Notice: Function _load_textdomain_just_in_time was called incorrectly. Translation loading for the wordpress-seo domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home/bcm/src/dev/www/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6121 Citizen | Page 9 of 41 | Zikoko!Citizen | Page 9 of 41 | Zikoko!
“Thank God it’s Friday” is a phrase you might hear from working-class Nigerians happy to come to the end of a work-heavy week. For those in the champagne industry, however, this phrase holds a different meaning as that’s when they can expect to cash out from Nigerians looking to unwind at a bar by popping a bottle or two of their favourite champagne.
BusinessDay reports that champagne shipments to Nigeria from France have hit an eight-year high. Nigeria’s champagne import volume increased from 559,088 bottles in 2021 to 644,452 bottles in 2022, a 15.3% increase. The value of sales also rose by 17.8% to £25.3 million last year, according to data compiled by Comité Champagne.
You all like to say there’s “no money”, but bottles keep popping. So what’s going on?
A steady rise in demand post COVID
In 2014, before Buhari came into office, Nigeria’s champagne import was 768,131 bottles. Under Buhari, champagne consumption was at its lowest, particularly in 2020. Then, we only imported 304,199 bottles. It takes no genius to see the correlation between the COVID-19 pandemic and a sharp fall in demand.
However, things have been picking up ever since. Across the world, 326 million bottles of champagne were shipped in 2022, a 1.6% rise over the previous year. The top three biggest champagne markets are the USA (33.7 million), the UK (28.1 million) and Japan (16.6 million).
Nigeria also experienced a rise, moving up four places to 28 on the list of biggest champagne markets out of 192 countries. In Africa, we’re second only to South Africa, which registered 1.3 million bottles of champagne imported.
According to BusinessDay, “The return of consumer confidence post-COVID, plus stability in some sectors like financial services, oil and gas, and the consumer goods sector, may be responsible for the increase in champagne volumes.” But that’s not all there is to it.
Increase in political activities
Nigerian politics doesn’t always have to be war. Our drinking patterns suggest that the increased consumption of champagne may also have come from high-profile political events where dignitaries come around to not only discuss politics but to be merry, inflation and cash scarcity be damned.
However, the spike in demand is segmented. That is, not all Nigerians can afford the big-boy lifestyle. But the champagne orders don’t stop among the wealthy and the political class for whom every day is a Friday.
Social gatherings
Banky W sang, “there’s no party like a Lagos party”, and the data seems to support this. Another reason for the increase in champagne consumption is that more people are attending parties than during the lockdown, where there were curfews and movement restrictions.
Popular brands of champagne like Moet Moet Rose, Vurve Cliquote and Don Perignon cost between ₦50,000 and ₦200,000. However, not many people can afford luxurious champagne, so they opt for cheaper substitutes like wine.
According to Euromonitor, Nigeria’s wine consumption rose to 33.1 million in 2021, the highest since 2015, from 32.0 million in 2020.
Nigerians are effectively saying that no matter how tough things get, nothing will get in their way of having a good time. For better or worse, you’ve got to admire our spirit—no pun intended.
The Nigerian experience is physical, emotional, and sometimes international. No one knows it better than our features on #TheAbroadLife, a series where we detail and explore Nigerian experiences while living abroad.
This week’s Abroad Life subject is Muna, a fintech lawyer and author of the 8000+ subscriber travel newsletter, TravelLetters. She tells us about her motivation to start the newsletter, important travel hacks for first-time travellers and her best and worst travel experiences.
What is your motivation for travelling?
Travelling is a form of therapy for me and a nice escape from the real world. It can be an expensive hobby sometimes, but I love it. Travel opens your mind and helps you gain exposure. I love travelling to new places; it doesn’t have to be outside the country. Am I on a plane going somewhere? If yes, then please, let’s go there. I just love to travel for the thrill of it.
What was your first travel experience like?
This would be surprising, but my first travel experience happened as recently as 2018 in Dubai. I went with a friend. Even though it was my first time, I did the logistics (getting a visa, booking accommodation etc.), especially navigating immigration. Doing my due diligence and research made navigating the process by myself possible.
How did you navigate immigration? Please break down the process.
As a first-time traveller, immigration officials will ask you many questions at the airport, such as your payment for the hotel, how much money you are carrying etc. Regarding the money, I had researched and knew that most countries (aside from a few like Lebanon) needed me to have a certain amount of Personal Travel Allowance (PTA) as cash. I knew this and thus was able to avoid any sort of extortion. Though it was my first time, I wasn’t so naive about the process.
Okay, let’s continue with the Dubai experience.
I think Dubai is overrated because the city is highly artificial, with hardly any natural tourist destinations or landmarks. The city is also extremely hot as well. I had to run from mall to mall when shopping just because of the heat. I also went there as a ‘Fresh young lawyer’ and had to manage my finances half the time. So maybe, that is why I didn’t quite enjoy the city. If I travelled like Jowizazaaa, I wouldn’t complain.
Despite Dubai not being my favourite city, the boat cruise was one highlight of Dubai for me (that has now become a habit). They call it Dhow Cruise. It happens in the evening, with dinner and song performances. I think it is a thing in most Arab countries I have visited.
Then there was shopping. I liked shopping in Dubai because the naira-to-dirham exchange rate was favourable then. One United Arab Emirates (UAE) dirham was equivalent to ₦100, which made buying things cheaper. Some of my favourite clothes today were from the Dubai trip.
Nice! What would you say is your best travel experience?
It’s Lebanon for me. I love it because that’s where I spent my honeymoon. Whenever I remember it, it’s always with tender and passionate feelings. Lebanon is a beautiful country and should be on everyone’s travel list.
Despite the country’s war history, the people there are also hospitable and friendly. They are still hopeful. Funny enough, most people I talked to there always seemed to have “cousins” doing business in Nigeria.
Which would you say is your worst travel experience?
Dubai for the reasons I mentioned above. The experience feels very “artificial”, and nothing there seems to be unique to them.
When did you start the TravelLetters newsletter, and how?
I’d say the desire was birthed in me one Sunday morning in 2022 as I returned from church. I was browsing Twitter when I saw a popular travel vlogger post.
I clicked on the like button and saw this ‘not-so-cool’ comment from a user asking where she gets her money to travel. It made me uncomfortable because I realised many people were ignorant about travel.
When I went on my first trip to Dubai, I was earning ₦300K as an entry-level employee at my former company. To shock you even further, I went on two trips that same year in 2018. Some weeks before I saw the post, I had just travelled to Rwanda, and the cost of my return ticket was ₦188k. That’s the same price as going from Lagos-Abuja! But let’s get back to the story.
I then tweeted how much it cost me to go to Rwanda. Excluding feeding, the other costs for flight tickets, tour guide and accommodation were around ₦400k. The tweet blew up, and then I realised that people were uninformed and curious. When I saw that gap, I decided to fill that void and create articles guiding people on how to travel with certain amounts of money. This was how Travel Letters was born.
That’s amazing! Can you share some of these tips with us?
The first one I’d say is to do your research. There are many travel influencers out there now that are giving out information. You have Trip Advisor and other travel blogs. Even the immigration websites of these countries have useful information as well. You can also call the airlines going to these countries as well. Is this country safe for female travellers? What are the locals like? You should know these before travelling.
You also need to cross-check your documents for validity. For instance, many people carry fake Yellow Cards, which they’re unaware of. This tends to cause issues when being scanned by the Port of Health. One should always scan the QR code of their Yellow Card and see if their details are correct. Kenyan and Ghanaian immigration officials are very particular about this.
Don’t dress for attention at airports. If you dress flashy, there’s a high tendency for people to call you aside for donations and tips. By the time you finish, you could probably miss your flight. Dress simply.
As a regular Nigerian, booking your flight at least six weeks before you travel is also best. You tend to get flight tickets at a cheaper rate. For some airlines, ordering your tickets from the mobile app is cheaper than on the websites, e.g. Ethiopian Airlines. If you also want to upgrade from an economy to a business class air ticket, don’t buy the business ticket straight away. Buy the economy ticket, then upgrade to the website’s business class. These airlines will usually send an upgrade email.
From my experience, the cheapest days to travel are usually during the early part of the week (Mondays to Wednesdays). Weekend flights are usually more expensive because most people are travelling by then.
Always get to the airport hours before your flight to sort out all issues.
This was extremely insightful! Would you ever get tired of travelling?
Not at all. I always pray to God that I never run out of money to travel. If ₦300k was the last money in my pocket, I’d probably use ₦150k to go to Benin Republic and then ‘wash plates’ when I return. Travelling does something amazing to you; once you’ve caught the ‘travel bug’, it’s hard to let it go. It educates you, and it gives you hope to live again.
A popular saying goes, “Life be like standing fan, e go touch everybody”. During the governorship elections in Lagos on March 18, 2023, thugs violently suppressed voters to help the ruling party retain power in Lagos state.
These thugs were identified as road transport workers, known as agberos.
Many people rationalised this behaviour under the guise of protecting Lagos from ‘invaders’. But barely two weeks after successfully ‘saving’ Lagos, it seems the “protectors of Lagos” now have to protect their interests.
What happened?
On March 29, 2023, a protest by commercial bus drivers broke out along the Lagos-Abeokuta expressway, which left passengers stranded. The reason behind this protest is the latest increment of taxes by the agberos.
"We don't want agbero anymore" Lagos bus drivers and conductors protest extortion by agberos. They said they are tired of the extortion. pic.twitter.com/KBHw6l8aa7
— Arẹwà AKINKANJU💪🏽 Ọmọlúàbí (@leoleoqueen) March 29, 2023
For anyone who stays in Lagos, bus drivers paying different thugs money at almost every bus stop is as normal as traffic on a Monday morning. According to the International Centre for Investigative Journalism, these drivers pay about ₦82.13 billion annually at bus stops to agberos, which is remitted to the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).
The money is often collected forcefully, and drivers who resist have their vehicles damaged. During the protest yesterday, drivers complained that the tax increment further reduces their profit margin as they currently pay between ₦10000-15000 daily to the Union.
Has the government intervened?
There hasn’t been an official statement from the Lagos state government yet, but the police have responded to the protest the only way they know how: by shooting.
Police officers from the Alagbado police command reportedly opened fire on protesting drivers on orders from the agberos.
Police 'Open Fire' On Yoruba Drivers Protesting N13,000 Daily Agbero Levy in Lagos Policemen attached to the Alagbado police command have reportedly shot at drivers protesting illegal increments of taxes by the agberos. @jidesanwoolu@ARISEtv@UNpic.twitter.com/v0upxHcW0f
Hopefully, the bus drivers win their fight against the extortion they’re facing, but given Lagos’ history with protests, chances are this will, unfortunately, be swept under the rug.
For Navigating Nigeria this week, Citizen spoke to Yemi, media practitioner and part-time hobbyist. He shared his story about using a cargo company to transport his belongings from the North, down to Lagos. His experience made him vow never to use the company again and has made him “avoid playing nice” with Nigerians.
Editorial Note: Navigating Nigeria is a platform for Nigerians to passionately discuss the Nigerian experience with little interference to individual opinions. While our editorial standards emphasise the truth and we endeavour to fact-check claims and allegations, we do not bear any responsibility for allegations made about other people founded in half-truths.
Could you walk us through your experience?
Before this experience, I’d used ABC transport once, and it was because of proximity. It was the closest and most accessible transport available the first time trying in 2021. Then, I sent out a bag of books, and they delivered to my location within four working days, which they promised.
This time, I was moving from Abuja, in the North Central, to a new city in the South West. I visited several transport companies. I wanted to make a road trip, and I wanted to travel with a company that had robust bus services. I remember going to GIG Logistics. They said they could transport my belongings. The cost wasn’t an issue for me either.
The challenge I had with them was their route. What they had in mind was to go straight to Lagos. I wanted to head to Ibadan before going to Lagos, and their path wasn’t convenient for me. I wanted one company to sort out my baggage and movement.
So this was what led me to ABC Cargo.
The beginning of the wahala
At first, I carried one bicycle and three bags to them. The bags contained personal effects like my clothes, my books, cutlery, and all that stuff. This was on December 18. On December 19, I brought another bicycle I used to participate in a marathon. Then I went to book a ticket for my road trip on December 20. I recall that my bags were still at their office when I arrived.
I encountered a couple of problems that day. I was travelling with my cats. Their manager came to me and said I couldn’t travel with pets. They were inside a carrier, mind you. I was willing to pay for extra seats to avoid inconveniencing anyone, but this guy refused. He just kept shouting and yelling. It was a whole lot of back and forth.
So what did you do?
I called a private bus service that came to the park to meet me. I got a refund for my ticket right there. When I asked why they’d not sent my luggage ahead, they assured me they’d deliver in four days, per their policy, and told me not to worry. I took them by their word and left.
So imagine my surprise when my bags didn’t arrive four days later. I called them to understand the cause of the delay. They said things like, “ehn, it’s just four days; it hasn’t passed.” I had many plans for December, particularly road-tripping, and the delay affected them.
After the first week without getting my luggage, I still kept waiting. I had my brother check their office at some point which was when I discovered they didn’t have my bags.
What?
By the end of December, the company found one bag. But they told me they couldn’t release it to me because I sent all my luggage items as a bundle and wanted to ensure I got everything immediately, so they held on to that bag for a while.
In the first week of January, one of my bicycles arrived. It came in damaged. It was from that point I started showing them shege.
LMAO
I went to their office with some boys to threaten them to give me my things as fast as possible. They begged and said they were working on it.
Why not the police, as Nigerians like to do?
I did not go there to use force. I went there to let them know it was an option. Outrightly involving the police would have closed the door for negotiations, but I wanted them to have the benefit of the doubt.
I told them that the next time I’d show up, it would be with the full force of the law. That’s when they had someone from their headquarters call me. These were the same people I’d been calling that had been rude to me on the phone. They kept telling me they were on top of the situation.
Through January and February, I had many phone calls with them. I recorded them. They kept insisting that my bags weren’t missing. At some point, ABC Cargo said they’d compensate me with ₦100k. They said the value of the items I had with them was around ₦400k. So how do you have that estimate but decide to compensate me with ₦100k?
I told them that for me to consider compensation, they’d have to start with ₦500k. After that, I contacted the Federal Competition & Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC). I also warned that they’d hear from my lawyer if they didn’t do something after the governorship elections. That’s when they started taking me seriously. In March, they begrudgingly sent a Cheque for ₦400k.
Did you think that was fair compensation?
The compensation was not reasonable. I had just bought a suit, some jackets that were just two months old, and lots of new sweaters. These alone were definitely above ₦400k.
What’s your takeaway from the whole affair?
Don’t use ABC Cargo services. If you find yourself in a similar situation, reach out to the FCCPC, but also try to avoid playing nice with Nigerians. They have to understand you can go from “good morning, sir” to “you wan see crase” to “you’ll hear from my lawyer” as the situation evolves.
A citizen is defined as a legal member of a state with full constitutional or legal rights in the country in which he or she resides.
Non-citizens —also known as Aliens— are not nationals of a state where they reside but visitors — for business, leisure, residence, education, or other factors.
A Nigerian automatically gains the right to citizenship by birth.
Soft life privilege
Non-citizens, however, must hustle to gain citizenship through naturalisation and registration. Even then, their application could still be denied by the Nigerian government if it’s not satisfactory.
Nigerian Citizens have the right to vote and contest for political office, unlike non-citizens. However, a non-citizen is still allowed freedom of speech and can support or oppose a political candidate.
Crime and punishment
A citizen’s citizenship cannot be revoked even if they commit a crime, as it is not a privileged status.
