• Says destabilised Nigeria makes Christians less safe across Africa
US Congressman Riley M. Moore warned yesterday of the danger inherent in destabilising Nigeria.
Representative Moore who was actively involved in the legislative campaign to address alleged violence against Christians in Nigeria said on his verified X account @RepRileyMoore that “a destabilised Nigeria would embolden terrorists and make Christians less safe in Nigeria and across the continent. “
He said: “I have travelled to Nigeria and engaged in multiple high-level meetings with Nigerian officials, the Church, aid groups across the country, and IDPs, to get a better understanding of the rampant persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
“In my discussions, the idea of dividing the country has not come up in any serious way.
“Efforts to embolden separatists hurts Christians in Nigeria – especially in the North and Middle Belt.
“I remain committed to working to save the lives of our brothers and sisters in Christ – and for that matter, all Nigerians – suffering from the instability wrought by terrorists throughout Nigeria.
“The US and Nigeria have just entered into a security cooperation agreement, and that is an important step in tackling the violence in Nigeria and deepening and strengthening the bilateral relationship between our great nations. God bless you all.”
In November, he introduced a House resolution to formally condemn alleged genocide against Christians in Nigeria.
He was also in support of President Donald Trump’s designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern,” advocating for U.S. diplomatic, economic, and security pressure to stop the killings.
But following Nigeria’s diplomatic engagement with US Government officials, Washington has softened its stance against Abuja.
Visits have been exchanged by officials of the two countries, opening the way for military and intelligence cooperation, including the Christmas Day missile attacks on terrorists’ camp in Sokoto State by the US.
• Says terrorists’ doctrine alien to our tradition, history
• Imo @ 50: VP hails Uzodimma as ‘game-changing revolutionary’
• Anyaoku, monarchs, Oyebanji join golden jubilee
• Southern Governors Forum commiserates with Kwara govt
Vice President Kashim Shettima, on a condolence visit to Kwara State yesterday over Tuesday’s terror attacks in Kaiama Local Government Area, said the bloody aggression was an unacceptable violation of the right to peaceful worship by the generality of Nigerians.
He told stakeholders in Ilorin that the action of the terrorists who killed at least 75 people in Woro and Nuku communities was alien to “our religious belief, alien to our history, alien to our tradition.”
“That tragic killing had shocked Nigerians because the victims were peaceful members of communities that were dedicated to building their peaceful livelihoods while they practised their religion in the peaceful and harmonious manner that the injunctions of Islam have instructed,” Shettima said.
The Southern Governors’ Forum, in a condolence message, condemned the ‘horrendous’ attack in which “innocent and law-abiding citizens were brutally murdered while going about their lawful activities.”
The Vice President, who said he was in Ilorin at the behest of President Bola Tinubu, conveyed the the sympathy of the President to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the people of Kaiama and the entire Kwara State on the incident, and prayed Allah to grant the deceased persons Al-jannah Firdaus.
Shettima said: “Your Excellency, we are here at the behest of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to commiserate with you and the good people of Kaiama and Kwara State by extension over the tragedy that befell our communities of Woro and Nuku on the evening of Tuesday, February 3rd, 2026.
“That tragic killing had shocked Nigerians because the victims were peaceful members of communities that were dedicated to building their peaceful livelihoods while they practised their religion in the peaceful and harmonious manner that the injunctions of Islam have instructed.
“The Kaiama and Baruten, and even the Batonu speaking parts of Old Borgu that spread into Niger and Kebbi states and even overlap into the neighbouring Benin Republic, have been known for practising the most tolerant form of Islam for centuries until an alien religious belief, alien to our history, alien to our tradition, invaded those communities.”
Shetima said a battalion of the Nigerian Army had been deployed to wipe out the threats off Kaiama and environs, saying all hands are on deck to ensure that peace is restored in those communities.
He gave no details of the security measures being taken by government.
The Vice President said: “Security issues are sensitive issues. We do not have to divulge most of the actions that have been taken by our security establishment.
“But I am here fundamentally to commiserate with the government and people of Kwara and the people of Kaiama in particular over the tragic loss of lives, and to reassure the good people of the state of harmony that our prayers are with you, our empathy is with you.
“May Allah grant the souls of the deceased eternal rest and reward them with his Al-Jannah Firdaus. May Allah also grant the families and the people of Kaiama the fortitude to bear the irreparable losses.”
The VP said the President had instructed the Director General of NEMA to mobilise all resources in partnership with the state emergency management agency in support of the distressed communities.
AbdulRazaq, on his part, hailed the President for his swift actions, including the immediate deployment of soldiers and police tactical teams to the affected communities.
“We thank the President and the Vice President for this visit.
“We appreciate you for coming to Kwara over the sad incident that happened in Woro, Kaiama Local Government.
“The response of the Federal Government has been very swift and we are grateful,” the Governor said, adding that he was confounded by the scale of the violence when he visited Woro on Wednesday.
He confirmed that the troops of Operation Savannah Shield are already being deployed to prevent a reoccurrence.
“As you can see, you were welcomed at the airport this morning by the General Officer Commanding 2nd Division of Nigerian Army.
“Police DIG (Operations) is on ground.
“Representatives of the NEMA have been on ground since the incident happened.
“We do really appreciate the response of the Federal Government,” he added.
“All said, we will continue to work harder and pray for better security in Nigeria and for those committing this evil act to meet their waterloo.
We will continue to pray and support our President and Vice President for God to guide them in the affairs of this nation.”
Speaking on behalf of Northeastern States, Borno State Governor BabaGana Zulum also sympathised with the people of Kwara, and prayed Allah to bless the departed souls.
“As Muslims, we believe in destiny, and In-Sha Allahu, this will not happen again.
“Our prayers are with you, and it is our sincere prayer that Almighty Allah will forgive the departed souls and grant them Janatul firdaus,” he said.
Kaiama LG Chairman, Abdullahi and the Emir, Alhaji Omar, in their separate remarks, appreciated the President for his support and VP Kashim Shettima for the visit.
