These are the major events for this week, February 19 to 25, 2023 whose outcomes will reverberate locally and internationally.
Sunday, 19 February 2023
APC governors met on the state of the nation
Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) met in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and deliberated on the state of the nation especially the effect of the naira redesign policy on the economy and their party, APC.
In addition to the chairman of the party Senator Abdullahi Adamu and members of APC’s national working committee, others in attendance were governors Nasir El Rufai (Kaduna), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa) and Abubakar Sani Bello (Niger), Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Simon Lalong (Plateau), Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti), Sani Bello (Niger), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos).
The governors of Imo and Katsina states were represented by their deputies, while Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State as well as Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State were absent. The presidential candidate of APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu later joined the meeting in the afternoon.
The meeting resolved there was need for President Muhammadu Buhari to obey the order of the Supreme Court of Nigeria which ordered both the old and new notes should circulate simultaneously while the suit lasted.
Monday 20 February 2023
Joe Biden makes surprise visit to Ukraine
The President of the United States of America (USA), Joe Biden, made a surprise visit to Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital today. Biden met with the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, in the Mikhailovsky Cathedral in Kyiv.
According to CNN, Zelensky was said to have discussed with the US President the supply of more advanced Western weapons to Ukraine, especially the Abrams tanks which are expected to make the difference on the battle field, even as the conflict clocks a year on Friday February 24.
Tuesday 21 February 2023
APC final presidential rally holds in Lagos
The presidential campaign rally of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will hold on Tuesday February 21 at the Teslim Balogun Stadium Surulere in Lagos State, Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre. Dignitaries expected at the rally include President Muhammadu Buhari, APC national chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong and many other party faithful.
Expectedly, motorists and commuters have been advised to seek alternative routes to avoid running into traffic likely to be caused by the crowd that will attend the rally.
Wednesday 22 February 2023
Supreme Court to decide on naira redesign suit between FG and states
The Supreme Court of Nigeria will decide on the suit filled by some states in Nigeria to the effect that the old naira denominations of N200, N500, and N1000 should remain legal tender in Nigeria beyond the February 10 deadline.
At the sitting of the Supreme Court last Wednesday, it adjoined the case till this week’s Wednesday on the ground that it wanted states that applied to join Kogi, Kaduna and Zamfara as co-applicants and co-respondents to file in their documents.
Thus far, apart from Kogi, Zamfara and Kaduna states, the attorneys-general of Kano, Ondo, Katsina, Lagos, Ondo, Ogun, Ekiti, Cross River and Sokoto states have applied to be joined as co-plaintiffs.
On the other hand, Edo and Bayelsa states have applied to be joined as co-defendants.
Friday 24 February 2023
Russia’s Special Military Operations in Ukraine will be a year old
February 24, 2022 was the day the world witnessed the outbreak of conflict in Europe in the 21st century. Russia launched its military operations with the deployment of about 200,000 military personnel and materiel. The Ukrainian conflict has pitched the US-led North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) against the old Soviet bloc which gets indirect support from Iran, China and India.
NATO has pumped Ukraine with weapons worth about $60 billion. Between February 24, 2022 and January 20,2023, according to Russia Today (RT), the United States alone provided Ukraine with at least $27.4 billion worth of security aid. These aside the supports Kyiv received from Germany, United Kingdom, Poland, Italy, France, Spain and South Korea, Canada, Australia and a host of other European nations.
On the other hand, Russia continues to receive support from Iran, which was accused of supplying Moscow with Kamikaze drones believed to have been used to devastating effect on Kyiv’s energy and military infrastructure. China and India continue to procure highly discounted Russian oil and gas, a development the West considers as a way of providing Moscow with resources to prosecute the war.
As the conflict clocks its first-year anniversary this week, Russian is currently in control of about 18 to 20 percent of Ukrainian landmass.
Saturday February 25, 2023
Nigerians go to the poll to elect Buhari’s successor
Barring unforeseen circumstances, Nigerians will go to the poll to elect the successor to the outgoing President, Muhammadu Buhari. While eighteen political parties will be vying for different posts, the four prominent ones are the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP) and New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) whose candidates are Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso respectively.
The presidential aspirants are now making frantic efforts in their last minutes’ drive to woos especially, the undecided voters.
