16th Edition FlipBook Magazine

04 05 16 17 18 04 Editor’s Suite Editorial Team Adamawa Guber Polls: How INEC Postponed PDP/Fintiri’s Victory Party Akwa Ibom: Residents Jubilate as Umo Eno Emerges Governor-elect Gov. Bala Mohammed coasts to victory in Bauchi Oborevwori consolidates PDP’s hold in Delta State 10 12 DRAMA IN ADAMAWA 2023 Presidential Election Controversies ...The bizarre story of the 2023 Supplementary Election 16 17 18 04 Enugu: Ugwuanyi to pass the Governorship Baton to Peter Mbah Gov. Makinde Re-elected for Second Term in Oyo State Plateau: Unstoppable Mutfwang breaks APC’s hold PDP Retains Rivers with Fubara as Governor-elect 16 17 18 Fresh Mandate for PDP as Kefas wins Taraba Governorship Election PDP’s Lawal beats incumbent Gov. Matawalle to win Zamfara State How Damagum Emerged PDP Acting National Chairman 03 CONT TS 04 Bayelsa Gov, Siblings pay last respects to their Father, Pa Diri

04 Hon. C.I.D. Maduabum , LL.M ay 29 is around the corner, Msignalling the dawn of a new political dispensation in Nigeria. It also sounds the alarm for a change of leadership in States across Nigeria, PDPStates inclusive. This post-election edition unveils the PDP Governors-elect including their manifestoes, biographies and other details. It also features the outgoing PDP Governors. February and April 2023 are months that Nigerians will remember for a long time. The controversial Presidential election was held on F e b r u a r y 2 5 , 2 0 2 3 a n d supplementary elections were held in April, 2023. The Adamawa Supplementary Governorship election was a story in electoral corruption and brigandage. Akin to a failed coup. You can read all about the drama and controversies in our special story on the election. This package also covers the inside gist about how the acting National Chairman of the PDP emerged. There is more to see, so sit back, relax and enjoy your read.

Sadiq Abubakar Wada

06 By Hon. C.I.D. Maduabum, LL.M ….The bizarre story of the Adamawa State 2023 Supplementary Election DRAMA Intrigues and Controversies On March 18, 2023, the people of Adamawa State thronged out to exercise their civic rights of electing who would govern them for the next four years. It was a two horse race between the major candidates – the incumbent Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Senator Aishatu Dahiru, also called Binani, of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The people went to the polls without an inkling that forces were actively working to subvert the election process. One could argue t h o u g h , t h a t t h e b r a z e n partisanship of some election th officials in the February 25 Presidential election should have been taken as a sign of things to come. At the end of the voting, collation of results began till the State Re t u r n i n g O ffi c e r, P r o f. M o h amme d M e l e o f t h e University of Maiduguri declared the election inconclusive. At this point, Governor Fintiri was leading with 31,259 votes difference, having scored 421,524 votes, while Binani polled 390,265 votes. Mele explained that the margin between the two top candidates was less than the total number of potential voters, 36,935 in the areas collation of votes had not been completed. With an insurmountable lead of 31,259 votes, there was no way the PDP candidate was going to lose. A supplementary election was then scheduled for April 15. Then the political intrigues began. The supplementary election which held in a total of 69 polling units (PUs) with 3 6 , 9 3 5 e l i g i b l e v o t e rs participating. Deputy Gov-elect Kaletapwa igerians will remember Nthe 2023 Adamawa governorship election for a long time to come. This is because happenings in the election could only have been imagined as scenes in a well scripted Nollywood movie. It had all the features of a well produced drama; intrigues, suspense and triumph of the good guys over the bad ones. Indeed, the events that unfolded in the election could only have been imagined, but sadly, the show of shame was real and happened live on camera. Gov. Fintiri

With voting concluded, the people awaited the results of the election with much enthusiasm. While awaiting for results from areas that were yet to submit theirs, the collation exercise was abruptly suspended till 11am the next day by the Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Hudu Yunusa-Ari. However, what followed was unpre c edent ed. At 9 am, Yunusa-Ari, flanked by security officials and without records of total collated votes, snuck into the state collation centre, threw all caution to the wind and announced that Binani had won the election and declared her the Governor-elect of the State. This act was contrary to Section 25 of the Electoral Act, 2022, which empowers only the returning officer of a state to announce the result and declare the winner of an election at the state collation centre in the case of election of a Governor of a state. Interestingly, results had been declared for only 10 of the 20 local government areas (LGAs) in the supplementary poll, which 07 indicated Fintiri was leading, having won in seven LGAs against Binani's three. Yunusa-Ari's announcement clearly usurped the duty of the INEC's Returning Officer, Prof. Mele Mohammed. He bizarrely allocated 221,303 votes to Fintiri, which represented a shortfall from his initial 400,000 votes when results from the 10 councils as collated at the time showed Fintiri adding to his lead of 31,249 with wins in Demsa, Lamurde, Jada, Ganye, Song, Maiha, Hong and Shelleng councils while Binani won only in Yola North and Yola South out of 10 areas councils. The de c l a r a tion by the Adamawa REC was quickly followed by an acceptance speech by the APC candidate, Binani, is a further show of shame and perfidy. In a swift reaction, INEC declared the action by Adamawa REC null and void and asked Nigerians to disregard the declaration and ordered a pause in the collation process. The agency summoned the REC, who it accused of usurping the powers of the Returning Officer, Hudu Yunusa-Ari Sen. Aisha Dairu Gov. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri receives his Certificate of Return

Professor Mohammed Mele, to Abuja. It stressed that Yunusa-Ari broke the law by announcing results of the polls that was yet to be tallied and concluded. PDPGovernors' Forum Reacts: The PDP Governors Forum in a Press Statement issued on April 17, 2023 called “on INEC to sanction the show of shame in Adamawa State.” The Forum strongly condemned “the attempted electoral heist and brigandage perpetrated by the Ad amawa S t a t e Re si d e n t E l e c t o r a l Co m m issi o n e r, Barrister Hudu Yunusa, which is perhaps the lowest point of the 2023 General elections.” Going further, the Forum “commended the immediate steps taken by the INEC as an institution to recover its battered image by nullifying the attempted coup and suspending the REC.” It recommended “appropriate sanctions, including prosecution of all those involved, especially the former Resident Electoral Commissioner, Barrister Hudu Yunusa, should be swiftly commenced to serve as an example to others.” The REC, Hudu Yunusa, was thereafter suspended by the Commission which requested the Inspector General of Police, Baba Alkali, to prosecute him for electoral offences. Meanwhile, irate members of the public took their anger out on an INEC National Commissioner, Prof. Abdullahi Abdul Zuru, who they mistook for the REC, stripping him almost naked. Amidst these developments, Binani of the APC approached the Federal High Court in Abuja to recognise her as the Governorelect of the State. In a motion ex-parte jointly filed with APC, she prayed the court for an order restraining INEC from taking any further steps towards her declaration as the winner of the election pending the determination of her application for judicial review. They declined to take up the matter ex parte and the case was subsequently struck out. Victory forDemocracy In a resounding victory for democracy and the people of A d a m a w a S t a t e , P r o f . Mo h amme d r e t u r n e d a n d concluded the collation and declared Gov. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri as the winner of the April 18, 2023 Adamawa Governorship Election, having polled 430,861 votes to defeat Aisha Binani of the APC, who got 398,788 votes. Gov. Fintiri polled 9,337 to Aisha Binani's 6,513 in the supplementary polls. Even if the votes of both candidates totaling 15,850 were added to Aisha Binani, she still would have lost. For Governor-elect Fintiri, it was a rough road to sweet victory. But it didn't come easy. He fought many for c e s but triumphed to snatch his victory from the jaws of the usurper and impostor. Fintiri's victory is not for him, PDP and the people of Adamawa alone, it is also a victory for Nigeria's democracy. It sent a clear message that votes actually counted and were made to count. The people of Adamawa have spoken and they have spoken well and Gov. Fintiri will reciprocate in like measure by delivering good governance in the coming years. Gov. Fintiri 08

he highly anticipated TFebruary 25 Presidential election has come and gone, but rather than bring renewed hope to the electorate and Nigerians in general, it has left in its wake, a trail of protestations and disappointment. One does not need a soothsayer to ascertain the cause of the backlash, the expression of anger by some Nigerians following the outcome of the election as they have made it sufficiently clear that they are convinced that the 2023 presidential election was not conducted in a free and fair manner. To begin, the election umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), acting on its p o w e rs c o n f e rr e d i n t h e Constitution and the Electoral Act, 2022, is authorised to organise or conduct elections in Nigeria, in respect of certain offices created by the Constitution. The Constitution is emphatic that INEC must be n o n - p a rtis a n , n e u tr a l a n d accountable to the Nigerian people. Dissatisfied Nigerian voters argue that the performance of INEC in the February 2023 election cannot be said to be up to expectations. The institution fell short right from the registration of voters, collection of permanent voter's cards to the v o t e r s e d u c a t i o n a n d information. Some locations in Nigeria were totally neglected in the distribution of electoral materials and were denied their voting rights as reported in the 09

