General News
Buhari’s Character, Integrity Unimpeachable’
Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation has condemned what it described as desperate and despicable attempts by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to denigrate the person and impugn the character of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate.
It said the PDP is bewildered by the emergence of a politically and morally impregnable candidate on a popular national platform, the APC.
In a statement by Mr Dele Alake, communications director, the organisation described as absurd the claim by Dr Doyin Okupe, senior special assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, that Buhari is trying to make poverty a virtue.
Okupe was quoted as saying: “Buhari is trying to make poverty a virtue but poverty is not a virtue. The fact that Buhari has left office for so long and says he is so poor, is nothing to celebrate, it is indeed indolence and shameful. Is that a role model? Is that who you will want your child to be, a poor man?”
The organisation said this “arrogant statement” demonstrates the utter alienation of the Jonathan administration from the existential realities of the vast majority of Nigerians.
“Dr Okupe is grossly mistaken. He lives in a completely perverse and illusory world. General Buhari is immensely rich in character. He is affluent in integrity. He is prosperous in credibility. He is wealthy in honesty. He is bounteously blessed in self -discipline, self- control and contentment. Those are greater and more valuable assets than all the material acquisition in the world,” the organisation said.
According to the campaign organisation, Buhari is a proud and honourable pensioner after a lifetime of selfless service to his fatherland.
It said Buhari owns a house in Daura his hometown and another in Kaduna, as well as manages a modest farm which is enough to meet his needs.
“He has not exploited and abused the privilege of holding public office to loot the public treasury so as to feed his greed.
“This remarkable and incomparable patriot was a former governor of the then North Central state (Borno, Yobe and Adamawa), General Officer Commanding (GOC) the third Division of the Nigerian army, former Petroleum Minister, former Chairman of the Board of NNPC, former Chairman of the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) and former Head of State.
“Despite occupying these high profile positions, he owns no property in Lagos, Abuja or outside the country. This is a most rare virtue in corruption-ridden contemporary Nigeria. It is why millions of Nigerians passionately admire and adore the austere General,” the organisation said.
It said it was unfortunate that Okupe does not see the glaring relationship between the fabulous wealth of the minority of Nigerians who have utilised public office to enrich themselves and the plight of millions who are immersed in poverty in spite of Nigeria’s abundant resource-endowment.
“We can thus understand why corruption has festered so badly under the Jonathan presidency to the detriment of national development.
“There is absolutely no doubt that, given his sterling antecedents, General Buhari has the qualities to offer the kind of leadership that can sanitise Nigeria morally, tame corruption and help realise the country’s potentials,” the organisation added.
It also debunked claims by “sponsored hack writers and dubious intellectuals” that Buhari threatened to make Nigeria ungovernable if he lost the 2011 election.
“There is not the slightest scintilla of evidence to back this wicked falsehood. Those who make the allegation believe that a lie repeated often enough will ultimately acquire the status of truth.
“Unable to taint the General’s unimpeachable integrity, they seek to portray him as a lawless and violent man. The baseless allegations cannot stick. Nigerians are more sophisticated and discerning than these peddlers of lies think,” the organisation said.
It recalled that the Special Adviser to President Jonathan on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati, had made the same insinuation in a column he published on page 51 of The Guardian of April 22, 2011.
Faced with a N1 billion legal suit by the General for the defamation of his character and reputation, the newspaper published published a retraction stating that “the publication was based on information which we believed to be reliable at that time,” and that “we assure General Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) of our highest esteem and regret any distress or embarrassment which the said publication may have caused him – Editor”
The campaign organisation said Buhari is a law abiding patriot who has devoted his life to peace, stability, progress, discipline and good governance in Nigeria.
“Each time he has been robbed of victory in flawed elections, he has sought redress in the court of law and abided by the judicial decision. That is not the profile of a man who resorts to self- help and has disdain for the rule of law.
“We can understand the utter confusion and consternation in which the PDP is engulfed. The APC and General Buhari today symbolise the hope of the vast majority of our country men and women for liberation from the despondency of the present and the possibility of a glorious future.
“It is too late for the PDP to stop the momentum of change through falsehood and cheap abuse,” the organisation added.
African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has approved a €6.5 million investment in the Saviu II venture capital fund to boost technology start-ups across Francophone West and Central Africa.
The Bank Group will contribute €4.5 million as equity investment and an additional €2 million as a first-loss hedging tranche on behalf of the European Commission under the Boost Africa Programme.
The investment is expected to strengthen early-stage financing for innovative businesses with strong technological and digital components, particularly in French-speaking countries.
