This is Zikoko Citizen’s Game of Votes weekly dispatch that helps you dig into all the good, bad, and extremely bizarre stuff happening in Nigeria and why they’re important to you.
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In another universe, Nigeria’s a hit reality TV show with no boring moments; from actors who say their only mortal flaw is unfaithfulness to their partners, and socialites attending yacht parties in aso-ebi, to election candidates making more enemies than friends.
During the campaign rally held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom for the All Progressives Congress (APC), their presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, once again made scathing remarks that had everyone wondering if the APC’s being serious with their choice of candidate. And at this point, the APC’s public relations team should probably ask for a pay raise because they’ve done more damage control and quenched more fires than Nigeria’s Fire Service.
But what exactly happened?
Rather than do his campaign peacefully in a state ruled by the opposition People’s Democratic Party, Tinubu insulted the state’s governor, Emmanuel Udom, referring to him as “a boy” who lives in his backyard in Lagos. And that, if not for his graciousness, he’d have driven Udom out of his mansion with reptiles.
Governor Udom, trying to be the bigger person, brushed off the comments by saying Tinubu has nothing to offer the country. But a Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Awka Ibom wants to defend their governor’s honour and has given Tinubu seven days to retract his statements, apologise, or face the almighty legal actions.
Well, people have always referred to Bola Tinubu as a “master tactician”, so maybe making enemies is one of his strategies for winning the election, and the rest of us can’t see it because we aren’t eating enough corn.
What else happened this week?
ISWAP Does Giveaway For Borno Passengers
It’s weeks until the 2023 general elections, but it’s starting to look like the country is on airplane mode. The impossible is now becoming a reality as the naira is now so scarce Nigerians are spending naira to buy Naira, and insurgents have started giving money away to people.
On January 28, 2023, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) insurgents dressed in camouflage and stood under a tree with bags of money on the Maiduguri/Monguno highway in Borno State. Then, they stopped vehicles along the route and gave each passenger ₦100,000. But that wasn’t all; they also instructed them to swap it for new naira in banks if possible and then let them go with a prayer saying: “May Allah make it beneficial for you”.
At this point, one would think this is a skit.
Have you seen this video?
Question of the week
Many people this week have had to pay ridiculous charges to withdraw money at POS centres. Is it time to go back to the trade-by-barter system?
Ehen one more thing…
A freak accident happened this week at the Ojuelegba bridge, which claimed the lives of 8 people. But this isn’t the first time. Here’s a timeline of accidents that have occurred on the same bridge.
