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Hail to the (New) Chief Justice

By Chidi Anselm Odinkalu

When he died at 80 in June 2008, Lamidi Aribiyi Adedibu was one of the best known political godfathers of his generation and certainly one of the most disruptive in Nigeria. In Ibadan, Oyo State in south-west Nigeria, where he held sway, Adedibu was reputed to have “made a governor of a mere chairmanship aspirant; a deputy governor of an alleged vulcanizer; a senator of a carpenter; a Reps member of a motor boy – all through the instrumentality of force and subterfuge.” About his politics which was described as ‘violently democratic’, Adedibu argued that it was all designed to render the line of succession to high executive office both predictable and devoid of needless drama, just as you have with succession to the monarchy in England.

Succession in an elective system is, of course, not supposed to replicate the predictability of monarchical entitlement. In Nigeria today, however, the one recognized exception to this is succession to the high office of Chief Justice. In the week in which the Senate concluded the confirmation of a new Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) in supersonic fashion, it may be useful to recall that succession to that office was not always devoid of drama.

Until this week, there had been 22 occupants of the position of Chief Justice since the Amalgamation in 1914. Edwin Speed occupied the office for four years from 1914 to 1918.  Ralph Combe succeeded him until 1929. Donald Kingdon, who functioned as Chief Justice of colonial Nigeria until 1946, remains the longest-serving occupant of the office, having held it for nearly seventeen years from 1929. John Verity succeeded him for eight years until 1954 and he was followed by Stafford Foster-Sutton, the last of the colonial Chief Justices who served until 1958.

By 1957 it was clear that Sir Stafford would vacate the position the following year. The jockeying to succeed him began in earnest for the historic role of Nigeria’s first indigenous Chief Justice. At the time, Olumuyiwa Jibowu a lawyer since 1923 and High Court Judge since 1942 was presumed to be in pole position for the role. He was also the first Nigerian Justice of the Federal Supreme Court. Sir Olumuyiwa preceded his closest competitor, Adetokunbo Ademola, to the Bar by 11 years and to the Bench by seven. His credentials seemed impeccable. At the time, Sir Adetokunbo was Chief Justice of the Western Region.

At the parliamentary session in 1957, the member of the House of Representatives representing Owerri, Dennis Abii of the National Council of Nigeria and Cameroons (NCNC), tabled a motion calling on the Governor-General to “pray Her Majesty the Queen to remove Mr. Justice Jibowu from his office as a judge, on the ground that he has taken sides in party politics as disclosed in the letter written by him to one Mr. Savage.” Written three years earlier in 1954, Sir Olumuyiwa’s letter allegedly said some uncomplimentary things about Dr. Azikiwe and his NCNC.

Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe was a leading figure in Nigeria’s anti-colonial politics who would later emerge as Nigeria’s first post-colonial leader. Following Dennis Abii’s motion, the NCNC printed and disseminated the alleged letter by Sir Olumuyiwa to make their point that he was too partisan to be Chief Justice. This controversy gave legs to the then distant ambitions of Sir Adetokunbo, who eventually emerged on 1 April 1958 to become the first indigenous Chief Justice of Nigeria.

Over the next two decades, the office of the CJN evolved only incrementally, never losing its essential character as a first among equals. In that period too, appointment to the position always offered some drama and unpredictability. When Sir Adetokunbo retired in 1972, the Federal Military Government appointed as his successor Taslim Elias, an academic whose tenure as Attorney General of the Federation paralleled Sir Adetokunbo’s as Chief Justice for all but seven months over the period since Independence in October 1960.

When Professor Elias abdicated the office of CJN in 1975, the military appointed in his place Sir Darnley Alexander, a legal draftsman of Caribbean origin and, at the time, Chief Justice of the South-Eastern State. Sir Darnley naturalized to become Nigerian while occupying the office of CJN.

In somewhat controversial circumstances in August 1979, the departing military government appointed Atanda Fatayi Williams to the office of CJN in succession to the retiring Sir Darnley. Thus began a convention which subsists to date of designating for the office the senior-most serving Justice of the Supreme Court.

Given this convention, it was entirely predictable that Kudirat Kekere-Ekun would succeed Olukayode Ariwoola to become the 18th indigenous CJN. As the senior-most serving Justice of the Supreme Court, her march to the office seemed inexorable. Under the constitution, the president makes the appointment following confirmation of the nominee by the Senate.

In this case, the Senate concluded the confirmation hearing in a perfunctory process scheduled without public notice or participation. Quite apart from affording confirmation to the nominee for the exalted office of CJN, this process also sadly confirmed the capture of the office by a narrow tribe of self-indulgent politicians.

In this most recent confirmation, the politicians appeared only intent on securing from the nominee guarantees to assure the political appropriation of the office of CJN and the preclusion of public accountability by the judicial branch. Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, threw her the softball of a question about how to shut down public discussion about incredible judicial decisions like the one that made Akpabio and his predecessor, Ahmad Lawan, candidate(s) for the Senate from primaries that they did not participate in.

The response was fulsome: “I want to assure you that as chairman of the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee, we will ensure that those who should be disciplined, those who are in the habit of speaking on social media, condemning the judiciary, commenting on cases that are sub judice, will not have anywhere to hide. They will be dealt with decisively.”

The Senate President beamed with characteristically contumelious corpulence.

The outcome was never in doubt. The politicians got the assurances they wanted that they would continue to own the judiciary. In return, the nominee sailed through to confirmation without incident.

Access to the office may now follow a pattern that Lamidi Adedibu would have enthusiastically prescribed but the fate of her three immediate predecessors must hold immense lessons for new CJN.

First, the Chef Justice may have become somewhat of a constitutional potentate but the lesson from the fate of Walter Onnoghen as CJN is that this potentate has feet of clay. The same politicians who have contrived to put the CJN above the constitution can decapitate the occupant when it suits them.

Second, the Chief Justice may well be more than merely a first among equals these days but one lesson evident from the fate that befell Tanko Muhammad as CJN is that a Chief who neglects the wellbeing of his or her peers may not last in the role.

 Third, a Chief Justice must think of their legacy and one who behaves with the abandon of a drunken political sailor, like Olukayode Ariwoola – the immediate past occupant of the office – may inherit the material world but lose the soul of the judiciary.

For the moment, we must welcome to this high office only the second woman ever to occupy the office of CJN. There will be time for her to decide whether (like the first woman to occupy the office) she chooses to see this as a high responsibility or, as her immediate predecessor, she prefers to see it as an office.