They also acknowledged Governor AbdulRazaq’s immediate steps and his visit to Kaiama for condolences.
On the VP’s entourage were Governor Zulum; Senator Ali Ndume; Senator Emmanuel Udende; Senator Ovie Omo-Agege; Director General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mrs. Zubaida Umar; and Managing Director, Niger Delta Power Holding Company, Engr Jennifer Adighije.
Southern Governors’ Forum calls for prosecution of perpetrators
The Southern Governors’ Forum, through its chairman and Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, expressed deep sorrow over the incident.
It asked the law enforcement agencies to fish out the brains behind the attacks and ensure their prosecution.
The governors said Nigerians deserve to live without fear of senseless violence.
Abiodun said: “On behalf of myself and my colleagues in the Southern Governors’ Forum, I express our deepest condolences over the dastardly terror attack in Kwara State, in which jihadists murdered innocent people in cold blood.
“This is senseless violence that must be nipped in the bud.
“We urge the security agencies to intensify their operations against the perpetrators of this terrible incident and bring them to book.
“They must never get away with this. They must be hunted down and dealt with severely.
“We commiserate with His Excellency, Governor AbdulRahman Abdulrazaq, and the people of Kwara State over this tragic incident.
“We hope justice will be served while the security agencies do everything within their power to ensure that the slaughter of innocent citizens comes to an end.”
Imo @ 50: Shettima hails state’s political, cultural legacy, pledges more federal support
From Ilorin, Vice President Shettima and his entourage proceeded to Owerri to take part in the Golden Jubilee celebration of the creation of Imo State.
He applauded the state’s exceptional contributions to Nigeria’s political, intellectual and economic development over the past 50 years, pledging more support from the Federal Government as it charts a new course for the next five decades.
Shettima, who conveyed President Tinubu’s goodwill message, described the state as a critical partner in Nigeria’s progress, citing its leadership footprint, creative talents and agricultural strengths.
He reserved special praise for Governor Hope Uzodimma, whom he described as a “game-changing revolutionary” in the state’s modern political history, crediting him with restoring discipline, planning and institutional strength to governance.
“Governor Uzodimma has distinguished himself as more than a custodian of the present. He is a leader who understands that governance is not theatre but duty,” the Vice President said.
“Under his watch, Imo has rediscovered the discipline of planning, the courage of reform, and the confidence to re-enter the national conversation as a state prepared for relevance,” Shettima said.
Tracing Imo’s legacy of leadership, the Vice President recalled the towering roles of Dr Kingsley Ozumba Mbadiwe, whose “flamboyant command of language enriched Nigeria’s political memory,” and the late Sam Mbakwe, fondly remembered as the “Weeping Governor.”
He also described former governor Rochas Okorocha as a pan-Nigerian archetype for his humanitarian work with orphaned children across the country.
On intellectual and cultural influence, Shettima hailed Chief Flora Nwapa as “the mother of modern African literature,” who gave African women “a literary voice at a time when silence was expected of them.”
He also celebrated Imo’s imprint on Nollywood through Genevieve Nnaji, Rita Dominic and Kanayo O. Kanayo, and praised music icon Onyeka Onwenu, who he said “placed Nigerian sound on the world stage with grace and conviction.”
On economic development, the Vice President acknowledged Imo’s strengths in agriculture, particularly palm oil production at the historic Ada Palm Plantation, as well as thriving commercial centres from Nkwo Orji to Orlu International Market.
He similarly highlighted the state’s educational infrastructure, including the Federal University of Technology, Owerri and Imo State University, describing education as Imo’s greatest industry.
“Literacy rates remain among the highest in the nation, and graduates from Imo compete confidently across every field,” he stated.
Shettima pointed to emerging opportunities in Imo’s oil and gas sector in Ohaji-Egbema and Oguta, and identified growth potential in agro-processing, renewable energy, mineral processing, tourism and the digital economy.
He described Owerri as a major hospitality hub with one of the highest concentrations of hotels and entertainment centres in the country, stressing that “security has been an economic asset, and peace, when nurtured, yields prosperity.”
Urging the state to use the golden jubilee as a springboard, Shettima said: “Unity must be renewed. Innovation must be encouraged. Governance must remain humane and disciplined. Politics must return to service.”
Earlier, Governor Uzodimma said Imo would embrace digital transformation in the next 50 years, describing the creation of the state in 1976 as a moment that “enunciated freedom.”
He thanked God for sustaining the state for five decades and expressed optimism about its future.
“We have made significant progress both as a people and as a state. There is no doubt that we are growing fast in unity, resilience and reliance on God,” he said.
“We have seen Owerri transform from a town into a hub. What has kept us united is the indomitable spirit of the Imo people.”
Chairman of the occasion and former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, commended Uzodimma for what he described as far-reaching developmental projects across key sectors.
“His administration has impacted Imo State in many ways.
“For example, in transportation, finance, agriculture and other key sectors, his administration has left admirable legacy in Imo State, making a significant contribution to the wider Nigerian economy,” Anyaoku said.
In a goodwill message, Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, described Uzodimma as a “reference point” among governors, noting that his colleagues were increasingly emulating his approach to governance.
The Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Ugochukwu Achebe (Agbogidi), thanked Imo State for shaping his early life and praised Uzodimma “for showcasing Imo State to the world.”
The Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (Oba Ojaja II), offered prayers for the continued progress of Imo State, Nigeria and sustained unity across the country.
Other notable Nigerians at the ceremony were Governors Zulum (Borno), Nasir Idris (Kebbi) and Agbu Kefas (Taraba) while Delta State Deputy Governor Monday Onyeme stood in for Governor Sheriff Oborevwori..
Highpoint of the ceremony was the unveiling of a compendium and exceptional awards to former governors of the state.
Uzodimma and Chief Sam Mbakwe received Golden Star Governor of Imo State (GSGI) an award reserved for serving or former governors who extraordinarily distinguished themselves in service to the state.
