The text, entitled “Fiducia Supplicans — On the Pastoral Meaning of Blessings”, was “based on the pastoral vision of Pope Francis”, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez wrote.
The Argentine pontiff, 87, has sought to make the Church more welcoming to those it has long considered “sinners”, even if they cannot fully participate in it.
Just weeks after taking office in March 2013, Francis notably said that “if someone is gay and is searching for the Lord and has good will, then who am I to judge him?”
Monday’s document says: “To avoid any form of confusion or scandal”, blessings for same-sex couples cannot be “performed with any clothing, gestures, or words that are proper to a wedding”.
“Such a blessing may instead find its place in other contexts, such as a visit to a shrine, a meeting with a priest, a prayer recited in a group, or during a pilgrimage,” it said.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has debunked reports claiming that one Victor Odeh who was convicted for internet fraud in July, was seven years old.
Its Spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said this in a statement on Monday in Abuja.
According to him, Odeh is 19 years old and not seven as falsely portrayed by some mischievous people.
“The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has been drawn to some insinuation and contrived accounts of the conviction of an internet fraudster, Victor Oche Odeh, by Justice Darius Khobo of the Kaduna State High Court on July 21.
“Odeh, 19, was among five undergraduates convicted and sentenced to two years imprisonment each, after pleading guilty to a one-count separate charge bordering on internet fraud.
“The other convicts are Chidebere Stanley Opara (a.k.a. Avail Hollywood), Manasseh Sefa Ephraim (a.k.a. Felicia_dannyyels), Chukwukere Obinna Paul (a.k.a. Shaun Lee) and Enyogu Etim Ekpo (a.k.a. Henry Wilson, Jasdav7),” he said.
He also noted that in a statement earlier released by the commission in July, the ages of all the convicts, including that of Odeh were not stated, hence the need for the clarification.
“All the false narratives being bandied about in some section of the social media that he is seven years old should be ignored.
“The EFCC did not “parade” the convict, and it is a court of law that rightfully convicted him,” he said.
More...
The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), says the agency has seized N800bn worth of illicit substances and arrested 42,105 offenders, including 46 barons, in the last three years.
Marwa gave the figures on Monday when he received the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, at the NDLEA National Headquarters, Garki, Area 11, Abuja.
“The criminal elements rely on drugs to carry out their criminalities and that is why we have been very ferocious in our offensive action against them to cut access and availability of these illicit drugs. As a result, in about three years we have arrested 42,105 drug offenders, including 46 barons; seized 7,500 tons of illicit drugs worth about N800bn.
“In fact, sometime last year, we seized over $300m worth of illicit drugs; 1,057 hectares of cannabis farms destroyed and 8,350 offenders convicted while 29,400 drug users have been counselled and rehabilitated within the same period,” Marwa said.
He thanked the military for supporting the NDLEA in terms of logistics and training. He advised the military to consider building rehabilitation centres in military hospitals for their personnel that may have issues with substance abuse.
In his remarks, the CDS assured the NDLEA boss of his commitment to help expose drug traffickers and abusers, while promising that the Nigerian military would strengthen its synergy with the NDLEA to curtail the menace of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in the country.
Musa said, “We know the challenges of drugs and how the use of illicit drugs has affected Nigeria’s name. And when Nigeria is mentioned abroad, everybody thinks about drugs, but you and your team have turned that around, at least now, people have seen that sense of sincerity in addressing the drug issue in Nigeria. We know it is not easy, because a lot of people have benefited so much from it and they will do anything to sustain their illicit businesses.
“I want to assure you that the members of the Nigerian Armed Forces are fully behind you. We are proud of you and what you have been achieving and we will continue to support you until the menace of drugs is totally eliminated in the country. We know the influence of drug use and what it has done to us, creating a lot of issues all over the country, which is very alarming.
“Drug use has slipped into so many places, and for members of the Armed Forces; we’re not excluded. Now we have introduced as part of our recruitment processes that for our people to go for courses, they must take drug tests, because this will ensure that personnel of the Armed Forces are doing the right thing and are in the right frame of mind. So, we’ll continue to do that and continue to intensify our efforts.”
A yet-to-be identified husband allegedly murdered his wife in the Olota area of the Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos over her failure to cook his meal last Thursday.
PUNCH Metro learnt that trouble started when the husband, who was said to have returned from work, discovered that the wife only prepared noodles rather than his favourite meal.
Consequently, PUNCH Metro gathered from an eyewitness who did not want to be mentioned in the media because of fear of intimidation that the suspect left the deceased in the house after he had allegedly hit her on the crown of her head with what was believed to be a heavy object and beaten her to a pulp.
The source told PUNCH Metro that it was the neighbour who called the husband to tell him that his wife was convulsing.
Our correspondent learnt that all efforts by the husband and the neighbours to rush the convulsing wife to the hospital were said to have hit the rock as she was said to have died midway.
Although our correspondent learnt from a police source that the suspect had been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, had yet to confirm this as of the time the report was filed.
Speaking on the matter, a source in the Meiran Police Division said the suspect was arrested after the brother of the deceased victim approached the station about the matter.
The source said, “It was the brother of the deceased who came to report the matter. He said the husband killed his sister.
“However, nobody has come forward to tell us that it was her husband who killed her. We have arrested the husband. The matter has already been moved to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti.”
On whether there was an indication that it was the husband that killed the wife, the police source said it was difficult to tell as they suspected the family had buried the deceased.
The source added, “There is no indication yet, but we cannot say that we stop investigation. We will allow justice to prevail and the district unit to perform its duties to know if it was the husband who beat her to death as claimed.
