Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has expressed confidence in the local government umpire, OYSIEC for conducting second time most credible local council election as its mother body Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Governor Makinde made the submission after casting his vote at Ward 11 Unit 1 Abayomi Iwo Road, Ibadan North East in Ibadan today.

Makinde who exercise his franchise at exactly 09:58am, said he was satisfied with the level of election conduct, describing it peaceful and at par with INEC.

The governor noted that his administration has greatly succeeded to conduct its second peaceful local council election, insisting that any challenge of the result will be welcome.

Meanwhile, Makinde called citizens to come out to perform to equally vote as to enable true development of the local council in Nigeria.

In his words while speaking with journalists shortly after casting his vote, Makinde said, “I challenge people to compare this exercise with INEC organized elections.

“Our people should accept the outcome of the elections and if you see anything on towards as far as this exercise is concerned , pls bring it up to the authorities and they’ll deal with it.

“This is almost our fifth year in office, and before we came in, it has always been a caretaker administration without the people really having a say about who to govern them,” Makinde said.

Pan-African banking group United Bank for Africa (UBA) has acquired more stakes in its Kenyan and Ugandan subsidiaries in the wake of a rush by Nigerian lenders to penetrate the East African banking market now under the control of Kenyan retail banks.

The Nigerian billionaire Tony Elumelu-owned lender acquired 13 percent and 11 percent additional shares in UBA Kenya Ltd and UBA Uganda Ltd respectively in 2022, signalling the lender’s growing appetite for investment in a market with more than 300 million people. It also runs subsidiaries in Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The share sale increased UBA Plc’s shareholding in the Kenyan and Ugandan units from 81 percent and 69 percent to 94 percent and 80 percent respectively, according to the lender’s latest annual report (2023).

The additional stakes in the Kenyan and Ugandan units were collectively acquired at NGN 18.49 billion ($16.04 million) comprising a payment of NGN6.96 billion ($6.03 million) for the 11 percent stake in Uganda subsidiary and NGN 11.52 billion ($9.99 million) for the 13 percent stake in the Kenyan subsidiary.

In addition to the share purchase, UBA plc further injected NGN 17.32 billion ($15.02 million) of additional capital in the two subsidiaries in 2023 that included NGN 5.14 billion ($4.45 million) and NGN 12.17 billion ($10.55 million) worth of additional investments in Kenya and Uganda respectively.

UBA’s subsidiaries in Kenya and Uganda started operations in 2009 and 2008 respectively. The Kenyan subsidiary narrowed its losses to NGN 1.31 billion in 2023 from a net loss of NGN 1.67 billion($1.44 million) in 2022 while the Ugandan subsidiary made a net profit of NGN 3.1 billion($2.68 million), from a net loss of NGN 840 million($728,869) in the same period.

In Tanzania, UBA’s net profit increased by more than ninefold to NGN 2.14 billion($1.85 million) in 2023 from NGN 216 million($187,423) in 2022, while UBA Congo (DRC)’s net profit increased by more than sixteen fold to NGN 4.32 billion($3.74 million) from NGN 265 million($229,941) in the same period.

UBA group’s net profit for the accounting period ended December 31, 2023, declined to NGN 607.69 billion ($527.29 million) from NGN 170.27 billion ($147.74 million) in 2022.

Three Nigerian banks have set a foothold in East Africa.

In 2020, Access Bank Plc more than doubled its investment in its Rwandan subsidiary after acquiring Kenya’s Transnational Bank. Access Bank Plc now owns a 75 per cent shareholding in its Rwandan subsidiary, which has eight branches across the country.

Guaranty Trust Bank (GT Bank), which acquired 70 per cent shareholding in Kenyan-owned Fina Bank Group in 2013.

Nigeria’s Access Plc disclosed in January disclosed that it is in the process of acquiring an 80 percent stake in Uganda’s Finance Trust Bank Ltd, in a transaction that will be closed in the first half of this year (2024) and last month (March), the lender made another acquisition by taking over National Bank of Kenya (NBK), a subsidiary of KCB group, saying it was attracted by Kenya’s pivotal role in East Africa’s trade corridor.