However, the citizenship of a naturalised Citizen can be revoked if convicted of a serious crime. In short, a naturalised citizen’s enjoyment of citizenship is subject to good behaviour.
Allegiances
A citizen owes allegiance to Nigeria, but the loyalty of an alien is usually to their country of origin.
Duration of residence
Citizens in Nigeria are allowed to stay in the country for as long as they please.
However, the movement for non-citizens is more restricted. Individuals outside of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) need a tourist visa to stay in the country for up to 90 days.
ECOWAS residents, however, can stay in Nigeria with the aid of a residence permit.
The Nigerian census, now set for May 3, is, at its core, a math exercise as it’d involve counting individuals and gathering spatial and demographic data like housing, migration and residents per household.
Yet, unless you’re new to Nigeria, you’d know Nigeria has a problem regarding numbers. To put it simply, Nigeria has a counting and accounting problem. Let’s start with the counting problem.
The counting problem: How many people does Nigeria have?
If you enter “Nigeria population” on Google, you’ll get numbers between 211 and 224 million. On paper, that’s a large number. Two hundred million of anything — from cash to people — is a lot.
In reality, the numbers have raised questions about its credibility. In 2018, Stears argued that Nigeria’s population wasn’t 180 million, as was the commonly quoted figure. No one knew for sure. The numbers used to determine Nigeria’s population are estimated.
Nigeria last conducted a census in 2006. While the official count was 140 million, there were questions about how the numbers were calculated. The president-elect, Bola Tinubu, who was Lagos state governor then, rejected the figures allocated to Lagos, which was nine million. The state conducted its “survey” and concluded that its population was 17.5 million — almost double the official figure.
The reason for manipulating census figures comes down to resource control. More numbers mean more allocation of resources from the federal government, which is good news for politicians. The incentive to conjure figures is strong because censuses don’t come up often. With the last one held 17 years ago, no one can say when the next one will come. These numbers are what the federal government will use to guide policymaking in resource allocation for the foreseeable future. As a result, there’s an incentive for data to get distorted.
Today, according to its 2023 budget, Lagos state claims its population is over 27 million, an astonishing 200% increase from 2006. It then leaves question marks on why a state with this many people had less than 1.2 million turn up at its governorship election. The math doesn’t add up.
The accounting problem: How much does it cost to conduct a census?
The other aspect of the numbers problem comes down to accounting. Exactly how much does it cost to conduct a census?
In September 2022, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said the census would cost ₦198 billion. At the time, they earmarked ₦21 billion for mapping the country into enumeration areas. However, two months later, the National Population Commission (NPC) told the Senate that the census would cost ₦532.7 billion. This is a census that the NPC chair has described as “digital”, so how and why did the cost balloon so quickly?
But that’s not all. In its strategy document, the NPC said the census would cost ₦841.9 billion. That’s over ₦300 billion more than its previous estimate. Earlier this month, the FG said it’d need ₦869 billion to conduct the census. The numbers keep rising, and no one is being held accountable. Just like no one knows the actual size of Nigeria’s population, no one knows the real cost of conducting a three-day census.
Will the 2023 census be a true reflection of Nigeria’s population?
The NPC has repeatedly told Nigerians that the 2023 census would be “different.” Of course, the NPC is right as it’ll be the most expensive ever. The real bother is whether the outcome will justify the expense. Given how the Independent National Electoral Commission performed at the elections compared with its lofty pre-election promises, it might be wise not to get too excited about the NPC’s readiness for the census. Most recently, it has been pleading with Nigerians not to travel home for the census, which begs the question of whether they didn’t foresee this scenario.
The die is cast, and the census will hold one way or another. Whether the NPC is better prepared to learn from its shoddy history of conducting censuses and whether the numbers will be a true reflection of our population is anyone’s guess. The NPC has a rare opportunity to provide us with a credible count, unlike its sister commission, INEC. Will that happen? We’ll know for sure when the census ends on May 5.
The National Assembly elections (Senate and House of Representatives) were conducted on February 25, 2023. But only 98 out of 109 senate seats and 325 out of 360 seats for the House of Representatives have been declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). This is because elections were postponed in certain places, and some results were declared inconclusive.
Some of these places include: Enugu East, Kebbi North, Plateau Central, Sokoto North, South and East, Yobe South and Zamfara Central. The Commission announced that supplementary elections will be held in these regions after the governorship elections conducted on March 18, 2023, but a date hasn’t been announced yet.
However, on March 7, 2023, INEC released the names of the senators-elect for the tenth senate and here are some key things to note in the current senators-elect list:
Don’t hold your breath for gender inclusion
The 2023 elections had many turns, including almost giving us Nigeria’s first female elected governor, Aisha Binani. While we seem to have moved forward, the reality is different, as the incoming tenth National Assembly will only have three women in the Senate compared to the seven we have presently.
These women are Banigo Ipalibo Harry of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Adebule Idiat Oluranti of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Ireti Kingibe of the Labour Party.
The APC controls the Senate
The Senate has 109 seats, and in the elections, the APC won 57. The PDP won 29 seats, and the Labour Party 6.
The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) won two seats each, while the Young Progressives Party (YPP) and All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) had one seat each.
30 current lawmakers return to the Senate
In the National Assembly elections, 55 incumbent senators contested to retain their seats but only 30 won their re-election bids. Some prominent names are Orji Kalu, current Chief Whip of the Senate, Seriake Dickson, Danjuma Goje and Adamu Aliero.
Fewer ex-governors grace the Senate
It has become “normal” to see former Nigerian governors end their careers in the Senate. A fine example is the current National Assembly which consists of 17 ex-governors.
However, things will be different in the tenth National Assembly as there’ll be only 11 governors in the Senate. These governors are Godswill Akpabio, former governor of Akwa Ibom state; Seriake Dickson, former governor of Bayelsa state, Ibrahim Dankwambo, former governor of Gombe state; Aliero Adamu, former governor of Kebbi state; Gbenga Daniel, former governor of Ogun state, Ibrahim Shekarau, former governor of Kano state, Orji Uzor Kalu, former governor of Abia state, Adams Oshiomole, former governor of Edo state, Danjuma Goje, former governor of Gombe state, Abdul’aziz Yari, former governor of Zamfara state and Ibrahim Gaidam, former governor of Yobe state.
The tenth National Assembly is expected to be inaugurated on June 13, 2023, and hopefully, the legislative arm effectively serves and protects the interest of Nigerians for the next four years.
Since 1981, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has fought for their rights through nationwide strikes. And this streak of strikes seems far from over, as Nigerians may witness another strike from the group.
NLC president, Joe Ajaero, sent an ultimatum to the CBN — either improve the supply of naira notes in the country and reduce fuel scarcity or expect NLC workers to go on indefinite strike. This is because the workers have been finding it difficult to source cash for transportation and everyday needs since the crisis began.
But now the next question is, why should you care if the NLC goes on strike? We have a few reasons here:
All essential workers are under NLC
This includes transport workers, doctors, teachers, bankers, etc. If they go on strike, none of these essential workers would be there to cater to the average Nigerian’s needs.
Road transport workers [Pulse]
It will negatively impact Nigeria’s economy
During strikes, there’s what is called a strike cost. This is the cost incurred by the government from paying wages and salaries to labour workers. This is negative because money is being spent without gaining any revenue.
Doctors and medical personnel in federal hospitals fall under the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), an affiliate of the NLC.
If the Labour Congress should go on strike, this could increase deaths for citizens who can’t afford private healthcare.
What happens next?
Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, has met with CBN governor Godwin Emefiele and Ajaero for negotiations.
The CBN promised to increase the distribution of the naira notes, while Ajaero promised that the NLC would continue to “engage the CBN through effective dialogue.”
But could the negotiations break down? Will CBN keep to their word? Let’s wait and see.
When we think about structure in the political context, our minds instantly veer to political parties and the grassroots network they possess.
However, Nigeria itself is founded on structures that enable it to function. For instance, Nigeria became an independent country in 1960, but only a few people are aware that Nigeria became a republic in 1963. What does it mean to be a republic, and what structure is the Nigerian government built on?
Nigeria as a federal republic
[FCT/ The Guardian Nigeria]
Officially, Nigeria is known as the Federal Republic of Nigeria. But what does this mean? The term “federal republic” consists of two words. “Federal” refers to a federation of states. Nigeria has 36 of those and its federal capital territory (FCT).
A republic is a system of government where people choose representatives through elections to represent them in the public interest. However, a republic isn’t necessarily the same as a democracy, despite their similarities. One key difference is that democracy is a government of the majority, meaning it can impose its will on the minority.
A republic, however, allows for inalienable rights for everyone regardless of whether they belong to the majority or minority. In Nigeria, these rights are protected by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, enacted on May 29, 1999 — the beginning of Nigeria’s Fourth Republic. Nigeria is both a republic and a democracy.
The Nigerian government operates on the doctrine of separation of powers. It has three arms. The executive arm is responsible for managing the country daily. The president leads the executive and is advised by the federal executive council (FEC). Mr President also chairs the FEC. But the president alone can’t be everywhere, which is where ministers come in. The president picks the ministerial cabinet that reports directly to the president and oversees anything from agriculture to sports.
There’s also the Nigerian Civil Service comprised of employees in government agencies other than the military and the police. The president holds the title of the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (GCFR), and all military parastatals are under his command.
The president appoints the Inspector General (IG) of the Nigerian Police. Other commissions like the Nigerian Population Commission, Federal Civil Service Commission and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, among others, report to the president. These departments assist the executive in running the country.
The legislative
[The Nigerian Senate / Premium Times]
From the explanation so far, the president is very powerful. However, all power doesn’t belong to the President, fortunately. The legislative arm of government is the one in charge of making laws.
The Nigerian legislature is known as a bicameral legislature. That is, it’s divided into two separate chambers: the Senate (the upper chamber) and the House of Representatives (HOR) (the lower chamber). Together, they’re known as the National Assembly.
The National Assembly consists of 109 Senate members—three from each of the 36 states and one from the FCT. The HOR has 360 members, and they’re cut unevenly across federal constituencies. Lagos and Kano have the most, with 24 each, while the FCT has the least—two.
Their function includes scrutinising bills before the floors of the National Assembly. Before a bill can be made into law, the two houses must agree on it in their respective readings. The president also has to assent to it. However, the president can refuse to sign or override the bill. This is known as a veto. The National Assembly can overrule the veto in both chambers if they can get a two-thirds majority.
Beyond making laws, the legislative has special powers. The Senate, for instance, can impeach judges and officials in the executive. In the event of gross misconduct by the president, they can move a motion for impeachment. While this helps them check the president’s powers, the process, in reality, could be more rigorous and unlikely to happen.
The judiciary
[Supreme Court in session / Peoples Gazette]
If the function of the executive is to put laws into action and that of the legislative is to make laws, the judiciary’s work is to interpret them. The highest court of the land in Nigeria is the Supreme Court. It derives its powers from the Constitution and the Supreme Court Act. While there are other courts of jurisdiction like the appeal court, high courts and so on, decisions rendered by the Supreme Court are binding on everyone and final.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) leads the Supreme Court. The president appoints them on the recommendation of the national judicial council and following confirmation by the Senate. Associate justices support the CJN, and there can be at most 21 justices. Currently, the Supreme Court has 13 members.
Altogether, these three arms are the structure upon which the Nigerian government is built. Ultimately, a functional democracy is one where these arms act as checks on each other while performing their primary responsibilities.
Twenty-nine out of 30 clauses were approved, except for the clause stating that the Federal Government should pay salaries, which the Senate didn’t oblige.
With less than two months to Buhari’s exit as President, the Commandant-General of the VGN, Usman Jahun, has appealed to President Buhari to assent to the bill before he leaves office.
This leaves us with the following questions:
What is the VGN and how do they have a Commandant-General?
What is the Bill about?
What has been the performance of vigilantes in Nigerian communities?
Are there any problems that could arise with the VGN as a federal group?
And lastly, how safe should Nigerians feel with these vigilantes?
It’s time to break it down:
What is the Vigilante Group of Nigeria?
The Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) was established in 1870 to assist the Nigerian Police in protecting lives and properties and preventing crimes but as a civil defence organisation. This is why they even have a commandant-general who oversees their activities.
The Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) [Punch Newspapers]
The group already carries out these activities, but now the organisation aims to be refurbished as a national entity, not a local ad-hoc group. This is to provide Nigerians with a safe and secure country.
What does the bill contain?
If all goes well and Buhari assents to the bill, here are some interesting duties that the vigilantes would carry out:
Assisting security personnel with preventing crime and arresting offenders
Protection of citizens at places of worship and market days
Become gatekeepers of environmental sanitation
Enlightening people on causes of conflict, including cultism & witchcraft
How have vigilante groups performed so far?
Frankly, the existence of different local vigilante groups is seen as controversial by many Nigerians. This is because some of their activities have safeguarded Nigerians in the past, while others have led to the loss of lives without government authority.
To understand this better, let’s look at the performance of three vigilante groups: the Amotekun, Ebube agwu and Yan Sakai
The Federal Government first opposed the group as “being against the constitution” since the Nigerian Armed Forces were already established.
However, the state governors pleaded with Vice-President Yemi Osibanjo. They talked him into reaching a compromise where Amotekun and the police would work together.
From the examples above, vigilantes can be seen as both a blessing and a curse to society.
If Buhari decides to sign the bill before May 29, a legal framework should be implemented to guide performance, procedures, jurisdictions, interventions and other regular activities. The Lagos Neighborhood Safety Corps created by the Lagos State House of Assembly, is a good example.
The Lagos Neighborhood Safety Corps
Training for aspirants of these vigilante groups is also advised to better assess their knowledge, skills and capacity for the job.
President Bubu has 64 days left in office, and it seems he’s looking to go out with a bang, as on March 17, 2023, he signed 16 constitutional amendment bills.
But what might interest you the most is that a particular bill might permanently erase the phrase “Up nepa” from the Nigerian vocabulary.
This is the Fifth Alteration Bill No. 33, Devolution of Powers (National Grid System), which grants Nigerian states the power to generate, transmit and distribute electricity to areas covered by the national grid.
It’s no secret that Nigeria’s power sector is dilapidating, seeing as no one bats an eye anymore when the national grid collapses every Eke market day. And despite the fact we have the potential to generate 12,522 megawatts of electricity, our poor infrastructure has limited us to only around 4000.
According to the World Bank, around 43% of the Nigerian population doesn’t have access to electricity from the national grid, and about 22 million small-unit generators are in use by Nigerians. This explains why we’re ranked 171 out of 190 in electricity access.
But with the Devolution of Power Bill, we might be looking at a new dawn very soon.
How exactly will this bill help with power supply?
As we’ve already said, state governments now have autonomy over power generation and distribution which means they can take advantage of the state’s resources to provide a more diverse and sustainable means of power generation.
Nigeria is blessed with renewable energy that is unfortunately underutilised. In the North, solar and wind energy is abundant.
And the oil and gas in the South-South and South-East can drive electricity generation from thermal energy.
Lagos state already has plans to utilise its solar and gas energy to provide at least 18 hours of electricity by the end of this year.
Good morning Lagos.
A few days ago, President @MBuhari signed bills granting states more autonomy in key areas like electricity, railways, and the judiciary, empowering Lagos to take charge of our own growth.
I’ve always believed that many Nigerian scriptwriters aren’t aware they are sitting on a plot goldmine enough for a dozen seasons of TV.
This month, we’ve seen people tear their Nigerian passports and politicians electing themselves into power using voter intimidation and violence— we also learnt that people born in inter-tribal marriages are considered to have ‘tainted blood’. But, the icing on the cake is that some Nigerians are taking sides with a racist against fellow citizens.
