Category: Lead

• •Commission replies PDP candidate’s petition
• •FCT has no special status
• •‘Obi’s petition should be dismissed’

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar did not meet the constitutional requirements to be declared winner of the February 25 election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said.

The commission urged the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) to dismiss the petition by Atiku and his party.

It said: “The first petitioner (Atiku), failed to score, at least, one-quarter of the votes cast in at least two-thirds of the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and as such could not have been declared the winner.”

As against the claim by the petitioners, INEC added: “The election was conducted in substantial compliance with the Electoral Act 2022 and was not marred by any corrupt practices.”

The commission said the President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu validly won the election.

INEC said the FCT is not accorded any special status in the constitution as being erroneously portrayed by some political parties and candidates who lost the election.

The umpire stated these in its reply to the petition by the PDP and Atiku.

“That the second respondent (Tinubu) was duly elected by a majority of lawful votes cast in the election and his declaration and return as the winner of the presidential election conducted on the 25th day of February 2023 is lawful, valid and in line with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act, 2022. 

“Having satisfied the requirements of Section 134 (2) (b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, the return of the second respondent as the winner of the presidential election conducted on 25th February 2023 is lawful, valid and constitutional. 

“The second respondent was at the time of the election qualified to contest the election. 

“The petitioners neither scored the majority of the lawful votes cast at the election nor scored not less than one-quarter of the lawful votes cast in at least two-thirds of the 36 states of the Federation and the FCT.

Read Also: Tinubu, Atiku, Lawan, govs preach peace, unity at Christmas

“Therefore, the first petitioner (Atiku) is not entitled to be returned as the winner of the presidential election conducted on 25th February 2023.”

INEC prayed the court to dismiss the petition.

The commission said the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate met all the legal requirements to be so announced as the winner.

It argued that a candidate must not secure 25 per cent of votes in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to be declared the winner.

The response was filed on April 11 by its legal team led by the former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN).

On why it returned Tinubu as the winner, INEC said the APC candidate (listed as the second respondent in the petition) “scored 25 per cent of the valid votes cast in 29 states of the federation.”

It added: “Having scored at least one-quarter of the valid votes cast in 29 states, which is over and above the 24 2/3 states threshold required by the Constitution, in addition to scoring the majority of the lawful votes cast at the election, the second respondent was properly declared the winner and returned as the President-elect of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. 

“The second respondent, having scored 25 per cent of the valid votes cast in the 29 states, has satisfied the requirement of the Constitution to be declared winner of the presidential election, thus rendering the requirement of having 25 per cent of the valid votes cast in the FCT unnecessary. 

“The declaration and return of the second respondent were not wrongful and was made in accordance with the provisions of Section 134 (2) (b) of the Constitution, the second respondent having scored one quarter (25 per cent) of the valid votes cast in 29 states which are beyond the constitutional threshold for such declaration. 

“The first respondent (INEC) denies that scoring 25 per cent of the votes cast in the Federal Capital Territory is a condition precedent to the declaration and return of a candidate in the presidential election.”

INEC added that by the margin of the lead, it did not act hastily, as claimed by Atiku and the PDP in declaring Tinubu the winner.

It noted that Tinubu scored 25 per cent of the valid votes cast in 29 states, namely: Ekiti, Kwara, Osun, Ondo, Ogun, Oyo, Yobe, Lagos, Gombe, Adamawa, Katsina, Jigawa, Nasarawa, Niger, Benue, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Kogi, Bauchi, Plateau, Bayelsa, Kaduna, Kebbi, Kano, Zamfara, Sokoto, Taraba, Borno and Rivers.

While faulting the petitioners’ claim on the status of the FCT, INEC argued that “the provisions of the Constitution apply to FCT as if it were one of the states of the Federation and the use of the word ‘and’ in Section 134 (2) of the Constitution indicates nothing more than that in construing two-thirds of the states of the federation in which a candidate is required to score one-quarter of the votes cast.”

It argued that by the provision of the Constitution, the FCT “has the status of a state and ought to be recognised as if were a state of the federation.”

