President Muhammadu Buhari says the board of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will determine Godwin Emefiele’s fate. He stated this while responding to questions posed by Bloomberg regarding central bank’s independence. Emefiele, the CBN governor sought to be the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and drew widespread criticisms on issues bordering around partisanship. His actions were met with immediate backlash from activists, politicians and civil society groups, who questioned the Central Bank’s independence in light of his ambition. In the Bloomberg interview, a question was asked on this issue, but Buhari said such decisions do not rest solely on him. “The CBN governor is appointed by the President. But this appointment is subject to confirmation by the Nigerian Senate. Ultimately, it will be for the CBN’s board of directors to determine whether a CBN governor’s actions have fallen foul of the laws in place to ensure he can most effectively carry out his duties,” Buhari said. “But there is a subtext to the accusations. Because the governor follows a model outside of the economic orthodoxy, he is labelled political. But the orthodoxy has proved wrong time and again. “Instead, the governor is following an alternative economic model that puts people at the heart of policy. Nigeria should be free to choose its development model and how to construct our economy, so it functions for Nigerians.” Buhari, who was asked about what his government was doing to ensure food security at the face of spiralling inflation, accused the European Union (EU) of encouraging the export of their subsidized food into Africa and therefore undermining the continent’s food sustainability efforts. He said: “The EU’s policies in particular are all rhetoric of open trade – yet their Common Agricultural Policy subsidy programmes and export of those subsidised goods create dependence, undermine Africa’s self-sufficiency, and cause food poverty and starvation.” The President, while rating his performance in the last seven years on the fight against corruption, said he had been able to secure the repatriation of looted funds because the nation’s international partners could trust his leadership. He said: “Working with our international partners, hundreds of millions of various currencies have been returned from abroad – primarily from the UK, US, and Switzerland – and used as social and welfare funds distributed directly to the poorest during the Covid pandemic and the provision of long-delayed infrastructure-roads, bridges, rail, and power. “As an illustration, Monetary recoveries (January-December) 2021 show that more N152 billion has been recovered. Dollar recoveries for the year amount to over USD 386 million; GBP, more than 1.1 million; Euro, about 157,000; Saudi Riyals about 1.7 million some more in Digital and other currencies. “Those partners refused to return these monies held for decades to previous Nigerian administrations in the certainty they would simply be re-stolen. They changed their approach with us because they knew my administration could be trusted.” On his performance of the fight against insecurity, Buhari said he had been able to recover territories hitherto held by the Boko Haram insurgents and depleted their ranks, stating that “Today they are close to extinct as a military force.”

  Thousands of Enugu youths, Tuesday, that came out to register for Permanent Voter’s Card, PVC, took to the street of the state to protest what they described as deliberate effort by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to disenfranchise them from voting in the upcoming general elections. The youths that has been trooping at the various registration points in Enugu including the popular Michael Okpara Square marched to the INEC office to demand for more machines to ease the registration. “There has been calls for us to come out and register and get our Permanent Voter’s Card, PVC but our efforts to get these cards is being frustrated,” one of the protesting youths said. “When we started coming to this place to register, they come with 10 machines and after some time, it reduced to 7, to 5 and today, its just one serving thousands of people here. We want INEC to increase the number of machines. “When we got to their office, they said that the machines available were distributed according to the number of local government areas in Enugu State. “INEC said they only have 5 machines in their office and we pleaded with them to give us 3 of the machines, they refused to but promised to increase the number by tomorrow,” the youth said. Another angry youth, Maria Adekunle said this is a plot to deny them the opportunity to vote as the registration is going on smoothly in other states and very soon, they electoral umpire will tell them that registration has ended. Ezeaputa Ike, a lawyer who addressed the press said INEC can do better as the process is easier in other states unlike what’s happening here. The angry Youths that were chanting “PVC is our right! Give us our right”, expressed their dissatisfaction and conducted themselves properly, after they were addresses by an INEC official, they went back to Okpara Square to continue to try their luck and register to vote in 2023 election.