media. Happenings during the elections showed that some of the personnel recruited by the INEC to handle the election were openly partisan. Then there is the issue of credibility in the public eye. In the aftermath of the election, many voters have passed votes of no confidence on INEC. This was triggered by the failure of the electoral body to abide by its own guidelines for the election process. Specifically, the dumping of the real-time transmission of election results and the effective use of Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BIVAS) which INEC had assured Nigerians would be used to transmit vote numbers from polling units across the country to its central server. Speaking on different occasions, the chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, assured Nigerians and even interested parties outside the country, that its BIVAS is infallible. A few days to the election, he said while speaking to foreign election observers on his agency's preparedness for the election, that presiding officers would be required to use the BVAS to snap the election results on the result sheets from each polling unit and upload them on INEC Result Viewing (IRev) Portal for Nigerians to see. As quoted by the Punch, Yakubu stated: ''The BVAS confirms that the car ds issued by the commission and presented by the voter is genuine and the voter is a u t h e n t i c a t e d u si n g t h e fingerprint and where if failed, the facial. Where both fail, the voter can't vote. This is a matter of the law. ''After the process is completed at the polling unit, the image of the polling unit result will be taken by the BVAS and uploaded into what we call the INEC Result Viewing Portal where citizens can see polling unit level results as the processes are completed at the polling unit level.'' However, this was not to be the case. Many electorate were shocked and enraged when the same Yakubu received results manually live on television and when stakeholders pointed out that he was going against his own guidelines, he declared that it was not compulsory to follow them. This led to widespread criticism by Nigerians who felt the change in process was deliberately done to give a lead to a particular presidential candidate. According to them, INEC conspired to give advantage to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)'s candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to take over the reins of power after the t e n u r e o f P r e s i d e n t Muhammadu Buhari ends on May 29, 2023. According to results declared by INEC on March 1, 2023, PDP a n d A P C P r e si d e n t i a l Candidates scored 6, 984, 520 and 8, 794, 726 respectively. Labour Party came third with 6,101,533 Votes. The declaration of Tinubu as the president-elect met widespread Alh. Atiku 10

rejection. The most recurring area of contention was mainly on the credibility of the process that led to his 'victory' because INEC failed to abide by its own rules guiding the transmission of results from various polling units using BVAS. They also queried why the results of the National Assembly elections were transmitted realtime, but not so for the presidential. Instead, INEC switched to use of manual collation and transmission of results, making the process to be seen as flawed and unreliable. Voters shared incontrovertible evidence including audio, video a n d p h o t o g r a p h s w h i c h d o c u m e n t e d w i d e s p r e a d intimidation of voters supporting opposing candidates, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)'s Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. They also posited that the failure of INEC to abide by its own guidelines for the conduct of the election aided allocation of fictitious votes to the APC, while violence by thugs was used to intimidate voters, amongst other election irregularities, thus making the declaration of the APC Candidate unacceptable, they claim. After a careful consideration of the happenings and conduct of the election process, the PDP and its Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, approached the Presidential Election Tribunal in Abuja with a petition against the INEC, the APC, as well as Tinubu, praying the Court to declare him Nigeria's president-elect and annul the victory of Bola Tinubu for being “invalid by reason of n o n c omp l i a n c e w i t h t h e provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022,” among other grounds. He asked the tribunal to, in the alternative, order a rerun between him and Tinubu. The Petition Dated March 20, 2023 with file number CA/PEPC/05/2023, in the Court of Appeal (Presidential Election Petition Court) in Abuja, the petitioners are Abubakar Atiku, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), while INEC, Tinubu Bola Ahmed and the APC are respondents. The petition was filed by his team of lawyers led by Joe Gadzama (SAN). The petition stated that INEC wrongfully declared Tinubu the winner of the February 25 Presidential election by allocating 8, 794, 726 votes to him, while ascribing 6, 984, 520 votes to Atiku. It notified the court that the petitioners will rely on Form EC8D(A) and Form EC8E, being the summary of the final collation of results and the final d e c l a r a t i o n o f r e s u l ts respectively, to challenge the scores declared by INEC. They added that reports and evidence by experts including statisticians, forensic examiners and other experts will also be relied on, pursuant to the orders for inspection, examination and production of election materials granted to the petitioners by the Appeal Court. Grounds for the petition The petitioners stated four grounds upon which the petition is based. Ground 1 - The election of Bola Tinubu is invalid by reason of non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022. Gov. Okowa 11

The petitioners alleged that INEC failed to electronically transmit the results of the presidential poll using the Bi-Modal Voters' Accreditation System (BVAS) in real-time. Specifically, they noted that the provisions of section 47 (2) and (3), 60 (1), (2) and (5), 64 (4) (a) and (b), 64 (5), (6), (7) and (8), 71 and 73 of the Electoral Act, paragraphs 3.3.0 and 3.4.0 of INEC's published manual for election officials 2023 and paragraphs 19, 35, 38, 40, 41, 42, 43, 47, 48, 50 and 62 of INEC's Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections 2022 were not complied with. Atiku and PDP noted that INEC failed to comply with its guidelines that (1) Accreditation of voters shall be by way of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).(2) T o electronically transmit or transfer the results and the accreditation data from polling units direct to the electronic collation system as prescribed by INEC. (3) Uploading of results shall be with the BVAS to INEC's results Viewing Portal (IReV) directly and in real-time. (4) C o l l a t i o n a n d authentication of the results and accreditation data from the polling units at the various polling levels up to the national collation centre shall be with the aid of the Results Verification System. They added that the ''collation of t h e e l e c t i o n r e s u l t a n d announcement of same without prior electronic transmission of the of the results of the election at and from the respective polling units, and the incorrect manual collation of the results without the use of and authentication with the electronic collation system at the various collation levels up to the national collation centre are invalid, unlawful, and null and void.'' (a) C o n s t i t u t i o n a l Geographical Spread: The petitioners stated that INEC failed to comply with the provisions of Section 66 of the Electoral Act which incorporated Section 134 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) in ' 'wrongfully, u n l a w f u l l y i l l e g a l l y a n d unconstitutionally returning Tinubu as the winner of the election.'' Section 134 (2) states that in a presidential election with more than 2 candidates, for a candidate to be deemed to be the winner of the election, he must: a) Have the highest number of votes cast at the election; b) Have not less than one quarter of the votes cast at the election in at least two-third of all the states of the federation; and c) Have not less than one quarter of the votes cast at the election in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Therefore, they declared, Tinubu, having failed to score 25 percent of votes cast in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, ought not to have been pronounced the winner of the election by INEC. 12 C) Margin of Lead: The petition is also challenging the result of the election declared by INEC because of the margin of lead of the APC presidential candidate who was returned as Pr e si d e n t- e l e c t a n d t h e Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) collected. It stated that the difference in the votes ascribed to Tinubu and Atiku was 1, 810, 206, whereas the PVCs collected in polling units where elections did not hold across the country is above that number. This, it continued, makes the declaration of Tinubu as the winner of the election ''hasty, premature and wrongful.'' Ground 2 - Election of Tinubu is invalid by reason of corrupt practices: The petitioners alleged that the collation of election results in all the states o f t h e f e d e r a t i o n w a s manipulated by INEC through the deliberate suppression and discounting of the lawful votes of the petitioners, while inflating the scores of the APC and Tinubu through means i n c l u d i n g c omp r omis e d printing/production of electoral Prof. Yakubu 12

materials, manipulation of election material delivery and compromised printing/production of election materials. Ground 3 - Not duly elected by majority of lawful votes cast: Atiku and the PDP stated that Tinubu was not duly elected by majority of the lawful votes cast at the election. They also declared that Tinubu did not score onequarter (25%) of the lawful votes cast at the election in each of at least two-thirds of all the states in the Federation and the Federal Capital territory, Abuja, as required by the Constitution. Ground 4 - Non-qualification: The petitioners averred that Tinubu, as at the time of the election, was not qualified to contest the election because he did not have the constitutional threshold. Note: Some other political parties also petitioned. These include the Labour Party, the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and AAC. The Labour Party and APM p e titi o n s q u e sti o n e d t h e qualification of Alh Shettima the vice Presidential Candidate of APC on grounds of double nomination as both a Senator and Vice Presidential Candidate contrary to S.35 of the Electoral Act. The APM petition went further to question the eligibility and validity of Alh. Kashim Shettima candidature as a result of flouting of S.142 of the Constitution which mandates nomination of a running mate to a Presidential Candidate. The placeholder issue was flagged as a disqualifying element. It is important to note that if the APC is disqualified, their votes would become invalid and the Zamfara 2019 scenario may play out, leading to outright declaration of Alh. Atiku Abubakar, the PDP candidates as winner of the election, as the candidate with the second highest votes and spread. As the tribuna l begins p r o c e e d i n g s, Ni g e ri a n s fervently look up to the judiciary as their last hope for the determination of a free, fair and transparent election. Tribunal session in progress 13

14

arch 18, 2023 Mwas set aside by the Independent N a t i o n a l E l e c t o r a l Commission (INEC) for the gubernatorial election, as well as the concurrent elections to the State Houses of Assembly. And so, residents of Adamawa State trooped out in their thousands to the polls to e x e r c is e t h e ir c i v i c responsibilities across 4104 polling units, 226 wa r d s a n d 2 1 Lo c a l Government Areas of the State. The election, which was p o st p o n e d fr o m i ts original 11 March date, held three weeks after the Presidential and National Assembly elections and it was keenly contested b e t w e e n t h e i n c u m b e n t G o v e r n o r Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, who was seeking a reelection for a second term in office, and his main challenger and candidate of t h e All Pr o g r e ssi v e s Congress (APC), Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed alias Binani. ADAMAWA GUBER POLLS: HOW INEC POSTPONED PDP/FINTIRI’S VICTORY PARTY - Declare election inconclusive, fixes date for supplementary By Patrick PA Okon Gov. Ahmadu Fintiri 15

