The ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has decried the conduct of Gov. Adams Oshiomole in the just concluded Local Government Elections in Edo State and called for an outright cancellation.At a press conference on Sunday in Abuja, Chief Olisa Metuh, National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, gave a narrative of how Gov. Oshiomole, a beneficiary of the “One man one Vote” policy, manipulated the LGA polls in favour of his party the ACN;
Hear him:
“The survival of our democracy is under very serious threat. Unpatriotic and undemocratic elements have laid siege on our nation’s democracy and Nigerians are now living in serious fear and uncertainty.”
“Since the annulment of June 12 1993, Presidential elections, we have never in the political history of Nigeria witnessed any such assault on the people and democracy like what is going on in Edo state today.”
“The people of Edo state are being subjected to the worst form of tyranny. Their will as a people have been subverted and their rights to choose their leaders absolutely taken away from them by brute force.”
“In their desperation to dethrone democracy and enthrone maximum rulership in Edo state, Governor Adams Oshiomhole and the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) have turned themselves into ferocious wolves and have continued to unleash terror on the people.”
“Under the express orders of Governor Oshiomhole, the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC) openly truncated our democracy as they intimidated the people and brazenly rigged the recently conducted local government elections in the state.”
“In his usual character of playing to the gallery, Governor Oshiomhole openly besieged polling centers. Armed policemen attached to him used guns freely on the people, thugs attacked supporters of other parties, ballot boxes were carted away, and results were manipulated in favour of the ACN. Where the attacks did not yield desired results, elections were annulled.”
“Since he assumed office as a direct beneficiary of President Goodluck Jonathan’s policy of transparent and credible election, Governor Oshiomhole has ironically continued to display hatred and disdain for democracy.”
“It is instructive to note that it took Governor Oshiomhole five years to yield to pressure from political parties and civil society groups to conduct an election into local governments in Edo state where he, like his ACN godfather desires to be the maximum dictator and Lord of the Manor.”
“When at last he decided to conduct the elections, Governor Oshiomhole and the ACN hatched a well-designed plot that ensured that the elections are rigged before the actual polling.”
“The first thing the ACN controlled government did was to set up the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC) dominated by known card carrying members of the ACN.”
“EDSIEC, under the Chairmanship of Solomon Ogor started the onslaught against the PDP by imposing illegal fees of N100,000 and N50,000 for collection of form on our chairmanship and councillorship candidates respectively with the aim to discourage members of the PDP from contesting in the election.”
“In order not to create a situation of chaos, PDP candidates went ahead to pay the fees and got ready for the elections.”
“EDSIEC under the directive of Governor Oshiomhole went further to demand that all candidates must be screened to determine their eligibility for elections. We rejected this as unconstitutional and insisted that it is only the court or the tribunal that has the powers to decide such. But they went ahead and removed some of the brightest materials we have for the elections by their screening using various excuses.”
“Of course, the state chapter of the PDP went to court but due to delays in the determination of the suit, it took time for us to get judgement. The high court however granted all the prayers and ordered that all illegal levies on candidates be refunded immediately.”
“After that, the ACN controlled EDSIEC went ahead to appoint card carrying members of the ACN as presiding officers and polling clerks. It is public knowledge that over 95 percent of the electoral officials were ACN official agents at the last governorship election.”
“The PDP leadership in Edo state wrote letters to EDSIEC protesting the composition of the electoral body but they went ahead and allowed them on the ground that by the time they hired them, they did not know that they were ACN members. What would one expect under such arrangement?”
“The major charade played out on the election day, April 20, 2013. EDSIEC under the command of Governor Oshiomhole decided not to release election materials for distribution. There were no election materials in many local councils where PDP had greater support. In many of those places, there were no result sheets but by evening the ACN controlled EDSIEC started declaring ACN candidates as winners.”
“It is public knowledge that voting materials were withheld by EDSIEC under the instruction of the governor and were later released to serving government officials who directed when and where they should be distributed.”
“It is on record that Edo state Deputy Governor, Dr. Pius Egberanmwen Odubu admitted in an interview with the NTA at Abudu in Orhionmwo LGA that his bus was used to convey election materials and electoral officers. This is on video. The question we ask is, when has it become the duty of the Deputy Governor to convey electoral materials and electoral personnel?”
“Under the directive of Governor Oshiomhole, in many local governments including Etsako Central, the home of the PDP Edo state Chairman, known PDP members were not allowed to vote by the ACN card carrying polling officials. PDP members were intimidated with police and ballot boxes were carted away to unknown destinations where ACN members engaged in thumb printing and results were declared in favour of ACN.”