  Apex Igbo Socio-cultural Organisation; Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has described as “Impression from the pit of hell” reports in the media that it has dumped the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, stressing that the insinuation is “meant to serve private interest.” Ohanaeze Ndigbo made the clarification in a terse statement issued by their National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia. Ogbonnia was reacting to a claim by the immediate past chairman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Lagos State chapter that the organisation “dumps Peter Obi, declares support for Tinubu”. The story added that “since the group was in support of a second term for Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, there was nothing wrong in supporting his (Sanwo-Olu) presidential candidate” The purveyor of the above remarks is Chief Solomon Aguene, the immediate past president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Lagos State Chapter. “For purpose of clarity, Chief Solomon Ogbonna Aguene was elected the President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Lagos state chapter in June 2018 for a four year tenure, in line with the constitution of Ohanaeze Ndigbo. Towards the end of 2021, information reached the National headquarters of Ohanaeze that Aguene was plotting a tenure elongation. Several eminent Igbo dignitaries urged Aguene to rescind the contemplation for an obnoxious tenure elongation and rather lend support for a fresh election for a new executive. “In line with the constitution of the apex Igbo socio-cultural body, an electoral panel headed by a seasoned technocrat in the person of Nze Ozichukwu Chukwu was constituted by the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Ambassador Professor George Obiozor, with a mandate to conduct a fresh election for the Lagos state chapter. “Subsequently, on June 15, 2022, an election was held in which over 750 delegates from seven Ohanaeze states participated. The election was observed by the Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Ambassador Okey Emuchay, MFR; Prince Gary Igariwey, the former President General; the Chairman of the electoral panel, Nze Ozichukwu Chukwu, Comrade Okey Nwankwo, the President of Abia State Chapter of Ohanaeze, among others. At the end of the stiffly contested election, Chief Sunday Ossai was declared the winner with 380 votes, while the runner up, Chief Evaristus Ozonweke scored 339 votes. “Information reaching Ohanaeze Ndigbo indicates that Aguene has secured a tenure elongation from a Lagos court. This is to say the least very deplorable. “Ohanaeze Ndigbo therefore informs the general public that the current president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Lagos State Chapter is Chief Sunday Ossai and only the Chapter President or an authorised officer of the current Lagos state executive has the right to speak on behalf of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Lagos State Chapter. The general public is requested to disregard reckless statements by impostors, charlatans, unscrupulous social climbers and pretenders whose major objective is both mischievous and shady. “Ohanaeze believes that any person with a democracy credential will dissociate self with a person whose public conduct is at variance with democratic norms; and that the Aguene endorsement to a presidential candidate is hollow. It is therefore emphasized that the person who has the right and mandate to make statements on behalf of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Lagos is the President, Chief Sunday Ossai. “For the avoidance of doubt, the misleading impression that “Ohanaeze dumps Obi” is from the pit of hell and meant to serve private interest. Such a statement is hereby vehemently debunked,” the statement reads.

  A member of the House of Representatives from Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Kajola/Iwajowa federal constituency, Oyo State, Mr. Shina Peller, has named Accord as his new political party. Peller said in a statement on Tuesday by his media aide, Kola Popoola, that he was forced to exit the All Progressives Congress because of the undemocratic actions of some leaders in the APC. He stated further that the Accord Party had also demonstrated love and support for the Oke Ogun people. Peller had contested the Oyo North senatorial ticket on the platform of the APC, and the incumbent Senator Fatai Buhari, who is an indigene of Ogbomoso, was declared the winner. However, Peller and four other aspirants alleged fraud in the primary election. He said though there were numerous options, Accord Party had shown an unwavering commitment to the yearnings of the people of Oke Ogun being the first party in Oyo state to zone Oyo North Senatorial ticket to the region. Peller said, “Earlier today on the floor of the House of Representatives, I announced my defection from the All Progressives Congress to Accord Party. “After my exit from the APC, we engaged other political parties, we had numerous options, but we opted for Accord Party for very peculiar reasons. “Accord Party happens to be the first party in Oyo State to zone Oyo North senatorial ticket to Oke Ogun, considering that Ogbomoso Zone had done two terms. “The party has shown an unwavering commitment to the yearnings of the people of Oke-Ogun. It has given us hope and a sense of belonging. “In Oyo State, the Accord Party is a force to reckon with, its internal democracy mechanism is intact, a component lacking in other parties. “Accord Party is also strategic as it concerns balloting. On the ballot paper, Accord comes first before the two major parties. With Accord as our party, voting sensitisation becomes easier for us to do. “Today, I would like to inform the general public that I am now with the Accord party. The logo of the Accord constantly reminds me and other well-meaning Nigerians of their civic responsibility – to vote for credible leaders. “In Oke-Ogun, Oyo North Senatorial District and Oyo State at large, Accord Party is our strength, its logo is our thumb – it’s our power and we shall make it count.”

  Ned Nwoko, politician and philanthropist, says Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party, will do well as minister of economy under a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government.   In an interview with BBC Igbo on Tuesday, he said Obi, former governor of Anambra, has the ability to turn the Nigerian economy around, but only under the PDP.   “We would like him back in PDP; he will do very well as the minister of economy. He will help us run the economy, in eight years the Nigerian economy will turn around,” he said.   The Delta-born politician described Obi as “frugal but a big-time player in the economy world”. Nwoko said Obi is popular with the people, but added that it would not be enough because his party lacks the structure to produce a president. “Labour party does not have the structure. He is a popular candidate and he will be more popular in the coming months but he cannot become the president because he does not have the structure. They must have some LP members controlling the state house of assemblies, house of reps and the senate for him to function. If by a stroke of luck he becomes president, how can he function with a ‘PDP controlled house’?” he said. “LP should work towards establishing some structures but that will take like eight years or 10. It’s not child’s play. There are many things in Nigeria that would work against the emergence of the party as president in the next elections, it wouldn’t happen. “Igbos are not ready for presidency. When I say, we, I am talking about the political class and the voters. if the people were ready for Igbo presidency, that would have been showed by the results we received from delegates. How many of them supported Igbo candidates? They would rather support other candidates for whatever reason.”