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Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has strongly refuted allegations by former Ogun State Governor Olusegun Osoba that he deceived leaders of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) ahead of the 2003 general elections, insisting he neither misled anyone nor acted in bad faith during his presidency.

In a detailed letter dated July 23, 2026, addressed to Osoba, Obasanjo described the former governor’s account, published in The Legal Observer under the title ‘How Obasanjo Deceived Us in 2003,’ as inaccurate and lacking important historical context.

‘There are many things you got wrong and many things you omitted advertently or inadvertently in your write-up,’ Obasanjo wrote. ‘Your presentation was farfetched to put it mildly.’

The former president took particular exception to being labelled deceptive.

‘I take strong and serious objection to your calling me a deceiver because I deceived nobody. I always presented my case and all issues as I had them and as I understood them.’

Obasanjo said Osoba was not privy to several political consultations that preceded his decision to contest the presidency after his release from prison.

According to him, different groups, including those led by Lawan Katsina, the late Chief S.M. Afolabi and Martins Kuye, approached him to seek elective office before he embarked on nationwide consultations with political leaders across the South-West, North and South-East.

He maintained that his political philosophy has always been anchored on inclusion rather than bitterness.

‘Politics is for welfare and well-being of people and there should be no personal bitterness or acrimony in it.’

Obasanjo also rejected suggestions that his post-1999 collaboration with the AD stemmed from political weakness, insisting that his decision to build what he described as a ‘sort of national government’ was motivated by national unity.

‘Bringing PDP and AD to join me was not out of weakness rather, it was out of strength and the unity and progress of the country.’

The former president further disclosed that after the 1999 elections, he directed defeated Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidates in the South-West to begin rebuilding support in the region and encouraged dialogue with prominent AD figures to bring the Yoruba into what he called Nigeria’s political mainstream.

Responding to Osoba’s comments on the political crisis involving former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Na’Abba, Obasanjo alleged that the impeachment plot against him was initiated by his then Vice President, whom he accused of secretly plotting to succeed him after only one presidential term.

‘He gave him N5 million to begin his impeachment work. I treated it with contempt as I had committed no impeachable offence.’

Obasanjo also dismissed claims that six AD governors could have dictated the direction of his administration, describing such a suggestion as unrealistic.

‘Six to dictate to thirty is ridiculous. I had an Executive Council, a National Assembly, a virile political party, 21 governors and nine other governors from another party.’

On the 2003 elections, the former president insisted that the defeat of most AD governors reflected the electorate’s choice rather than political manipulation.

He argued that, except for Lagos State, where he referenced allegations surrounding the alteration of election figures, the outcomes in the South-West were genuine.

Obasanjo reiterated his opposition to ethnic politics, saying he consistently rejected attempts to reduce his presidency to a regional project.

‘I screamed and said Nigerian President must not be trivialised by tribalising it.’

Despite the sharp rebuttal, Obasanjo ended the letter on a conciliatory note, thanking Osoba for allocating the land on which the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) was built in Abeokuta.

‘The greatest service you rendered for me and for Abeokuta is the land allocated for Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library. It has become the most significant landmark in Abeokuta.’

The letter is Obasanjo’s first formal response to Osoba’s public account of the political events leading to the 2003 elections and offers his version of the relationships, negotiations and decisions that shaped one of Nigeria’s most consequential political periods.

The Organized Private Sector of Nigeria (OPSN) has cautioned the Federal Government and the National Pension Commission (PenCom) against plans to increase mandatory pension contributions, warning that the proposal could undermine job creation, suppress wage growth and threaten business sustainability.

The OPSN, comprising the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), the Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME), the Nigerian Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI), and 25 other sectoral employer associations, described the proposal as a potential ‘Greek gift’ to Nigerian workers.

The warning follows comments by PenCom Director-General, Omolola Oloworaran, on plans to increase mandatory pension contributions and introduce an additional annual contribution equivalent to three per cent of employers’ total wage bills.

While acknowledging the need to strengthen Nigeria’s pension system, the OPSN argued that introducing additional statutory payroll costs amid prevailing economic challenges would place further strain on employers and workers alike.

According to the group, Nigeria’s current mandatory pension contribution of 18 per cent-comprising 10 per cent from employers and eight per cent from employees-is broadly comparable to the 18.8 per cent average mandatory contribution rate among OECD countries.

It insisted that any proposal to increase the contribution rate must be backed by comprehensive actuarial evidence demonstrating that the current rate is inadequate and that higher contributions would not negatively affect employment, wages, compliance or business survival.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Director-General of NECA, Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, faulted the timing of the announcement, saying it was premature to signal an increase while stakeholder consultations were still underway.

‘The OPSN supports efforts aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s pension system and improving retirement outcomes for workers. However, announcing that contribution rates will increase while consultations are still ongoing risks prejudging the outcome of the process and reducing subsequent stakeholder engagements to a mere formality,’ he said.

Oyerinde stressed that previous pension reforms followed extensive consultations involving government, employers and organised labour, adding that any future review should emerge from credible economic assessments and transparent social dialogue.

