Following the outcome of the 2023 presidential election and the judgment of the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal on Wednesday, Nigeria finds itself at a crucial juncture.

The focus has now shifted to how Nigeria can improve its electoral system to foster a stronger democracy. Saturday Vanguard shares the opinions and insights of key stakeholders, highlighting their
recommendations for reform.

Amend 1999 Constitution, Electoral Act —Obi, ICPC’s Head of External Cooperation Kingsley Obi, the Head of External Cooperation at ICPC, shared his perspective on the matter.

He expressed his disappointment, stating that it was a missed opportunity for greatness and progress in Nigeria’s 24 years of democracy.

He attributed this setback to the failure of politicians, INEC, the government, and the masses to abide by the rules. Obi emphasized the significance of addressing the 2023 elections’ outcome as a critical national issue, urging decisive steps to be taken.

“I speak as one who voted with great expectations and also encouraged others to do so. We monitored the election and submitted a report,” he said.

When asked about his vision for Nigeria’s future, Obi passionately replied, “I love the dreams of the future more than the history of the past.” His words reflected a strong belief in the potential of Nigeria to overcome its challenges and forge a better future. So, what is the way forward? He agreed that amending the Electoral Act and the 1999 Constitution are a crucial step.

He said, “The Electoral Act should be amended to include sanctions for the following: false declaration of election results,requiring government appointees to resign before joining a campaign council, punishment for not uploading election results in realtime, penalties for the late arrival of materials, sanctions against law enforcement agents who aid in election rigging or disruption, and a revised election timetable for both parliament and the executive branch.

Additionally, the Constitution should be amended to include the following provisions: no swearing-in of elected officials until all pending cases are resolved, the implementation of time limits for the resolution of election-related cases, similar to the system in Kenya, the establishment of a mandatory schedule for election-related cases with a timeline for their conclusion, and the creation of an independent electoral offenses commission.”

Make electronic transmission of results mandatory —Adeyanju

Similarly, Deji Adeyanju, a renowned activist and legal scholar, argues that the Electoral Act (2022), as amended, is not yet watertight. He suggests that further amendments are necessary to enforce the mandatory electronic transmission of election results by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Adeyanju said, “Whenever discretionary powers are bestowed upon an individual or institution, that entity is free to exercise their discretion in any manner they choose. We must amend the electoral act to require the compulsory electronic transmission of results from polling units on Election Day. I have previously expressed my concern when people were celebrating the amendment of the electoral act, as it granted INEC discretionary powers regarding the electronic transmission of results.

We must further amend the Electoral Act to mandate exclusively electronic transmission of results for all elections in the country.”

Let truth be prioritized in managing future elections — Okutepa, SAN

ToSenior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Jibrin Okutepa, Nigeria’s democracy is at a crossroads. He believes that although the country has made progress over the years, there are still several areas that require urgent attention.

According to Okutepa, Nigerians are well aware of the excruciating pains experienced by petitioners in dealing with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He suggests that Nigeria would greatly benefit from consistently upholding truth in the management of its affairs.

“Nigerians know the excruciating pains petitioners go through in the hands of INEC and how pink copies of election results are not always given to agents of parties in most cases. Nigeria will do itself well if at all times it upholds truth in the running of its affairs,” he said.

INEC independent, accountable to Nigerians —Effiong

In the same vein, Barr Inibehe Effiong, a public interest lawyer, suggests that while INEC is independent, it is essential to hold it accountable for violating its own guidelines in order to enhance the electoral system. He made this statement in light of the judgement of the Presidential Election Petition Court, which affirmed that INEC cannot be compelled to transmit its results electronically, despite making a promise to Nigerians to do so prior to the elections.

Effiong argued that, “Public funds were allocated for this purpose, and INEC relied on the integrity of the entire election through the use of BVAS for accreditation and result transmission. However, INEC has not faced condemnation or criticism for violating its own guidelines and promises. I do not believe that this is the appropriate behavior for a country that seeks to be taken seriously.”

Role of technology in electoral process cannot be overlooked —Dr. Karim, NISS Director

Dr. A. A. Karim, Director of Research Estimate and Library Services/ Head of the Postgraduate School at the National Institute of Security Studies, Abuja, believes that leveraging technology can enhance transparency and efficiency.

