News

Plateau Gubernatorial Election: It’s a three horse race to Little Rayfield

Published

3 years ago

March 17, 2023

vicky

Since the return to democratic rule in 1999 to date, two political parties have governed Plateau State, but now it’s a three-horse race to the gubernatorial seat.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), held sway between 1999 to 2015, while the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), has been in power from 2015 to date.

Prior to the emergence of the APC in 2015, there has never been any serious opposition in the State.

However, since the PDP became the opposition in the state, it has always given the ruling party a good run for its money.

In 2019, it took a rerun for the incumbent Governor of the state, Simon Lalong to be returned to Little Rayfield Government House.

Despite being in power for about eight years, the ruling APC has not really been accepted in the state.

Recall that the sitting Governor, Lalong, lost his senatorial seat in the February 25, 2023 election.

With 24 hours to the governorship polls, the front runners for the number one seat in Little Rayfield include the candidate of the APC in the state, Dr Nentawe Yilwatda, who resigned from his position as an INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) to run for the governorship of the state.

Nentawe’s candidature has been bedevilled by court cases.

Among the three front runners, he is the youngest, and he is being powered by Governor Simon Lalong.

He has in different fora tried to sell himself to the electorate, but cannot extricate himself from the incumbent government of the state.

Many still believe that his emergence will be a continuation of the Lalong administration since he brought him on board.

But as a ruling party candidate, you can’t write him off.

Nentawe also has acceptance amongst the youths in the state, but his party and structures behind him might be his Achilles heel.

Barr. Caleb Mutfwang won the PDP ticket to run for the gubernatorial seat of the state.

Unlike the APC candidate, Mutfwang’s emergence has been accepted by those who contested against him, as they congratulated him and have even gone on campaigns with him.

There was no litigation challenging his emergence as candidate of the PDP, as he has enjoyed maximum support of the party’s supporters and critical stakeholders in the party.

The PDP candidate was a council chairman in the state and a practising lawyer.

Mutfwang’s term in office as chairman was short-lived following his removal, alongside other council chairmen in July, 2015, by Governor Simon Lalong, before the expiration of their tenure.

As a grassroot politician, Mutfwang has followership cutting across the 17 local governments of the state.

Another plus for the PDP candidate is that the party, despite not being in power for about eight years, is still widely acceptable in the state.

He will be encouraged by his party’s performance in the February 25, 2023 elections, as it won five out of the eight House of Representatives seats in the state and two out of the three senatorial seats, with the third yet to be declared.

For the Labour Party candidate, Dr Patrick Dakum, who like Nentawe has been enmeshed in legal tussle for his party’s ticket, it will be a herculean task.

Dakum was a Commissioner during the Joshua Dariye administration in the state, and before throwing his hat into the governorship contest, was heading the National Centre for Human Virology in the country.

Dakum, who was also of the ruling APC, and was even vying for the governorship ticket of the party, withdrew during the contest when he realised the process was not as seamless as he had expected it to be.

He dumped the APC for Labour Party, and his candidature has been challenged by the party’s initial candidate, Yohanna Margif, until this week, when the Supreme Court declared him the party’s authentic candidate.

The Labour Party, despite its presidential candidate winning the state, did not win any National Assembly seat.

But Dakum is a household name in the state; he is trying to leverage on Peter Obi’s victory in the state, as Obi even visited the state to show his support for him.

Related Topics:It’s a three horse race to Little Rayfield Plateau Gubernatorial Election

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IASC Above45: ‘I Took After Rashidi Yekini’ – Jokesman Reveals

Published

55 minutes ago

August 17, 2026

Preport

WhatsApp Image 2026 08 17 at 2.03.09 PM.jpeg

Barrister Chijioke Iziolu Jokesman has attributed his impressive goalscoring instincts to confidence, discipline, and the influence of late Nigerian striker Rashidi Yekini, following another standout performance in the Island All Stars Above 45 Football Tournament.

Jokesman was on target again for his team, producing another quality finish despite carrying a groin injury that had already affected him in the opening game of the tournament.

Reflecting on the encounter, the veteran attacker described it as an interesting contest, while admitting that his team was missing several key players.

“It was a very interesting game even though most of our players were not around. Our midfield wasn’t together, but we give God the glory for the result,” he told SPORTS247.

Jokesman also stressed the importance of sportsmanship, insisting that football should always be played in the right spirit.

“Most of my goals are classy goals, but it is just a game. Fair play is what we preach in every game,” he added.

The experienced forward revealed that his groin problem from the first match had not completely healed before he featured again.

“In the first game, I had a groin after scoring. I tried to manage it but was substituted. Today, the groin wasn’t fully healed, but I wanted and needed to play,” he explained.

The injury returned after he scored, forcing another substitution. Jokesman believes his absence subsequently affected his team’s attacking threat but remains optimistic about returning fully fit for future competitions.