The Director-General of MAN, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, warned that manufacturers are already grappling with soaring energy costs, high interest rates, exchange-rate volatility, multiple taxes and weak consumer demand.

According to him, imposing additional employment costs could force businesses to freeze recruitment, delay salary reviews, reduce workforce numbers, suspend expansion plans or pass the increased costs to consumers through higher prices.

‘The proposed increase may directly raise employee contributions, but its broader consequences could include weaker wage growth, fewer employment opportunities, job losses and higher prices,’ he said.

Also expressing concern, NACCIMA Director-General Sola Obadimu said the proposal contradicts ongoing government efforts to improve the business environment through economic reforms.

He argued that introducing new statutory financial obligations at a time businesses are struggling to recover could erode the gains of recent fiscal and tax reforms.

Similarly, Director-General of NASSI, Ifeanyi Oputa, warned that micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) would bear the heaviest burden.

He noted that many small businesses are already operating on thin margins amid rising operating costs, adding that higher pension obligations could force more businesses into informality and weaken compliance with the pension scheme.

The OPSN urged the Federal Government to focus on tackling inflation, preserving workers’ purchasing power and creating a more enabling environment for businesses before considering any increase in pension contributions.

It also called for a comprehensive economic and employment impact assessment, genuine stakeholder consultations and greater consideration of the proposal’s implications for investment, job creation, inflation and enterprise sustainability.

The group maintained that while it supports reforms aimed at improving retirement security, sustainable pension reforms must strike a balance between protecting workers’ future benefits and preserving the businesses and jobs that fund the pension system.

‘A strong pension system cannot be built on weakened enterprises, declining formal employment and rising business closures,’ the OPSN said, warning that any reform that increases employment costs without addressing current economic realities would ultimately amount to a ‘Greek gift’ to Nigerian workers.

National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Seriake Dickson, has vowed that the party will overcome what he described as legal and political schemes by anti-democratic forces.

Dickson, in a statement posted on his verified X account on Wednesday, said Nigeria’s democracy and multiparty system must survive ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The former Bayelsa State governor said the NDC was confronting ‘legal and contrived shenanigans’ but expressed confidence that the crisis would eventually pass.

‘Nigeria’s democracy must survive. Multi-party democracy must survive no matter the different odds we may face in the course of returning Nigeria to the right course,’ he said.

Dickson expressed confidence that the judiciary would uphold the law and resist attempts to use the courts to undermine the country’s democratic process.

He also accused unnamed political figures whom he had previously supported of using government institutions to remove people from office, victimise innocent citizens and spread unfounded allegations.

Dickson alleged that the individuals had repaid the support extended to them, their families and communities with ‘wickedness and evil.’

Despite the challenges confronting the NDC, the former governor said he was encouraged by the growing number of Nigerians joining the opposition party.

According to him, leaders, young people, women and other citizens have continued to register and participate actively in the party’s activities.

Dickson said he had worked with other party leaders to strengthen the NDC nationally and position it as a credible political alternative.

He maintained that the current political crisis would not derail the party’s preparations for the 2027 elections.

Since his assumption of office in October 2025 as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following his appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, has superintended over the conduct of two off-cycle gubernatorial elections as well as some National Assembly and State Assembly elections. Those elections served as the first litmus tests of his preparedness for the office and, perhaps, of his competence as the new chief election manager in the country.

The two governorship elections – Anambra State in November 2025, and Ekiti State in June 2026 – generated huge public interest and triggered massive conversations around the sanctity of the ballot, seamless logistic arrangements, conduct of election officials, and the need for effective security architecture during the elections. Concerns about election results collation and the need for real-time electronic transmission of results also dominated conversations. Many public commentators called for a paradigm shift and a new election template from the rancorous, opaque, and violence-prone system of the immediate past era.

Indeed, some public affairs analysts and political watchers who have witnessed many electoral seasons and the social cataclysms often associated with them have made a general characterisation of election cycles in the country as chaotic, fraud prone, and falling below the threshold of internationally acceptable contests. Nigeria’s electoral activities have often been characterized by irregularities, including vote rigging, violence, voter intimidation, vote buying, logistical shortcomings, delayed deployment of election materials, and allegations of bias by the electoral commission. These issues have continued to cast doubt on the credibility and transparency of the nation’s democratic process.

A political researcher, Shankyula T. Samuel, in his work titled *Political Thuggery in Nigeria and Elections and The Law,* notes that Nigeria’s political journey in the past two decades has been fraught with objectionable patterns which consign its democracy to a repugnant state. ‘The relevance of an election in a democratic setting cannot be overemphasized. An electoral process, depending on how free, fair, and credible it is, will either make or mar a democratic system… There is no gainsaying the fact that in the past series of elections held in Nigerian between 1999, 2003 and 2007, activities of thugs have taken a centre stage thereby breeding a feeling of resentment among members of the public,’ he observes.

Similarly, the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, a coalition of civil society organisations in the country, made a forceful point for democratic growth and consolidation in the country. In a piece titled ‘The Challenge of Finding an Independent Umpire,’ the group stresses the importance of having an electoral institution that is above board, non-partisan, and transparent.