E M E R G E N C E O F PARTY CANDIDATES On May 25, 2022, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held a peaceful primary in Yola, the State capital, that resulted in the unopposed nomination of Governor Fintiri, the sole candidate. About a month after the p rima r y, Ka l e t a pwa F a r a u t a , t h e Vi c e - Chancellor of Adamawa State University and former Commissioner of Education from Numan, was picked as Fintiri's running mate instead of the incumbent Deputy Governor, Crowther Seth. At the formal unveiling event of Fa r aut a a s running mate in early August 2022, Fintiri explained that he picked Farauta for a gender ba l anc ed ti cke t and praised Seth's service. On the other hand, the APC nominated Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed alias Binani, f o r m e r H o u s e o f Representatives member for Yola North/Yola South/Girei (2015–2019) and incumbent S e n a t o r r e p r e s e n t i n g Adamawa Central at the upper legislative chamber of the National Assembly. She was nominated the candidate of the APC at an indirect primary held on 26 May, 2022, after winning over 42% of the delegates' votes in an encounter that saw her fending off competition from male political veterans inc luding forme r anticorruption chief and expresidential aspirant, Nuhu Ri b a d u , wh o g a t h e r e d 29.54%, Jibrilla Bindow, the immediate past Governor of the State, 10.56% and six o t h e r c a n d i d a t e s w h o struggled to make a mark. Getting the ticket was no s m a l l f e a t , t h u s h e r n o m i n a t i o n w a s v e r y significant, being the first time a woman was nominated by a major party for the Adamawa governorship and only the second time a w o m a n w a s b e i n g nominated by a major p a rt y f o r a n y st a t e governorship. The APC’s guidelines that says two of every five delegates elected from each ward, the lowest tier of the electoral structure in the country, must be w o m e n , w o r k e d i n Dahiru’s favour during the governorship primaries. Already popular with women across the State, ma n y o f t h e d e l e g a t e s identified with her ambition. There were even raised hopes that the 51-year-old United Kingdom-trained Engineer cum businesswoman now turned politician was seeking to make history as the first elected female Governor in Africa’s largest democracy; if she could defeat 13 other opponents, including the incumbent Governor Fintiri, who was seeking re-election under the opposition PDP. Weeks later, her running mate, Titsi Ganama-former House of Representatives member for M a d a g a l i / M i c h i k a (2011–2015) and former Commissioner of Finance, was nominated. I N E C D E C L A R E S E L E C T I O N INCONCLUSIVE When Governor Fintìri went to the poll that fateful Saturday, he could not have imagined that the battle would be as intense as it turned out to be. L-R Fintiri, Binani 16

A s t h e i n c u m b e n t Governor, he never underrated his closest rival, Binani, but he was definitely not expecting a n “ i n c o n c l u si v e ” election. Binani also went into the e l e c tion with huge emotional support of those who wanted to see her as the first female elected Chief Executive O ffi c e r o f a S t a t e . Coming from the ruling party at the centre and with the strong backing she had, many people believed her time had come. However, on March 20, INEC d e c l a r e d t h e March 18 Adamawa governorship election inconclusive following disputes in some polling units over the margin of votes between Fintiri and Binani. Prof. Mohammed Lamina M e l e , D e p u t y V i c e Chancellor (VC) of the University of Maiduguri ( U N I M A I D ) a n d t h e A d ama w a S t a t e I N EC Returning Officer (REC), declared that the election was cancelled in 47 registration areas, 69 polling units, with a total number of 41,796 registered voters. “The number of Permanent Voter Cards (VCs) from the affected polling units in the different Local Government Areas (LGAs) affected is 37,016. After the collation, we calculated the total number of votes with the two leading candidates with the highest votes, APC with 390,275 and PDP with 421, 524 votes. So this gives us the margin of 31,249 and the total n u m b e r o f P V C s collected in the places amounts to 37,916,” he said. He added that “based on these findings and analysis as stated in the electoral laws” where the margin between two candidates was lesser than the total number of collected PVCs in areas where elections were not held, t h e e l e c t i o n w a s declared inconclusive. FINTIRI’S REACTION Governor Fintiri, in response t o t h e a n n o u n c eme n t , a c c u s e d t h e R E C o f misleading the Returning Officer to declare the election inconclusive. He said with the margin of votes with which he was leading his closest opponent, Binani, he saw no reason for d e c l a ri n g t h e e l e c ti o n inconclusive. The incumbent added that the INEC ought to have declared him the winne r of the election. “Because of the inexperience and mindset of the REC, he misled the Returning Officer; there was no need for it (inconclusive). Gov. Fintiri and Deputy Governor-elect, Kaletapwa Farauta 17

“I was leading by over 35,000. In Ogun, he ( G o v e r n o r D a p o Abiodun) led by 12,000, issues in various units across the state was over 30,000 but the man was declared. The same thing with Kaduna, the same thing in several other states if you go round,” Fintiri said. I N E C F I X E S D A T E F O R SUPPLEMENTARY E L E C T I O N Finally on March 27, INEC fixed Saturday, 15 April, 2023 to conclude t h e g o v e r n o r s h i p elections in Adamawa State. INEC, in a tweet on its verified Twitter handle, said the inconclusive governorship elections and a ll Na tiona l and St a t e Assembly supplementary elections would be held on 15 April. “Arising from its meeting held today, the Independent N a t i o n a l E l e c t o r a l Commission has decided that a l l o u t s t a n d i n g Governorship, National and S t a t e A s s e m b l y supplementary elections will take place on Saturday 15th April 2023. Adetailed official st a t eme n t wi l l f o l l ow shortly,” INEC said. The announcement doused the tension, anxiety and d r ama t h a t tr a il e d t h e A d a m a w a S t a t e governorship election for nearly a month. Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, alias ‘Fresh Air” as he is c a ll e d b y Ad amawa i n d i g e n e s, h a s b e e n a constant feature in Adamawa politics for some years, serving first as a member of the Adamawa State House of Assembly for Madagali State Constituency (2007–2015), Speaker of the House of Assembly (2014) and former A c t i n g G o v e r n o r o f Adamawa State following t h e i m p e a c h m e n t o f Governor Murtala Nyako in July 2014. He served until 1 October, 2014. True to expectation, on 9th March 2019, Fintiri defeated an incumbent, Jibrill a Bindow of the APC, to become Governor in his current term that will end on May 29, 2023. Fintiri is married to Lami Ahmadu Fintiri and they have three children. 18 Gov. Ahmadu Umar signing his Certificate of Return

19

20 AKWA IBOM: RESIDENTS JUBILATE AS UMO ENO EMERGES GOVERNOR-ELECT H.E Umo Bassey Eno Akwa Ibom State Governor - Elect BY PATRICK PA OKON

21 P astor Umo Bassey Eno o f t h e P e o p l e s Democ r a ti c Pa rty (PDP) has been declared winner of the March 18, 2023 governorship election in Akwa Ibom to emerge the Governor-elect. In a spectacular outing, he polled a total of 354,348 votes to defeat his major rivals, Senator Bassey Albert of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) and Akanimo U d o fi a o f t h e A l l Progr e ssive s Congr e ss ( A PC), w h o g a r n e r e d 136,262 and 129,602 votes respectively. The candidates of the New Ni g e ri a Pe o p l e s Pa rt y (NNPP), Akpanudoedehe John James, and Labour Party (LP)’s Uduakobong Peter Udoh scored 12,509 and 4,746 votes respectively. His declaration as the winner of the election sparked jubilation across the State as the people sang and danced in celebration of the victory. Addr e ssing the joyous crowd, Governor Udom Emmanuel, who described the Governor-elect as a man with a large heart, said he ( E n o ) w a s r e a d y t o accommodate everyone and called on all to support him. The incumbent Governor told the people that Eno had the capacity to exceed the successes of his predecessors and move the State forward, adding: “Now you have somebody who is coming in, who will actually do much better than what all others have done in the past.” In his speech when he was received at the Government House, Uyo, by Emmanuel, Eno thanked God for the honour bestowed on him and Governor Emmanuel for believing in him. He pledged t o c o n s o l i d a t e t h e achievements of the present administration by deepening the peace for which Akwa Ibom has been known. While acknowledging that the contest was fierce, he called on his opponents to sheathe their swords as he bore no grudges against them, promising to run an allinclusive government where no one would be punished or victimised on account of holding a different political opinion. He also promised to run a Christ-centric administration in which morality and good conscience would thrive, as well as set up a reconciliation committee to address the grievances of people in other Pastor Umo Eno and Deputy Governor - elect, Dr Akon Eyakenyi, visit Gov. Udom Emmanuel with his Certificate of Return

22 political divides in a bid to deepen the unity of the State. “I thank the church and fathers in the faith for your prayers and intercessions. I am one of you, and I pledge to continue to run a Christcentric administration where m o r a l i t y a n d g o o d conscience will form the building blocks of our operation,” he stated. As the celebration was reaching its crescendo, a flurry of congratulatory messages started trickling in fr om s e v e r a l q u a rt e rs inc luding thos e of six governorship candidates - Mr Nsikak Thomas (Zenith Labour Party), Abasiekeme Ekanem (Action Alliance), Eyo Ekong (Allied Peoples Movement), Sunday Ekanem (Peoples Redemption Party), Mr Akan Ekpenyong (Boot Party), and Mrs Emem Udoh (Social Democratic Party), who also contested in the j u st - c o n c l u d e d 2 0 2 3 elections; a forum of over 13 political parties alongside promoters of the Obi-Datti Movement in the State led by its State Co-ordinator, Mr. Nature Udoh, who in its last lap of the political campaign for the 2023 governorship election, had endorsed the candidature of the Pastor Eno. EMERGENCE AS PDP GUBER CANDIDATE AND PRE-ELECTION CONTROVERSIES In June 2022, a total of 1,018 delegates were accredited to vote at the primary election held at Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, and Pastor Eno emerged the Party’s candidate by polling a total of 993 votes to beat 13 other contestants in an exercise that was monitored by the then Akwa Ibom State INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr Mike I g i n i, a l o n g si d e o t h e r officials of the Commission. Other aspirants who scored some votes at primaries are Aniekan Etim, two votes, Mike Enyong, one vote; Senator Bassey Albert, one vote, while Mr Akan Okon polled three votes. Mr Onofiok Luke got three votes; Umoh Idorenyin James two v o t e s, w h i l e M r. I d e Owodiong scored one vote. The election that produced Eno as the Governor-elect was hotly contested, given the volatile electioneering campaigns in the State. Some Party members who were displeased with the result of the primary election went to court to cha ll enge his emergence, creating several controversies around his candidature. For instance, one of the contestants in the primaries, Mr Akan Okon, alleged that Eno presented a forged West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) result in his bid to become Governor, and while filing his suit in court, noted that there were disparities in the name arrangement and of the school, as well as the date of birth on the certificate Eno had presented. In January 2023, the court ruled that Okon’s arguments were based on assumptions and were not provable. After losing at both the Federal High Court and the Appeal Court, the Supreme Court dismiss ed his suit and affirmed Eno as the Party’s Pastor Umo Eno and wife, Pastor (Mrs) Patience Eno

