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AFR Business

Tinubu Seeks Fair Elections in Off-Cycle Elections

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President Bola Tinubu on Thursday in Abuja appealed to all candidates participating in the November 11 gubernatorial elections in Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi States, as well as the electorate to ensure free and fair elections.

The President made the appeal at the presentation of the All Progressives’ Congress (APC) flags to the standard-bearers in the upcoming elections.

He presented the party flags to Chief Timipre Sylva for Bayelsa State; Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, who is seeking a second-term in office, and Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo for Kogi State.

"All I am pleading for is for free and fair elections. I believe we will do well,” the President stated.

The President expressed optimism about the party’s chances of victory in the off-season elections, noting the hard work and records of the candidates, as well as the collective efforts of party officials, members of the APC National Working Committee, and the APC National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje.

He said the collective efforts of these party men were factors inspiring his optimism in the forthcoming elections.

”I want to thank the Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, who is working hard to ensure a handover to our candidate, Usman Ododo. We are happy to have Hope Uzodinma, the great hope of our party and chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum. Thank you for the good job you are doing.

”Timipre Sylva, congratulations on what you have achieved as a former governor and former minister.

”We are all facing this crusade for democracy, particularly in this time of elections. It is our hope, and we have Hope Uzodinma as a candidate, that we will always come out victorious.

”I want to thank the active national leadership of our party, the NWC, and our hardworking chairman. He is doing a good job, and I thank him very much,” President Tinubu said.

The APC National Chairman commended the President for endorsing the candidates and for taking time out of his busy schedule to present the flags to them.

Tinubu Promotes Investment Opportunities to Foreign Ambassadors

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President Bola Tinubu has assured foreign ambassadors in Nigeria that his administration is ready to maintain open lines of communication and cooperation, with a focus on advancing mutually beneficial economic opportunities across sectors.

The President gave the assurance while receiving the Letters of Credence of the Ambassador of Angola to Nigeria, Mr. Jose Bamoquine Zau; the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to Nigeria, Mr. Pieter Leenknegt; the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to Nigeria, Mr. Sevin Baera, and the Ambassador of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to Nigeria, Mr. Albert Castelar.

In separate meetings with the Ambassadors, the President emphasized the importance of strong diplomatic relations and expressed his willingness to engage with the foreign missions.

He told the Ambassadors that the Foreign Ministry and the Office of his Chief of Staff would always be available to interact with the foreign missions and address any matter of concern.

"We will maintain an open-door policy. We are ready to do anything that will make your stay rewarding and our relationship strong. Do not hesitate to bring up any matter with the Foreign Minister or my Chief of Staff; they will bring it to my attention," the President said, while wishing the ambassadors the best in their duty tours.

During his meeting with the Angolan Ambassador, President Tinubu congratulated President Joao Lourenco of Angola on his re-election and referred to him "as a very good friend."

Receiving the Belgian Ambassador, President Tinubu acknowledged the active participation of Belgian companies in Nigeria’s maritime industry and expressed the need to strengthen political and economic cooperation, particularly in the maritime and energy sectors.

The President also exchanged views with the Ambassador on the potential dredging of Calabar port to make it more viable for revenue generation.

In his discussions with the Norwegian Ambassador, President Tinubu articulated his energy transition vision for Nigeria, stating that the transition from petroleum to gas to hydrogen is a priority for his administration.

He called on Norway and other EU-member countries to support the economic reform programmes of his administration, particularly in the areas of food security, preservation, and other key agro-allied investments.

‘‘You are a valuable partner, and we need your support. We have the population in Nigeria, and one out of every five black persons is a Nigerian. We must stimulate our economy. If Nigeria succeeds, Africa succeeds. This government is promoting a lot of reforms, and it is committed to improving the ease of doing business,’’ the President said.

The Angolan Ambassador expressed gratitude to Nigeria for its role in liberating his country from colonial rule and expressed his commitment to building sustainable partnerships between the two nations.

“I have four years to stay in the country, and I have the mandate of my President to build bridges between our countries. I am here to work to build a sustainable partnership,’’ he said.

Ambassador Pieter Leenknegt of Belgium discussed the commercial linkages that bind the port of Antwerp with ports in Lagos and Onitsha, while he expressed interest in expanding their presence to the Calabar port.

He also called for enhanced ministerial engagements between the two countries, noting the interest of Belgian companies in Nigeria’s renewable energy sector.

Ambassador Baera of Norway congratulated President Tinubu on the recent affirmation of his election by the Supreme Court.

‘‘The bold steps you have taken on economic reforms since your assumption of office have been well received by Norwegian firms,’’ he said.

Stressing the need to strengthen business partnerships between the two nations, the Ambassador noted that there was great interest of Norwegian firms in Nigeria’s agriculture and energy sectors, highlighting recent investments in Nigeria’s growing cocoa and solar panel industry.

The Ambassador of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to Nigeria called for the establishment of direct flights between Nigeria and Venezuela, even as he expressed his country’s desire to deepen economic partnerships between the two oil-producing nations across multiple sectors, in terms of trade and investment.

Tinubu to Attend Guinea Bissau’s Independence Day Anniversary

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President Bola Tinubu will, on Thursday, join other Heads of State and Government in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, to celebrate the country’s 50th Independence Anniversary and Armed Forces Day.

President Tinubu will arrive in Bissau on Thursday for the ceremony, which will be hosted by President Umaro Sissoco Embalo.

Guinea-Bissau marked its 50th Independence Anniversary on September 24, 2023, but the Government had scheduled all celebrations for November 16, 2023.

The President is expected to return to Nigeria on Thursday.