It added that the FCT, beyond being the country’s capital “has no special constitutional status over and above the other 36 states of the Federation to require a candidate in the presidential election to obtain at least 25 per cent of the votes cast in the FCT before being declared winner of the presidential election”. 

INEC added: “The FCT is regarded as the 37th state of the federation and as such, a candidate needs to score 25 per cent of the valid votes cast in at least two-thirds of 37 states (to be declared as winner in the presidential election.”

Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike yesterday kicked against moves by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other opposition parties to install the presiding officers of the 10th National Assembly.

Wike, in a media chat in Port Harcourt, the state capital, described the move as disruptive, saying that Rivers federal lawmakers would not be part of it.

He also spoke on the proposed Kogi State PDP governorship primary, saying that Senator Dino Melaye should not be picked as candidate because he lacks the capacity to win.

The governor said despite not being a member of the APC, prominent members of the party interested in the offices of the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives had reached out to him to indicate their interests.

He said: “People have come to see me. Wase (Hon. Ahmed Idris) has come. Senator Godswill Akpabio has come, Governor David Umahi has come, Uzor Kalu has called me on phone from US severally. And what am I saying? I’m not from their party, but first of all, democracy entails that the majority should have their way.

“I have heard and read people saying that the opposition parties are meeting to take over the leadership of the National Assembly. They won’t take it, it’s not possible. Even me, I will not support that.”

The governor said opposition parties should allow the APC leadership to choose the next principal officers of the National Assembly because it was their entitlement. 

He urged the minority in both chambers of the National Assembly to form a robust opposition to challenge the ruling party.

He said: “APC should still produce the leadership of the Assembly. Nobody should count Rivers state as part of the agenda to take over the leadership of the National Assembly. PDP can’t tell us that. Did they support us to win election? They can’t tell us that.

“I will not support that kind of move where you want to take over the leadership of the National Assembly as an opposition, I won’t do that. There are so many politicians who are very selfish. I’m not one of them.”

He, however, advised the APC leadership to consider the diversity and complexity of the country in determining its preferred candidates for Senate President and House of Representatives Speaker.

Wike warned the national leadership of the PDP against the plot to make Dino Melaye governorship candidate in Kogi, saying that he cannot win.

He said the Acting National Chairman of the PDP, Umar Ililya Damagum, recently called him and he expressed concern about the attempt to manipulate the Kogi primary in favour of Melaye.

He said: “Changing delegates list to favour a particular person will further cause crisis in our party. Giving PDP governorship ticket in Kogi State to Dino Melaye is like planning to fail the election, because Dino doesn’t have what it takes to become governor of Kogi State.

“Tomorrow, you begin to cry that you were rigged, but you’re already rigging yourself by changing the delegates list to favour someone who cannot win election.”

On the crisis in the PDP, Wike said the defeat of the party in the recent general election was an indication that the suspended national chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, lacked electoral value.

He said the G-5 governors’ agitation for rotation of elective and appointive offices, based on the principle of fairness, equity and justice, exposed Ayu’s lack of capacity.

Wike added: “We have exposed Ayu that he has nothing to offer the party. And from the results, it has shown that he has nothing to offer to the party.”

Reflecting on the ongoing protest by the Rivers PDP at INEC office in Port Harcourt, the state capital, he said it was aimed at preventing the manipulation of the results of the governorship and House of Assembly elections.

The governor said that since the law allowed political parties to access electoral materials used by INEC in conducting the elections, the chapter, as a precautionary measure, also insisted on having access to the documents at the same time.

Wike explained that PDP was simply being proactive to prevent a recurrence of malicious altering of the people’s will by the police and the APC.

He said: “There is nothing that is abnormal about what you think is going on in Port Harcourt. What PDP is doing is just to be vigilant. Vigilant in the sense that precisely after the 2015 election, and inauguration, we had problems that we never believed, and so, we didn’t want a recurrence of that at the tribunal.

“It shocked us when we were in the tribunal that police tendered original result, not a copy of the original result, original result, and everybody was shocked. How would police tender original result and INEC had their own original certified true copy? INEC tendered their own. To our greatest surprise, the court accepted the police original result. It was surprising to us.”