Chief Ikedi Ohakim, Emeka Ihedioha, Rochas Okorocha, Achike Odunwa and Hon Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme were conferred with Brands Service Star of Imo State (GSSI).
Also former military governors, Maj-Gen Ike Nwachukwu (rtd), Rear Admiral Allison Madueke, Comdr James Aneke, Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu, Admiral Adekunle Lawal, Bring Gen Sunday Adenihun, Cmdr Anthony Oguguo, Col. Tanko Zubairu received Grand Service Star award.
Other notable indigenes that received award at the event include Prof. Michael Echeruo, Leo Stan Ekeh, Prof. Maurice Iwu, Kena Chinwe, prelate Emeritus Methodist Church of Nigeria, Dr Samuel Kanu and Primate Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion Most Rev. Henry Ndukuba.
The decision by the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), Bayo Ojulari, to halt operations at Nigeria’s state-owned refineries has triggered widespread debate across the country. But speaking at the Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES), Ojulari made it clear that the move was driven by stark economic realities rather than politics or sentiment.
According to Ojulari, an internal commercial review of the refineries revealed that continued operations under the existing structure were destroying value and draining scarce public resources.
“We were just wasting money,” Ojulari said bluntly. “The refineries were leaking value, and there was no clear line of sight on how those losses would ever turn into profits.”
Nigeria’s four government-owned refineries — two in Port Harcourt, one in Warri, and one in Kaduna — have a combined installed capacity of 445,000 barrels per day. Yet for decades, they have operated far below optimal levels, often producing little or no refined products while consuming billions of naira annually in operating and maintenance costs.
Ojulari said the decision to halt operations was taken after it became clear that running the refineries simply to show activity made no commercial sense.
“You cannot sleep when you have been trained for decades to look at profitability and commerciality,” he said. “When you are running an asset that turns crude oil into lower-value products while contractor costs continue to rise, that is not business. That is value destruction.”
Between 2010 and 2023, the federal government reportedly spent over ₦11 trillion on refinery rehabilitation and turnaround maintenance. Despite these massive investments, Nigeria remained heavily dependent on imported petrol, diesel, and aviation fuel, placing immense pressure on foreign exchange reserves and exposing the economy to global supply shocks.
In the 1980s and much of the 1990s, NNPC’s refineries operated efficiently, but performance declined in the 2000s as institutional focus shifted away from operational excellence toward EPC contracting, O&M structures, and financing-driven interventions. This transition weakened preventive maintenance culture, increased reliance on turnaround maintenance cycles that proved more commercially attractive to external parties, and contributed to the gradual erosion of in-house operational capacity within NNPC. In this context, the 2025 decision to shut down the refineries represents a pragmatic and necessary step toward halting value loss and enabling a more sustainable long-term reset of Nigeria’s refining framework.
Ojulari acknowledged that there was significant public pressure to keep the refineries running, even at a loss.
“The pressure was extreme,” he said. “Nigerians were angry. Expectations were high. But leadership is not about maintaining broken systems for optics. It is about stopping the bleeding and reassessing.”
He described the shutdown not as a failure, but as an act of responsible governance.
“Halting operations is not failure,” Ojulari insisted. “It is discipline. It is honesty. It is admitting that a system is not working and must be fundamentally restructured.”
Ojulari also pointed to the emergence of the privately owned Dangote Refinery as a key factor that has given Nigeria room to rethink its refinery strategy without risking fuel scarcity.
“Whether you love Dangote or not, thank God it is a Nigerian refinery, built in Nigeria and working in Nigeria,” he said. “It has given the country breathing space to step back and ask hard questions about what we want to do with our own assets.”
Beyond the shutdown itself, Ojulari outlined a new strategic direction for NNPC’s refinery assets. He said the fundamental problem with Nigeria’s refinery model was that the country treated refineries as projects rather than as long-term businesses.
“To make a refinery work, you need three things,” he explained. “You need financing. You need a competent EPC contractor. And you need world-class operational capacity. Historically, we focused on the first two and ignored the third.”
Ojulari said the new approach approved by the NNPC board would involve bringing in experienced global operators with equity stakes and long-term operational responsibility.
“We are not selling Nigeria,” he said. “But we are open to selling some equity to bring in operators who have skin in the game and can run these assets sustainably.”
He added that early signs of investor interest were already emerging, including inspections by major international petrochemical firms.
For Ojulari, the shutdown represents a decisive break from decades of refinery failure.
“This system was designed for everyone to take from it, not to put anything into it,” he said. “We are ending that era.”
After almost three decades of uninterrupted peace and tranquility, post-military democracy in Nigeria has entered an interesting phase. What with the uncovering of a plot by some military personnel to forcibly terminate the civilian administration in the country in a bloodfest that would have made the first military uprising in the country look like a Christmas carol. The whole plot was beginning to be enveloped in a fictional halo with initial vehement denial followed by protracted silence and an eerie make belief that all was well.
That was until the gory details began to seep into the public domain. But having escaped the worst of the devil’s scenarios, this is where utmost caution and maximum circumspection are also required. As the dragnet seems to spread hauling in more influential suspects and the hitherto unknown depth of the plot comes to worrisome focus, the government will need all the tact and wisdom it could muster to manage the fall-out and possible international backlash.
Obviously miffed and displeased that men under his command could contemplate such a dastardly act not to talk of putting him near the top of the list of principal targets, the former Chief of Defence Staff now Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, has been making apocalyptic statements about the wages of military rebellion. This is injudicious and akin to prejudging the outcome of the trial. It should be noted that this is the first time in the history of the country that a public military arraignment for coup-plotting will be taking place under the auspices of a civilian administration. Complications and legal entanglement loom, so is mismanagement of critical information.