On March 22, 2023, in a Sapele community in Delta state, a group of youths came out to protest the removal of the Board of Directors of the oil and gas company Seplat Energy PLC.
The gist here’s that on March 3, 2023, the Federal Government (FG) and the Ministry of Interior withdrew the work and resident permit of Seplat’s CEO, Roger Brown. This was due to a petition filed against him by the workers over allegations of racism, bullying, discrimination, sacking and retiring of Nigerian workers without due process and favouring foreign workers. An instance was when he refused to promote a qualified Nigerian, Emeka Onwuka, to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) position. Instead, he hired a fellow Irishman, Mr Alaisdair Mackenzie.
Before FG revoked his resident and work permits, Brown received several invitations to address these allegations, but he snubbed them.
The Board of Directors, led by Basil Omiyi, has refused to remove Brown from his position as CEO. They, instead, have passed a vote of confidence and accused the media of trying to spread false information.
Sadly, it’s 2023, and Nigerians don’t have to japa to experience racism.
What else happened this week?
Women Go Topless to Protest Election Results
So far, there have been mixed reactions to the results of the gubernatorial elections held on March 18, 2023. In Abia state, there have been celebrations over the victory of the Labour Party candidate, Alex Otti, but the same cannot be said for Nasarawa.
Abdullahi Sule of the All Progressives Congress (APC) won his re-election bid as governor of Nasarawa. But the women in the state are rejecting this result, accusing him of rigging himself for a second term. On March 23, 2023, they took to the streets topless to express their anger with songs and placards telling INEC to let their votes count as they don’t want Governor Sule, but instead the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate David Ombugadu.
In all this, it’s almost funny how despite having four years to prepare for elections, INEC still somehow manages to lose even more credibility every election season.
Video of the week
Here’s how the people of Abia State reacted when the Labour Party’s Alex Otti was declared the winner of the recently held governorship election.
With President Muhammadu Buhari counting down to his Aso Rock exit, he’s been ticking off last-minute items on his bucket list. The latest was granting assent to 16 constitution amendment bills on March 17.
Buhari received 35 bills from the national assembly but only assented to 16. So what are these bills, and how do they concern you?
Bill No. 1
If you’re from Ebonyi state, you want to pay attention to this bill. This bill, titled “Fifth Alteration (No.1)”, is to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to change the names of Afikpo North and Afikpo South Local government areas (LGA). They’re now known as Afikpo and Edda, respectively.
Bill No. 2
This bill concerns people from Kano and is titled the “Fifth Alteration (No.2)”. It’s to amend the Constitution to change the name of Kunchi LGA. It’s now known as Ghari LGA.
Bill No. 3
Gather here if you’re from Ogun state. The “Fifth Alteration (No.3)” is a bill to change the names of Egbado North and Egbado South LGAs. They’re now known as Yewa North and Yewa South, respectively.
Bill No. 4
The Fifth Alteration (No.4) is to correct the name of Atigbo LGA; and for related matters. The LGA is in Oyo state. Its correct spelling is Atisbo.
Bill No. 5
The Fifth Alteration (No.5) is to correct the name of Abia/Akpor LGA to Obio/Akpor; and for related matters. If you followed the elections closely in Rivers state, this LGA might ring a bell.
Bill No. 6
Fifth Alteration (No.6) is a Bill that seeks to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to provide for the financial independence of State Houses of Assembly (HOA) and State Judiciary and related matters. This means that state HOAs and state judiciary now have financial autonomy. That’s a good thing.
Bill No. 8
The Fifth Alteration (No.8) regulates the first session and inauguration of members-elect of the National and State HOA. This bill provides a procedure for how assembly sessions should go.
Bill No. 9
The Fifth Alteration (No.9) is to delete the reference to the provisions of the Criminal Code, Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Act, Criminal Procedure Code or Evidence Act from the Constitution. This makes the constitution less voluminous since these Acts are codified separately into law.
Bill No. 10
The Fifth Alteration (No.10) amends the Constitution to exclude the period of intervening events in the computation of time for determining pre-election petitions, election petitions and appeals, and related matters.
Essentially, periods in filing election petitions are sacrosanct, and no extenuating circumstances are considered. However, with this bill, pre-election petitions can now be excluded from the period if a party raises a preliminary objection or interlocutory issue (i.e. judgement given provisionally).
The Fifth Alteration (No.12) is to alter the Constitution to provide for the post-call qualification of the Secretary of the National Judicial Council; and for related matters.
Bill No. 15
The Fifth Alteration (No.15) Bill amends the Constitution to delete the item “prisons” in the Exclusive Legislative List and redesignate it as “Correctional Services” in the Concurrent Legislative List; and for related matters. While it may appear trivial, the name change is significant as it’s symbolic of what reform is, which is to correct behaviour and not necessarily punish for the sake of it. This bill also means states can now build correctional facilities instead of just the FG.
Bill No. 16
The Fifth Alteration (No.16) Bill is to move the item “railways” from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List; and for related matters. As in the previous entry, states can now create railways—and earn revenue from them—just like the FG.
Bill No. 17
I like to call this the “Up NEPA Bill”. The Fifth Alteration (No.17) Bill alters the Constitution to allow states to generate, transmit and distribute electricity in areas covered by the national grid; and for related matters. Fingers crossed, many states will take advantage of this.
Bill No. 23
In Fifth Alteration (No.23), the Bill seeks to alter the Constitution to require the President and governors to submit the names of persons nominated as Ministers or Commissioners within sixty days of taking the oath of office for confirmation by the Senate or State House of Assembly.
The days of “Baba Go Slow”, when Buhari had to wait till September 2015—after being sworn in on May 2015—to submit a ministerial list, are gone. Publicly elected officials need to hit the ground running. However, it remains unclear what the penalty is if they default.
Bill No. 32
The Fifth Alteration (No.32), the Bill amends the Constitution to correct the error in the definition of the boundary of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and related matters.
Bill No. 34
The Fifth Alteration (No.34) alters the Constitution to require the government to direct its policy towards ensuring Nigerians’ right to food and food security. More rights for us? Amen to that!
It’s no secret that for a while now, Nigerians have clamoured for the legalisation of Cannabis, also called marijuana or weed, and it seems like federal lawmakers are finally considering it.
What happened?
According to the current National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act, if you’re caught in possession of marijuana, you’re liable to a minimum of 12 years in prison and, in cases of trafficking, life imprisonment.
But a bill co-sponsored by Benjamin Kalu, Olumide Osoba and Miriam Onuoha seeks to amend the NDLEA Act to instead allow and regulate the growth and cultivation of Cannabis for medical and recreational purposes. This bill proposes establishing a system for the NDLEA to register, issue and revoke licences of Cannabis producers and users.
However, at the second reading of this bill on March 23, 2023, several members of the House of Representatives opposed and criticised it, which led to the House stepping down the bill for further legislative action.
An argument from many people in support of legalising weed in Nigeria is that it’s a lesser evil. For instance, it’s presumably “safer” than cigarettes and alcohol. Here are some perceived benefits of legalising Cannabis in Nigeria.
Medicinal benefits
Over the years, marijuana’s medicinal properties have been one of its major selling points. Studies have shown that it helps with cancer treatments and pain relief. In 2018, the Federal and Drug Administration Agency (FDA) approved using a medication containing Cannabis to treat epilepsy.
Another Source of Revenue
Although Cannabis is illegal in Nigeria, the NDLEA disclosed that nearly 10.6 million Nigerians used it in 2022. Legalising it would mean it can be taxed, and we can join the likes of Malawi and Zambia and make millions in revenue from the global marijuana market.
Reduced police brutality
The Nigerian police have unfortunately used the excuse of “finding” weed on young people for harassment and assault. Cannabis legalisation would hopefully reduce these occurrences, and the police could spend time tracking down offenders of serious crimes.
One of the reasons why members of the House of Representatives opposed this bill is concerns of abuse and addiction. These concerns are legitimate; with this, we’ll break down some cons of legalising Cannabis in Nigeria.
Drug abuse
Nigeria is battling a drug abuse problem, for instance, crystal meth in the South-East. Cannabis can be a gateway drug leading people to more severe drugs like cocaine and heroin.
Psychological side effects
Although marijuana is repeatedly termed “harmless”, we shouldn’t forget that it has hallucinogenic properties. And if abused, it can cause delusions and hallucinations, anxiety, panic attacks and reduced muscle control. There are records from hospitals in Benin, Edo state which showed that between 1999 to 2022, 70 per cent of 849 first-time psychiatric hospital visits were caused by Cannabis abuse.
It can end up with children
Although an age limit will be placed for cannabis use, it will likely end up in children’s hands, which can lead them to drug abuse and addiction from an early age.
It’s just as dangerous as a cigarette
Another point to dispel the belief that marijuana is harmless is that just like a regular cigarette, it’s also dangerous to your lungs and maybe even worse. A journal revealed that one joint of marijuana is equivalent to five cigarettes.
We don’t know yet if the House of Representatives will succeed in legalising Cannabis, but there is a lot to think about.
The Nigerian experience is physical, emotional, and sometimes international. No one knows it better than our features on #TheAbroadLife, a series where we detail and explore Nigerian experiences while living abroad.
This week’s Abroad Life subject is Adeoju Samuel Adesina, aka Sammy Desh, a Nigerian who relocated to Finland in his third year of university due to student union attacks on his life in 2010. Eleven years later, he returned to Nigeria in 2021 to vie for a legislative seat in the 2023 elections.
He shares with us the details of his exit from Nigeria, his experiences in Finland, and his political journey so far in Nigeria.
What sparked your motivation for politics?
I’d need to start from the beginning. I stumbled upon university politics at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU). This was from 2007-2010. Someone running for the position of Chairman of my hall of residence had my name recommended to him as one who could galvanise people for campaigns. He then came to me and asked me to help mobilise people to vote for him as Chairman, which I accepted.
However, it was a surprise because I hadn’t been involved in elections before that time. Interestingly, I got people to vote for him galvanised people and won elections for four different candidates running for student union offices.
I was involved in several social justice causes around school, like fighting against tuition increments or releasing unjustly arrested students. I found fulfilment in this, especially when other students benefitted from it.
But this had downsides, such as attacks. One of these attacks made me leave the country for Finland.
Attacked?! How did that happen?
So it occurred during one of the student agitations in 2010 during my third year in university. A student burnt another student alleged to have stolen some money with a hot iron. While we tasked ourselves (i.e., me and some residence hall executives) to apprehend the student in question, he took refuge with a clique of guys called the DSM.
It was when we approached them to pick up the guy that everything turned violent. The Student Union Government (SUG) president, Paul Alaje, was hurt. I was stabbed in the arm with a knife.
My mum was so scared for my life, and to add insult to injury, there was an Academic Student Union of Universities (ASUU) strike for about four months. It was then my parents decided I had to move to Finland.
So sorry this happened to you. What was the process for migration?
With Finland (as with every other country), the easiest route for migration is through a study permit, which I used. To get information on all the schools in Finland, I first logged into a website called studyinfinland.fi. If you click on the English language option, it has all the info you would need on schools in Finland and the processes involved. You can apply to the website if you open it during the application cycle. With that, you don’t have to pay any application fees.
However, I had to follow the steps. I provided the documents needed, such as my international passport, transcript, WASSCE certificate etc.
Once you’re done with the application, you’ll get a confirmation email and a schedule for a general exam. I hear it’s now online. But in 2010, it was a physical exam, which I wrote in Ikeja, Lagos.
If you pass the exam, you have to go for an interview I had to travel from Nigeria to Accra, Ghana, for that exam. That interview serves as a way for them to judge and understand your English proficiency. They’d also ask for your preferred course of study while in Finland. If you ace the interview, you get your admission letter, and you pay your tuition, which is about €5k. After this, you can apply for resident permit at the embassies in Abuja. It’s that straightforward.
What was schooling in Finland like?
It was excellent. I had to start from scratch when I got to Finland, studying Business Management, but the teachers there were helpful. However, I needed to work and study at the same time, and it was there I got my first political gig in Finland as part of a campaign team.
Nice! What was that like?
In school, I wanted to see how the political atmosphere was; it was a job that was paying at the time. So I helped galvanise people in one or two political campaigns, sending SMS to people. Politics there is almost the same way in Nigeria, with many people trying to persuade people to receive certain ideologies for the betterment of the country.
Aside from politics, I also got to work with a media house, Poland Today, and did some business on the side with friends. It was a great experience.
What made you move back to Nigeria?
I’ve always been a ‘Nigeria-centric’ person. Even from the very first day I arrived in Finland, I didn’t have plans to spend my entire life outside the country. I’ve always had a passion for politics and service. I love helping people, and this makes me happy. But I wanted to help people on a large scale. And this is what made me decide to return to Nigeria and enter politics.
What was the process like?
Unfortunately, due to COVID, I lost hundreds of thousands of euros from my side businesses. I saved some money, but it wasn’t enough to call me rich.
When I returned to Nigeria in February 2021, a good friend connected me to Dipo Awojide’s company, where I became Chief of Staff. I began to receive connections from him, got exposed to various people, and started networking and finding political connections.
Was this how you started politics in Nigeria?
Yes. It began when representatives from two political parties (which I wouldn’t like to disclose) came and promised me tickets to governorship without contesting in the primaries, which I very much refused.
I then got another offer from a friend who knew the Chairman of Accord Party, who knew the man running for governorship in Osun State, Akin Ogunbiyi, who was a billionaire, PhD holder, and that role model Nigerian. He inspired me to register for the Accord Party and my interest in the Osun State House of Assembly.
I also decided to stay in my family house for a while to assimilate into the environment and get to know the people around me. Luckily, my father’s name, Adeoju, was familiar, so it wasn’t too hard.
I then introduced myself to Ogunbiyi, spoke with him, and told him about my qualifications and what I had to offer. He liked me right away.
Did you later run for the Osun State House of Assembly?
No, I didn’t. I only became an aspirant, not a candidate. Before I came to the party, the members already had someone they wanted to put on the ticket. The preferred candidate was also an Osun State-level executive for the party. So, I was a spoiler for them for coming into their system, plus I had the governorship candidate’s backing.
The back and forth was long, but we had to conduct a primary election, which I won. Now, after a primary, the party has to send your name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), but my name was never sent. Instead, it was that of my opponent. Because of this incident, I decided that I’d no longer be a party member.
Wow, so sorry. I hope this hasn’t changed your mind about politics?
Yes, I will likely join another political party. I’ve had offers from the two leading parties in Nigeria (PDP and APC) to join them. I consider this recognition as one of the good things that came out of this past election. In my constituency, many people know me; I’m no longer a stranger. I was also able to sell myself to a lot of people. So now, I have my supporter base and people that would like me to contest again.
Those are the few positives from everything that happened. I’m hoping we can get to a point in Nigeria where we can comfortably and confidently say elections are free, fair, and credible. But at the moment, we don’t have one. I believe, however, that we’re moving in the right direction. Especially because you can now check for over-voting, thanks to the Bi-Modal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
Things are getting better. And I hope they can keep getting better. We can’t give up. Not yet, anyway.
Psst. I need your help making Abroad Life the very best series it can be. If you have a great story for us, can you take two minutes tops to fill this form? You’re the best!
Alex Otti, Abia State governor-elect from Labour Party (LP)
But what does his portfolio look like? What are his plans for the Abia people?
Let’s dive in:
The Alex Otti portfolio
We can break up much of Otti’s life into two main segments: Otti as a banker and as a politician:
Otti the Banker
Otti was one you could call an ‘efiko’, having graduated with a first-class degree in Economics from the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT).
