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2023 General Elections Aftermath: Anti-party activities divide political parties 

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…As chieftains of parties suffer disciplinary actions

…Ward lashes Dep. Senate President, Omo-Agege with expulsion

…Says he worked against party during presidential election for his guber bid

By Moses Adeniyi

The aftermath of the General Elections have erupted stunning dynamics within the ranks of political parties in the Nigerian political space as allegations of anti-party activities, particularly involving chieftains of major political parties have begun to create confusion, tearing parties apart.

The two major parties of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the major opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have begun the process of instituting punitive measures against some of their members believed to have worked for the opposition for their own selfish interest against the parties’ during the general elections.

The allegations of anti party activities have touched on some key chieftains of the two major parties causing rift and divisions among loyalists of the affected party bigwigs and other blocs, including party leaderships.

As the investigation of alleged anti party activities by leadership commenced within the APC, the rod of disciplinary actions have begun to stretch to some party bigwigs.

On Monday, there was confusion as the Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege, was reportedly lashed with an expulsion announced by executives of the APC at his Ward in Orogun, Ughelli North Local Government Chapter.

Omo-Agege who was the party’s flag bearer in the just concluded Governorship election in Delta State, was accused of having worked for the opposition during the Feb. 25 Presidential election in exchange for support for his gubernatorial bid which he lost.

The party accused him of various offences committed, including alleged acts of anti party activities and gross misconduct, which the Ward Executives claimed has “brought shame and ridicule to the image of the party in the state which affected the party in the just concluded elections.”

The resolution and adoption of the expulsion of Omo-Agege as a member of the party, was signed by an expulsion letter signed by the Chairman, Ulebor Isaac, on behalf of the State Executive Committee of the Delta APC and Secretary, Inana Michael, and 23 others, where they unanimously resolved and adopted the expulsion of Omo-Agege as a member of the party by the executive committee of the Orogun Ward and Ughelli North Local Government chapter.

The expulsion document which was made available to journalists in Abuja, on Monday, read partly, “The State Executive Committee (SEC) of All Progressive Congress Delta State in a meeting held on the 31 March, 2023 at the State Secretariat, Asaba.

“After due deliberation of the Notice of Resolution of Expulsion of Senator Ovie Omo Agege as a member of the Party by the executive committee of the Orogun ward and Ughelli North Local Government Chapter dated 20th March, 2023 and accordance to the provision of Article 21.2 (D)(II)(VII) 21.3 and 21.5(g) of the constitution 2022 (as amended) we unanimously Resolved and Adopted the expulsion of Senator Ovie Omo Agege as a member of the Party.

“Consequently, Senator Ovie Omo Agege hereby stands expelled as a member of the party with immediate effect for various offences committed and acts of anti-party activities and gross misconduct that has brought shame and ridicule to the image of the party in the state which affected the party in the just concluded elections.”

The APC, Delta Central, in a communique made available to journalists on Monday, also disclosed that it has received and embrace the expulsion of Omo-Agege from his Ward.

The communique signed by the Vice Chairman, Delta Central, Sir Oruafe Michael reads, “We Are In Receipt Of Omo-Agege Expulsion From His Ward. When Omo-Agege was expelled, he didn’t appeal it seven days after.

“The Local Government has to approve the expulsion, and forward it to the state. We are calling on the National leadership of the party to approve Omo-Agege’s expulsion immediately without delay. This development shouldn’t in anyway affect members of the party.

“They should go about their normal business, as the call is for the benefit of the state party.”

The communique listed Omo-Agege‘s offences to include: hijack of the party from the Ward to the State and personal appointment of Publicity Secretary without consultation from anybody in the State.

The Communique also pointed out that Omo-Agege worked against APC’s interests by working for the Labour Party during the presidential election in exchange for their support for his governorship bid.

“This action, which we found distasteful affected the party chances in the State,” the communique further read.

The communique also noted that Omo-Agege deliberately favoured his Senatorial District against the other Senatorial Districts in terms of providing Federal Government projects.

Meanwhile, there were controversies around the expulsion as some sources from the national leadership of the party discountenanced the validity of the expulsion, identifying it as a factional craft which is not recognised.

The investigation of anti party activities is growing with division among the ranks of the major political parties. Some of the party bigwigs who were suspected to have worked for other parties based on interest have been targeted for disciplinary actions.