“In some polling centers where the people resisted the carting away of materials insisting that results must be announced, Governor Oshiomhole himself went with gun trotting policemen and attacked the people.”
“We have video clips of what happened on the election day when Governor Oshiomhole himself wanted to retrieve voting materials from clerks in centers where voters insisted that the materials must not be moved until the results were announced.”
“In Governor Oshiomhole’s local government, we have video clips were angry voters resisted him. They stoned him and called him names. Mobile police men who were with him started shooting and many people were wounded.”
“We will show you the clip and that of the Deputy Governor declaring that he used his bus to convey electoral materials now. (…. See Video clip) http://youtu.be/Pu-I2pNjzLc”
“Also, Governor Oshiomhole used the military to intimidate and harass PDP members from exercising their democratic rights. We therefore call on the military authorities to investigate the role of the Brigade Commander in Benin in the use of the military against PDP members during the elections.”
“The worst scenario was played out in Esan North East were elections were concluded and presiding officers declared results in their wards and declared PDP councilors as duly elected councilors. After two days the governor ordered the EDSIEC chairman to announce the cancellation of the elections. A new date of Wednesday, April 24 was fixed.”
“On the new date, a peaceful election was held under the direct supervision of the State Commissioner of Police and the Director of SSS, the PDP candidates again won overwhelmingly and results duly declared by presiding officers in the wards. However, the Returning Officer under the directive of Governor Oshiomhole absconded and refused to officially declare the results.”
“The people waited for two nights but the officer was nowhere to be found. Shamelessly, EDSIEC annulled the elections again and fixed a new date.”
“The charade and mockery on democracy in Edo state have clearly shown Nigerians what to expect from the ACN which is championing the merger in the yet to be registered and largely inoperable All Progressive Congress (APC) if for any reason they get into power at the federal level or in any state.”
“A terror state where a governor brazenly attack his people is a clear example of what to expect from ACN and APC if they are given any opportunity.”
“On the whole, we in the PDP demand immediate release of the result of the election in Esan North East where appropriate government agencies declared the elections as credible, free and fair.”
“We call on all Nigerians to observe, witness and comment on this yet again dangerous and undemocratic tyranny of the ACN. The threat to democracy is real. We expect all civil societies, social critics, elders of this nation and other lovers of democracy to join in this just fight against the wicked acts of the ACN on the innocent people of Edo state.”
“We as a party cannot witness the enthronement of free and fair federal elections by President Goodluck Jonathan only to become victims in elections in states controlled by the opposition. We will not accept this.”
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Shettima at UNGA: Africa Demands a Seat at the Global Table
Nigeria has taken its campaign for a bigger African voice in global affairs to the heart of the United Nations, with Vice President Kashim Shettima demanding sweeping reform of the UN Security Council and permanent representation for Africa.
Delivering President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s address at the **81st United Nations General Assembly** in New York on Thursday, Shettima said the international system created after World War II could no longer adequately reflect the realities of the modern world.
Nigeria called for **at least two permanent seats for Africa**, with the full rights and responsibilities of permanent membership, including veto rights for as long as the veto remains part of the Security Council, alongside **five non-permanent African seats**.
The demand puts Africa's long-standing campaign for greater representation at the centre of Nigeria's message to world leaders.
1945 cannot define 2026’
The Nigerian delegation argued that the distribution of power established in 1945 has left Africa under-represented in the institution responsible for some of the world's most consequential decisions on peace and security.
For Abuja, the issue is not simply about seats at the UN. It is about giving African countries a greater role in decisions that directly affect the continent.
Nigeria anchored its position on the **Ezulwini Consensus**, the African Union's common position on Security Council reform.
CONFLICTS: NIGERIA CALLS FOR DIPLOMACY
Shettima's address also turned to the conflicts confronting the international community.
Nigeria called for stronger diplomacy, respect for international law and protection of civilians, while urging greater international efforts to resolve conflicts, including the crisis in Sudan.
The Nigerian position was that lasting peace cannot be secured solely through military action and that diplomacy, dialogue and negotiated settlements remain essential tools for resolving conflicts.
TERRORISM: ‘NO COUNTRY CAN FIGHT ALONE’
With Nigeria continuing to confront terrorism and other forms of transnational crime, the address placed international security cooperation high on the agenda.
Nigeria called for stronger intelligence-sharing, action against terrorist financing and greater cooperation to prevent illicit weapons from crossing borders.