He also got a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Lagos (UNILAG). He took courses in reputable schools like Columbia Business School, Wharton Business School, amongst others.
Otti started his banking career in 1989 with the Nigeria International Bank before moving to Nigerian Intercontinental Merchant Bank Ltd.
He also joined Societe Bancaire Nigeria Limited (Merchant bankers) in 1992. After this, he moved to the United Bank of Africa (UBA) as the principal manager overseeing the bank’s corporate banking sector for the south division.
In 2001, he was Assistant General Manager at First Bank. In 2011, he resigned from First Bank Nigeria to Diamond bank as the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer.
He later retired from the banking sector in 2014.
Otti, the Politician
Alex Otti came into national prominence in 2015 following controversies around the Abia state elections that year.
Otti was declared the Abia State governor-elect in April 2015. This was after the Court of Appeal reversed Okezie Ikpeazu’s declaration as governor and nullified his votes. Otti contested under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) then and beat Ikpeazu with 164,444 votes, who got 144,444 votes.
But things took a U-turn when on February 3, 2016, the Supreme Court reversed their decision on Ikpeazu and re-declared him governor of Abia State. The court struck out Otti’s appeal for “not having merit.”
In his interview with ThisDay, Otti says that the people of Abia State can expect the following from him if he is elected as governor:
Good governance:
Otti plans to give more public servants training in technology-based skills to increase productivity. He has also promised more partnerships with local trade unions, chambers of commerce, industry and agriculture, community development associations and town unions.
Rule of Law:
The Otti-led government aims to provide technology to aid the judiciary in the judicial process and decongesting courts.
He also plans to use alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms for commercial and minor cases.
Economic development
Otti seems very enthusiastic about using the key mineral resources in Abia to gain wealth for the state.
He states, “ We have ceramic, quality clay, kaolin, bentonite, limestone, phosphate, copper, lead, zinc, gypsum, and other solid minerals that can yield revenue in local and foreign currencies to the state. The present situation is that these minerals are being mined without control and care for the environment, resulting in erosion and other negative impacts on the environment.
A coal mine in Abia state [Foreign Investment Network]
We will structure mining activities in the state to enable us extract full value; create jobs, collect revenues and ensure that the environment is not permanently harmed, introduce the use of technology to regulate and monitor the activities of miners, to ensure that they are operating strictly according to the terms of their respective permits.”
In breaking news, former Nigeria Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, and his wife, Beatrice, have been found guilty of conspiring to traffic a Nigerian to the UK to harvest his kidney.
Ekweremadu and his wife were charged with conspiracy to arrange the travel of another person with a view to exploitation, namely organ harvesting, in June 2022. The kidney to be harvested was for the child of the former lawmaker.
Here’s what we know about him.
Who is Ike Ekweremadu?
Ekweremadu is a Nigerian lawyer and politician from Enugu state. He became Deputy Senate President (DSP) under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He was in that position for three consecutive senate assemblies, the sixth, seventh and eighth. In June 2019, he tried again to run as DSP. He lost to Ovie Omo-Agege of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
How did Ekweremadu find himself in an organ trafficking scandal?
In June 2022, news broke that Ekweremadu had been arrested concerning organ trafficking in the UK. A jury found that Ekweremadu, his wife, Beatrice, and Dr Obinna Obeta facilitated a young man’s travel to Britain. He was a 21-year-old Lagos street trader whose kidney they planned to use for their daughter, Sonia, who suffered a kidney disease that made her drop out of a Master’s degree in film at Newcastle University.
[The Ekweremadus / The Guardian]
According to The Guardian, in February 2022, the unnamed man (for legal reasons) was falsely presented to a private renal unit at Royal Free hospital in London as Sonia’s cousin in a failed attempt to persuade medics to carry out an £80,000 transplant.
For a fee, a medical secretary at the hospital acted as an Igbo translator between the man and the doctors to help convince them he was offering his kidney willingly.
The prosecutor Hugh Davies KC told the court that the Ekweremadus and Obeta had treated the man and other potential donors as “disposable assets – spare parts for reward”. He said they entered an “emotionally cold commercial transaction” with the man.
The prosecutor argued that what the Ekweramadus did was “exploitation and criminal” and that it was not a defence to say he did it out of love for his daughter at the exploitation of someone in poverty.
Ekweramadu and Obeta denied the charges, arguing they fell victim to a scam.
WhatsApp evidence presented at the court showed that Dr Obeta charged ₦4.5 million to facilitate the procedure.
What next?
The court found the Ekweremadus and their doctor guilty. However, their daughter Sonia was found not guilty. The verdict is considered the first under the UK’s Modern Slavery Act. Sentencing will be passed on May 5, 2023.
That’s when we will know what their punishment will be. According to the Act, the couple could get anything between a twelve-month sentence to life imprisonment.
According to the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, the Federal Government of Nigeria comprises three distinct branches: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial.
The executive is the President, Governors, and Commissioners; the legislature is lawmakers at the national and state levels; and the judiciary is the court.
The people selected to fill these seats are considered Nigeria’s top citizens.
Here are the five highest-ranking Nigerian citizens:
The President
The President serves as the first citizen in every country, and Nigeria isn’t left out.
He also occupies the highest position, The Grand Commander of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (GCFR), as well as the Commander in Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces. The president’s family is regarded as the first in the country.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the current President of Nigeria.
The Vice President
The Vice President is the second citizen of Nigeria. He serves as the ‘substitute president’ in case the president-elect is incapacitated or, in a worst-case scenario, dead.
Think of it like football players substituting in a match.
The Vice President’s title is Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON). Note that the same rules and regulations apply at the state level.
Kashim Shettima currently serves in this position.
Senate President
The Senate President is number three in the hierarchy of Nigerian citizens. He is the head of the National Assembly, and he presides over the Senate arm of government.
The 1999 Constitution permits the Senate President to take over if the Vice President is incapacitated or deceased. If, for some reason, both the President and Vice-president are incapable of leading, the Senate President will step in temporarily.
The Senate has 109 members, of whom 108 are elected for four-year terms in 36 three-seat constituencies, which correspond to the country’s 36 states. One member is selected in the single-seat constituency of the federal capital.
Godswill Akpabio is the current Senate president.
Speaker of the House of Representatives
The speaker of the House of Representatives is the number four citizen in Nigeria. The speaker of the house presides over the lower chambers of the legislative arm of government, and his title is Office of the Order of the Niger (OON).
The House of Representatives (HoR) has 360 members elected for four years in single-seat constituencies. The HoR is the larger of the two chambers that make up the National Assembly but is the lower-ranking of both.
Tajudeen Abbas is the current speaker of the House.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) is the number five citizen in Nigeria. He presides over the Supreme Court and the National Judicial Council.
Interestingly, the Chief Justice can never be removed from power except by death, retirement or impeachment by the Senate.
Deputy Senate President of Nigeria
The Deputy Senate President is the sixth most important citizen in Nigeria. He is also the second most important person in the Nigerian Senate. He serves in the absence of the Senate President. The Deputy Senate President is usually chosen through an indirect vote.
Jibrin Barau is the current Deputy Senate President of Nigeria.
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives
Benjamin Kalu is the Deputy Speaker and the second most important personality in the House of Representatives.
He serves as the Speaker of the House of Representatives when absent. He is chosen by the majority of the House in an indirect election.
Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of Nigeria
Two hats are worn in this position: the minister of Justice and the Attorney General of Nigeria. He provides legal advice to the federal government, defends Nigeria in court, and defends Nigerian citizens from arbitrary executive actions.
The current Attorney-General of Nigeria and Minister of Justice is Abubakar Malami. He will remain in office until July 28, when Tinubu will announce his cabinet.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation
He is in charge of directing the agreement and execution of federal policy, as well as coordinating federal ministries, departments, and agencies. George Akume currently holds the position.
Head of the Civil Service of Nigeria
This is the person who manages the workforce of the Federal Civil Service to guarantee their commitment, focus, and discipline in assisting the Federal Government in carrying out policies and programmes.
Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan is the current Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
National Security Adviser
As the name suggests, this person has a direct line of communication with the President, advising him on all matters relating to national security. Examples of these matters include advising the president on solutions regarding the intelligence activities of terrorist networks.
The National Security Adviser serves as a national representative on such issues in the Federal Executive Council, National Security Council, and Presidency.
Nuhu Ribadu currently holds the position.
You can be part of Zikoko Citizen’s cool community that talks about politics, governance and policies. Join the tribe here.
March 18, 2023, marked the official end of the governorship and state assembly elections, and so far, many lessons have been learnt.
Unfortunately, for many people, the conduct and results of these elections have further made them lose faith in Nigeria’s electoral process. Some people have resorted to burning their Nigerian passports and Permanent Voter Card (PVC) to show their disappointment in the system.
It’s understandable that you feel some type of way regarding the recently held elections. However, it is important that you do not go the extreme route while reacting to the drama.
But, we should hold onto hope as we can bring about the change we want, and the best place to start this is at the grassroots level.
The local government, also called the grassroots government, is the first medium of bringing democracy to the people. It’s one of the most effective ways to build trust between the government and citizens; to create a system that works.
Nigeria has 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs), each headed by an elected Chairman, and it’s time that we give these elections as much attention as we would the presidential and state elections. Why? The LGA is directly responsible for many utilities that affect our quality of life, for instance, the construction and maintenance of roads.
And you might not know this, but elections for the LGA Chairmanship are conducted not by The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) but by the State’s Electoral Commissions.
The State governments determine the election cycles for the LGAs.
So, what is the procedure for electing an LGA Chairman?
Have a Senior Secondary School Certificate (SSCE) or its equivalent
Be a member of a political party and be sponsored by it also.
Pay a non-refundable sum of ₦200,000 to the State Commission
Be a registered voter with a copy of your PVC as issued by INEC
Have evidence of tax payment as far back as three years before the election year
The following things can disqualify you from contesting for the seat the LGA Chairman:
According to Section 28 of the Nigerian constitution, you’ll be declared ineligible if you’ve voluntarily acquired citizenship of a country other than Nigeria.
If you’re a member of a secret society
If you’ve been declared mentally unstable under any law in any part of Nigeria
If you’ve been given the death sentence by any Nigerian court or tribunal
If you’ve been declared bankrupt under any law in force in any part of Nigeria
If you’ve been dismissed from the Public Service of the local, state or federal government.
Candidate nomination
It’s not enough that you’re eligible to contest for the Chairmanship of an LGA. You must be nominated, in writing, by 20 registered voters from all wards in your constituency.
Also, the nomination form must be submitted 20 days before the election date at the place appointed by the State Commission.
Appointment of electoral officers
As in the previously conducted presidential and state elections on February 25 and March 18, 2023, electoral officers will be appointed to coordinate the state commission’s activities in each LGA. Ad-hoc staff such as Returning Officers, Poll Clerks, Presiding Officers and many more will also be appointed for the smooth running of the polls.
Voter Eligibility
To be eligible to vote, you must:
Have a PVC
Be a registered voter in the constituency or ward of the LGA
On the day of the election, you’ll once again be accredited using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), after which you’ll be given a ballot paper to cast your vote.
Election and declaration of the winner
If only one candidate is nominated, the Commission extends the nomination time by seven days. However, a poll will be conducted if no other person steps forward. But this time, instead of voting for political parties, the ballot would be either “Yes” or “No”; if the candidate has more yes votes, they would be declared the winner.
But in situations with more than one nomination, the candidate with the majority votes, and at least 25% in at least two-thirds of the wards, will be declared the winner.
So, while our spirits may be low right now with grassroots politics, we still have a fighting chance to birth the kind of Nigeria we want.
The presidential election may be done. But the outcome is far from concluded — going by the latest petitions filed at the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja.
In separate suits, four presidential candidates approached the tribunal on March 21, 2023, to nullify INEC’s declaration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu (BAT), as the winner of the presidential election.
In law, a person who presents a petition to a court is known as a petitioner. The person against whom the petition is filed is known as the respondent. The four petitioners in this suit are Atiku Abubakar and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); Peter Obi and the Labour Party (LP); Solomon Okangbuan of Action Alliance (AA); and Chichi Ojei of the Allied People’s Movement (APM).
Here’s what we know about the petitions.
AA
The AA’s petition called on the tribunal to void the election. It claimed its candidate, Hamza Al-Mustapha, was excluded by INEC.
APM
The APM petitioned that BAT, at the time of the election, was not qualified to contest the election under the provisions of sections 131(c) and 142 of the Constitution and section 35 of the Electoral Act 2022.
Section 131 of the Constitution deals with qualifications for the president’s office. Section 142 covers the nomination of the vice president. For Section 35 of the Electoral Act, it covers the invalidity of multiple nominations. The APM claims that Shettima’s nomination as running mate is invalid because he was already nominated for a senatorial seat.
LP
The LP spokesperson Yunusa Tanko describing its petition, said, “We are challenging the qualifications of the candidate that was declared the winner. We are also challenging the processes that led to his declaration as the winner, among others.”
The LP’s 99-page petition asked the tribunal to grant it relief based on the following prayers, (prayers are what the petitioner wants the court to give them at the end of the case), the summary of which is:
BAT and his vice, Kashim Shettima, were not qualified to contest the election. The bases of this claim include BAT’s alleged links to narcotics. It also challenges Shettima’s running mate nomination while being the Borno Central constituency’s senatorial candidate.
Following the first prayer, the second respondent, BAT, received “wasted votes” because he wasn’t qualified to contest;
After removing these wasted votes, Obi scored a majority of votes and met the criteria of 25% of votes in two-thirds of the states in the federation and the Federal Capital Territory. According to INEC, Obi came third with 6,101,533 votes;
Because BAT didn’t get 25% of votes in the FCT, he shouldn’t have been declared the winner;
Alternatively, the court should disqualify BAT and order fresh elections in which BAT and Shettima will not participate;
The certificate of return issued to BAT by INEC is null and void, and Obi should be declared the winner.
The LP’s suit also claimed overvoting in ten states and faulted INEC for not uploading results directly from the polling units to IReV, which it claims contravenes the Electoral Act 2022.
Depending on where you stand, the petition is either very solid — as Obi supporters claim—
It’s not just the DEA that have a case with him. IRS, FBI would also be involved.
Deloitte would also have to give their testimony. University would also be summoned to testify.
A good media team would ensure this is frontline in all global media. It’s already a developing… https://t.co/x9T5vcZ7NI
—or easily dismantled, as BAT supporters would argue. Either way, the presidential election tribunal has a busy few weeks ahead.
PDP
PDP’s petition listed INEC, Tinubu and APC as respondents. Essentially, the PDP is also asking the court to nullify BAT’s victory.
Atiku, through his team of lawyers led by Mr Joe Kyari Gadzama, SAN, further argued that Tinubu’s election was invalid because of corrupt practices. Atiku applied for the withdrawal of the Certificate of Return issued to Tinubu by INEC because it was “invalid by reason of non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022”.
According to INEC, Atiku Abubakar came second, polling 6,984,520 votes. A date is yet to be set for when the petitions will be heard.
How has the APC reacted?
In a series of tweets this morning, the official spokesperson for the APC Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo, said the issues raised in the petitions will be “busted by law lords.”
We will update you on how this plays out in the coming days. Meanwhile, follow us on our WhatsApp channel below to stay informed about happenings within Nigeria’s political space.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) collation of results for the 2023 gubernatorial election ends today, March 21, 2023.
Here is a summary of how the top parties won, the incumbent governors that have been re-elected into power, and the parties that still control off-cycle election states:
The Kebbi governorship election is declared inconclusive by INEC due to overvoting in 20 out of 21 LGs.