He said, “There is a need for INEC to improve the deployment of BVAS and technology to prevent failures in future elections. INEC’s technology experts and consultants should study BVAS and work on enhancing its workability and security, especially in the area of result transmission, leading up to the 2027 general elections.

This should be done in collaboration with all stakeholders, including technical suppliers and partners. Special security measures should be implemented to protect BVAS machines at polling units, in order to prevent incidents of snatching and theft by thugs or hoodlums.

There should be improved training and retraining of BVAS operators, as well as the deployment of a technical team to promptly address cases of malfunction.”

Strategic implementation of cashless policy, civic education ‘ll help —Acting EFCC

Chairman, Chukkol For Abdulkarim Chukkol, the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), voter education and civic engagement, particularly in countering vote-trading, along with the strategic implementation of a cashless policy, are critical components in strengthening Nigeria’s electoral system.

He emphasized that, “we must continue to raise awareness among Nigerian voters about the detrimental effects of vote-buying, as it contributes to poor governance.

Furthermore, we should advocate for significant reforms to impose stricter penalties for vote-trading. If the cashless policy is strategically planned and implemented, itwill serve as a valuable tool in curbing vote-buying.”

We must build capacity to manage election crises—Akobundu, AUDA-NEPAD boss

According to Princess Gloria Akobundu, the Chief Executive Officer of African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD, Nigeria must invest in building the capacity of stakeholders to manage electoral crises.

“We must assess how well the campaigns and sensitization efforts prior to the election have influenced the peaceful conduct of elections in Nigeria, and also enhance the capacity of the relevant stakeholders in managing pre- and post-electoral crises,” she stated.

Nigeria’s quest for a better democracy requires comprehensive reforms to the electoral system. The outcome of the 2023 presidential election and subsequent judgment have shed light on the urgent need for change. By amending the Electoral Act, granting more autonomy to INEC, empowering citizens through education, and fostering a culture of integrity in politics amongst other reforms, Nigeria can pave the way for a brighter democratic future.

As Kingsley Obi, ICPC’s Head of External Cooperation, aptly stated, ‘I love the dreams of the future more than the history of the past’, it is time for Nigerians to come together and work towards achieving those dreams.

[Vanguard]

President Bola Tinubu says he will do everything within his constitutional powers to ensure that the Nigerian military is well-resourced and fit-for-purpose in the duties of protecting the nation.

Tinubu, represented by Mohammed Badaru, minister of defence, spoke on Friday during the graduation of participants of the National Defence College (NDC) Course 31 in Abuja.

Tinubu said the Nigerian armed forces represent one of the finest institutions that the nation could be proud of.

He added that the government would continue to appreciate the sacrifice and patriotism of the gallant men and women of the military.

The president congratulated the commandant and college management team for working hard to grow and empower such a crop of strategic leaders.

He said the college has continued to produce military and civilian leaders who are intellectually sound, courageous, patriotic and of high integrity.

Tinubu added that the college’s unique style of consolidated knowledge through a broad thematic area has helped in finding sustainable solutions to national security and development problems in Africa and beyond.

He expressed confidence that the graduates of course 31 would bring the knowledge, expertise and skills acquired during the course to help in finding solutions to current and emerging security and developmental challenges in the country.

“Our dear country is faced with a plethora of challenges, including insecurity, social economic hiccups, climate change and migratory issues, ‘the so-called Japa syndrome,” NAN quotes Tinubu as saying.

“We are confronted by systematic corruption, crude oil theft, reduced national productivity, weak infrastructure, weak revenue base, and rising domestic and external debt among others.

“Those challenges demand creative and purposeful driving leadership to mitigate.

“Since coming into office, I have rolled up my sleeves myself to confront and address them frontally and we shall overcome with the special grace of God.

“I must admit that those challenges will require the deployment of knowledge and insight you have acquired from this college.”

The president said he rejigged the leadership of the armed forces and police among others to usher in a fresh perspective to deal with the security challenges in the country.

He asked the participants to go back to their respective services and agencies and align with the visions of the new leadership.

Tinubu said the world is currently faced with myriads of threats such as the disruptive effect of emerging technologies, cyber threats, and unconstitutional change of government in the African sub-region.