In retrospect, perhaps it was a tad optimistic and probably naïve to imagine that we have permanently seen off the back of military interlopers in our political process. Having battled them to terminal weariness and institutional exhaustion, many had hope that this would be enough to deter the military class from ever contemplating a disruption of the country’s political progress again. Although they had been forced to retreat to the barracks with their tail between their legs, suffering heavy blows to their prestige and professional standing in the society, it was not enough to prevent their heirs from dreaming of la gloire. Their forebears having tasted sour grapes, the children’s teeth are permanently set at the edge. Whatever the terrible casualties and the threat of summary execution, coup-making is the occupational opium of a particular class of soldiers particularly on the West African sub-continent. The reasons are both historical and sociological.
Arms and their bearers with their monopoly of the instrument of violence and coercion are fundamental and instrumental to the maintenance and perpetuation of the state and its principal institutions, whether modern, traditional or ancient. It is said that the state began when traditional marauders offered protection to those they have oppressed and terrorized in exchange for certain privileges. With that human society evolved apace and division of labour took root with the former tormentors maintaining internal order while warding off external predators. This is the origin of states, empires and nations.
No matter the evolutionary trajectory of different segments of human society and whatever its colouration or incarnation, the role of the state as the prime custodian and monopolist of power and coaxed cooperation appears sacrosanct and often seems divinely ordained. The centrality of arms and their bearers to this arrangement cannot be overemphasized. This centrality looms even larger in all its patriarchal and authoritarian essence in nations where there is no elite consensus, where the instruments of governance are weak and enfeebled by human and political frailties, where the authority and legitimacy of the democratic order are vanishing and where the state itself has become a macabre joke as a result of the activities of non-state and anti-state actors. This is where and when the bearers of arms could turn their weapons on the state and the society at large.
This centrality of arms and their bearers appears to be the bane of most postcolonial nations inaugurated by colonial force of arms, particularly on the West African subcontinent where you have coup-prone and coup-ridden nations struggling with existential traumas as a result of the inability of the political elite to reorganize and reinvent the scrambled pieces left behind for them by departing colonial masters. By its classic definition, a coup d’etat is a seminal rupture, a violent abridgement; an abrogation and decapitation of the state by force of arms. In West Africa, only Senegal and Cameroons- in spite of its doddering and amnesiac leader- have been spared the irruption of post-independence military violence. The rest have at one time or the other come under the hammer of armed rule. As we speak, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad and Gabon are under one form of military rule or the other, with Benin Republic recently close to toppling over.
It is an intriguing irony that Nigeria, the jewel in the crown of a Black Renaissance, has been spared the best and worst of military rule. The best of military rule occurs when the military, despite its fundamental illegitimacy, acts as a modernizing and catalyzing agent spurring the nation to momentous infrastructural heights and accelerated economic development which in turn facilitates the emergence of a buoyant and economically independent political society which is the bedrock of national stability and a sine qua non for democratic advancement in any nation. This was what seemed to have happened in Indonesia, Turkey , Egypt and in Ghana and Rwanda to a lesser extent.
The worst of military rule occurs when army dominion mutates or ossifies into a privatized kleptocracy under a leader and his gang which shuts out the prospects of genuine egalitarian development and economic progress. The nation reels from abject poverty and the whimsical cruelties of absolutist rule. It is a double jeopardy, neither democracy nor development. Yet if Nigeria seems to miss out on its visionary military messiah who would have gifted the country with landmark political reconfiguration and accelerated economic growth, the centrifugal forces and micro-pluralism of power centres that gives the country a negative equilibrium that has also made it impossible for a brutal despot to last for long.
The bitter and protracted struggle of the Nigerian people which eventually saw off military rule attests to this capacity for heroic resistance. As the history of the First Republic and the aborted Babangida Transition also attest, whenever the injury and casus belli are located in the most politically conscious and advanced sectors of the multi-national society, one can be sure that something will give eventually. Elementary political wisdom suggests that one does not toy or tangle with the tail of the cobra for trifles.
It is perhaps this capacity for resistance and innate abhorrence of tyranny that has bred a certain complacency and languid somnolence in the Fourth Republic. In our collective innocence, we might have come to the idyllic conclusion that military irruption after twenty seven years of uninterrupted civilian rule has become a terminal aberration. In any case, the country has become so radically reconfigured, its military installations so decentralized and the communication network so devolved that no reasonable or rational soldier will attempt any “I Brigadier Konkobilo” fancy stuff without contemplating the grave and suicidal consequences of such infantile folly. This is why the news of the putative putsch must have jolted many. But we have forgotten that every Rome must produce its own barbarians and that eternal vigilance is the price of democratic freedom.
Perhaps institutional memory might be of some help. Whether seen or unseen, whether active or inactive, the military have always loomed large in the post-independence political imaginary of the nation. Military gossip has it that General Mohammadu Buhari, in his customary self-righteousness, used to privately dismiss and sneer at his military nemesis and bête noire, General Ibrahim Babangida, as one of those politicized soldiers he did not wish to have anything to do with. Perhaps Buhari was referring to Babangida’s cosmopolitan suavity and his urban ubiquity which did not conform with his (Buhari’s) rigid model of the puritanical officer. Yet on balance and in the final analysis, no officer has proved more dangerously politicized than the general from Daura.
Before the first coup, military life was shrouded in secrecy, stealth and remote inaccessibility. The barracks were off-limit and off-bounds to those who had no business there. Military ranks elicited generalized awe but they made no sense to the wider public. As a youth, the writer remembers a rare and iconic picture of Brigadier Julius Ademulegun flanked by two other military top guns splashed on the front page of the Daily Times in late 1964. Yours sincerely then asked his father whether the man was the head of his organization, by which one meant the Boys’ Brigade. The old man screamed in consternation at the impertinence. “Come and hear this boy ooo!!! Don’t you know that these are the people who can scatter the country?”
A few months after, the military did scatter the country. Unfortunately, the brigadier was among the prime casualties and up till this moment, his body and that of Latifa, his spouse, have not been found. Gleanings from credible intelligence sources of the period suggest that it was not the first time elements in the army had canvassed for a forcible take-over of the country. In 1964 during a brief constitutional crisis when the president, Nnamdi Azikiwe, declined to call on the prime minister, Abubakar Tafawa-Balewa, to constitute a new cabinet on the grounds of the widespread irregularities that characterized the elections, it was reported that a group of officers approached Zik to endorse a forcible termination of the government. But the shrewd and wily Owelle of Onitsha demurred. He was possibly aware of the extant balance of force and the fact that he did not have the constitutional right to deploy troops. When the military eventually struck a year and a few months after, Zik was at sea undertaking a luxury cruise in the Caribbean.