Adamawa governorship election has also been declared inconclusive by INEC. It is expected that there’d be a rerun election.
Which party led the race?
Apart from the four states where INEC suspended collation, Governors have been declared across the remaining 24 states. The All Progressives Congress won 15 states, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) won eight states and the New Nigeria Party (NNPP) with one state (Kano).
Which states had their incumbent governors reelected?
Eleven incumbent governors ran for re-election in Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ogun, Oyo, Yobe and Zamfara. However, only six states had their incumbent governors re-elected into power. They are:
Sanwo-Olu, the incumbent governor and APC candidate in Lagos state, has been reelected governor in Nigeria’s commercial capital with 762,134 votes, thereby beating his rival, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party. This was amidst allegations of voter suppression.
Ogun State – Dapo Abiodun
Incumbent governor and APC candidate of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, won his re-election with 276,298 votes to emerge the winner of the keenly contested election. Ladi Adebutu of the PDP came second with 262,383 votes.
Mai Mala Buni has been re-elected Governor of Yobe State, winning in all 17 local government areas of the state with a total of 317,113 votes.
The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Sharif Abdulahi, came a distant second with a total score of 104,259.
Nasarawa State – Abdullahi Sule
Sule of the All Progressives Congress (APC) acquired 347,209 votes to beat his closest contender, David Ombugadu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who got 283,016 votes.
How many off-cycle election states does each party rule?
Only 28 states participated in the 2023 governorship elections. The remaining eight states (Anambra, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Osun, and Ondo) will hold theirs later. This is due to a different election cycle usually caused by litigations.
However, this means that certain states will maintain their party strongholds. Let’s see how many states each major political party in Nigeria still has:
All Progressives Congress (APC) (4)
The APC holds power in these off-cycle states – Ekiti, Imo, Kogi and Ondo.
This means that Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti), Hope Uzodinma (Imo), Yahaya Bello (Kogi), and Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo) would all get to keep their seats as governors — in the meantime.
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) (3)
Bayelsa, Edo and Osun are under the PDP and will not hold elections. Douye Diri, Godwin Obaseki and Ademola Adeleke, respectively, are still governors of these states.
All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) (1)
Only Anambra State under the All Progressives Grand Alliance would not hold elections. Anambra is also the only state in Nigeria that the party controls. Charles Soludo remains governor of Anambra State.
How many states do the parties control overall?
If one adds up the states won from elections to the states a party still rules due to off-cycle polls, here are the results:
The All Progressives Congress (APC) now controls 19 states in Nigeria.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has a stronghold in 11 states.
The New Nigeria People Party (NNPP) now rules Kano State, beating the incumbent APC.
The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) maintains dominance in Anambra state.
Thank you for following the 2023 governorship and state assembly election coverage with us. Learn more about politics, governance and policies and be a part of a cool community by joining our WhatsApp community here.
You might hate me for this, but Nigeria’s president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, gives off main character energy.
He has faced and defeated many opps to win on February 25: angry Gen-Zs on social media, nosy journalists who wanted to know his wealth’s source, and disloyalty from members of his camp.
While he was his biggest opp, he has taught many of us that it doesn’t matter if you make public gaffes or have an endless list of controversies; there will still be people who believe in you enough to give you the highest political seat in the country.
If we were in a movie, Tinubu’s presidential win would be his “happily ever after”, but things are playing out quite differently in the real world as it seems some Nigerians and world leaders are not acknowledging his success the way he wants.
It’s customary for current world leaders to welcome new leaders into their fold. So far, President Emmanuel Macron of France, Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and President Julius Bio of Sierra Leone, among others, have congratulated Tinubu.
But, there’s unrest in Tinubu’s camp because the United States President, Joe Biden, is yet to call or send a message congratulating the president-elect. Although the US Department of State Spokesperson, Ned Price, sent his congratulations while also pointing out the need for a better electoral process, the agitations in the All Progressives Congress (APC) camp remains because it’s deemed customary for America’s allies to be officially congratulated by the President.
The APC’s Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) are demanding that Joe Biden call Tinubu, especially given the long-standing relationship between the two countries. Former lawmaker, Shehu Sani, has also advised the American President to at least send a WhatsApp message to the president-elect.
It’s getting amusing how after the hustle Tinubu put into winning at the polls, he now has to struggle with a lack of acknowledgement from world leaders. Someone said, “Tinubu campaigned for votes. He’s also campaigning for congratulations”
What else happened this week?
Uber driver gets ₦5 million compensation
If you remember, during the first anniversary of the #EndSars protest, there was a viral video of police officers assaulting an Uber driver.
BREAKING: Court Orders Lagos State Government, Nigeria Police To Pay N5 Million As Compensation To Uber Driver Assaulted During 2021 EndSARS Anniversary
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, ordered the Lagos State Government and the Nigeria Police pic.twitter.com/t4v5Gym3bs
The driver, Mr Clement, was going to drop off a passenger from Lagos island to the mainland when he encountered a protest at the toll gate disrupted by the police. Teargas canisters were being thrown to disperse the crowd, and Clement abandoned his car on the street, running for his life. When he returned to pick up his car, he was accosted and maltreated by the police, who tried to force him into a Black Maria.
Luckily, people were around while this happened, and they made a video of this incident. There was public outrage over what happened, but it didn’t end there this time. A human-rights lawyer, Mr Inibehe Effiong, took up the case and sued the Nigerian Police, the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Agency, the Attorney General of Lagos, and the Lagos State Government.
And thankfully, this is one of the few times where legal steps worked. On March 14, 2023, the court ruled in favour of the victim and awarded him the sum of ₦5 million in damages for violating his rights to dignity.
Video of the week
All is not bad with Nigeria. There are those who still want to be referred to as Nigerians. Incase you want to become one of us, you should know the things listed in this video. We have more interesting stuff like this video on our page. So follow us #zkkcitizenpic.twitter.com/sM0cQ3HlHx
The Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Sunday Dare, has revealed that the federal government is considering increasing youth corp members’ allowances to celebrate the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) at 50. What should the new NYSC allowance be?
Ehen one more thing…
On March 13, 2023, the CBN finally approved using old banknotes until December 31, 2023. But do you remember the reason behind the old notes leaving in the first place? Here’s why
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) collation of results for the 2023 gubernatorial election has officially started across 28 states in Nigeria. Here are the results declared:
Seyi Makinde is re-elected governor of Oyo State
Seyi Makinde, the PDP candidate in Oyo state has been declared the winner of the 2023 gubernatorial race in the state. This is with 435,026 votes. This would be Seyi Makinde’s second term as governor of Oyo State.
He is also the only G5 governor that didn’t lose his election.
Sanwo-Olu wins Lagos re-election bid
Governor Jide Sanwo-Olu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), secured his re-election bid after winning 18 out of 19 local governments declared so far.
In Eti-Osa, results are yet to be collated. Voting has been postponed in one of the key polling units (VGC) due to last-minute logistical changes from INEC.
Rhodes-Vivour wins Amuwo-Odofin LGA
Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party (LP) won the Amuwo-Odofin LGA of Lagos State.
You look like Igbo we will not allow you vote Govt thugs threatened Yoruba woman @Sisi_Yemmie who came out to vote in Lagos. Igbos were stopped from exercising their political will. pic.twitter.com/6c1V3WkcGH
There may be a post-election court tribunal for Lagos State
Yesterday, Rhodes-Vivour went on Twitter to reassure supporters that their votes will be rightfully defended. In Nigeria, we know there’s only one way you can do that – in a court of law.
Every vote cast for me was done in the face of intimidation and risk of personal harm. Every such vote must count. Defending every one of those votes is a sacred duty. I will defend your votes – this is my vow to every LP voter.
Polls have closed across the 28 states participating in Nigeria’s 2023 governorship and state assembly elections on March 18, 2023 — except for where INEC postponed polls.
While we await INEC’s official collation and announcement, here are some interesting data points to note:
There are a lot of old governorship candidates
To become a Nigerian governor, candidates must be at least 30 years of age — but the statistics from Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) show the average governorship candidate age as 51. Those seeking re-election just happen to be around 58.
Yup, this old.
Two hundred and seventeen (217) governorship candidates are between 51 and 65 years old. The oldest governorship candidate, Abdulraheem Shuaibu Oba of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in Kwara state, is 74 years old. The youngest candidates, 20 of them, are only 35 years old.
So, your new governor is likely a 50-year-old moonlighting as a youth.
Nigeria could have its first elected female governor
That trend doesn’t seem to change anytime soon, as only 25 of 417 candidates for the governorship elections are women. And their chances don’t look good against their male counterparts.
However, there seems to be a solid female candidate from Adamawa, Aishatu “Binani” Dahiru of the All Progressives Congress (APC). If all goes well, she could very well be Nigeria’s first female governor. And that could inspire more female participation in Nigerian politics.
The G5 governors were a group of five governors of the People’s Democratic Party who were beefing with Atiku’s candidacy as president. This was due to their belief that zoning for the presidential candidacy should have come from the South instead of the North.
Enugu’s Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Abia’s Okezie Ikpeazu and Benue’s Samuel Ortom lost their senatorial bids. And their ringleader, Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, is not even on the ballot.
You thought I’ll be part abi? Dey play.
Now all eyes are now on Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde. Would he win or lose his re-election bid? Only time will tell.
As of 9:45 p.m. yesterday, Stears observed results pouring in from various parts of the country. For instance, 75% of Oyo state’s polling units have reported. In Enugu, it’s 79%, while Lagos and Rivers are at 55% and 62%, respectively.
Now result uploads have hit a 77.4% average completion rate. Oyo State results are currently at a 94.7% completion rate. However, no state or LGA gubernatorial candidate has been declared the winner yet.
Lagos results could come in slower than the others
As of yesterday, INEC postponed elections in 8 polling units in the Victoria Garden City (VGC) area of Lagos State until today.
Thus, we expect Lagos State results will come in later.
As of 7 p.m. today, March 18, 2023, polls across the country have started to close for the 2023 governorship and state assembly elections, with results and reports from various polling units trickling in.
Here are updates across Nigeria:
Thugs snatch ballot boxes in Rivers state
An observer in the Zikoko Citizen network reported that unidentified individuals snatched a ballot box at PU22 Ward 14, Obio Akpor LGA, Rivers State.
Polling unit update: Undue influence on INEC officials as unidentified persons took the ballot boxes away at the PU 22 Ward 14, Obio Akpor LGA, Rivers state. pic.twitter.com/8NGzGXB4sK
Local government areas such as Dala and Goron Dutse in Kano state have experienced high levels of thuggery and vote buying, with the food-for-vote taking place in some places, according to HumAngle media.
Government girls school polling unit, Goron Dutse, Kano.
Heated arguments breaking out at a large collection of polling units, with young men finding fault with how INEC officials are conducting the election. Witnesses say vote buying very prevalent. #NigeriaDecides2023pic.twitter.com/UXl0eRHkwb
Vote buying in Bakin Ruwa ward, Dala LGA, Kano, Northwest Nigeria. An electorate shows cloths, and foodstuff given to him in exchange for a vote. #NigeriaDecides2023pic.twitter.com/BOIjXZXkDi
No fewer than 65 people were arrested across the country for voter inducement, according to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Political agents arrested for vote buying [PUNCH newspapers]
Political thugs, soldiers harass journalists
An Arise TV reporter was injured by political thugs, while drones and other equipment were seized. This was at a polling unit at the Oba Elegushi palace.
A journalist with News Central, Amadin Uyi, was also harassed by soldiers while making a video of a moving army vehicle.
Low voter turnout across Lagos — INEC postpones polls
There were reported cases of low voter turnout across Lekki and Ikorodu polling units and other places. This is due to high voter intimidation and suppression reported across Lagos state.
The Independent National Electoral Commission also postponed governorship and state house assembly elections across eight polling units in VGC, Lagos, to March 19, 2023, at 8:30 a.m.
This was because voters refused to cast their ballots after the location of their polling units were changed from within the VGC Estate to the outside of it. The reason for this was for fear of disruption by hoodlums.
Fire razes another Borno market
Borno’s largest market, Monday Market, was razed during the presidential elections. We thought we heard the last of it — until today when parts of the Gamboru market burned down as voting activities were ongoing.
The fire was said to have started in the cookware section of the market.
Fire Razes Another Borno Market
Fire razed down parts of the Second Market in the metropolis, Gamboru Market, in Borno State on Saturday.
This comes exactly three weeks after a fire completely destroyed the state's largest market, Monday Market, pic.twitter.com/d8KASQxWFa
Sanwo-Olu and Jandor win their polling units in Lagos. GRV loses
The incumbent governor of Lagos State, Sanwo-Olu, won his polling unit in Lagos Island with 121 votes, leaving his contestants, Gbadebo Rhodes Vivour and Abdulazeez Adediran (Jandor), with two and one votes, respectively.
PDP contestant for Lagos State governorship, Abdulazeez Adeniran (Jandor) won his polling unit in Ojo Local Government Area with 79 votes.
Sanwo-Olu got 66 votes, while Rhodes-Vivour only got one.
GRV wasn’t as lucky, however. Sanwo-Olu beat his Labour Party opponent on his turf (polling unit). This was with 29 votes to 18 votes which the LP candidate won.
Be sure to get the latest coverage on the 2023 gubernatorial elections right here on Citizen! If you want to be part of the conversation, you can join our community here.
The 2023 gubernatorial elections have kicked off across 28 states in Nigeria today. States like Anambra, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Ondo and Osun States won’t have elections today, as they operate a different cycle.
Also holding today are the Esan Central/Esan West/Igueben Federal Constituency election halted during the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly polls. This resulted from the omission of the Labour Party logo and that of the Enugu East Senatorial District, which was shifted following the killing of Oyibo Chukwu, the party’s candidate in the district, on February 22.
Here are the updates so far:
Violence in Lagos State
Voters in several parts of Lagos State have complained of harassment and intimidation by political party agents and thugs.
No one can intimidate me!! I have every right to carry out my duty No amount of abuse or vitriol will work.. You are a public servant!! I have taken note of all your thugs!! pic.twitter.com/XeUJ6M3RzN
A Twitter user (@omoelerinjare) claims that his uncle was attacked with his ear bleeding in the Desa Ibeju Lekki polling unit for refusing to vote for the APC.
A voter with his polling unit in Ibeju-Lekki High School, Lagos, also said, “APC thugs just finished beating me now in my polling unit, 007 Ibeju 1, at the premises of Ibeju High School, Ibeju-Lekki Lagos. They were chasing everyone they feel will vote for LP. I intervened and they descended on me and started beating me.”
“They were 13 thugs that were beating me. The thugs dragged me out of the premises and dragged other LP voters in my PU out. They smashed my phone. Agberos have taken over the polling units in Ibeju.”
APC thugs just finished beating me now in my polling unit, 007 Ibeju 1, at the premises of Ibeju High School, Ibeju-Lekki Lagos. They were chasing everyone they feel will vote for LP. I intervened and they descended on me and started beating me.
At Ward E3, St Stephen’s School, Adeniji Adele, Lagos Island, the incumbent governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu made his way to vote at around 10 a.m. He was seen to be ‘calming down his supporters.’
At 11 a.m., Citizen learnt that security operatives killed a voter as thugs, allegedly sponsored by the PDP, attempted to disrupt voting in Gboko South at polling units 026 and 004 of Benue state.
Other states seem to be peaceful
Other states, such as Kwara and Delta, are seeing peaceful voting process so far.
Be sure to get the latest coverage on the 2023 gubernatorial elections right here on Citizen! If you want to be part of the conversation, you can join our community here.