But Abuja also linked security to development, pointing to education, economic opportunity, accountable governance and protection of citizens** as important elements of long-term stability.
AFRICA’S WEALTH: FROM RAW MATERIALS TO INDUSTRIAL POWER
The Nigerian message went beyond politics and security.Tinubu's address, delivered by Shettima, called for Africa to transform its vast natural resources into industrial and economic opportunities by expanding **local processing, manufacturing, technology and value-added production**.
Nigeria also highlighted the African Continental Free Trade Area as an opportunity to expand intra-African trade and build stronger regional supply chains.
The message was clear: Africa's resources should generate greater value, jobs and investment within the continent rather than being exported largely in raw form.
CLIMATE AND DEVELOPMENT
Nigeria also reaffirmed its commitment to climate action, including its 2060 net-zero target, while stressing the need for financing, technology transfer and international support for developing countries.
Abuja argued that climate action and economic development should be pursued together, particularly in countries still struggling to provide reliable energy and economic opportunities for rapidly growing populations.
THE NIGERIAN MESSAGE
From the UN podium in New York, Shettima delivered a message that combined Nigeria's foreign-policy priorities with its wider vision for Africa: **greater representation, stronger security cooperation, economic transformation and a more inclusive international system.**
For Nigeria, the Security Council reform campaign remains a central part of that agenda.
The demand from Abuja is straightforward: **Africa should have a permanent voice in the room when decisions affecting international peace, security and global governance are made. And Nigeria says it intends to keep making that case.
News
CBN Slashes Interest Rate to 23% in Major Policy Adjustment
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has reduced its benchmark interest rate from 26.5 per cent to 23 per cent, marking a significant shift in its monetary policy direction.
CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, announced the decision on Tuesday following the conclusion of the Monetary Policy Committee’s (MPC) 307th meeting in Abuja.
According to Cardoso, the committee reviewed developments in both the global and domestic economies, assessed emerging risks and considered their potential implications for monetary policy before reaching its decision.
“The Committee decided as follows: reset the monetary policy rate at 23 per cent,” the governor said.
The latest move represents a 350-basis-point reduction in the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR). It follows two consecutive MPC meetings at which the rate was left unchanged, after the committee lowered it by 50 basis points in February 2026.
In addition to cutting the MPR, the committee adjusted the standing facility corridor to +50 and -300 basis points around the new benchmark rate.
However, the CBN retained existing Cash Reserve Requirement (CRR) levels at 45 per cent for deposit money banks, 16 per cent for merchant banks and 75 per cent for non-TSA public-sector deposits.
Cardoso explained that the changes were designed to improve the effectiveness of monetary policy by strengthening the transmission of policy decisions through the financial system.
He said the adjustment was also part of efforts to restore the MPR as the primary signal of the CBN’s monetary policy and improve the operation of the monetary policy framework.
According to the governor, the MPC viewed the recalibration as an operational adjustment rather than a fundamental shift in the bank’s monetary policy stance.
“The Committee emphasized that the duration of the corridor does not constitute a change in the current monetary policy stance, but rather an operational reset to enhance the effectiveness of monetary policy and support the transition to an inflation targeting framework,” he said.
The committee also noted ongoing efforts by the CBN to strengthen its monetary policy implementation framework. Cardoso said transaction-based operational benchmarks had improved the transparency of money-market operations.
The MPC consequently concluded that resetting the MPR and adjusting the policy corridor would bring the monetary policy framework more closely in line with prevailing market conditions.
The committee said the changes are expected to improve policy transmission and reinforce the MPR’s role as the central benchmark for monetary policy.
Members further maintained that the latest adjustments should be viewed primarily as an operational realignment of the framework and not, in themselves, as a change in the underlying monetary policy stance.
Business
In The Spotlight
Editorial:Trump @ UNGA: Power Is Not a Substitute for Strategy
President Donald Trump came before the United Nations this week with a message that has defined much of his second presidency: The United States is powerful, it intends to use that power, and it will not permit international institutions to place limits on American sovereignty.
There was little ambiguity in the message. Trump celebrated military strength, demanded greater control over America’s borders, challenged international institutions and portrayed American technological leadership as a strategic necessity. On Iran, Gaza, immigration, the International Criminal Court and artificial intelligence, the president returned repeatedly to the same principle: Nations must defend their own interests, and the United States must remain free to act.
That is a coherent philosophy. But coherence is not the same as effectiveness.
The question raised by this speech is not whether America should be strong. No serious foreign policy can begin from the premise that American power is irrelevant. The question is what that power is for — and whether it is being used in ways that make the United States more secure over the long term.
