General News
GEJ vs GMB: Winner is… The Cable’s Verdict
Predicting the outcome of an election has never been this difficult. The reason, according to The Cable is not too complex though: this is the first time since 1999 that the opposition party has gathered enormous momentum going into an election.
What’s more: there seems to be a blossoming coalition between Muhammadu Buhari and the south.
All you need do is look at the crowds and supporters at his rallies in the south, compared to the years gone by.
However, no one dare rules out an incumbent president in a developing country, so President Goodluck Jonathan should not be considered down and out.
The Cable said that but he has had a lot of negative publicity in his first term — which puts him at a disadvantage, at least with many people.
The election is a referendum on his government, not on Buhari’s regime of three decades ago. There are good reasons for Buhari to be hopeful that he would win.
And there are good reasons for Jonathan to believe that he too would win. We try to highlight each candidate’s hopes.
The Cable taps Buhari to win based on five factors:
Bigger Base
In 2003, 2007 and 2011, Buhari was essentially a northern candidate with little support in the south. But he was clearly the darling of the “core north” and not the middle belt.
Either as candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) or the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Buhari never had any impact in the south and most of the middle belt.
Today, as candidate of the bigger All Progressives Congress (APC) — which has swallowed ANPP and CPC, in addition to the south-west party, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) — Buhari has a bigger and broader base.
He never won 25% in any southern state before; this time, expect him to hit that threshold in all southern states, except perhaps Bayelsa.
Bigger Purse
The formation of APC has not only given Buhari a bigger national platform, his war chest is now heavier.
In the past, his finances were highly limited. He could not afford all the necessary logistics, such as buying enough campaign vehicles and maintaining them. He could not afford expensive media advertising.
His supporters often taxed themselves to make expenses on his behalf. In 2015, the story has changed.
Buhari is all over the newspapers, radio, TV and the Internet. He has a deep pocket courtesy of the support of governors such as Rotimi Amaechi and Aliyu Wamakko as well as wealthy Nigerians like Bola Tinubu and former vice-president, Atiku Abubakar.
Buhari, from struggling to fuel his campaign vehicles long ago, now uses chartered flights.
Bigger Youth Support
Buhari was never the darling of the educated youth population until now. In 2011, Jonathan monopolised the market with his hold on the social media, where the youth are the most active.
Buhari never had a Facebook page or Twitter handle. However, since he won the presidential ticket of his party in December, the story has changed completely. Youths who used to criticise Jonathan regularly on the social media simply moved to Buhari’s camp and, at some stage, drowned out pro-Jonathan voices.
They have also been creative and proactive, criticising every move of Jonathan swiftly and generating a lot of viral messages against the president.
Better Image
Buhari used to be seen as a religious fundamentalist who was bent on Islamising Nigeria. He had also been credited with a couple of statements that seemed to paint him in that light.
Long ago, he reportedly said Muslims should only vote for Muslims — a statement he denied. Last year, he was quoted as blaming Jonathan for the war against Boko Haram, reportedly saying a northerner gave Niger Delta militants but a southerner was instead killing northerners.
All these reports painted him as a northern and Islamic champion. These impressions have since vanished, starting possibly from the moment he was attacked in Kaduna last year by suspected Boko Haram militants.
Critical Issues
For once, the electioneering relegated sectional issues substantially to the background. Gone are the days of “it is our turn” or “Nigeria will be ungovernable if we don’t have it”.
Jonathan, as the sitting president, has been confronted with issues of insecurity and corruption which his opponents have highlighted very well.
Indeed, the message resonates well with many Nigerians who, despite opposing Buhari in the past, are now saying they would rather have him than four more years of Jonathan.
Issues such as the kidnap of Chibok schoolgirls, the alleged $20 billion missing oil money, poor power supply and the menace of Boko Haram are uppermost on their minds. In a sense, the “change” campaign is more of an anti-Jonathan sentiment.
NO, IT’S JONATHAN FOR SURE…
Incumbency Factor
In African politics, or the politics of underdeveloped countries for that matter, incumbents are hard to unseat.
Incumbents have been defeated in some nearby countries — such as Cote d’Ivoire and Senegal — but these deviations are not the rule.
In Nigeria’s history, incumbents have always returned: Tafawa Balewa (1960 and 1964, as prime minister), Shehu Shagari (1979 and 1983) and Olusegun Obasanjo (1999 and 2003).
Their returns were always controversial. So either steal, beg or borrow, Jonathan may use the advantage of incumbency to return to power.
The postponement of the election, for instance, is seen as a demonstration of incumbency power and it is believed that it has allowed Jonathan to re-strategise for victory.
The Nicodemus Factor
Although Buhari is dominating the airwaves, it could well be that those who are working for Jonathan are afraid of being “mobbed” and have decided to support him Nicodemusly (that means “secretly”, in case you are not familiar with the Bible story).
In some parts of the country, those known to be supporting Jonathan have been attacked in the past.