“When we got there, none of the neighbours was willing to give us viable information concerning this. It happened on Thursday. Up to this morning, before we transferred the matter to Panti, nobody had come out to attest to the claim or the cause of death.
“We didn’t see the woman. Before they could report to us, the family had already gone to bury her according to Islamic rites. The father of the deceased even came to the police station and said he had forgiven the son-in-law, even if the claim was true.
“But the brother of the deceased insisted that it was the husband who killed his sister (wife). He said he hit his wife with an object and left her inside their apartment. He said it was the neighbour who called to tell him that the wife was convulsing. She died before they could rush her to the hospital.”
The United Nations migration body, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), has disclosed that more Nigerians migrated abroad in 2023.
The IOM Chief of Mission in Nigeria, Mr. Laurent De Boeck, disclosed this during a media parley on Monday in Abuja.
According to him, no fewer than 260,000 Nigerians approached the IOM for assistance to leave the country in 2023.
“This 2023 number is the highest number we have ever had. We know now that those people have requested visas but they did it in a regular way which is positive.
“The UK is the number one destination for those 260,000 who came to us. It represents 80 per cent. The rest is the United States, Canada, Australia and some other European countries,” he said.
De Boeck said the IOM was in a discussion with Italy which had expressed an interest in developing regular pathways for qualified Nigerians who can fill up certain positions in the country.
He added that there were plans for discussions with Spain, Belgium, France and other countries as well.
The IOM Chief however predicted a decrease in the number of Nigerians leaving for America and Europe in 2024 as a result of strict policies being adopted by some countries.
“We expect that the number may decrease next year because of some decisions taken by some states,” he said, adding that Canada had effected new regulations for migrants from 2024, while the UK had also reduced the number of people entering the country.
“We expect that from 2024, there will be a decline in capacity to enter some countries in Europe because of the elections”, he added, saying politicians were campaigning to reduce migration to their respective countries.
Meanwhile, De Boeck has raised the alarm that more Nigerians were migrating from Kano irregularly.
“We have seen an increase of migrants in Kano which was a creation of the pressure from the people displaced from Kano itself or the region and we have found some youths coming from Taraba who ended up in Kano.
“There are some active smugglers and traffickers in Kano”, informing that the IOM was ready to combat them while also talking to the youth on employability and skills acquisition as alternatives to irregular migration.
“That is why we are developing what we call a ‘regular pathway’ to ensure that people if they want to migrate, can use the regular way,” he said.
The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations has less than a month to go as the 24 qualified countries prepare their teams for the tournament in Ivory Coast.
The prestigious tournament has in the past unearthed new talents while also giving others the opportunities to shine with their country.
Victor Boniface - Nigeria
The Super Eagles star has taken the German Bundesliga by storm, winning the Rookie of the Month for every month since the start of the new campaign. Boniface has scored 15 goals across all competitions for the Bundesliga leaders this season.
The skillful and tricky forward is expected to propel the three-time champions to a potential fourth triumph in Ivory Coast as he makes his first appearance at the competition.
Mohammed Kudus - Ghana
The Black Stars of Ghana will rely heavily on the West Ham star following his bright start to life in England. Kudus has been in phenomenal form for the Hammers since joining the club from Ajax. Kudus has scored nine goals across all competitions for the London club.
The Right to Dream Academy was denied a place at the tournament in Cameroon due to injury, but he is expected to make the trip to the Ivory Coast.
Lamine Camara - Senegal
Currently, the best young player on the continent. Camara will be making his first appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast. Camara was part of the Senegal team that won the Africa Nations Championship, a competition reserved for playing plying their trade on the continent.
He now plays for French outfit FC Metz. He has made 16 appearances, scored a goal and provided an assist in Ligue 1.
Abdessamad "Abde" Ezzalzouli - Morocco
The former Barcelona player rejected the chance to play at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon due to club commitment. Ezzalzouli was fighting for a place in the Barcelona team at that time.
However, a year later, he joined the team for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and was also a member of the U23 team that qualified for the Olympic Games in Paris, starring as Morocco won the tournament. He now plays for Real Betis in La Liga.
Patson Daka - Zambia
Patson Daka is the most experienced among the list of players making their debut at AFCON 2023. The Leicester City forward has made 40 appearances for the Chipolopolo and scored 18 goals for his country.
However, the 2012 champions' failure to qualify for the tournament since 2015, has seen the striker fail to make an appearance at the tournament.
Serhou Guirassy - Guinea
The Stuttgart striker only decided to play for the country of his parents in 2022, and has since made 12 appearances and scored three goals, helping Guinea qualify for AFCON 2023.
Guirassy has been in prolific form in the Bundesliga, scoring 16 goals in 13 games, making him one of the most sought-after forwards in Europe. He is expected to lead the West African nation in Ivory Coast.
Carlos Beleba - Cameroon
The Brighton youngster is yet to make an appearance for the Indomitable Lions but his performances for the English club has prompted Rigobert Song to include him in his squad for the Africa Cup of Nations. The defender could make a huge impact for the five-time African champions.
Simon Adingra - Ivory Coast
A teammate of Baleba at Brighton, Adingra is enjoying his debut season in England with the Seagulls. Adingra was Kudus' teammate at the Right to Dream Academy and FC Nordsjaelland. He spent a season on loan at Union Saint-Gilloise, where he played alongside Boniface. The talented forward has scored four goals in 16 Premier League matches this season.
Adingra has made four appearances for the AFCON host and could make his debut at the tournament on home soil.