Over 200,000 corps members were deployed as INEC ad-hoc staff during the 2023 general elections. They play a crucial role in the process, manning polling units, handling electoral materials and making sure every vote counts. This story is a first-person account of events from one of these corps members, who worked as a Presiding Officer in the February 25 presidential election in Osun state.
I’m a big fan of accountability and good governance. I believe elections matter. I don’t have a Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC), but I figured it shouldn’t stop me from participating in the 2023 general elections. As a serving corps member, I could sign up as an INEC ad-hoc staff. This way, I could ensure votes cast mattered at my polling unit. So I registered, did the mandatory training, and like everyone else, I looked forward to the elections.
INEC promised ad-hoc staff three things — welfare, security and due process. They barely delivered on any. On the eve of the elections, I found my way to the Registration Area Centre (RAC) per instructions. All electoral officials would spend the night there, get the election materials the following morning and make for our polling units.
The RAC was a secondary school. But I didn’t imagine all the rooms in the school would be mosquito-infested. The least INEC could’ve done was fumigate one or two rooms in the building they kept us in. And it didn’t help that the closest thing to sleeping materials the commission provided were a bunch of mats. They weren’t even enough for the corps members who signed up to work during the elections.
We survived the night, but this was a sign of things to come.
On election day, I got my materials and set out to the polling unit. One of the first things I noticed was my polling unit was short of an electoral officer. During the training in the months leading up to the election, they told us each polling unit would be managed by a Presiding Officer (PO) and three Assistant Presiding Officers (APOs).
However, we didn’t have an APO 3 – whose role is to control the queue of voters – in my polling unit. As I found out hours later, the same thing happened across other polling units in my ward. This was interesting because when I checked the ad-hoc staff directory, each polling unit had an APO 3 assigned to them.
Something had happened.
It turned out the names I saw didn’t exist. The Supervising Presiding Officers (SPO) filled the APO 3 roles with ghost workers. Essentially, the government will pay for people who don’t exist and didn’t do any work.
I wonder where the money will go.
Back to my polling unit.
An APO 3’s job is to manage the conduct of voters and maintain orderliness in the polling unit. Without one, we were short-staffed. Thankfully, the party agents and young people in the unit helped us to control the queue. It could’ve been worse.
Remember that they promised us security, too. We got an elderly policeman who couldn’t do much, and we felt exposed the whole time.
One of my friends at a different polling unit had a scarier experience. Some thugs came, fired a few shots in the air and asked her to think through returning for the forthcoming House of Assembly elections.
If anyone wished to attack us, they would’ve been successful.
At different times during the election, the party agents came in clusters to discuss with the voters. They asked the voters for their account numbers, promising to send them some money if they voted for a particular party or candidate. It looked a lot like vote buying.
INEC instructed us to look out for vote buying and stop it, but only if it happened close to the voting area. If it didn’t, they asked us not to interfere in the process, especially if it might put us at a security risk.
With this in mind, all we could do was stay on the sidelines and do our jobs — the only thing we could control.
In my friend’s polling unit, someone came and distributed prepaid ATM cards — they work the same way gift cards and vouchers do — to the voters. Each card was loaded with a sum and whoever got one only needed to activate the card at an ATM machine to access the money.
By the end of the voting process, I knew one thing — the cash scarcity didn’t stop vote buying.
But this wasn’t the last of the irregularities I witnessed.
I’ve seen a couple of complaints online about manipulated results and people blaming us corps members for it. From my experience, Presiding Officers are pawns in whatever chess game INEC staff are playing. It’s not far-fetched to say that some Presiding Officers were forced to countersign fabricated results.
In my polling unit, we accredited 288 people, but 287 people voted, which meant someone left without voting. I didn’t think this was a problem. The rule states that the number of votes cast cannot exceed the number of accredited voters. So we were good.
However, the INEC official I reported to at the collation centre didn’t think so. They asked me to stamp an unused ballot and record it as an invalid vote. Subsequently, they adjusted the numbers so that we could have equal numbers of accredited voters and actual voters.
While this didn’t mess with the actual results, it rubbed me the wrong way because I was forced to sign off on the change they made.
I’m glad the federal part is over. I signed up to participate in the next set of elections, but now, I’m wondering if it’s a good idea. I hope INEC is more prepared this time around.
The gubernatorial and state House of Assembly elections are almost upon us. In less than one day, on March 18, 2023, voters will determine whether to reward some politicians with another four years or give way to a new administration.
For Lagosians, the state elections are particularly interesting due to the upset previously caused by the Labour Party (LP) during the presidential elections on February 25, 2023.
For example, although Lagos was supposedly a stronghold of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate and now president-elect Bola Tinubu, he lost the state to the LP presidential candidate, Peter Obi. The LP also won the House of Representatives seats in the Eti-Osa, Amuwo-Odofin and Oshodi-Isolo II federal constituencies.
Therefore, it won’t be surprising if we get shocking results at the polls. So, here are five constituencies to watch out for on March 18.
Surulere I
The current representative for the Surulere Constituency I is a Nollywood actor turned politician, Desmond Elliot. He’s a member of the APC and has been in an endless battle with the Gen-Zs since his comments during the #EndSars protests.
Lagos lawmaker, Desmond Elliot (@DesmondOElliot), on the recent events in Lagos and Nigeria:
"Social media has its negative impact." * "Please celebrities, social media influencers, stop the hatred already." pic.twitter.com/L0rrLtAO6S
A significant threat to his re-election is the LP candidate, Olumide Owuru, a Nollywood actor and a political greenhorn. To get on the good side of the electorate, the APC candidate has stepped up his game from gifting his constituents wooden bridges to providing them with brand-new transformers.
If we had elections every year, Nigeria would become more developed than Japan.
Eti-Osa II
The Eti-Osa Federal Constituency made the news in the last general elections on February 25, when the LP candidate, Thaddeus Attah, defeated PDP candidate Bankole Wellington, who was expected to win.
The incumbent representative for the Eti-Osa Constituency II in the State House of Assembly is Gbolahan Yishawu of the APC. But should we expect another upset from this constituency by the LP candidate, Fangnon Gbemi, on March 18?
Ikorodu II
The APC candidate for this constituency is Abiodun Moshood, who was formerly a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). After winning the APC primaries, Hon. Olarenwaju Oshin, Chairman of the PDP Local Council Development Area (LCDA) in Ikorodu, alleged that Abiodun was still a member of the PDP.
A case was filed in court against the APC aspirant, but it was dismissed on the grounds of no evidence. The odds favour Abiodun winning the State Assembly elections for the forthcoming elections.
Amuwo Odofin I
The PDP has been facing trying times in the Lagos State House of Assembly. In 2019, the last PDP member in the house, Dipo Olorunrinu representing Amuwo Odofin Constituency, defected to the APC.
This year, the PDP can take back this constituency with their candidate, Davies Alaba Emmanuel. However, it would take a miracle to defeat the APC candidate, Foloruso Olaitan.
Oshodi/Isolo II
The Eti-Osa federal constituency wasn’t the only one that shocked Lagosians with its results. The same thing was witnessed in the Oshodi/Isolo constituency when APC’s Prince Lanre Sanusi lost over 33,000 votes to LP’s George Adegeye.
Will the LP candidate for the State Assembly, Obanufin Shehu, continue the party’s winning streak in the constituency, or will he lose the seat to APC’s Ajomale Oluyinka?
We’ll be bringing you live election coverage and fact-checks of the state elections around the country. You can get live updates and follow election results using this page.
Sports enthusiasts may be familiar with the term “flat-track bully.” It originally comes from cricket but has crept into regular usage. It’s a term that describes a sportsperson who dominates inferior opposition but cannot beat opponents of similar or higher standing. Football fans can relate to this very well, like when they call Cristiano Ronaldo “Penaldo” after he’s scored a couple of penalties against a small team but fails to turn up against a more formidable team. Or Lionel Messi being called “Pessi” for the same reason.
With this background, we’d like to introduce you to the latest flat-track bullies in town, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
On March 7, 2023, the Nigerian police, via its official Twitter handle, put up a tweet condemning the use of dogs at polling units, citing the Dogs Act. The police described dogs as “offensive weapons.”
The “ratio” they got from that tweet tells you all you need to know. The police, being the flat-track bullies that they are, flexed their muscles over dogs while ignoring — forgive the irony — the elephant in the room (or their logo, whatever).
In any case, law experts have refuted the police as having misinterpreted the law.
Finally, the proper law that regulates the control of dogs in the public space in Lagos is the Animals Law of Lagos State, 2022. Sections 14, 16, and 17 of the law merely demand that dogs owners must leash, harness or muzzle their dogs when they are in public spaces
— Great Oracle Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary (@AbdulMahmud01) March 7, 2023
More importantly, however, this speaks to a Nigerian systemic disease, namely, the unusual focus on symptoms than the root causes. A brighter line of inquiry from the police should be, why do citizens prefer to carry dogs to their polling units?
Warning signs
Before the February 25 elections, there were signs that election manipulation would be rife. YIAGA Africa released a report showing states with a high risk of election manipulation based on six indicators. Lagos state alone presented a very high-risk level with five of these six indicators. They include INEC capture, tampering with the voter register, voter suppression, resistance to election technology and a history of election fraud. To varying degrees, these things played out.
We’ve called out INEC for the shambolic way it handled the elections, but it would be completely unfair to lay all blame at their feet. INEC, for example, can’t provide security detail to protect ballots. This is the work of the police, and it’s to their shame that they also performed poorly.
The Financial Times of London reported seeing, with their own eyes, party goons invading PUs and armed men removing a presidential ballot box in Surulere. In Oshodi and Elegushi, election materials were destroyed by thugs in open view. All these happened despite the police assuring Nigerians that they had “state of the art” equipment to suppress unrest anywhere.
In the face of these visible threats, the police and their “state-of-the-art equipment” abandoned their civic responsibility and pulled off a disappearing act that David Copperfield would be proud of. That’s a hallmark behaviour of a flat-track bully.
Will history repeat itself?
In the leadup to the March 18 governorship elections, we’ve seen reports of voter suppression and intimidation online and offline. Musiliu Akinsanya, the acclaimed ‘thug’ and Chair of the Lagos State Parks Management Committee, also known as MC Oluomo, has threatened Igbo voters, asking them to stay home if they don’t want to vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC). Dog-whistling, ethnic baiting and outright offensive campaign adverts have become the order of the day.
Curiously, the police spokespersons have been quiet on the matter.
Good luck and welcome to everyone on Twitter who's newly discovering who Ben Hundeyin is — someone who pontificates about a better Nigeria on Twitter only to turn a blind eye when supplied hard evidence about corrupt and brutal policemen.
I see the police hasn't said anything about MC Oluomo even though they were very quick to falsely and illegaly ask people to not bring their dogs to polling units.
Based on these, is it out of reach to expect citizens to defend themselves with dogs when the people entrusted with that responsibility have gone quiet? As Stears recently noted, Nigeria has, over the years, adopted a Bring Your Own Infrastructure (BYOI) model, which includes election results, electricity and, with the latest developments, security.
A call to action
It’s high time the Nigeria Police Force took some responsibility. Its slogan reads, “change begins with me.” The Nigerian police must be the change it wants for the better. One way to redeem its battered image is to ensure that troublesome elements who want to foment trouble on election day are clamped down on.
No more flat-track bullying, arresting and intimidating innocent protesters as we saw during #EndSARS and empty press releases that do nothing. The Nigerian police need to show workings, and it needs to do so immediately.
We’ll be bringing you special coverage of the governorship elections as they happen across the country. To get live updates, join us on our WhatsApp by clicking the image below:
Ever since CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, introduced the naira redesign policy in November 2022, it has brought nothing but chaos.
From a naira scarcity that impoverished millions of Nigerians to protests that led to the loss of lives and property.
The latest failure in the policy to rear its head is an inflation rate of 21.91%, which is the highest rate Nigeria has experienced in 18 years.
This comes off as strange however because there hasn’t been any money in circulation in the last two months. Isn’t there supposed to be a reduction in inflation when there’s hardly any cash in circulation?
How bad was the inflation and what is the government’s response to this? Let’s dig in:
The Inflation
In February, inflation was mostly caused by a rise in the prices of food, as it rose to 24.35 per cent year-on-year.
Food was more expensive in Kwara as food inflation hit 29.51 per cent, Imo (27.47 per cent), and Lagos (27.42 per cent).
It was lowest in Sokoto (18.54 per cent), Jigawa (19.67 per cent), and Yobe (21.89 per cent).
It was also disclosed that increase in the price of bread, cereal, rent, potatoes, yam, tubers, vegetables, and meat drove inflation up in February.
What was the CBN’s response?
It was one of defence. Emefiele claimed that the recent monetary policy decisions are working. According to him, “We have started to see inflation trending downwards and exchange rates relatively stable.”
Of course, the National Bureau of Statistics has proven that to be false.
But let’s hear from the Research analyst at Atlas Portfolios Limited, Olaide Baanu to tell us about this.
What does the expert say?
According to Baanu “The increase recorded can be attributed to the ongoing cash crunch, as some vendors now require extra charges for payments.”
The food inflation expanded by three base points to 24.35 per cent year-on-year following the cash crunch policy and dry-season effect as Nigerians search for cash to purchase scarce staple foods (like meat, tubers, vegetables, etc.) from farmers.”
What happens next?
Right now, CBN has granted citizens permission to make use of the old naira notes as legal tender, but would this reduce inflation? Would it be higher than before?
Let’s wait and see.
Be sure to get the latest coverage on the 2023 gubernatorial elections right here on Citizen! If you want to be part of the conversation, you can join our community here.
The Nigerian experience is physical, emotional, and sometimes international. No one knows it better than our features on #TheAbroadLife, a series where we detail and explore Nigerian experiences while living abroad.
Today’s subject on Abroad Life is a tech bro who wanted to move to Estonia for one reason: to get peace of mind from Nigeria’s problems. He talks about how he decided to move on a whim, the migration process and the craziness of Estonia’s culture shocks.
When did you decide you wanted to leave Nigeria?
So the crazy thing is, I only wanted to leave Nigeria for a holiday, not for Japa purposes.
Wait, for real? How did you then start the process of living in Estonia?
Omo, the story started two years ago, in 2021, when I wanted to visit Greece and needed to get my visa. That visa was the hardest one I’d ever gotten in my life. They denied my visa and even made me fly to Abujafor affidavits. From then on, I started trying to find a way to get a visa and leave the country. I hated being in a country that didn’t have working systems, even though I was paid a very competitive salary in Nigeria.
Fast forward to two years later (2022). I still couldn’t get the European visa, but I was undeterred. I applied for tech jobs relating to my field in Europe that could offer competitive pay and benefits, including a work permit, visa, housing and any advantage you can think of as an employee. Of the many applications I sent, three companies sent me an offer letter, and I picked the one that paid the highest in Estonia.
All I needed to do was pack my bags, carry my proof of funds and certificates, and enter Estonia. Everything, from the housing down to the travel ticket, was even free of charge. The only thing I needed to present to Estonian immigration was my passport and proof of funds document. The company handled every other thing.
God when. So what culture shocks have you faced in Estonia so far?
It’s honestly a lot.
For starters, Estonia has what you’d call a pretty weird time system. Towards winter, it’s sunny at midnight, and towards spring, it can be dark as night at 3 p.m. People are partying in clubs at 3 p.m. because of the darkness.
For real? That’s wild!
Yes oh. It even made me understand the whole “daylight savings” thing and its purpose for phones.
What other culture shocks did you experience?
The biggest culture shock is how things here are cheaper than in Ajah, Lagos, where I used to stay.