He called on the military to help the governments build resilience against the recent spate of the democratic recession in West Africa and build stronger assistance to mitigate all the challenges.

“I am banking on you to provide creative leadership solutions towards addressing those national, regional and global challenges,” he added.

The president also pledged to ensure the completion of the college’s permanent site before the end of his first term to enable the institution to conveniently transmute into a full-fledged defence university.

[TheCable]

“Let not your heart be troubled”, the scripture says. The shearer is at work here. Like the barber, his job is to get rid of the hair masking the actual shape and size of what is under his blade.  He is usually patient and painstaking. That is why his reputation and capacity for eventually exposing the, sometimes scrawny, creature wielding a massive plume of “grown covering”, or hair, has never been in doubt. It is the shearer’s business and task to remove, or shear off, all the wool on a sheep, or the hair on any other animal.

It is from his shearing work that you may then find that the animal with a nice plume of hair is loaded with rashes, when shorn of the plume. Otherwise unsuspected sores and untidy little bumps underneat get uncovered thereby. Without the shearer’s work no one sees, or even suspects, the actual skin condition of the animal under his blade. The shearer ends the presumed beauty conferred by external coverings and confers, or reaffirms, the real essence, condition, substance and circumstance of any hair-covered entities brought within its purview. Yes, he unmasks the truth about the underlying skin condition of otherwise lovely-looking creatures.

Merchants with sheep of questionable “inner” conditions do not like the shearing job to be done in public. Not anymore, though. Impunity is now on steroids. That is why the commercial and culinary value of our defective animals are now transmogrified in public consciousness, despite the shearer’s revelations. False paradigms and artificially projected values are validated with great aplomb. Not even the discovery of some irremediable deformities, endemic skin blemishes or some underlying cancerous conditions hitherto concealed by the mass of well-kept hair are deterrents anymore.

Looking around us and seeing how a lot of things are unravelling politically, economically and spiritually, one can only say that a great shearer is at work here in Nigeria. Providence to the rescue! Every form of subterfuge we have hitherto masked under various nomenclatures is coming apart. The hidden ontological defects beneath our lovely pretensions and speech making about truth, institutional integrity and much more are on parade, as never before.

As I said on this page, on July 30, 2022, “Look around you, all over Nigeria, today. A great unmasking is afoot. The shearer is at work. No one is taking inventory of the growing misfortunes of the people in whose name all sorts of people are prancing around in the public domain. Not for them the worries keeping the masses awake at night, no. Even as the life of the people is made unbearable by the combined assaults of insecurity, hunger, rising inflation and rising taxes, the leaders are busy with their own conception of moving the people and the nation forward”.

The above was said over a year ago, so it is beyond blaming the incumbent government, or the party in power. Matters were not so radically different in the days of the PDP, only better masked. It is a matter of record, from our extensive experience, that most members of the political, religious and economic elite have coalesced into one great block, across party lines. Are they really concerned about the critical existential problems of daily survival plaguing the people? I think not.

As I said back then: “You cannot speak of safety and security when those wielding state power dare not visit their homes, or their Constituencies, without literally invoking NATO Protocols. The question today is whether we should now say that some members of the political elite, including State Governors, are indigenes of Abuja, State Guest Houses and hotels?

Further still on the articled in question, as captured in the next three paragraphs: “The trends we are seeing everywhere today are not new. It’s just that they are at their worst today. Progressively, and for decades now, Nigerians have been watching, and in some ways abetting, the public projection of “False gods of political salvation”. At first it was poor governance that gave people cause for worry. Then, outright misgovernment came into vogue. Confiscation of the state, as a hereditary fiefdom for which temporary Lords of the Manor must appoint preferring successors, came on. Now, many of those behind it all do not seem sufficiently bothered, or embarrassed, to show propriety in many things. Some are already in a deep dark hole. But, instead of trying to find their way out, they are still digging furiously!

Is this bad news? Maybe it is. But I take a different view. It seems to me that a slow and painful climb to a new day will not begin here, until after a winnowing process and the complete unmasking of the various forms of subterfuge masquerading as leadership and statesmanship are stopped in their tracks. We must, in the process, answer the following questions: {1} How many of our erstwhile elder statesman of the last fifty years have been either true elders, or true statesmen? And {2} Is there any real proof of lessons learnt?

