As there is growing anxiety over a proposed nationwide protest in Nigeria scheduled for August 1, 2024, PRNigeria conducted an opinion poll on its WhatsApp platform for three days to gauge public sentiment on the matter.

The impending nationwide demonstrations have sparked concerns among various stakeholders, with a heightened focus on maintaining law and order and protecting businesses and livelihoods during the potentially tumultuous period.

Respondents to PRNigeria Poll were asked two key questions: 1) Do they agree that protest is the only solution to Nigeria’s problems? and 2) Whether they would participate in the upcoming nationwide protest.

The results of the poll revealed a mixed response from the public.

On the first question, the majority of respondents, constituting 66%, replied that protest is not the only solution to Nigeria’s problems. They believe that there are other avenues and approaches that should be explored to address the country’s challenges. Only 34% of the respondents agreed that protest is the only viable solution.

When it came to the question of participation in the nationwide protest, the poll results showed a similar trend. A significant majority of 70% said they would not participate in the planned protest, while only 29% expressed their intention to take part.

The poll findings suggest that while a sizable portion of the population is open to the idea of protest as a means of expression and advocacy, the majority seem to be skeptical about the effectiveness of this approach or are unwilling to lend their physical presence to the planned demonstration.

It is important to note that this was a limited poll conducted on PRNigeria‘s WhatsApp platform, and the results may not necessarily reflect the sentiments of the entire Nigerian population. However, the data provides a snapshot of the public’s current mindset regarding the proposed nationwide protest.

As the August 1st protest date approaches, it will be crucial for organizers and authorities to closely monitor the evolving public sentiment and engage in constructive dialogue to address the underlying issues that have led to this proposed demonstration.

Meanwhile, as Nigeria braces for the nationwide protests, foreign missions have raised alarms over the likelihood of violence during the “End Bad Governance” rallies. The United States, United Kingdom, and Canada have issued travel alerts, warning their citizens in Nigeria to avoid getting caught in potential confrontations between security agencies and protesters.

The concerns come as market leaders in several states, including Abuja, Sokoto, Kano, Katsina, Ogun, Osun, Zamfara, and Gombe, have requested heightened security around their facilities during the planned demonstrations.

In preparation, the police have recalled personnel from non-essential duties, with a memo directing the withdrawal of riot policemen to “muster sufficient officers to dominate the public space.”

The protest organizers, under the #EndBadGovernance banner, have intensified mobilization of youths and civil society groups, citing economic hardship and the alleged failure of the Tinubu administration to address the people’s plight. However, the Presidency has challenged the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, to lead the protest after he endorsed it, rather than “playing the master puppeteer behind the scene.”

Market leaders across the country have expressed concerns over the potential disruption to their businesses, with some holding meetings to strategize on securing their facilities. In Kano, an ad-hoc security committee has been constituted to provide adequate protection, while in Katsina, the central market has partnered with the police to beef up security.

As the nation braces for the protests, the police have faced criticism over their demand for the organizers to submit details of the rallies, which some have argued has no constitutional backing. However, the police have defended the request, stating it is aimed at facilitating effective communication, ensuring the safety of participants, and preventing unlawful activities.

By PRNigerja

The post Protest or Not? PRNigeria Poll Reveals Nigerian Public’s Mixed Sentiment appeared first on Tech Digest News.

TECHDIGEST – The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said it is not behind the leaked phone call between the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, and the General Overseer of Winners’ Chapel, Bishop David Oyedepo.

The leaked audio has been generating controversy since the weekend as Obi was caught describing the February 25 presidential election as a religious war, urging the man of God to help him recruit Christians to fight the war.

Some of Obi’s supporters have therefore accused the NCC of tracking and leaking the conversation to embarrass the LP and serve the purpose of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

NCC in a statement by its spokesman, Reuben Mouka, said it is not empowered by law to track and leak people’s phone conversations.

Even though the statement did not mention Obi’s name or that of Oyedepo, the NCC warned Nigerians to beware of such accusations.

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The statement read in full:

“The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has been inundated with enquiries by the media on allegations of telephone “tracking” and “leakage” made against the Commission by some individuals and groups in the social and alternative media.

The Commission wishes to make the following clarifications:

i. The Commission denies the allegations in their entirety.

ii. By the provisions of the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003 and other extant Laws of the Federation, the Commission does not and cannot “track” nor “leak” telephone conversations of anyone.

iii. The Commission has reported the allegations, which we take seriously, to relevant security agencies for proper investigation and necessary action.

iv. The Commission restates its commitment to discharge its responsibilities to the Nigerian people in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; the NCA 2003; other extant Laws of the Federation; and global best practices.

