General News
VOA Fears for PDP, Tips APC to Win
Nigeria’s fifth presidential election on March 28 is expected to be the tightest since the country returned to democracy in 1999. That’s not the only way this vote might be different, according to Voce of America (VOA).
In a piece titled “Nigeria Election Expected to Upend Past Political Trends” VOA, said yesterday that from the balance of political power to the way ballots will be cast, analysts say a number of changes are in store for Saturday’s vote.
Disunity among opposition groups has helped the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), to claim victory in the past four contests.
But that changed in 2013, when leading opposition parties overcame differences to form the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Analysts expect that party to present a major challenge to the PDP and their leader, incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan.
While the party is a new factor in these elections, the politicians are not.
APC candidate Muhammadu Buhari is very familiar to Nigerians. Jonathan bested the former military ruler in 2011 elections.
But political commentator Chris Ngowdo said the PDP’s nationwide support base — so crucial to its 2011 election success — may not be there this time around.
“Historically, opposition parties tended to be the regional parties and have lost national elections as a result,” said Ngowdo.
“But for the first time there’s really a situation where the roles are reversed, and the opposition party is now the national coalition and the ruling party has, through result of its political miscalculations, has shrunk to become a regional party.”
Jonathan is highly popular in the southeast and in his native southern Niger Delta region. In 2011, he won 99 percent of the vote in several states in the region.
The massive turnout for Jonathan, said Jibrin Ibrahim, a fellow at the Center for Democracy and Development, is unlikely this time due to better anti-fraud measures being implemented.
“Almost everybody on the voter’s lists was [listed as] having voted for the president. In a real election that wouldn’t be possible. You don’t get 99 percent turnout,” said Ibrahim.
Ibrahim said changes in the way ballots are cast in this election will reduce ballot box stuffing and make the election fairer than before.
Voters now have to present a plastic identification card and be biometrically verified before casting ballots. The new identification system has proven controversial, and was challenged in court. But if deployed properly, Ibrahim says it will make the election more credible.
But while there’s a better likelihood the voting will be more transparent, the campaigning surrounding the vote has been markedly more divisive compared to 2011.
Emmanuel Onwubiko, a retired journalist and head of the Human Rights Writers’ Association of Nigeria, said political speech was more restrained in the 2011 campaigning, possibly because President Umaru Yar’Adua had died in office just a year before.
By contrast, in the months preceding this election, Onwubiko said politicians have shown no such restraint.
“It’s a time that most of these contentious issues have resurrected. Issue of which of the zones of the country should produce the presidency of Nigeria,” said Onwubiko.
“Is it the north, or is the south? Then apart from that, the two dominant parties, the PDP and the APC have also played up the issue of religion, issues of ethnicity, issues of regionalism, to sway voters to their own side.”
And then there’s Boko Haram. The Islamist extremist group was a problem during the 2011 vote, but it wasn’t allied with Islamic State militants, and wasn’t the target of a multinational military campaign, as it is now.
It also had not disenfranchised more than one million voters through violent terror tactics.
Boko Haram doesn’t talk to the media, but it has threatened to disrupt Saturday’s election. Whether they make good on that threat is anyone’s guess.
Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has announced an ongoing upgrade and maintenance of its passport portal for applicants within Nigeria.
In a public notice shared on Sunday via its official ‘X’ page, the NIS reassured Nigerians that other services, including passport applications for citizens abroad, remain fully operational during the maintenance period.
The service stated that its team is “working tirelessly” to complete the upgrade and restore full functionality within 72 hours.
“We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and deeply appreciate your patience and understanding,” the notice read. It emphasized that the upgrade is part of efforts to enhance service delivery.
Reaffirming its commitment to excellence, the NIS pledged to provide efficient services to Nigerians at home and abroad.
FBNQuest Asset Management, a subsidiary of FBN Holdings Plc., has been awarded an A+ rating by Agusto & Co. Limited. This rating reflects the firm’s stable outlook, robust risk management, and strong investment capabilities, highlighting its impressive operational performance and outstanding business profile.
It emphasizes FBNQuest Asset Management’s ongoing commitment to providing exceptional investment services to its clients.
The rating was issued in a recent report by Agusto & Co., a leading rating agency in Nigeria. This recognition underscores the company’s strong operational record, excellent corporate governance, and professional management of fund assets.
The organisation’s impressive performance demonstrates its unwavering dedication to delivering exceptional value to clients through a variety of products and services tailored to meet their investment needs.
Ike Onyia, the Managing Director of FBNQuest Asset Management, expressed his satisfaction with the rating, stating, “We are truly delighted to receive the A+ rating from Agusto & Co. This recognition is a testament to our strong expertise in investment portfolio management and the achievements we have realised over the years.
“We take pride in this positive acknowledgement, which stems from our well-thought-out business strategies and the exceptional performance of our skilled workforce, cementing our position in the hearts of our stakeholders.”
FBNQuest Asset Management was also recognised as the Best Asset Manager at the 2024 EMEA African Banker Awards. The organisation continues to maintain a consistently strong position in the investment services subsector in Nigeria, leveraging its rich pedigree in intellectual capital, strong research capabilities, and cutting-edge technology to provide clients with value-adding insights, advice, and service.
“Our mutual funds offer diverse investment options that enable the creation of unique and value-enhancing investment strategies for different client segments.
Additionally, our range of mutual funds encompasses various asset classes, including equities, bonds, and money market instruments,” he added.
Agusto & Co. is a Pan-African leader in credit ratings and credit reports, having assigned over 1,500 ratings across various sectors. Their ratings are globally recognised, with a broad client base relying on them as benchmarks to gauge business success.
TikTok has resumed services to its 170 million users in the US after President-elect Donald Trump said he would issue an executive order to give the app a reprieve when he takes office today, January 20.
On Saturday evening, January 18, the Chinese-owned app stopped working for American users, after a law banning it on national security grounds came into effect.
Trump, who had previously backed a ban on the platform, promised on Sunday to delay the implementation of the law and allow more time for a deal to be made. TikTok then said that it was in the process of “restoring service”.
Soon after, the app started working again and a popup message to its millions of users thanked Trump by name.
In a statement, the company thanked the incoming president for “providing the necessary clarity and assurance” and said it would work with Trump “on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States”.
TikTok CEO Shou Chew is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration today.
Posting on Truth Social, a social media platform he owns, Trump said on Sunday: “I’m asking companies not to let TikTok stay dark! I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security.”
TikTok’s parent company, Bytedance, previously ignored a law requiring it to sell its US operations to avoid a ban. The law was upheld by Supreme Court on Friday and went into effect on Sunday.
It is unclear what legal authority Trump will have to delay the implementation of a law that is already in effect. But it expected that his government will not enforce the ban if he issues an executive order.
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