Wike said the PDP was being extra vigilant accusing the Rivers APC of having penchant for compromising security agents and some officials of INEC. 

He said: “Police brought original result sheet. It is unbelievable. The court accepted police own other than INEC. APC in Rivers State paid police.  What we expected is that police should have a copy of INEC result. And how did they get the original result sheet with the same serial number?”

Melaye: I understand Wike’s pain 

Melaye, in a statement, chided Wike over the comment against him.

He said the governor was against him because he did not support his presidential ambition.

Dino said Wike ought to be planning how to survive after he quits the Government House on May 29.

He said: “I can understand the pain of Wike. He wanted my support for his misplaced aspiration to become the Flagbearer of the People’s Democratic Party in the 2023 Presidential election but knowing his avowed credential to be eminently unworthy of the ticket, I deployed support for His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar, a cosmopolitan and cultured statesman who ignored all the tantrums of Wike throughout the period of the election.

“Wike has probably mistaken me for His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar. He needs to appreciate that now that he has touched the tiger’s tail and murdered sleep, the discomfort of a bird perched on a rope has now become his portion.”

House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila yesterday lamented Nigeria’s dwindling revenue from the oil sector, saying that the country loses $700 million monthly to crude oil theft.   

The Speaker, who also expressed doubt over the nation’s ability to meet its 2023 proposed daily oil production target of 1.69 million barrels, pointed out that available data suggests that “we may lose up to $23 billion to crude oil theft this year.”

He added that between January and July last year, Nigeria lost $10 billion   to the oil theft.

The Speaker spoke while declaring   open the House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee hearing on the illegal sale of stolen 48 million barrels of Nigeria’s crude oil in China. Nigeria is said to have lost $2.4 billion revenue to that transaction. 

But a group of protesters described the   probe by the committee as a sham, alleging that the whistleblowers who provided the information that led to the investigation   violated the procedure for filing petitions before the National Assembly.

Gbajabiamila, who was represented by Isiaka Ayokunle, a lawmaker, noted that the Oil and Gas sector remained the mainstay of Nigerian economy, adding that the sector accounts for 95 percent of the country’s foreign exchange earnings and 80 percent of its annual budgeted revenue.

Nigeria’s daily crude oil production was put at 1.88 million barrels last year, but the figure was never met with production dropping below 1million barrels. This year, the projection, is 1.69 million barrels.  

The Speaker said Nigeria’s revenue to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratio is below five percent, which  places the country among the five lowest in the world.   

He said   that in the light of dwindling revenue accruing to Nigeria from crude oil sales, it was quite alarming to learn about whistleblower allegation that over $2.4 billion  was lost from the sale of the stolen 48 million barrels.

Gbajabiamila stressed that while these are unverified allegations, the onus was on the House to scertain their veracity or otherwise.

The Speaker regretted that corruption had continued to be the bane of Nigeria’s development, pointing out that it ranks 150 out of 180 countries in the most recent Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).

But as the committee commenced the probe,  some protesters alleged  that the whistleblowers who made the allegation  on  the  stolen 48 million crude oil did not file any petition before  the National Assembly.

The protesters,under  the aegis of  George Oboh Whistleblowers Network, warned that  the Mark Gbillah-led ad hoc committee  was on a shambolic exercise.

Their address was read by Joseph Peter Umoh at the premises of the National Assembly.  

Umoh said: “The scheduled Hon. Mark Gbillah-led ad hoc committee hearing on the illegal sale of stolen 48 million barrels of Nigeria’s crude oil in China is in violation of two principles:

“The whistleblowers who furnished Hon. Mark Gbillah the information germane to the 48 million barrels of crude oil stolen did not file any petition to the National Assembly giving rise to the hearing, and neither were they called as witnesses to testify during the hearing.

“Our chairman, Dr. George Uboh, a known whistleblower whose petition to the National Assembly led to the sack of former EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) Chairman (Ibrahim)  Lamorde, can authoritatively state that the National Assembly does not delve into any matter unless a petition is filed and laid on the floor.