For the avoidance of doubt, the Commission denies these allegations and advises the public to disregard them.”

The post NCC Denies Tracking, Leaking Obi Versus Oyedepo Phone Call appeared first on Tech Digest News.

TECHDIGEST – Nigeria’s president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has widen the gap in his lead as Google’s most searched presidential candidate three weeks after the election.

Despite not undergoing much activities after the February 25, 2023 presidential election, Tinubu still floored Peter Obi of the Labour Party, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP).

The latest Google search interest on Google Trends has been captured between February 17, 2023 and March 12, 2023.

In the latest ranking, Tinubu extended lead as the most searched presidential candidate, with 47 percent up from the 45 percent he polled three days to the presidential poll last month.

READ ALSO: Pantami Assures Protection of Nigeria’s Cyberspace Before, During and After 2023 Presidential Elections

Obi came second with 32 percent search interest on google, up from the 29 percent scored few days to the poll last month.

Atiku of the PDP got 18 percent search interest to come third, but this represents a serious plummet from the 23 percent he got three days to the presidential election.

Kwankwaso of the NNPP polled three percent to emerge fourth. His position remains unchanged from the last month’s poll.

Tinubu’s position was boosted by after he was declared winner of the February 25 presidential election on March 1. His search interest spikes on that day to 100.

He was searched most according to ranking in states such as Adamawa, Kebbi, Cross River, Yobe, Bauchi, Ebonyi State, Nasarawa, Osun State, Delta, Benue, Ebonyi State, Nasarawa, Osun, Delta, Benue, among others.

Obi’s highest search was on presidential election day, hitting 100 search, but this plummets after that.

He was searched most according to ranking in states such as Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Abia, Cross River, Imo, Taraba, Bayelsa, Benue, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Plateau, Edo, Nasarawa, among others.

Atiku got his highest search on election day reaching 100. Search on him dwindles after that.

He was searched most according to ranking in states such as Adamawa, Gombe, Yobe, Bauchi, Katsina, Taraba, Kebbi, Sokoto, Republic of Niger, Kano, Borno, Kaduna, Cross River, Jigawa, Bayelsa, among others.

The post Tinubu leads Obi, Atiku again on Google Search Interest appeared first on Tech Digest News.

By Yushau A. Shuaib

TECHDIGEST – After the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced the former governor of Lagos State and National Leader of the All-Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu as the Nigerian president-elect, ethnic tension and rivalry ensued between supporters of the presidential candidates.

This anxiety has been more palpable and evident in the home state of Tinubu, where his party lost the presidential election to the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi, who is an Igbo from Anambra State.

The aftermath of the election has triggered the latent ethnic rivalries between the Yorubas – largely aborigines or relatives to natives of the space – and their Igbos neighbours – who are mostly from the South-East, in what could be considered a supremacy tussle over the political control of Lagos State.

In this fairly volatile situation, many of the Yorubas appear to want the incumbent governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu to be reelected as governor of the State, while a seeming majority of the Igbos are eager to replace him with the candidate of the Labour Party in Lagos, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, whose mother and wife are Igbos, despite his father being Yoruba.

It was in the thick of these ethnic and political tensions that the Chairman of Heirs Holdings, Tony Elumelu released a video of a visit to his house by the President-Elect, Asiwaju Tinubu in Lagos.

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In an Instagram post through which this video has been disseminated, Elumelu writes: “Last (Tuesday) night, I was honoured to receive the Nigerian President-elect at my home. We discussed ways in which the incoming administration must empower and support our immensely talented Nigerian youth. We have so much young potential to unleash.”

The business mogul, who is also the Chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA) and the Transcorp Group, is known for flaunting his celebrity status with powerful connections. Elumelu has created a niche for himself and a strong social media presence, through which he exhibits good-natured humour and sartorial sophistication to his teeming trans-generational followers.

With his pan-African Tony Elumelu Foundation, the banker operates a business model he describes as Africapitalism, which is anchored on building a critical mass of young entrepreneurs to promote social and economic wealth, while also developing the communities in which businesses operate. Importantly, it is hinged on a humanitarian and philanthropic approach in which the general welfare is prioritised, as profits are sought and made towards doing good to humanity.

Therefore, the release of the video at a time that ethnocentric acrimonies have been brewing among two major ethnic nationalities in the country, is from all indications a deliberate communication plot.

Rather than considering the video released from an ambush marketing perspective, it is more of a publicity stunt that has elements of public relations (PR) messaging about the mutual relationship between entrepreneurs in business and politicians in government.