In the APC, some chieftains of the party, it has been gathered, are under investigation to establish their complicity in anti party activities for disciplinary actions.

Recall the Chairperson of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Lauretta Oniochie, a card carrying member of the APC, was last week suspended from the party over alleged anti-party activity.

Also, the APC in Kukadu Gundari Ward, Misau Local Government Area of Bauchi State also suspended the State APC chairman,  Alhaji Babayo Misau, for alleged anti-party activities.

Onochie’s suspension was conveyed in a letter signed by 27 executive members of Ward 4, Onicha-Olona in the Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State.

The letter was tittled, “Loss of confidence and suspension of Lauretta Oniochie as member of the APC in Onicha-Olona ward 4, Aniocha North Local Government Area.”

The Ward said the decision followed a review of Oniochie’s conduct during the just-concluded general elections.

The letter had read in part, “We, the under-listed, are the ward executive members of the All Progressives Congress in Onicha-Olona ward 4 Aniocha LGA Delta State.

“We have painstakingly reviewed the conduct of the just-concluded general elections at all levels and have noted, with dismay, that Onochie, who is one of the leaders of our great party, worked against the success of the party in Onicha-Olona Ward 4, and beyond.

“Information available to us show very clearly that she was openly campaigning for candidates of opposition parties, especially the Peoples Democratic Party, in the run-up to the presidential and National Assembly as well as the governorship and state House of Assembly elections.

“It was also observed that all her allies and supporters were working for the PDP in the state. The evidence of this could be seen in the fact that the party lost in her polling unit 8, ward 4 in the presidential, senatorial, House of Representatives, governorship and state Assembly elections.”

The Ward also alleged that Oniochie failed to fulfill her financial obligations to the party, adding that she never attended any ward and LG meetings or other party engagements.

However, in reaction, the APC Chairman, Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State, Mr Matthew Chinye said, “There is nothing like suspension; the letter is rubbish.”

Meanwhile, in Bauchi, the Chairman, Kukadu Gundari Ward, Alhaji Ibrahim Lawan, announced the suspension of the State APC chair, Misau, at a news conference last Saturday in Abuja.

The Ward Chairman had said Misau was suspended following  an emergency meeting of  the Ward executive members on Friday where anti-party allegations against him were considered.

“We are here to announce the suspension of the Bauchi State APC chairman in the person of Alhaji Misau as the chairman and member of the APC.

“All the allegations of anti-party activities, abuse of office and the violation of party’s constitution have been proved beyond reasonable doubts,” he said.

In his reaction to the suspension,  Misau told said  on Sunday in Abuja that the action was “null and void,” arguing  “they don’t have the powers to suspend me. They’d need to consult with other ward and council chairmen of the party before they can take such action.”

“What they did is totally unacceptable and not in consonance with the party’s constitution.”

Recall that within the ranks of the main opposition, the PDP, there have also been confusion over allegations of anti party activities, with suspension lashed on some of its chieftains, particularly those who were believed to be in loggerheads with the former National Chairman of the party,  Senator Iyorchia Ayu.

Some of those affected are former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose; former president of the Senate, Pius Anyim; and others, including Prof Dennis Ityavyar and Aslam Aliyu, who were suspended by the Ayu-led PDP leadership.

However, Ayu himself suffered an ill fate as he was also suspended from his Ward in Igyorov Ward of Gboko Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State.

His suspension came with immediate effect less than a week after the Party’s National Working Committe lashed some of its key members with suspension, a development that led to his ousting as the National Chairman of the PDP.

The Party had also referred Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom to the National Disciplinary Committee over his reported involvement in anti-party activities.

Ortom and Ayu hail from same Benue State but fell out due to irreconcilable differences over the General Elections.

Ortom is a member of the G-5 PDP Governors who demanded the resignation of Ayu as National Chairman in the build-up to the General Elections and his replacement by a southerner, since Atiku Abubakar the presidential candidate of the party is from the North.

Although the acting leadership of the Party has declared reconciliation moves with some suspension of its members lifted, the party is still suffering breaches of divergent interests which largely polarised its structure during the 2023 general elections.