23 candidate. Okon was also ordered to pay a N5 million fine. The apex court equally ruled on another of Okon’s case against Eno, declaring that he (Eno) was duly nominated by the PDP and eminently qualified for the elections. A t w o t e r m m e m b e r representing Uyo Federal Constituency in the National Ass emb l y, Ho n . Mi k e Enyong, also approached the Fede r a l High Court to challenge Eno’s emergence as the candidate of the Party. The trial judge, Fadima Aminu, on January 20, 2023 ruled on the case, ordering INEC to forthwith recognise and publish Enyong's name as a candidate of the PDP for the March governorship election in the State. INEC, in obedience to the court’s ruling, published the name of E n y o n g a s t h e P D P governorship flagbearer in the State, replacing Eno. The PDPappealed against the judgment and the threem e m b e r p a n e l o f t h e appe ll a t e court l ed by Hamman Barka in its ruling nullified the January 20 ruling of the Federal High Court which sacked Eno, saying it was based on errors. Hinging on this development, INEC restored Eno as the governorship candidate of the PDP. He went ahead to w i n t h e g o v e r n o rs h i p election. Eno, alongside 26 newlyelected members of the State House of Assembly, were p r e s e n t e d w i t h t h e i r certificates of return by the INEC official in charge of the South-South zone, Mrs May Ag b amu c h e -Mb u , a t a ceremony which took place at the commission’s office in Udo Udoma Avenue, Uyo, and witnessed by the political class, youths, support groups, women and other political parties. In his remarks shortly after being presented with his certificate, Eno explained the significance of the “Happy Hour” programme that he plans to institute which has gained traction since it was first mooted, saying the happy hour scheme was m e a n t t o e n c o u r a g e entrepreneurship and those w h o h a v e a c h i e v e d m i l e s t o n e s i n t h e i r businesses. “Akwa Ibom is in for a happy hour celebration. Happy hour is for hard working people. It is meant for people who have covered a milestone. Happy hour is not meant for lazy people, our youths are hardworking, our women are hardworking, so we deserve Pastor Umo Eno receiving his INEC Certificate of Return from Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu

24 once in a while a good happy hour,” he stated. Biography of Umo Eno Umo Eno is a clergyman, founder and lead pastor of the Al l Na t i o n s Ch risti a n Ministry International. He was born on May 10, 1964 in Ikot Ekpene, Nsit-Ubium local Government Area of the State. He started his early education in Lagos State at the Local Authority Primary School before returning to Akwa Ibom for his secondary education at St Francis Secondary School in Eket. He completed his secondary school education at Victory High School, Ikeja. He went ahead to obtain b a c h e l o r a n d ma st e r’s d e g r e e s i n p u b l i c administration from the University of Uyo. Pastor Eno is also a graduate of PanAfrican College’s Lagos Enterprise Faculty (LBS), and holds a Nationwide P r o d u c t i v i t y Aw a r d (FNCHI). He is currently pursuing a Ph.D at the University of Uyo. A visionary Christian leader and an entrepreneur par exc e ll enc e , Eno is the Governor/chief executive officer of Royalty Group, a company he founded in 1997 with business interest in hospitality, manufacturing and oil/gas sector with over 500 direct employees spread across Nigeria. The Governor, as he is called in Royalty Group, is an ordained apostle in the body of Christ and the undershepherd of All Nations C h r i s t i a n M i n i s t r y International. His thriving career began in 1982 when he joined the banking industry, working with Union Bank of Nigeria before venturing into private business. He was at Bertola Machine Tools between 1985 to 1990 and from 1990 to 1997 worked with Norman Holdings Limited where he rose to the position of group general m a n a g e r ( G G M ) , commercial services before leaving to establish Royalty Hotels and Recreations Limited in 1997. H e h a s h e l d m a n y appointments including the chairmanship of Akwa Ibom Hotels and Tourism Board from 2004-2007. He is the two-star Paul Haris Fellow of Rotary Club of Eket District 9140 and has received several awards for his public-spirited life. He is a recipient of the National Productivity Award and a fellow of Nigerian Catering and Hotel Institute (FNCHI). H e w a s a p p o i n t e d Commissioner of Lands and Wa t e r R e s o u r c e s b y Governor Udom Emmanuel in 2021 and is credited with decentralising the issuance of certificates of occupancy that had discouraged business people from investing in the State. He is an author of many books. Eno has been married to his beloved wife, Pastor (Mrs.) Patience Umo Eno for 35 years and together they have six grown-up children and a grandson. Pastor Umo Eno

overnor Bala Mohammed Go f t h e P e o p l e s Democratic Party (PDP) has won his re-election bid. In the March 18, 2023 governorship election in Bauchi, he polled a total of 525,280 votes out of the 1,058,381 accredited votes in the State to beat his closest rival, Sadique Abubakar of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who scored 432,272 votes. Senator Haliru Dauda Jika of NNPPgot 60,496 votes. Mohammed's vi c tory wa s seamless as he dusted his opponents in 15 of the State's 20 local council areas namely Toro, Tafawa Balewa, Ningi, Alkaleri, Dass, Ganjuwa, Zaki, Shira, Dambam, Pitas/Gadau, Warji, Bogoro, Jama'are, and Kirfi respectively. APC's Abubakar won in five local councils of Katagum, Misau, Darazo, Gamawa and Giade respectively. This is despite stiff opposition the Governor faced in his re-election bid when a coalition of different interests and political groups led by the immediate past Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, surfaced. Declaring him winner of the election, the returning officer, Prof. Abdulkarim Sabo Mohammed of the Federal University, Dutse, said Mohammed fulfilled all the requirements of the law by scoring the highest number of votes cast. The PDP equally won 22 out of the 31 seats in Bauchi State House of Assembly. The Governor was presented his certificate of return by the State's R e s i d e n t E l e c t o r a l Commissioner, Mohammed Nura. Accompanied by a mammoth crowd of drumming and singing supporters and wellwishers to the INEC office for the presentation, he assured the people he would consolidate the good governance established from the beginning of his a d m i n ist r a t i o n f o r t h e sustainable development of the State. Expressing gratitude for the orderly and peaceful conduct of the election, he promised to reciprocate the collective efforts of the common man through the provision of people-oriented projects across Bauchi. BAUCHI By Amina Yahaya Okeke GOV. BALA MOHAMMED COASTS TO VICTORY AGAIN IN BAUCHI 25

26 Gov Bala Mohammed coasts to victory in Bauchi Gov. Bala receives his Certificate of Return Gov. Bala and Deputy Gov-elect Gov. Bala signing his Certificate of Return

Biography of Bala Mohammed Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed was born on October 5, 1958 at Duguri t o w n i n A l k a l e r i L o c a l Government Area of Bauchi State. He attended Duguri Primary School, Bauchi (from 1965 to 1971) where he secured his first school leaving certificate. He went to Government Secondary School, Bauchi, from 1972 to 1976 for his s e c o n d a r y e d u c a ti o n a n d proceeded to the North-East College of Arts and Science between 1977 and 1979 for his advanced level certificate. Thereafter, he enrolled at the University of Maiduguri in 1979 and graduated in 1982 with BA degree in English Language. He attended the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) in 1988 for a general management course. In 1997, he attended a capacity building training in Lagos and was awarded a certificate of the Institute of Purchase and Supplies. He kicked off his career in journalism in the early '80s. He had a stint as a reporter with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). From there, he moved to the Mirage Newspaper, Jos, where he rose to the position of News Editor between 1982 and 1983. He worked with the Democrat Newspaper and was its Benue State Editor Benue from 1983 to 1984. Mohammed quit journalism in 1984 and joined the civil service as an Administrative Officer in the Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs, Abuja. In 1994, he was promoted and redeployed as Principal Administrative Officer in the Cabinet Secretariat of the Presidency. He was Chief Supplies Officer, Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals from 1995 to 1997. He rose to the position of Assistant Director in the Federal Ministry of Power and Steel in 1997, a position he held until 1999 when he was promoted to Deputy Director/SA to the Minister of Transport and functioned in that position from 1999 to 2003. 27 M o h a m m e d w a s a g a i n promoted to Director of Administration, Nigerian Railway Corporations in 2003. Later in September that year, he became a Special Assistant to the Minister of Aviation. In January of the following year, h e b e c ame Dir e c t o r o f Administration and Supplies, Nigerian Meteorological Agency. He was elected Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on April 21, 2007 to represent Bauchi South Senatorial District. He occupied that position until his appointment as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory in April 2010. He became the Governor of Bauchi on March 26, 2019, following his victory at the election that year. In that fiercely fought contest, the PDP candidate scored 515,113 votes to defeat the then-incumbent G o v e r n o r, M u h a m m e d Abubakar, who polled 500, 625 votes. Mohammed's 2023 Manifesto Bala's administration outlined new policies and programmes of key infrastructure, as well as social amenities provision and human capital development to consolidate his first term's achievements. “In the first term of my government, towns and villages have been opened up with new roads, we constructed hundreds of primary and secondary healthcare facilities and blocks of classrooms and have empowered thousands of people from all the twenty local government areas of the State,” he said, while assuring the people that more would be done in his second term. Gov. Bala with Bauchi PDP Chairman and INEC Official

