National
NAN Criticizes Peter Obi’s Comparisons Between Nigerian and South African Elections
The Northern Awareness Network (NAN), as released a statement describing as absurd abd comical the recent comparison made by Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s defeated presidential candidate in Nigeria’s 2023 elections, between the electoral processes of Nigeria and South Africa.
The NAN chairman, Salihu Suleiman, emphasized in the statement that the two nations have vastly different political histories and contexts, making any such comparisons by Peter Obi unreasonable and misleading.
“South Africa has a long history of democracy, having gone through significant political reform and transformation over several decades of practice. On the other hand, Nigeria only transitioned to democracy in 1999 after years of military rule,” explained Suleiman.
He argued that Peter Obi’s attempt to juxtapose the electoral experiences of these two countries demonstrates a lack of understanding of their respective political landscapes.
“It is clear that Peter Obi’s attempt to compare the electoral processes of South Africa and Nigeria is quite ridiculous,” he said. “The two countries are at different stages of democratic development, and it would be more prudent to focus on addressing the specific challenges facing the Nigerian electoral system rather than drawing unwarranted comparisons.”
NAN pointed out that the Nigerian electoral system is still in its infancy and that comparing it to South Africa’s more mature democracy is not only inaccurate but also unfair to the people of Nigeria, who have been working diligently to build a functioning democracy.
Despite the challenges confronted by Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), NAN commended the commission for its commendable strides in ensuring the conduct of credible, free, and fair elections. Over the past 27 years, Nigeria has enjoyed uninterrupted democracy and peaceful transitions, a testament to INEC’s commitment to upholding democratic principles.
“INEC has taken proactive measures to address these challenges by implementing various reforms and adopting new technologies to ensure transparency and accountability in the electoral process,” Suleiman noted.
He highlighted Nigeria’s vast geographical expanse and extensive population as significant challenges to conducting elections smoothly, yet acknowledged INEC’s innovations in logistical planning and collaborations with relevant stakeholders to meet these challenges effectively.
Further illustrating INEC’s progress, NAN pointed to the enhancement of voter education and public awareness campaigns, which have increased civic participation and informed voters about their rights and responsibilities. Using social media, radio, and television, INEC has managed to reach millions of Nigerians, providing comprehensive electoral education.
In an admonition to Peter Obi, NAN detailed South Africa’s historical and recent electoral irregularities, underscoring that the country has faced its own significant electoral challenges. “During the apartheid era, elections were manipulated to disenfranchise the majority of the population. Post-apartheid, South Africa has still encountered issues such as voter fraud, ballot tampering, voter intimidation, and questionable campaign financing.
“In recent years, there have been concerns about the influence of money in politics, with allegations of illicit campaign financing and corruption. The 2019 elections were marred by reports of double voting and discrepancies in the voter registration process,” NAN said, emphasizing that neither country is free from electoral issues.
Suleiman called on Nigerian politicians, including Peter Obi, to acknowledge the unique challenges facing Nigeria’s electoral system and work towards addressing them instead of making false equivalences with countries that have a more entrenched democratic tradition.
He called for a focus on constructive measures to improve Nigeria’s electoral system and encourages political leaders to acknowledge and address these challenges head-on rather than resorting to impractical comparisons.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially dissolved the board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), which includes the removal of Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) Mele Kyari and Chairman Pius Akinyelure, along with all other board members appointed in November 2023.
In an announcement, the President introduced an 11-member restructured board, appointing Engineer Bashir Bayo Ojulari as the new GCEO and Ahmadu Musa Kida as the Non-Executive Chairman. These changes are effective immediately, as stated by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy.
Emphasizing the need for “enhanced operational efficiency, restored investor confidence, and a more commercially viable NNPC,” President Tinubu exercised his authority under Section 59(2) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 to implement this significant reorganization.
The newly formed board comprises Adedapo Segun, who continues as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), alongside six non-executive directors representing Nigeria’s geopolitical zones: Bello Rabiu (North West), Yusuf Usman (North East), Babs Omotowa (North Central), Austin Avuru (South-South), David Ige (South West), and Henry Obih (South East). Additionally, Mrs. Lydia Shehu Jafiya, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, and Aminu Said Ahmed, representing the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, will serve on the board.