Even then, had the democratic tradition and culture been stronger and more vibrant and had the fragile elite consensus held together in the face of crisis and uncertainty, the rump of Balewa’s cabinet as led by the then Senate President Nwafor Orizu would have fought off the minatory intimidation and blackmailing antics of General Aguiyi-Ironsi. But holding each other in bitter distrust and resentment, they caved in, ushering their country through the dark passage of hell. Judging by current development, it would seem that the political class in Nigeria have learnt nothing and forgotten nothing.
Exactly sixty years after, the old military demon has returned to haunt the nation, after three republics including one that died in vitro and after twenty six years of interrupted civilian governance the longest by any stretch in the history of the country. But it will be extremely naïve to think that two different eras are the same in historic import. You cannot step into the same river twice. No two historical epochs can be more different and dissimilar in nature and texture than the three-region Nigeria of 1966 and the thirty-six state nation of 2026.
This being the first time in the history of the country that a full court martial is taking place under a civil administration, it is a totally uncharted territory for country and people. Consequently, it is mandatory that certain factors and indicators are closely monitored. For example, it is curious that for a politically conscious people, the reaction of the people to the coup plot and its sanguinary remit has been tepid and apathetic suggesting a dissociation of civic consciousness or a disavowal of politics that is as ominous as it is worrisome in import. It is just possible that the full depth of the plot has not been plumbed and the inauguration of a military tribunal or the process of trial may activate a sleeper-cell already embedded. This may lead to unintended consequences. It is these factors we enumerate below as a memory guide to those who will be taking the important decisions.
1 International hostility to the trial itself no matter the merits and compelling nature of the evidence.
2 World opinion unlikely to endorse any attempt to carry out death sentences on the grounds of humanitarian concern.
3 Having allowed itself to be sucked into the vortex of ethnicity and partisanship, the military has lost its aura of veneration and respectability. More importantly, the armed forces have lost their monopoly of the instruments of violence and subjugation unlike what obtained in the First Republic. With so many armed non-state combatants joining the fray, one can only be sure of the beginning of a conflict of this nature and not its end.
4 The nation itself is bleeding on all fronts from insurgencies to insurrections and murderous banditry and is unlikely to accommodate any further bloodshed without something tipping. With the parlous economic condition of the populace, massive anti-state disinformation and the fact that some segments have been openly calling for military intervention, the nation is even more polarized and bitterly divided than it was in 1966.
5 The law of unintended consequences which makes it difficult or impossible to foreclose possible outcomes to any course of action.
If an audit of the foregoing is taken, it will be seen why the circumstances demand caution and utmost circumspection. We should not be goaded into a further destabilization of an already stressed military through an open-ended inquisition. As it is, Nigeria may not be a target of deliberate international hostility but a victim of a multi-national struggle for its precious resources. Those currently probing its soft underbelly will be happy if the bogus label of a functioning and vibrant nation-state is removed so that they can go straight for the resources, just as they have done in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Libya, the Congo and lately Sudan. Going forward, President Tinubu has shown himself a master of intrigues and political levitation. Given the volatile circumstances, he will do well to add the genius for military machinations to his remit.
• Lobbyists pressure NASS to review position on results transmission
Senate President Godswill Akpabio yesterday dismissed as premature the ongoing public debate on alleged rejection of ‘real time’ electronic transmission of election results by the Red Chamber in the amendments to the Electoral Act.
Akpabio accused critics of misjudging the Senate based on an incomplete legislative process and misunderstanding of parliamentary procedures.
The Senate President, who spoke during the unveiling of a book, “The Burden of Legislators in Nigeria”, authored by Senator Effiong Bob, in Abuja said the Senate was yet to conclude work on the bill.
Speaking on the same issue at a separate forum, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim (Ondo South) said what the Senate did was to give effect to the December 29, 2023 ruling of the Supreme Court on Atiku and INEC (No. 2) in which the apex court, according to him, indicated what should be included in future legislation.
Akpabio, who was the special guest of honour at the book launch, said: “The Electoral Act amendment is incomplete.
“We have not completed it, but they (critics) are already on television.
“They don’t even know that what is in the Senate is not completed until we look at the Votes and Proceedings.”
The Votes and Proceedings stage, he said, allows senators to correct, amend or clarify decisions taken on the floor before final approval.
He said only after this could the Senate’s position be considered final.
“When we bring out the Votes and Proceedings, any senator has a right to rise and say, ‘on clause three, this was what we agreed upon.’
“That is the only time you can talk about what the Senate has done or not done,” he added.
Akpabio called the action of commentators on the matter an abuse of the legislature and accused some civil society actors of attempting to impose their views on lawmakers.
His words: “People have become mouth legislators.
‘Go and contest election if you want to talk about lawmaking and go and join them and make the law.
“Retreats are not lawmaking. Retreats are part of consultations.
“So why do you think that the paper you agreed on in Lagos during a retreat must be what is agreed on the floor?”
Akpabio insisted that the Senate did not remove electronic transmission of election results, pointing out that lawmakers only questioned the requirements for real-time transmission.
“I must state clearly, without ambiguity, that the Senate has not removed any means of transmission.
“If you want to use a bicycle to carry your votes from one polling unit to the ward centre, do so.
“If you want to use your phone to transmit, do so. If you want to use your iPad, do so,” he said.
He said the concern was that mandating real-time transmission could lead to legal disputes if network failures occurred during elections.
“All we said was that we should remove the word ‘real time,’ because if you say real time and there is grid failure and the network is not working, when you go to court, somebody will say it ought to have been real time,” he said.
According to him, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should determine the mode and timing of result transmission within the framework of the law.
