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Former Senate Minority Leader and senator representing Abia South, Enyinnaya Abaribe, has blamed the arrest and continued detention of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, by the Federal Government for the rising insecurity in the South East.
Speaking at an event in Enugu, he noted that while attempts were on to find solution to the crisis, it was also important to look into other issues affecting the zone, including the worsening economic activities and politics.
He described some security issues in the region as contrived; thereby making it seem as if they cannot be tackled by the security agents.
He called for a paradigm shift in the zone in all aspects to return to the past glory.
Abaribe said: “As much as we know that we cannot do anything without security, I posit that we must, while dealing with insecurity (some of which are contrived) also start to discuss some other pressing issues within our polity.
“I say contrived because it is obvious that it is the general malaise in our society today that makes it seem as if insecurity cannot be tackled by our various security agencies.
“We have reached the point where we, as Ndigbo must heed the clarion call for a total paradigm shift. When I say shift, I mean both in governance trajectory, cultural/traditional reappraisal, business/commercial practices (including our famed apprenticeship system or i gba boi), and most importantly our economic orientation and political alignments.
“Ndigbo are progressives. We are development conscious. More than that, we have always been a people who do not depend on others to drive growth. All we have always needed was to come together as a people, and drive growth. This is evident in the preponderance of town unions, village development associations etc. which we have leveraged on to provide development for our communities.
“These loose associations are today, pivotal to most development strides in our communities and of course, these efforts have expanded to the areas of community security associations to complement government efforts.
“While we acknowledge that we have been given the short end of the stick in the Nigerian project, we must pull ourselves up, stop moaning about how badly we have been treated by Nigeria and embrace the Igbo adage: ‘onye ajuru aju, anaghi aju onwe ya.’ We have done it before, and we can do it again, if we commit to it.”
The vocal senator urged the Igbo to stop complaining and confront the reality with all the tact and zeal, adding that they did not consolidate on their previous successes.
“Our progress going forward must now be dependent on how we use this self-rediscovery.
“Yes, Ndigbo today have insecurity issues, but it was not the case in the recent past. Today’s insecurity started from the Nnamdi Kanu/IPOB saga in 2021. Did the economic downturn in the South-East start from that date? The answer is a resounding no,” he declared.
The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has adjourned the trial of Ali Bello and his co-defendant, Dauda Suleiman, until Tuesday to continue hearing a charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice James Omotosho adjourned the matter after Edward Bannada, EFCC’s second prosecution witness, was cross-examined and re-examined by counsel for the defence and prosecution.
While A.M. Aliyu, SAN, appeared for the first defendant, Mr Bello, Nureini Jimoh, SAN, represented Mr Suleiman, the second defendant in the suit, FHC/ABJ/CR/550/2022.
While being cross-examined by Mr Jimoh with respect to the evidence he tendered (statements of accounts), Mr Bannada, an official of the United Bank for Africa (UBA), said he could not remember seeing the names of the two defendants as beneficiaries who made withdrawals from the bank statements tendered.
He, however, confirmed that Abdulsalam Hudu made most of the withdrawals from the account statements.
The witness also stated that he played no role in the entries in the statements of account and only became a witness in the matter due to EFCC’s invitation.
Mr Bannada also confirmed that the cash transactions of the Kogi State Government and the Kogi State Government House Administration, as seen in the statements of account, were majorly inflow of security funds and the cash withdrawal of the inflow, which did not contradict the cash withdrawal policy of the CBN, the bank or any law.
He also confirmed that the withdrawal by Mr Hudu did not exceed the limit of the security fund lodgement.
When the anti-corruption agency’s lawyer, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, attempted to re-examine the witness on the issue of the absence of the name of Messrs Bello and Suleiman on the statements of account and the operation of a computer, the court overruled him.
The matter was consequently adjourned until February 6 for trial continuation.
The EFCC had, on December 15, 2022, arraigned Mr Bello, a nephew of former Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello and Mr Suleiman, on a 10-count charge of alleged misappropriation and money laundering.
