The Federation revenue rose to N2. 068 trillion in January out of which the Federation Allocation Committee (FAAC) has shared a total sum of N1.149 trillion to the Federal Government, States and Local Government Councils.

This was contained in the communique issued at the end of the FAAC meeting in Abuja, yesterday.

Mr. Bawa Mokwa, Director of Press and Public Relations of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) said the meeting was chaired by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Wale Edun.

The N1.149 trillion total distributable revenue comprised statutory revenue of N463.079 billion, Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue of N391.787 billion, Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) revenue of N15.922 billion and Exchange Difference revenue of N279.028 billion.

Total deductions for cost of collection was N78.412 billion, total transfers, interventions and refunds was N639.926 billion and savings was N200.000 billion.

Gross statutory revenue of N1,151.808 billion was received for the month of January 2024. This was higher than the sum of N875.382 billion received in the month of December 2023 by N 276.426 billion.

The gross revenue available from the Value Added Tax (VAT) in January was N420.733 billion.

This was lower than the N492.506 billion available in the month of December 2023 by N71.773 billion.

The communique indicated that from the N1.149 trillion total distributable revenue, the Federal Government received a total of N407.267 billion, State Governments received N379.407 billion, while the Local Government Councils received N278.041 billion.

A total sum of N85.101 billion (13% of mineral revenue) was shared to the benefiting States as derivation revenue.

From the N463.079 billion distributable statutory revenue, the Federal Government received N216.757 billion, the State Governments received N109.942 billion and the Local Government Councils received N84.761 billion.

The sum of N51.619 billion (13% of mineral revenue) was shared to the benefiting States as derivation revenue.

The Federal Government received N58.768 billion, State Governments received N195.894 billion and the Local Government Councils received N137.125 billion from the N391.787 billion distributable Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue.

The N15.922 billion Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) was shared as follows: the Federal Government received N2.388 billion, the State Governments received N7.961 billion and the Local Government Councils received N5.573 billion.

The Federal Government received N129.354 billion from the N 279.028 billion Exchange Difference revenue.

The State Governments received N65.610 billion, and the Local Government Councils received N50.582 billion.

The sum of N33.482 billion (13% of mineral revenue) was shared to the benefiting States as derivation revenue.

The balance in the ECA was $473,754.57.

Google, owned by billionaires Larry Page and Sergey Brin, is not shutting down Gmail, as the email platform asserted, “Gmail is here to stay,” in response to a viral hoax tweet claiming the platform would halt its email feature.  

Additionally, the tech giant, under its parent company Alphabet, did not officially issue any statements announcing the purported “Gmail shutdown” on its website or through any press release statements for its 1.8 billion users. 

How it all started 

A screenshot circulating on social media platforms alleged that Google plans to phase out Gmail entirely by the end of this year, suggesting the service would no longer support email functions starting August 1. The screenshot, gaining over 1 million views across various accounts, claimed that Gmail would cease facilitating the sending, receiving, or storing of emails.  

• The email, titled “Why Gmail Is Sunsetting,” outlined Google’s purported shift in focus towards developing communication technologies and platforms.  

• The fake news release, supposedly addressed to Gmail’s 1.8 billion users worldwide and posted on social media, stated, “After years of connecting millions worldwide, enabling seamless communication, and fostering countless connections, the journey of Gmail is coming to a close.” 
• The misleading notice specified August 1, 2024, as the date until which Gmail users will “be able to access and download all your emails.” 

This statement, which carried with the company’s logo, surfaced shortly after Google announced the suspension of its text-to-image AI tool Gemini.   

• Earlier, screenshots circulated online showed Gemini-generated images with misleading racial depictions in historical contexts. Elon Musk criticized the feature as “woke” and “super racist” in a series of posts, prompting Google to release a statement acknowledging the need to “improve these kinds of depictions immediately.” 
•  Chris Bakke, X Product Lead known for posting humorous content, shared the screenshot, playfully claiming to be the senior vice president of product at Google.  

Bakke jokingly stated that he was instructed by Google CEO Sundar Pichai to terminate the company’s Gemini team but mistakenly fired the entire Gmail team. 

What we know 

In the aftermath of the rumored Gmail shutdown, Alphabet, Google’s parent company, witnessed a more than 1% increase in shares, concluding at $145.32. 

 Furthermore, Larry Page and Sergey Brin saw a boost in their net worth, with an addition of $1.18 billion and $2.49 billion, respectively, by the close of Thursday’s market trade. Both billionaire founders, controlling approximately 51.4% of the company through class B shares, now boast a combined net worth of $256 billion. 

Since its launch in April 2004, Gmail has held a significant position in the email industry, contending with competitors like Yahoo and AOL.

Last year, Google disclosed plans for the gradual phase-out of Gmail’s HTML version, commencing in January.