The relationship between the people in business and those governments can be understood through a classic distinction between the politics of support and the politics of power. While the politics of support is concerned with rallying to secure an electoral majority that leads to winning and which can be funded by people in business, the politics of power relates to implementing programmes that can ultimately benefit the people in business.

The video is very clear and considerate of the current mood in the nation, about the aftermath of the presidential election. It starts with Elumelu welcoming Tinubu to his home and referring to him as: “This man with 10 lives. The Last man standing and strong man.” Tinubu quickly and jokingly replies by saying: “I am still standing.”

The banker then turns to his left, where Seyi, Tinubu’s son, is and jokes that that the younger fellow is wearing the same kind of dress as his father. He then adds: “Seyi you must be very proud of your father as he is proud of you. You are a good man, Seyi.”

While exchanging pleasantries in the sitting room, Elumelu introduces Ifeyinwa Ugochukwu to Tinubu: “This is the CEO of Tony Elumelu Foundation. She is in charge of the Foundation. So, if you need a young female Minister to come and change the women focus, I can loan her to you….”

Critics who attack Elumelu for hosting the President-Elect fail to realise that Elumelu is not an Igbo from the South-East but one from the South-South state of Delta. An average Delta Igbo is likely to be found and excelling in the public service, academia or in the business world, rather than in partisan politics. The likes of Mrs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Jim Ovia, Louis Edozie, and Godwin Emefiele, among others, from Delta State would rather mind their businesses than engage in partisan politics, although as in most situations, there will always be a few exceptions.

As mentioned earlier, it is not difficult to see that the video is deliberate and designed to achieve some strategic purpose on the delicate relationship between politics and business. Rather than an ambush marketing communication tool, whereby a promoter “capitalises” on an event to position for maximum exposure, while gaining advantage over his or her competitors, the video is essentially a publicity stunt designed to attract the public’s attention to the salient message of the sponsor or promoter.

The video deflects the attention of citizens from the nascent ethnic acrimony in the country and reinforces the fact that serious business people and politicians are not concerned about ethnic chauvinism and religious bigotry. Profiting making and service to humanity are their major priorities.

The video may possibly reawaken warring parties to the fact that after the election, life must go on, and we might as well not destroy relationships necessary for our progress due to surges of emotional connection with identity, as this past presidential election seems to have provoked in many.

More importantly, we all need to focus more on establishing and sustaining relationships built on trust, confidence and harmony towards a better, peaceful and prosperous society.

Meanwhile, some of the takeaways from the video is the fact that Tinubu is truly a Lagos City Boy who is simple, connected to his various constituencies and pragmatic, as evident in his paying a personal visit to worthy allies, despite what some might think are the sectional sentiments or ethnic and religious backgrounds of his host.

It also signifies Tinubu’s inclination to partner with those who can add concrete values towards his lofty aspiration of youth empowerment, considering the records of the Elumelu Foundation in this regard. It buttresses the fact that Tinubu’s allies are across Nigeria and in every sector, as major players who have supported his campaign, both morally and financially.

The Tinubu-Elumelu video has succeeded in its publicity endeavour by staging a newsworthy event that has attracted public attention. By staging the event in his house, the promoter (Elumelu) has also successfully exercised firm control over what the media could report.

In a nutshell, as a PR practitioner, I can say that the Elumelu’s video has curated the major elements of effective publicity exploits, including having great news value, coupled with video and sound bite opportunities choroegraphed primarily for media exposure. In addition, it has gained prominence, and human interest to embody the features of effective public relations, which include reputation management, media (control) management and possibly crisis management, in the very subtle way it explores the soft power of relationships to de-fuse ongoing political situations.

I can see Tinubu hitting the ground running after May 29.

Yushau A. Shuaib is the author of Award-Winning Crisis Communication Strategies_ and An Encounter with the Spymaster www.YAShuaib.com

The post That Tinubu-Elumelu Video and the PR Stunt! appeared first on Tech Digest News.

TECHDIGEST – Human rights activist, Segun Awosanya, popularly known as Segalink, speaks with SEGUN ADEWOLE on the cyber bullying and intolerant attitude displayed by members of the Peter Obi campaign.

You were once loved on social media for your effort in securing the release of youths wrongly arrested by the police. What do you think changed that led to the hate you face today?

If you have ever studied social sciences and human behaviour you will agree with me that human beings are mostly fickle and capable of both good and evil. You can also be assured that I have known this since my teenage years when I began my conscious journey as an outlier.

