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Sanwo-Olu camp jittery over Jandor’s determination to overturn election victory at tribunal

The Eyewitness reporter
There is a palpable fear mixed with anxiety in the camp of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu over the latest move by the Lagos State’s  Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) submission of a petition before the Lagos governorship election tribunal, challenging the outcome of the state guber election.
Inside sources revealed that Sanwo-Olu,the Governor of Lagos State and his men, who are of the APC, are aware of the groundswell of allegations of corruption surrounding the March 18, 2023, gubernatorial elections in the State and are afraid that if these allegations are properly proven, might upset the apple cart at the elections tribunal.
Besides, Abdul-Azeez Adediran, the PDP governorship candidate, popularly known as Jandor has presented a very strong case at the tribunal with weighty evidence that will likely upturn the election results.
Jandor is calling for the disqualification of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Labour Party (LP) candidates in the election for “non-compliance” with the Electoral Act 2022 as well as the guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In the petition marked EPT/LAG/GOV/01/2023 dated April 7, the petitioners said APC did not comply with the INEC timetable and schedule of activities for the 2023 general election which stipulated that all political parties must give 21 days’ notice to INEC before the conduct of the primary election.
While INEC is the first respondent, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Obafemi Hamzat, his deputy governorship candidate; APC; Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, LP governorship candidate, and the LP respectively are the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th respondents.
Besides the allegation of non-compliance with relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, Adediran added that at the time of the governorship election, Sanwo-Olu, Hamzat, and Rhodes-Vivour were not qualified to contest the election.
He asked that all votes cast for them in the election be declared wasted.
According to the petition, the APC also failed to comply with the requirement of the Electoral Act 2022 which states that every political party sponsoring a candidate in the general election shall submit the nomination form of such candidate(s) not later than 180 days before the conduct of the general election in forms EC9.
Adediran and the PDP added that Sanwo-Olu failed to attach a copy of the GCE O’Level result he claimed to have sat for in 1981 along with his form EC9 as required by the Electoral Act 2022 among other allegations.
Some lawyers that looked at the breakdown of the petition gave Jandor kudos for doing a thorough job capable of disqualifying Sanwo-Olu and the Labour Party candidate at the tribunal.
Analysts believe that Jandor did a yeoman’s job and with experienced Lawyers, Sanwo-Olu may just be on his way out of the government house if the case is properly decided.
Jandor came third in the election with 62,449 votes, behind the duo of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party.
Sanwo-Olu scored 762,134 votes to edge out the LP candidate who got 312,329 votes.
Rhodes-Vivour had since rejected the outcome of the election and vowed to challenge it in court.
Before the elections, Jandor had expressed confidence in winning, irrespective of the antics of the ruling party or enemies within. He declared that no candidate including the incumbent Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, had ever worked like he had done in the electioneering, going to meet people in various communities across the 245 wards in the state.
Bolstered by this and the reception he was getting from fans, he took the offensive. Addressing newsmen sometime at his campaign office in Ikeja, the 45-year-old Adediran said he was in the race to win and bring in a breath of fresh air.
According to him, “We know they (APC) have been collecting Permanent Voter Cards, PVC, from the electorate to manipulate the polls’ result. But we are assuring them they will meet their waterloo this time.
“They (APC) do not have the monopoly of madness. Machinery has been put in place to check for any fraudulent moves. We will protect our votes from polling to collation centres.
“This election is to send the ruling APC packing. Remain steadfast, and calm down because the battle is of the Lord. We will win this election.
He urged his fans not to succumb to their threats and intimidation, adding, “We will protect our votes. Our votes will count this time, come out en-masse to exercise your rights.”
The weeks leading to the elections came with much turbulence for Jandor with allegations of rape, stepping down for other candidates, his campaign DG leaving him for LP as well as perceived backstabbing by trusted members of his party.
Jandor believed that the campaign of calumny and machinations was orchestrated by members of the opposing party who saw his rising profile and wanted to pull him down by all means.
He told the media in one of his briefings, ”We are all aware of the whirlwind in the polity towards this governorship polls in Lagos as a result of activities of some godfathers in PDP and APC who are bent on subverting the wishes of the majority.
” It is about the candidate that has been everywhere to see things for himself. It is about time that we elected a governor that is not tied to the apron of any godfather.
“We are here stating that all the rumours that are out there purportedly being sold by some people in some quarters is nothing but false.
