YayiBoni, Jonathan Lead West African Elders Pre-election Mission to Cote D’Ivoire

ChuksOkocha in Abuja

The West African Elders’ Forum (WAEF) has deployed a pre-election fact-finding mission to Cote d’Ivoire ahead of the country’s presidential election scheduled for October 2025.

Members of the mission who arrived in Abidjan yesterday afternoon were led by former President of the Republic of Benin, Mr. YayiBoni.

A statement from the WAEF Secretariat declared that other members of the fact-finding mission included chairman of Goodluck Jonathan Foundation and former Nigerian President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan; former Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Dr Mohamed IbnChambas, as well as members of the West African Elders Forum Secretariat.

The executive director of the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation(GJF) and head of WAEF secretariat, Ms Ann Iyonu, stated that the members would be in the country for three days within which they would be interfacing with key stakeholders in Cote d’Ivoire including the political parties, election management body, security authorities, civil society and members of the diplomatic community.

She maintained that the elders’ engagements and consultations in Abidjan were meant to deepen the confidence and trust of Ivorians in the process and ensuring a hitch-free election.

According to the statement from the Secretariat, WAEF was established “as a home-grown, non-partisan platform of former Heads of State and Government in West Africa. It leverages the experience, stature, and networks of its members to provide advisory, mediation, and conflict resolution support services to political leaders across the region.

 “Through its engagements, the Forum also contributes to the promotion of democracy, good governance, peace, and stability across the sub-region.”

One of the Forum’s core objectives is to accompany West African countries in their efforts to consolidate democracy, particularly during electoral processes.

In pursuit of this mandate, the statement further averred: “WAEF undertakes strategic engagements before, during, and after elections to ensure that disputes are addressed through dialogue and respect for the rule of law and to foster peaceful transitions.”

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    2027: I’ll Support Any PDP Presidential Candidate, Says Gov Bala

    Chuks Okocha in Abuja

    The Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, has said that he would whoever emerges as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate for 2027 general elections. will get his full backing going into the political fray.

    According to him, the main opposition party has so many capable hands that can effectively handle Nigeria’s affairs and turn things around for the overall good of the citizens and the country in general

    Governor Bala, who spoke on one of the national televisions, explained that the PDP has not settled for any particular candidate yet, even as he laughed over current speculations about the Seyi Makinde/Bala Mohammed pairing come 2027.

    He said there are so many options in terms of pairing to “match even better” the President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima ticket in 2027.

    Governor Bala, who is the Chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum, further said, “It depends on what Nigerians want. If they want the continuation of this clueless administration, then it is the choice of Nigerians.”

    However, not completely ruling out the possibility of any such ticket that could see both of them teaming up to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), he said, “Certainly, they have seen the pedigree and capacity of Seyi and my humble self at subnational level.

    “And of course, it is not only Seyi that is there , there are so many people that may even come up and so many people that can be good Vice presidents.”

    The Bauchi State Chief Executive, while making reference to the 2023 Presidential polls, said the PDP is not ready to repeat what he described as the ruling APC’s insensitivity and ‘mistake’ of fielding a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket in the 2027 elections.

    He said, “Everybody should know that PDP is open, and it’s open in a manner that it is for the southerner to bring somebody.

    “We don’t want to make the mistake of the APC. We need a Christian from the South to emerge as presidential candidate so that he will lead the majority of Christian southerners to come and pick the majority Muslim vice president in the North, not to put ourselves in a cul-de-sac the way and manner APC did in 2023.”

    For him, no matter the argument that may have been put forward, echoes of APC’s Muslim-Muslim ticket decision still reverberate within the polity because it “did not take into cognisance our diversity” and such should not be encouraged going forward.

    The post 2027: I’ll Support Any PDP Presidential Candidate, Says Gov Bala appeared first on THISDAYLIVE.

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    Chuks Okocha in Abuja The Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, has said that he would whoever emerges as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate for 2027 general elections. will get his full backing
    The post 2027: I’ll Support Any PDP Presidential Candidate, Says Gov Bala appeared first on THISDAYLIVE.

    Sokoto Launches 2025 Tree Planting Campaign to Combat Desertification

    Sokoto Launches 2025 Tree Planting Campaign to Combat Desertification

    Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto 

    Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, has flagged off the 2025 Tree Planting Campaign in Sokoto New City, Kasarawa, as part of efforts to combat desertification and promote environmental sustainability. 

    Governor Aliyu emphasised the urgent need for collective action to address desert encroachment, which is advancing at an alarming rate and posing serious threats to farmlands.

    He directed local government councils to hasten the collection of their allocations and ensure planting in their respective domains.

    The campaign aims to distribute over 500,000 tree seedlings across the state’s 23 local government areas.

    The campaign involves the massive distribution of thousands of environmental and economic seedlings across the 23 local government areas. This effort is expected to not only combat desertification but also provide economic benefits to the people of Sokoto State.

    Community participation is a key component of the campaign, with local government chairmen tasked with sensitising their communities on the dangers of indiscriminate tree felling. This approach is designed to ensure that the campaign is owned and driven by the local communities, thereby guaranteeing its sustainability.

    The campaign is also supported by the National Agency for the Great Green Wall, which has allocated 450,000 date seedlings to Sokoto State. This partnership underscores the commitment of the state government to combating desertification and promoting environmental sustainability.

    The campaign has received support from development partners, including UNICEF, UNDP, and UNEP. 

    These partners have commended the state government’s commitment to environmental sustainability and pledged their support for the campaign.

    The 2025 Tree Planting Campaign in Sokoto State marks a significant step towards combating desertification and promoting environmental sustainability. With the support of development partners and the active participation of local communities, the campaign is poised to make a positive impact on the environment and the lives of the people of Sokoto State.

    The post Sokoto Launches 2025 Tree Planting Campaign to Combat Desertification appeared first on THISDAYLIVE.

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    Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto  Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, has flagged off the 2025 Tree Planting Campaign in Sokoto New City, Kasarawa, as part of efforts to combat desertification and promote
    The post Sokoto Launches 2025 Tree Planting Campaign to Combat Desertification appeared first on THISDAYLIVE.

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