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Presidency: New Survey Places Tinubu Ahead of Obi, Atiku
The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has been predicted to win the February 25 election.
The prediction is captured in a the report of a four weeks’ opinion poll conducted by a group of data analysts and public relations experts, coordinated by FREDDAN Continental, after making the result of an opinion poll it conducted on the 2023 presidential election public.
The poll, which lasted from January 7 till February 11, pointed to Senator Bola Tinubu as a potential winner.
Tinubu, according to the poll, rated higher than other candidates from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
The group, in conducting the poll, deployed a group of seasoned data analysts, who utilised online and phone surveys to collect data about voters preferences. The online survey was conducted via a secure web platform that prevented multiple voting while phone survey was conducted by trained staff who are proficient in the three major Nigerian languages – Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa – and could, therefore, engage fully with respondents in their preferred languages.
The FREDDAN Election Net Favourability administered over 370,000 questionnaires over the four weeks’ duration and received a total of 287,033 responses across the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
A national summary of the poll showed that the presidential candidate of the APC is favourite to win the 2023 presidential election, having been preferred by 106,764 respondents to the opinion poll, representing 37.2 per-cent of total population of respondents. The regional voting preference survey also showed that the candidate of the APC enjoys majority sup- port in 19 out of 36 states.
The presidential candidate of the LP came second in the poll with 92,127 respondents preferring him over the other candidates. This forms 32.1 percent of the total responses received. The regional voting preference showed that he enjoys majority support in eight out of 36 states of the Federation.
The candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar came a surprising third position as 88,109 respondents preferred him, forming 30.7 percent of total respondents. The regional voting pref- erence showed that he enjoys majority support in 10 of the 36 states of the federation.
Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) came a distant fourth, polling 693, translating to just 0.23 percent of total respondents.
According to the outcome of the poll, Tinubu of the APC is expected to win majority votes in the North-West, North-Central and South- West regions. The candidate of the PDP is expected to win majority votes in the FCT and the South-South region. Obi of the LP is expected to win majority votes in the South- East region, while the North-East region is expected to be divided between the candidates of the APC and the PDP.
This poll predicts victory for the candidate of the APC, in the February 25 presidential election and the regional voting preference suggests that a clear winner may emerge on the first ballot, against some other predictions that there may be a rerun.
Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, is putting Nigeria back on the watchlist, reversing a Joe Biden-era policy due to the extermination of Christians, Fox News reports.
The US President, Donald Trump, on Friday, ordered the designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, saying that Christians in Nigeria are facing an existential threat. He also called on American lawmakers to investigate the mass slaughter.
A day later, Trump revealed that he had ordered the Pentagon to prepare for possible action in Nigeria as he continued accusing the Federal Government of violence against Christians.
Trump, who posted a statement on his social media handle, said that if the Nigerian government continues to allow the killing of Christians, US troops will be ordered to enter Nigeria and wipe out terrorists.
He said: “If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, “guns-a-blazing,” to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities.
”I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our cherished Christians! Warning: The Nigerian government better move fast!”
However, Fox News is now reporting that Trump’s directive has been carried out as Rubio is putting Nigeria back on the watchlist.
Source: Fox News
The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Tuesday, gave the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, until November 5 to defend the terrorism charges filed against him or risk waiving his right to do so.
The trial judge, Justice James Omotoso, advised Kanu to consult legal practitioners experienced in criminal law to assist with his defence or to formally appoint a lawyer to represent him in court.
Justice Omotosho’s decision followed Kanu’s continued refusal to open his defence, insisting that there was no valid charge pending against him.
Kanu, who represented himself during Tuesday’s proceedings, told the court that he would not return to detention unless the charges against him were properly presented.
He argued that his continued detention by the Department of State Services was unlawful, maintaining that he had not breached any known law.
He also accused the court of disregarding the Supreme Court’s judgment which, according to him, condemned his extraordinary rendition from Kenya.
He demanded that the trial judge immediately discharge him from custody.