The anti-graft body claimed the duo, alongside Mr Hudu, a cashier at the Kogi State House who is at large, withdrew N10.2 billion from the state’s treasury for personal use.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has said that President Bola Tinubu is behind every development he is bringing to the nation’s capital
Wike said this during the flag-off of the construction of a 5km dual carriageway in Kuje Area Council of the FCT.
The former Rivers helmsman said the road project was part of efforts to rekindle the hope of the people and reassure them that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu means well for the FCT.
He said the FCT Administration has been lucky to have the support of the President, who is sparing nothing to ensure that all residents reaped the dividends of democracy, adding that the FCTA has no excuse not to perform.
According to the Minister, “I want to say that Mr. President is fully in support of us and his mandate is very clear to the Hon. Minister of State and my humble self.
“When you people are saying that the Minister of State and my humble self are working, it’s because we have a President who gives us anything we want.
“He has given us the support and so we have no excuses to give but to let the people know that Mr. President is behind everything we are doing.
“Every request we have made, Mr. President has always given to us. So, for us, we don’t have any excuse not to do what we are supposed to do.”
Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has identified poverty and unemployment as responsible for the security challenges bedeviling the North-West region of the country.
He said that the best way to tackle the challenges was through good governance.
The governor made the observation in Kaduna on Monday while receiving members of the Kaduna State Elders Forum who paid him a congratulatory visit over his victory at the Supreme Court.
He stated that as the Kaduna State government intensified military actions against banditry and kidnapping with the support of the Defence Headquarters, his government was also adopting good governance as the best non-kinetic solution to the security challenges.
Sani lamented the alarming rate of out of school children, stressing that it must be addressed to ensure a secured state and region.
According to the Governor, “the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Army and the Chief of Air Staff have assured us of their support to our security efforts.
“They have decided to set up two Forward Operation Bases (FOB) in Kaduna, one in Southern Kaduna, Zangon Kataf to be precise and the other one in Birnin Gwari to serve Birnin Gwari down to Giwa. The FOBs will be set up in the next three weeks.”
He explained that it was one of the most important interventions by the Defence Headquarters.
He said he would be signing the bill for the establishment of the Security Trust Fund, 2024.
The Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, in Jigawa State have collectively rejected the N10,000 wage award proposed by the state government as a palliative in response to the removal of fuel subsidy.
The rejection was communicated in a press statement issued after a meeting of the Organized Labour in the state held in Dutse, the state capital.
The joint statement, signed by the state chairmen and secretaries of NLC and TUC, described the state government’s announcement of the wage award as premature, asserting that no agreement had been reached on the matter.
The statement mentioned that the NLC Salary Negotiation Committee had engaged in prolonged negotiations with the state government committee, presenting various submissions without receiving any response.
The Organized Labour expressed surprise at the state Commissioner for Information, Youth, and Culture, Hon Sagiru Musa’s announcement of the N10,000 wage award for three months.
“It is important for the general public to note that the Organized Labour has not signed any Memorandum of Understanding with the Jigawa State Government on the N10,000 wage award; the Negotiation Committee is yet to conclude its assignment,” the statement clarified.
However, when contacted for comments, the state’s Head of Service, Muhammad K. Dagacire, stated that the NLC Negotiation Committee was fully aware of the decision taken by the state government regarding the palliative measures for the workers.
Dagacire explained that the agreement included a three-month wage award, distribution of food palliatives, and provision of farm inputs, including lands, for every civil servant.
“So it is surprising to hear this story from you on the said NLC’s rejection of N10,000.
“Our interventions to workers to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal are of three stages and Governor Malam Umar Namadi is committed to fulfilling all,” he stated.
Amid the recent surge in security threats in the Southwest, the Oodua Youth Coalition has urged the Generalissimo of Yoruba land, Gani Adams, to fulfil the responsibilities of his office and safeguard the region.
Describing the recent attacks in the region as alarming, the coalition emphasized the urgency of addressing the killings of Yoruba monarchs and the abduction of schoolchildren by gunmen.
In an open letter addressed to Gani Adams, the President of the coalition, Tayo Oluyi, highlighted that Yorubaland has historically been defended by its people.
Consequently, the Aare Ona Kakanfo must exemplify the wisdom of their ancestors by taking a proactive stance and leading from the forefront in the face of current challenges.