The HTML view aims to provide users with quicker load times and enhanced connectivity, particularly beneficial on slower internet connections. 

[Nairametrics]

The rising cost of living in the country assumed another dimension on Thursday with an attack on a truck carrying food items in Suleja area of Niger State.

This is just as hundreds of residents of Dikwa town in Borno State protested and raised serious concern over hunger, threatening to join terrorists in the state.

The developments come amid the nationwide hardship that has triggered protests in different parts of the country.

Early this month, there was a protest in Minna, the capital of Niger State, in which a group of women blocked the Minna-Bida Road at the popular Kpakungu roundabout to express their grievances over the rising cost of food items, which has made access to three square meals per day to become increasingly unattainable for millions of people. 

In what look like another turn of events, soldiers had to open fire yesterday when some youths attack trucks loaded with foodstuff in the Suleja area of Niger State. 

Alhassan Abdullahi, a witness, told our correspondent that many trucks from Abuja and heading for Kaduna were blocked by the hoodlums, who burnt tyres on the road. 

He said many bags of assorted foodstuffs, especially rice, were stolen before soldiers arrived at the scene. 

“It took the intervention of soldiers who arrived at the scene and started firing gunshots in the air to scare the hoodlums away. But even at that, many of them went away with bags of rice and cartons of spaghetti and other food items. 

“We learnt commercial motorcycle riders are also planning a protest. They would have done it since yesterday but we didn’t know what stopped them,” he said.

Police stop protest against hunger in Jigawa

Meanwhile, police operatives yesterday blocked protesters from staging a peaceful demonstration against hunger, social and economic difficulties in Jigawa State.

The protest was organised by civil society organisations and political associations.

Dozens of riot police operatives were stationed at various locations around Dutse, the state capital, to block the protesters from marching on the streets.

According to the spokesperson of the state police command, DSP Shisu Lawal Adam, the protesters did not obtain permit.

He said the police saw the announcement of the protest on social media, adding that there could be total breakdown of law, order and public peace if allowed to hold. 

He said the police had obtained intelligence that some miscreants had planned to hijack the demonstration to unleash mayhem.

When contacted, Chairman of SAWABA Initiative for Humanitarian Development and one of the organisers, Comrade Bashir Alkasim said less than 10 hours to the commencement of the protest, the police invited them for “a discussion”.

He explained that the state police commissioner requested them to postpone the demonstration due to some security issues, saying they were prevailed upon to withdraw the plan. 

Comrade Alkasim said they wanted to hold the peaceful demonstration to draw the attention of federal, state and local governments to the current hunger, social and economic difficulties in the country, adding that it was also to stress the need for the authorities to do the needful to rescue the situation, which kept degenerating day by day. 

“Since the removal of fuel subsidy, the government  claimed to have got more money and shared it with  other tiers of government, but what only reflected in the lives of civil servants and the  common man on the street  were increased hardship, poverty, hunger and other social and economic difficulties. 

“We are calling on President Bola Tinubu to review his economic policy to align it with the needs and the welfare of Nigerians than foreign interests. We want local government financial autonomy to be revisited and granted fully,” he said.

“In Jigawa, we are calling on the state governor, Malam Umar Namadi to increase the workers’ wage award from the proposed N10,000 to N30,000, which  should be paid before Ramadan.”

Dikwa residents march on streets

Also, yesterday, hundreds of residents of Dikwa town in Borno State have protested and raised serious concern over hunger and their inability to feed their families, given the recent nationwide hike in prices of commodities. 

Daily Trust correspondent had obtained some videos showing hundreds of women and children lamenting on the streets, saying “Hunger and thirst are killing us.”

According to an eyewitness, they described their problems as double tragedies due to lack of access to farmlands and severe shortages of foodstuff.

A top government source said Dikwa town is suffering from severe food shortages as a result of the collapse of livelihoods since the Boko Haram crisis paralysed economic activities in the ancient town.

“It is sad that things have gotten to this level; the women are threatening to join the insurgents due to lack of food to feed their families. You can agree with me that our governor, Professor Babagana Zulum has been trying his best, distributing food and non-food items to cushion the effects of the hardship; but the situation is overwhelming.

“President Tinubu should urgently intervene; this is beyond what the state government can handle. We need special intervention as soon as possible to cushion the effects of hardships that our people are going through presently,” he said.

Another resident expressed fear that the current situation might jeopardise the peace restored over the past years.

“As you’ve seen in the video in the morning, the residents threatened to collaborate with, as well as move to Boko Haram camps, as they said they cannot withstand the severe hunger anymore.

“The government must understand what is going on, and take immediate action to avert this looming catastrophe from happening,” he said.

The insurgents in the adjoining bushes were said to be luring the residents with incentives to cross over to their side as a way to address their food problems.