A lawyer and a teacher, Odinkalu can be reached at [email protected]

Intimate Affairs: When your Son-in-law beats your daughter

By Funke Egbemode

Daisy was born beautiful. Her mother received her with misty eyes. Her father felt so proud. After three boys, Manny was beginning to doubt his ability to make a female baby. And now along came Daisy from his loins. He’s a complete man, after all. Right? There was so much to eat and drink at the naming ceremony of Daisy. She got a name from every member of the family. Quite a list, but the one that stuck was the one her paternal grandmother gave her, Gift.

Mama had five sons herself. No daughters. She had had to make do with her daughters-in-law. But Daisy Gift is her own, God’s gift to her. She was beside herself with joy. So happy was she that she came to Lagos with some of her most expensive ‘abada’ and beads and her few gold jewelry. She handed them over to Bella, Daisy’s mum to keep in trust until her little Gift was ready to use them.

Daisy grew into a fine young lady, very intelligent too. She was a delight in every way. Well, except she hated having to clean the kitchen. She could cook up a storm but someone else had to wash the plates and generally do the rest. She was called to the Nigerian Bar at 22 and got a really cushy job in an oil service company. Her beauty and brains, of course, made her double attractive to men – old and young. She enjoyed the attention until she fell hard for Mofe, an Engineer. He proposed after six months and they were married six months later. Their wedding ceremony was huge. Manny beamed from ear-to-ear as he walked his Daisy down the aisle, and in fact all through the ceremony.

However, it wasn’t long before things started going south in the love nest. Marriage brought goodies for Daisy. She was promoted at work and with the new responsibilities came bigger perks. She travelled more and worked late many days. With a nine-month-old baby, it was tough for Daisy. She wanted to breastfeed her son for at least a full year. She was that old-fashioned. She wanted to continue to run her kitchen and do her shopping but she was ever so tired. She struggled hard until she succumbed to the idea of a housekeeper. That was when the monster she had always thought was lurking somewhere inside Mofe came roaring.

“You can’t bring any stranger into this house.

“I will not eat food cooked by one dirty thing from God-knows-where.

“I’ve taken your BS job for too long. What kind of woman works till 9pm?

“In fact, it’s either your job or me. If you want to keep this marriage, you will quit that job.

“How did you get promoted so quickly, anyway?

“Why am I even asking, you must have been sleeping with the bosses?”

“How do I even know that child is mine…?”

Daisy had always suspected that Mofe was keeping a tight rein on his violent part. He had screamed at her, pushed her into bed, threw her against the wall more than once. At a public event once, he had grabbed her arm and dragged her into the car ‘because she was flirting with every male around’. Truth be told, Mofe had slapped her twice while she was pregnant because his meals were late.

“Are you the first woman to be pregnant?”

“Don’t you see other women working and still cooking?”

But the day Mofe said he doubted the paternity of their son, Daisy flipped, screamed right back at her husband. Oh boy, did she get what was coming to her? He beat her into a daze. He dragged her on the floor, beating her as she fell and ran around the house. Not even the distressed cries of their son could stop Mofe’s rage. Fortunately, that fully-violent-Mofe-day was a Friday and Daisy didn’t break a thing. She took strong pain killers and on Monday she did her best with the make-up brushes and concealers, and wore a trouser suit. She winced and smiled all through work as she wept inside.

But that was the beginning of full-blown violence. Daisy moved from denial to blaming herself for Mofe’s demons. She kept a supply of pain-killers everywhere, her office drawer, her purse, her car glove compartment. She hid it all from her family and friends. Until the day her parents paid an unscheduled visit because they wanted to surprise the couple. They were in the neighbourhood for a wedding and wanted Daisy and Mofe to accompany them. You know how parents like to flaunt their successful children in the gatherings of other ‘successful parents’, right? Only that Saturday morning, Daisy’s lips were double, she had a plaster on her arm and only one of her eyes was open. Now, that kind of get-up was not the one you blamed on falling in the bathroom or walking into a door.

For how long had this been going on?

The length of time did not matter. Daisy’s parents hauled her into their car along with their grandson and left a terse note for Mofe. Of course, he went begging and promised to be of good behaviour thenceforth. Daisy went back. Mofe’s demons receded for a while but returned worse. Daisy lied, ran, returned, lied, ran and returned… the evil cycle went on for five years. Until the day the driver found Daisy at the foot of the staircase, cold, dead, her neck broken. Her son was beside her, crying; ‘mummy, get up, I’m hungry.’ Mofe was missing. The doctor said Daisy must have been dead for at least six hours before the driver found her.

Daisy died while her son was asleep. His daddy had pushed her mummy down the staircase and stormed out of the house. He was arrested, charged for murder. The case is in court. Daisy has been buried, beauty, brains and all. Richie, their son still wakes up screaming ‘mummy get up’.

The lawyer said he will ensure the family gets justice. Justice, that is that they call it. Some even said the family will find closure when Mofe is sentenced. Really? For me, if it is justice, Daisy will come back to life and the day that family finds closure is the day they wake up from the nightmare Mofe brought upon everybody. How exactly does a court case heal the pain of an only daughter so brutally murdered?

I once I ran a piece ‘Planning your escape from an evil husband’, I got torrents of mails, all of them from men who think I’m evil. How could I tell women in abusive relationships to abandon their marriages? Isn’t marriage forever? Was I not supposed to be encouraging women to stay in their marriages? Seriously? Me, encourage a wife-beater to continue to have full access to his prey? Would that not make me a sicker person than the abusive man?

Now, I’m tempted to think that every man who wrote that I had no business telling battered women to run for their lives, is sick. If you think a violent man should remain violent and a woman subjected to his violence should remain in a violent marriage, you need to see a psychiatrist before this day is done. A wife-beater is a sick person. I’d rather he gets treated for his sickness than get sentenced for murder. I’d rather put an abusive marriage on hold while both wife and husband get help than end up attending a funeral or going to court. How exactly does an abusive marriage benefit the children, the parents of the couple or the society? What kind of men want wives being beaten by their husbands to continue to be beaten? Are they even thinking at all or are they wife beaters, abusive husbands themselves? Are they even fathers? Do they have daughters?

Take a look at your daughter as you read this…

Remember your joy as she was placed in your arms for the first time, her thumb or forefinger in her mouth, the first tottering steps. Can you still remember how she looks in her first school uniform, her precocious questions? Think of how proud you were (or you will be) at her graduation, and then her wedding. And God forbid, how you will feel if one day, one phone call from the hospital, police station announces that she’s dead because she stayed just one day longer in an abusive marriage.

May we not know the pain of burying a child in Jesus name but I’d really like to know what you will do if your son-in-law beats your daughter. Let’s share.