The letter urged Gani to emulate the legacy of past Yoruba warriors and leaders and lead efforts to coordinate security-interest groups in safeguarding the region.
“I am writing with deep concern regarding the escalating insecurity in Yoruba land. Recent events in the Southwestern states indicate a disturbing trend of invasion by individuals whose sole purpose is to disrupt the peace of our people.
“The untimely demise of two Yoruba monarchs, Oba Olatunde Olusola of Imojo and Oba Babatunde Ogunsakin, the Elesun of Esun Ekiti, at the hands of gunmen within Ekiti borders, as well as the abduction of pupils from Apostolic Faith Nursery and Primary School in Emure-Ekiti, and the alarming explosion in Ibadan linked to foreign miners, are distressing occurrences that demand urgent attention and decisive action.
“Throughout history, the Yoruba people have upheld the tradition of securing their territory, with warriors rising to confront transgressors threatening the peace.
“Recognising that security is a collective responsibility, I implore you, as the Generalissimo of Yoruba land, to rise to the occasion and find ways to complement the government’s efforts in securing our homeland.
“Aare, the time has come to emulate the legacy of Kurumi, Ojo Iberu, Aare Latoosa, and MKO Abiola, who made significant contributions to fortifying the unity and security of our people.
“It is crucial to lead from the front, coordinating security-interest groups across the zones to quell the activities of marauders endangering our peace.
“I sincerely hope you heed this call and fulfil the responsibilities of your esteemed office as the Generalissimo of the Yoruba race,” the letter stated.
The First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has assured Nigerians that the hard times being faced is temporary and will soon be over.
She gave the assurance during a meeting with wives of 36 State Governors at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday.
Mrs Tinubu said times like this calls for sober reflection, saying that all hands must be on deck to ensure that the country overcome its challenges.
She said: “Times like this calls for sober reflection, hence, all hands must be on deck. Moreover, the hardship situation is temporary, it will soon fade away.
“The mission of the RHI is driven by my office to complement the Renewed Hope Agenda of the administration of President Tinubu.”
She said Women Agricultural Support Programme (WASP), under her Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) will empower 20 farmers each, from five states in the South East Zone.
“These farmers will get N500,000 each and a total draft of N10m will be given to five RHI states’ coordinators as the case may be.
“The National Agricultural Land Development Authority in partnership with the RHI will support an additional 80 female farmers from each state with the provision of training and capacity building and agricultural inputs.
“We will buy-off all produce from the farms after harvest,’’ she said.
The First Lady said she would soon launch “Young Farmers Club’’ in public schools across the nation to encourage farming among young population.
She said schools with the best farms would be identified, and prizes would be given to them, ranging from school renovations, equipping of school science laboratories, provision of ICT equipment and upgrading of school libraries.
..misses Super Eagles trip to Bouake
Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen could miss the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) semi-final against South Africa after failing to travel with the rest of the squad from Abidjan to Bouake.
Nigeria face rivals South Africa in the first semi-final of the competition on Wednesday in Bouake for a place in Sunday’s final.
In a statement released by the Super Eagles media team, Osimhen will be monitored in Abijdan while the rest of the squad head to Bouake where they will take on South Africa.
“We will fly from Abidjan to Bouaké today via a 10pm Air Cote d’Ivoire flight,” an official statement from the team on Monday night says.
“Victor Osimhen will not join us on this trip as a result of an abdominal discomfort.
“Team medics confirmed that he has been placed under close watch with a member of the medical team staying behind in Abidjan with him.
“If cleared by tomorrow morning, he will join the rest of the squad before 5pm.”
Osimhen has started in all of Super Eagles’ five matches in Cote d’Ivoire, scoring one goal and chalking up one assist.
Association of Industrial Pharmacists of Nigeria (NAIP) has attributed the increased prices of drugs in the country to the high cost of diesel and forex.
This is even as the association has voiced grave concern over the detrimental implications of the current economic climate on the country’s import and manufacturing of pharmaceuticals.
NAIP chairman, Kenneth Onuegbu, in an interview with LEADERSHIP, hinted that if the government did not move to address these two pressing problems – the high price of fuel and the lack of foreign exchange – Nigerian pharmaceutical companies may find it more difficult to supply essential drugs at affordable rates.