The Senate President warned that insisting on real-time transmission could invalidate results in areas with poor connectivity or insecurity.
“Real time means that in over nine states where networks are not working because of insecurity, there will be no election results.
“Nationally, if the national grid collapses and no network is working, no election results will be valid,” he said.
He cited a Supreme Court ruling which, he said, acknowledged Nigeria’s inadequate infrastructure and emphasised that electronic transmission is only supplementary to the statutory collation process.
“The result is in Form EC8A. It will be carried from the polling unit to the ward centre, from there to the local government collation centre, to the senatorial collation centre, to the state collation centre, and finally the national collation centre,” he said.
Akpabio stressed that the amendment bill has not yet completed the bicameral legislative process and that a conference committee would reconcile differences between the Senate and the House of Representatives versions before the final passage.
“It is only when we have finished that that you will now say the National Assembly has passed any amendment to the Electoral Act,” he said.
He urged critics to allow the process to run its course.
Akpabio said electoral reforms must be grounded in legal and institutional capacity, warning against imposing technology beyond the country’s infrastructure.
“We insist that electoral reforms must be anchored in law, guided by capacity, secured against abuse and applied uniformly across the nation.
“Technology must serve democracy; it must not endanger democracy,” he said.
He added: “You stay in a place that has no wire, no light, and you want to put in the law ‘real time.’
“Progress must not bring about injustice.”
The Senate President warned that mistrust of institutions without understanding legislative processes could weaken democracy.
“When people do not understand their legislature, democracy is at risk. Democracy is measured not by passion alone, but by principles,” he said.
He recalled that the current Electoral Act enabled competitive elections in 2023, including losses by the then ruling party in key states.
“This same Electoral Act made the incumbent party almost lose millions of votes.
“We lost in places like Lagos and Kano.
“New parties won whole regions with the same act, whether real-time electronic transfer or not,” he said.
The Senate President stressed that laws must be made for posterity rather than partisan advantage, adding: “You don’t make law for an individual or for opposition. You make law to outlast you, for generations unborn.”
Earlier in his opening remarks, the National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and former President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, who was the chairman of the occasion, urged the National Assembly to pass the Bill and not to speak for INEC.
“What the ADC is saying is, pass the law. Let INEC decide whether they can do it (real-time electronic transmission) or not. Don’t speak for INEC.
“The stand of ADC is clear; pass the bill and let INEC decide on what it will do with it,” Mark said.
Senate gave effect to Supreme Court’s decision on Act, says Jimoh Ibrahim
Senator Ibrahim told Political Science scholars who went to congratulate him on his recent appointment as ambassador designate that the amendments to the Electoral Act were to address concerns over the use of discretionary power, the validity of election results, legal standing, and the status of the INEC IRev portal.
He said that the Supreme Court in the case of Atiku and INEC (No. 2) provided a clear roadmap for the Senate on the steps to take at appropriate times, including the present period.
“We acted to give effect to that historic judgment, and we did nothing wrong; there is no fire anywhere,” he said.
The Supreme Court, he said, clarified that INEC’s discretionary powers are limited.
He argued that the 2022 Electoral Act did not explicitly require real-time electronic transmission of election results, but now the Senate has incorporated this provision into law consistent with the Court’s ruling.
He said: “Regarding the IRev Portal’s status, the Court stated that the IRev Portal is not legally recognised and that it is merely a tool for INEC to carry out its functions.
“If someone exploits the INEC IRev Portal and manipulates election results through technological means, the Court will not accept such conduct and will enshrine this stance in law.
“The Senate recognises and respects this judgment.”
Senator Ibrahim said the Senate, led by its President, Godswill Akpabio, maintains transparency and that all laws passed truly reflect Nigerians’ views.
He asked politicians to earn victory through voters’ support, not through legislative influence.
Nigeria not ready for real-time e-transmission of election results, says ex-INEC commissioner
A former national commissioner of INEC, Mustapha Lecky, has said Nigeria is not technically prepared for mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results.
Lecky said on Channels Television programme that the clamour for instantaneous uploads from polling units was misplaced because, according to him, Nigeria still conducts manual voting with paper ballots rather than electronic voting.
“It doesn’t really make sense to me that we should be talking about instantaneous transmission of results live as it is happening from the polling area,” Lecky said
He added: “We don’t do electronic voting anywhere. Are we doing electronic voting? We are very far away from it.”
He said results must first be manually counted and verified at polling units in the presence of party agents before any upload can occur, with the EC8A form — signed by agents — serving as the critical document.
Lecky said the existing framework, including INEC’s result viewing portal (IReV) and the bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS), already provides sufficient transparency if properly implemented.
Lobbyists pressure NASS to review position
The Nation gathered that the civil rights community and opposition parties, which are in the forefront of the clamour for the inclusion of ‘real time e-transmission of results’ in the bill, are intensifying their lobbying to get the National Assembly to act on their demand.
Sources said they (lobbyists) plan to put pressure on the two chambers of the National Assembly, especially during their conference committee meeting on the amendments, to consider their demand.
No date has been picked yet for the conference committee meeting, it was learnt on Friday.
The House of Representatives had earlier passed the clause on real time electronic transmission of election results from polling units to IREV.
The House of Representatives had passed Clause 60(3) which states that: “The Commission shall electronically transmit the results from each polling unit to the IREV portal in real time and each transmission shall be done simultaneously with the physical collation of results”
The House also passed Clause 60(5) which states that “the Presiding Officer shall transmit the results including the number of accredited voters to the next level of collation.”
The interpretation clause in the proposed amendments explained that ‘Transmit’ means to “send, transfer or communicate from one person or place to another manually or electronically.”
However, the Senate declined to pass proposed clause 60(3) but rather retained Section 60(5) in the 2022 Electoral Act which states that “the Presiding Officer shall transmit the results, including the total number of accredited voters and the results of the ballot, in a manner as prescribed by the Commission.”
