News

Anambra Decides: CDD Advocates Neutrality, Seamless Process; Says Litmus Test For Amupitan

Published

3 weeks ago

November 7, 2025

The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD-West Africa) has described the November 8 Anambra governorship election as a litmus test for the new INEC chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, and a crucial test of Nigeria’s democratic resilience and institutional credibility.

CDD Africa made this remarks in Akwa on Friday at its pre-election briefing and opening of its Election Analysis Centre (CDD-EAC).

CDD-West Africa, while calling on INEC “to maintain neutrality and ensure seamless electoral processes, in the November 8 election,” noted that while INEC has taken commendable steps to improve logistics and planning, “confidence remains fragile.”

It urged the electoral umpire to deploy voting materials timely, and ensure BVAS/IReV function smoothly .

It also urged security agencies to protect citizens “without intimidation or selective enforcement,” and appealed to political parties to “shun vote buying and commit to peaceful conduct.”

CDD West Africa further called on civil society and the media to amplify factual information and promote inclusive participation, while encouraging citizens to come out and exercise their democratic right to vote.

“With the CDD Election Analysis Centre (EAC) now fully operational, our disinformation experts will be working throughout the period to monitor, fact-check, and respond to emerging narratives,” the organisation said.

“The 2025 Anambra Governorship election is more than a sub-national election,” CDD-West Africa declared.

“We call on all actors to prioritise national interest, protect democratic integrity, and ensure a peaceful, credible and inclusive election,” it said.

Pre-election Observation

The CDD West Africa raised concerns over low electoral competitiveness, predictable voter apathy, and the fragility of key institutions ahead of the governorship election.

The CSO criticised political parties for their inability to mobilise and sensitise voters, saying that internal crises within major parties have weakened electoral competitiveness in the state.

On Security, CDD West Africa warned that weak oversight of vigilante groups and a history of violence particularly in Ihiala, Nnewi South, Orumba South, and border communities such as Lilu, Azia, and Amorka, could lead to low voter turnout, urging security agencies to “act professionally and protect voters without bias.”

On incumbency and federal influence, the organisation observed that the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the incumbent governor benefit from visibility advantages, new political alignments, and control over state influence channels.

It referenced the Anambra State Signage and Advertisement Agency’s (ANSAA) June 11, 2025 announcement imposing a N50 million permit fee for political parties’ billboard and outdoor campaigns, saying the policy “limits access for different political parties and increases campaign costs,” despite the N1 billion campaign spending cap under Section 88(2) of the 2022 Electoral Act.

On misinformation, CDD-West Africa raised the alarm over the state’s information environment, identifying widespread misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech as major threats to the election’s integrity.

The organisation’s assessment found “unequal access to information, gender-specific vulnerabilities, inadequate stakeholder preparedness, and persistent electoral risks.”

The CDD identified seven dominant patterns of information manipulation viz: targeting of security institutions with partisan bias claims, exploitation of religious divides, manipulation of political endorsement narratives, weaponisation of insecurity and “unknown gunmen” narratives, distortion of Igbo campaign statements, narratives questioning INEC’s competence, and gendered hate speech aimed at discouraging women’s participation.

According to the CDD, “This is another opportunity for the two million, eight hundred and two thousand, seven hundred and ninety (2,802,790) registered voters in the state to make their voices heard in electing the next state governor.”

It noted that despite INEC’s report of a 98.8 percent Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection rate, the group expressed concern that this might not translate into high voter turnout.

The group, while lamenting continued exclusion of women, youth, and persons with disabilities (PWDs) from the political space, noted that “only two women are contesting, both from minor parties,” while there are “no PWD candidates” and polling accessibility remains poor.

News

N200b Agric Credit Dispute: Appeal Court Slams NAIC, Upholds First Bank Victory

Published

2 hours ago

November 29, 2025

Editor

The Court of Appeal, Abuja, has dismissed the appeal filed by the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC) against First Bank of Nigeria in the long-running dispute over the disbursement of the Federal Government’s N200 billion Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme.

The decision was one of seven precedent-setting judgments delivered in six hours on Friday by Justice Okon Abang, underscoring his reputation as a hardworking, firm, and uncompromisingly principled jurist whose rulings continue to shape Nigeria’s legal landscape across criminal, human rights, banking, and civil litigation.

In 2013, the NAIC dragged First Bank before the Federal High Court via originating summons, alleging that the bank failed to deduct the mandatory 2.5 per cent premium under the agriculture credit scheme. First Bank promptly filed a counter-affidavit and written address, with both sides joining issues and exchanging further processes over the years.