‘The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is created under Section 153 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended). INEC is charged with the responsibility of conducting credible elections in the country. In recent times, there has been a huge challenge of partisan elements finding their way into the different levels of INEC, either through nomination by politicians or turning partisan upon appointment.The challenge for Nigeria at this time is to achieve a truly unbiased and non-

partisan election management body,’ the group said.

However, post-election assessments by political analysts, election observers, and other stakeholders since November 2025 when Prof. Amupitan mounted the saddle at INEC, have largely awarded the election refree an impressive scorecard, reflecting significant improvements in the conduct of elections across the country. The reports commended the Commission for its enhanced election management, marked by the timely deployment of electoral materials, effective handling of logistical challenges, and the seamless coordination of polling activities.

The reviews also highlighted greater transparency in the collation and transmission of election results, which contributed to increased public confidence in the electoral process. Furthermore, INEC was widely praised for demonstrating a high level of impartiality and professionalism, with observers noting the Commission’s non-partisan disposition in the discharge of its constitutional responsibilities.

Overall, the favourable assessments portray a noticeable departure from the shortcomings that had characterized previous electoral cycles, suggesting meaningful progress towards more credible, transparent, and efficiently conducted elections in Nigeria.

YIAGA Africa, a non-profit, civic organisation dedicated to democratic governance and civic participation in Nigeria and in Africa, awarded INEC under Prof. Amupitan, an excellent assessment in all the elections conducted since November 2025, while also recommending areas for improvements.

On the June 2026 Ekiti State gubernatorial election, the NGO averred that the official results announced by the commission accurately reflected votes cast at polling units across the state. The INEC Chief Returning Officer and Vice Chancellor of Federal University of Technology, Akure(FUTA), Professor Adenike Oladiji, declared incumbent Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives’ Congress (APC) winner after polling 319,224 votes to defeat the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party(PDP), Dr. Wole Oluyede, who came a distant second with 40,543 votes.

In its final assessment of the poll, Yiaga Africa stated that its Watching The Vote (WTV) Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT) findings showed that the results declared by INEC fell within its estimated range, indicating that the outcome announced by the electoral umpire was consistent with ballots counted at polling units. Its Chair of the 2026 Ekiti Election Observation Mission, Dr. Aisha Abdullahi, and the Executive Director of the organisation, Samson Itodo, while presenting the report, noted that the alignment between INEC’s official figures and its independent verification exercise demonstrated that the election results were not manipulated during collation at the ward, local government or state levels.

‘INEC’s official results for the 2026 Ekiti State Governorship Election are consistent with Yiaga Africa’s WTV estimate, as they fall within Yiaga Africa’s estimated range. This indicates that the official results, as announced, reflect the ballots counted at polling units’, the CSO said. It explained that if the results had been substantially altered during the collation process, the final figures would have fallen outside the statistical ranges generated through its PVT methodology. It stressed that the consistency of the results specifically confirmed the accuracy of polling-unit result tabulation.

Similarly, the Situation Room gave its verdict on the Ekiti guber election, affirming a credible election and passing a satisfactory assessment of the poll. Situation Room noted that the Ekiti State Governorship Election was conducted in a largely peaceful atmosphere across the State.

‘Reports received from accredited observers and citizen observers through the SEAT App indicated that election officials and materials arrived on time in a majority of polling units observed between 7:00am and 8:00am. Following deployment, polls commenced early in approximately 92 percent of polling,’ the Situation Room said. It added that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) functioned satisfactorily in most observed locations.

Observers’ reports on the November 2025 Anambra State governorship election also revealed remarkable progress in the nation’s electoral process. The observer groups were unanimous that the election was in line with international best practice. Incumbent Governor Chukwuma Soludo polled over 400,000 votes to defeat his opponents at the poll.

Yiaga Africa also affirmed that the official results of the Anambra State governorship election, as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), aligned with findings from its Process and Results Verification for Transparency (PRVT) exercise.

In its post-election assessment, the group said the election outcomes were independently verified by the Anambra Election Observation Hub, a coalition of civil society organisations that monitored the poll across the state. In a statement signed by the Chair of the 2025 Anambra Election Mission, Dr Asmau Maikudi, and Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, the group stated that the consistency between its PRVT estimates and INEC’s official figures reinforces confidence in the credibility and transparency of the electoral process.

These findings were corroborated by the United Nations election observer, Jim Oko, who described the Anambra State governorship election as being ‘in line with international best practices.” Oko, who is the National Coordinator of Nouvel Perspective International, a UN-accredited election observation organisation, stated this in Awka in an interview with newsmen after the election result was announced.

With the positive and progress-affirming reports and assessments of credible independent electoral process and the confidence building election management by INEC under Prof. Amupitan, Nigeria may have finally turned the corner and put behind her incidents of electoral heist, irregularities, rigging, and manipulation of election results. Nigeria may have entered a new electoral era of due process, better organisation and coordination of polling activities, and a regime of an unbiased umpire..

That is not all. A credible poll is a recipe, if not the foundation of good governance. When polls are credible, elected officials will no longer use quality time and public resources to defend their mandates in the courts. INEC under Amupitan is set to see Nigeria through to that desirable era.