Category Nigeria News

Public affairs analyst Jide Ojo has dismissed allegations of vote buying in the recently concluded Anambra Gubernatorial elections, describing them as “A convenient excuse for people to mourn their losses.”

Speaking on Channels Television’s breakfast show The Morning Brief, Ojo said that some candidates, particularly from smaller parties like the Labour Party and the African Democratic Congress (ADC), are using the issue of vote buying to justify their poor performance.

READ ALSO: Anambra Poll Was A ‘Bazaar,’ Nigerians Should Be Worried About 2027, Says ADC

“This issue of vote buying, I think, is just a convenient excuse for people to mourn their losses,” he said. “Imagine someone like the Labour Party candidate or the ADC candidate saying they could not have won because of vote buying, it is not true.”

Ojo argued that winning elections goes far beyond monetary inducement, stressing that factors such as party structure, visibility, and proper campaign strategy are far more decisive.

“The issue of winning and losing elections goes beyond the monetary purchase of votes. It has to do with a lot of other things. Did they have a structure? Did they campaign?” he questioned.

He noted that the only strong campaigns in the election were those of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate, Governor Charles Soludo, who was “light years ahead” of his competitors.

“In this election, we saw that the only robust campaigns that took place were between the APC candidate and the APGA candidate. In fact, Soludo was light years ahead of his competitors; he was on air, on national networks, paid for live transmissions, and people knew he was campaigning,” Ojo stated.

He criticised some of the other 15 candidates for what he described as “political evangelism,” saying, “You’re not going to win elections by just visiting shops and small gatherings.”

Ojo also pointed out internal crises within major opposition parties as a key reason for their electoral setbacks.

“Look at the Labour Party, PDP, and ADC  all in crisis. Even the leader of the Labour Party couldn’t deliver his polling unit,” he added.

He concluded that the narrative of vote trading is misplaced, insisting that election outcomes are shaped more by preparedness and strategy than by alleged vote buying.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday declared Governor Soludo as the winner of the November 8 Anambra governorship election.

According to the results announced by the State Returning Officer, Omoregie Edoba, Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) polled 422,664 votes to defeat his closest rival, Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who scored 99,445 votes.

Paul Chukwuma of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) came third with 37,753 votes, while John Nwosu of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) got 8,208 votes. Labour Party’s George Moghalu scored 10,576 votes, and Jude Ezenwafor of the PDP had 1,401 votes.

The PDP polled 1,401 votes in Saturday’s election, placing one of Nigeria’s biggest parties in sixth position, a distance way below the winning party – the APGA’s 422,644 votes.

INEC stated that 598,229 voters were accredited out of 2,788,864 registered voters, with 584,054 valid votes and 11,244 rejected ballots.

A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has said that the Nigerian government will have no moral ground to blame citizens for seeking help elsewhere if it cannot provide security.

READ ALSO: Tinubu’s Govt Not Interested In Fighting Insecurity – Babachir Lawal

Speaking as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Lawal said the government must assure the people of their safety if it does not want them to cry for help from outside.

“The government should assure us that they can give us the peace, security, and prosperity that we desire,” Lawal said.

“If they are unable to do that, they cannot blame any part of society that decides to seek help anywhere,” he added.

‘Genocide Or Pogrom’

The former SGF also supported US President Donald Trump’s position that the killing of Christians in Nigeria qualifies as genocide.

“It’s a genocide; if it’s not a genocide, it is a pogrom,” Lawal stated.

He insisted that the claim that more Muslims than Christians were killed did not justify what is happening.

The former SGF said, “I have watched the argument going on about this issue of genocide; it is one-sided. Obviously, those who are more vehemently opposing it are the Muslims whose brothers are the perpetrators of the genocide,” he said.

“They come with this very funny narrative that, ‘Oh, Muslims too are being killed, more Muslims are being killed than Christians.’

“That is their argument, but it does not justify what is happening. If 1,000 children are killed, and among them one is your own, your worry is about that one.

“In any case, why dodge the fact that those being accused of carrying out the genocide are Muslims, not Christians?”

Lawal claimed that before the current pressure from Trump, President Bola Tinubu, then a leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), had led a delegation of party leaders ahead of the 2015 election to inform former US President Barack Obama that Christians were being slaughtered in Nigeria.

The opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain said the issue of whether there is genocide or not should be secondary, as the government’s priority should be to guarantee the security of lives and property.

He also lamented that soldiers continue to lose their lives to Nigeria’s lingering insecurity because the government had left them with outdated weapons to fight terrorists equipped with more sophisticated arms.

Lawal’s assertion followed a recent threat of military action in Nigeria by former US President Donald Trump over what he described as the “Christian genocide” in Africa’s most populous nation.

The family of former President Shehu Shagari has announced the death of his last surviving wife, Hajiya Saratu Shehu Shagari.

She passed away on Monday at the age of 89, after a prolonged illness.

A statement signed by the eldest son of the former president, Captain Mohammed Bala Shagari, confirmed that Saratu died at about 3 p.m.

READ ALSO: Ex-President Shehu Shagari’s Wife, Hadiza Dies At 80

He described her as an embodiment of grace, humility, and quiet strength, who lived a life of dignity and service.

The Federal Ministry of Steel Development and its defence counterpart have signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to commence the local production of military hardware.

The MoU also covers the construction of a military industrial complex at the Ajaokuta steel territory in Kogi State.

The MoU, which contained two key components, was signed between the steel and development minister, Prince Shuaibu Audu, and the Federal Minister of Defence, Bello Matawalle.

READ ALSO: Tinubu’s Govt Not Interested In Fighting Insecurity – Babachir Lawal

The second agreement signed was between Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) and the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited on Monday, November 10, 2025, at the Ministry of Defence headquarters in Abuja.