Egbemode could be reached on [email protected]

Court of Appeal eulogises NBA Lagos, Ngige, SAN for fans and solar devise donation

The Court of Appeal has expressed its appreciation towards the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Lagos Branch for the donation of a solar system and 6 standing fans to its Lagos Division.

The intermediate court a commendation letter signed by its Deputy Chief Registrar, Yusuf Musa Esq., said: “Words are not enough to express how delightful we are with the installation of the Solar (system).”

Likewise, The Court in another ‘Thank you letter’ praised the Chairman, Council of Legal Education (CLE), Chief Emeka Ngige SAN who moved the motion for NBA Lagos Branch to undertake the project.

The Court of Appeal has reportedly had funding challenges for its energy needs especially following the hike in electricity tariffs, leading to shortened sitting periods and delays in justice administration.

Read the full text of the letter dated 17th September 2024 and titled “Letter of Appreciation below.”

Is it true Nigerian women have embraced sex toys amid marital struggles?

By Victor Ayeni

Despite Nigeria’s deeply conservative and religious fabric, where sex is often a hushed topic, the sex toy industry is booming — and dildos are flying off the shelves, reflecting a surprising surge in this unconventional market as more citizens boldly embrace erotic pleasures amid economic hardships, Victor Ayeni reports

Most days of the week, Niniola (surname withheld) is as busy as a bee, catering to the diverse clientele who frequent her adult entertainment store. Her well-lit store features a spa parlour alongside a wide array of intimate products and sex toys, including lingerie, sexual enhancers, lubricants, vibrators, dildos, and BDSM kits.

The microbiology graduate from a state university in the South-West, ventured into the sex toy business in 2020, a year after completing her National Youth Service Corps.

The 28-year-old believes her store’s location on an estate in the Ogudu axis has been a core selling point for her pleasure-enhancing business as most of her clients preferred a high degree of anonymity.

Niniola admitted that she sells more of her products via social media platforms and messaging apps to meet the demand for professional discretion.

“My customers don’t have to come down here physically, this business has evolved beyond that,” she told Saturday PUNCH.

“They can contact us, tell us which of their products they want, we give them a catalogue to make their choices and they pay for the services including delivery and we get it across to them.

“From time to time, I get nice feedback. Some of those who patronise us are married, some are single, some divorced, some have spouses outside the country, some of our clients are women and some are men. Their maximum pleasure is our goal,” she said, smiling brightly.

On her X and Instagram accounts, Niniola regularly showcases a variety of sex toys available in her store.

She also includes her WhatsApp number, encouraging potential clients to reach out to her through private messages.

In a recent post, she announced the arrival of new dildos, assuring women that they would provide “long-lasting pleasure.”

When our correspondent inquired from her about the patronage of dildos and whether the economic situation has affected its demand, she giggled.

“I started this business in the middle of COVID-19 and I can tell you that we made a lot of sales during that period. You know, the lockdown and social distancing affected many relationships. Many lovers were stranded and people sought sexual fulfilment from our adult novelty products.

“Even now, I can’t say the economy has affected our business because we still make good sales. We even receive orders from outside Lagos. No matter the economic situation, people will always have enough to attain sexual satisfaction because it’s important,” Niniola added.

‘I’m helping my husband’s weakness’

When Mrs Bunmi Awoyemi (not real name) was first introduced to sex toys a few years ago, she felt a tinge of shame, reflecting the influence of her strict religious upbringing.

The mother of two explained that she arranged for the delivery to a location slightly away from her home, ensuring that no one in the neighbourhood would recognise her or guess the contents of the package she was picking up.

“My husband was the kind of man who downloaded even before the play began. Within a minute or two, it was over. He is a lovely man and a good husband but that’s just our only problem.

“I wasn’t satisfied and rather than cheat on my husband, I decided it was time to try out sex toys. I ordered a vibrator and a dildo and so far, I can say they have made up for my husband’s weakness,” Awoyemi told Saturday PUNCH.

Like Mrs Awoyemi, Saturday PUNCH gathered that many married women and ladies in relationships use sex toys such as dildos to satisfy themselves.

Single ladies who have been jilted by men or have not yet found a man to warm their beds also use artificial penises to pleasure themselves.

“It’s safer to use dildos than to sleep around and get infected with venereal diseases. I would rather pleasure myself with dildos than allow men to lie to me, cheat on me, and break my heart like they like to do,” a hairstylist who gave her name as Cynthia, told Saturday PUNCH.

Dildo varieties

Dildos are adult sex aids that are often used to attain sexual climax for women and also for men.

“While they are sometimes meant to feel like a penis, they don’t have to look like one. They come in different materials, shapes, and sizes. Some dildos are curved to stimulate the prostate or G-spot,” according to WebMD.

Findings by Saturday PUNCH revealed that there are different kinds of dildos based on their structure or designs.

Some dildos are made to look like a penis with testicles while some are made to be strapped on with a harness.

Some dildos are made with a suction base to adhere to a surface, others vibrate to stimulate the user while some, known as double-sided dildos, are designed for two partners to use at once.

The materials with which these dildos are made also vary. There are glass, silicon, rubber, plastic and wooden dildos, some of which are also sold by traditional herb vendors.

Phalluses as old as time

Far from being a novelty dreamed up by the Western mind, dildos have a rich history spanning centuries.

In 2005, German scientists uncovered what The Register described as “one of the world’s oldest sculpted phalluses, measuring 20cm and meticulously crafted from polished siltstone about 28,000 years ago.”

Egyptian paintings from 3,000 BCE also showed women wearing large phallic objects around their waists to pay tribute to Osiris, a major Egyptian god.

The ancient Greeks – the architects of Western civilisation – also made stuffed dildos out of leather, which men often gifted to their wives when they left to go to war.

During the Renaissance, elite members of society reportedly had dildos custom-made from materials like silver and ivory. Later in the 17th century, English men who were fearful of how artificial phalluses could pose a threat to their sexual prowess passed some laws that prevented women from making them.

Following England’s steps, America banned the sale of rubber dilators, medical devices that help stretch the vagina, leading to the creation of an underground sex toy market. It was during the sexual revolution in the 1960s that dildos were, once again, widely accepted as tools for pleasure and sexual liberation.

A booming business

In the conservative Nigerian society where an open discussion of sexual issues is often frowned upon, checks by our correspondent revealed that some vendors are heavily patronised and make millions of naira from sex gadgets.

Although frowned upon by Christianity and Islam, many patrons, both online and offline, frequently patronise adult entertainment stores to make up for what is missing in their bedrooms. Sandra, a sex aid vendor whose store is located in Lekki, told Saturday PUNCH that dildo prices vary based on their sizes, colours and structures.