It seems to me that a barber is at work here. Yes, the shearer is quietly, unrelentingly and mercilessly shaving off the headful of hair that has been concealing the true driving spirit behind our nationhood of today. Just as a misshapen skull someone has been concealing by all manner of subterfuge contrived in a hair dressing salon gets called out when confronted with a “balding clipper”, so are Nigeria’s political hair styles and false beauty coming undone. It all brings to mind, using the logic of the German ontologist and existentialist, Martin Heideggar, what I call the “progressive un-concealment of the profanity and sham wisdom that has been cloaked in solemnity.”

So, here we are.  Providence is at work on our behalf, and actually in spite of us all. “The opportunities to learn, change and make real progress have been either presumptuously ignored in the past or missed; due to leadership myopia. So, here we are, with the two dominant parties threatening to save the rest of us, and probably the world. They both lack internal democracy. They both are heavily populated by people with some observed aversion for competence in leadership. And, for good measure, the two parties seem to be affiliated to bedlam, in terms of cohesion and ideological focus”.

So, this is five minutes to the midday of all revelations. Presumed heroes, role models and moral exemplars are in the dust. More shocks are likely to come, as the barber continues his work. Stubborn students must learn willy-nilly. It is time for us to face the reality of the real. It is time to repeat the words of Parmenides: “What is, is; and what is not is not”. If what is not were to become, then it was before it came to be; which is absurd. Now, deal with that!

If we leave Parmenides and listen to Aristotle, another Greek philosopher, the latter’s statement “Everything is what it is” at any particular point in time, gives us a better handle on things. A chair is made from wood, so it was not a chair before a carpenter worked on it. The carpenter used pieces of wood, nails, gum, skill, some vanish and more to change the “identity” of these disparate items and have them coalesce into what we call a chair. No one of the components is a chair. All of them lying together somewhere also does not make a chair, unless the carpenter sets to work on them.

Just as there must be a process that transforms the possibilities of disparate objects into a new actuality, so must we acknowledge that there is a process that will transform the disjointed postulations about values and national development under the right type of leaders. So, for now, everything is what it is and the shearer is working on everything, and everyone.

Also as said here on 30^th May, 2022, “One basic fact of logic and critical thinking is that a thing cannot be one thing and also not be that thing “at the same time, in the same place and, particularly, in the same respect”. That is the basic pillar of the Laws of Thought in traditional logic. It is the element of Sub oedum respectum that ends the debate, making it possible for the concepts of development, transformation, act and potency to be part of all logical and metaphysical thinking”.

We said, further still: “A political party that is, to all intents and purposes, the Patron Saint of Mediocrity and national decay cannot also ‘at the same time’ successfully pass itself off as an agent of national development. Also, a political party that says it is in opposition, but which has nothing that really distinguishes it from the ‘bad guys’ it is trying to replace has a very bad case. A presidential aspirant with controversial antecedents and credentials cannot, ‘at the same time’, be a presidential aspirant with credible antecedents and credentials.  A person who calls himself a bishop when he is not one is simply not a bishop. He cannot, ‘at the same time’ that he is not a bishop transmute into one by self-proclamation. The simple issue here is about reality and illusion, truth and falsehood. criminality and good behaviour.

To be authentic is to be real. An authentic wooden chair is different from a fake plastic chair that is given a coat of paint in order to pass it off as a wooden chair. A person is said to be authentic when he is what he claims to be at any particular time, and completely so. To be inauthentic, on the other hand, is to have your identity, values, statements and avowed beliefs contrived to present “what is not” as “what is”. It boils down to the absence of any true identity.

Chimera! The “Not this” that claims to be a “this”! But note this: Falsehood, no matter how heavily cloaked, as it prances forward through the manipulation of public opinion to proclaim itself as truth suffers a setback when it is least expected. Because what is not is not, at any particular time.

We are making progress, though. Seriously too! It is progress when false gods are unmasked – as the shearer proceeds apace – even when the shearer cannot fathom what it will eventually lead to. Enough said!

One of Africa’s foremost scientists, Professor Bart Nnaji, has advised Nigerians to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) on an industrial scale in order to join the 4th Industrial Revolution now sweeping across the globe.