NEC outlines initiative to ensure food security, affordability

The National Economic Council (NEC) has taken steps to put an end to the economic challenges confronting the nation, including making fertilisers available to farmers and the establishment of agro-rangers to tackle insecurity in the farms. 

The decision was reached yesterday during the 139th meeting of the Council held virtually and chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima.

The vice president said that with collective efforts in developing a clear and actionable roadmap through short, medium, and long-term strategies, Nigeria will overcome its economic challenges.

Following a presentation by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, on food security, Vice President Shettima directed a meeting of the federal government with major fertiliser producers in the country, including Indorama, Dangote and Notore.

NEC noted that fertiliser is a major ingredient of agricultural productivity which the government is striving to attain, and urged the state governors to embrace modern agricultural practices to increase food productivity.

The vice president also lamented that Nigeria had been a victim of strong averseness to evolving and keeping up with the changing global economic order, leading to a situation where making difficult decisions to maximize its potential has become inevitable.

Delivering his opening speech titled, “It’s Time to Speed Up Our Prosperity Quest,” Shettima told council members that it is President Tinubu’s desire that they all stand together to collectively proffer solutions to safeguard the nation’s economy from imminent implosion.

Noting that the citizens are only keen about tangible results, the VP stated that while economic experts foresaw this transitional phase on our journey to a flourishing future, it is crucial to recognise that the ordinary citizen on the street is not concerned with any economic theory. Their daily concerns are anchored in the tangible.

“They are more invested in the price of maize than the predictions of GDP. So, as we deliberate on intricate economic strategies today, let us remain attuned to the heartbeat of the nation. We must ensure that our decisions resonate with the aspirations of the common man and woman who entrust us with their hopes and dreams”, he stressed.  

Acknowledging that the country is in the midst of a pervasive emergency, VP Shettima implored state governors, ministers and other NEC members to align their minds and actions with the reality on ground.

In his presentation, the minister of agriculture also called for action against dollarization of locally produced commodities like urea, which is impacting negatively on fertiliser prices and agricultural productivity.

 [DailyTrust]

Inter Miami forward, Lionel Messi, has given away his latest Ballon d’Or trophy only months after he won it controversially ahead of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe.

Last October, Messi was crowned the best player in the world for a record eighth time, after he led Argentina to glory at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The 36-year-old was handed the award almost seven months from winning the one major honour that had eluded him throughout his career.

It left some fans and pundits furious, as they felt Manchester City’s Haaland was more deserving.

However, four months on from the award win, Messi has given away his latest individual prize.

According to Spanish journalist, Miquel Blazquez, Messi has donated his Ballon d’Or trophy to Barcelona despite not winning it with his old club.

This will allow Barca to place their all-time-great former player’s eighth award alongside the other seven that are in their club museum.

Messi cemented a legacy as arguably the greatest player in soccer history at the Nou Camp, winning 10 Spanish titles and four Champions Leagues while scoring an incredible 672 goals in 778 games.

[DailyPost]

A law firm, Chris Ogunbanjo & Co., has announced funeral arrangements for their esteemed Managing Partner, Otunba Abimbola Ogunbanjo (OFR), who died on February 9 in California, USA.

According to a statement released by the firm yesterday in Lagos, series of events have been planned to honour Ogunbanjo.

A service of songs and night of tributes will hold on February 29, followed by a funeral service on March 1 at the Church of the Nativity, Parkview. Private interment follows at The Anchorage, Erunwon. The family has requested privacy “during this difficult time.”

Otunba Ogunbanjo was not just a leader, but also a revered figure known for his wisdom, integrity and dedication to legal excellence. He served as a guiding light for individuals within the firm and beyond, leaving an indelible mark on the Nigerian legal landscape.

“He was more than just a leader; he was a guiding light, a mentor and a symbol of legal excellence,” said the firm.

“His absence leaves a significant void not only within our firm, but also across the legal and business communities in Nigeria.”

Ogunbanjo’s legacy extended far beyond the courtroom. He was a passionate advocate for professionalism, innovation and entrepreneurship, values he instilled within the firm and inspired others to adopt.

He was also a role model, embodying the timeless values of the firm’s founder, the late Chief Chris Ogunbanjo, OFR, CON.

The firm expressed their commitment to upholding his legacy and carrying forward his vision with unwavering determination.

“As we reflect on Otunba’s remarkable contributions, we are determined to honour his memory by rededicating ourselves to the pursuit of excellence that he championed,” the statement said.

Abimbola Ogunbanjo was the Group Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group Plc (NGX Group) from 2021 to 2022.

Read Also: Train girls to lead, says Tinubu’s aide, governor’swife

He played a crucial role in shaping NGX Group, and his strategic acumen and dedication were instrumental in shaping NGX Group’s transformative journey.

