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Violent Protests Erupt Across Nigeria, Leaving Six Dead and Many Injured

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2 months ago

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Nigeria is facing a rapidly escalating cost-of-living crisis as widespread protests erupted across the nation, resulting in the deaths of at least six people and leaving many others injured.

The unrest has sparked fears that the country may plunge into deeper turmoil, further complicating President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to implement economic reforms.

The protests began as small demonstrations in Lagos and Abuja but quickly spread to other regions, including Kano, Katsina, and Port Harcourt.

Demonstrators took to the streets to voice their anger over government policies that have driven inflation to its highest level in nearly three decades.

The rising cost of basic goods and services has exacerbated the plight of Nigeria’s 200 million citizens, 40% of whom live in extreme poverty.

In the north-central Niger state, security operatives reportedly killed several protesters, according to the Daily Trust. The violence has also prompted a 24-hour curfew in Borno state after an explosion killed 16 people on Wednesday.

The exact cause of the explosion remains unclear, but it has added to the sense of instability and fear gripping the nation.

The organizers of the protests have utilized social-media campaigning methods similar to those recently used in Kenya, where anti-tax demonstrations forced the government to abandon measures aimed at raising over $2 billion in revenue.

The Nigerian protests, however, have already resulted in significant bloodshed and pose a serious threat to the Tinubu administration’s economic-reform program, which aims to attract foreign investment and stabilize the economy.

In Lagos, the city’s usually bustling streets were eerily quiet as banks closed their doors to customers to prevent potential attacks. Those that remained open saw little activity, as fear of violence kept people indoors.

Police in Abuja fired tear gas to disperse crowds, but the protesters were undeterred, continuing to demand action from the government.

Kano also saw significant unrest, with a government-owned property looted by protesters.

The chaos has led to increased security measures, with the Lagos State Police Command reporting that it safely neutralized an improvised explosive device in the city. Authorities have urged residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious objects.

President Tinubu has repeatedly tried to quell the protests, warning last week that “we do not want to turn Nigeria into Sudan.” The reference to Sudan’s ongoing civil war, which has resulted in thousands of deaths and millions displaced, underscores the gravity of the situation in Nigeria.

The government’s attempts to defuse the nationwide protests have so far proven ineffective, with tensions continuing to rise.

The current unrest is reminiscent of Nigeria’s past struggles with civil demonstrations. In 2020, rallies against police brutality resulted in at least 56 deaths, according to Amnesty International.

The popular Lekki Tollgate in the affluent Victoria Island area of Lagos, a flashpoint during the 2020 protests, remained largely empty on Thursday amid heavy police deployment.

Is the CEO and Founder of Investors King Limited. He is a seasoned foreign exchange research analyst and a published author on Yahoo Finance, Business Insider, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur.com, Investorplace, and other prominent platforms. With over two decades of experience in global financial markets, Olukoya is well-recognized in the industry.

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Government

Tinubu Warns INEC, Political Parties Against Rigging, Violence as Edo Governorship Election Holds Tomorrow 

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30 mins ago

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September 20, 2024

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Bola Tinubu

As residents of Edo State within the voting age file out to elect their new governor on Saturday, September 21, 2024, President Bola Tinubu has called on all stakeholders in the upcoming Edo State governorship elections to conduct themselves peacefully and sportingly.

The task is coming amid tension and allegations of meditated arrest and planned rigging by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

There has been heavy deployment of security operatives in the state ahead of the polls.

The distribution of non-sensitive materials took place in Benin City on Thursday amid tight security forces.

Already, a public holiday had been declared in the state today by the government for workers and other electorate to travel to their polling units to cast their ballots for the successor of Goodwin Obaseki.

However, the President, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, warned INEC against compromising the integrity of the poll.

Tinubu also implored the governorship candidates, political parties, and supporters to respect the democratic process and the people’s will.

According to Onanuga, Tinubu believes in the voters’ ability to make informed decisions about their future leaders.

President Tinubu emphasised that democracy thrives on civility, tolerance, patience, and respect for the rules of the game.

He noted that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has committed to conducting a free and fair election and urges all stakeholders to work together to ensure a successful and peaceful process.

The President commended the governorship candidates and political parties for their campaigns, which have focused on issues that matter most to the people of Edo State, including improving livelihoods, promoting economic growth, and contributing to national development.

He urged all citizens in the state to remain peaceful and respectful throughout the voting process. He encourages them to resolve any disagreements amicably through the constituted authorities.

“In addition, President Tinubu expresses unwavering confidence in the professionalism and integrity of security agencies and INEC officials. He urges them to remain impartial and avoid any actions that could compromise the integrity of the electoral process,” Onanuga said.