“The cheapest we have is N11,000 and that is for size 7. We also have size 10 which is N50,000. We have the one made with silicon, N85,000 and strap-on, N25,000.

“The bigger the size and the more realistic the dildo is, the more expensive it is. We have a strap-on dildo that uses a remote control also. That one is N40,000 and we get good patronage on all our products,” Sandra said.

Another vendor in Surulere who gave her name simply as Faith, noted that although there are still some states where sex toys are sold “under the counter,” they have many clients from across the social strata.

“I won’t give a specific figure, but we rake in millions of naira in an average of six months, give or take. We get both male and female customers across different social classes, ethnicities and religions. We don’t discriminate.

“Our products are mostly imported and their prices have risen over the last year due to the forex issues, but yet people still contact us daily for their needs,” Faith disclosed.

An estimate by Statista showed that “the global sex toy market is expected to grow steadily between 2019 and 2026, from approximately $27.17 billion to around $52.7 billion in that period, reaching a value of $80.7 billion by 2030.”

A 2022 survey in the US revealed that approximately 82 per cent of female consumers own some form of sex toys. Additionally, the findings indicated that these toys are most prevalent among individuals aged 25 to 29.

In a video which went viral in February 2022, a lady in Warri, Delta State, expressed astonishment after she found out that a shop which had restocked about 7,000 dildos of different kinds, sold them out within three days.

“They carry 7,000 dildos, different sizes: long, medium and small. They stocked the dildos at the woman shop on Friday and by Monday, we reached there, that place don empty. Who buy them? Who buy the dildos, na mama Destiny?” the woman asked some men in Pidgin English.

Women’s sexual awareness

In September 2022, a Nollywood actress, Nkechi Blessing, caused a stir online after she distributed sex toys and dildos as souvenirs at an event in Lagos.

According to a short video of the actress recorded at the event, she said, “I am not saying men are scum because I have a man, but you need to have one (dildo) for yourself in case you don’t have a man.”

Responding to the widespread criticism which greeted her gesture, Blessing revealed that some of her critics begged her on WhatsApp messenger to have the dildos despite lampooning her on social media.

Similarly, in March 2020, popular vlogger and media entrepreneur, Toke Makinwa, advised ladies to please themselves by using sex toys.

“Why is it that we think that sex is something that men are meant to enjoy and something that we are meant to give to men? You deserve orgasms, you deserve a good time, and you deserve less shyness and more boldness.

“I think every female should have a vibrator. I mean, are you crazy, you don’t have one in 2020. Like, dude, how do you even know what your body needs? There are three types of vibrators I will advise every lady to get,” she said in the video clip shared on her Instagram page.

A 2017 study published in the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy took a survey of 1,000 women aged between 18 and 94 and most of the respondents admitted that they could not reach their orgasms without clitoral stimulation.

An online sex toy store, Erotic Planet, in its Instagram post highlighted some of the common types of adult novelty toys used by women.

It listed vibrators such as wand, clit suction toys, rabbit and finger vibrators and wireless panty sets.

Others include anal toys such as butt plugs; nipple toys such as nipple clamps and penetrative toys which include dildos of various sizes.

Speaking on underlying medical conditions that could make men and women seek out the use of sex toys, the director of the first online adult novelty store in Nigeria, Iheoma Obibi, said, “This can be for individuals being treated for epilepsy and high blood pressure. There are, of course, other pre-existing conditions but individuals must make attempts at discussing with their medical professional as well as with their partners.

“The business has always had room for growth; the issue has been if we can ensure that we do not dump on the unsuspecting public badly made Chinese fake products which are cheaper; getting staff who are willing to learn the special nuances of understanding what sex toys are and can speak about them without the conversation degenerating to gutter talk.”

Clients in same-sex relationships

When our correspondent contacted a sex toy vendor, Tunde (surname withheld) who resided in Lagos, he indicated that only seven-inch dildos were available in his stock.

This, he noted, was due to the high patronage that he receives, especially from clients who identified as gay and lesbian, adding that he had other pleasure gadgets such as poppers, enema bulbs, fleshlights, and different brands of ejaculation delay cream.

“Seven inches is a medium size penis. It’s not too big and not too small. I have the N23,000 one and the N25,000 one. Dildos are a necessity for lesbian ladies. Many queer guys like it too,” Tunde said.

On his X account and WhatsApp status, the vendor regularly posts videos of various male models to illustrate to clients how these gadgets are used.

“There is virtually no area inside Lagos that people have not requested for dildos, lubes and other products. The truth is, many young people today are more sexually explorative and are willing to try new things in the bedroom,” Tunde added.

One of his clients, who pleaded anonymity, told Saturday PUNCH, “I prefer using my dildo whenever I am horny and I need it in my anus. It’s safer than being ‘kitoed’ (set up by blackmailers) or being infected. This is my way of pleasuring myself.”

Sharing a photo of himself posing with several dildos, another client, Seun (surname withheld), who identified as bisexual, confessed that he uses dildos to pleasure himself whenever his girlfriend travelled out of the city.

A dildo patron, identified simply as Desola, who identified as a lesbian, noted that not only does the dildo help her attain sexual climax, it also protects her from exposure to sexually transmitted diseases.

“I use it often and it goes a long way to reduce my rate of exposure to STDs. It’s really no different from those who climb penis, so there’s no issue with it,” she told our correspondent.

Medical experts have noted that dildos can provide internal stimulation to the G-spot, a sexually sensitive area in the vagina, prostate, or other parts of the vagina or anus.

This sexual arousal has been noted to help the body release the feel-good hormones dopamine and oxytocin.

“Every man has a male G-spot. Stimulating the man’s G-spot will give a man the wildest orgasm he has ever experienced. Sadly, most men will never experience this in their lifetime.

“You have to pass his anus to get to a man’s G-spot. A lot of men who felt this probably had this weird feeling first in a hospital when they were getting their prostate checked by a doctor,” the co-founder of Priv Health, Dr Olusina Ajidahun, noted.

Pros and cons

A healthcare practitioner, James Lekwauwa, in an interview with Saturday PUNCH, explained that dildos provide new and different sensations and offer experiences that manual stimulation alone may not achieve.

He further stated some sexual medicine experts have recommended sex toys as part of therapy.

“Sex toys are not high maintenance and only need a battery change. They are generally not harmful as long as you make sure they are properly cleaned, used for the intended activities and are also the right size for you,” Lekwauwa added.

However, he disclosed that sharing sex toys can spread sexually transmitted infections and advised that “it’s best used by the owner and not to be shared.”

“Furthermore, if you use a dildo that is too big or goes too hard, it might hurt. Always make sure to take it slow and see what feels right. Its psychological effect is that over-reliance on dildos might make it somewhat difficult to enjoy sex without them.