Professor Nnaji, a former Minister of Science who did his Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship in AI at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology before joining the University of Massachusetts as a professor and Director of the Robotics and Automation Laboratory at the University of Massachusetts in the United States before his 27th birthday, made the appeal at the fifth convocation ceremonies of Michael and Cecilia Ibru University at Agbara-Otor near Ughelli in Delta State where he also received an honorary doctorate in science.

“AI has come to stay”, he asserted before a large audience comprising academics and researchers from other universities, as well as business executives, philanthropists, and community leaders, including the founder of the university, Mrs. Cecelia Ibru, its vice-chancellor, Professor Ibiyinka Fuwape.

“AI holds the key to our participation in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, driven by Big Data, Internet of Things, etc.

“We lost the First Revolution which is the Agricultural Revolution, the Second which is the Industrial Revolution, and the Third which is the Digital Revolution".

Nnaji, recognised as one of the three top academic engineers in the world in industrial engineering before he returned to Nigeria in 2004, said that AI “has become ubiquitous especially with Generative AI which enables machines, that is digital systems, to do things faster, cheaper and better through repetitive tasks and, in the process, achieve greater autonomy.

“This means that they perform tasks without human control or human input, and this process keeps on improving rapidly”.

He said that, unlike previous revolutions in history, Nigeria does not require massive resource infusion before leapfrogging into the 4th Industrial Revolution

“The computer and the Internet have made things much cheaper, faster, and shorter, as a person can stay in the comforts of his or her home and still be in touch with cutting-edge technology, including AI”, he declared.

Nnaji, a winner of the Nigerian National Order of Merit, the nation's highest honour for intellectual achievement, said AI is helping humanity in every area of life, ranging from healthcare to mass communication to business management to education to legal advice to creativity, crediting much of the new progress to ChatGPT4 launched last November by OpenAI.

“It can write a novel for you and in your name within a few minutes, just as it can write an office memo or an advert jingle or a legal opinion on a complex matter or solve a mathematical or scientific question”, the AI and robotics expert stated.

“All you need do is write the keywords, or a few words, on what you want and prompt the words, and in a jiffy, everything is all yours”.

While expressing delight that an increasing number of Nigerians are embracing AI, the erstwhile power minister advised the Nigerian government to immediately take concrete steps to make the country a significant AI participant, calling the United States, the United Kingdom, China, South Korea, the European Union, and India the frontline AI developers.

The Ministry of Communication and Creativity should be treated as a frontline development ministry, he argued, adding that the Nigerian Communication Commission and the National Office for the Acquisition of Technology should receive priority status.

He counselled the Federal Government to drastically reduce tariffs on certain information technology equipment or even abolish them.

He also called for intensive training of IT specialists in both academic and professional institutions in Nigeria and abroad.

He added: “ Let us borrow a leaf from India which prioritised Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and has consequently excelled in medical tourism, manufacturing, food security, and moon and sun exploration”.

Nnaji, however, pointed out some of the dangers associated with AI, including job losses and deep fakes.

ChatGPT has replaced the customer teams in some companies because it is more efficient and faster in attending to customer needs than humans.

He named more dangerous consequences of AI use.

“You can use it to make extremely dangerous bombs, for instance”, he said, identifying plagiarism, misinformation, disinformation, invasion of privacy, pornography, blackmail, extortion, and even a possible nuclear catastrophe as well as a possible pandemic as some of the risks.

Nnaji, therefore, called on every government in the world to join hands with AI researchers and developers to create a global body to promote positive and safe AI use “just as the establishment of the International Atomic Energy Agency in 1957 in Vienna, Austria, has resulted in a safer world”.

No government in the world should be left behind in the project to coordinate and regulate AI because, according to him, a rogue AI developer can move to an ungoverned space and cause a human tragedy from there.

American policy should end its traditional deference to Paris on Sahel matters to avoid being tarred with the same neocolonial brush.

The military coup d’état in Gabon last week, which toppled the 55-year-long family reign of Omar and Ali Bongo, followed similar putsches by military officers in Niger, Sudan, Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea and Chad that have overthrown largely elected civilian governments. More dominoes may fall, too, as harassment of opposition parties continues in Senegal, Togo and Cameroon.

Yet global powers like the US must first seek to understand the complex regional and external dynamics driving these coups in order to effectively respond to them. The risks of acting rashly and deferring to France’s hostile and interventionist approach are too high.