OBOREVWORI CONSOLIDATES PDP’S HOLD IN DELTA STATE 28 h e P e o p l e s TDemocratic Party (PDP)’s stronghold in Delta State has been further strengthened with the Party’s victory at the March 18 governorship election in Delta State. Its flagbearer, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, dusted t h e D e p u t y S e n a t e P r e s i d e n t a n d A l l Progressive Congress (APC)’s Omo-Agege to emerge victorious. Declaring the result of the poll in Asaba, INEC’s State Returning Officer, Prof. Georgewill Owunari, who is the Vice Chancellor of Rivers State University, announced that he polled a total of 360, 234 votes to defeat his closest rival, Ovie Omo-Agege, who scored 240, 229. He said Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori Delta State Governor - Elect

29 the PDP got the highest votes in 21 out of the 25 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the State, leaving other parties with four. The Governor-elect, who is also the current Speaker of the State House of Assembly, described the electioneering process as the most tasking, demanding and draining so far in the current democratic dispensation, adding it was worth the effort. “Indeed, words are not enough to describe my joy and gr a titude a t be ing massively elected by you to serve as your Governor in the next four years. I am deeply humbled by your faith and vote of confidence in me,” he stated. H e c o m m e n d e d h i s opponents in the election for a very robust campaign and hard-fought electoral battle. The Governor-elect added that the victory was an affirmation of the people’s faith in PDP and their understanding that the right foundation had been laid by t h e I f e a n y i O k o w a administration to build a s t r o n g e r a n d m o r e prosperous Delta State. He lauded the outgoing Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa on human c a p i t a l d e v e l o p m e n t , infrastructural renewal and peace-building, assuring: “Mine is a mandate for consolidation and growth, for investment and economic reform, and for making the youth the centrepiece of our policies and programmes.” At the presentation of his certificate of return by INEC, the Governor-elect also promised to carry every relevant group and institution along in his governance, adding that he would adopt an open door policy. “My administration will c o n s o l i d a t e o n t h e achievements of the current Gove rnor, Sena tor Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa,” he declared. Addr e ssing the St a t e ’s Permanent Secretaries led by the Head of Service when t h e y p a i d h i m a c o n g r a t u l a t o r y v isi t , Oborevwori told them: “I will be transparent and will be Governor for all Deltans. Our Gove rnor, Sena tor Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has done very well. We will do well also, but I will need your cooperation. I will keep to my electoral promises. Pray for our Governor. He is a good man and has done very well.” Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori casting his vote

30 Biography of Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori The Delta Governorelect, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, was born on June 19, 1963 to the family of Chief Samuel a n d M r s . E s t h e r Oborevwori of Osubi town in Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State. He began his e a r l y c h i l d h o o d education at Alegbo Prima ry School and completed his secondary education at Oghareki G r a m m a r S c h o o l , Oghareki. He graduated fr o m A m b r o s e A l l i University, Ekpoma, with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science in 2004 and later proceeded to obtain a master's degree in Political Science from Delta State University, A b r a k a , i n 2 0 1 0 . O b o r e v w o r i i s a n alumnus of the Alliance Manchester Business serving in several key government positions, beginning as a councillor in 1996. He was elected Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly on May 11, 2017, following the impeachment of the then Speaker, Rt. Hon. Monday Igbuya. He was re-elected in 2019 as Speaker for a second term following his victory at the polls that year. School of Manchester University (leadership executive certificate programme) and the London School of Economics and Political Science (certificate programme on leading inclusive development). He began his political career as a grassroots politician and was the chairman of the Okpe community. He, however, broke into limelight in 2015 when he was elected as the member representing Okpe State Constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly under the Peoples Democracy Party (PDP). This was after 19 years of Rt. Hon. Ndudi Godwin Elumelu pays congratulatory visit to Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori Sheriff Oborevwori and his wife during his victory thanksgiving service

PDP’s Oborevwori consolidates PDP hold in Delta State Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, Delta State Governor -Elect, receives his Certificate of Return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) H.E. Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, Sheriff Oborevwori and his wife 31

T he Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Peter Mbah, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as the winner of the March 18 governorship election in Enugu State. Announcing the result at the INEC State Collation Centre, Enugu, the State Returning Officer and Vice Chancellor of the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, Maduebibisi Ofo Iwe, said that Mbah scored a total of 160,895 votes to defeat his closest rival, Hon. Chijioke Edeoga, of the Labour Party, who polled 157,552 votes. Fr a n k Nwe k e o f t h e All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) scored 17,983 votes, while Uchenna Nnaji of All Progressives Congress (APC) polled 14,575 to emerge third and fourth respectively. Iwe, who announced the result of the election at the resumption of the final collation which had been suspended for two days, said: “Peter Ndubisi Mbah, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), having satisfied the requirement of the law, is hereby declared the winner of the governorship election in Enugu State and is returned elected.” The PDP won in Uzo-Uwani, Ezeagu, Aninri, Udi, Awgu, Nkanu East, Nkanu West Enugu South and Enugu East Local Government Areas, while Labour Party took Igboeze North, Igboeze South, Igboetiti, Oji River, Nsukka, Isi-Uzo, Udenu and Enugu North local government areas. 32 By Anthony Okechukwu

Living up to his names, Peter Ndubuisi Mbah foraged through life with an uncommon focus and determination. He displayed courage, perseverance, resilience, conscientiousness and passion. These attributes have catapulted him to the pinnacle of relevance and ensured his position in national and global affairs. Guided by these lifelong attributes, Peter, among his other business engagements, founded Focus International Schools in Lagos at the early stage of his entrepreneurial journey, in recognition of the role of e d u c a t i o n i n n a t i o n a l development. Today, he is also the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Pinnacle Oil and Gas Ltd., an indigenous oil and gas company. Rising from a modest beginning, Peter's journey through life has been fruitful and full of impact. It spans through philanthropy, public service, the academia and entrepreneurship. A true bridge builder, a link between ancient and modern; a selfless humanist with global outreach, Peter is neither loud nor brash; he is tested and trusted. He is a man who understands the values of trust and loyalty. Education Peter's education commenced at the Army Children's School, Bori Camp, Port Harcourt, from where he obtained his First School Le a v i n g Ce rtifi c a t e wit h distinction. After leaving school, he wanted so much to be an international merchant. Thus, he e n g a g e d i n c o m m e r c i a l t r a i n i n g / t r a d i n g w h i l e simultaneously pursuing his academic studies. He later enrolled at Owode High School, Owode Egba in Ogun State, where he sat for and obtained his Senior Secondary School Certificate in 1992. It was while trading that he realised the importance of legal education. He applied to and was accepted to study Law at the University of East London (UEL), in the United Kingdom from where he obtained a Bachelor of Law (LL.B) degree, at the Upper-Class division in 2000. While at the University of East London, his leadership and organisational skills came to the fore. He was elected President of the Students Law Society between 1998-99. Under his leadership, the school won the students' union prize and certificate of achievement for the 'Most Productive Society of the Year.' From 1999 to 2000, Mbah was a M e m b e r , S t u d e n t s Representative Council of the UEL, as well as a Member of the School of Law Board, where he represented the final year students. He won the first prize of the University of East London Mooting Competition and led the University's team to the International Negotiation Competition. He returned to Nigeria to study for his bar examination, was called to the Nigerian Bar and awarded the Barrister-at-Law (BL) at the Nigerian Law School. He did his youth service 33 MEET PETER NDUBUISI MBAH ESQ “… a true bridge builder, selfless humanist with global outreach and a man who understands the value of trust and loyalty.” An International Maritime Lawyer, Business Magnate, P u b l i c A d m i n i s t r a t o r , philanthropist, Peter Ndubuisi Mbah was born about 50 years ago to the family of Chief and Mrs Gilbert Ekete Mbah, in Owo, Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State. In recognition of the importance of life, and with the assurance that their baby had a special mark and calling, his parents named him Ndubuisi. It was an assurance for them that so long as the boy lived, he would accomplish great milestones. At his baptism, he was named Peter, because his parents believed that like the biblical Peter, Ndubuisi would grow up to be a rock upon which great things would be anchored. They would be proved right over time.