During and immediately after the 2023 elections, the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal became the most controversial and ready excuse for the opposition to explain their defeat. Two of the opposition parties, the Labour Party (LP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), seized upon the chaotic real-time results transmission issue to argue the unjustifiability of their losses. But while the LP had no agents in over 41,000 polling units out of over 176,000 polling units nationwide, and therefore knew little of what transpired in those unmanned areas, it insisted that the non-transmission of results through IReV explained their presidential candidate’s defeat. The PDP was less sanguine about the sanctity of that excuse, but rather chose to dwell on the pre-election issue of the qualification of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate to contest the poll. Yet, neither the PDP nor the LP substantially contested the integrity of the Form EC8A result sheets, which, unlike the hackable IReV, was available to be scrutinised by defeated candidates and their agents and lawyers.
Unusually, more than a year before the next polls, and focusing intently on the amendments to the 2022 Electoral Act, the opposition parties have renewed their bitter campaign against any provision that attempts to circumscribe the real-time transmission of election results to the IReV portal during the 2027 elections. They hold on to the implausible argument that the secret to their electoral success in 2027 lies with Section 60 of the Electoral Act that provides for the electronic transmission of results. By retaining the 2022 Act, which sustains the discretion of INEC to determine how results are transmitted electronically or otherwise, instead of making the IReV mandatory, the opposition seems to think they have no chance in the next polls.
Former vice president Atiku Abubakar, leader of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) widely believed to be set to pick up the party’s presidential ticket, spoke through his media office by condemning the retention of the 2022 provision for results transmission. Said he: “Real-time electronic transmission of results is not a partisan demand; it is a democratic safeguard. It reduces human interference, limits result manipulation, and ensures that the will of the voter expressed at the polling unit is faithfully reflected in the outcome. To reject it, and adopt the 2022 provision on so-called electronic transmission of results, is to signal an unwillingness to submit elections to public scrutiny.” Whatever former LP presidential candidate Peter Obi thinks of the contentious provision, his views have begun to be subsumed under Alhaji Atiku’s position.
Their opposite number in the opposition, the flailing Tanimu Turaki-led PDP, is even more lyrical and vociferous in opposing the retention of Section 60 of the Electoral Act 2022. Said the party’s spokesman: “After an intentional and protracted delay, the Senate, while passing the amendment to the Electoral Act, rejected the electronic transmission of results at the polling units. This rejection is most shameful and unfortunate, attracting condemnation from all democratic-minded persons…Electronic transmission would have brought an end to the ignoble practice that has been deployed by politicians to win elections against the wishes of the people expressed through the ballot…This is indeed a sad day for electoral democracy.” What would the opposition say of the United States President Donald Trump who is attempting to ‘nationalise’ elections in the US as opposed to state control?
Regardless of the arguments of the opposition, Section 60 is not the be-all and end-all of elections in Nigeria. There are other provisions in the Electoral Act, including the signing and dissemination of Form EC8A as well as other processes, that are even safer and more important to the success of elections in these parts. Crucially too, Nigeria’s telecommunications sector features uneven coverage around the country, especially depending on the region and the available infrastructure, while internet penetration is still average. The opposition parties do not spare a thought for the sometimes ineffective networks, sometimes unreliable telecoms infrastructure, and the difficulties agencies like INEC experiences in protecting their networks against hackers. In the last elections, IReV was used in many instances but not overwhelmingly.
It promotes disorder, if not anarchy, to engineer distrust of the electoral body especially when the Electoral Act already makes provision for the manual transmission of results. If the opposition will spend as much time in organising themselves and ensuring that polling units are manned and Form EC8A are preserved, they will stand a better chance of supplying needed proofs of electoral malfeasance should it arise. After all, there was no mandatory IReV in 2015 when the ruling party lost the presidential election to the opposition; while in many states, ruling parties lost governorship and legislative polls.
It is an improvement of the Nigerian electoral process that despite poor technology and low internet coverage, especially in rural areas, the framers of the Electoral Act 2022 courageously provided for the electronic transmission of results despite lack of electronic voting. It is also reassuring that the same provision has been retained rather than expunged, contrary to the impression given by the opposition. With time, and with substantial improvement in internet and telecoms coverage, Nigeria will get to a point where the method of balloting and results transmission will not be an issue. It is important that Nigerians are not bewitched into thinking that IReV is the single most important factor in electoral outcomes. It is not.
Abia State governor Alex Otti and Labour Party (LP) factional leader Julius Abure are indications that the ghost of the troubled LP has not been laid to rest, let alone resting in peace. In late January, the Federal High Court in Abuja, citing the April 2025 Supreme Court verdict, declared the Nenadi Usman-led LP as the authentic caretaker executive of the party. Pursuant to the judgement and tired of factionalisation, Dr Otti reached out to the other faction, asking for reconciliation and unity. Mr Abure was adamant. There would be no reconciliation until the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court have had their say, the factional chairman bawled. It is not clear when that would be, but considering the 2027 electoral timetable and the impending party primaries coming up in a matter of months, both appellate courts had better hurry if Mr Abure’s faction is not to lose out altogether.
Mr Abure’s dismissive characterisation of Dr Otti’s request for rapprochement was colourful. He said through his faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh: “We are not interested in any move by Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, to reconcile the party because he was the one who brought the crisis to the party in the first place…This reconciliatory thing he is throwing around is of no use. What we just witnessed was a judgment by a court of first instance. Why can’t he wait for the outcome of the appeal before deciding on such a move? Why is he suddenly in a rush to call for reconciliation? As far as we are concerned, their celebration is a pyrrhic victory…Let him know that the battle is not over.” By the time the legal battle is over, it may be too late for credible aspirants to fight for the party’s tickets for the 2027 polls. In all probability, however, Dr Otti, who has resisted persuasions to defect, may be fighting to secure a platform for his reelection and political life.
A former students leader in Rivers State, Rhino Owhorkire has hailed the acting vice chancellor of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education(IAUE), Prof. Okechukwu Onuchukwu for joining the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT ) VC race.