For instance, the most prominent hotels here cost about €40, which is like N40,000 to N60,000, whereas to get a room in Oriental Hotel or Eko Hotel and Suites starts from N300,000, which could very well be someone’s salary. You can also pay meagre amounts for far distances on their Bolt app here, and you never seem to pay more than €2 (equivalent to N7,000). In Lagos, fares are as expensive as N20k for some rides.
That’s so shocking
Yes oh. Even power bills in Estonia are cheaper. You can also pay in instalments for extended periods for luxury items like cars or iPhones, which is impossible in Nigeria. This makes a ‘rich vs poor class system’ almost nonexistent in Estonia.
There are some weird culture shocks as well. For instance, I don’t think anyone cleans their feet in Estonia. Their footwear almost always looks extremely dirty for reasons I don’t understand. Their women also like to ‘knack’ black men too. Well, I knew this from my friend who’s also here.
Hmm, have you ever interacted with Estonian women before?
I don’t need to because I have a Nigerian girlfriend back home. We text and video call almost every second, so I don’t feel lonely without her. I can also afford to come back to Nigeria, visit her, and take her on vacations to any country she wishes to see.
You do have it all. Would you ever come back to Nigeria?
Of course, yes. I only left because the country needed a working system, not because I needed to improve or was looking for money. I only needed my peace of mind. I will return home if we get better leaders and better systems within Nigeria’s governance. There is never anywhere better than home.
Be sure to get the latest coverage on the 2023 gubernatorial elections right here on Citizen! If you want to be part of the conversation, you can join our community here.
For many elected senators of the tenth National Assembly, it’s crunch time. Winning the national elections held on February 25, 2023, was just one hurdle. Now it’s time to fight for the Senate presidency and other principal offices like the Majority Leader and Chief Whip.
It’s customary for the Senate President to come from the party with majority control of both chambers. And the All Progressives Congress (APC) has 57 seats in the House of Senate for the tenth assembly. However, there’s already a lot of talk about how this seat will be zoned.
The former minister of Mines and Steel Development, Hon. Abubakar Bwari, believes that the new Senate President should come from North-Central so the economic and insecurity problems plaguing the region will be adequately addressed.
And some members of the APC believe the seat is likely to go to the South-East to ensure an inclusive government.
However, before we proceed, how exactly is the Senate President elected?
Steps involved in choosing a Senate President
The eligibility is determined
The Senate comprises 109 senators, but not everyone can contest for the Senate president seat. A standing order exists that gives preference to senators based on the following:
Returning senators
Senators who were former members of the House of Representatives
First-time senators
Nomination
Senators nominate their colleagues to be president of the Senate.
Acceptance
It’s not enough that you’re nominated; you must also accept the nomination in front of the Senate. Once this is done, the Clerk declares the elected Senator as President of the Senate. However, this is if there’s one nominee only.
Election
In cases with more than one nominee, an election will be conducted by either electronic or secret ballot, where each senator will be given a ballot paper to cast their vote.
The winner is declared
After votes are cast, the Clerk of the National Assembly announces the senator’s name with the highest number of votes as the winner and new Senate President.
For the tenth assembly, it’s still unclear what region the senate president’s seat will be zoned to. Still, we can make some predictions by looking at the makeup of the National Assembly’s leadership to past Nigerian presidents.
1999-2003
In 1999, Nigeria had its first democratic president, Olusegun Obasanjo, from the South West, and the vice president, Atiku Abubakar, from the North East. The Senate President, Evan Enwerem, came from the South East; however, in 1999, he was impeached over allegedly falsifying his name.
Evan Enwerem
Evan was replaced by Chuba Okadigbo from the South-South, who was impeached in 2000 on corruption charges and replaced by Anyim Pius Anyim from the South East.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives was Salisu Buhari from the North West. But he resigned from office on allegations of certificate forgery and was replaced by Ghali Umar Na’Abba, also from the North West.
2003-2007
In 2003, the president and vice won their re-election bid, but the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives were changed.
Adolphus Wabara from the South East became the Senate President from 2003 to 2005 till he resigned for being involved in a bribery scandal. He was replaced by Ken Nnamani, also from the South East.
Ken Nnamani
Although the House of Representatives had a new speaker, Aminu Masari, the zoning remained in the North West.
2007-2011
2007 was another election year that produced a president from the North West, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. And his vice, Goodluck Jonathan, was from the South-South. Goodluck eventually became president in 2010 following the demise of Yar’Adua.
This year, the Senate President, David Mark, was from the North Central, and Nigeria got its first female Speaker of the House of Representatives, Patricia Etteh, from the South West.
Patricia Etteh
Unfortunately, Patricia was involved in a corruption scandal that caused her to resign. She was replaced by Dimeji Bankole from the South West.
2011-2015
Goodluck Jonathan contested and won the presidential election with Namadi Sambo, from the North West as his vice president.
David Mark retained his position as Senate President, but the Speaker of the House of Representatives was replaced by Aminu Tambuwal from the North West.
2015-2019
After defeating Goodluck Jonathan in the presidential election, Muhammadu Buhari from the North West became the president, alongside Prof. Yemi Osinbajo from the South West as his vice.
This year, the Senate President was Bukola Saraki from the North Central, and Yakubu Dogara, from the North East, became the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
2019-2023
President Buhari won his re-election bid in 2019, but Ahmed Lawan, also from the North East, became the Senate President and Femi Gbajabiamila from the South West became the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
If this pattern is to be followed, the next Senate President is likely to be from the South, and potential candidates are:
Godswill Akpabio
This former governor of Akwa Ibom state is no stranger to the Senate as he was the former minority leader. He has already expressed interest in the seat, and it’d be interesting to see how things play out in the coming weeks.
Adams Oshiomhole
Despite his political history, Adams Oshiomole will be a first-timer in the Senate. However, his supporters believe that the time spent in the Senate shouldn’t determine the candidate for the senate seat and that he has the experience needed to work well with Nigeria’s president-elect, Tinubu.
David Umahi
He’s the current outgoing governor of Ebonyi state who defected to APC to contest for the presidential ticket in the primaries.
He stepped down for Tinubu, but now his sights are set on the seat of the Senate President.
Orji Kalu
This former governor of Abia state joined the Senate in 2019 and is currently its Chief Whip. He was re-elected in the national elections held on February 25, 2023, and believes that for inclusion, the seat of the Senate president will be zoned to be South East, which makes him a favourite.
The tenth National Assembly will be inaugurated on June 11, 2023, so we still have much to look forward to as the story unfolds even more.
Nevertheless, on March 18, 2023, the gubernatorial elections will be held across the country in less than two days. We’ll be bringing you live election coverage and fact-checks to avoid misinformation.
To get live updates, join us on how WhatsApp by clicking the image below:
For Navigating Nigeria this week, we look at the March 18 governorship elections and some key states to watch out for. While the February presidential and national assembly elections threw up some surprises, it’s anyone’s guess whether the status quo will be restored or if lightning can strike twice.
After a one-week delay, the 2023 governorship elections are upon us. On March 18, 2023, 28 states will vote for their governors. The reason all 36 states are not taking part is due to off-cycle elections. We saw this in Ekiti and Osun last year, where the states held their elections at different times.
The February 25 presidential and national assembly elections had some surprises, with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) losing national assembly seats. For example, in Nasir El-Rufai’s APC-led Kaduna, the PDP won all three senatorial seats. The APC had previously held two of those. The PDP also won ten out of 16 house of representatives seats in the state.
There were also surprising performances by the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in Kano and the Labour Party (LP) in Lagos. With the governorship elections two days away, it’s anyone’s guess about whether to expect more shocks or if the ruling party will re-strategise to reclaim some scalp. Here are five states to watch out for in the March 18 governorship election.
Kano
In Kano, the three leading candidates are Yusuf Abba Kabir of the NNPP, Gawuna Nasir Yusuf of the APC and Wali Mohammed Sadiq of the PDP. The NNPP won 38 out of 44 local governments in the presidential election with 997,279 votes. The APC won the remaining six, polling 517,341 votes. The margin of victory was over 470,000 votes.
The odds are long for the APC, led by the term-limited Abdullahi Ganduje, to retain power. But this is Nigeria, where miracles happen daily.
The LP swept through the South-East at the presidential election. In Abia state, currently led by PDP’s term-limited Okezie Ikpeazu, the PDP had a disastrous outing where it only managed 22,676 votes to fall a distant second to the LP, which polled 327,095 votes. Okpezie also lost his bid for the senate, marking a shocking decline in popularity.
Thirty-six people are vying for the governor’s seat, but the leading candidate is Alex Otti of the LP. If the LP repeats a performance similar to the presidential election, it will become the first time it leads the state.
Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of the PDP is the current governor of Adamawa. Atiku Abubakar of the PDP won the state at the presidential election by a distance, with 417,611 votes to beat his closest challenger, Tinubu, with 182,881 votes. However, the governorship election is likely to be a much tighter affair.
Fintiri is up against Senator Aishatu Binani of the APC. Binani is the first female governorship candidate of a major political party. She clinched the party’s ticket after defeating Nuhu Ribadu, former chair of the EFCC. No small feat as Ribadu was a former presidential candidate in 2011, finishing third with over two million votes.
[Aishatu Binani / The Sun Nigeria]
Binani’s journey hasn’t been rosy. She had to fight to reclaim her mandate after a federal high court nullified the primaries. She remains confident of victory against the incumbent. If she manages to pull it off, she’ll become Nigeria’s first-ever elected female governor. You can read more about her here.
Lagos
The state, which prides itself as the centre of excellence, will be the scene of a hard-fought contest on March 18. The incumbent, Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the APC, is up against Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (GRV) of the LP and Abdulazeez Olajide Adediran (Jandor) of the PDP.
[Sanwo-Olu, GRV and Jandor / BBC]
At the presidential election, Obi won Lagos with 582,454 votes, ahead of Tinubu, a former Lagos governor who got 572,606 votes.
The dynamics of the governorship election are different, however. The shock factor the LP had on February 25 is no longer there, and Sanwo has responded by going into overdrive in his campaign.
This one’s hard to call, but a repeat of the February 25 results would be seismic — at the risk of stating the obvious. It would be the first time BAT loses his grip on the state. Lagos is BAT’s prized possession, and while he’s achieved a lifelong ambition by emerging president-elect, it doesn’t look like he’ll let go of Lagos without a fight.
Rivers
Without beating about the bush, Rivers was the scene of electoral fraud at the just concluded presidential election. While BAT emerged victorious, there’ve been growing calls for the results to be investigated. That said, the state’s governorship election will be tightly contested. The LP, PDP, APC and Social Democratic Party (SDP) have strong candidates. Nyesom Wike, the state’s outgoing governor, will want to have his say on who emerges as his successor. Will the outcome of the February 25 election repeat itself, or will a different party emerge winner? Your guess is as good as mine.
[Nyesom Wike / Punch]
We’ll be bringing you special coverage of the governorship elections as they happen across the country. To get live updates, join us on how WhatsApp by clicking the image below:
Every employee’s favourite time of the month is towards the end for one reason — payday. Everyone loves that credit alert sound that pops in, including Nigeria’s soon-to-be president, Bola Tinubu.
However, even though he is acclaimed to be one of Nigeria’s wealthiest politicians, Tinubu could soon widen his pockets with tons of monetary benefits when he becomes Nigeria’s president.
BAT the Odogwu
Let’s break his big bucks down for you:
The basic salary
Nigerian presidents earn up to ₦292,892 per month. This amounts to ₦3.5 million per year. This stems from various cuts the president gets from taxes, import duties and other streams of revenue.
This salary may not sound like much — until you see the additional benefits. These include paid and unpaid annual allowances.
Constituency allowance is the money allocated to address problems of citizens in various regions or (you guessed it), constituencies across the country.
This was originally created for Senators and the House of Representatives, but the President collects his own share as well.
The sum amounts to ₦8,786,762 for the consistency allowance, which is equal to 250% of the basic salary.
Leave allowance
To avoid experiencing sapa while out of office, the President also receives ₦351,470 while probably chilling in the Bahamas or doing medical tourism in London.
The unpaid allowances
In addition to these allowances, there are other additional benefits the president gets from the federal government occasionally. Some of these include:
Furniture
Accommodation
Medical allowance
Estacode or overseas allowance (this pays for expenses the President incurs abroad).
Vehicle loan worth 40% of his salary. The president, however, must pay up to N12,126,290 before the term expires.
Regular security details
Access to official vehicles, aircraft and helicopters
A fully-furnished presidential villa
Clothing
Entertainment
Personal assistance.
When you add the figures available (i.e his basic salary plus constituency, leave and hardship allowances) they all give a whooping ₦11.1 million per month!
Now you see how Tinubu is going to cash out as president and why the other candidates won’t let this slide. Follow Zikoko Citizen for more insightful explainers on politics, policies and governance today.
I would describe the presidential elections of February 25, 2023, as an experience. While some supporters of opposition parties are still waiting for INEC to say they somehow declared the wrong winner, other people have started preparing for the March 18 gubernatorial elections like they’re marching into war.
These people wouldn’t be entirely wrong, as many were victims of voter disenfranchisement and electoral violence in the last elections. So, to ensure that this doesn’t repeat itself on March 18, some Nigerians have decided to tap into their creative side by wanting to bring dogs and other pets to the polling units to scare thugs who might want to disrupt the elections.
Polling units around Nigeria were going to be filled with the scariest and toughest lineup of pets in the country, but unfortunately, the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) has once again decided to rain on our parade.
On March 7, 2023, the NPF released a statement saying Section 126(1) of the Electoral Act classifies dogs as offensive weapons that can be used to cause harassment and intimidation by their owners. Therefore, pets are banned from polling units, and the police discourage people from violating this law.
So, maybe we should start looking for other ways to defend our votes and leave the animals out of it because the last kind of trouble anyone wants is one from the Nigerian police.
What Else Happened This Week?
Light at the end of the tunnel of Naira scarcity
If there’s one thing the Nigerian government’s good at, it’s making unnecessary policies that only serve to make our lives harder. In November 2022, President Bubu launched the newly designed naira banknotes, and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) announced that it’d become the official tender from February 10, 2023.
Since the redesign, we’ve entered a rat race trying to get our hands on the new naira, which has proved harder than finding good roads in Ogun state.
However, after weeks of suffering, POS extortion, bank queues, and court cases, the Supreme Court finally came to our rescue on March 3, 2023, when they announced that the old banknotes should remain Nigeria’s legal tender until December 31, 2023.
Some commercial banks have already started paying customers old banknotes over the counter. And although some traders still refuse to accept them as payments, the CBN’s acting Director of Corporate Communications, Dr Isa Abdulmumin, has come out to reassure Nigerians that they can now receive the old banknotes as a form of payment.
Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has choked us this week on social media with his achievements while in office. Can this help tip the elections in his favour in the gubernatorial elections?
To the joy of many Nigerians, on March 3, 2023, the Supreme Court ruled that the old Naira notes should remain Nigeria’s legal tender till December 31, 2023.
Nigerians to Meffy
Despite the court ruling, it wasn’t until March 13, 2023, that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) released a statement directing commercial banks to the court. The statement also reaffirmed that the old Naira notes will remain the legal tender till December 31, 2023.
This hopefully marks the end of Nigeria’s long-drawn war with Naira scarcity. But, how did this problem start in the first place?
October 2022
On October 26, 2022, the CBN governor, Godwin “Meffy” Emefiele, announced plans to redesign the ₦200, ₦500 and ₦1000 notes. He also said they would begin circulating from December 15, 2022, and become the legal tender on January 31, 2023.
His reason for the Naira redesign was to implement a cashless economy, boost our economy and combat hoarding, terrorists and kidnappers.