Trump's remarks on Iran illustrated the dilemma.
He reaffirmed that Iran cannot be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon and paired the possibility of diplomacy with warnings of devastating military consequences.
Deterrence has always depended partly on credibility. But credibility is not measured only by the willingness to threaten force. It is also measured by the ability to achieve a political outcome once force has been used.
Wars can begin with clear objectives and end with consequences no government anticipated. The history of American foreign policy offers ample evidence that military superiority does not automatically translate into political control.
That is why diplomacy cannot simply be regarded as the alternative to strength. At its best, diplomacy is one of the instruments through which strength is converted into durable agreements.
The same distinction matters in Trump's approach to the United Nations.
The president has argued that international institutions have become too costly, too bureaucratic and too willing to intrude upon national sovereignty. His administration has pursued reductions in America's financial and institutional commitments to the United Nations.
There is nothing inherently wrong with demanding accountability from an international organization. The United Nations deserves scrutiny. Its bureaucracy can be inefficient, its member states often disagree and its institutions can fail to prevent the very conflicts they were created to address.
But the choice is not simply between an ineffective United Nations and an unconstrained America.
International institutions exist in part because some problems cannot be solved effectively by individual nations acting alone. Nuclear proliferation is one. Global pandemics are another. Artificial intelligence increasingly belongs on that list.
Trump's comments about AI therefore deserve particular attention. He emphasized American technological leadership and warned against international regulation that could restrain innovation.
The United States has obvious reasons to remain at the forefront of AI development. But technological leadership and international coordination are not necessarily opposing objectives. The challenge is to develop rules that protect security without freezing innovation.
That requires American leadership, not American isolation.
The president's immigration argument followed the same pattern. He presented control of the border as an essential expression of national sovereignty and rejected the notion that international norms should prevent governments from determining who may enter their territory.
A sovereign nation plainly has an interest in controlling its borders. But sovereignty also carries responsibilities. The United States, like other countries, must reconcile border enforcement with its legal and humanitarian obligations.
The difficult work of governing begins where slogans end.
That is ultimately what was missing from the most sweeping parts of Trump's speech: not conviction, but attention to the institutional machinery required to turn conviction into lasting results.
America can impose costs on adversaries. It can withdraw from agreements. It can reduce contributions to international organizations. It can threaten overwhelming force. It can use its enormous economic and technological advantages.
But power has a second dimension that is easier to overlook: the ability to persuade allies, maintain coalitions, preserve diplomatic channels and build institutions capable of surviving changes in leadership.
The United States did not become the world's leading power merely because it possessed the world's strongest military. It built alliances. It established institutions. It cultivated economic relationships. It persuaded other countries that American leadership could serve interests beyond America's own.
Trump's speech represents a different emphasis.
It places sovereignty before institutions, pressure before accommodation and national interest before international consensus.
There is a legitimate debate to be had over whether the postwar international system has become too cumbersome, too expensive or insufficiently accountable. But reforming that system and weakening it are not the same thing.
The distinction will matter greatly in the years ahead.
A stronger America is not necessarily an America that stands alone. Nor is international cooperation synonymous with surrendering sovereignty.
The enduring challenge of American foreign policy is to combine power with restraint, independence with alliances and national interest with the recognition that American security is inseparable from the wider world.
Trump's speech made clear which side of that debate he occupies.The more consequential question is what happens next.
History will not ultimately judge the speech by its applause lines, its threats or its declarations of American strength. It will judge the policy that follows — and whether that policy produces a world in which the United States is not merely more powerful, but more secure.
Power matters. But power, by itself, is not a strategy.
In The Spotlight
Who Is in Charge? Tinubu Is in Paris, Shettima Is in New York
By now, Nigerians deserve more than explanations. They deserve clarity. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is in Paris. Vice President Kashim Shettima is in New York.
And Nigeria is in Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt, Maiduguri and everywhere else Nigerians are dealing with the daily business of surviving, working and waiting for government to deliver. So, a simple question is becoming increasingly difficult to avoid:Who is in charge?
Before anyone dismisses that question as opposition politics, let us establish the facts. Tinubu left Nigeria on August 30 for what the Presidency described as a working vacation. He subsequently moved from London to Paris and, on September 21, the Presidency announced that he had extended his stay by a few days and would return at the weekend.