“Because Gbillah boycotted this sacrosanct due process, Gbillah’s purported ad hoc hearing is a sham and a unilateral action.  

“Also, the undersigned renowned whistleblower Uboh can authoritatively assert that the National Assembly does not hear any matter in court. There are two court matters initiated in the FCT (Federal Capital Territory) High Court and Federal High Court against the Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mallam Mele Kyari,   to account for the proceeds of the sale and the National Assembly respectively. (See attached). Proceeding to hear a matter which is in two courts adds to the level of risk Gbillah is willing to take.

“Due to Gbillah’s recalcitrance, we are alerting that Niger Deltans whose crude oil was stolen and sold illegally in China, and Nigerians in general who were to benefit from proceeds of the stolen crude oil are here protesting to call attention of Nigerians   to Gbillah’s unilateral brazen, callous and wanton disregard for the rule of law to achieve his ulterior motive.”  

Rising inflation, interest rate hike, geo-political tension and COVID-19 pandemic will likely trigger global economic recession this year, the World Bank warned yesterday.

In its latest Global Economic Prospects report, the institution noted that global growth has been slowing sharply in the face of elevated inflation, higher interest rates, reduced investment and disruptions caused by the Russia invasion of Ukraine.

According to the World Bank Group, this would mark the first time in more than 80 years that two global recessions have occurred within the same decade.

The global economy is projected to grow by 1.7 per cent this year and 2.7 per cent in 2024. But, the sharp downturn in growth is expected to be widespread, with forecasts in 2023 revised down for 95 per cent of advanced economies and nearly 70 per cent of emerging markets and developing economies.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, which accounts for about 60 per cent of the world’s extreme poor, growth in per capita income over 2023-24 is expected to average about 1.2 per cent, a rate that could cause poverty rates to rise, not fall.

World Bank Group President, David Malpass, said the crisis facing development is intensifying as the global growth outlook deteriorates.

He said: “Emerging and developing countries are facing a multi-year period of slow growth driven by heavy debt burdens and weak investment as global capital is absorbed by advanced economies faced with extremely high government debt levels and rising interest rates.

“Weakness in growth and business investment will compound the already-devastating reversals in education, health, poverty and infrastructure and the increasing demands from climate change.”

In the United States (U.S), growth is expected to fall to 0.5 per cent in 2023 (about 1.9 percentage points below previous forecasts and the weakest performance outside of official recessions since 1970).

This year, the euro-area growth is expected at zero per cent, a downward revision of 1.9 percentage points.

In China, growth is projected at 4.3 per cent (0.9 percentage point below previous forecasts).

Excluding China, growth in emerging markets and developing economies is expected to decelerate from 3.8 per cent in 2022 to 2.7 per cent this year, reflecting significantly weaker external demand compounded by high inflation, currency depreciation, tighter financing conditions, and other domestic headwinds.

The report offers the first comprehensive assessment of the medium-term outlook for investment growth in emerging market and developing economies.

Over the 2022-2024 period, gross investment in these economies is likely to grow by about 3.5 per cent on average—less than half the rate that prevailed in the previous two decades.

The report lays out a menu of options for policy makers to accelerate investment growth.

The Director of World Bank’s Prospects Group, Ayhan Kose said: “Subdued investment is a serious concern because it is associated with weak productivity and trade and dampens overall economic prospects.

“Without strong and sustained investment growth, it is simply impossible to make meaningful progress in achieving broader development and climate-related goals 

“National policies to boost investment growth need to be tailored to country circumstances but they always start with establishing sound fiscal and monetary policy frameworks and undertaking comprehensive reforms in the investment climate.”

The Report also sheds light on the dilemma of 37 small states – countries with a population of 1.5 million or less. These states suffered a sharper COVID-19 recession and a much weaker rebound than other economies, partly because of prolonged disruptions to tourism.

Three years ago, economic output in small states fell by more than 11 per cent – seven times the decline in other emerging and developing economies. The report finds that small states often experience disaster-related losses that average roughly five per cent of GDP per year. This creates severe obstacles to economic development.

It said growth in advanced economies is projected from 2.5 per cent in 2022 to 0.5 per cent this year.