Outlining the key challenges faced by the pharmaceutical sector, Onuegbu said, “We have insecurity issues, and how to get the medication from the point of production to the final consumer is another challenge that we have not been able to solve. To access forex is a big challenge. The process can take a year to get the CBN-subsidised rate, hence, we resort to the black market. We buy dollars at the rate of N1,300.00 which automatically affects production.
“If we don’t do something about it, there is going to be a scarcity of essential medicines. We must call for the domestication of medications to reduce the production cost.”
He further pointed out that the environment is over-regulated.
“Our regulations ought to have a Nigeria face; we cannot be promoting local production when you are making it difficult for them to start.
“Government needs to tackle insecurity, epileptic power supply, forex and a host of others if they really want pharmaceutical companies to survive in this country,” he said.
Also, the president, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Prof. Cyril Usifoh, told LEADERSHIP that it was extremely crucial that Nigeria produce its Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) used in the production of drugs, to cut down the cost of drugs.
According to him, without APIs, drugs cannot be produced.
Usifoh claimed that all pharmaceutical companies in Nigeria import APIs to produce their drugs locally.
The PSN president expressed concern over the high cost of medicines as it affects the common man, while calling on the government to provide an enabling environment for local production of drugs.
He said, “When you provide an enabling environment, assuming we get the issue of energy right, that will reduce the cost of production drastically. Also, if we have our petrochemicals such as APIs, we will even sell drugs to other West African countries, thereby increasing our internal foreign exchange earnings.
“So, I think telling us to look inward will help us. By the time there is increased local production,that will also help. I think NAFDAC is working judiciously on that, that is why they will always tell you that if you import drugs, after three or five years, you should be able to get the infrastructure to make sure that we produce in the country and when you do so, that will affect foreign exchange and employment.”
However, Usifoh hinted that the federal government was working closely with pharmaceutical companies towards increasing local production.
“They dialogue with pharmaceutical companies so that we meet some of these and bring the cost of drugs down. When there is medical security, we can guarantee what is happening, not like what happened during the COVID era; if it happens now, it’s going to be disastrous.”
Meanwhile, the federal government has disclosed that it will be partnering with the private sector to boost local production of drugs to 60 per cent.
The special adviser to the president on Health, Dr Salma Ibrahim Anas, who disclosed this at a conference, in Lagos, averred that the Tinubu-led administration is focusing on medical industrialisation.
There was heavy traffic gridlock in some parts of Lagos on Monday as motorists formed long queues outside the forecourts of filling stations on what appeared may herald a fresh scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit.
One of our correspondents observed along the Ikorodu Road axis how motorists endured an unusually heavy gridlock due to a long queue of motorists waiting to buy petrol at filling stations. Also, the Total Filling station at the Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way had queues which led to heavy tariff around the Ikeja axis.
Our correspondent also noticed that many of the filling stations along the Ikeja axis, through Obafemi Awolowo Road in Ikeja were shut.
Meanwhile, some motorists had begun to hike the prices of their fares due to the development.
A commercial transport operator plying the Unilag-Jibowu axis in Yaba one of told our correspondents that he was forced to hike his fees after waiting for hours to buy fuel.
The commercial transport operator, who refused to disclose his name said, “Do you know how long it took me to buy fuel today? Anybody who doesn’t want to enter should stay out.”
Our correspondent also observed that all the filling stations along Ogunnusi Road inbound Berger did not also sell petrol to customers.
It is not immediately clear why fuel queues have resurfaced in Lagos.
Meanwhile, our correspondents gathered that the queues were noticeable in major filling stations considered to be selling at lower rates.
It was gathered that a number of filling stations owned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway did not dispense fuel too.
The National Vice Chairman of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Hammed Fashola, said he was aware of the queues in some filling stations in Lagos.
However, Fashola said the queues might be due to panic-buying on the part of customers.
“I am not in Lagos as we speak. But I heard about it too that there are queues in Lagos. It may just be panic buying. I am not sure there is fuel scarcity. People are just panicking. However, I will find out what the problem is,” Fashola said.
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The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has banned alcoholic beverages produced in sachets less than 200ml.