Strategy and Innovation at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, and numerous other Executive programmes in leading business schools across the world, including the Stanford Business School and Harvard Business School. Academic Testimonials Peter's academic records and grasp of administration, even in his student days, could be gleaned from the testimonials to his leadership given by his former lecturers and tutors at the University of East London, as well as here in Nigeria. · Colin Sumner, Professor of Law, and Head of the School of Law at the UEL: “Peter has always struck me as an extremely determined and immensely capable young man. He is very sharp and alert, despite his easyg o i n g m a n n e r … H e resurrected a dormant body and won the university's prize for the Most Productive Society of the Year… (He) led our student team in the International Negotiation Competition.” Ke n McGu ir e , Se n i o r Lecturer and Peter's personal tutor at the UEL: “Peter is p e rs o n a b l e a n d we l lmannered. He is liked and respected by his fellow students and members of the academic at UEL. He is a diligent, well-organized, and hardworking student and his a c ademi c abiliti e s a r e excellent… one of the best students I have taught at UEL. He is confident of his abilities and works extremely hard.” Prof. Chris Ohurogu, Peter's lecturer in LASU: “He struck me as a very hardworking, intelligent, and highly motivated person (who) possesses such a degree of foresight and problem-solving mentality which surpass those of his peers.” En t r e p r e n e u r s h i p a n d Business Acumen Since leaving school, Peter Mbah has distinguished himself remarkably, seemingly to justify his tutors’- Sumner, McGuire and Ohuruoguassessments of his capabilities. Aside founding Pinnacle Oil and Gas from an almost zero base-worth and nil reckoning in the corporate world, he also sits atop the board and management of Pinnacle Pointers, a real estate and hospitality company. His business and professional track records have taken him through several spheres of activities such as import trade, o i l a n d g a s s a l e s a n d distributions, maritime logistics and public service. As diverse as his career in the oil industry has b e e n , t h e c o n s i s t e n t underpinning factor has been the passion for organisation, corporate governance, and the relentless search for knowledge. Peter Mbah has been a Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of numerous successful companies and sits on the boards of several establishments. Before Pinnacle Oil and Gas Ltd., he had earlier founded the Peter Mbah Investment Limited, a trading firm which served as the Nigerian representative to International Oil Corporation (IOC) based in Fresno, California, USA. He was the sole agent of IOC in Nigeria. 34 in Lagos with the law firm of Udeh and Associates and was mentored by the inimitable Justice Nnaemeka Agu (JSC, Rtd) of blessed memory, who was then a consultant to the firm. Subsequently, Peter proceeded to acquire a Master's degree in Maritime and Commercial Law from the Lagos State University in 2004. In addition to these academic achievements and in the spirit of lifelong learning, he has continued to expand his boundaries of knowledge by participating in numerous academic and capacitybuilding programmes. These include: · M a st e r's d e g r e e i n Business Administration from the IESE Business School, Barcelona, University of Navarra, Spain. · C h i e f E x e c u t i v e Programme at the Lagos Business School. · Post Graduate Diploma in

strategy document he evolved which became the operating template for Enugu State government's development programmes, the NewsWatch magazine's special publication of July 3rd, 2006, described him as “a man ahead of his time.” As the Commissioner for Finance, he was a Member of the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (Nigeria's highest fiscal allocation body), Chairman of the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee's Sub-Committee on Legal Matters, Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Enugu State I n s u r a n c e Comp a n y a n d Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Enugu State F i n a n c e a n d I n v e stme n t Company. He had also earlier served as Chief of Staff to the Governor in 2003, and by virtue of the role, he was Chairman of the Enugu State Tenders' Board; Member of the Enugu State Executive Council (highest decision-making body in the State), as well as Member of the State Security Council. Philanthropy and Social Service Peter is also the founder of Peter Mbah Foundation (PMF), a non-profit and non-political organisation, all-integrated innovative initiative and humanitarian-oriented project aimed at improving the health of people and standards of living in rural communities. PMF has since developed a 40- bed hospital in Enugu State, built several kilometres of rural roads, defrayed hospital bills for countless patients in hospitals across the country and funded the education of numerous students through its scholarship programme. He is also a member of the Governing Council of Geoffrey Okoye University, Enugu. Awards and Recognition Peter Mbah is a Fellow of the Certified Institute of Public A d m i n i s t r a t i o n a n d Management (CIPM), a member of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs a n d t h e N i g e r i a n B a r Association (NBA). He also holds an honorary Doctorate degree in Political Science from the Geoffrey Okoye University, Enugu. He is married to a wonderful woman and helpmate, one who has since marriage, helped to situate the ship of his destiny. They are blessed with four children – two daughters and two sons. In his leisure time, he remains an avid reader of his favourite genre of books; biographies and autobiographies. He enjoys sailing and is a member of the Lagos Yacht Club. He is also a member of the Enugu Sports Club and is a fitness enthusiast. 35 He also founded GILPEL Industries Ltd., a trading company involved in the import and sales of domestic electrical appliances, as well as Focus International Schools, a world-class Primary and Secondary school based in Lagos. In addition to the huge strides he has made in the areas of business, human management and public service, Peter Mbah is passionate about community development and service to humanity. His passion for intervention in community development is piloted by a zeal that is continuously driven by the quest for excellence, tenacity, resilience, and an indomitable 'can-do' spirit. Public Service In the area of public service, Peter Mbah made significant impact while serving in Enugu State as Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development under His Excellency, Governor Chimaroke Nnamani. As a testament to the uncommon contribution he made to the State's fiscal operations through the Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Gov-elect Peter Mbah and Deputy Gov-elect, Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai

sunshine, chose to occupy the INEC office in the last 72 hours. Their resolute resolve pointed at one single cause: That they are in a hurry for Enugu to connect with all the lofty goals that our administration is bringing to bear in our dear State. 7. Let me restate that ours will not be a government of any section of En u g u St a t e . It is y o u r government, Ndi Enugu. Under our administration, there can never be division between Nsukka and Nkanu or any other section of the State. We are all brothers and sisters. Those who attempted to create a wedge between us failed woefully. We were massively voted by every section of the State. Those who wanted to smack our heads together had an ulterior motive and it was to create perpetual fussing and fighting between us. We resisted their machination and today, we are coming together stronger. Our resolve thereafter is to pursue the spirit of divisiveness from our state. 8. Since the electioneering process began, though the road was rough, it was obvious that we were not alone on the rough road. At every intersection of the rough road, Ndi Enugu were with us. Collectively, we trudged along with bravery and strength of character. Your presence shielded us from rough tackles that were aimed at our spine. 9. It is why you, Ndi Enugu, are the hero of this victory. You sowed your sweats and prolonged discomfort that earned us this victory. In the hot and torrid sun, you were with us; when the rain – literally and metaphorically – drenched us, you stood by us, offering your clothes to damp our wet apparels. And when it was time to stand and be counted with your votes, Ndi Enugu, you did not let us down. 10. The choice you made is clear. You did not go through all those grueling moments for the sake of the fleeting berries of 36 TEXT OFTHE ACCEPTANCE SPEECH OF THE ENUGU STATE GOVERNOR-ELECT, DR. PETER NDUBUISI MBAH 1. Ndi Enugu 2. This is your Peter Ndubuisi Mbah. As you all know, the Independent National Electoral Commissi o n (I N EC) h a s announced my election as your governor-elect. 3. I accept this announcement with a glad, solemn and grateful heart and with only one obligation: to devote every tissue of my flesh, the totality of my mind and spirit to the task of the greatness of Enugu State. 4. This victory could not have been won except for God, with the active support of you, the people of Enugu State. While extending my gratitude to you, permit me to appreciate the current Governor of our state and members of his cabinet; statesmen; our party leaders; security operatives; religious leaders; civil society groups, the media, and everyone who made this a reality. 5. Like every electoral process, the journey of the last few months was intense. The one of the last three days was even fiercer. Enugu was literally at a standstill, waiting, with baited breath, for justice to take its course. There was restiveness in our youths and apprehension in the minds of the entire Ndi Enugu. The fear was that there could be miscarriage of justice. On the streets of Enugu, you could feel the palpable air of an overheated polity brought by the prolonged, tortuous road to justice of the last 72 hours. 6. Let me salute the dogged resolve of the people of Enugu State. I must particularly single out the patriotic men and women who, inside rain and skin-pelting Gov-elect Peter Mbah delivering his acceptance speech

Zones and Industrial Parks in all our senatorial zones. 15. We are in a hurry to unleash the tech talents in our young people, and grow and nurture their interest in business and vocations skills. We shall build a School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), an Innovation Incubation Centre, as well as a Skill Enhancement Centre in each of the three senatorial zones. 16. Ours shall not be an administration by a section of the state. We shall run an all-inclusive government designed to provide a n i n c l u s i v e e c o n o m i c development for our dear state. 17. As we bring water to all homes in Enugu metropolis in 180 days of our being sworn in, we shall bring water, in the shortest possible time, to Nsukka, Oji River, Udi, Awgu and others too. We shall frontally confront the infrastructural deficits in all parts of the state and no one will be left behind. 18. Let me, at this juncture, call on everyone to join me in this task of chiseling a great tomorrow from the rock of a despondent today. In the elections that we ran, we are all winners. No one is a victor, nor is anyone vanquished. The task at hand transcends emotions, politics and other mundane divides. 19. It is why I extend my hands of fellowship to all my colleagues with whom I ran the gubernatorial election. Our dear Enugu State is greater than all of us. Let us come together and give our people a tomorrow that befits their hard-work, industry and ancestry of greatness. 20. Once again, Ndi Enugu, I thank you for reposing your trust in us. Together, our tomorrow is here. 37 today. You made a huge investment for your tomorrow, for the tomorrow of your children and children's children. You chose to deprive yourselves of the perishable and glittering rewards of now so that a greater tomorrow can come. 11. In choosing us, you did not allow mundane reasons to stop you. You abandoned political p a rt y d i v i d e s, r e l i g i o u s denomination cleavages, clan and tribe. All you demanded was the candidate who would guarantee a tomorrow for you and generations of Enugu to come. 12. Now, Ndi Enugu, that tomorrow is here. Let me pledge to you, once again, that I will serve you and dedicate every of the 1,460 days that make up this initial tenure of office to serving you. I will remember the coarse road you travailed to get us here. In reply, we will speak resoundingly with policies of government that will give you comfort and rest of mind. 13. As I told you during the campaign, the administration we will run will bring joy to your hearts. We will make you remember March 18, 2023 with a toothy smile. In infrastructure, health, tourism, education and development of our state in general, we will run a government that you can be proud of. We are in a hurry to dualize the Abakpa, Ugwuogo Nike-Nsukka road, build a monorail from Enugu to Nsukka, Udi, Awgu and construct a ring road to connect all the 17 local government areas of Enugu State. 14. We are in a hurry to build a world class Theme Park in Enugu. We are in a hurry to establish Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in all the local government areas, as well as Agro-Allied Processing Peter Mbah excercising his civic right at the March 18th election at his home town, Owo, Nkanu East LGA