Prior to this, he served as the President of the National Council of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) from 2017 to 2021.

Ogunbanjo was a distinguished legal practitioner, serving as Managing Partner of Chris Ogunbanjo LP (Solicitors). He had extensive experience in commercial law, with a particular focus on capital markets, shipping and mergers and acquisitions.

He was also on the boards of several multinational corporations and non-profit organisations, including Beta Glass PLC and the Advisory Board of the University of Buckingham Centre for Extractive Studies.

[TheNation]

The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, on Thursday, described those clamouring for a coup d’état as enemies of Nigeria, saying the military remained resolute to protect the nation’s democracy.

This was as the Kaduna State Overseeing Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, disclosed that the mastermind of the August 2021 attack on the Nigerian Defence Academy in Kaduna was eliminated by troops on Wednesday.

The CDS, who spoke to journalists in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Thursday, warned coup mongers in the country.

The economic hardship in the country, which has seen Nigerians trooping to the streets in protests against the rising cost of living has precipitated the fear of military intervention, more so as three member states of the Economic Community of West African States have fallen into the hands of military juntas.

However, the Nigerian military has consistently maintained that it had no interest or plan to take over power, saying it remained loyal and committed to the democratic government.

Restating the military stance in Port Harcourt on Thursday, Musa said, “Whoever is making that call (coup) does not love Nigeria. We want to make it very clear that the Armed Forces of Nigeria are here to protect democracy.

“We all want democracy and we do better under democracy. And so we will continue to support democracy. And any of those ones that are calling for anything other than democracy are evil people and I think they don’t mean well for Nigeria. And they should be very careful because the law will come after them.”

The CDS urged Nigerians to exercise patience with the Federal Government, saying efforts being made would soon result in improved conditions of living.

He said, “We can see that with democracy a lot of things are happening in Nigeria. Yes, we are going through trying periods, but in life, nothing is one hundred per cent; everybody goes through a trying period in life, but it is what you do with them.

“You can see the government putting in efforts to ensure that we come out better. And it is when you go through difficulties and come out better you will really appreciate what it is to build a nation. And so we are going through our trying period,  but I can assure Nigerians that it will get better.

“What is needed is for all of us to put our hands together to ensure that we defeat those enemies of the government, those enemies of this country that don’t want us to succeed.

“We will surely succeed and the Armed Forces are here to support the government in ensuring that we develop, we succeed and to see that there is peace in Nigeria.”

Meanwhile, in a statement on Thursday in Kaduna, Overseeing Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Aruwan, said troops on Wednesday intercepted a notorious bandit, Boderi Isyaku, who is believed to have masterminded the August 24, 2021 attack on the Afaka campus of the Nigerian Defence Academy, which claimed the lives of two soldiers.

[Punch]

A few days ago, Ndigbo came under fire from Professor Usman Yusuf, the former executive secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), for their perceived lack of interest in the ongoing nationally spreading hunger protests and strikes. He said: “I honestly don’t know why the south-east is quiet, uncharacteristically quiet. But the president needs to find out.”

Normally, one would disregard and deny him additional visibility for such an insulting and inflammatory tirade. However, it is a professor who has shaped the opinion of his divide and has led a significant federal agency. He has equally assumed the role of a sort of northern star and advocate. What he said about the Igbo ethnic group is not statesmanlike.

In response to a disaster that was long foretold, Ndigbo are silently protesting as should, perhaps more than those who have come to the streets, despite what Professor Usman Yusuf claims. A person cries till they are unable to make any more sound. That is what has happened to Ndigbo ever since Nigeria began to put its knee on the neck of Ndigbo, following the civil war between Nigeria and Biafra.

Professor Yusuf is aware that both government policies and elections have repercussions. A well-known political economist, Thomas R. Dye, has stated that “Public policy is whatever governments choose to do or not to do”. The disaster that soon befell Nigeria when Tinubu took office as President is a replay of past events, which began when Buhari took office and institutionalised sectionalism and nepotism with people like Professor Yusuf goading him. That was how mediocrity ended up being the guiding principle in Nigeria.

When Buhari ran Nigeria for a section of the country, Prof Usman Yusuf was in Nigeria and said nothing. Of course, He was appointed the executive secretary / chief executive officer of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in August 2016 by Muhammadu Buhari and it is un-African to talk while eating. So, don’t blame the cultured professor! He understandably failed to perceive any issue when the Buhari administration permitted bandits to enter Nigeria in an attempt to settle an ethnic group that had become stranded. Today, the bandits and terrorists have seized control of the country’s forests. Free reign and encouragement were also provided to killer herdsmen so they could go on a murderous rampage, pillage, and displace communities. No word from people like Professor Yusuf.