The agency said the five-year window given to the manufacturers of the products to stop producing the drinks in sachets and pet bottles which began in 2018 elapsed on January 31, 2024.
She said enforcement of the ban commenced on February 1, 2024.
The director-general of NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, while addressing the media over the development in Abuja on Monday, February 5, said the ban was not a sudden development but a result of a multilateral Committee that agreed that the ban would be in phases whereby production would be reduced by 50 percent by 2020 while outright ban would be on January 31, 2024.
Given that decision, the DG said NAFDAC did not issue renewal licenses exceeding January 2024 to any manufacturer of the products.
According to her, the agency took the route of wiping out the drinks in such sachets because of the negative effects on underage children.
She said because the drinks come in pocket-friendly sizes, accessible and affordable, children easily fell for the packages only to face the consequences in the future.
She said: “This decision was based on the recommendation of a high-powered committee of the Federal Ministry of Health and NAFDAC on one hand, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), and the Industry represented by the Association of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE), Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN), in December 2018.
“As a commitment to the decision reached at the end of this Committee meeting, producers of alcohol in sachets and small volume agreed to reduce the production by 5 percent with effect from 31st January 2022 while ensuring the product is completely phased out in the country by 31st January 2024”.
According to her, the future of the country supersedes other considerations in the enforcement of the policy.
Noting that saving Nigerian children and protecting the health of the larger society is paramount, Adeyeye said: “The people who are mostly at risk of the negative effect of consumption of the banned pack sizes of alcoholic beverages are the under-aged and commercial vehicle drivers and riders.
“The World Health Organization has established that children who drink alcohol are more likely to: use drugs, get bad grades, suffer injury or death, engage in risky sexual activity, make bad decisions and have health problems.
“The World Health Organization also stated that harmful consumption of alcohol is linked to more than 200 health conditions including infectious diseases (tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS) and non-communicable conditions (liver cirrhosis and different types of cancer).
“It is also associated with social problems such as alcohol addiction and gender-based violence.
“To curb the menace of abuse of alcohol, the World Health Organization recommended some actions and strategies to Policy-Makers that have shown to be effective and cost-effective, which include: regulating the marketing of alcoholic beverages (in particular to younger people) and regulating and restricting the availability of alcohol.”
She said in the course of enforcing the ban it was discovered that some manufacturers were still in production of the banned products and still had stacks of both finished products and packaging materials of the products in their possession.
She noted: “This situation is of course not acceptable, and the Agency views this as flagrant disobedience to the laws of Nigeria. NAFDAC views this matter seriously and will engage all statutory means, which may include prosecution, to deal with the matter”.
She warned that there is no going back on the decision, saying, “I want to use this medium to ask all holders of alcohol in sachets, PET and Glass bottles, empty sachets, PET bottles, empty Glass bottles, and other packaging materials of these banned products to immediately report to the Investigation and Enforcement Directorate of NAFDAC for hand-over of same to NAFDAC for destruction, to prevent sterner measures including prosecution.
“NAFDAC is resolutely committed to the strict implementation of the regulations and regulatory measures towards safeguarding the health of Nigerians, particularly the vulnerable youth, against the dangers of reckless consumption of alcohol.”
…Condemns killings of Ekiti monarchs
The Oodua People’s Congress, OPC, on Monday, condemned the killings of two traditional rulers in Ekiti State, saying the organization will do everything that is possible to secure the South West.
The Yoruba socio-cultural organization also urged the Federal Government to fish out the killers of the two monarchs and bring them to book.
OPC, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Mr Yinka Oguntimehin, in reaction to the gruesome murder of three Ekiti monarchs- Onimojo of Imojo- Ekiti, Oba Olatunde Olusola, the Elesun of Esun-Ekiti, Oba David Ogunsola and the Olukoro of Koro Ekiti in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, Oba Olusegun Cole, whose wife has been in the captive for the past five days.
Condemning the acts, Oguntimehin said it is sad that the monarchs died in such a situation, adding that the OPC will not fold its arms and leave unknown gunmen to spill blood of innocent people in such a dastardly act.
The statement reads: “We have indicated our resolve to assist the government of the south west region in addressing the surge of killings in Yoruba land.
