General News
Telegraph Favours GMB to Win, Says Ex-Dictator Better than Weak President
General Mohammedu Buhari may be a ruthless and ageing former dictator but he is neck and neck in the polls leading up to Nigeria’s presidential election, according to Telegraph, UK’s newspaper.
Even by his own admission, General Mohammedu Buhari’s time in charge of Nigeria is not one to be misty-eyed about.
After seizing power in a coup in 1983, he threw critics in jail, kidnapped enemies off the streets of London, and ordered soldiers to whip Nigerians who did not queue in orderly fashion at bus stops.
According Colin Freeman, chief foreign correspondent for the Sunday Telegraph, by any normal standards, the ageing ex-dictator should now be a relic of the dark days of military rule, when the only way to stop the country falling apart seemed to be an iron fist.
In a piece “Nigerian election: ‘Better an ex-dictator than a weak president’, the Telegraph said that “Instead, he (Buhari) may be about to voted in again as president”
At an age when other politicians are considering retirement, Mr Buhari, 72, has emerged as the main challenger to President Goodluck Jonathan in Saturday’s vote for the head of Africa’s most populous state.
With Boko Haram still running rampant, 200 kidnapped schoolgirls still missing, and poverty and corruption still rampant, many Nigerians feel Mr Jonathan has not proved up to the job.
Hence the nostalgia for a dour ex-strongman like Mr Buhari, who is now running neck-and-neck with the incumbent.
“Given the option between a failed present and a former dictator with a track record, I think the choice is going to be pretty clear for most Nigerians,” Mr Buhari’s chief spokesman, Lai Mohammed, told The Sunday Telegraph.
“You have to look at the challenges Nigeria is facing in security and corruption and the economy. Frankly Mr Jonathan hasn’t proved up to them.”
The last time he was in power, having ousted a hopelessly corrupt civilian government in 1983, Mr Buhari pursued his vision of a more orderly Nigeria with single-minded ruthlessness.
In what he dubbed the “war on indiscipline”, he beefed up the country’s secret police, prosecuted hundreds of officials for corruption, and threw journalists and anyone else who dared criticise him into jail, including Fela Kuti, the legendary pioneer of Nigerian “high life” music.
Notoriously, the long arm of his law also reached out for Nigerians who fled abroad. In 1984, his government despatched agents to London to kidnap Umaru Dikko, a minister in the previous government accused of embezzlement.
The plot was only rumbled when a Customs officer at Stansted Airport became suspicious about a crate marked “diplomatic baggage” that was due to be picked up by a Nigerian airliner.
Inside, he found an unconscious Mr Dikko, as well as the professional anaesthetist who had drugged him. The incident sparked a major diplomatic fall-out with Britain and saw four men jailed for kidnapping.
At home, such outlandish gambits won Mr Buhari grudging respect. He is also seen as relatively clean of corruption and his efforts to clean up Nigeria’s civil service, an Augean stables of graft and incompetence, also won him praise. At one point he punished civil servants who turned up late for work by making them do frog jumps.
For the upcoming election, he has had to polish his democratic credentials a touch.
In a recent speech at London’s Chatham House think tank, he described himself as a “converted democrat”, who had realised the futility of one-party rule after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
“I cannot change the past, but I can change the present and the future,” he said. “So before you is a former military ruler, who is ready to operate under democratic norms.”
A remarkable photoshoot also saw him pose with his children and grandchildren in a range of costumes, from traditional tribal to a dinner jacket and bow tie.
Some are unmoved. “Buhari is instinctively not a democrat,” said Osita Chidoka, an aviation minister in Mr Jonathan’s government. “It is a sign of the desperation of the opposition that they have to fall back on someone like him.”
Born near Nigeria’s semi-desert border with Chad, Mr Buhari comes from one of Nigeria’s aristocratic northern Muslim families, who have traditionally punched well above their weight in national politics.
But while his following crosses Nigeria’s Muslim-Christian divide, his less-than-charismatic speaking style is not suited to the showmanship required in electoral battles: hence his defeats in a number of previous presidential contests.
This time around, though, he is level-pegging with Mr Jonathan on 42 per cent of the vote, profiting from his rival’s weakness over Boko Haram. On Friday, a new mass grave was discovered, the latest example of a massacre by the Islamic extremists.
He also has his wife, the formidable Mrs Aishat Buhari, at his side, who is touring the country in a bid to reassure people that her man has turned a new life. Among those who need convincing is Mr Jonathan’s wife, Patience, who claimed recently that Mr Buhari would put her husband’s entire goverment behind bars were he to gain power.
“General Buhari coming back to sanitise the system,” Mrs Buhari told a crowd last week. “Those who are saying that he is coming to jail people shouldn’t be afraid, because we are all yearning for change from the insecurity.”
The polls are now close enough to worry diplomats, who fear post-vote violence if the result is disputed by one or other side.
Both sides have pledged to settle any dispute peacefully, but one official said: “There is a concern that the loser might take their grievances on to the streets rather than into the courts”.
A defeat for Mr Jonathan would also be the first time in Nigeria’s brief democracy that an incumbent leader has not won a second term or handed power to a nominated successor.
However, a graceful exit could prove to be his most lasting act of statesmanship.
It would also set a good precedent for Mr Buhari, who may find life as a civilian government rather harder than life as a civilian opposition leader. Nigerians may be prepared to give Mr Buhari himself the benefit of the doubt, but there are fears that many of the people around him are somewhat “indisciplined” and corrupt themselves. As one diplomat put it: “People that might help him win an election are not necessarily the ones to help him govern.”