38 Peter Mbah receiving his Certificate of Return

39 …. Receives Certificate of Return he victory of Engr. TOluseyi Makinde of t h e P e o p l e s Democratic Party (PDP) in the March 18, 2023 general elections returning him for a second term as Governor of Oyo State (the Pacesetter State) is no surprise at all in view of his superlative record i n h is fi rst t e r m . H is Omituntun 1.0 development blueprint eased his reemergence as the Party’s gubernatorial candidate for Gov Seyi Makinde For Second Term In Oyo State BY INNOCENT IMOH Engr Oluseyi Makinde Re-elected Governor of Oyo State

40 the 2023 race. His victory is traceable to his l e ade rship c apa c ity in maintaining a united Party in the State where all faithful and followers resolved to support his administration’s amazing transformation agenda, which has revved up the economy of the State, impacting lives positively and winning the confidence of the citizens. At the end of the March 18 governorship election, the I n d e p e n d e n t N a t i o n a l El e c t o r a l Commissi o n (INEC) declared him the winner in Ibadan, the Oyo State Capital. Announcing the result of the Go v e r n o rs h i p c o n t e st, Adebayo Bamire, the INEC State Collation Officer and Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, said that Makinde scored 563,756 votes to beat his closest rival, Senator Teslim Folarin of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who polled 256,685 votes. Adebayo Adelabu of Accord Party polled 38,357 v o t e s t o c o m e t h i r d . According to Bamire, a total of 14,920 votes were rejected out of the 889,592 votes cast. Gov. Makinde won in 31 Local Government Areas while his closest rival, Teslim Folarin, won in two Local Government Areas. Before the election, the odds seemed to be against his second term bid but Governor Makinde shrugged off opposition to his candidacy to score a decisive victory. PDP also won 28 House of Assembly seats while APC won four. The Resident Electoral Commissioner for Oyo State, Dr. Adeniran Tella, issued Certificates of Return to the Governor and winners of the House of Assembly election in the State. At the event which held at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, the National Commissioner of the Independent National El e c t o r a l Commissi o n (INEC) in charge of Oyo and Lagos States, Mr. Sam Olumekun, presented the certificates to the winners. Speaking after receiving his Ce rt i fi c a t e o f Re t u r n , M a k i n d e p r o m is e d t o redouble efforts towards taking the people of the State from poverty to prosperity. Describing his victory as a divine mandate bestowed on him, he pledged to transform Gov Makinde and Deputy Lawal with spouses after receiving Certificates of Return

41 the State and make it the cynosure of all eyes in the country. The Governor further said that now that electioneering campaigns were over, it was time for the government to face the task of governance and building a state that will be the envy of all other states in Nigeria. He praised the conduct of the State Resident Electoral Commissioner and his team, while describing the election in the st a t e a s a good reference point for elections in the country. He said: “Today is not a day for long speeches but a day to thank the Almighty God on behalf of all the elected officials in Oyo State. “ I w a n t t o u s e t h i s opportunity to say that elections, electioneering campaigns are over now. No more abuses and all that; it is time for us to face the task of governance and building a State will be an envy of all the states in Nigeria. “This is the time for us to redouble our efforts towards taking our people from poverty to prosperity. This is a day to reflect on the decision of the people of Oyo S t a t e . I t is a d a y t o acknowledge all the people who have contributed one way or another to making today a success. “ I w a n t t o e s p e c i a l l y appreciate the Resident Electoral Commissioner and his team, because the Oyo State election is a reference point for elections right across the country. My coc o n t e s t a n t s h a v e congratulated me, and I received a call personally from my brother, Bayo Adelabu, and we got a notice from Senator Teslim Folarin as well. That is the spirit in Oyo State." Profile Seyi Makinde was born on De c embe r 25, 1967 in Ibadan, Oyo State, to Late Pa O l a t u b o s u n M a k i n d e and Madam Abigail Makinde of Aigbofa Compound in Oja’ba, Ibadan. He attended St. Michael’s Primary School, Yemetu in Ibadan and Bishop Phillips Academy, Iwo Road Ibadan. H e a ls o a t t e n d e d t h e University of Lagos, Akoka Yaba, Lagos and graduated with a B.Sc. (Hons) degree in Electrical Engineering in 1990. He was trained in Industrial Control Services in Houston, T e x a s i n 1 9 9 8 ; a n d Development of Analytical Comp e t e n c e a t La g o s Business School (now Pan Gov. Makinde accompanied by his wife, receives his Certificate of Return from INEC National Commissioner

42 African University) in 1999. He studied Fundamentals of Crude Sampling at Jiskoot Auto Control Tr a ining Centre, Kent England in 2002, and Understanding and Solving Complex Business Problems at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA in 2005. Professional and Business Career Makinde worked at Shell Petroleum Development Company for two years from 1990 to 1992 as a pupil engineer. Thereafter, he w o r k e d f o r R e b o l d International Limited as a Field Engineer and Assistant Manager (Eket Operations) from 1992-1997 where he d e s i g n e d , i n s t a l l e d , s u p e r v i s e d a n d c ommissi o n e d s e v e r a l instrumentation projects. In 1997, Makinde established his first business, Makon Engineering and Technical Services Limited (METS), after working for five years (1992-1997) with various international oil and gas companies (IOCs), as the Engineering Manager. He is a member of national a n d i n t e r n a t i o n a l professional bodies notably: N i g e r i a n S o c i e t y o f Engineers (NSE), Council for Regulations of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Oil and Gas Design Engineers of N i g e r i a ( O G D E N ) , International Society of Automation (ISA), Institute of Measurement and Control U K ; a n d A m e r i c a n Me a sur ement Institut e (AMI). Political Career M a k i n d e h a s a l w a y s maintained that joining the PDP was not for personal gains but for the development of the State by finding lasting solutions to the array of problems facing it. On September 29, 2018, he emerged the Oyo State governorship candidate of the PDP for the 2019 General Elections after polling 2772 votes during the primary election that took place at Liberty Stadium, Oke Ado in Ibadan. In 2019, he secured majority votes, 515, 621, to record an emphatic victory over the ruling party, the APC. He was duly elected i n t o t h e O ffi c e o f t h e Governor of Oyo State during the 2019 Gubernatorial elections for Oyo State which held on March 9, 2019. Awards and Recognition He is a recipient of several awards and outstanding r e c o g n i t i o n s l i k e Humanitarian Ambassador Award, Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Ibadan – 2014; Nigerian Gov Makinde fetes volunteer political groups at a dinner after his victory

43 Union of Journalists (Oyo State Council) - Laudable Contribution to Humanity Merit Award; Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (Oyo State Chapter) - Gold Merit Award for immense and invaluable contribution to sports development; Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (Ibadan) - Astute Politician of the Year 2018, amongst others. 2023 Oyo State House of Assembly The 10th Oyo State House of Assembly will be composed of two political parties namely the PDPand the APC. The Assembly will be made up of 30 males and 2 females; with PDPhaving 28 members (13 returning and 15 newlyelected) and APC 4 elected members. Oyo State: Roadmap for Sustainable Development (2023-2027) Governor Seyi Makinde’s second-term plan (manifesto) for the St a t e ha s be en captured in the “Oyo State Roadmap for Sustainable Development, 2023 to 2027.” Tagged the Omituntun 2.0, Makinde is projecting further sustainable development in O y o S t a t e b y h i s government’s open invite to all to invest in Oyo State in Agriculture, tourism, power g e n e r a ti o n , h e a lt h c a r e provision, industrialisation, security, education, etc. In agriculture, the State Gove rnment unde r his guidance and leadership c r e a t e d t h e Oy o St a t e Agribusiness Development Agency (OYSADA). They have been mandated to provide key insights on the specific areas of investment in Oyo State agriculture. U n d e r t o u r i s m , t h e g o v e r n m e n t o ff e r s opportunities for people in the hospitality business. Oyo State hosts one of two hanging lakes in the world at Oke Ado Mountain in Ado Awaye. The other, which is in the United States, is in Colorado and receives over 131,000 visitors yearly. In addition, Oyo State hosts Bower’s Tower, Agodi Parks and Gardens and Eleyele Lake. A keen eye will see the possibilities and grab them with both hands. T h e S t a t e a l s o h a s opportunities in the Health, Education and Security sectors. There are gaps in these sectors that investors can fill. It offers special incentives to encourage investors. T h e S t a t e w e l c o m e s investment in the power sector. There is a huge market for energy investment. The newly created Oyo State Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources is already looking into alternative sources of energy so that the Gov Makinde and Members-Elect to State Assembly attend post victory thanksgiving service