When four US soldiers were killed in a 2017 ambush in Niger, many Americans wondered what US troops were even doing in the country. Twenty-four years earlier, the Bill Clinton administration crippled United Nations peacekeeping in Africa after 18 American soldiers were killed in a similar ambush in Somalia, resulting in the withdrawal of American troops from the country amid loud cries of “No boots on the ground.” Then George W. Bush’s global “war on terror” was continued in Africa by Barack Obama, who massively expanded America’s presence. He established a military footprint in a dozen African countries, constructed drone bases in Djibouti, Ethiopia and Seychelles, and built a $110 million drone and air base in Niger (which now has 1,100 US soldiers).

At the time of the Niger coup, its former colonial overlord, France, had soldiers protecting uranium mines in the country’s north, continuing an exploitative pattern of Gallic companies monopolizing economic interests in its former colonies. Francafrique has often represented a sordid relationship involving corrupt political dealings and military agreements that have historically kept assorted client dictators in power in countries like Gabon, Central African Republic and Chad.

French leadership of the G5 Sahel countries — Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad and Mauritania — since 2013 has now spectacularly collapsed. The French military was expelled from its base in Mali, while military regimes in Burkina Faso and Guinea have been hostile to Paris. Many protesters across francophone Africa now wave Russian flags in opposition to the former colonial power. The Russian mercenary group Wagner is currently assisting the military regime in Mali to battle militants, which governments in Niger and Burkina Faso are also struggling to contain.

Understanding the regional dynamics of this conflict is thus essential. The 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has threatened General Abdourahamane Tchiani-led putschists in Niger with a military intervention to restore deposed President Mohamed Bazoum to power — a position cautiously supported by Washington, which also fears the possible entry of Wagner mercenaries into Niger.

Yet ECOWAS is facing an existential crisis. It’s currently split into four broad camps.

Nigeria — the region’s “limping Leviathan” — has a new president, Bola Tinubu, who has so far lacked a sure touch in foreign policy. The regional Gulliver suffers from $100 billion of debt and grinding poverty, exacerbated by the recent removal of a fuel subsidy that historically kept the price of domestic oil cheap. Nigeria led praiseworthy interventions in Liberia and Sierra Leone in the 1990s, but its military is now a shadow of its former self, struggling to contain domestic jihadists. Tinubu faces pressure from a stridently anti-interventionist public and parliament, while the presence of the large Hausa ethnic group that has traded and interacted across the Nigeria-Niger border for centuries further complicates the potential invasion that Nigeria’s president has vociferously championed.

The second group of “hawks” within ECOWAS, which has rejected the Niger junta’s proposed three-year transition to civilian rule, include Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Benin, whose civilian leaders — some with poor governance records — themselves fear coups by their own militaries. Many opposition parties and citizens across these countries have also condemned any regional military intervention.

The third group are “muddlers,” including Liberia, Sierra Leone, Togo and Cape Verde, some of which have expressed concerns about the viability of a successful intervention to restore Bazoum to power. And a fourth group of military putschists has seen governments in Mali and Burkina Faso — and more quietly Guinea — pledge military support to soldiers in Niger to confront any ECOWAS intervention. The African Union (AU) remains ambivalent toward any armed operation.

American policy also appears to be in disarray in Niger — despite US Secretary of State Antony Blinken describing the country as a “model of democracy” just six months ago. Washington has so far sensibly avoided the openly hostile French posture toward Niger’s military junta. (General Tchiani has demanded the withdrawal of 1,500 French troops from the country.)

The US must now halt its traditional deference to Paris on Sahel matters to avoid being tarred with the same neocolonial brush. Any ECOWAS military intervention would be widely perceived as symbolizing a Franco-American Trojan horse to protect Western interests in Niger. Washington must instead strongly back regional mediation efforts by ECOWAS and the AU, bolstered by the UN.

Facing a tough re-election battle next year, Joe Biden will be keen to avoid another Somalia-style military disaster in Niger.

Professor Adekeye Adebajo is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Pretoria’s Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship in South Africa.

Manchester United’s Antony has been accused of assault by two more women who made the allegations in Brazilian media.