Suffice to say that this was expected all along, if the lessons from our folklore and biblical teachings are anything to go by. The same mouth people use to shout Hosanna is the same one they will deploy in chanting to crucify him. Our Lord Jesus Christ walked the earth in flesh, and despite all the good done and the legacy of the gospel left, he was crucified, and Barnabas was chosen by the people he came to redeem over him.

Since 2017, we have used social media to communicate the intent of our advocacy #EndSARS and #ReformPoliceNG while running interventions as a stop-gap and engaging authorities on the critical need to end the culture of impunity and reform the Nigeria Police Force holistically.

We have thus made significant progress with that with the New Police Act 2020 and the Police Trust Fund 2019 Laws, long before the protest.

Today, the Social Intervention Advocacy Foundation, which I had the honour of founding and leading, is still at the forefront of ensuring holistic national security reform across institutions in collaboration with state institutions. So we are far more focused on the future of younger generations and the unborn with the legacy we are building than being distracted by what people are liking and hating. No iota of my self-esteem is tied to the validation of any mob.

The truth, likewise, is not found in the mob. We are out there to serve the vulnerable in society, most of whom are being threatened, railroaded, blackmailed and cowered by these hate groups posturing fraudulently as the youth of Nigeria, with their campaign of calumny cleverly hidden behind a political campaign as done during the #EndSARS protest.

How do you feel every time you get bullied and attacked on social media just for airing your views and expressing your stance on critical societal discourses?

As often stated, the evil most hypocrites point at in leadership actually emanates from our dying society. Our rulers, police officers, etc. didn’t fall from the sky. So whether you are talking about corruption or the compendium of social ills that plague our country today, you will find them in the citizens who are members of society.

All these were carefully considered over three decades ago when I became expressive about my life purpose. No matter how hard the wind howls, the mountain will not bow to it. I can’t be bullied; I have never been and would never be.

The tantrums of the teeming misguided only underscore the impact of the dearth of quality education and weaponised poverty in our society. We now have a village of sons of perdition and daughters of Delilah, making themselves available as tools for hate campaigns just to make ends meet.

I feel nothing but sympathy for the future of our society and most especially the crying need for a declaration of emergency on the failure of parenting in the country. This was part of the inspiration for our #ResponsibleParenting campaign, which we launched five years ago. This has nothing to do with me, but with our decaying society and our government’s failure to engage our youth, who are mostly despondent.

You were recently accused by a journalist, David Hundeyin of claiming to be a lawyer when you are not. Can you give clarification on that?

I have stated specifically on the record several times in my tweets from 2014 till date that I am not a lawyer. I, however, have run successful advocacy and have served on various tribunals based on my experience in security matters, civil society engagements, and the criminal justice system. I have corrected this impression several times, and only a pretend journalist would make such an unfounded claim, despite the litany of evidence in my interaction online.

We have proven to the world, however, that you don’t have to be a lawyer to be a successful advocate for good governance and universal institutional reforms.

Bill Gates leads in vaccines, and he doesn’t have to be a doctor, and there are several people leading in fields outside what they studied professionally.

In the early years of our advocacy, media/TV appearances mislabelled and occasionally misrepresented my profession in their introduction, and these were corrected (most of the time during interludes). I haven’t in the past made any of these interviews about myself, nor have I allowed any emotional story of my emergence to go on the record.

I can also understand the obsession and the morbid craving for acknowledgement by most people who want their own time in the spotlight, but I humbly believe the way in which they hope to procure this by attempting to smear public figures is misguided and unfortunate.

I am Segalink, and there is nothing as great as validating yourself, stripped of all earthly accomplishments. I go by my name only and I want nothing from anyone.

Fundamentally, yes. The #EndSARS and #ReformPoliceNG movement are certainly not the same as the protest movement, which deployed #EndSARS as a banner for the expression of their discontent without recourse to the trajectory of the advocacy.

However, the ‘EndSARS’ protest movement, which defied state curfew amidst other vices they would never take responsibility for, is the same movement as the Obidient movement as characterised by their coercion, blackmail, belligerence, cyberbullying of public figures, malevolence, libel, mendacity, and violation of the rights of other citizens.

I can authoritatively state that all the hate groups in the country are now enjoying an ‘AirBnB’ under the negligent Peter Obi Presidential Campaign, namely the IPOB agitators, who never wanted an election in Nigeria; perpetual cum commercial protesters, known to jump on anything popular to validate their existence; failed and aggrieved members of the Buhari Media Campaign, known for their belligerence and cyberbullying; the feminist coalition, who sought to use the protest as a cover for the push for same sex marriage in Nigeria but was rebuffed; and several others caught in the middle without clarity on what is real and what is fictional.

