Abdallah Ibrahim, the brother of the woman involved in the suspension of Assin Central NDC parliamentary candidate Nurein Shaibu Migyimah, has clarified that his sister is single and not married, contrary to rumors.
Speaking on Onua TV’s morning show, Maakye, on Monday, July 1, 2024, Ibrahim emphasized that his sister, who was accused of infidelity, is unmarried.
He views the controversy as a deliberate attempt to tarnish their family’s reputation.
Nurein Shaibu Migyimah faced accusations of an inappropriate relationship with the wife of NDC constituency Secretary Sadique Broni, which resulted in his suspension by regional party executives.
However, Ibrahim clarified that while his sister was previously married to Sadique Broni, their marriage was dissolved in 2021.
He also refuted claims that his sister had a child with Migyimah, stating categorically that she has never been pregnant or given birth.
Reports alleged that Migyimah had rented accommodation for the woman in Kasoa, Awutu Senya East municipality, but Ibrahim confirmed that she resides in Assin Fosu, Assin Central municipality.
Explaining further, Ibrahim disclosed that the marriage between his sister and Mr. Broni was annulled due to deceit.
Their families belonged to different Islamic sects, and Mr. Broni had pledged to convert to his wife’s sect, which later turned out to be untrue.
Moreover, Ibrahim revealed that his sister had never harbored affection for Mr. Broni and was coerced into the marriage by their mother.
Additionally, Mr. Broni did not provide financial support to his wife, which resulted in her accumulating debts. He also faced health issues related to impotence and low sperm count, prompting medical intervention.
Despite the turmoil, the families officially dissolved the marriage after Mr. Broni threatened suicide multiple times upon learning of his wife’s intention to leave.
Concerned for his sister’s safety, Ibrahim advised her to vacate their residence, fearing potential harm from Mr. Broni to either himself or her.
He cautioned NDC constituency executives against involving his family in their disputes, stressing that there is no ongoing marital relationship between the secretary and his sister.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for Amenfi East, Ernest Frimpong, has been caught on video urging the assault of soldiers and other security officials who might attempt to interfere with the activities of small-scale miners.
In the video, Mr Frimpong addresses a group of small-scale miners, asserting that operations such as “Operation Halt” and “Galamstop” have been officially terminated, and soldiers no longer have the authority to conduct such operations.
“Operation halt, galamstop, whatever, whatever, soldiers that ambush you, we have cancelled all those operations and officially they do not have permission to run such operations again.
“So, if anyone comes to your site, you have the right to question him on his mission there,” he told the miners in the Twi language.
“If he says he is on patrol, then that is good because the patrol by the police and the security services protects you and reduces the incidents of robbery. So if from your own will you part ways with 3 million, 5 million or 10 million for him to use for fuel, you are just helping him and I won’t speak against it.”, he added.
“But if anyone comes around and says because he is a soldier, leave the site and dismantle your machines, don’t be moved by the uniform he is wearing, if he beats you, equally beat him. Fight him, I will come to your defense,” he charged the miners to a rousing applause.
He advised the miners to question anyone who shows up at their site about their mission. If the response is that they are on patrol, he suggested it is a good thing as it offers protection and reduces robbery.
He even mentioned that if miners willingly offer money for fuel to these patrols, it is a form of assistance and he would not oppose it.
Ghana has been struggling with the impacts of rampant illegal mining, known as galamsey, which has led to the destruction of water bodies and forest cover in recent years.
The Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, won the Gombe State presidential vote on February 25.
In the 11 local government areas (LGAs) of the state, he received 319,123 votes, according to the results released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to the Gombe State Collation Officer, Prof Maimuna Waziri, who announced the results around 1 a.m. on Monday, the PDP candidate received the most votes in the North-East state.
The former vice president defeated his closest competitors, Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), by a margin of more than 160,000 votes.
Large crowds of Nigerians hoping for a fresh start after years of escalating violence and hardship under outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari were not deterred, despite the lengthy delays and scattered acts of violence that took place on Saturday in Africa’s most populous country.
The official results could be anticipated late on Sunday, according to the electoral commission. By the time it was time to count the votes, some polling places had already closed, while others were still accepting votes.
Now, Sunday is anticipated to see some voting.
Regardless of the outcome, numerous crises will arise.
Africa’s biggest democracy is struggling with rebels in the northeast, an epidemic of kidnappings for ransom, conflict between herders and farmers, shortages of cash, fuel and power, as well as deep-rooted corruption and poverty.
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the outgoing administration have been credited for the ongoing cash and fuel crisis that has paralysed economic activity nationwide. Voters said they were showing their dissatisfaction at the polls.
“Everything that has happened in the past eight years has [been] draining for me,” Oyinkan Daramola, 29, told Al Jazeera. She declined to disclose whom she has voted for out of fear of possible reprisals but hinted at a disdain for the two dominant parties.
This was a common feeling in various locations visited by Al Jazeera across six local government areas in Lagos.
“We cannot keep doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results,” Daramola said.
Buhari, a retired army general, is stepping down after serving the maximum eight years allowed by the constitution. The main contenders to succeed him are former Lagos governor Bola Tinubu, 70, of the APC, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, 76, of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and former Anambra State governor Peter Obi, 61, of the smaller Labour Party.
All three voted in their home states, surrounded by chaotic scrums of reporters and supporters.
Some states were expected to announce results on Sunday, and the final tally from all 36 states plus the federal capital Abuja was expected within five days of voting. National Assembly seats are also on the ballot in this election.
“Polling units in a number of areas closed and sorting and counting of ballot papers have commenced,” Mahmood Yakubu, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman, said in a press briefing on Saturday evening.
Voting delays
In Mpape, a largely undeveloped but densely populated district within the capital territory, hundreds of weary voters were seen waiting to cast their votes.
“I’ve been here since 7am today just to vote. I came before the INEC officials even got here, and yet, I’m not ready to leave here until I have voted,” a 45-year-old school teacher, who gave her name only as Patricia, told Al Jazeera at approximately 3pm local time (14:00 GMT). She was one of nearly 700 people waiting to vote.
At 7pm (18:00 GMT), she was still in the queue, waiting her turn.
“I had to go home to feed my family, but I am back now,” she said. She was number 409 on the list of voters standing in the rain to cast their votes.
In Wuye District, a neighbourhood to the west of Abuja city centre, more than 100 people, mostly young, were seen still waiting to vote at nearly 8pm local time (19:00 GMT).
Officials from INEC cited technical problems with a new biometric antifraud voter accreditation system, the late arrival of vehicles to transport them and the absence of voter registers as causes of delays.
“It is frustrating that INEC are not prepared for us. All we want is just to vote,” said Sylvester Iwu, who was among a large crowd waiting at a polling station in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State in the southern oil-producing Niger Delta.
In a televised news briefing, INEC’s Yakubu said six biometric machines had been stolen in northern Katsina State and two in southern Delta State. He also acknowledged the delays but said voters would be able to cast their ballots.
“The election will hold, and no one will be disenfranchised,” he said.
Yakubu said at a later briefing that voting would take place on Sunday in several wards in Yenagoa that had experienced severe disruption on Saturday.
Morayo Ajayi, a 22-year-old undergraduate student in Akwa Ibom, said she is determined to vote for her candidate no matter how late it got.
“I don’t care if I have to sleep here, but I’m going vote for Peter Obi today,” she said. “Of course, I’ve been waiting for hours, but I don’t mind the wait. I will see this to the end,” she said.
Many youths across Nigeria are supporting the Labour Party’s candidate Peter Obi. Still, the APC’s Bola Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar of the PDP are widely seen as the candidates to beat
In Elegushi, an affluent area of Lagos, 54-year-old banker Osho Adekunle waited in line for five hours. He is voting for Tinubu because of his “antecedents” in Lagos, a fulcrum on which Tinubu’s supporters based his campaign.
“We that know about the history are not voting on sentiment but on practicality,” he said.
Voter frustration
There were reports of scattered violent incidents on Saturday, though not on the scale seen in previous elections in the country of more than 200 million people.
In northeast Borno State, suspected fighters from the Boko Haram group fired mortar shells in the rural Gwoza area, killing one child, wounding four others and disrupting voting, army sources said.
In Abuja, a team from the anti-corruption Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was attacked by thugs just after arresting a man on suspicion of paying for a group of people’s votes using a banking app, the commission said.
In most areas, however, the day appeared to have unfolded peacefully despite frustrations over the delays.
An INEC official holds up a ballot paper during the counting process at a polling station in Egbeda, Lagos, during Nigeria’s presidential and general election [Benson Ibeabuchi/AFP]
In Aguolu, Obi’s hometown in his native Anambra, voting went smoothly. EFCC officials stopped by to monitor voting there for any possible inducement of voters.
Across parts of Onitsha, Anambra’s commercial capital, and portions of nearby Asaba, the administrative capital of Delta state in the Niger Delta region, many old and young people said they were voting for Obi.
This, despite Delta state Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, an Igbo, being deputy governor on the PDP’s ticket alongside Atiku Abubakar, whom Obi ran with in 2019.
“That’s not my problem, ” Emmanuel Edozie-Uno, a 23-year-old student voting for Obi in Asaba, told Al Jazeera. “I voted for Obi.”
Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for president, cast his ballot at a polling location in Bourdillion, Ikoyi, Lagos State.
He did so along with other party leaders and his wife Remi. Speaking to reporters, he declared that Nigeria’s democracy “is here to stay” and that he is “too confident of victory.”
He claimed that the voting process was “going well” and “going smoothly.”
On the turnout of voters, the APC candidate said, “This is expected; we need a good turnout, and that is the adoption and the commitment to democracy and the democratic process that must take place.”
Asked how certain of victory he is, Tinubu said, “I’m too certain.”
The APC flag bearer is one of the leading candidates in the race for Aso Rock. Tinubu’s major contenders include Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).
Accreditation and voting have commenced in many polling units across Nigeria as the 87.2 million voters with Permanent Voter Cards go to the polls to elect a new president and members of the country’s National Assembly.
Officials of the country’s electoral agency,the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), are on the ground at the 176,606 polling units scattered across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory that make up Nigeria.
Nigerians will head to the polls Saturday in a fiercely-contested presidential vote that analysts say is too close to call.
It will be the largest democratic exercise on the continent as Africa’s most populous nation picks a new president.
The crucial electioncomes as the country battles myriad economic and security problems that range from fuel and cash shortages to rising terror attacks, high inflation, and a plummeting local currency.
For the first time since the country’s return to democratic rule in 1999, none of the candidates is an incumbent or a former military leader.
Outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari is term-limited and will step down amid a patchy legacy that has brought “a lot of frustration and anger” to Nigerian voters, analysts say.
Who are the candidates?
Eighteen candidates are in the running for Nigeria’s highest office, each confident they can turn the country’s fortunes around if voted into power, but opinion polls suggest three are leading the race for the popular vote.
Nigeria’s presidential elections have typically been two-horse races between the ruling and opposition parties, but this year’s vote has a third strong contender, Peter Obi, who is running under the lesser known Labour Party.
Tinubu, 70, a former governor of Nigeria’s wealthy Lagos State, wields significant influence in the southwestern region where he is acclaimed as a political godfather and kingmaker.
The affluent political veteran, boasts of aiding the election of Buhari to the presidency on his fourth attempt in 2015, after three previous unsuccessful bids.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu, foreground right, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Nigeria ruling party, during an election campaign rally.Joshua Olatunji/AP
After decades as a political puppet master, Tinubu declares it is now his turn to emerge from the shadows into the presidency; his campaign slogan is “Emi Lokan,” which translates to “it is my turn,” in his native Yoruba language.