44 State does not rely solely on the national grid. Waste to Energy and Solar Energy are two a r e a s tha t the Ministry is exploring. T h e M i n ist r y h a s aspiration for energy sufficiency in the State. T h e st u d y t h a t i t commissioned recently shows that the state can generate about 200MW from solar energy alone. Drama and scenarios in the build up to the GuberPolls The pre-election odds p r e d i c t e d b y k e e n watchers against Makinde’s victory were quite high but he w o n w i t h a l a n d sl i d e becoming the only second incumbent to be re-elected in the history of democracy in Oyo State. Pundits predicted a close fight between the top three contenders - Makinde of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Folarin of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Ade l abu of Accord Party (AP). A few of the political analysts stated that the election was too close to call. Makinde r e li ed on his popularity with the people, h a v i n g d e li v e r e d lif e - impacting dividends of democracy to them in his three and a half years in the saddle as Governor. Folarin hoped to cash in on the massive victory recorded by his party in the State in the Presidential and National Assembly elections; Adelabu positioned himself as the p a r t y t h a t o ff e r e d a n alternative to the dominant APC and PDPin the state. Go v Ma k i n d e a d o p t e d consultative and town hall meeting style to reach the people at the grass root in each of the seven geopolitical zones of the state. H e k i c k - s t a r t e d t h e engagement on November 22, 2022 in Oyo town, which ran until December 17. Each zonal meeting was an opportunity for Makinde to meet stakeholders in each zone, hear their misgivings; p l e a d w i t h a g g ri e v e d members and reconcile aggrieved members. In each zone, he sued for peace and unity by asking all the Party faithful to unite for its victory. He also used the opportunity to tell constituents what he had done for their zones in the past three years and plans he h a d t o f u r t h e r b r i n g development to them through Omituntun 2.0. At each given opportunity, he canvassed support for his candidacy and for all the candidates of the Party. Post-Victory Speech At the thanksgiving service after he won a second term in office, Governor Makinde said he had prayed to God not to allow him to win reelection if he would not leave behind a good legacy. He urged residents of the State not to entertain any f e a r a b o u t h i s performance in the second term, as they had been captured in the “Oyo State Roadmap for Sustainable Development, 2023 to 2027.” He r e affirme d t h a t h is administration would keep tracking its efforts on a yearly basis to ensure that the plans are achievable. He said: “Before now, I kept telling God that if I will not perform and leave a legacy that will move people from poverty to prosperity, then, I should not win the second term election. “But everything went well and I can only say it happened by divine intervention.” “So, I am standing on God’s altar to promise the people of Oyo State that I will even work harder to bring more benefits to the people.”

45 he c andida t e of the Peopl e s TDemocratic Party (PDP) in Plateau State, Barr. Caleb Mutfwang, was unstoppable at the March 18 governorship election. He dusted his major opponents to emerge winner and Governor-elect in an election in which incumbent Governor Simon Lalong of the All Progressives Congress (APC) fought hard to ensure his candidate took over from PLATEAU: UNSTOPPABLE MUTFWANG BREAKS APC'S HOLD BY PATRICK PA OKON Barr. Caleb Mutfwang Plateau State Governor - Elect

46 him. The returning officer for the state governorship election and Vice Chancellor, Federal University, Lafia, Prof. Idris Amali, declared the result of the contest. He announced that Mutfwang polled a total of 525,299 votes to beat his major challenger, Yilwatda of the ruling APC, who got 481,370 votes and Labour Party (LP)’s Patrick Dakum who came a distant third with 60,310 votes. The PDP candidate beat the G o v e r n o r ' s a n o i n t e d candidate with 43,929 votes, scoring the highest votes in 10 out of the State’s 17 local government areas. He won in Barkin Ladi, Bassa, Langtang North, Langtang South, Riyom, Mikang, Mangu, Jos East, as well as Qua’an Pan and Pokkos respectively, while the APC scored highest votes in seven LGAs of Jos E a st , K a n k e , K a n a m , Pankshin, Shendam, Wase and Jos North respectively. The PDP was in power in Plateau from 1999 until 2015 when the APC candidate, Simon Lalong, dislodged it a f t e r w i n n i n g t h e governorship election. He was re-elected for another term in 2019. The LP candidate, Dakum, wa s one of the first to congratulate Mutfwang via a telephone call minutes later after the declaration of the result and pledged to pray and support the Governor-elect t o w a r d s t h e g r o w t h , development and progress of the State. His victory elicited jubilation and celebration by the citizens and residents of the north central state which many said signified the popularity of the candidate. At the presentation of his certificate of return by the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Oliver Agundu, assisted by INEC’ s National Commissioner, Mohammad Haruna Kudu, Mutfwang thanked the people of the State for reposing confidence in and voting for him, promising an a llinclusive leadership. “INEC on the Plateau has acquitted itself honourably. While it is true that along the line, some of the ad-hoc staff tried to provide room for the process to be sabotaged in one w a y o r t h e o t h e r, t h e leadership of INEC on the Plateau stood its ground and followed the due process of law, and that is why today, it has concluded the process that has led to rejoicing across the land,” he said. The PDP not only won the governorship, it secured 16 out of the 24 seats of the State House of Assembly. B i o g r a p h y o f C a l e b Mutfwang Mutfwang was born on March 12, 1965 in Wusasa, Zaria, Kaduna State. He had his primary education at the LEA Primary School, AmpangWest, Mangu LGA from 1973 to 1977. He then moved to Boys’ Secondary School, Gindiri, Mangu LGA where he finished his secondary education in 1982. He worked briefly with the t h e n F e d e r a l O ffi c e o f Statistics and the defunct Nigerian Bank for Commerce and Industry (NBCI) before continuing his educational pursuit at the School of Preliminary Studies, Keffi, from 1983 to 1984. He was admitted to the University of Jos in 1984 and graduated in 1988. He was called to the Nigerian Bar as a solicitor and advocate of the Supreme Court on December 4, 1989. He served the mandatory National Youth Se r v i c e Co r p s (NYSC) programme in Kaduna State Plateau Deputy Governor-Elect, Mrs Josephine Piyo Governor-Elect, Barr. Caleb Mutfwang

47 where he was elected by his colleagues as the president of t h e Ni g e ri a n Ch risti a n Corpers’Fellowship. The Plateau Governor-elect engaged in private and active legal practice in the Kadunabased legal firm of Byoma, I c h a b a & Co (Fi d e lit y Chambers) from 1990 to 1995. He was later to set up his own firm, Caleb Mutfwang & Co in 1996. From 2002 to 2004, he worked at the Peugeot Automobile Nigeria Limited, Kaduna, as t h e c omp a n y ’s De p u t y General Manager, Legal and Secretarial Services and Acting Company Secretary. He is a member of several professional bodies including the Nigerian Bar Association, t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l B a r Association, the Christian Lawyers’ Fellowship of Nigeria, the Christian Legal Society of America, as well as the Nigerian Institute of Management among others. He is also an alumnus of the prestigious Haggai Institute for Leadership Development, Hawaii, USA and board m e m b e r o f s e v e r a l companies. He was involved in offering legal services to i n d i v i d u a ls, c o r p o r a t e o r g a n is a t i o n s, f e d e r a l ministries, foreign agencies and governments. He failed in his bid to represent the good people of Mangu/Bokkos in the House of Representatives in 2011 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In 2014, he was elected the Chairman of Mangu LGA, and was the secretary of the A ss o c i a t i o n o f L o c a l Governments (ALGON) in Plateau State. Mutfwang is married to Helen M u tf w a n g ( n e e I n g b o Goldie), also a lawyer from Bayelsa State, and together they have three children. He is a committed christian who loves humanity and is clearminded, credible and capable of leading the process to raise the bar in Plateau governance. In support of the high demand for more women participation in governance, Mutfwang chose Mrs Josephine Piyo, a grassroots politician, as his running mate. She will now serve as the State’s Deputy Governor from May 29, 2023. Born in 1957, Piyo was at various times a healthcare w o r k e r, n u rs e , p u b l i c administrator and then teacher before her foray into politics where she got elected into the Pl a t e au St a t e Hous e of Assembly in 1999. She served as a Special Adviser to Plateau State Governor from 2008 to 2011. In 2014, she won election as the Chairperson of Riyom Local Government Area. Barr. Caleb Mutfwang receiving his INEC Certificate of Return from INEC

Plateau: Unstoppable Mutfwang breaks APC's hold Plateau Deputy Governor-Elect, Ngo Josephine Piyo, receivng her Certificate of Return from the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Oliver Agundu Barr Caleb Mutfwang and wife, Helen, flaunting his Certificate of Return 48

49 PDP RETAINS RIVERS WITH FUBARA AS GOVERNOR - ELECT BY INNOCENT IMOH Sir Siminalayi Fubara Rivers State Governor - Elect

50 ivers State has always Rbeen a PDP State. No other Party has been able to make an incursion since the return of democratic rule in the country in 1999. It has also been a place to watch out for at every election for the obvious reason of its strategic position as a very rich oil producing State. The outcome of the March 18, 2023 gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections in the State was no different from what was projected. It was a t o t a l s w e e p o f t h e governorship and all the assembly seats by the PDP. The State Returning Officer, Prof. Akpofure Rim-Rukeh, w h o is a ls o t h e Vi c e Chancellor of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, after the well-monitored exercise, d e c l a r e d t h e P D P governorship candidate, Siminalayi Fubara, winner. He said 496,852 people were accredited for the contest out of the 3,537,190 registered voters, with 483,934 recorded as valid and 10,670 declared invalid votes. The PDP candidate polled 302,614 votes to defeat his closet rival, Tonye Cole of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who scored 95,274 vot e s whil e the Soc i a l Democratic Party (SDP)’s candidate, Senator Magnus Abe and Labour Party (LP)’s Beatrice Itubo came a distant third and fourth with 46,981 a n d 2 2 , 2 2 4 v o t e s , respectively. The Governor-elect, while speaking at the presentation of his certificate of return by t h e I N E C N a t i o n a l Commissioner supervising Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa and Rivers States, Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu, urged the o p p o si t i o n t o j o i n h is incoming administration to build a better and progressive Rivers State. "For the opposition, our doors are open, including our windows. If you don't want to pass through the door you can enter through the window because we really need everyone on board for a better and progressive Rivers State," he stated. Fubara commended INEC for the successful conduct of the governorship election, which he described as one of the best in recent history of the State. Rivers State Gov, Nyesom Wike and Deputy, Ipalibo Banigo, join Gov-elect Fubara and team at post victory thanksgiving service in PH