Under their watch, Buhari brought the nation to its knees, amassing N77 trillion in debts—among them, an unprecedented N23 trillion in “ways and means” borrowed from the CBN without the National Assembly’s prior approval. The Buhari administration even pledged Nigeria’s future oil production as collateral for the careless loans it took, so the country will only receive a portion of the proceeds from oil sales today—a large portion of which is also going to private individuals’ pockets.

When Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu took office as Nigeria’s president, he discovered an empty treasury. But instead of pursuing those who had bankrupted the country, he chose to visit the ensuing sufferings of the hapless Nigerian masses.

Carelessly introducing currency flotation and fuel subsidy removal, Tinubu unleashed two major negative economic headwinds that have severely damaged Nigeria’s economy and inflicted unheard-of agony on the country’s already beleaguered populace.

The ensuing suffering against which the populace is revolting was foreseeable and avoidable. The twin anti-people economic policies will not in any way help the economy even in the long run. Naira lacks any solid foundation to go into the contest with market forces, with no significant exports or economic output to increase domestic production and shore up exports.

As said, terrorists and bandits have taken over the farmlands and driven farmers off their lands. Given the country’s low production and export levels, one may wonder what guarantees the naira flotation programme was based on. In the absence of such preconditions, those who advised the naira floatation policy are nothing but agents of the Bretton Woods Institutions – IMF and World Bank.

Since the country doesn’t progressively acquire foreign exchange through export to base such a policy, why is anybody astonished that the naira’s value is disappearing against the dollar? Given that there is no foundation for the policy that even sophisticated economies don’t try, why try it in Third World Nigeria?

Reducing fuel smuggling to nearby countries is one of the motivations behind the withdrawal of fuel subsidies. However, as the value of the naira rapidly declines, the currencies of most of the West African nations have surpassed the naira, making the cross-border smuggling of fuel and grains even more profitable today. Therefore, the losses from the naira flotation, which has driven the value of the dollar to almost N2000 in just six months, also shattered the hope of stopping fuel smuggling from Nigeria contrary to the unfounded predictions.

Rewind to Professor Usman Yusuf’s complaint against his perceived Igbo people’s lack of interest in their country’s self-inflicted economic woes. The Igbo people are accustomed to hardship and privation. Igbo marginalisation is structural and constitutional, as Ohanaeze pointed out. Professor Usman Yusuf is aware that the South East is the only region in the country with only five states (the North West, to which the learned professor belongs, has seven states, but that’s good with him).

In addition, the South East has a shortfall of over 80 LGs in comparison to other zones. Yet, federal allocations, enrollment in educational institutions, appointment and recruitments for federal government positions, and more are entirely based on the number of States and LGs.

Prof is aware that Ndigbo have endured suffering as a result of the country’s successive governments’ discriminatory policies, and that they have bemoaned for social justice and relief since the Nigeria-Biafra war, to no effect. During the war starvation and hunger were used as a war strategy against Biafrans and Ndigbo. When the genocidal war ostensibly ended, only a select few who could demonstrate that they had bank deposits in a certain bank before the war were offered a paltry twenty pounds.

The effect was that more than 90% of the surviving Igbo people had nothing to start over after the war if they had no proof of bank accounts before the war or had no documentation of the same. Since the war, Ndigbo have continued to feel like an endangered species in Nigeria and Professor Usman Yusuf knows.

The horrific experiences that Ndigbo had both during and after the war are what made the current hunger crisis seem insignificant. They have seen worse. It’s not like things are not rough in Igbo land. Perhaps much more so than in some other zones in the country, where suffering is believed to be rife. However, the truth is that since the war, the Igbo people can bear pains to any degree. That’s the point Professor Yusuf overlooked.

It is equally important to point out that palliative protests are not the solution. The professor ought to utilise his influence to get the Tinubu administration to undo the two misguided policies—the naira flotation and the removal of subsidies. The government needs to institute a strategy to do away with fuel subsidy that will last at least two years. Additionally, the professor ought to inform President Tinubu that the naira will not profitably float even in a decade without export and productivity. If not, the dollar will hit N5,000 within the Tinubu administration at the rate of the plunge.

Prominent figures such as Professor Yusuf ought to urge the government to abandon its delusional assertion that hardship protests are sponsored by the opposition who lost the election. Citizens are aware that to reinforce the false impression that there are no food crises in the land, the government will soon begin funding counter-protests, even in the South East. Tell the government, however, that the rain is only getting started. There won’t be somewhere to flee when it will pour, as it hasn’t started yet.

According to an Igbo proverb, a person who is unaware of the location of where the rain began to fall will never know where they sought cover. Nigeria needs to reject IMF economic prescriptions aimed at trapping the largest African economy in debt to maintain the continent’s status as a rentier economy and supplier of raw materials to the West. Rather than advocating for only palliative measures that aid in consumption rather than production, one hopes the professor will support the spread of this viewpoint as well before it is an eclipse.