“I pray that by the next tournament, my leg will be perfectly okay, and you will see what we can do,” he said.

‘I Took After Rashidi Yekini’

Asked about the thinking behind what has been described as one of the best goals of the tournament, Jokesman revealed his confidence in his positioning and finishing ability.

“I knew once my positioning was right, the ball would enter the back of the net. I’m a good striker and confident with my abilities if there are people to feed me with the ball,” he said.

Drawing comparisons with Nigeria’s legendary goalscorer, Jokesman added: “I think I took after Rashidi Yekini. I believe strongly that an attacker must be able to shoot.”

He explained that his ability to strike with both feet remains one of his major strengths.

“My strength is in my shot, and I make use of both feet — left and right. Once the ball is right, I can strike from any angle,” he stated.

At almost 54, Jokesman believes his longevity is a product of discipline and urged younger footballers to maintain healthy lifestyles, train properly, and avoid habits that could undermine their careers.

He advised aspiring strikers to embrace discipline, self-restraint, proper training, and adequate rest, insisting that with the right attitude, “the sky is your limit.”

Business

NGX Trading Volume Surges 127% as Investors Exchange ₦176.06bn in One Week

Published

2 hours ago

August 17, 2026

Preport

Trading activity on the nations bourse recorded a sharp increase in the week ended August 14, 2026, as investors exchanged 12.153 billion shares valued at ₦176.058 billion across 224,146 deals.

The performance represents a 126.8 percent increase in traded volume compared with the 5.359 billion shares worth ₦139.053 billion exchanged in 261,869 deals in the previous week. Turnover value also increased by 26.6 percent, while the number of deals declined by about 14.4 percent.

The increase in activity was also reflected in other trading indicators. Market depth improved to 27.76 percent from 21.67 percent in the previous week, while average daily value traded rose to ₦35.21 billion from ₦27.81 billion.

The Financial Services Industry dominated market activity, accounting for 11.212 billion shares valued at ₦88.991 billion across 102,246 deals. The sector contributed 92.25 percent of total equity turnover by volume and 50.55 percent by value.

The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Industry followed with 246.127 million shares worth ₦51.605 billion traded in 27,169 deals, while the Services Industry ranked third with 198.195 million shares valued at ₦1.995 billion across 13,747 deals.

Activity was particularly concentrated in three equities; Fortis Global Insurance Plc, Cornerstone Insurance Plc and Consolidated Hallmark Holdings Plc. The trio accounted for 9.488 billion shares worth ₦36.219 billion in 1,781 deals, representing 78.07 percent of total equity turnover volume and 20.57 percent of turnover value for the week.

The fixed-income segment also recorded increased activity, with investors trading 232,979 units valued at ₦226.258 million in 35 deals, compared with 117,372 units worth ₦121.249 million in the previous week.

In the Exchange Traded Products segment, 2.346 million units valued at ₦501.051 million were traded across 5,291 deals.

Despite the surge in trading activity, the broader equities market closed lower as investors took profits following recent gains. The NGX All-Share Index declined by 1.20 percent to 242,619.20 points, while market capitalisation fell by 1.19 percent to ₦156.624 trillion.

Market breadth, however, showed some improvement. 26 equities appreciated during the week, unchanged from the previous week, while the number of declining equities eased to 59 from 63. 62 equities closed unchanged, compared with 58 in the preceding week.

The market breadth ratio consequently improved to 0.69x from 0.62x in the previous week, indicating a narrower gap between gainers and decliners despite the decline in the benchmark index.

Trans-Nationwide Express Plc led the gainers’ chart with a 32.09 percent increase, followed by International Energy Insurance Plc, which advanced 31.68 percent, and Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc, which gained 13.77 percent. On the other side, AVA Capital Plc topped the losers’ chart with a 34.55 percent decline, followed by Unilever Nigeria Plc, down 18.94 percent, and Zichis Agro Allied Industries Plc, which shed 15.08 percent.

Meanwhile, Lasaco Assurance Plc expanded its share capital following the listing of 9.236 billion additional ordinary shares on the NGX Daily Official List on Wednesday, August 12, 2026.

The additional shares arose from the company’s rights issue of five new ordinary shares for every six existing shares held as of February 20, 2026. Following the listing, Lasaco Assurance’s issued and fully paid-up share capital increased from 11.084 billion shares to 20.320 billion ordinary shares of 50 kobo each.

Despite the week’s moderation, the broader market remains firmly positive for the year, with the NGX All-Share Index recording a year-to-date return of 55.91 percent as of August 14.

Sectoral performance has been even stronger in parts of the market, with the NGX Oil and Gas Index up 94.81 percent year-to-date, followed by the NGX Premium Index at 85.14 percent and the NGX Industrial Goods Index at 82.84 percent, underscoring the strength of the market’s gains despite the week’s profit-taking.

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