“There is another urban myth that if a sex toy is made with a platinum-grade material, it won’t harm. This is a myth that is often perpetrated,” he noted.

Also commenting on the negative side effects of the use of sex toys, a mental health expert, Kelechi Okwaraji, stated that overt users may not feel encouraged to socialise with other people because they have the option to fall back on.

“They tend to give users an unrealistic expectation of partner-to-partner sex. Some of these sex toys are powered by batteries and can last longer and faster than a human male. Once the mind gets used to this, it can make natural intercourse pale out.”

Experts urge caution

On her part, a psychologist, Olubunmi Onipede, explained that she did not personally buy the idea of the use of sex toys due to their nature of disrupting social interactions.

“I need to let people understand that sex toys make people feel anxious, asocial, and even terrified to go back and be amongst people later on. It affects social relations and it also leaves certain consequences on sex life.

“As much as people enjoy these items, it is a medium-risk activity for most sexually transmitted infections if you share them with a partner. Its prolonged use also damages the skin.”

While noting the social stigma attached to the use of dildos, Onipede further explained that a lot of dildos and other penetrative toys might be harmful to human health.

“They are made from rubbers and plastics which may be harmful to human health. Bacteria can grow in there, and they might never be fully sanitised. Toys that contact other people’s fluids are inherently unsafe,” she added.

Responding to questions about the dangers sex toys could pose to the human body system, Ajidahun, in a post shared on his X account in November last year, warned that a research study indicated that certain harmful particles are present on the materials used.

“Amongst the materials that were noted to have come from the friction of the toys were small particles known as ‘Micro and Nano plastics.’

“A critical analysis showed one in particular ‘Phthalates’ which is a known substance that has the potential to disrupt the organ in our body called the pancreas which produces insulin which can increase the risk of diabetes.

“They also noted that some of these particles had great potential to cause damage to our nerve cells increasing the risk of brain damage. Since this study might not be fully representative, it linked the risks and made recommendations for more research to be done to understand more,” he wrote

Culled from Saturday PUNCH

The new CJN must ensure no erring judicial officer gets a pat on the back — Okutepa

  • Says any attempt to gag lawyers from criticizing the judiciary in the media spells danger

By J.S. Okutepa, SAN

When his lordship the newly appointed and confirmed Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) was being confirmed, it was reported that his lordship promised to deal with senior lawyers who engaged themselves in criticizing courts and judiciary on social media and television stations. His lordship promised to deal decisively with these sets of lawyers to bring sanity and respect to the judiciary.

These answers, it was reported, came in response to questions said to have been posed by the president of the Senate Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio. For me, the first steps to take are for judicial authorities to engage the lawyers that engage in such conduct in respect of bad criticisms through appropriate channels that offer fair hearing and hear them. They may have their reasons for doing so.

Be that as it may, it is my view that no senior lawyer whether he be Senior Advocate of Nigeria or not and who is worth his professional salts in the legal profession should recklessly criticize judges and processes pending before the courts of law. It is wrong to do so, and it will be both contrary to the code of conduct and contemptuous of the court to do so.

But we must be very careful not to gag lawyers from expressing their opinions and offering criticisms of the judiciary on social media and national media platforms. It is constitutional for lawyers, either senior or junior to to express their feelings to the press. There are many reasons we need to be careful and avoid gagging lawyers from criticizing judges and judiciary on social media and other media platforms.

First, while it is true that there are channels to challenge judges and judicial misconduct, there appears to be inadequate and no prompt remedies for judicial abuse of power under our system of disciplinary procedures. The new Hon. CJN is respectfully urged to look at the disciplinary processes of discipline of judges both at the trial and in appellate courts and ensure that no judicial officer that is seen to have abused judicial discretion and powers is given a pat on the back by light punishment ditched out upon complaints.

Secondly, it is also recommended that there should be no sacred cows in the judiciary. When the complaining public or lawyers are led to believe that a judge has become so much untouchable or that such judex has godfathers within the disciplinary institution and nothing can come out of complaints, a tendency exists for ventilation of bottled grievances vide media discussions that are intended to expose such judicial officers that danced naked in adjudications.

Thirdly, the new Hon. CJN should do something about lawless judges who, under the guise of adjudications and performing judicial duties, engage themselves in lawlessness in adjudications. A judge it is submitted, engages in lawless adjudications when he decides matters contrary to express provisions of law and takes the law into his hand by deciding otherwise than as required by law and or deciding contrary to his judicial oaths.

Such judges allowed themselves to be influenced by factors other than purity of justice. One instance of such a lawless judge is where the judge ignores expressed provisions of law and engages in interpretations that frustrate the reception of evidence in support of pleaded facts or where judicial decisions are not rooted in the substance of justice but in the caricatures of it which is not justice, in other to support a predetermined conclusion already agreed by the judge.

I think there are huge burdens on the shoulders of the new CJN. These burdens cannot be discharged effectively and efficiently if there are already inherent agreements to gag lawyers from criticizing judges on social media and other traditional media platforms. I see nothing wrong in offering constructive criticisms of the judiciary on social media in respect of judgments and rulings that have been delivered.

Such responsible criticisms, in my view, are allowed to check judicial excesses. The judiciary should have units that monitor such views and see the substance in them and modify their stand in the interest of justice. There is also nothing wrong in criticizing judicial actions or inactions in the most appropriate and civilized ways with temperate languages that exposes evil inherent in any decision so that judiciary can get feedback from the public that it was set up to serve.

That is why I am not an advocate of judicial isolationism from criticisms. After all, judges are appointed to serve the interests of the public and where the interests of the public are not been served, anyone who is led to believe that justice has been battered and murdered should not be gagged up to speak on it.

Finally, for me, the only way he-goats must avoid fornication in public places is for those who are responsible for rearing she-goats to train the she-goats to cover their nakedness and for the she-goats not to go about naked in public places. The huge burdens on the shoulders of the new CJN therefore, in my view, for his lordship not to assume a set mindset to start with gagging lawyers from offering public criticisms of the judiciary but let his lordship lead by example and to instil in the judiciary the proper orientations so that they render judgement and decisions that are sound and above board or such decisions that are not being seen as products of a lawless judge.

Ruth Ogunleye: A tragic reflection of human rights violations and gender injustice in the Nigerian Army

  • Watch Arise News video analysis on the victim

Mabel Adinya Ade’s reflections

The recent dismissal of Ruth Ogunleye, a female Army officer who reported being raped by a senior officer, is a chilling reminder of the pervasive culture of gender-based violence, impunity, and human rights violations in Nigerian. Her case, where she was not only dismissed from service but also branded as “mentally unstable,” sheds light on a much larger and deeply entrenched issue within the armed forces and beyond one that continues to plague women and girls across Nigeria, particularly in conflict-affected regions like Plateau, Benue, Kaduna, Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe.