Nigerian banks are positioning themselves to dominate Africa’s access and links to global financial gateways in India, Dubai and China.

UBA Plc which operates in 20 countries across Africa, the United Kingdom France, and the United Arab Emirates provides corporate, commercial, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and consumer banking services to more than 35 million customers globally.

The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on Saturday warned that its leader Nnamdi Kanu cannot be sacrificed to save corrupt politicians.


It cautioned Justice Binta Nyako of an Abuja Federal High Court against jailing Kanu.

The group also charged Nyako to step down from Kanu’s trial, alleging that she had been compromised.


In a statement by its spokesman, Emma Powerful, IPOB urged Western countries and human rights organisations like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Inter-Society organisation and other reputable human rights organisations to prevail over the Nigerian Government, President Bola Tinubu, and Justice Nyako to save the country’s judicial system by releasing Kanu.

The statement reads: “The global family and movement of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) ably led by the indomitable and charismatic leader Mazi Nnamdi Okwuchukwu Kanu reiterate our demand that Justice Binta Nyako step down from Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s case. Justice Binta Nyako is already compromised because the Federal Government of Nigeria is pointing a gun on her head to jail Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in order to free her husband and son from their EFCC case.

“IPOB will never allow the Federal Government to use our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, as bait to entice Justice Binta Nyako to carry out their ugly agenda. Mazi Nnamdi Kanu cannot be sacrificed to save the corrupt and treasury looters, Nyako Father and Son team.


“Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has not committed any offence known to law. His only offence is that he is championing Biafra’s self-determination movement. If Justice Binta Nyako succumbs to the Fulani government’s pressure and jails Mazi Nnamdi, she will still be eliminated by the same government to cover it up so that it can not be traced back to them.

“Therefore, Justice Binta Nyako will save her life and that of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu by stepping down from the case. BINTA NYAKO must understand that Mazi Nnamdi KANU belongs to every South Easterner and they don’t want to see anything ugly happen to him. The calamity that will befall the country will be better imagined. Bola Ahmed Tinubu and BINTA Nyako must save their country by releasing Mazi Nnamdi Okwu Kanu.

“The Buhari Government and the former Attorney General, Abubakar Malami used Justice Binta Nyako to keep Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s case ongoing perpetually. Also, the current government of Bola Ahamed Tinubu and his AGF Lateef Fagbemi has continued blackmailing Justice Binta Nyako with her husband and son’s cases at EFCC.


“Justice Binta Nyako is under gunpoint to either jail Mazi Nnamdi Okwu Kanu or her husband and son will be jailed by EFCC. Justice Binta Nyako is at a crossroads as to jail an innocent man or allow her husband and son to go to jail. Justice Binta Nyako is human and will certainly do anything to save her husband and son from serving a prolonged jail sentence. IPOB understands the precarious situation Justice Binta Nyako has found herself in. That is why we demand that she steps down from Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s case.

“IPOB is calling Binta Nyako to step down from Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s case. She should avoid plunging Nigeria into an unimaginable crisis. Binta Nyako must redeem herself from this case or posterity will never be kind to her and her generation. Justice Nyako should save herself from the mess that her husband has put her in by stepping down.

“Justice Binta Nyako is not the only High Court Judge in Nigeria. But she is the preferred judge to the Nigerian government because they are using her husband’s and son’s pending fraud case with EFCC to blackmail her into submission and to do the will of the Government. Justice Binta Nyako’s hands are tied and cannot deliver justice for Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB.


“Biafrans both home and the diaspora demand that Justice Binta Nyako step down from Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s case without delay. She will not deliver a fair judgment because she is under uncontrollable pressure from the Federal Government of Nigeria to jail an innocent man to save her husband and son from EFCC. Intimidating Justice Binta Nyako, a wife and mother to choose between saving her child and husband from imprisonment for unproven fraud or to continue the illegal detention and jailing of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is pure evil. IPOB will not allow our leader to be sacrificed for the sins of the Nyakos and that is why we repeat our demand that Justice Binta Nyako step down without further delays.