Ingrid Lana, 33, claims that the United winger shoved her head against a wall when she refused to have sex with him during a visit to his house in England last year. Rayssa de Freitas, a law student, is claimed to have approached police in São Paulo in May of last year, saying she had been physically assaulted by Antony in his car after leaving a nightclub.

The claims comes at the end of a week in which Antony was dropped from the Brazil squad over ongoing investigations into allegations of assault brought by the player’s former girlfriend Gabriela Cavallin.

Lana is to give a full interview to Brazilian TV show Domingo Espetacular this weekend over an incident that allegedly took place last year. “He tried to have a relationship with me and I didn’t want to. He pushed me against the wall, and I hit my head”, she told the programme, according to excerpts posted on its website. “My purpose was just business. Arriving there, at his invitation, I realised that he had ulterior motives. I have never been anyone’s lover.”

Meanwhile, the Brazilian newspaper, Extra, has reported that De Freitas filed a complaint to police on 20 May 2022 claiming she had been physically assaulted by Antony and a woman.

According to Extra, which posts what it claims are copies of the police report, De Freitas claims she left a São Paulo nightclub with the pair in Antony’s car. A row then followed and De Freitas claims she was attacked first by the woman and then Antony, who was driving the car. De Freitas then reportedly escaped the vehicle at a traffic light.

Antony has yet to comment on the new allegations and has not been charged with any offence. He has dismissed the claims relating to Cavallin as “false allegations” and wrote on Instagram: “I can calmly state that the accusations are false and that the evidence already produced and the other evidence that will be produced demonstrate that I am innocent of the accusations made. My relationship with Gabriela was tumultuous, with verbal insults from both sides, but I never committed any physical aggression.”

United have not commented on the new allegations but earlier this week said of the Cavallin claims: “Manchester United acknowledges the allegations made against Antony and notes that the police are conducting enquiries. Pending further information, the club will be making no further comments.

“As a club we are taking this matter seriously, with consideration of the impact of these allegations and subsequent reporting will have on survivors of abuse.”

United have also described as “categorically false” reports in the Brazilian media that they sought to conceal an attack on Cavallin by arranging to have her treated by a club doctor rather than visiting a hospital.

The club confirmed that a member of staff arranged for a private doctor to visit Cavallin at Antony’s request, but denied that she was treated by any of the club’s medical staff. It is understood player welfare officials commonly arrange for private doctors to visit family members of playing staff if requested.

[uk.sports]

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk will miss his side's next Premier League match against Wolverhampton Wanderers after being suspended for an extra game following his reaction to being sent off against Newcastle United last month.

The Dutch defender was also fined 100,000 pounds after admitting he acted in an improper manner, the Football Association said in a statement.

Van Dijk was sent off for fouling Alexander Isak during the first half and appeared to remonstrate with referee John Brooks before walking off the pitch.

"The defender admitted that he acted in an improper manner and used abusive and insulting words towards a match official after being sent off in the 29th minute, and the sanctions were subsequently imposed by an independent regulatory commission," said an FA statement.

He was automatically suspended for Liverpool's win against Aston Villa on Sept. 3.

After a club-record transfer fee and plenty of excitement, this wasn't how it was supposed to end for Nicolas Pepe at Arsenal as the winger makes a silent exit this summer.

The Ivorian winger joined the Gunners four years ago from French side LOSC Lille, with hopes that he would lock down the right flank for years to come. At just 24 years old and with some impressive numbers in Ligue 1, it appeared to be an exciting investment at a club-record £72million.

There would soon be doubts though as his opening campaign ended with just five goals and six assists in 31 Premier League appearances. His numbers the following season improved with ten goals and one assist from 29 league games, but the issues arose after that.

Pepe was soon competing with an up-and-coming youngster by the name of Bukayo Saka, who very quickly put himself in the frame as the first-choice option on the right. Pepe was limited to just over 600 minutes the following season before a loan spell with OGC Nice last year.

Back at Arsenal, with one year left on his contract and a few top-class options ahead of him, it seemed as though his story at the Emirates was as good as over. Plenty of transfer links have occurred over the summer, but it seems as though a deal has finally been agreed.

The 28-year-old is making his way to Turkish side Trabzonspor, with reports claiming that it will be on a short-term contract basis. According to reports from GFFN, the north London outfit are set to receive £3million for the winger's exit, a far cry from the huge investment they made four years ago.