November 2022
On November 23, 2023, President Buhari unveiled the new Naira notes at a state house meeting in Abuja. However, to the disappointment of many, it seemed like a waste of public funds as the new notes looked like they were simply passed through a Snapchat filter.
January 2023
January showed that although it was a new year, Nigeria had the same old problems. Because despite the announcement of the new notes being in circulation from December 15, many people were still yet to see them. Banks still gave out the old Naira over the counter, and it was like ATMs had no idea new banknotes existed.
The CBN launched a cash swap programme on January 23, 2023, across all local governments to allow for the easy exchange of old banknotes for new ones. Still, as the deadline inched closer, it became more and more evident that an extension would be needed. And Meffy finally decided to extend the deadline by ten days to February 10, 2023.
February 2023
Following this extension, Nigerians began to feel the full effect of the Naira scarcity; crowds at banks and queues at ATMs became the order of the day. People started sleeping at ATM galleries, and POS agents began to charge arms and legs as withdrawal charges.
As expected, tensions began to rise, and it wasn’t long before protests and pockets of violence started happening around the country. Banks were burnt, and the staff wasn’t spared; some had to jump fences to escape.
Zenith bank staff fleeing through the back fence. This is the situation APC put us in this country. Atiku, please come. pic.twitter.com/7cY21mrZJy
On February 3, 2023, three states, Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara, sued the federal government at the Supreme Court over implementing the new naira policy. On February 8, 2023, the Supreme Court adjourned the case to February 15, 2023, and banned the CBN from implementing the February 10 deadline.
Many Nigerians were hopeful that on February 15, 2023, the court would finally give a ruling that would stop the madness created by the Naira scarcity, but unfortunately, the court was adjourned again to February 22, 2023.
And on February 16, 2023, in what seemed like blatant disobedience to the Supreme Court’s order, President Buhari approved the continued use of just the old ₦200 notes till April 10, 2023. But this had little to no effect on the Naira scarcity problem as the old ₦200 banknotes comprised only 9.19 per cent of Nigeria’s currency volume.
When the D-Day finally came on February 22, 2023, much to many Nigerians’ chagrin, the court again adjourned the case for judgment on March 3, 2023.
At this point, many Nigerians had resigned to never seeing the Naira banknotes again. However, it surprisingly ended in praise when on March 3, the Supreme Court legalised the old banknotes till December 31, 2023.
Meffy’s Naira redesign has been a bad dream for many Nigerians that we hopefully never see a repeat of.
The word “citizen” is defined as a native or naturalised person who owes allegiance to a government and is entitled to protection from it.
By this definition, you’ll see that citizens and the government they pledge allegiance to are locked in a social contract. One part of this contract is the citizen’s loyalty to the country to abide by its laws, while the other is an obligation by the government to grant certain rights to said citizen.
[Nigerian passport / Nigerian Scholars]
The Nigerian Constitution protects the rights of a Nigerian citizen. In particular, Section IV of the Constitution lists Nigerian citizens’ fundamental rights. What are these rights, and what do they mean to you?
Right to life
As Nigerians, the government has a duty not to kill you and to ensure your life is protected and not interfered with. But there is an exception:
“Every person has a right to life, and no one shall be deprived intentionally of his life, save in execution of the sentence of a court in respect of a criminal offence of which he has been found guilty in Nigeria.”
This section also provides some leeway which may excuse extrajudicial abuse.
“A person shall not be regarded as having been deprived of his life in contravention of this section if he dies as a result of the use, to such extent and in such circumstances as are permitted by law, of such force as is reasonably necessary –
(a) for the defence of any person from unlawful violence or the defence of property:
(b) to effect a lawful arrest or to prevent the escape of a person lawfully detained; or
(c) to suppress a riot, insurrection or mutiny.
Right to human dignity
This right says that all Nigerian citizens must be afforded human dignity. Nigerian citizens hold a unique value and must be respected regardless of birth, class, race, gender, religion, or abilities. To this end;
(a) no person shall be subject to torture or inhuman or degrading treatment;
(b) no person shall be held in slavery or servitude; and
(c) no person shall be required to perform forced or compulsory labour.”
Like before, there’s a caveat.
Forced or compulsory labour does not include:
(a) any labour served as a court order or sentence;
(b) any labour required of members of the armed forces of the Federation or the Nigeria Police Force;
(d) any labour required which is reasonably necessary in the event of any emergency or calamity threatening the life or well-being of the community; or
(e) communal service or NYSC.
Right to personal liberty
Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr, former US Supreme Court associate justice, once said: “The right to swing my fist ends where the other man’s nose begins.” The import of this saying is that while you’re allowed a certain degree of freedom, it must not intrude into that of others. Nigeria’s constitution borrowed a leaf from this.
The Constitution says no one should be deprived of personal liberty unless under a set of unique circumstances, like when being presented following a court order or for educational purposes — for persons who haven’t reached 18 years — among other circumstances.
This section also states that a person arrested must be issued a warrant and brought to court within 48 hours. If a person is detained unlawfully, they’re entitled to compensation and a public apology from the appropriate authority. Know your rights, folks!
Right to fair hearing
This is founded on the legal principle of the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. As a Nigerian citizen, you’re entitled to a fair hearing by a competent court, regardless of the crime — which we hope you won’t commit.
All Nigerian citizens are entitled to their privacy. The government has no business bugging your home or your phone.
Right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion
You’re constitutionally allowed to hold contrarian thoughts or conspiracy theories. You’re also free to change your religion as you see fit. But you’re forbidden from belonging to a secret society.
Right of freedom of expression and the press
Thankfully, Nigeria is a democracy, and its constitution guarantees freedom of expression and freedom of the press. That’s not to say you can make slanderous or libellous statements and walk away freely, though. There are laws against those.
Right of peaceful assembly and association
You can associate freely with whoever you want and belong to a political party. That doesn’t mean you should, in the words of Falz, join a bad gang.
Right to freedom of movement
The Constitution grants citizens the right to move freely anywhere in Nigeria.
Right to freedom from discrimination
No Nigerian citizen should be discriminated against because of their ethnicity, religion, disability, political opinion, place of origin, the circumstance of birth, sex and so on. In case we left anything out, the point is, don’t discriminate.
Right to own property
Nigerian citizens have the right to acquire and own immovable property. If the government forcefully acquires your property, you can claim compensation. You can also rightfully sue them in court. Other rights like access to education, healthcare and shelter can be claimed depending on the resources in a state. It’s important to note that while these rights exist, you may need to follow up on them if they’re infringed upon. Know your rights, but just as importantly, know a lawyer.
The Nigerian Voter is a series that seeks to understand the motivations that drive the voting decisions of Nigerians — why they vote, how they pick their candidates, why some have never voted, and their wildest stories around elections.
Editorial Note: The Nigerian Voter is a platform for Nigerians to passionately discuss policies and politics with little interference to individual opinions. While our editorial standards emphasise the truth and we endeavour to fact-check claims and allegations, we do not bear any responsibility for allegations made about other people founded in half-truths.
The subject of today’s “The Nigerian Voter” is Blessing, an IT professional in his early thirties. He also convenes the Take Back Naija movement, mobilising youths nationwide towards garnering support for Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi. Citizen spoke with him about his political journey and inspiration for birthing the group. He also shared how he felt about Obi not being declared the winner for the 2023 elections and his future goals with the movement towards the gubernatorial elections.
What made you interested in politics?
My interest in politics started in 2006 when I lived with my uncle. Then he was a councillor in his local government, and I often listened to him having political conversations about the Anambra and Enugu state governments in the parlour. We also listened to news stations on the radio and television frequently, as well as in newspapers. I also noticed that my uncle was calm, quiet and a good person all-round; yet he was in politics. This gave me the mindset that not all politicians were bad people. You could also find good ones too.
However, I started to get involved in politics in 2010 in the Anambra State elections. I was the deputy ward secretary of Nanka Ward 1 and my mum was the woman leader at the time. Since then, I either voted (from the 2011-2023 election cycles) or made sure I could sensitise people towards political awareness. I didn’t do all of this on a grand scale until 2021.
From 2011-2023, who did you vote for, and why did you vote for them?
I voted for Goodluck Johnathan in 2011. I can’t exactly say that it was a conscious decision. He was the preferred choice for most people in the South. This was despite the fact that I wasn’t a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) member then, but a card carrying member of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). The ACN candidate then was Nuhu Ribadu, but most didn’t think he stood a chance.
In 2015, I displayed my interest in Goodluck Jonathan again in the elections via social media. However, I couldn’t vote because I had just relocated from Anambra to Abuja, and I didn’t have the chance to transfer my Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC).
In 2019, I travelled to Anambra to vote for Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, and of course, I voted for Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) in 2023.
Which election year would you say you had your craziest election experience?
The 2023 election was my craziest because I played a major role in the elections.
What was this major role?
I was a convener for the Take Back Naija political movement in 2022. It was basically youths coming together to influence a change for good governance from federal to local government. The politics we played in Nigeria over the years had not really worked for Nigeria. Thus, we must shift from what we are used to doing something different.
The Take Back Naija logo [Twitter]
How did your movement influence this change?
We did this by making sure we scrutinised each potential presidential candidate and their antecedents. It was then decided that whoever we saw as our preferred candidate would be given enormous support. We would mobilise for his campaign, raise funds, advertise, arrange conferences etc. It then became our duty or mandate to help these candidates with their campaigns when they align with the people’s values.
After much deliberation, we concluded that Obi’s antecedents and his plans for Nigeria aligned with our values and represented the future kind of politics we wanted. Even the name for the movement came from one of his speeches where he said, “take back your country; it is your future they are toying with.” The campaign for Obi officially started in January 2022.
What did Take Back Naija do for Peter Obi?
As of January 2022, Peter Obi was still a member of the PDP with presidential ambitions. We then met with PDP delegates at Abuja in the form of a peaceful protest to convince them to elect Peter Obi for president. This was coupled with a social hashtag, #GiveUsPeterObi. We also organised the first nationwide one million man march for Peter Obi in May 2022 and erected billboards in major cities in Nigeria such as Port Harcourt, Lagos, Abuja and even some Northern cities such as Kaduna and Sokoto. We had radio jingles for him at the early stage of the campaign and many more.
Shortly after, Obi and his team resigned from the PDP to the Labour Party before the PDP primaries. We examined his previous speeches and broadcast critical soundbites on his plans for Nigerian citizens. There was also created a website for Obi and a Telegram community for Obi supporters in various locations across Nigeria. A press release was distributed while Obi was still a member of the PDP. In the press release, we told PDP delegates that we’d give at least ten million votes if they gave us Peter Obi (if he won at the PDP primaries).
Getting people to support the movement even after he left was easy because the man had a way of inspiring voters.
No one can fully lay claim to the “Obidient” movement, as it just happened organically. However, if there is anyone to be responsible for it, it should be Obi. Without him, the movement would not exist.
Fans of the ‘Obidient’ movement [Financial Times]
What was your reaction when Obi wasn’t declared winner of the 2023 presidential elections?
Personally, I didn’t feel bad because I knew that Obi was the true winner of the election. I also didn’t feel bad because I believed that we did all the things that we should do as young people towards the elections. We only over-trusted INEC in believing that they were going to do the right thing by not rigging.
How hopeful are you about Obi’s victory in court?
I don’t trust the court system, to be honest. Even if a ruling is given, executives don’t even obey. I don’t have faith in the judicial system, but somehow I believe that we can reclaim our mandate. This is because I know Obi to be a fighter and that God has ordained his path. Let the will of God be done. However, whatever happens outside now, I am at peace that we wrote our names on the right side of history.
Amazing. Are you voting for anyone in the gubernatorial elections on March 18?
Sadly, I wouldn’t be voting on March 18 because Abuja doesn’t hold governorship elections. The president can only appoint a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister. However, this doesn’t mean the Take Back Naija team rests on our oars. We’d be campaigning for Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party because he is smart, honest and transparent. I like certain things he discusses in his manifesto such as transparency in Lagos and free medical insurance. For me, this serves as a breath of fresh air.
The Nigerian Senate, consisting of 109 members, is the highest law-making body in the country, responsible for making and revising laws and approving federal and judicial appointments. They can impeach the president or vice-president and control the public funds spent.
For years, many people have wondered what the take-home salaries of senators are, especially as they’ve always been perceived as the ones who benefit most from Nigeria’s national cake.
A part of this question finally got an answer in 2018, when Senator Shehu Sani, who represented Kaduna, disclosed in an interview that he and his colleagues received a salary of ₦700k and a running cost of ₦13.5 million monthly. This was minus the other allowances they got.
At the time, the minimum wage was ₦18k, meaning a senator would take about an hour to earn the then-minimum salary.
Despite the calls from Nigerians for other senators to corroborate the figures released by their colleagues, no comments were made until December 2021, when the current Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, revealed the salaries of members of the National Assembly.
What are the actual salaries of senators?
According to Lawan, a senator’s salary is ₦1.5 million monthly, while that of a member of the House of Representatives is ₦1.3 million. He also mentioned that, contrary to Shehu Sani’s claim, senators receive a quarterly office running allowance of ₦13 million.
What is a running office allowance?
This allowance covers the costs of local and international travel, newspapers, car maintenance, medical services and office stationeries.
It’s interesting that despite about 133 million Nigerians living in multidimensional poverty, we can still afford to sponsor our lawmakers’ flights.
Hopefully, the salary band of lawmakers gets reviewed soon because it’s difficult to justify why one person gets to take millions home every year in a country where the current minimum wage can hardly buy a bag of rice.
After the electoral malpractice shege seen at the presidential poll on February 25, 2023, many Nigerians might have started considering removing themselves from the country.
If you belong to this group, you’re in luck because we will explain how to do so.
One major way to lose citizenship is by renunciation, which means you’ve had enough of Nigeria’s troubles and have voluntarily relinquished your nationality.
However, to do this, there are some criteria you must meet.
What are the eligibility requirements?
You must be 18 years and above
The government has to be sure you’re “old” enough to understand the gravity of the decision you’re about to make.
You mustn’t have any criminal or financial liability to Nigeria
This is to make sure you’re not responsible for any crime or illegal behaviour .
You must be of sound mind
Nigeria doesn’t exactly leave plenty of room for soundness of mind, but still, you should be able to prove that you’re stable and healthy.
You have to belong to another country or at least be likely to be granted citizenship in another country
There’s no “I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody” trope here; you must identify with a new country.
So, once these requirements are met, you can finally begin the process.
Steps for renouncing your citizenship
Visit the proper authorities, i.e. the Nigerian embassy, Nigerian immigration service or Ministry of Interior in your country of residence.
Fill out the application form with complete information signed and certified before a Notary Public, Magistrate, Justice of Peace or Commissioner of Oath.
Submit the application form alongside the following documents:
National Identity card
Passport photograph
Original birth certificate
Nigerian passport and other travelling documents
Evidence of alternate citizenship, i.e. a copy of the foreign passport, foreign citizenship certificate or document of information that the applicant will become a citizen of a different country
However, you should know that according to Section 29 subsection 1-2 of the 1999 constitution, the president has the sole power to refuse your request if:
We’re in the middle of a war (we’ll all be in it together)
Your leaving will be contrary to public policy
There’s something else you should know…
Good luck in your journey to renounce Nigeria, but we have some bad news. The above mentioned process applies primarily to people who weren’t Nigerians by birth.
If you were born a Nigerian, the country allows you dual citizenship. This means the only way you’d be able to renounce Nigeria is if you’re applying to be a citizen of countries like Qatar, China or Mauritania, which don’t allow dual citizenship.
And while having dual citizenship might not be exactly what you want, there are some opportunities it brings that might interest you.