Over the past two decades, slowdowns of this scale have foreshadowed global recession.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has argued the reliefs being sought in the petition by the Labour Party (LP) and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, cannot be granted by the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC).

INEC also contended the petition by Obi and LP is “grossly incompetent, abusive, vague, nebulous, generic, general, non-specific, ambiguous, equivocal, hypothetical and academic.”

The petitioners are seeking, among others, the nullification of the the outcome of victory of the February 25 presidential election.

They are of the view that Tinubu “was not duly elected by the majority of the lawful votes cast at the time of the election.”

Obi and the LP, who claimed that there was rigging in 11 States, alleged that INEC violated its own regulations when it announced the results when the totality of the polling unit results was yet to be fully scanned, uploaded and transmitted electronically as required by the Electoral Act.

Listed as respondents in the petition are INEC, Bola Tinubu, Kashim Shettima and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

But in its response, INEC argued that the grounds on which the petition was based were defective, having regard to the vague and imprecise averments supporting the said grounds.

INEC noted that, in relation to their claim of non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022 and corrupt practices, the petitioners failed to disclose a reasonable cause of action by their failure to plead specific particulars and figures as to how the alleged non-compliance, which they claimed substantially affected the results of the election.

Read ALso : APC, INEC to poll tribunal: Obi’s petition a waste of time

It argued that the petitioners’ ground, hinged on their claim that Tinubu was not elected by majority of lawful votes cast, is defective owing to their failure to plead the alleged unlawful votes to be deducted and/or lawful votes to be credited to the petitioners.

INEC argued that the petitioners’ prayer for the tribunal to declare that Obi scored majority of lawful votes cast at the election and be declared winner was equally defective in view of the petitioners’ “failure to join necessary parties and for lack of requisite particulars and pleading to support same.”

INEC contended that it was impossible for the tribunal to return as the winner of the election having not polled the majority of the lawful votes cast at the election and /or secured one quarter of the votes cast at the election in each of at least two-thirds of all states in the federation and the FCT.

It noted that the law required all political parties, intending to sponsor candidates in the election, to submit lists of their agents and were expected to observe the election process at their units, sign and collect result sheets on behalf of their political parties at the close of polls.

INEC added that some of the political party agents whose names were on the list submitted to it were however absent at their polling units while some others, who were present, neglected to participate in the election process.

The electoral umpire further stated that the petitioners (Obi and LP) did not have agents in all the polling units across country because they only submitted a list of 134, 874 polling agents, which is 41, 972 short of the 176, 846 polling units nationwide.

It added that the petitioners were not represented in many or some of the polling units across the country.

As against the petitioners’ contention, INEC insisted that Tinubu and Shettima were duly declared and returned elected and issued Certificates of Return, having fulfilled the requirements of the constitution to be declared winners and returned.

It added that the Shettma was duly nominated and sponsored to contest the election as the vice presidential candidate.

INEC prayed the court to dismiss the petition by Obi and LP.

The Police have revealed the identity and faces of three officers who assaulted a yet-to-be-identified man in a viral video in Rivers.

The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, made this known on his Twitter handle on Tuesday evening.

The Nation reports Rivers Commissioner of Police CP Okon Effiong on Monday ordered the arrest of the officers and promised to get them sanctioned for their actions.

The officers are Adejoh Siaka and Friday Obaka, both inspectors, while the third is Ndiwa Kpuebari, a sergeant.

The Force PRO had condemned the action of the policeman describing it as unfortunate

Adejobi said: “Inspector Adejoh Siaka; Inspector Friday Obaka, and Sgt. Ndiwa Kpuebari from Rivers State.

“These are the men who slapped a man on the road in Rivers. They reported at the Force Headquarters today.

“Trial will soon commence. We will update you as soon as possible. Thanks.”

Ebonyi Governor David Umahi has said that nobody can stop President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu from being sworn in.

He advised those thinking they would rob Tinubu of his mandate to have a re-think, insisting that Tinubu can’t be stopped.

The Governor spoke in Abakaliki, the capital on Tuesday when the Governor-elect, Francis Nwifuru visited him in his office.