After Shunning Ahmed Idris’s Trial, Court Revokes Alleged Co-Conspirator Geoffrey Akindele’s Bail

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Justice Yusuf Halilu of the Maitama Division of the FCT High Court, on Tuesday, revoked the bail earlier granted to one of the defendants in the trial of a former accountant-general of the federation, Ahmed Idris, over an alleged fraudulent diversion of public funds to the tune of N109.5 million.

The judge revoked the defendant, Geoffrey Olusegun Akindele’s bail following his non-appearance in court for continuation of trial.

Mr Akindele, the second defendant in the case marked CR/199/2022, and Idris is standing trial alongside Mohammed Kudu Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited.

EFCC is prosecuting him on a 14-count charge bordering on stealing fraudulent diversion of N109.5 billion public funds. Mr Idris, among others, was alleged to have, between February and December 2021, while being a public servant by virtue of his position as accountant-general of the federation, accepted from Mr Akindele, the second defendant, a gratification of N15,136,221,921.46, converted to dollar equivalent by Mr Akindele.

According to the prosecution, the money did not form part of Idris’s remuneration but a motive for accelerating the payment of 13 per cent derivation to nine oil-producing states in the federation through the office of the accountant-general of the federation.

EFCC alleged they committed an offence contrary to section 155 of the Penal Code Act Cap 533 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 and punishable under the same section.

Messrs Idris and Akindele (technical assistant to the accountant-general of the federation) were accused of committing criminal breach of trust while being entrusted with a certain property, to wit N84,390,000,000 between February and November 2021, by dishonestly receiving the said amount from the federal government through Mr Akindele, trading under the name and style of Olusegun Akindele & Co.

By this, according to EFCC, the first and second defendants were alleged to have committed an offence punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them by the anti-corruption commission.

At the resumed hearing of the matter on Tuesday, Mr Akindele was absent in court as of the time the case was called, though Messrs Idris and Usman were in court.

Despite pleas by counsel for Mr Akindele, S.E. Adino, that his client was on the way to court, submitting that he (Mr Akindele) was always in court to face trial, the judge insisted on revoking the second defendant’s bail.

After listening to what Mr Adino said, the judge held that when a court grants a defendant bail, such person must reciprocate the gesture by attending court for trial.

He added that Mr Akindele had not shown good character and conduct by refusing to attend court.

“The second defendant had abused the terms of his bail,” said the judge.

The judge subsequently revoked his bail and ordered the FCT police commissioner and the EFCC to arrest Mr Akindele and produce him in court on the next adjourned date.

He then adjourned the case for a definite hearing until February 1, 2024.

Earlier, the prosecuting counsel, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, had informed the court that the prosecution received a letter from counsel for Mr Idris and did not receive any from the counsel for Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited.

Mr Atolagbe said that despite competent lawyers in the office of Mr Idris’ counsel, none announced an appearance for the former accountant-general of the federation. He added that he saw two lawyers from the office yesterday morning in court, saying, “This is not fair on the prosecution. It is definitely a ploy to delay the trial.”

Sunak, Rwanda suffer major blow over asylum seekers deportation scheme

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Britain’s Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that the government’s scheme to send asylum seekers to Rwanda was unlawful, dealing a crushing blow to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak before an election expected next year.

Under the plan, Britain intended to send tens of thousands of asylum seekers who arrived on its shores without permission to the East African country in a bid to deter migrants crossing the Channel from Europe in small boats.

But the top court on Wednesday unanimously rejected the government’s appeal against an earlier ruling that migrants could not be sent to Rwanda because it could not be considered a safe third country.

President Robert Reed said the five judges involved agreed there were “substantial grounds for believing that asylum seekers sent to Rwanda would be at real risk of refoulement,” meaning being sent back to their country of origin where they could be at risk of ill-treatment.

The Rwanda scheme was the central plank of Mr Sunak’s immigration policy as he prepares to face an election next year amid concern among some voters about the number of asylum seekers arriving in small boats. Mr Sunak, whose Conservatives are trailing by about 20 points in opinion polls, had made a promise to “stop the boats,” one of the five key pledges of his premiership.

More than 27,000 people have arrived on the southern English coast without permission this year after a record 45,755 were detected in 2022. Mr Sunak said the government had been planning for all eventualities and would do whatever it took to stop illegal migration.

The ruling had taken on even greater political significance in recent days after Sunak sacked Interior Minister Suella Braverman, a popular figure on his party’s right wing whose remit included dealing with immigration.

She launched a scathing attack on Mr Sunak on Tuesday, saying he had broken promises on tackling immigration and betrayed the British people.

Critics, ranging from opposition lawmakers and some in his own Conservative Party to church leaders and the United Nations refugee agency, had argued that the policy was flawed, immoral, and would not work.

“The Supreme Court’s judgment is a victory for humanity,” Steve Smith, chief executive of refugee charity Care4Calais, said. “This grubby, cash-for-people deal was always cruel and immoral but, most importantly, it is unlawful.”

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson originally drew up the Rwanda policy in an initial $180 million deal.

Whilst the court said it was now unlawful, Reed left open the chance the scheme could be resurrected, saying, “the changes needed to eliminate the risk of refoulement may be delivered in the future, but they have not been shown to be in place now.”

With many lawmakers in Mr Sunak’s Conservative Party saying Britain should consider leaving the European Convention on Human Rights over the issue, Mr Reed said their decision was based on a number of laws and treaties and not the convention alone.

After the ruling, a Rwandan government spokesperson said it took issue with the conclusion that Rwanda was not a safe third country.