“OPC will not allow the South West to be used as an abattoir where innocent people will be slaughtered and gunmen would live like king in our region.It is unacceptable.We will resist any attempt by gunmen to turn Yoruba land into a den of killers.
“It is unfortunate now that reports of killings and kidnappings are spreading across the southwest. We appeal to the federal and the state governments to co opt the OPC in their attempt to solving the security challenges in the country.
“We are ready to salvage the region from marauders and killers that have infiltrated our region. Those behind the killings of the three traditional rulers would not go unpunished.”
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last election, Atiku Abubakar has blamed the All Progressives Congress (APC’s) economic policies for the prevailing pain and despair among Nigerians.
The former Vice President in a post on his X handle, formerly Twitter berated President Bola Tinubu, saying his “poor response to nation’s challenges is setting the stage for a prolonged and deeper economic crisis.”
Atiku said President Tinubu’s economic performance has, in recent weeks and months, been a subject of intense discourse among Nigerians at home and abroad, adding, “Nigerians are gravely concerned, and rightly so, that ….His economic policies, drawn from a so-called renewed hope agenda, are ironically dashing hopes, creating pain and causing despair. The private sector is shrinking by the day as small businesses are emasculated and as Multinational Companies, confused and weary of the economy, leave Nigeria in droves.
“The intense cost of living pressures has created more misery for the poor in towns and villages. There is hunger in the land as basic commodities, including bread, are becoming out of reach for average Nigerians.
But in a swift reaction, the presidency on Sunday night said Alhaji Atiku Abubakar had certainly found a new hobby to keep himself busy, having failed to achieve his lifelong ambition of becoming the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Mr Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, in a statement, said the former vice president “is increasingly carving for himself the role of opposition-in-chief to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his government.”
He said: “Atiku’s latest diatribe was another uncharitable commentary on the state of the economy and the efforts of the President Bola Tinubu administration in remoulding it for sustained prosperity.
“Nigerians can easily see through the hypocrisy of Alhaji Atiku, who in accusing President Tinubu of poor response to the nation’s challenges and causing pains and despair, didn’t offer any better policy options in his run for the Presidency different from the economic reform agenda being pursued by President Tinubu. “His claim that the government’s policies have created intense cost of living pressures are also not grounded on facts as recent comparative cost of living indices show that Nigerians still enjoy the lowest cost of living in Africa.
“Instead of mouthing platitudes every time in a bid to earn cheap political mileage, Alhaji Atiku who presumes himself as the leader of opposition should tell Nigerians what he would have done better if he had been elected President.political mileage, Alhaji Atiku who presumes himself as the leader of opposition should tell Nigerians what he would have done better if he had been elected President.
“Atiku should be honest enough to admit that President Tinubu inherited a weak economy, which to all intents and purposes and to ensure the survival of our country needs a complete overhaul.”
“While President Tinubu and his able team are working very hard to make our country better, ensure our economy is stronger and more competitive, Atiku Abubakar and his cohorts may continue to belly ache.
“However, they cannot stop the serious work of nation-building already set in motion by President Tinubu.”
The Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS has urged the Senegalese authorities to urgently schedule a new date for the country’s presidential elections that was earlier postponed.
The ECOWAS Commission made the appeal in a statement issued on its website on Sunday.
Recall that the Senegalese President Macky Sall had on Saturday announced the indefinite postponement of a presidential election scheduled for February 25, just hours before official campaigning was due to start.
Sall, in an address to the nation, said he signed a decree abolishing a previous measure that set the date, because lawmakers were investigating two Constitutional Council judges whose integrity in the election process has been questioned.
The ECOWAS Commission said it has taken note of the decision of the Senegalese authorities to postpone the presidential elections, but “expresses concern over the circumstances that led to the postponement of the elections.”
The bloc therefore appealed to the authorities in Senegal to expedite the various processes to set a new date for the elections.
“The Commission further urges the entire political class to prioritise dialogue and collaboration for a transparent, inclusive and credible election,” ECOWAS said.
ECOWAS encouraged President Sall to continue to defend and protect Senegal’s long-standing democratic tradition, assuring that it would continue to monitor the situation in the West African nation.