Nigerian comedian Gbenga Adeyinka recently described President Bola Tinubu as a “financial wizard,” urging the nation to give him two more years to witness a significant transformation. Adeyinka’s confidence stems from Tinubu’s track record as the former governor of Lagos State, where he spearheaded an economic revolution that made the city a financial hub.

Tinubu’s administration has been marked by bold economic reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidies and a focus on revamping Nigeria’s financial systems. While critics remain skeptical, Adeyinka believes Tinubu’s strategic mindset and financial acumen will ultimately reshape the country’s economic landscape, driving growth and stability.

As Nigeria navigates these challenging times, the question remains: will Tinubu’s visionary leadership live up to this praise, and is two more years all it takes to see the change Adeyinka envisions? Only time will tell.

Omoyele Sowore, the founder of SaharaReporters, has accused the Bola Tinubu administration of orchestrating a new smear campaign aimed at discrediting him and his media platform.

In a statement, Sowore claimed that a suspicious memo, allegedly from the Secretary of Zamfara State government, has been circulating, requesting large sums of money for prominent bandits and media outlets.

While the authenticity of the memo remains in question, Sowore insists its purpose is clear: to undermine the credibility of SaharaReporters, a platform known for its relentless criticism of corruption and government misconduct.

Sowore also emphasized that SaharaReporters remains independent by refusing government patronage or engaging with Nigerian government officials, distancing itself from the state house-based correspondent model.

He noted that the memo falsely implicated him as a beneficiary in the alleged scheme, describing the move as an attempt to blackmail him and the media outlet.

He reassured the public that these allegations are baseless and reflect the desperation of those behind the campaign, stating that this attempt, like others before it, will not succeed.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained why it declared the 2023 presidential election result during the early hours of the morning.

On March 1st, at around 2 a.m., INEC announced Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner with 8,794,726 votes.

Tinubu defeated his main opponents, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP).

The announcement, made by INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, left many Nigerians puzzled, especially those who had waited for hours and woke up to the final results.

For some, particularly supporters of losing candidates, the timing raised concerns and suspicions about transparency.

Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, addressed these concerns during a session with the INEC Press Corps.

He explained that during a presidential election, Nigeria is treated as one constituency, meaning the results must be meticulously collected and compiled from various stages.

This begins at the polling units and extends through the ward, local government, state, and national levels.

The detailed process of gathering and validating results from all 36 states, including regions as far away as Sokoto and Maiduguri, meant the announcement had to be delayed until all necessary figures had been presented in Abuja.

Oyekanmi emphasized that there is no constitutional or legal mandate specifying a time for declaring election results.

He clarified that INEC could only announce after receiving the necessary data from each state’s returning officer, who had to travel to Abuja.

The returning officers are interviewed by the INEC chairman to ensure the accuracy of the results before the final figures are accepted and announced.

In response to criticism about the late-night announcement, Oyekanmi pointed out that the 2015 election results were declared by the then-chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, around 4 a.m.

He explained that it’s the completion of the collation process, rather than the time of day, that determines when the results are announced.

Ultimately, the timing of the declaration in 2023 was influenced by the logistical challenges of collating and confirming results from across the country.

The explanation aims to provide clarity to the Nigerian public about the timing and transparency of the process, stressing that the delay was necessary to ensure the credibility of the results rather than an attempt to manipulate the election outcome.