Should these actions not be implemented expeditiously soon enough, Ndigbo will persist in their quiet form of protest—the “Sidon Look” model—which Professor Usman Yusuf is needlessly protesting. They are still watching the systematic destruction of their zone and livelihoods, typical of which is the crippling of the Ibeto Cement by the Buhari government, to pave the way for monopoly, which partly accounts for today’s hardships and protests.

Dr. Law Mefor, an Abuja-based forensic and social psychologist, is a fellow of The Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts. He can be reached via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; Twitter: @Drlawsonmefor

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has finally released a comprehensive post-mortem on the 2023 general election.

The report, released on the first anniversary of the election, documents the failure of the result viewing portal (IReV) during the presidential poll.

The commission, in the report seen by TheCable, said the server returned “HTTP error” because of a configuration bug which was discovered after the presiding officers at the polling units could only upload the results of the national assembly elections.

“In configuring and mapping the election results for the presidential and NASS elections,” the report reads, “the Commission created Four Hundred and Seventy (470) election types consisting of one presidential constituency covering the entire country, 109 Senatorial Districts and 360 Federal Constituencies.

 

“Each Senatorial District and Federal Constituency election on the database was mapped to their respective States. However, the presidential election result is a single, countrywide constituency and therefore, does not belong to any one State.

“Consequently, while the uploads for the NASS elections succeeded as the application was able to identify the respective State and build the folder hierarchy for the results organization process for the election, attempts to upload the presidential election results sheets, which does not belong to or mapped to any State on the database, failed.

“Instead, it returned a HTTP server error response. This failure is attributable to the inability of the application to create and build a folder structure to organize the uploaded images of the result sheets of the presidential election.”

 

THE IREV CONUNDRUM

It took weeks for the presidential results to be uploaded to IReV

IReV, which was first used by INEC during the Nasarawa central constituency bye-election in August 2020, was designed for the uploading of result sheets from polling units on election day so that the public could view them in real-time.

This, according to the commission, is to promote transparency — a development that also allows members of the public to tally the scores themselves while awaiting the official results.

However, while most of the results of the legislative elections held on February 25, 2023 were uploaded to IReV, those of the presidential poll held the same day were not on the portal until late at night and only a few were available.

 

It took nearly a week for a substantial number of the presidential election result sheets from the 176,849 polling units to be uploaded, by which time opposition figures had started alleging manipulation of the votes.

Also, the results eventually posted on IReV were analysed by several media and civil society organisations with a conclusion that the votes for Bola Tinubu, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), were inflated in Rivers state while those of Peter Obi, candidate of the Labour Party (LP), were reduced.

Tinubu was credited with 231,591 votes while Obi had 175,071 votes in the official results.

However, the results posted on IReV appeared to show that Obi won Rivers with about 100,000 votes — although not significant enough to upturn the national gap of over two million votes between him and Tinubu, the overall winner.

 

There was no other state where major discrepancies were spotted on IReV.

‘PROBLEM WAS SOLVED SAME DAY’

Rivers results on IReV appear to show Obi’s votes were understated in the official tally announced. There were no major discrepancies recorded elsewhere

In its report, INEC narrated how the problem was first reported at 4pm on election day and how it was partially resolved in four hours.

 

The commission admitted that it was a key challenge that “impacted on the public perception” of the election and elicited “widespread commentary across the country”.

“To begin with, it is important to note that the IReV portal is one of the most significant innovations introduced by the Commission prior to the 2023 General Election to promote the integrity and transparency of the electoral process. As a public-facing website, the IReV portal shows the images of the original Polling Unit result sheets as recorded in Form EC8A,” INEC said.

“The operational methodology and the concept behind the upload of results to the IReV for public viewing is quite simple. At the end of polls, Polling Unit results (Form EC8As) are scanned and uploaded to the IReV by the Presiding Officer(s). These results are then available for viewing to the public and all stakeholders.

“The system, which was first deployed during Nasarawa Central State Constituency bye-election in August 2020 and tested in 105 subsequent elections, including three (3) off-cycle governorship elections, has tremendously improved public confidence in the integrity and transparency of the Commission’s result management process.

“Following these reports, the Commission immediately engaged with its field officials for details in order to understand, and trace the origin, source, scale and magnitude of the problem across the result management ecosystem to devise appropriate solutions.

“In the troubleshooting process, it was established that there was no issue in uploading the PU result sheets of the Senate and House of Representatives elections through the Election Result Modules. However, there was a problem with uploading the presidential election results to the system.

“Attempts to upload the results were generating internal server errors, which refer to a significant impairment that usually originate from within an application due to problems relating to configuration, permissions, or failure to create or access application resources correctly.

“Further interrogation of the Election Result Modules indicated that the system is encountering an unexpected configuration problem in mapping the presidential election results uploaded into the system to the participating Polling Units.

“Due to the complex, sensitive and critical nature of the systems and the real potential for malicious cyberattacks, the Commission immediately put in place several strict security and audit control measures to prevent any unfettered or elevated access to the Result Upload System.”

The commission said after identifying the source of the problem, it quickly created and deployed “hotfixes” — software updates for fixing a bug or any vulnerabilities in a system.

The deployed hotfixes eventually resolved the HTTP error on the system “and the first presidential election result sheet was successfully uploaded at 8.55pm on the 25th of February 2023,” it said.

MORE PROBLEMS AFTER HOTFIXES DEPLOYMENT

INEC says additional quality assurance checks are now done “to complement the end-to-end testing of the entire result upload ecosystem before the conduct of any election”

After the deployment of hotfixes to rectify the upload challenges, the commission said it “noticed a high volume of uploads on the queue”.

“All results that scanned but could not be uploaded due to the error were queued waiting to be automatically processed,” the report states.

“Due to the large volume and high traffic from the queue, the system was running slower, even though it tried to scale up automatically to handle the unanticipated heavy traffic. The density of the traffic that slowed the uploads was one issue.

“Another was that the offline queue requires the BVAS devices to be switched-on and connected to the internet for the upload. However, some of the POs had at the time left their PUs, and the devices had either been switched-off, or were out of internet coverage. Switched-off devices could not connect and upload the results sheets.

“The Commission had to reach out to the POs of affected areas to switch-on their systems and ensure internet connectivity for the uploads to continue. This accounted for the delay, with some of the results coming in the next day.

“By and large, the glitch experienced in uploading the scanned images of PU presidential election result sheets on 25th February 2023 was due to the inherent complexity within the System, which was difficult to anticipate and mitigate.”

The electoral commission said it has made improvements to the IReV and “taken additional steps to build more resilience and undertook additional checks to ensure the stability and optimal operation and performance of the IReV portal”.

According to the report, “quality assurance checks are now done to complement the end-to-end testing of the entire result upload ecosystem before the conduct of any election”.

‘RESULTS SHOWED DIVERSE OUTCOME’

Tinubu was inaugurated on May 29, 2023 while cases challenging his election went on in the courts. INEC maintains that the results represented voters’ sentiments.

The challenges notwithstanding, INEC scored itself high on its performance, maintaining that “there is no perfect election anywhere in the world”.

“Public commentaries have dwelled largely on the challenges of the election,” the report further reads. “Yet, the 2023 General Election produced the most diverse outcome in recent Nigerian electoral history in terms of party representation in executive and legislative elections nationwide. Thus, four (4) political parties produced State Governors, seven (7) secured Senatorial seats, eight (8) won federal constituencies and nine (9) in State seats,” the report said.

“A granular analysis of the results and performance of the leading parties across the country affirms this diversity. The performance of the four (4) leading political parties – APC, LP, PDP and NNPP – in the presidential election across the 6 geopolitical zones in respect of the required 25% threshold to win a state in a presidential election.

“Clearly, across the zones, the performance of the four (4) leading parties shows the diversity and subtlety in the results, attesting to the integrity of both the process and outcome.

“Thus, in the North Central Zone, the APC won 38.58% of the presidential vote, followed by LP with 31.01% and PDP with 25.46%. In the North-East, the PDP won 50.67% of the presidential vote, followed by the APC with 29.16%, and LP with 6.09%.

“In the North-West, the APC won 39.54, followed by the PDP with 34.87%, and LP with 4.08%. In the South-East, LP led with 87.79%, with the APC having 5.71% and the PDP 4.08%.

“Similarly, LP led in the South-South with 42.37%, followed by the APC with 27.99% and the PDP with 26.12%. In the South-West, the APC led with 53.59% followed by the PDP with 22.14% and the LP with 19.97%.”

[TheCable]

IF a family meets in a room, members give themselves pecks, exchange polite greetings, make flowery speeches and emerge laughing for group photographs, it is likely they have not been truthful to themselves. That was my impression following the 37th Summit of the African Union, AU, from February 17-18, 2024 in Addis Ababa.

After attending a few AU Summits, I have learnt to look beyond the theme, to the recommendations and draft resolutions of the AU Permanent Representatives Committee, PRC. This body of ambassadors or representatives of Member States, sets the agenda and drafts the resolutions which, with a few amendments, are passed to the Summit by the AU Executive Council of Foreign Ministers.

As can be imagined, our Heads of State are quite busy. So, their two-day summits are actually for one day with large chunks of that day taken by goodwill messages from foreign dignitaries and bodies like the United Nations. When we add the speeches of our political leaders, there is virtually no time for discussions and debates at the summits.