Suffice to say that the agitators are well known as individual groups, and the purpose of their current coalition is ominous. It is never in the interest of the peace, unity, and progress of our democracy.

The idea behind political campaigns is to win hearts and minds, and nothing explains the coercion and targeted harassment of individuals without provocation in order to force an endorsement.

No Nigerian was forced to support the #EndSARS and #ReformPoliceNG movement because the goal and objective speak for themselves.

It’s worthy of note that these groups never supported the advocacy nor contributed positively to the conversation and engagement of the authorities even though it benefited them until they had to protest under the name of its objective.

So, clearly, there is no surprise for us here, as a leopard never changes its spots. Anyone who believes there is any true healthy communication and problem solving with narcissists is naive. They never take responsibility for their part in anything. They are the mascots of gaslighting and manipulation in conversations. The focus will always be brought back on you, what you did in the past, and they will get mad at you for getting mad at them. They hold on to your description of their actions and take offence without addressing their own actions for triggering such a response.

Do you foresee a situation where violence will erupt as a result of the non-tolerant attitude allegedly displayed by some people on social media?

In the parlance of law, “Res ipsa loquitur” is a Latin phrase that means “the thing speaks for itself.” So this is not merely an allegation that the cluster of hate hubs that hijacked the Peter Obi campaign are belligerently intolerant, malicious, malevolent and will no doubt clash with other interests once the full campaign begins, which may trigger a series of violence toward the 2023 election.

Our role as a civic space monitoring organisation includes highlighting early warning signs, which we have done in the past. We have never been wrong with our prognosis and have advised the authorities to be prepared as well as position themselves to prevent the occurrence of all-out violence due to political differences and public incitement by these interest groups.

Recently, Pastor Poju Oyemade and billionaire Femi Otedola were called out by youths on Twitter for expressing views they didn’t like. Do you think Nigeria is now approaching a situation where only one viewpoint is allowed?

Sadly, this is demonstrably the extremist position of these aggressors in the coalition. They want to militarise and weaponise their interests with the identity politics of hate that they have made out of the Peter Obi Campaign.

No public figure, and by extension, citizens of Nigeria, is safe to air their political views, even as guaranteed and protected by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

The freedom of expression and association of Nigerians are now constantly violated by the hate groups holding the Peter Obi Campaign hostage.

From Reno Omokri, Poju Oyemade, Femi Otedola, my humble self and many others to come, we can see the pattern of their attacks based on the common factor that all notable Nigerians must submit to their whims and caprices and bow to the graven image they have carved for Peter Obi in reverence.

According to their identity politics of hate, you are not Nigerian enough if you are not an idolater chanting the name of Peter Obi as your lord and saviour, and certainly don’t want the good of the country.

This is an infringement on the fundamental rights of all Nigerians, and as often done on matters like this, we have risen against the abusive trend and have reported its continuance to the authorities.

Source: punchng.com

The post Obidients: Obi Campaign Members Violating Freedom Of Expression Of Others – Segalink appeared first on Tech Digest News.

TECHDIGEST – With no fewer than 3,471 likes, 783 retweets and 607 comments on his Twitter space, where he shared photos from his recent presidential declaration in Abuja under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Nigeria’s former Vice President Abubakar Atiku is ahead many other contenders in the 2023 Presidential race, at least online.

Atiku’s Facebook page elicited over 2, 000 reactions in the ‘Comment Section’ and more than 3,000 shares.

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Former Governor of Lagos state and National leader of the All Progressives Party (APC), Bola Tinubu, received above 208 retweets and 647 likes for his Presidential bid on his Twitter handle.

But here’s the killer score! Peter Obi, former Governor of Anambra state, also of the PDP, has lapped up 41, 000 retweets and 108,000 likes on Twitter since declaring his intention to run for the highest political office in Nigeria. There are over 27, 000 reactions on his ‘Comment Section’ and 3,000 shares following a post on this in his Facebook page.

Others are still not so feasible online. They include Governor of Nyesom Wike (PDP) of Rivers state and Governor David Umahi (APC) of Ebonyi state.

Current Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, even though has not made an official declaration to run for the office under the APC, has an active online community making numerous retweets, and reshares across several social media handles to make him extremely visible online.

Read more : ITedgenews

The post 2023 Presidential Race Deepens As Obi, Atiku, Tinubu, Osibanjo Lead Online Visibility appeared first on Tech Digest News.