“Lagos PDP is not in alliance with any political party. As the candidate of the party, I have not stepped down for anybody, we are not stepping down for anybody, and we are not going to step down for anybody.
“There has not been any formal meeting between Lagos PDP and any political party as such to say that we are on a round-table discussing alliance,” he said.
“The leaders have been beating the drums of war for the last few weeks with provocative statements, harassment, and propaganda. But am sure all these will soon subside. God has exposed them as they are beating the drums of war.
“Because I resisted the move by a godfather in PDP to pick Rhodes-Vivour as my deputy, they lured him (Rhodes Vivour) to Labour Party to confront us and stop our dream but this will definitely fail. We are resolute in attaining victory. We have worked hard for it in the last 10 years. The new wave of LP will not stop us.
One of those that Jandor accused of sabotaging him was former PDP Deputy National Chairman, South, Chief Bode George, and a few other members of the party in the state who had a few days before the election endorsed Rhodes-Vivour on the basis of his capacity.
Jandor  accused these PDP elders of leaving him for crumbs.
But Bode George told the media that Jandor breached an agreement on running-mate selection.
He said Jandor flouted the agreement to make Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour his running mate, instead of Funke Akindele.
He said Adediran’s decision to pick Akindele, the Nollywood actress, as running mate forced Rhodes-Vivour to join the Labour Party as its standard bearer for the Lagos governorship election.
“After their presentation here in my office, we saw that these were the best two we have (Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour and Adediran), and we asked him (Adediran) pointedly here, would you work with this man as your deputy, and he said, ‘yes sir,” he said.
“Haven paid for the price of the form, for us to have a seamless primary, would you take him to be your running mate, he answered ‘yes sir”
“After that, he came to me to say his mentor, Denrele Ogunsanya asked him to choose a deputy from Ikorodu, a woman. I told him why didn’t tell me at the time. I’m saying this now for history because that was what transpired. I have heard rumours that I am the one sponsoring Gbadebo.”
Jandor however weathered storm, bearing the burden without shaking.  The PDP candidate stressed that he ran the governorship campaign without any support from the party.
“We went into this election against all odds and even against some of our leaders within the PDP. Some respected leaders, supposedly, in the party had to leave us for crumbs.
“ I didn’t get a single money from the party at the state or national level after February 25 presidential and National Assembly Elections.
“We stayed behind to see this to the last. Even when some left the party to form a false alliance, we stood our ground to see this to fruition.
“I want to commend the people of Lagos, all loyal PDP leaders who stayed to see that the election came to a logical conclusion.
Analysts believe that Jandor, who hails from the Ojo/Badagry division, is a better alternative to replacing Sanwo-Olu who many see as a lackey, lily livered and a non performer.
Besides, his division is seen to have been marginalized all these years by the APC government. He promised to work for its development, to erase years of neglect by successive administrations in Lagos.
Adediran is his familiarisation tour urged the artisans and people living with disabilities to vote for PDP candidates at all levels in the state, stressing that the ruling party and their candidates have failed Lagosians.
Barnabas Abiodun Raji, the leader of the People Living with Disabilities, and Kola Alatise, the chairman of Coalition of Artisans in Badagry, pledged the support of their members for the gubernatorial bid of Jandor and his running mate, Olufunke Akindele.
Also, Jandor in an interactive session with the league of Pastors in Igbede/Iyana axis of Ojo Council,  said that the state needed a breath of fresh air that would make it work for all and sundry.
According to him, the Badagry Division, where Ojo LGA is also located, has suffered long neglect, hence the need to support him as an indigene of Ojo LGA, to change the story of the division for the better.
Promising free and compulsory education, security and massive infrastructural development, Adediran said that he would ensure that the wealth of the state worked for the residents, especially the masses.
While at the palace of the Royal Majesty, Elekunpa of Ekunpa Kingdom, Oba Abu Kazeem Kosoko in Ojo Council, Jandor promised never to let the traditional institutions down.
He told the Oba that he would run a government of the masses that everyone would be proud of.
His running mate Funso Akindele also helped to enhance the saleability of Jandor to the people especially the women. Akindele said that their administration would give women opportunities and ensure total inclusiveness.
Akindele said that Jandor would implement 35 per cent affirmative action for women if elected.
Also speaking during a visit to a coalition of artisans and physically challenged people in the Agamadeh part of Badagry, Jandor promised to set up a ministry for the physically challenged in the state and it would be headed by one of them.
“I want to appeal to all of us that this election is about giving Lagos a breath of fresh air. It is about time we did something else in the state.
Analysts believe that the outcome of the court case by Jandor will be a make or mar for the APC government in the state.
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Customs