Shettima left Nigeria on September 20 for New York, where he is representing the President and leading Nigeria's delegation to the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
The government says there is no vacuum. It says Tinubu remains in contact with officials at home and continues to direct the affairs of government. It also says Shettima has been given the President's mandate to represent Nigeria at the UN.
Fine. But that does not make the question disappear.It makes the question more important.
A country cannot run on “trust us”
Government is not supposed to operate on whispers, assumptions or political reassurance.It operates through institutions.
It operates through constitutional authority. It operates through clearly defined responsibilities. And when the President is abroad for an extended period while the Vice President is also outside the country, Nigerians have every right to ask where executive authority is located and who is exercising it.
This is particularly relevant because Nigeria's Constitution provides a specific mechanism for a President who is proceeding on vacation or otherwise unable to discharge the functions of office.
That mechanism exists for a reason.It is designed to prevent uncertainty.It is designed to prevent a vacuum.It is designed toensure that, at every moment, Nigerians know who is constitutionally responsible for the presidency.
So why should Nigerians have to debate the issue?
The Presidency says everything is fine
The government insists that there is no disruption to governance.The Presidency says Tinubu has remained engaged from abroad. It points to decisions taken by the President while away and says the Vice President's trip to New York is an official assignment.
There is nothing inherently unusual about a Nigerian president travelling abroad.There is nothing unusual about a vice president representing the country at the United Nations.
The problem is the combination.The President is away. The Vice President is away. And the country is being told that everything is perfectly normal.
Perhaps it is.But if it is, then proving it should be easy.Tell Nigerians clearly who is exercising presidential authority.
Tell Nigerians whether the constitutional procedure has been followed.Tell Nigerians who is accountable for presidential decisions while both men are outside the country.This should not be difficult.
Leadership is also about presence
There is a difference between saying government is functioning and demonstrating that leadership is present.Nigeria is not short of challenges.
The cost of living remains a major concern. Security remains a national issue. Unemployment and economic hardship continue to affect households. Nigerians are demanding better public services and greater accountability.
At such a moment, leadership cannot be reduced to whether instructions can be transmitted from one continent to another.
Leadership is also about visibility. It is about being present when the country needs reassurance. It is about being accessible when difficult questions arise. It is about giving citizens confidence that somebody is firmly in control. A president does not have to sit permanently in Aso Rock to govern Nigeria. But Nigerians should never be left wondering whether anyone is sitting firmly at the controls.
Paris is not Abuja
There is another uncomfortable truth.Nigeria's political class has become remarkably comfortable governing from airports, hotel suites, foreign capitals and conference rooms.The rest of the country does not have that luxury.
The Nigerian worker cannot take a working vacation from inflation.The small business owner cannot take annual leave from electricity costs.The parent struggling with school fees cannot postpone the bills until the President returns. The young graduate without a job cannot simply wait for the government to reconnect with reality.
For ordinary Nigerians, the country does not go on vacation.That is why the optics matter.While the President is in Paris and the Vice President is in New York, millions of Nigerians remain at home confronting the consequences of government policy every day.
This is bigger than Tinubu
The danger is that this debate becomes another partisan shouting match. Supporters will say the President is working.
Opponents will say the government has abandoned its responsibilities. Both sides can shout themselves hoarse.
But the Constitution does not work by volume. The question is not whether Tinubu's supporters are satisfied.The question is not whether his opponents are outraged.The question is whether the constitutional chain of executive authority is clear. That is an institutional question, not a party question. And the National Assembly has a role to play in ensuring that Nigerians are not left guessing.
Nigeria deserves an answer
There is something deeply unhealthy about a democracy in which citizens have to ask social media, political parties and television commentators who is exercising presidential power.
The answer should be official.It should be constitutional.It should be unambiguous.If Tinubu is fully exercising the powers of President from Paris, say so.If Shettima is exercising presidential functions under the constitutional provisions governing presidential absence, say so.If there is no constitutional problem, explain precisely why.
But please, stop treating a legitimate question as an attack on the government.A government confident in its constitutional position should welcome clarity.
Who is in charge?
This is ultimately not about Paris.It is not about New York.It is not even primarily about Tinubu or Shettima. It is about the Nigerian presidency. A republic of more than 200 million people should not have an invisible question mark hanging over its executive authority.
Tinubu can travel.Shettima can travel.Government can continue. But constitutional responsibility must remain visible.
Because when both the President and Vice President are outside the country, Nigerians should not have to look at a map to figure out where their government is.
They should be able to look at the Constitution.And the answer should be unmistakable.Who is in charge? Nigeria deserves to know.
By Emmanuel Emeke Asiwe, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief