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2023 Presidential Poll Neither The Best Nor The Worst – Adeoye
A renowned political analyst, and media relations expert, Mr Yemi Adeoye has shared his thoughts on the recently held general elections in Nigeria, as well as the issue of cash crunch, and it’s effect on the presidential election, even as he also shared thoughts on the forthcoming Governorship election.
He disclosed this on Thursday, during a live interview on Channels Television, and monitored by our correspondent in Lagos.
According to him, the presidential election was the seventh election since the return of civil rule in 1999, and while it may not be the best, it certainly was not the worst, as some very notable progress has been recorded.
He went on to say that while there are some concerns about the negative happenings during the Presidential election, it is important to note that this is the first time the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is using the Biometric Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for a national election, and as such, he believes that a 100 percent perfection rate is not to be expected.
Adeoye said “People are having mixed feelings and reactions about the election, but it is important to note that this is the seventh election that we will be having since the return of civil rule in 1999, and while it is not the best, it is certainly not the worst, and we have recorded some progress as a nation.
“It is not totally bad, but of course there are mixed feelings across, with regards to the developments during the presidential election, we believe that it is the first time INEC is using the BVAS, so some of us are not really expecting a 100 percent perfection to this, because it is being deployed for a national election for the first time.
Adeoye further encouraged Nigerians to remain patient and hopeful, acknowledging that this is the first time such a system has been implemented in the country. Despite the challenges that may arise, He is confident that the system will prove effective in the long run.
“I will have to appeal to Nigerians across board to let’s give the system a chance, and hopefully, we are going to get it right as we go along. It is the first time and much cannot be achieved at once.” He said.
Adeoye further went on to speak about the cash crunch and the availability of both the old and new currency in the governorship election which was initiated during the presidential election to aid reduction in vote buying.
when told that to some Civil Society Organizations, CSO, opined that the cash crunch had a positive effect in the reduction of vote buying.
Mr. Adeoye responded that “The naira redesign policy is part of the reason why we saw what looks like a voter apathy across Nigeria.
“During the last election, very few citizens came out to vote in spite of the huge collection of PVCs.
“This is still going to be a very sad point in our national history, because the policy was thoughtless. No matter how good or awesome it is, the timing was extremely wrong, and totally baseless at the time, because Nigeria is a cash economy, and not a credit economy.
“People live on cash to survive daily, so you can’t expect people to go out to the bank, queue up for five hours just to get 2,000 naira and then deploy that same effort to go and vote.
“People are angry, people are not happy, so that is the reason for the last voter apathy, and if the CBN can ramp up its actions, and make sure that banks, and ATMs are dispensing enough funds, both the old and new notes according to the supreme Court judgement, we should see an increase in voter turnout for the governorship elections across the nation.
“We must take note that since independence, it is the first time Nigerian’s are experiencing the buying of naira with naira. It’s okay to be queuing up for fuel, but not naira scarcity, it has never been experienced by Nigerians, and definitely it will take its toll.
it will have it’s negative effect on the turnout of the election, so we hope that the CBN would ramp up his activities and ensure that the banks and ATM are dispensing. Hopefully that would encourage people to turn out on the governorship election.” He enthused.
NATO air defence systems have intercepted a third ballistic missile believed to have been launched from Iran after it entered Turkish airspace, Turkey’s Defence Ministry confirmed on Friday, raising fresh concerns about the growing tensions in the Middle East.
In a statement, the ministry said the missile was neutralised by NATO air and missile defence assets deployed in the eastern Mediterranean after it crossed into Turkish territory.
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The latest interception triggered security alerts across parts of southern Turkey.
Air raid sirens reportedly sounded at the strategic Incirlik Air Base, a key NATO military facility that hosts United States troops and other allied personnel.
Residents in the nearby city of Adana were awakened around 3:25 a.m. by the warning alarms. Some locals reportedly captured footage showing what appeared to be a fast-moving object on fire streaking across the sky.
Similar sirens were also heard in the eastern Turkish city of Batman around 4:00 a.m., with reports indicating the alarm may have been linked to a nearby military drone base located close to the city’s airport.
The incident marks the third time NATO defence systems have intercepted missiles linked to Iran in recent weeks. The first missile was shot down on March 4, while a second was intercepted earlier this week.
Following Monday’s incident, the United States temporarily shut down its consulate in Adana and urged American citizens to leave southeastern Turkey due to security concerns.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, however, reportedly denied that the missile had been launched from Iran during a telephone conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The rising tensions come amid the ongoing conflict that erupted on February 28 involving the United States, Israel and Iran. Since the outbreak of hostilities, Tehran has reportedly carried out retaliatory strikes across several locations in the Middle East.
Incirlik Air Base remains one of NATO’s most important strategic military facilities in the region. The base has hosted US troops for decades and also accommodates military personnel from other NATO member states including Spain and Poland.
Another key NATO installation is located in Kurecik, in Turkey’s Malatya province, where US troops operate an early-warning radar system capable of detecting missile launches from Iran. The radar facility forms part of NATO’s broader ballistic missile defence shield.
Although Turkish authorities have consistently denied that radar data from the base has been shared with Israel, its presence has reportedly raised concerns in Tehran.
Earlier this week, Turkey also confirmed the deployment of a Patriot missile defence system in Malatya as NATO strengthens its regional missile defence posture amid the escalating conflict.
Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), operator of the joint venture between the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) and CNL has reiterated commitment to socio-economic development in the Niger Delta.
CNL has demonstrated interest in stakeholder discussions in respect of the proposed Escravos to Warri Road Project and continues to partner with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Delta State Government to understand the proposal.
During a visit of CNL and NDDC to the Delta State government on March 12, 2026, in Asaba, Segun Kuteyi, Director & Chief Operating Officer, Chevron Nigeria and Mid-Africa Region, highlighted CNL’s belief that the construction of the road will potentially improve connectivity and foster economic development in the region. He also recognized the critical importance of building the required synergy with the Delta State government through the project lifecycle.
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According to him, CNL believes that a collaborative approach with various stakeholders including government agencies, local communities, and private sector partners will deliver best value and the NDDC, being the initiator of the project, is a critical stakeholder in the project.
He said: “Nigeria’s Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme (RITCS) provides a framework that may incentivize eligible private sector participation,” he stated, adding that CNL will continue to collaborate with the Nigerian government and other stakeholders to support the development of the Nigerian oil and gas industry and the Nigerian economy.”
Allegations that about N210tn is missing from the accounts of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has been faulted by a coalition of professionals under the Ajiyya Solidarity Forum (AJF).
Addressing journalists on Thursday, ASF National Coordinator, Usman Hamza, described the claim as “mathematically impossible” and politically motivated.
The group’s position is in response to a recent claim by the Chairman of the Senate Public Accounts Committee, Ahmed Wadada, that the NNPC Limited could not account for about N210tn.
According to Hamza, such a figure was misleading.
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“Senator Wadada’s claim of N210tn ‘unaccounted for’ funds is a mathematical impossibility designed to shock the public,” Hamza said.
He argued that the claim did not align with Nigeria’s fiscal reality, noting that the country’s entire 2024 national budget stood at about N28.7tn.
“To suggest that a single entity ‘lost’ nearly eight times the national budget is an insult to the intelligence of Nigerians,” he added.
The forum also condemned threats of arrest warrants against former officials of NNPC Ltd, including former Chief Financial Officer, Umar Ajiya, describing the move as part of a coordinated campaign of political blackmail.
According to the group, the Senate committee may have misinterpreted financial figures by combining accrued expenses and receivables in a way that falsely suggests missing funds.
“We consider that the committee has erroneously ‘netted’ N103tn in accrued expenses, largely joint venture liabilities, with N107tn in receivables owed to NNPCL. Labelling money owed to a company as ‘missing funds’ is a professional travesty,” Hamza stated.
During the ongoing review of the financial records of NNPC Ltd, the Senate Public Accounts Committee, chaired by Wadada, raised concerns over alleged discrepancies running into trillions of naira.
The ASF maintained that the allegations ignored the broader financial and structural reforms undertaken by the national oil company in recent years.
Furthermore, Hamza mentioned that the tenure of former CFO Ajiya coincided with the transition of the national oil firm into a commercial entity under the Petroleum Industry Act, a reform that ended decades of opaque financial reporting.
“Mr Ajiya’s tenure saw the transition of NNPC into a commercially driven entity and the publication of the first audited financial statements in 43 years,” the forum stated.
ASF defended the N5.9bn cost incurred during the transition process of NNPC to NNPC Limited, saying it covered complex legal and structural reforms required to transform the former state corporation into a limited liability company.
The forum warned that politicising the Senate’s oversight role could damage Nigeria’s credibility in the eyes of international investors.
“Using the Senate’s hallowed chambers to pursue personal vendettas damages Nigeria’s reputation with international investors,” Hamza said.
The forum further called on the leadership of the Senate to institute an independent ethics investigation into what it described as an alleged demand for bribes linked to the ongoing oversight process.
“We call on the Senate leadership and its Ethics Committee to investigate the alleged bribe demand connected to this oversight exercise,” he said.
He urged lawmakers to stop what he described as the harassment of officials who have already submitted several technical responses to the committee.
“Public accountability should be pursued through a sober forensic review of facts, not through sensational claims and phantom numbers,” he added.
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