How NPA’ s ETO call- up system hampers seamless export processes at Lilypond Terminal — Customs

Funso OLOJO 
The Customs Area Controller of the Lilypond Export Command, Comptroller Ajibola Odusanya, has attributed the persistent delay in export cargo movement at the command to logistics issues associated with the Nigerian Port Authority’s Eto call-up system, rather than any bottlenecks from the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
Eto call- up system is a structured movement of container- laden trucks into the terminals meant to decongest Port access road and facilitate quick goods clearance at the port.
It was developed by the NPA and driven by a private company.
However, Comptroller Odusanya, speaking at a Roundtable with members of Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN),emphasized that while the command has streamlined the export process,  lack of available slots for trucks to enter the ports remains a major challenge.
 He noted that despite the command’s efforts, numerous containers remain stranded at Lilypond due to the inability of trucks to secure clearance under the Eto system.
He explained that prior to the implementation of a centralized export processing system, multiple customs units across Apapa, Tin Can, PTML, and Lekki ports handled export documentation.
However, in July 2024, the government directed the full centralization of all export processes under the Lilypond Export Command.
This move, driven by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) and backed by agencies such as the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), was aimed at streamlining operations and reducing multiple checkpoints.
Odusanya revealed that between January and December 2024, the command processed exports valued at approximately $1.9 billion, a figure that could have been higher if the consolidation had occurred earlier in the year.
He added that in February 2025 alone, the command facilitated exports worth $225.1 million.
He attributed these successes to inter-agency collaboration, with Customs working alongside the Department of State Services (DSS), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), and quarantine services, among others.
Despite the improved export facilitation, Odusanya acknowledged that challenges persist, particularly with the Eto call-up system, which has created logistical constraints.
 He explained that export containers often get delayed at Lilypond not due to customs processes but because of congestion at the ports, caused by import containers awaiting clearance.
He pointed out that while Apapa remains the busiest port for exports, the congestion problem is less severe at Tin Can due to the presence of an export processing terminal.
On the issue of the Nigerian Export Proceeds (NXP) form, Odusanya stated that the command has ensured compliance with all regulatory requirements.
 He, however, acknowledged exporters’ concerns about the process and assured that Customs is working to facilitate seamless trade while ensuring adherence to financial regulations.
He urged maritime stakeholders, including the media, to continue sensitizing exporters on the ease of processing export goods through Lilypond, emphasizing that the command operates transparently and does not condone extortion.
He reiterated that officers at the entry points are strictly there to verify processed cargo and not to serve as an additional checkpoint.
Odusanya concluded by reaffirming the commitment of the Lilypond Export Command to supporting Nigeria’s growing export sector, ensuring efficiency in cargo movement, and addressing any emerging challenges in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
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Economy

Dangote group remits N402.3 billion tax to government coffers in 2024

Gloria Odion 
The Pan African Conglomerate, Dangote Industries Limited and its subsidiaries, have disclosed that it paid over N402 billion in taxes in 2024, making it the highest taxpayer in the country.
Dangote’s Chief Branding and Communication Officer, Anthony Chiejina, declared during a meeting with some senior media executives who visited him in his Lagos Office.
He said Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) and its subsidiaries, namely, Dangote Cement, NASCON, Dangote Packaging Limited among others, remitted a total of N402.319billion for the out-gone year as taxes as responsible business enterprises.
Recall that Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) had in late 2024 recognised  Dangote group and its subsidiary, Bluestar Shipping as the most tax compliant organizations in the country during its Special Day at the 2024 Lagos International Trade Fair organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI).
The Federal Inland Revenue Service is Nigeria’s agency responsible for assessing, collecting and accounting for tax and other revenues accruing to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Chiejina told his visitors that as a responsible business organisation, DIL and its subsidiaries have never shieded away from its obligations either to the government in the form of tax payment at all levels or to host communities in the form of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
According to him, the Group’s corporate strategy has evolved just as its businesses have grown, matured and diversified into new sectors and regions over the last four decades.
He noted that Dangote Group has almost single-handedly taken Nigeria to self-sufficiency in cement and refined petroleum products and is expanding rapidly across Africa.
Dangote Group and its subsidiaries were recognised as number one most compliant in tax payment in the country, just as its subsidiary Dangote Cement, the country’s leading cement manufacturer, at another occasion won three awards at the FMDQ Gold Awards in Lagos as the most active business in the Foreign Exchange market.
Dangote Cement Plc was adjudged as the Largest Commercial Paper Quotation on FMDQ and Single Largest Corporate Debt Issue on FMDQ.
 Also, Dangote Industries Ltd also emerged as the “Most active corporate in the foreign exchange market”.
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Headlines

NIWA Chairman charges Oyebamiji to phase out wooden boats from Nigeria’s waterways

Funso OLOJO 
The newly appointed Chairman of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Hon.Musa Sarkin-Adar, has charged the management team of the Authority led by its Managing Director, Bola Oyebamiji, to phase out wooden boats from Nigeria’s waterways.
Musa Sarkin-Adar, who paid a
 familiarization visit to the management team of NIWA in its Abuja liaison office, in a bid to minimize boat mishaps on the waterways.
He believed it would be a lasting legacy for the present leadership of NIWA if accidents could be minimized on the Waterways.
The Chairman’s advice is however in alignment with the NIWA’ s resolve to stamp out wooden and rickety boats on waterways.
However, Musa Sarkin-Adar further encouraged the NIWA team to do more in connecting other states in the water transportation.
He emphasized on the need for the involvement of the private sector in the development of water transportation, as government cannot do it alone.
In his response, Oyebamiji expressed appreciation for the visit and encouraging words of the chairman and pledged the commitment of of NIWA management to make the nation’s waterways safe and secure.
Oyebamiji also commended the efforts of his management team in the development of the Inland Waterways
Transportation sub-sector.
According to him, he is blessed with an experienced and dedicated team which he cannot take the glory alone.
The Chairman’s visit was attended by all the management staff of the Authority.
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