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Account enrollment: Court validates CBN’s regulation, permits collection of customers’ social media handles

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…Dismisses concerns, says social media handles not protected by privacy rights

…Financial institutions cleared to collect social media handles for KYC

By Sodiq Adelakun

The Federal High Court in Lagos has ruled in favour of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in a case challenging the regulation that requires financial institutions to collect their customers’ social media handles as part of the Know-Your-Customer (KYC) procedure.

Recall that the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) had urged the court to compel CBN to withdraw its directive to banks and other financial institutions.

However, in the ruling, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba struck out the suit filed by Lagos-based lawyer, Chris Eke, who argued that the regulation violates the right to privacy of bank customers.

Eke had sought a declaration that the regulation contained in Section 6(a) (iv) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (Customer Due Diligence) Regulations, 2023, is undemocratic, unconstitutional, null, and void, as it contradicts Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended). However, Justice Dimgba ruled that the regulation does not breach the right to privacy of bank customers.

The CBN regulation is targeted to enhance customer due diligence and anti-money laundering measures, and requires banks to collect social media handles, among other personal information, from their customers.

The applicant had asked the court to grant an order of perpetual injunction, restraining CB from enforcing the regulation which requires financial institutions to request customers’ social media handles as part of normal bank customer due diligence requirements.

The CBN in its response to the suit, filed a notice of preliminary objection, challenging the competence of the suit. The apex bank also disagreed that the said regulation constitutes any interference with the private life of the applicant, as claimed.

The judgment came as Justice Dimgba dismissed a suit, stating that the notice of preliminary objection held merit and consequently struck out the case.

During the proceedings, Justice Dimgba emphasised that providing a social media handle is akin to furnishing email addresses, phone numbers, and other contact details for banking purposes.

He argued that such information aids in conducting due diligence to ascertain if an individual is suitable for conducting business with a bank.

Justice Dimgba further explained that the essence of having a social media account implies a willingness to engage in public communication, thus rendering privacy concerns unfounded.

According to him, “First, the Applicant claims that the requirements on the CBN Regulations for financial institutions to request and collect the social media handle of its customers as part of KYC infringes on his right to privacy.”

“This claim is very ambitious and amounts to a very far throw.  The said Regulations are directed to and apply to financial institutions. It does not apply to private individuals such as the Applicant.

“Even if, as appears to be argued, that the Regulations itself would inevitably affect the Applicant, this claim is speculative for the simple reason that in nowhere in the affidavit in support was it stated that the Applicant operates an account with a financial institution and that the said institution had demanded his social media handle.  So the suggestion that he would be affected by this Regulation, albeit negatively, is very speculative and at large.

“Secondly, there is also no deposition to the effect that any financial institution had begun to implement this Regulation and that its implementation had begun to create disruptions and inconvenience against the general population, in which case one could infer that the suit should be legitimated as a public interest litigation.

“Thirdly, assuming even that the banks had begun to implement these regulations, the applicant assuming he maintained any bank accounts or sought to open one, but is being hindered or irritated by the requirement of the Regulation to avail his social media handle as part of KYC, the Applicant still had a choice, which is to refuse to do business with any bank insisting on the information as part of its social media handle, but to seek other alternatives.

“Fourthly, and for all it is worth, I do not see how asking a banking or potential banking customer to provide his social media handle can ever amount to a breach of privacy.

“Granted that Section 37 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) provides inter alia: The privacy of citizens, their homes, correspondence, telephone conversations and telegraphic communications is hereby guaranteed and protected.

“My view is that the provision of a social media handle is of the same genre as the provision of email address, phone numbers and other means by which a potential customer of a bank can be contacted.

“Thus, it is clear from the face of the Regulations as set out above that email addresses, phone numbers and social media handles are all provided for under clause 6iv just to show that the aim was not to pry on anyone but rather to provide alternative ways by which a customer of the bank can be contacted, and or due diligence conducted on the person to determine if the person is a fit and proper person to extend banking services to.

“I do not see how this infringes on the right to privacy. I should even say that the essence of having a social media account was for one to be publicly visible communication-wise.  It, therefore, appears quite ironic, though wryly, that one can suggest that asking for information about a social media handle with which the individual exposes and immerses himself or herself in the public, can amount to a violation of privacy rights, which rights itself is all about isolation of one from public glare.