The partnership signals a new dawn for Nigeria’s industrial and security advancement, and is part of the Federal Government’s renewed commitment to addressing Nigeria’s security challenges and advancing national industrialisation objectives.

Prince Audu described the partnership as “a historic breakthrough and one of the most significant developments since the establishment of the Ajaokuta Steel Complex nearly 50 years ago”.

He explained that the collaboration would see the Engineering Workshops at Ajaokuta repurposed for the production of military equipment such as bullets, helmets, vests, and rifles, while a portion of land within the complex will be allocated to the Ministry of Defence for the establishment of a military industrial complex.

‘Renewed Hope’

Audu said that the agreement aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope” agenda, which prioritises national security, job creation, and industrial development through local production.

“This initiative will greatly strengthen our security architecture and contribute to addressing the insecurity challenges facing various parts of the country, particularly in the North East and North West.

“By utilising the infrastructure at Ajaokuta, we are positioning Nigeria to achieve self-sufficiency in defence production and industrial growth,” he was quoted as saying in a statement by his Special Assistant (Media), Lizzy Okoji, on Monday.

In his remarks, Matawalle commended the collaboration as a bold and visionary step toward self-reliance in defence manufacturing.

He noted that the partnership demonstrated the Federal Government’s determination to transform Nigeria from a consumer to a producer of military hardware by leveraging its natural resources and indigenous capacity.

“Ajaokuta Steel Plant remains a national asset and the foundation of Nigeria’s industrialisation. This partnership is a strategic alliance between our defence and industrial sectors, reinforcing the President’s vision to enhance local productivity and build a stronger, safer Nigeria,” Matawalle stated.

Also speaking, the Director General of DICON, Major General Babatunde Alaya, highlighted the importance of the agreement, noting that steel is the foundation of all military production.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has issued a public alert over the circulation of a suspected substandard and falsified antibiotic, BETACLOX (Ampicillin 250mg and Cloxacillin 250mg), discovered within Nigeria’s drug supply chain.

According to a statement released by the agency, the product contains fraudulent registration details and originates from an unverified source, posing a serious threat to public health.

The alert followed a report from a retail outlet in Zaria, Kaduna State, which identified the suspicious product after purchasing it from a distributor in Kano. Investigations revealed that the NAFDAC Registration Number (A4-4724) displayed on the fake BETACLOX package actually belongs to Mebendazole 500mg, manufactured by Chi Ltd., indicating a clear case of number misappropriation.

READ ALSO: NCDC Confirms 176 Deaths From Lassa Fever Across 21 States

The fake product, allegedly imported by Freeview Pharmaceutical Ltd., lists its address as No. 128 MCC Road, Calabar, Cross River State. However, verification by NAFDAC confirmed that the genuine Freeview Pharmaceutical Ltd. is registered at No. 101 MCC Road, Calabar, further exposing inconsistencies suggesting unauthorized use of the company’s identity.

Details of the falsified product include:

Product Name: BETACLOX (Ampicillin 250mg and Cloxacillin 250mg)

Batch No.: 230701

Manufacturer: Saeny Laboratory Pvt. Ltd., Kerala, India

Manufacturing Date: 07/2023
ExpiryDate: 07/2026

Fake NAFDAC Reg. No.: A4-4724

All NAFDAC zonal directors and state coordinators have been directed to conduct surveillance and mop up the falsified product across all regions. Distributors, pharmacists, and healthcare providers are urged to remain vigilant, ensuring that medicines are obtained only from authorized suppliers and checking product packaging for authenticity.

Members of the public are advised to report suspicious products to the nearest NAFDAC office or call their toll-free number 

Public Alert No. 37/2025.
Alert on the Report of Substandard and Falsified (SF) BETACLOX found in Nigeria#NafdacALERTShttps://t.co/jeUBRGyVjd pic.twitter.com/ILyPb34uI4

The Federal Government has expressed concern over reports of disturbances at the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) in Benin City, Edo State.

The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, said the ministry was closely monitoring the situation.

Musawa said she had briefed the Presidency, which is giving the matter urgent attention.

According to the statement, the ministry is in active consultation with the Edo State Government, security agencies, and relevant stakeholders to establish a full understanding of the circumstances and ensure an appropriate response.

“Our cultural institutions are custodians of Nigeria’s history, identity, and collective memory,” the minister said.

“They are spaces for learning, dialogue, and reconciliation. The reported disruption at MOWAA not only endangers a treasured cultural asset but also threatens the peaceful environment necessary for cultural exchange and the preservation of our artistic patrimony for future generations,” she added.

READ ALSO: Edo Constitutes Committee On Museum Of West African Art

Constructive Dialogue

Musawa, however, cautioned against actions that could escalate tensions, reminding all parties that while the Constitution guarantees fundamental freedoms, such rights must be exercised responsibly.

“No right extends to the destruction or desecration of national cultural assets.

“Disputes must be resolved through constructive dialogue, lawful channels, and mutual respect rather than through destructive conduct,” she said.

Musawa reassured the MOWAA community and cultural stakeholders across Nigeria that the Federal Government remains committed to protecting spaces where the nation’s heritage is preserved and celebrated.

She said necessary measures would be taken to safeguard cultural institutions and uphold the rule of law, noting that culture can only thrive in an atmosphere of peace, respect, and justice.

“This episode should strengthen our resolve that culture flourishes only in an environment of peace, respect, and justice.

“Let us recommit to safeguarding Nigeria’s cultural institutions and to resolving our differences through dialogue and mutual respect for the common good,” Musawa added.

The statement came in the wake of the controversy surrounding the MOWAA project.

Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, had decried what he said was a lack of transparency in the project.