Saviu II, the second investment vehicle managed by Saviu Partners, plans to invest between €500,000 and €3 million in about 20 seed-stage or early institutional fundraising start-ups. The fund will primarily target B2B technology-oriented companies with scalable models.
At least 60 per cent of the fund’s commitments will focus on French-speaking countries in West and Central Africa, including Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Benin, Senegal, Togo, Burkina Faso and Mali.
The fund may also co-invest in promising East African technology firms seeking expansion into Francophone markets.
In addition, Saviu II will dedicate a special funding envelope for pre-seed investments, mainly through minority equity stakes, often in collaboration with incubators, venture studios and other ecosystem partners.
Industry observers say the AfDB’s backing is expected to de-risk early-stage investment and crowd in more private capital into Africa’s growing digital economy.
Saviu Partners previously launched Saviu I in 2018 with a capitalization of €10 million.
The first fund invested in 12 start-ups, mainly based in French-speaking West Africa, offering not just funding but hands-on support in business development, recruitment, international expansion and fundraising.
Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has ruled in favor of electricity consumers, directing distribution companies (DisCos) to refund ₦20.33 billion in outstanding costs for meters bought under the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) framework.
NERC
Signed on February 27, 2026, by Musiliu Oseni, chairman,NERC and Dafe Akpeneye, commissioner Order No. NERC/2026/025 amends a 2023 directive.
It requires DisCos to disburse the funds via energy credits over 12 months starting March 1, 2026, addressing years of slow refunds.
As of December 31, 2025, DisCos owed this amount due to delays in reimbursing prepaid customers who funded their own meters.
DisCos must automate credits for the full MAP meter cost upon activation, disbursed monthly over 120 months based on the customer’s tariff—credits cannot offset legacy debts.
Prepaid customers will receive a monthly token by the 4th day equivalent to the reimbursement value; for arrears, they’ll get two tokens per month.
Postpaid customers will see a distinct credit line on bills subtracted from totals, with two line items monthly for arrears.
NERC mandates monthly reports on reimbursement values using an approved template, plus dedicated email channels for complaints with resolution status included.
The order aims to end delays, improve notifications, and boost sector trust. DisCos must accelerate arrears recovery over 12 months without further excuses.
This follows NERC’s February 2026 compliance review, amid ongoing power sector challenges highlighted by Power Minister Adebayo Adelabu.
Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has raised alarm over ravage of Lassa fever cases across 18 states and 67 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the country.
Dr Jide Idris, director-general of NCDC, in statement yesterday, said that Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Edo and Benue accounted for more than 80 per cent of confirmed cases recorded during the 2026 peak transmission season.
Idris, described as particularly worrisome the growing infections among healthcare workers, with 28 confirmed cases and three deaths reported so far this season.
NCDC attributed the sustained transmission and rising fatalities to operational gaps at the state level, urging urgent action to strengthen outbreak response and control measures.
According to Idris, field investigations showed most transmissions were occurring in known endemic areas, but weak implementation of established response frameworks had contributed to the continued spread and higher case fatality rate.
He said that gaps identified include infections in general outpatient and maternity settings, poor adherence to Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) protocols, and inadequate pre-positioning of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
He added that delayed patient presentation due to financial barriers, inconsistent activation of State Incident Management Systems, weak contact tracing, persistent stigma and poor isolation centre standards were also driving transmission.
Idris emphasised that outbreak response implementation and health service delivery fell primarily under state governments within Nigeria’s federal structure, urging them to strengthen accountability and resource allocation.
He called on affected and high-risk states to urgently activate and closely monitor their Incident Management Systems, ensuring timely coordination and efficient outbreak response at all levels of healthcare delivery.
He also urged the immediate release of response funds, strict enforcement of Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) compliance in public and private health facilities, and continuous availability of PPE and other critical supplies.
The NCDC boss also advocated accelerated financial protection mechanisms to reduce late presentation and high fatality rates, alongside institutionalised rodent control and environmental sanitation measures under a One Health approach.
He advised healthcare workers to maintain a high index of suspicion and adhere strictly to IPC guidelines.
He also urged the public to keep environments clean, prevent rodent entry into homes, store food safely and seek early medical care when symptoms appeared.
Idris noted that Lassa fever was treatable, with improved outcomes when detected early, adding that Nigeria was also responding to other epidemic-prone diseases including Cerebrospinal Meningitis, Diphtheria, Mpox and Cholera.
He reiterated NCDC’s toll-free emergency line, 6232, for reporting suspected cases and obtaining further information
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