To most, that may look as though the Gunners have lost £69million from the transfer and would come as a huge issue within their finances. In fact, that isn't quite the case as the documents will tell quite a different story once they are revealed in a couple of years.

A value of a football player is often determined by their transfer fee and that is then depreciated (similar to any asset across a company) across the length of a contract, which is called amortisation. That may be a phrase familiar with a few due to Chelsea's recent use of long-term deals to try and spread their spending.

Linking that all back to Pepe, he was signed for roughly £72million on a five-year deal, meaning that his value on the books depreciated by £14.4million every year. That means his current value before his exit is £14.4million, which would be the loss the club would take at the end of the season if he left on a free.

[https://www.football.london/]

Aston Villa manager Carla Ward believes Rachel Daly is hungry for more success as the side prepare to challenge the top four in the Women's Super League.

Rachel Daly has had an incredible year, in which she was the WSL's top goal scorer for Villa, a crucial player during England's run to a first ever World Cup final, and now voted the PFA Women's Players' Player of the Year.

The 31-year-old only joined Villa on a permanent deal last year, arriving from Houston Dash, but will continue to be key part of the West Midlands side's push to close the gap on Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United.

"I said she's going to score goals and she's going to be a centre forward and she did. I think I even said that she'd play for England in their nine and she's done that," said Villa manager Carla Ward.

"Rachel has been unbelievable. She's had quite some season and then to top it off to get the PFA award. I said to her today that award for me is the biggest one, it's the biggest accolade, it's all of our peers voting for her and I think there's no greater honour.

"But she's hungry for more. The first thing she said is she wants to improve. There are certain areas of her game she wants to improve and that shows what she's about.

"She knows that people will analyse her from last season. She wants to add a different dimension and I love that - we're excited, she's excited."

Aston Villa made impressive progress in the WSL last season, going from a ninth place finish in 2021/22 to fifth in 2022/23. Their next challenge is closing the gap to the top four, after finishing 10 points adrift of Manchester City last time out.

"Expectations rise, from both within and externally. You know what it's like when you finish best of the rest. There's a target on your back, naturally, everyone wants [this] because we are the chasing pack," said Ward.

"That's the fact, that's a reality, but we want to try and close the gap. Last year we did that, but that doesn't come without a lot of hard work, a lot of focus, a lot of new ideas.

"We've brought in some new faces behind the scenes, new faces, obviously, on the pitch and that will hopefully allow us to do that."

One of those new faces is Netherlands goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar, who signed from Twente this summer.

"She's some player, we opened up discussions with her at Christmas, she's an unbelievable talent. When I watched her at Bramall Lane come on at the Euros, from then onwards, she's been sensational," said Ward.

"Look, she had 14 clubs on the table, so we're absolutely delighted that she came here. She's only been in the building a week and she's been absolutely brilliant."

Alongside Van Domselaar, Villa have also brought in centre-back Lucy Parker from West Ham.

The strengthened squad faces a series of early tests, playing Manchester United, Liverpool and then Arsenal at the Emirates in their opening three matches.

"We want to play the big games, that's what we're here for. I think anyone that wants an easy start, they're lying," said Ward.

"You want the big teams early, you want to test yourself, you want to see where you're at and I'll be honest, we're delighted with our start, we really are.

"A lot of people probably won't give us much hope, but we certainly will."

[skysports]

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has been handed an additional one-match ban and a £100,000 fine after admitting he acted in an improper manner following his red card at Newcastle.

The Netherlands international was dismissed for a foul on Alexander Isak in the first half of Liverpool’s 2-1 victory at St James’ Park on August 27, but initially refused to leave the pitch – and then remonstrated with referee John Brooks.

An automatic one-match ban saw the centre-back suspended for the 3-0 win over Aston Villa before the international break, but he will now also serve an additional suspension and so miss the trip to Wolves on September 16.

A statement from the FA read: “Virgil van Dijk has been suspended for one match and fined £100,000 for breaching FA Rule E3.1 during Liverpool’s Premier League fixture against Newcastle on Sunday August 27.

“The defender admitted that he acted in an improper manner and used abusive and insulting words towards a match official after being sent off in the 29th minute, and the sanctions were subsequently imposed by an independent regulatory commission.”

[football365]