The President has charged the new board with conducting a strategic review of NNPC-operated and Joint Venture assets to optimize value. This includes increasing crude oil production to 2 million barrels per day (bpd) by 2027 and 3 million bpd by 2030, boosting gas production to 8 billion cubic feet daily by 2027 and 10 billion by 2030, and expanding NNPC’s refining capacity to 200,000 bpd by 2027 and 500,000 bpd by 2030. The administration also aims to attract $30 billion in oil investments by 2027 and $60 billion by 2030, building on the $17 billion secured in 2024.
Ahmadu Musa Kida, the new Chairman, is a Borno-born engineer and former Deputy Managing Director of Total Nigeria. He also has a background in basketball, having served as the ex-president of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF). Bashir Bayo Ojulari, the newly appointed GCEO, hails from Kwara State and was previously the Executive Vice President of Renaissance Africa Energy, where he led a $2.4 billion acquisition of Shell’s Nigerian assets. He brings extensive experience from Elf and Shell, having worked across Europe and the Middle East.
President Tinubu expressed gratitude to the outgoing board for their contributions, particularly their efforts in reviving the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries, which have resumed production after years of dormancy. Analysts view this leadership change as part of Tinubu’s broader reforms in the oil sector, following last year’s removal of fuel subsidies and the promotion of private refinery investments. With the new team established, there are high expectations for enhanced transparency, efficiency, and profitability within Nigeria’s state oil enterprise.
Heineken Lokpobiri, minister of state for petroleum resources, says the federal government plans to commence implementing the drill-or-drop provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
Section 94 of the PIA gives operators a period of three years to begin oil production or relinquish the assets to the federal government.
Speaking during the Cross Industry Group (CIG) meeting held on Tuesday in Florence, Italy, Lokpobiri said it is in the best interest of the country that all inactive wells go to work.
He said the federal government, under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, has provided every necessary incentive to ensure international oil companies (IOCs) in Nigeria run smoothly and profitably.
“Now, it is imperative for these industry players to match the government’s efforts with increased investment by announcing final investment decisions (FIDs),” he said.
Furthermore, Lokpobiri discussed “the challenges, expectations, and measures to enhance the sector’s contributions towards domestic energy needs and regional expansion across Sub-Saharan Africa”.
He emphasised that while IOCs have highlighted engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors as a challenge, “EPCs will not come unless they see strong commitments from industry players”.
“The government has done its part to provide the requisite and investment-friendly fiscals, the ball is now in the court of the IOCs and other operators to make strategic investment decisions that will drive increased production and sustainability in the sector,” he said.
“We must also recognise that domestic crude supply is essential to national energy security. The best solution to this challenge lies in increasing production, which will ensure a balance between domestic supply obligations and external commitments.”
The minister further urged industry players to explore collaborative measures, such as shared resources for contiguous assets and the release of underutilised assets to operators ready to invest in production.
The minority caucus in the house of representatives has condemned the killing of 16 Kano-bound hunters in Edo state.
On Thursday, a mob in the Uromi area of Edo killed 16 hunters of northern descent who were travelling from Elele, Rivers state.
The travellers were attacked and lynched after some vigilance group members raised the alarm on suspicion that they were kidnappers.
The Edo state government said 14 suspects arrested in connection with the killing would be transferred to Abuja for further interrogation.
During a visit to some of the families of the victims at Bankure LGA in Kano, Monday Okpebholo, governor of Edo, assured that justice would be served.
In a statement issued on Monday, the minority caucus described the killing of the hunters as “barbaric”.
“We find such brutal killings of innocent Nigerians in any part of the country by lawless mobs very reprehensible, and if allowed to fester without being put in check by responsible organs of the federal government, such actions could threaten the peace and unity of the country,” the statement reads.
The lawmakers asked Nigerians never to resort to jungle attacks on fellow citizens but to always report any concerns to security agencies.
“We are a nation under the rule of laws, and our law enforcement agencies are always available to partner with every Nigerian to assuage their concerns,” the caucus said.
While noting that the incident is “already setting emotions on edge” in parts of the country, the legislators urged President Bola Tinubu to ensure that the security agencies investigate this matter and bring the perpetrators to justice.
“Also, adequate compensation should be paid to the affected families,” the caucus said.
The lawmakers implored Nigerians to remain calm, peaceful, and law-abiding and allow the federal and state governments to investigate the matter and ensure justice is served.
The statement was signed by Kingsley Chinda, minority leader; Ali Isa, minority whip; and Aliyu Madaki, deputy minority leader.