“It is also to my knowledge that even in filling some business applications,  personal information of this sort, is sometimes requested, and parties generally oblige. If it does not constitute a breach of privacy, why should it now?

“A social media handle is left at large for the world to see, being in the public space, everyone enjoys the liberty to have access to it whether or not consent was obtained. It would be highly unreasonable to hold the Respondent in breach of privacy for what other persons have access to.

“The apprehension of the Applicant of his social interactions being monitored is manifestly speculative in itself and rather incredulous to believe that the financial institutions have the luxury of time to concern itself with such frivolities.

“On the whole, if I did not sustain the NPO, I would have dismissed the suit for the reasons stated. But the NPO having been sustained, the suit is therefore hereby struck out.”

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N1.3trn power debt: Tinubu approves payment, unveils plan to liquidate gas debts

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has given approval for the payment of N1.3trn legacy debts owed power generation companies.

Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu speaking at the 8th Africa Energy Market Place 2024 in Abuja said that President Bola Tinubu has approved a plan to liquidate the debts.

According to him, “Mr. President has approved the submission made by the Minister of State Petroleum (Gas) to defray the outstanding debts owed to the gas supply companies to power generation companies. The payments are in two parts, the legacy debts and the current debts. For the current debt, approval has been given to pay about N130 billion from the gas stabilisation fund which the Federal Ministry of Finance will pay.”

“The payment of the legacy debt will be made from future royalties in exchange for incomes in the gas subsector which is quite satisfactory to the gas suppliers. This will allow the companies to enter into firm contracts with power generation companies.

“For the power generation companies, the debt is about N1.3 trillion and I can also tell you that we have the consent of the President to pay, on the condition that the actual figures are reconciled between the government and the companies. This we have successfully done and it is being signed off by both parties now. Majority has signed off and we are engaging to ensure that we have 100 percent sign off.

“The debt will be paid in two ways, immediate cash injection and through a guaranteed debt instrument, preferably a promissory note. This assures the companies that in the next three to five years, the government is ready to defray these debts.”

The Minister further stated that the government was working to get the distribution companies solvent and effective by unbundling their operations along state boundaries.

He insisted that the areas covered by the current DisCos were too large for them to deliver effective services to consumers.

In the same vein, the Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Engr. Sanusi Garba lamented the poor financial state of the DisCos, noting that it is difficult for them to raise the needed capital to invest.

Engr. Garba pointed out that the challenges facing the sector were a culmination of all past inactions and missteps by those saddled with the responsibilities of managing the sector both at policy and operational levels.

According to him, “Today when you look at distribution companies they are clearly and technically insolvent, and you also want them to raise capital in terms of debt or equity. It’s a Herculean task. I also want to mention that implementing the power sector reform requires very strong political will to implement decisions that impact on the wider public.”

However, the African Development Bank (AfDB) disclosed that it has so far spent over $450 million to support various power sector projects and programmes with another $1 billion planned to support the power sector reform effort by the government.

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Emirates Airline to resume Lagos-Dubai flights October 1

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Emirates Airline has disclosed that it will resume services to Nigeria from October 1, 2024, operating a daily service between Lagos and Dubai.

This development was announced in a statement on Thursday by the airline, which has its hub in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The airline disclosed that flight services will be operated using a Boeing 777-300ER.

“We are excited to resume our services to Nigeria. The Lagos-Dubai service has traditionally been popular with customers in Nigeria and we hope to reconnect leisure and business travellers to Dubai and onwards to our network of over 140 destinations.

“We thank the Nigerian government for their partnership and support in re-establishing this route and we look forward to welcoming passengers back onboard,” Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, Adnan Kazim, said.

Recall that Emirates Airlines had suspended its Dubai-Lagos flights in 2022 over its inability to repatriate trapped funds in Nigeria in the heat of the diplomatic row between the two countries.

This comes after Festus Keyamo, Minister Of Aviation And Aerospace Development in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) page had disclosed that he got correspondence from Emirates Airline when he visited Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi, ambassador of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Abuja.

 ”Yesterday, I paid a working visit to the Ambassador of the UAE to Nigeria, His Excellency, Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi at the UAE Embassy in Abuja. He handed me a correspondence from the Emirates Airline indicating a definite date for their resumption of flights to Nigeria,” Keyamo said.

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