When reminded that the Supreme Court had ordered a fresh trial, Kanu maintained his position that the terrorism charge was invalid and incompetent.
Citing Section 36(12) of the 1999 Constitution, he argued that there was no existing law creating a terrorism offence in Nigeria.
“In Nigeria today, the Constitution is the supreme law. There is no valid charge against me. I will not go back to detention today. The Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act has been repealed. I cannot defend myself under a repealed law,” Kanu said.
He further challenged any lawyer to show him a valid charge, urging the court to “take judicial notice” of what he claimed was the repeal of the terrorism law.
“I cannot be tried under a law that has been repealed. Prosecuting me under such a law is a violation of my fundamental rights,” he insisted.
After several attempts to persuade him to enter his defence, Justice Omotosho adjourned proceedings until November 5, 2025, giving Kanu the final opportunity to either defend the charge or forfeit his right to do so.
During the session, counsel for the Federal Government, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), informed the court that some documents served on him by Kanu were unsigned and not endorsed by the court, arguing that they held no evidential value.
There was drama in the Senate on Tuesday following the recent threat by Donald Trump, the President of the United States to take military action against Nigeria over alleged persecution of Christians.
It started when Godswill Akpabio, the Senate President, was addressing reports by an online platform alleging that he had publicly rebuffed Trump over his recent comments and had said Nigerians were “not complaining” about their condition.
The visibly displeased Senate President denied ever making such statements, describing them as “false and malicious.”
He condemned the publication, saying it was an attempt to create diplomatic tension and discredit the National Assembly.
“The fake report claimed I said Nigerians are not complaining that we like the way we are living. That is completely false. I have petitioned the police and the DSS,” he said.
Akpabio said, “Somebody will sit in the comfort of his room and fabricate a report, attaching fake pictures from 2023 when I visited Port Harcourt with senators for a completely different event, and then claim that the Senate President replied President Trump.
“Who am I to answer Trump?” Akpabio asked jokingly.
The issue, however, sparked heated reactions on the floor of the Senate as Akpabio, and his deputy, Barau Jibrin, openly differed on how the Nigerian legislature should respond.
While Akpabio dismissed reports that he had already reacted to Trump’s comments, declaring, “Who am I to answer Trump?”, Barau quickly interjected, insisting that he was not afraid of the American leader.
“I’m not scared of Trump. I will say my mind. I’m a Nigerian. Nigeria is a sovereign nation,” Barau said passionately.
The Deputy Senate President added, “I’m a parliamentarian, the Deputy Senate President, I can speak. Don’t be scared of Trump. You can say your mind about Trump. We are a sovereign nation.”
The exchange, which briefly lightened the mood in the chamber, underscored a divide in tone between both presiding officers on how Nigeria’s parliament should handle the diplomatic row.
“It is the Presidency that will respond to President Trump, not the Senate President. But who is that person that would ascribe a comment to me when I was never contacted?”
Akpabio urged security agencies to investigate and prosecute those behind the viral story, describing it as an effort to “cause friction and bring the Nigerian Senate into disrepute.”
“I believe the Cybercrimes Unit of the police, the DSS, and others should find that character out. This is meant to sow division. Social media should not be allowed to break Nigeria,” he added.
The Senate President, however, noted that the Red chamber would take an official position on Trump’s remarks once the federal government had clarified its stance.
He said, “When the executive responds, we will take a position as a Senate. Until then, no one should speak for this institution.”
Over the weekend, Trump declared via social-media that Nigeria faces “an existential threat” to its Christian population and warned that the U.S. may deploy troops or conduct air-strikes if the Nigerian government fails to halt the killings.
He instructed the Pentagon to prepare for possible action and threatened to cut all U.S. aid to Nigeria.
In tandem, the U.S. re-added Nigeria to its “Country of Particular Concern” list for religious freedom violations.
The Nigerian government rejected the designation and the characterisation of persecuting Christians, insisting that Nigeria protects religious freedom for all.
Source: businessday.ng