NigComSat-1R, a Nigerian geostationary communications satellite will outlive its usefulness this year, meaning that the satellite will expire anytime now.
NigComSat-1R was launched by China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC) for Nigeria on December 19, 2011, as a replacement for the failed NigComSat-1.
NigComSat-1 which was put in the orbit in May 2007, was de-orbited in November 2008 following the development of power fault.
It was replaced with NigComSat-1R by the same company and has a lifespan of 15 years.
Positioned at 42.5°E, it provides C, Ku, Ka, and L-band services across Africa, Europe, and parts of Asia for broadcasting and internet.
Should the satellite fail, support for television broadcasting, internet connectivity, and secure communications for government and private sectors, may be affected.
The satellite is currently been controlled from China since 2019 following technical issues with the Abuja control station.
NigComSat-1R is currently the only active communications satellite managed by NIGCOMSAT Limited, though it operates alongside other Nigerian observation satellites.
Federal government has declared Thursday, March 19, and Friday, March 20, as public holidays to mark this year’s Eid-ul-Fitr celebration.
Consequently, banks, schools and offices nationwide will be shut for the two days.
The declaration was made by Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, minister of Interior, on behalf of the government, according to a statement issued on Tuesday, by Magdalene Ajani, permanent secretary of the ministry.
Eid-el-Fitr, meaning ‘festival of breaking the fast,’ is one of the most important feasts in Islam.
The festival marks the end of Ramadan, a sacred month of fasting, prayer, and spiritual reflection observed by Muslims worldwide.
During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to sunset, abstaining from food, drink, and other physical needs as an act of devotion to Allah.
Eid-el-Fitr is a time of joy and gratitude, beginning with a special congregational prayer at mosques and open prayer grounds.
It is also marked by feasting, gift-giving, and charitable acts, particularly the giving of Zakat al-Fitr, a mandatory charity given to the less privileged before the Eid prayer.
Congratulating Muslim faithful on the successful completion of Ramadan, Tunji-Ojo urged them to sustain the virtues of love, generosity, peace, tolerance, and sacrifice imbibed during the period.
He also called on Nigerians to use the festive season to pray for the peace, unity, and continued development of the country.
The minister further encouraged citizens to celebrate responsibly and extend acts of kindness to the less privileged, in line with the spirit of the season.
He reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to promoting national unity and peaceful coexistence among all Nigerians.
Residents of Akute and surrounding communities now have direct access to world-class technology training following the launch of a new retail center by New Horizons Nigeria.
Mr. Tim Akano
The newly commissioned center, strategically located in Akute, is expected to serve learners and professionals across Alagbado, Ajuwon, Matogun, Lambe, Ojodu-Berger, Isheri, Giwa, Iju-Ishaga, Ishasi, and Oke-Aro.
This initiative has brought internationally recognized ICT training closer to thousands of young people and working adults. For years, distance and accessibility have limited many aspiring tech professionals from enrolling in structured, global-standard programs. With this expansion, residents no longer need to travel long distances to acquire in-demand digital skills.
New Horizons Nigeria, widely recognized as Africa’s largest ICT training organization, continues to strengthen its footprint in Nigeria’s digital education sector.
In 2025, the institution received the prestigious Best ICT Training Company award from CompTIA in South Africa. This further reinforce its leadership position within the continent’s technology training ecosystem.
As a franchise of New Horizons International, which operates in over 90 countries across six continents, the organization has consistently aligned with global best practices while addressing local capacity gaps.
The organization currently provides ICT training services to more than 30 universities and nearly 200 high schools nationwide.
The center would be used for the training of high-end technical courses like Cyber Security, Web Development, Artificial intelligence, Full Stack, Graphics and CompTIA courses like Hardware, Network and Security Plus.
New Horizons trains over 100,000 students yearly across 27 universities and 150 secondary schools, as well as corporate organizations, government agencies and retail offices.
Students trained by New Horizons Nigeria are always well-sought after in the labour market after graduation and the certificate they obtain are recognized in all the 90 countries where New Horizons have offices.
Speaking on the broader vision behind the expansion, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Tim Akano, emphasized that the future of the nation’s economy depends largely on accessible and practical tech education.
He noted that in today’s digital economy, virtually 100 percent of jobs require some level of IT skill, regardless of one’s field of study. From finance and healthcare to agriculture, media, engineering and public administration, technology now drives productivity and competitiveness.
He further stated that IT has evolved from being a specialized field to becoming a foundational requirement for career growth and wealth creation. Acquiring digital skills, he stressed, remains one of the most strategic pathways to higher earning potential and long-term financial stability.
Furthermore, he stated that young Nigerians considering relocation abroad need to prioritize acquiring IT skills before traveling.
He asserted that obtaining internationally relevant technology training outside Nigeria is significantly more expensive than enrolling locally.
By gaining these skills locally, individuals position themselves for better opportunities overseas. Rather than struggling to survive in low-paying or unrelated jobs, they can compete as skilled professionals in global labour markets.
Also, holding a globally recognized certifications from New Horizons Nigeria gives candidates a competitive edge, and enhances their credibility and employability abroad.
As of January 2026, New Horizons Nigeria and its CEO have collectively received over 320 national, continental, and international awards, making them one of the most decorated institutions and individuals in Nigeria’s technology, entrepreneurship, and youth empowerment space.
The launch of the Akute retail center signals more than physical expansion; it represents a deliberate effort to democratize access to technology education at the grassroots level. With increasing demand for skills in cybersecurity, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, software development, and digital business solutions, the new center is positioned to become a hub for digital transformation within Ogun State and its border communities.
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