By Mike Odiakose, Abuja

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Segun Sowunmi, has described Prince Adewole Adebayo as a credible symbol of generational shift in Nigerian politics.

In an interview, Sowunmi said Adebayo embodies the kind of prepared, articulate and ideologically grounded leadership Nigeria needs.

“People like Adebayo fit into the category of giving them a chance,” he said, urging Nigerians to open the political space to competent younger leaders with fresh ideas.

Sowunmi, who runs a civic platform known as The Alternative, stressed that democracy must go beyond partisanship and focus on results, competence and national development.

According to him, leadership renewal is essential to prevent power from circulating endlessly within the same political class.

While acknowledging Nigeria’s complex political realities, he maintained that credible emerging leaders should not be ignored simply because they operate outside dominant party structures.

Concluding, Sowunmi urged citizens to vote responsibly and prioritise competence, noting that “the best among us should lead the rest of us” — a remark seen as reinforcing confidence in Adebayo’s place in Nigeria’s evolving political future.

…Says He is Dishonoring Legacy of Democratic Struggle in Nigeria

By Mike Odiakose, Abuja

Prominent politician and former presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, has strongly criticised the recent amendments to Nigeria’s Electoral Act signed into law by President Bola Tinubu, describing the move as a setback for transparency and democratic integrity.

In a statement posted on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, @Pres_Adebayo, Adebayo accused the Federal Government of prioritising “loopholes over transparency” by weakening provisions for the electronic transmission of election results.

According to the SDP leader, while electronic transmission has not been completely abolished, the new revisions to the 2022 Electoral Act make it discretionary rather than mandatory — a shift he believes could undermine the credibility of future elections.

“I was in Abuja and saw the anger of the Nigerian people after the government approved revisions to the 2022 Electoral Act,” Adebayo wrote.

“What should have been mandatory, real-time transmission has been left open to discretion. That loophole matters.”

He argued that making electronic transmission optional effectively returns the system to manual collation as the default practice, increasing the risk of manipulation and eroding public trust.

“When electronic transmission is optional, manual collation of results becomes the practical default. And when results move through opaque channels, trust in the process is damaged,” he said.

The SDP chieftain described the signing of the amended law as “a blow against the very essence of Nigerian democracy,” alleging that the administration is deliberately shielding itself from transparency.

“Removing the mandatory electronic transmission makes it easier to manipulate the results — and that is unacceptable,” Adebayo stated.

“This administration is attacking the very democracy that generations of Nigerians fought so hard to secure.”

He further accused President Tinubu of dishonouring the legacy of democratic struggle in Nigeria, claiming the changes represent “a shameless attempt to remain in power.”

Adebayo maintained that Nigeria should be advancing toward full electronic voting rather than weakening technological safeguards in the electoral process.

He pointed out that Nigerians already rely on electronic systems for banking, business, and communication, questioning why similar trust should not apply to the protection of votes.

“When votes are transmitted transparently and in real time, there is a record. There is verification. There is accountability,” he added.
Despite the new law, Adebayo called on citizens and communities across the country to continue demanding transparency and fairness in the electoral system.

“The law may have changed, but the demand for transparency has not,” he said, pledging to stand with Nigerians who believe the country “deserves better.”

The amendments to the Electoral Act have sparked debate among political stakeholders and civil society groups, with critics warning that weakening electronic transmission provisions could impact public confidence ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The US has imposed sanctions ‌on the Rwandan army and four of its senior commanders, accusing them of fuelling the conflict in neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Fighting has persisted despite a US-brokered peace deal in December between the Congolese and Rwandan governments aimed at ending the long-running conflict in eastern DR Congo.

The US treasury department accused the Rwandan army of undermining the peace deal by training, equipping and fighting alongside the M23 rebel group.

Rwanda swiftly rejected the accusations, saying the sanctions had unfairly targeted one side and “misrepresented the reality and distorted the facts of the conflict”.

Kigali denies supporting the M23, despite overwhelming evidence, and says its military presence in the region is a defensive measure against threats posed by armed groups in DR Congo to Rwanda’s security.

The sanctions come three months after Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame signed the Washington Accords, aimed at ending hostilities.

The ceremony was hosted by US President Donald Trump, who expressed optimism that it would bring lasting peace and described the signing as “historic”.

The M23 rebels were not signatories but have been part of a parallel peace process led by Qatar, a US ally that has strong ties with Rwanda.

Days after the Washington deal, the M23 captured the strategic Congolese city of Uvira, near the border with Burundi, forcing thousands to flee.

The group later withdrew under pressure from the US government.

However, the treasury department said on Monday that the M23’s continued presence near Burundi’s border “carries the risk of escalating the conflict into a broader regional war”.

Thousands of Rwandan troops were deployed across eastern DR Congo “where they actively engage in combat operations and facilitate M23’s control of territory”, it added.

The US expected “the immediate withdrawal of Rwanda Defence Force troops, weapons, and equipment”, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.

In a separate statement about the sanctions, US state department spokesman Tommy Pigott said the M23 was “responsible for horrific human rights abuses, including summary executions and violence against civilians, including women and children”.

The sanctioned Rwandan officials include army chief of staff Vincent Nyakarundi, Ruki Karusisi, commander of the 5th Infantry Division, Mubarakh Muganga, Rwanda’s chief of defence staff and Stanislas Gashugi, head of special operations.

The sanctions freeze any assets held in the US by the RDF or the four officers, and bar US individuals and entities from conducting financial transactions with them.

The Congolese government expressed its “deep appreciation” to the US and said the sanctions were “a clear signal of support” for the respect of its “sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

The Trump administration said it was “prepared to use all available tools” to ensure Rwanda and the DR Congo delivered on their promises.

Trump had hailed the December deal as a way to secure critical minerals from eastern DR Congo – the country has reserves of copper and cobalt, which are used to make batteries for products including mobile phones and electric vehicles.

The mineral-rich east of DR Congo has been dogged by conflict for more than 30 years, since the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

Numerous armed groups have since competed for power and control of a potential fortune.

The latest unrest escalated early last year when the M23 captured Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, on the border with Rwanda.