The Betrayal of Justice

Ruth Ogunleye’s case is not an isolated one but rather part of a grim pattern in which women in the Nigerian Army and other security forces are subjected to sexual violence, harassment, and mistreatment. The fact that Ogunleye, who bravely reported the assault, was dismissed instead of being offered protection and support is not only deeply distressing but also an affront to justice. This treatment reflects an abuse of power and a systematic failure to protect vulnerable individuals who risk their lives in service to the nation.

This is compounded by the fact that military personnel, especially women, have long faced sexual harassment and assault in the line of duty. In conflict zones, where violence is rampant, there have been multiple allegations of security forces including the army argeting women and girls for sexual exploitation. In some cases, the mere presence of a gun is enough to coerce victims into silence, forcing them to submit to sexual abuse or intimidation. The victims, many of whom lack the courage or support to speak out, often suffer in silence.

A Kangaroo Investigation: No Justice in Sight

The army’s response to Ogunleye’s complaint appears to reflect a disturbing lack of accountability. Instead of ensuring that an independent and transparent investigation was conducted, the army swiftly moved to discredit her, labelling her as mentally unstable. This knee-jerk response only deepens the culture of impunity and gender-based violence that already exists within military structures.

When allegations of sexual violence are made within any institution, there should be an independent body tasked with investigating the complaint one that is impartial, transparent, and respectful of due process. The use of a military-led internal investigation, without external oversight, serves only to protect the perpetrators and further victimize the survivors. In Ogunleye’s case, the denial of justice, combined with her public humiliation, amplifies the trauma she has already endured.

The Far-reaching Consequences of Gender-based Violence in the Military

The repercussions of this case are not just felt by Ogunleye but reverberate through the broader spectrum of female soldiers and women in Nigeria. This reflects a larger issue of systemic gender-based violence within the military and across Nigeria’s security forces. Women are often regarded as expendable commodities either sexually violated in conflict zones or silenced when they report abuse. This deprives them of their basic human rights, and their dignity is stripped away by those who should be protecting them.

For women serving in conflict areas, the fear of sexual violence and harassment by their own comrades in arms is ever-present. This erosion of safety and respect for women creates an environment where victims of violence are not only denied justice but are further stigmatized and humiliated. The painful irony is that the very institutions entrusted with defending the country become the perpetrators of harm, particularly against women and girls.

The Call for Justice and Accountability

It is crucial that the Nigerian Army, and indeed all institutions, learn from Ruth Ogunleye’s tragic experience. Whether or not Ogunleye’s allegations are true, dismissing her without due process, while branding her as mentally unstable, is deeply problematic. Every individual deserves a fair investigation, regardless of their status or gender, and the rights of victims must be protected. If she lied, there should be legal avenues to address it, but this should not justify her humiliation or further harm.

The military and other security forces must be held accountable for the abuse of power and gender-based violence, both within their ranks and in the communities they serve. The government must ensure that robust systems are in place to protect victims and that those found guilty of abuse are prosecuted to the full extent of the law and I hope strongly the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs charged with the reasonability of advocating for women and girls and indeed women and well-meaning Nigerians will act right to protect Ruth Ogunleye.

A Wider Call to End Gender-Based Violence in Nigeria

This incident calls for a broader societal reflection on the prevalence of sexual violence and harassment in Nigeria, particularly in conflict zones. Women in the military, women in communities, and girls in schools must be afforded the respect and protection they deserve. This case underscores the urgent need for legal and institutional reforms that prioritize gender equity, safeguard women’s rights, and ensure that those in positions of authority, including within the military, are held accountable for their actions.

Indeed, the tragic case of Ruth Ogunleye highlights a pressing need for the National Assembly to reconsider its stance on the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law, which is currently at risk of repeal. This law, which was designed to provide a comprehensive legal framework for the protection of individuals from all forms of violence, particularly gender-based violence, stands as a critical tool in the fight for justice and equality in Nigeria.

The VAPP Law has already proven to be a step in the right direction by recognizing various forms of violence, including sexual harassment, domestic abuse, and harmful traditional practices, and providing victims with legal avenues for redress. However, the threat of repeal sends a dangerous signal, not only to survivors of violence like Ruth Ogunleye but to all Nigerians especially women who rely on the law for protection in the face of abuse.

If this law is repealed or undermined, it would be a grave setback for gender equality and human rights in the country. This case underscores the urgent need for robust legal frameworks that protect women and girls from abuse, particularly within institutions like the military, where gender-based violence has long been a silent epidemic. By repealing or weakening the VAPP Law, the National Assembly would not only fail to support survivors but also enable the continuation of impunity, where perpetrators of sexual violence can act with little fear of legal consequence.

The National Assembly must stand firm in its commitment to protecting the rights of women and girls in Nigeria. Repealing or weakening the VAPP Law would undermine years of advocacy and progress made to hold perpetrators accountable and ensure that victims receive justice.

This case should serve as a wake-up call for lawmakers to not only preserve but strengthen the VAPP Law. They must act decisively to send a message that gender-based violence in all forms, whether in the military or society, will not be tolerated. It is time for the National Assembly to ensure that their laws reflect a true commitment to human rights and justice for every citizen, especially women who have long been marginalized and victimized

Conclusion: Justice for Ruth Ogunleye

Ruth Ogunleye has selflessly served her country, and it is imperative that she is afforded the dignity and justice she deserves. The Nigerian Army’s actions against her, if unchallenged, will only contribute to the ongoing culture of abuse and impunity in the country. We must demand an independent investigation into her case, and if true, those responsible must be held accountable. At the same time, society must come together to challenge and dismantle the systems that perpetuate gender violence, both within the military and across Nigerian society.

The true measure of a nation’s commitment to human rights is how it treats its most vulnerable citizens, and in Ruth Ogunleye’s case, Nigeria has failed. Let us stand for justice, for accountability, and for the rights of women who serve their country with dignity.

Written By:

Mabel Adinya Ade,

Gender Equality Advocate and Executive Director,

Adinya Arise Foundation (AAF)

8 Eket Close, Area 8,

Garki Abuja- Nigeria

[email protected]

Let’s teach the next generation

My son . . . keep my commands in your heart. Proverbs 3:1

Sophia Roberts witnessed open heart surgery for the first time when she was around eleven years old. While that might seem a bit young for a child to view such a medical procedure, you need to know that her dad, Dr. Harold Roberts Jr., is a heart surgeon. In 2022, Sophia—now thirty years old and a surgery resident physician—teamed up with her dad to perform a successful aortic valve replacement. Harold said, “What can be better? I taught this kid how to ride a bicycle. . . . Now, to get to teach her how to operate on a human heart is pretty mind-blowing.”