But when the case was ripe for hearing, NAIC sought to suddenly withdraw its suit—claiming an unnamed Bankers’ Committee representative had approached it for an out-of-court settlement.

First Bank objected, insisting that once pleadings had been exchanged, withdrawal without consent should lead to dismissal, not a mere striking out. To strike out, the bank argued, would allow NAIC a second bite at the cherry—an abuse of process.

The Federal High Court agreed and dismissed the suit, prompting NAIC to head to the Court of Appeal.

Delivering the unanimous judgment of the Court of Appeal, Justice Abang held that NAIC’s appeal was “grossly misconceived” and that, having seen the bank’s defence, NAIC attempted to retreat and re-strategise, “only being smart, believing that it could cunningly manipulate judicial proceedings to save a suit that appears weak and manifestly unsupported.”

He stressed that, once a defendant’s counter-affidavit has been served, any withdrawal by the claimant must naturally lead to dismissal, not striking out, to avoid overreaching the respondent.

Justice Abang agreed with the trial court that, “Since issues have been joined and the matter has previously been adjourned on several occasions, the proper order to make on the application of the plaintiff is to dismiss the suit.”

The Court of Appeal also questioned NAIC’s reliance on an alleged intervention by the Bankers’ Committee—a non-party that had earlier resisted being joined in the matter.

The appellate court concluded that NAIC, having sighted the bank’s counter-affidavit, simply lost confidence in its case and sought a “soft landing” to refile later.

News

Nigeria Records One Of Africa’s Widest Gaps In Policy Reputation Index

Published

2 hours ago

November 29, 2025

Editor

Nigeria has been identified as one of the African nations suffering the largest disconnect between policy delivery and citizen trust, a finding described as the “defining governance crisis” across the continent, according to the inaugural RPI African Policy Index 2025 released by Reputation Poll International (RPI).

The comprehensive Index, which evaluates governance and policy performance across all 54 African countries, places Nigeria in the middle tier of “Strugglers” with an overall score of 52.3. This category reflects nations that achieve partial policy results but fail to earn public confidence.

Drawing from hard data on policy implementation and perception surveys involving over 25,000 Africans, the report shows that Nigeria records one of the continent’s widest Trust Gaps, sometimes exceeding 25 points between objective performance and citizen confidence.

The report flags Nigeria alongside South Africa, Angola, Egypt, and Zimbabwe as countries with the most severe mismatches.

In Nigeria, anti-corruption laws and other initiatives score reasonably well on paper but fail to inspire public trust due to perceived elite impunity and inconsistent enforcement.

Similar patterns exist across these nations, where oil wealth, infrastructure spending, and progressive legislation do not convince ordinary citizens that governments genuinely serve their interests. This trust deficit is highlighted as Africa’s core governance challenge.

The Index emphasises that without deliberate measures to close the gap—through transparent data, citizen audits, and visible accountability—policy ambitions alone cannot produce stable or legitimate outcomes.

By contrast, a small group of nations scoring above 70 demonstrate that world-class governance is achievable when delivery is matched by citizen belief.

Mauritius leads with 78.9, followed by Seychelles at 76.4, Cabo Verde at 74.8, and Botswana at 73.2. These countries excel because strong economic management, high vaccination rates, transparent institutions, and consistent progress in education and digital reforms are reinforced by equally high public trust.

Botswana and Mauritius succeed not because they are wealthy, but because they systematically include citizens in monitoring and feedback, narrowing the trust deficit to near zero.

Over half of Africa, however, remains far from this standard. The Strugglers tier (50–69.9) encompasses 30 countries, while 18 “Systemic Challengers” score below 50, from Sierra Leone at 49.2 to South Sudan at 28.4.

In these countries, structural breakdowns, chronic insecurity, and collapsed legitimacy produce average Trust Gaps of 35 points, undermining even modest policy efforts amid daily experiences of violence and exclusion.

Central Africa records the lowest regional average at 41.2, while Southern Africa dominates the top tier. West, East, and North Africa deliver mixed results.

For Nigerian leadership, the Index sends a clear message: policy formulation alone is no longer sufficient. As the country grapples with debt, youth unemployment, and climate pressures, bridging the Trust Gap through better communication, transparency, and inclusive monitoring has become essential to achieve sustained development and restore public confidence.

The RPI African Policy Index 2025 stands as both a warning and a roadmap: unless the trust deficit is addressed, Africa’s governance crisis will only deepen.
(GUARDIAN)