IAUE is a State own University with three large campuses in three local council areas of the State, Obio/Akpor, Port Harcourt City and Emohua.
Onuchukwu before being appointed Acting VC of the University by former Governor Nyesom Wike on November 18, 2021 was a Lecturer in UNIPORT and held different positions in the School including, Head of Economics department, Dean of faculty of Social Sciences and Director of UNIPORT Business School.
He has been on the Acting VC capacity for more than four years without hope of being confirmed a substantive VC. There is apparently feeling of stagnation and uncertainty; moreso with the unending political imbroglio between Wike who appointed him and his successor, Governor Siminialayi Fubara who retained him.
Following the obvious reality, the Professor of Econometrics reportedly has obtained expression of interest form to contest for the position in UNIPORT, rather than to continue to mark time in Ajuru University, afterall he is also popular in the School, and better equipped for the position with over four years experience and still counting.
Reacting to the news, Owhorkire lauded the moves, giving his moral and spiritual supports to the VC, noting that he would serve well with greater impact in the Federal University(UNIPORT), if given the opportunity.
Speaking in a statement he personally signed and forwarded to the Nation in Port Harcourt, the SUG President noted what he described as impressive and unprecedented transformations Onuchukwu has recorded across the three campuses of Ajuru University, despite serving on Acting capacity.
According to owhorkire, the VC’s impacts in the School spread across different strata of the University, including improved academic standard and performances, massive accreditation of departments and courses of the institution, infrastructure, security, improved power supplies, welfare of both students and staff members, campus communities/stakeholder/relationships among others, assuring that the University communities and his employer, the State government are proud of the transformations his leadership style has brought.
“As a former student Union Government (S.U.G) President of Uniport, I consider it a responsibility to publicly commend the wide-ranging academic, infrastructural, welfare, and administrative achievements recorded under the leadership of Professor Okey Onuchukwu as Acting Vice-Chancellor of Ignitus Ajuru University of Education Rumuolumini.
“From the outset, Prof. Onuchuku adopted a people-first, service-driven leadership approach, translating vision into visible and measurable outcomes. One of the most symbolic achievements of his tenure is the dualization of the university’s main entrance, which improved access, traffic control, safety, and institutional outlook.
“Under his leadership, there was massive fencing of the campuses of the University begining with the main campus at Rumuolumeni, to Ndele Campus, fencing of female hostels with four gate houses, and the fencing of staff quarters, significantly to strengthen security in the areas.
“His administration also oversaw the construction of four kitchens for students, the construction and completion of the Faculty of Social Sciences building through TETFund, the construction and completion of English House after needs assessment, and the construction of an additional building for the estate Department, among many others.
“To sum it up, these achievements define a tenure marked by vision, compassion, accountability, and measurable growth. Prof. Okey Onuchuku’s leadership offers a compelling model of people-centred university administration, one that other Vice-Chancellors across Nigeria would do well to emulate.”
“His contributions will remain indelible in the history of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education.” he said.
The unionist believes that Onuchukwu would replicate these achievements and surpass, if he wins the poll to become the next Uniport VC.
An energy and aviation expert, Mr Dare Osamo, has commended the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the recent signing of the Cape Town Convention, describing it as a strategic policy decision that aligns with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda and signals a new phase of growth for Nigeria’s aviation sector.
Osamo, who is the Managing Director of Impact Energy, said the decision, executed by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, would significantly improve aircraft leasing conditions for local airlines, unlock new investment opportunities, and strengthen confidence in Nigeria’s aviation market.
According to him, the Cape Town Convention provides a globally recognised legal framework that protects the interests of aircraft lessors and financiers, particularly in asset recovery and enforcement of rights.
Its implementation, he noted, addresses a critical structural challenge that has historically limited the growth of indigenous airlines.
“This is a clear demonstration of purposeful governance under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Osamo said.
“The Renewed Hope Agenda is about removing systemic bottlenecks and restoring investor confidence, and the signing of the Cape Town Convention fits squarely within that vision.”
He explained that access to aircraft through leasing has been one of the most difficult hurdles for Nigerian operators, largely due to perceived legal and regulatory risks. With the convention now in place, Osamo said local airlines would be able to lease aircraft more easily, on better terms, and at lower costs.
“This development makes aircraft leasing easier, more effective, and more predictable for Nigerian operators,” he said. “As a result, we will see organic growth in local fleets, improved service delivery, and a more competitive aviation industry.”
Osamo added that the expansion of airline fleets would have far-reaching economic implications. He said increased aircraft numbers would drive demand for aircraft parts, maintenance services, aviation consumables, and jet fuel, creating opportunities across the aviation and energy value chains.
“As fleets grow, the supporting industries grow alongside them,” he said. “From engineers and technicians to fuel suppliers and logistics providers, this will naturally create more jobs and deepen local capacity.”
He further noted that improved access to aircraft would allow airlines to open new domestic and regional routes, particularly to underserved destinations, thereby improving connectivity, stimulating commerce, and supporting national development.
Osamo also highlighted the role of the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, SAN, in driving reforms aimed at revamping the sector. He said Keyamo’s engagement with international aviation stakeholders, emphasis on regulatory clarity, and commitment to restoring credibility to Nigeria’s aviation ecosystem have laid the groundwork for reforms such as the Cape Town Convention.
“The minister has been deliberate in addressing legacy issues in the aviation sector,” Osamo said. “From improving Nigeria’s global aviation standing to engaging lessors, financiers, and international partners, this signing reflects a broader reform agenda already underway.”
He described the move as a foundational policy shift that, if properly implemented and supported with complementary reforms, could reposition Nigeria as a more attractive destination for aircraft leasing, aviation services, and regional air transport operations.
Osamo urged continued collaboration between government, regulators, and private sector stakeholders to ensure the full benefits of the convention are realised.
“The signing of the Cape Town Convention is not just a legal exercise; it is an economic enabler,” he said. “It sends a strong message that Nigeria is open for business and serious about building a sustainable, growth-driven aviation industry under the Renewed Hope Agenda.”