The ruling party candidate has, however, been dogged by allegations of graft, which he strongly denies. Critics say he has also not convincingly addressed concerns about his health, and has, at times, appeared confused and incoherent on the campaign trail. He has also made gaffes that have made him the butt of jokes and viral memes on social media.
Tinubu has also come under criticism for abstaining from presidential debates and delegating questions about his manifesto to members of his team during a recent outing at the UK think tank Chatham House.
One of Tinubu’s main challengers is the opposition party’s Abubakar, who is running for the sixth time following five previous losses.
Abubakar, 76, who served as vice president from 1999 to 2007, is a staunch capitalist who made his fortune investing in various sectors in the country. The tycoon has been investigated for corruption in the past. However, he denies any wrongdoing.
Many believe Abubakar’s presidential ambition might usurp an unofficial arrangement to rotate the presidency between Nigeria’s northern and southern regions, since he is from the same northern region as the outgoing leader, Buhari.
Peter Obi is a two-time former governor of Anambra State who is being touted as a credible alternative to the two major candidates.
Obi eschews the excesses of the typical ‘African Big Man’ leader He shuns a large entourage, flies economy class and carries his own luggage. His “no frills” approach has attracted hordes of supporters, mostly young Nigerians who call themselves ‘Obidients.’
Citizens have also been disrupted by an attempt to curb vote buying by making the old currency notes useless to prevent rogue politicians from stockpiling cash. But there are fears shortage of the new naira notes could disrupt the elections itself.
Electoral body INEC reportedly warned that the inability of banks to distribute enough of the new cash could make it difficult to pay temporary staff and security guards needed to operate thousands of polling stations for presidential and parliamentary elections on Feb. 25.
As it is, voting will not take place in more than 200 polling units across Nigeria, in places such as Imo and Taraba (two of Nigeria’s conflict-prone states) says INEC, because of concerns over security.
Separatist gangs and marauding gunmen known locally as bandits have terrorized parts of the country through kidnappings for ransom.
Elsewhere,other impediments threaten voter turnout as some Nigerians are yet to collect their permanent voter’s card (PVC) with less than a week to the poll.
“Nigerians fall under two buckets: One is insecurity. However, overall, the main issue that Nigerians agree needs to be dealt with is the economy,” he said, with concerns ranging from poverty to unemployment and policy.
“The cash crunch, petrol scarcity … are issues that are likely going to be top of mind for those who make it to the polls and arguably could sway the votes,” Famoroti says.
Fuel shortages and scarcity of the newly redesigned local currency have stirred violent protests in parts of Nigeria as millions of people struggle to get their hands on new versions of bank notes.
Nigerians expect the eventual winner of the presidential poll to hit the ground running in finding solutions to those problems, including tackling the country’s burgeoning debt profile, oil theft, and a controversial petrol subsidy that deprivesthe country of major oil revenue.
The top three candidates have made promises to tackle some of these issues. The ruling party’s Tinubu vows to create jobs, grow the economy, and “obliterate terror, kidnapping, banditry, and violent crime from the face of our nation.”
Touting a “recover Nigeria” mantra, the PDP’s Abubakar says he wants to “block government wastages” by first running a small government, weaning the country off the petrol subsidy, and making it “the hub of crude oil refining in Africa.”
The Labour Party’s Obi says his government will be keen to shift Nigeria’s focus “from consumption to production” while also being determined “to fight and significantly reduce corruption” and create systems to reduce unemployment, insecurity, and inflation.
Who is tipped to win?
A predictive poll by Stears puts Obi ahead of the two main challengers in a large voter turnout scenario. A lesser turnout will favor Tinubu, according to the Stears’ poll.
“There was a scenario where we only considered voters who had picked up their PVC … based on that scenario, the Labour Party candidate is the most likely winner,” Famoroti told CNN.
“However, we then also estimated a low turnout scenario. The idea is that these are the harder than hardcore voters and those that most likely will turn up to vote on the day. Under that scenario, the APC candidate … emerges victorious,” he added.