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Government

Worsening Hardship: Fresh Pressure Mounts on Tinubu’s Ministers Over Planned Cabinet Rejig 

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22 hours ago

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September 19, 2024

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There is apparent fear within the cabinet of President Bola Tinubu over plans by the president to relieve some of the ministers of their duties.
Sources in the presidency said the looming rejig of the cabinet is due to widespread complaints of hunger by many Nigerians.
Top among the ministries that will be mainly affected in the cabinet reshuffle is the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
Sources close revealed that the presidency might completely scrap the ministry.
The move, according to the impeccable insiders, is also to streamline government operations and eliminate underperforming ministries.
It was further learned that the cabinet reshuffle would go beyond portfolio swaps. Instead, some portfolios and ministries would be split, merged, or scrapped.
Those in the know opined that the planned reshuffling and scrapping is overdue and that the President would have announced the changes in the cabinet last week but for his trip out of the country.
They said Tinubu would also restructure some of the ministries for effectiveness and output owing to the alleged protest against bad governance and poverty in the country.
Other sources said President Tinubu aims to finalize changes before departing for the United Nations General Assembly.
They said that the development has ignited fear among the ministers as some who don’t have much closeness with the presidency are said to be loitering around Aso Rock to lobby their stay in their respective positions.
Upon his assumption of office, President Tinubu appointed 48 federal ministers and bagged a record as the President with the highest cabinet size since Nigeria returned to democracy in 1999.
Some analysts in the country had argued that the large cabinet size would drain the country’s already depleted purse.
In January, this year, one of the nine female ministers, Betta Edu, was suspended by Tinubu over N585million scandal.
While in suspension, Edu incurred the anger of Nigerians in July 2024, after she made a comeback with a condolence message to victims of the collapsed school building in Jos in her official capacity as the humanitarian affairs minister by using the official letterhead of the ministry.
Investors King reports that since then, nothing has been heard about her alleged fraud even as the presidency remains mute.

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Government

LG Election: Tension in Osun as APC, PDP Risk Disqualification for Substituting Candidates Unlawfully 

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23 hours ago

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September 19, 2024

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All Progressive Congress (APC)
There is uneasy calm among major political parties in Osun State over the announcement by the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) that the party leadership submitted names of candidates that are different from those who obtained forms to contest the February 22, 2025 Local Government Election in the state.
According to Barrister Hashim Abioye, the OSIEC Chairman, about seven political parties including the Peoples Democratic Party and major opposition All Progressives Congress face disqualification from the poll if they fail to correct the status of their candidates within 48 hours.
Abioye said the political parties contesting in the forthcoming local government election ran foul of the provisions and procedure regarding the substitution of candidates.
He said after the verification committee set up by the commission completed its assignment, it was discovered that some political parties had replaced the names of candidates with ones that were strange to the commission.
According to him, the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and the Action Peoples Party (APP) are affected.
Speaking at a press conference held in Osogbo, Abioye stressed that the affected political parties committed an incurable infraction by giving nomination forms to candidates whose names were different from those with the commission.
He further revealed that virtually all the political parties contesting the elections had one case or another of the infractions, and that while some are remediable others are incurable.
According to the OSIEC boss, “The provision is not an innovation, it is as also contained in the Electoral Act, 2022, that is the provision we have now adopted. For this reason, some political parties, notably the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), the Action Peoples Party (APP) ran foul of the provisions and procedure regarding substitution of candidates.
“While no substitution can be validly done without following the rules, any substitution or change of candidate done after the purported candidate intended to be a replacement for another must have been given and submitted nomination form despite his/her name not being on the list originally submitted to the Commission would be void.
“Let me note once again that virtually all the political parties contesting the elections had one case or another of the infractions which are remediable, but the political parties highlighted above committed the most of the infractions that are incurable by giving nomination form for candidates whose names were not on the list in some local government areas and wards. This we cannot help.”
Giving an instance of the infractions, Abioye stated, “Being a major political party, I will take that of the APC as an example. In Atakunmosa West Local Government, the Chairmanship and Vice-chairmanship candidates submitted by the party to the Commission were not the persons who filled nomination forms submitted to OSIEC.
“In the same vein, the respective vice-chairmanship candidates submitted by the APC for Ede South, Egbedore, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Isokan, Olorunda and Oriade Local Government Areas were completely different from the persons that filled and submitted nomination forms to the Commission. Candidates of the APC in several Wards across various local government areas were affected by this incurable anomaly.”
Meanwhile, the development has thrown the affected parties into panic as they struggle to meet the deadline.

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