People lost their lives and property in 2011 for supporting Jonathan. There are various reports, mostly unconfirmed, that the northern elite are not well disposed to Buhari because of fear of vengeance.
Some traditional rulers are also thought to be apprehensive about a scarcity of goodies under an anti-corruption icon like Buhari.
Southern/Middle Belt emotion
Although Buhari now has a larger and broader base, there are those who will not vote for him simply because they think the north has a “born to rule” mentality.
No matter their misgivings with a Jonathan government, they will be happy not to have another northerner as president “so soon”.
Some southerners still refer to the past when the north ruled Nigeria from 1960 to 1999, minus the four combined years of Obasanjo and Ernest Shonekan.
This sentiment is still strong in some areas in the south, where some socio-cultural groups and elders are still talking about the “northern oligarchy”. The minorities in the north, meanwhile, seem to identify with the south in this aspect.
Stomach Infrastructure
There is a language that is often spoken among Nigerians voters: stomach infrastructure. A bag of rice, a bottle of vegetable oil, a bundle of clothing or a few wads of naira could win their votes.
It is a common factor in places where they do not have any serious interest in the candidates. When it comes to stomach infrastructure, then, Jonathan has a bigger storehouse than Buhari.
Although Buhari has a deeper pocket this time around, his funders also have other battles they are waging.
For instance, Tinubu and Amaechi are battling to install their governorship candidates, making the presidential election a bit of a distraction.
More so, the postponement of the election appears to have depleted opposition’s resources, while PDP’s pocket seems bottomless.
South-west? Which south-west?
Buhari’s hope of unseating Jonathan seems to rest so much on the belief that the APC is in control of the south-west.
Having scored 10 million votes less than Jonathan in 2011, the Buhari camp seemed to have finally accepted the fact that he needs southern votes to become president.
Since 2003. he had consistently won 12 million votes in the north without much presence in the south.
Nevertheless, the south-west may not be there for the taking in 2015. Out of the six states, Ondo and Ekiti are controlled by PDP governors.
Then Oyo and Ogun are very shaky for APC, with the ascendancy of pro-Jonathan politicians in those states and the fracturing of the opposition’s structure.
Meanwhile, Lagos and Osun should be seriously contested from all indications.
Justice Ambrose Allagoa of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered Mr Nnamdi Kalu, a legal practitioner, to appear before the court on July 9, 2025, to provide explanations regarding the whereabouts of Richard Ironbar Edemadem, his client, who is accused of cyber-related fraud and has allegedly jumped bail.
The judge issued the directive during the ongoing trial of Edemadem and four others, namely: Samuel Okpapi, Nelson Ojovbo, Bamigbade Olushola, and ISD Technology Limited, who are standing trial on charges of tampering with the critical mobile telecommunications infrastructure of MTN Nigeria and illegally profiting from unsolicited messages sent to subscribers.
The prosecution, led by Mr Nnemeka Omewa of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), informed the court that Edemadem, the first defendant, had jumped bail and ceased communication with both his counsel and the court.
He further revealed that Mr Kalu, who represented the defendant at the early stage of the trial, had stopped appearing in court and was unreachable.
During the trial proceedings, Justice Alagoa queried the continued absence of the first defendant, especially as his name had come up repeatedly during the testimony of the EFCC’s witness.
Upon receiving the explanation from the prosecutor, the judge expressed concern that no attempt had been made to bring the sureties to account, as required when a defendant absconds.
Responding to the judge’s query, Omewa said the prosecution had made efforts to trace the sureties and review the bail bond documents.
However, they discovered that no valid documentation about the sureties or their contact addresses could be found in the court file.
Disturbed by the absence of such critical records, Justice Alagoa directed the absentee defendant’s counsel, Mr Kalu, to appear before the court on the next adjourned date to provide clarity on his client’s disappearance and explain his failure to participate further in the trial.
In the meantime, the trial resumed with the testimony of Mr Olamide Sadiq, the fourth prosecution witness and an investigating officer with the EFCC.
Sadiq detailed how the defendants fraudulently manipulated MTN’s telecom systems to send unsolicited messages to thousands of unsuspecting subscribers.
According to his testimony, the defendants, who were employed as IT professionals for various telecom value-added service providers, compromised MTN’s Critical Mobile Telecommunications Network System between 2017 and 2018, adding that by exploiting the system’s vulnerabilities, they deployed mass unsolicited messages that led to unauthorised deductions from subscribers’ airtime balances.
Sadiq explained that these illegal deductions were routed into multiple accounts linked to the defendants and their affiliated entities, notably ISD Technology Limited.
The stolen proceeds, totalling N36,837,438.20, were subsequently distributed among the conspirators, he said.
Following the witness’s testimony, the court adjourned the matter to July 9, 2025, for the continuation of the trial and to enable Mr Kalu to appear and address the court on the issue of his absconding client.
The EFCC had filed a three-count charge against the defendants, detailing their alleged roles in the multimillion-naira fraud.