Another poll by Lagos-based SBM Intelligence does not foresee a frontrunner but suggests that Obi and Abubakar could garner a sufficient number of ballots to meet the 25% vote spread in 24 of Nigeria’s 36 states required by law to win.
The forecast is different for the Political Africa Initiative (POLAF) whose survey polled three million people and predicts a close race between the opposition PDP (38%) and the ruling APC (29%).
Obi’s Labour Party is projected to occupy third place with 27% of the votes.
“This election is extremely difficult to predict,” Moghalu, the political economist, told CNN.
“That’s because of the ‘Third Force’ factor of Labor Party candidate Peter Obi, which has scrambled the projections of the two traditionally dominant parties, APC and PDP.
“While many still believe one of the two will come out on top ultimately, the fact that several scientific opinion polls have put Obi in the lead means that the possibility of an upset clearly exists,” says Moghalu.
Moghalu believes Nigerians may vote largely along ethnic and religious lines, as well as traditional party lines.
“The only major factor that is an ‘issue’, and will influence many votes, is the hunger for a change in direction which millions of young and middle-aged voters have, and for that reason support Obi. Will that be enough to propel him to victory? That’s the X-factor.”
In anticipation of the February 25, 2023 presidential elections, Chatham House, a significant policy institute and think-tank forum, has invited Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) to speak about his ideas for Nigerians.
Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, is anticipated to attend the event in London, United Kingdom, on January 16, 2023. This gathering and its associated products are just one of many that focus on the 2023 elections in Nigeria.
On December 5, 2022, Bola Tinubu, an All Progressives Congress (APC) rival of Obi’s, gave a speech at Chatham House in London where he discussed some of his ideas for crucial areas like technology, education, the military, and the economy.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu
As part of the event, which drew harsh criticism, Tinubu also assigned some of his loyalists, including governors and MPs now in office, to respond to questions from attendees.
Obi, Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are the leading candidates in the 2023 presidential race.
One woman is running for president of Nigeria out of the 18 candidates, but experts says she has no chance of winning, and neither do the other 13 contestants.
According to the majority of analysts, only four candidates; Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar of the main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), have a chance of winning or influencing the outcome of the presidential election in February 2019.
Peter Obi is the youngest of the four at 61 years old, despite the call for leaders from a younger age. They are all familiar with one another and with Nigerian politics.
Bola Tinubu, a two-time governor of Lagos state who is running for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the February elections, has avoided the Nigerian media since winning the party’s ticket, instead delegating spokespeople to speak on his behalf.
In addition, in the run-up to the elections, he avoided presidential debates and town hall meetings with other candidates.
As a result, many people who tuned in to Mr Tinubu’s highly publicised appearance in London had high hopes of hearing him answer key policy questions.
How would he deal with widespread insecurity in Nigeria? How would he solve the country’s huge unemployment rate? How would he stop oil theft in the Niger Delta?
Thankfully, these questions were asked by journalists inside the packed hall but many were stunned as Mr Tinubu elected aides to respond on his behalf, a departure from the norm at the institute popular with those seeking elective offices in Nigeria.
A spokesman for the candidate of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) described it as “an abdication of responsibility” while many others said it confirmed Mr Tinubu’s lack of physical and mental rigour to lead Africa’s most populous country.
But Dele Alake, his media adviser – who answered a question on his behalf at the event – said those criticising Mr Tinubu “are ignorant of the nuance and dynamics of leadership”.
“He wanted to show the calibre of his team,” he said.
The APC candidate did take some questions though, speaking publicly for the first time on controversies surrounding his age and work profile.
He confirmed he was 70 sayinghe was born in March 1952 – there had previously been a lot of speculation about his age.
He also said that he had been schooled at Chicago State University and later worked at financial consultancy firm Deloitte, both facts have been greatly disputed in the past.
Mr Tinubu is one of three frontrunners seeking to lead Nigeria next year.