This week’s Summit was not different, except that it was worse in some aspects. Attendance by 35 countries was quite poor because it means 20 African countries were not at the Summit.

Secondly, the unusual happened: an alleged violation of a President’s immunity and rights. Somalia President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, claimed that the security services of the host, Ethiopia, tried to stop him from leaving his hotel to attend the meeting. He said he had to join the convoy of Djibouti President, Ismail Omar Guelleh, to be able to leave. The Somalia President added that on arrival at the AU headquarters, armed Ethiopian guards tried to prevent him from entering the building. He claimed that: “A soldier with a gun stood in front of us and denied us access to this facility.” He also accused the host of “.. annexing part of Somalia to Ethiopia, and changing the borders of Somalia”.

The Summit appeared deaf to these complaints and to the October 2023 statement of Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed Abiy, that his country’s landlocked state is an unacceptable “geographical prison” which has to be changed for peace to reign.

The theme of the 2024 AU Summit, “Educate an African fit for the 21st Century: Building resilient education systems for increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality and relevant learning in Africa”, is quite fine. However, I find the Summit’s adoption of the Second 10-year (2024-2033) implementation plan of Agenda 2063, christened the ‘Decade of Acceleration’, a bit problematic because we do not have the report of the First 10-year plan. It is going the way of the illusive AU ‘Silencing the Guns by 2020’ agenda.

However, these and other talks of the AU joining the G20, do not address the immediate and fundamental challenges of the continent which include insecurity, hunger and economic integration. For Africa to be firmly on the road to economic integration, an effective free trade zone, realisable 2063 agenda, peace and development, it has to rebuild its regional broken blocs, and ensure transnational and regional peace.

The Arab Maghreb Union, AMU, in North Africa, made up of Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia, is like a kwashiokhor victim on life support. Its leaders met last on July 3, 2008, that is 16 years ago. While Tunisia is trying to recover, Libya is a failed state and Algeria holds a principled position against Morocco’s occupation of Western Sahara by the monarchy in Rabat. In trying to flee the regional bloc, Morocco sought asylum in the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, but was denied. It had also sought to join the European Union, but was like an illegal migrant, denied entrance. Ironically, the new AU Chairman, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, is the President of Mauritania, a country that broke away from ECOWAS in 2000 while remaining in a comatose AMU.

The East African Community, EAC, comprising the Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC, the republics of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania, is one of the oldest and most viable. It has even gotten to the level of recognising the identity cards of member-states, as a substitute for international passports. However, it has been bogged down by serious conflicts, especially between war-torn DRC and Rwanda which allegedly supports the brutal M23 rebels. There is also the continuous disagreements between Rwanda and Burundi.

The Economic Community of Central African States, ECCAS, also suffers from the Rwanda-DRC- Burundi crises. Additionally, ECCAS member, Cameroun, has for years experienced a low intensity civil war in its Anglophone part, as well as a sick, gerontocracy under President Paul Biya.

Gabon is still in the grips of the military which on August 30, 2023 ousted President Ali Bongo Ondimba. Another ECCAS member, Chad, has been virtually under military rule for over three decades. The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, served as Chadian Foreign Minister. After General Mahamat Deby overthrew the Chadian government on April 20, 2021, Faki ensured the regime was not sanctioned by the AU.

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development, IGAD, made up of Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Eritrea, Uganda, Sudan and South Sudan is one of the most conflict-ridden regions. Somalia has for decades been a failed state, Sudan has experienced a civil war between its military and the Rapid Support Forces since April 2023, and the scars of the civil war in South Sudan are still visible. Ethiopia has been engaged in serious conflicts with its Tigray and Amhara regions, while its Oromo nationality is still restive.

The Southern African Development Community, SADC, has been perhaps the most stable, while nine of the 15 members of ECOWAS are experiencing serious stages of instability. Guinea Bissau does not allow its parliament function; Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger are under direct military rule; the Ivorian President, Alassane Ouattara, is in an illegal and unconstitutional third term; Senegalese President Macky Sall has blocked the general elections and Sierra Leone claims to have aborted a coup on November 26, 2023, while Nigeria is wracked by terrorism, kidnapping and banditry.

So, the AU Summit did not even scratch the surface of the continent’s immediate security and economic challenges. When new AU Chair, Ghazouani, talked about the need to realise Africa’s socio-economic development ambitions, build continental stability and ensure that Africa has an assertive presence on the world stage, he should realise that the continent would need to be steered in a proper direction. The AU needs to call a proper summit dedicated to peace building and economic integration where our leaders can tell themselves the truth, call themselves to order, and carry out joint work. Otherwise, Africa will continue to drift from one summit to another.