Nwifuru was in the Governor’s office to present his INEC Certificate of Return and appreciate the Governor for his support which gave him and the All Progressives Congress victory at the recently concluded governorship poll.

Umahi called for an end to extreme and bitter politics adding that Tinubu’s victory was divinely ordained by God 

Read Also : How legal landmines against Tinubu/Shettima were defused

He said: “There is no power or force that will remove Tinubu from being the President, because the time God would have stopped him, God allowed him.

“Because God allowed him, no man can stop him. And this extreme politics should be deemphasized in Nigeria so we can move forward, in a better Nigeria.

 Umahi dedicated the victory of the All Progressives Congress(APC) in the State and across the country to God.

He maintained that those seeking to upturn the victories at the tribunal were simply wasting their time and resources, adding that the party merited all it got at the polls.

Barring last-minute changes, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) will hold the Governorship primaries in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States on Saturday, April 14.

Twenty-four aspirants are jostling for the party’s tickets with Kogi having the highest of 17 aspirants eyeing the Lord Lugard House Lokoja after Governor Yahaya Bello whose second term ends in 2023. 

Six aspirants are to slug it out in Bayelsa while Imo Governor Hope Uzodimma will require voice affirmation on Saturday in Owerri.

The primary in Kogi State will be keenly contested by Deputy Governor Edward Onoja; Senator Smart Adeyemi and Abdulkareem Asuku, the Chief of Staff to Governor Bello.

Others are Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Hon. Muritala Yakubu Ajaka; son of the former Gov. Abubakar Audu, Prince Shauibu Abubakar Audu; former Executive Director, Rural Electrification Agency Sanusi Ohiare; Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Barr. Salami Momodu O. Deedat and Usman Ododo, Auditor General, Local Government.

Also on ballot are Chairman Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber Crime Senator Oseni Yakubu; Halima l. Alfa; Momoh Jibrin; Alh. Yusuf Yakubu Okala; Hon. Asiru Idris; Prof. Stephen Ikani Ocheni; Abubakar Yahaya Achimugu,  Idachaba Friday and David A. Jimoh.

In Bayelsa, the six aspirants include immediate past Minister of State Petroleum Resources, Timipreye Silva and 2019 Governor-elect David Lyon. 

Read Also : APC, INEC to poll tribunal: Obi’s petition a waste of time

Also on the ballot are Ogbomade Isikima Johnson; Prof. Ongoebi Etebu Maureen; Festus Daumiebi Sunday and Joshua Maciver. 

The Nation gathered the primary elections in Bayelsa and Imo are to be conducted through the direct mode while the earlier indirect mode of primary slated for Kogi is being reviewed by a committee set up by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party following series of petitions by aspirants and stakeholders from the State.

The FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria PLC, the makers of Peak Milk, has issued a public apology to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

The apology was over a controversial advert deemed offensive to the Christian body.

The apology, which was addressed to the CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, was written by Ore Famurewa, Executive Director (Corporate Affairs) on behalf of the company. 

The letter titled ‘APOLOGY FOR THE GOOD FRIDAY SOCIAL MEDIA POST BY THE PEAK BRAND,’ was dated 10th April, 2023.

The controversial post, which was shared on the official social media handles of the Peak brand on Good Friday, caused a major uproar among Nigerians, particularly Christians who felt that the post was not only disrespectful to their faith but also an affront to the millions of Christians in Nigeria and beyond.

In the apology letter, FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria PLC acknowledged the harm caused by the offensive post and expressed deep regret for any hurt or offense caused to the Christian community.

The letter reads in part: “On behalf of FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria PLC, I hereby tender our unreserved apology to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) as well as to the Christian community at large for the recent Good Friday social media post on the Company’s Social Media Handle.

“We acknowledge the sensitivity of the social media post considering the sobriety of the season. It was neither intended to make light of the significance of the season nor to inordinately exploit the unmatched sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

“We wish to inform the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) that the social media post has since been withdrawn”.

Read Also : Betara’s quest for Reps Speaker

The company also assured the public that it would take appropriate steps to ensure that such an incident never happens in the future.