While few of us will teach surgery skills to a child, Solomon describes the importance of instructing something else to the next generation—to honor God and His ways. The wise king passionately shared with his child what he’d learned in his relationship with God: “My son, . . . trust in the Lord with all your heart” (Proverbs 3:1, 5), “fear the Lord” (v. 7), “honor the Lord” (v. 9), and “do not despise the Lord’s discipline” (v. 11). Solomon knew that God “loves” and “delights in” His children who willingly receive His correction and guidance (v. 12).

Let’s teach the next generation what it means to trust, revere, honor, and be humbly molded by our awesome, amazing God. To partner with Him in doing so is a vital privilege and, well, pretty mind-blowing!

Why is it vital for you to share what you’ve learned about God with the next generation? What will you pass on today?

Dear God, please help me to share Your loving ways with both young and old today.

INSIGHT
When she faced “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:9, 17), Eve saw that its fruit was “desirable for gaining wisdom” (3:6), so she took it. The wisdom humans gained in their rebellion set them in opposition to God. Now they could decide for themselves what was good and bad, but that didn’t mean they had an accurate perception of the world.

The book of Proverbs—especially chapter 3—reorients humanity, telling us that human wisdom is never enough. In verses 5-6, the author emphasizes that we’ll find the correct path when we trust God and not our own understanding. Trusting Him alone will make our way straight. In Eden, we gained worldly wisdom; it’s only in trusting submission to God that we can learn to use it well.

Read: Proverbs 3:1-12 | Bible in a Year: Song of Songs 6-8; Galatians 4

The epidemic of sudden death in Nigeria

By Sonnie Ekwowusi

I just got the sad news of another friend, in his 50s, who was hale and hearty last night but who suddenly collapsed and died in his house this morning

He was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.

I would advise we pay attention to our medical health at these times. Please observe your routine medical check up. Endeavour to get a 7 hour Grade A sleep at night as medical doctors advise. Do not omit your drugs. Check and monitor your BP regularly at home. Eat very well. Engage in regular sporting activities that suit your age

Anyway I am not a medical doctor.

Don’t mind me

Sonnie Ekwowusi

There’s hunger in Nigeria, crash prices of petrol, electricity, Christian Elders to Tinubu

There’s hunger in Nigeria, crash prices of petrol, electricity, Christian Elders Tell Tinubu

Elder statesmen in Nigeria under the aegis of the National Christian Elders Forum (NCEF), have called on the Federal Government led by President Bola Tinubu to alleviate the suffering of Nigerians, including reviewing the price of petrol and electricity.

They therefore called for improved security, particularly for farmers in rural areas who are crucial to the nation’s food security.

The Chairman of NCEF and former Deputy Governor of Taraba State, Dr Samuel Danjuma Dani, made the recommendations in a statement issued after their meeting to deliberate on the current state of the nation.

Apart from Gani, other members of NCEF are Pastor Bosun Emmanuel (Secretary), Dr. Saleh Hussaini, Vice Chairman (North); Elder Shyngle Wigwe, Vice Chairman (South); Mrs. Osaretin Demuren, Hon. Treasurer; Prof. Joseph Otubu, Dr. (Mrs) Kate Okparaeke, Dr. Ayo Abifarin, Gen. Zamani Lekwot (rtd), Hon. Justice James Ogebe, JSC (rtd); Elder Moses Ihonde, Hon. Justice Kalajine Anigbogu (rtd), Elder Nat Okoro, Mr. Solomon Asemota (SAN) and Elder Matthew Owojaiye.

Others are DIG P. L. Dabup, Sir John W. Bagu, late Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Dame Priscilla Kuye, Prof. (Mrs) Deborah Enilo Ajakaiye, HRM Oba Dokun Thompson, Dr. Taiwo Idemudia (Diaspora), Elder Minso Gadzama, Apostle Bulus Musa Kewa, Admiral Peter Adeniyi (Rtd), Hon. Justice Goddy Anunihu (Rtd) and Chief Sir Ferdinand Anikwe.

The statement said, “Following our discussions, we wish to present the following recommendations to the President and Government:

“Review of Petrol Prices: We urge the Government to reconsider the recent increase in petrol prices, which have led to a significant rise in the cost of food and other essential commodities.

“Addressing the Impact of Protests: It is important to acknowledge that the recent protests by some Nigerians were because of the increase in petrol prices and aggravating hardship faced by the populace. We recommend a downward review of petrol prices to alleviate the suffering of the people.

“Reduction in Electricity Costs: We advocate for a reduction in electricity tariffs to enable Nigerians to produce goods and services more economically. This measure will enhance productivity and create employment opportunities for our burgeoning youth population.

“Enhanced Security Measures: We call for improved security, particularly for farmers in rural areas who are crucial to the nation’s food security. While we recognize the Government’s efforts in this regard, we urge for more immediate and effective actions.

“We firmly believe that these straightforward recommendations will significantly alleviate the current hardships experienced by many Nigerians. We trust in the Government’s wisdom and political will to implement these measures.”

If I were Asue Ighodalo

Ikechukwu Amaechi

By Ikechukwu Amaechi

I had very instructive discussions with two A-list Nigerian politicians before and after the Edo State governorship election; the first being on Wednesday, three days before the poll. Both men have held positions of responsibility in government both at the state and federal levels.

The first politician dismissed the optimism of those who believed that given the pedigree of the 18 candidates and sophistication of the Edo electorate, the odds favoured the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), he was unequivocal that the result of the election had already been written. “I don’t know why Nigerians are so naïve. They don’t seem to know what they are up against. Which election are they talking about? The same election which result had already been written?” he asked.

That was incredulous. I reminded him how the Edo electorate stepped up to the plate in the 2020 governorship election. He riposted that times have changed and INEC has become more brazen, emboldened by the unscrupulousness of the new kids on the leadership block.

We left it at that, but I hoped to prove him wrong. It turned out on Saturday that he was spot on and I was wrong. On Sunday, at exactly 2.33 pm, when INEC’s deviousness was on full parade, he sent me a text message: “I told you.”

Earlier on Sunday, at exactly 9.37 am, the second politician called to lament. What he said was spine-chilling. “Have you seen what is happening in Edo? These guys have become so brazen. This is unbelievable. What this means is that anyone contesting elections in Nigeria today will be doing so at his own risk.” He was hoping to run for the governorship of his state in 2027. Not anymore after the Edo electoral heist by the APC, he said.