On count one of the charges, the defendants, Richard Ironbar Edemadem, Samuel Okpapi, Nelson Ojovbo, Bamigbade Olushola, ISD Technology Limited, and a fugitive known only as “Sola”, were accused of conspiring to tamper with a critical mobile telecommunications network system.
This, the EFCC said, is contrary to Sections 27(6)(b) and 10 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, and punishable under the same law.
The second charge stated that the defendants were charged with unauthorised tampering with MTN’s network infrastructure, an offence also contrary to Section 10 of the Cybercrimes Act, punishable under the same provision.
Counts three of the charges posited that the defendants allegedly took possession of N36,837,438.20, which they reasonably ought to have known were proceeds of an unlawful act, namely, stealing, contrary to Sections 15(2)(d) and (6) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended), and punishable under the same.
Source: Tribune
Telecommunications provider, Airtel Nigeria, has wrapped up its 2025 World Environment Week campaign, themed ‘Ending Plastic Pollution’, with an employee-driven market clean-up exercise at Elegushi Model Market, Jakande, Lekki, Lagos.
The activity was supported by the Ecobarter Company, a social enterprise focused on the promotion of a circular economy. Branded #UnPlasticAfrica, the events spanned six states and mobilised Airtel employees, community leaders, government partners, and market communities in a united effort to combat plastic pollution.
With the Lagos Market Cleanup, Airtel staff and community members joined forces to remove plastic waste and sensitize the locals on individual contributions towards a plastic-free environment.
To support sustainability and align with Lagos State’s ban on single-use plastic, large bins for refuse sorting as well as parasols, and reusable tote with #UnPlasticAfrica messaging were distributed to traders and their customers in the market to encourage behavioural change.
Speaking on behalf of Airtel Nigeria CEO Dinesh Balsingh at the clean-up exercise, Director, Corporate Communications & CSR, Airtel Nigeria, Femi Adeniran, highlighted the critical importance of community participation in safeguarding the environment and commended the market leadership for their openness and commitment to such impactful initiatives.
“True environmental care starts with action: keeping our gutters and surroundings clean and ensuring that plastic waste never finds its way into our canals and waterways.
The Elegushi market community has shown remarkable leadership by welcoming this initiative, and we are proud to have partnered with them to make a tangible difference as we commemorate World Environment Day 2025. We believe that this effort will spark a ripple effect, inspiring communities across the nation to take bold steps towards a cleaner, healthier Nigeria,” he said.
In her response on behalf of the President of the Elegushi Model Market traders’ association Iyaloja Simbiat Ronke Lawal, the Secretary of the trade association Elizabeth Afolabi, conveyed the group’s appreciation to the volunteers and Airtel Nigeria as an organisation. She commended the company for the clean-up initiative which she noted would leave a positive impact on the market.
“We want to thank Airtel Nigeria and all the volunteers for coming to our market to help clean and support us. This has really helped us and made our market a better place. We are incredibly happy and promise to sustain what you have started here today,” she said.
Recall that the Airtel Nigeria World Environment Week campaign began on June 4 with an employee seminar led by Mr Balsingh, followed by market clean-up exercises at Bodija Market, Oyo State; Oba Market, Benin City, Edo State; Wuse Market, Abuja; Artisan Market, Enugu State; Yankaba Market, Kano State; and finally, Elegushi Model Market, Jakande, Lagos.
As Artificial Intelligence (AI) redefines competitive advantage across industries, African businesses are being challenged to evolve from passive observers to active implementers. Verraki, a leading African business and technology solutions firm and member of Andersen Consulting, is answering this call with a virtual event aimed at demystifying the AI journey for African enterprises.
Verraki will host a free webinar titled “From Idea to Action: How African Businesses Can Start and Scale AI Initiatives.” On Thursday, June 19, 2025, at 3:30 PM WAT, the session is designed to give business leaders a clear, executable path for embedding AI into their strategy and operations.
“We’ve moved past the point where AI is a buzzword; it is now a boardroom priority,” said Niyi Yusuf, Managing Partner at Verraki. “This webinar brings together African and global experts to provide actionable insight for businesses seeking to make that transition deliberately and profitably.”
Elevating Africa’s AI Readiness
Despite growing interest in AI, many African organizations struggle with where to begin, lacking both the technical know-how and the internal strategy to move forward. This webinar bridges that gap with both global case studies and local context, tailored to Africa’s unique business realities.
Featured Speakers include, keynote address by Randy McGraw, Chief Commercial Officer at Sertis, a Bangkok-based AI consultancy also a member of Andersen Consulting. Randy will unveil a playbook for implementing Private LLMs.
Fireside Chat with Kehinde Banasko, CEO of Skilladder AI, on how AI is revolutionizing workforce transformation and skills verification across Africa. The conversation will be moderated by Verraki’s Maanging Partner, Niyi Yusuf.
This event is ideal for CEOs, founders, product managers, innovation leads, and C-suite executives looking to implement AI tools that align with their business goals and drive sustainable results.
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