None of them is from Edo. So, they had no dog in the fight, so to speak. But as stakeholders, they are as worried as every other well-meaning Nigerian. But I am more worried now because of what they said.

Before now, the risk we faced as a result of the insufferable duplicity of INEC was voter apathy. Over the years, as people came to the realization that their votes never counted, voter enthusiasm waned.

According to INEC records, only 28.63 per cent of all eligible voters participated in the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections. That was a new low in what has become a steady decline in the turnout of voters during elections. For instance, while as in 2011, voter turnout was an impressive 53.7 per cent, it dropped to 43.7 per cent in 2015 and 34.75 per cent in 2019.

After the 2023 elections, it was apparent that the voter apathy will intensify and the Edo governorship election where only about 22 per cent of the 2,629,025 registered voters voted has confirmed that. One would have thought that such embarrassing statistics will make the electoral umpire have a rethink. No! Instead of thinking of how to clamber out of the putrid hole of electoral malfeasance, the hardened enablers of electoral fraud are still digging.

Now, the consequence stares us in the face. Even politicians no longer have faith in INEC and if things remain the way they are, no credible Nigerian will waste his time and resources contesting elections again. The implication is that going forward, certificate forgers, age cheats, drug barons and sundry fraudsters will have the electoral field all to themselves.

The Edo election has confirmed what every discerning Nigerian knows: the Mahmoud Yakubu-led INEC is a fraud with no moral fibre to conduct free, fair and credible elections.

But by this brazenness, INEC has also finally overreached itself. As the legendary Chinua Achebe said in his book, A Man of the People, Yakubu now epitomizes that vile character, Josiah, the local shopkeeper, who tricked a blind beggar and stole his walking stick. As one of the villagers said, “Josiah has taken away enough for the owner to notice.” In the same vein, Yakubu and the INEC gang have crossed a line with the conduct of the Edo poll and longsuffering Nigerians have noticed.

Already, director of the Abuja school of social and political thought, Dr. Sam Amadi, has called for the disbandment of INEC as presently constituted, insisting that evidence abounds the electoral umpire was to blame for every bad election conducted in the country.

I agree in toto! And I make bold to say that the APC candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, didn’t win last Saturday’s Edo governorship election. He lost woefully to the PDP candidate, Asue Ighodalo, no matter what the fraudulent INEC says. And this is not a speculation. Results announced at the polling booths confirm Ighodalo’s victory to the eternal shame of those who toy with the sovereign will of the people. What INEC did was a perpetuation of the electoral fraud that has made Nigeria a laughing stock in the comity of democratic nations.

If you are still in doubt, consider the fact that all the accredited civil society organizations (CSOs) that observed the poll have rejected the result, insisting that it lacks integrity. The problem, as it has always been the case, started at the point of result collation from the ward, local government to the state level, which flew in the face of the Electoral Act 2022.

A coalition of civil society groups, including Advocacy for Quality Leadership and Health Awareness Foundation; Grassroots Development and Peace Initiative; Citizens Rights and Leadership Awareness Initiative, etc., alleged on Sunday that INEC used two sets of result sheets — one used in the field and another that favoured the APC – during the collation in specific senatorial districts.

The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room and some of its accredited member organisations, including Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD-West Africa), Yiaga Africa, Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI), Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF), and TAF Africa, were even more scathing in their report.

In a statement on Monday, they noted that while as “the voting process was concluded in a relatively peaceful atmosphere, the results collation process in some LGAs were not peaceful and did not meet electoral integrity standards.”

Concerned that the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines on collation were wilfully compromised, particularly in Egor, Ikpoba Okha, Oredo, Esan West and Ovia South-West LGAs, they said: “Our observation of the collation process shows that it was neither transparent nor opened to representatives of the various candidates in some cases. In addition, it lacks transparency in the application of the provision of the Electoral Act and the INEC Guidelines on over-voting and cancellation of results from polling units.”

Bemoaning the over-voting that was reported from more than 370 polling units across the State, they returned a damning verdict: “It is our observation that the Edo State Governorship election 2024 failed to fulfil the requirement of the conduct of credible elections, and again, raises questions about election credibility in Nigeria. As with recent polls, INEC’s ability and willingness to conduct credible elections in Nigeria remains questionable.”

The big elephant in the room has always been collation and Yakubu knows. As a history professor, he is most likely aware of the admonition of the Soviet dictator, Joseph Stalin, to his party apparatchik in 1923 thus: “I consider it completely unimportant who in the party will vote, or how; but what is extraordinarily important is this — who will count the votes, and how” because, “Those who vote decide nothing. Those who count the vote decide everything.” The devil in Nigeria’s elections is always in the counting.

So, INEC allowed the electorate to vote in Edo and then willfully manipulated the counting to decide the “winner.” What is even more worrying is the impunity. For instance, as at 8:40 am on Sunday, results from 4455 out of the 4,519 polling units where elections were held – 98.58 per cent – had been successfully uploaded on the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IREV), which means that Nigerians knew as a fact who won the election. Yet, bypassing its own portal, the self-same INEC had the audacity to collate results from only God knows where that was totally at variance with what was uploaded.

Those who want to be diplomatic have called for calm, asking those holding the short end of the electoral stick to follow due process in seeking redress.

Due process would mean going to court. That will be foolhardy because it is another layer of the fraud. As Mr. Jibrin Samuel Okutepa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), noted recently, “No matter the volumes of evidence, the judiciary appears to have taken stand and seems to be siding with the people who have no regard and respect for the sovereignty of the people.”

To be sure, no petitioner can successfully sidestep the daunting legal banana peels starting from dubious concepts of demonstration of documents, dumping of documents and calling of agents polling unit by polling unit, to the requirement that certified true copies of public documents must be tendered by the makers and the new, albeit impossible proviso that no subpoenaed witness can testified unless his or her frontloaded statements on oath are filed along with the petitions within 21.

Here, Okutepa’s advice, for me, suffices. “It is my proposal to all ‘losers’ of elections in Nigeria not to waste time and resources to file election petitions because it is easier for an elephant to go through the eyes of the needle than for anyone who was robbed of victories in our elections to get immediate remedies and electoral justice.”

If I were Asue Ighodalo, the latest victim of Nigeria’s soulless electoral mafia led by Prof Mahmoud Yakubu, I will not go to court. The matter will be settled on the streets of Edo. If that is what those inclined to being politically correct call anarchy, so be it.

Truth be told, unless and until Nigerians show the capacity to resist the malfeasance of INEC and their enablers on the streets, not in courts, this impunity will not stop.

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