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Buhari appeals to AU countries to ratify AfCFTA to boost African economy

February 19, 2023

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President Muhammadu Buhari has called on African Union (AU) member countries to ratify the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement.

He made the call at the weekend during meetings at the ongoing 36th AU Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he also appealed to member States to strengthen early warning systems to rein in conflicts on the continent.

The Summit is meeting this year with the theme “Acceleration of the African Continent Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Implementation”.

It has provided a key opportunity for the Nigerian delegation, led by President Buhari, to emphasize that it has fully embraced the spirit of the AfCFTA, having signed, ratified and deposited the instrument with the African Union Commission.

In this light, President Buhari urged all member States, AUC and the Secretariat of AfCFTA to continue supporting the implementation of the AfCFTA, which aims to boost intra-continent trade and place Africa at better advantage against other continents.

Buhari therefore, called on member States that have not yet ratified the Agreement to do so.

At the High-Level side event on “Early Warning Within the Framework of the African Union Peace and Security Council and the Committee of Intelligence and Security Services in Africa (CISSA),’’ hosted by President Teodoro Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea, President Buhari noted that ‘‘timely information sharing is vital to successful early warning and response processes.’’

The President, who was represented by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Major-General Babagana Monguno (Rtd), warned that when member states deny credible early warning signals of impending crisis, they miss opportunities to address conflict situations before they escalate.

The President was represented at the event because he was engaged in another meeting, which considered Reports by African Leaders on specific thematic issues at the Summit.

He, therefore, urged member states to cooperate more with the African Union Commission (AUC), Regional Economic Communities (RECs), Regional Mechanisms (RMs) and other relevant partners.

‘‘We also call on Member States to embrace the Continental Structural Conflict Prevention Framework (CSCPF) and its tools, the Country Structural Vulnerability and Resilience Assessment (CSVRA) and the Country Structural Vulnerability Mitigation Strategies (CSVMS).

‘‘Our continent has contended with various issues of insecurity, including terrorism, violent extremism, unconstitutional changes of Government, among others.

‘‘These issues have been discussed severally at various High-Level meetings, particularly at the May 2022 Extraordinary Session of the Assembly held in Malabo indicating the importance attached to this worrisome trend.

‘‘Nigeria acknowledges the work of the AU, RECs, RMs in strengthening Continental Early Warning Systems (CEWS), as well as AU security and intelligence organs like CISSA, African Union Mechanism for Police Cooperation (AFRIPOL) and Africa Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT) for providing timely warnings on emerging threats.

‘‘We reiterate the decision of the 35th Session of the Assembly in February 2022 directing the AUC to establish a monitoring and oversight committee to ensure successful early warning and response systems in Africa, and also call for enhanced horizon scanning briefings.

‘‘In addition, the AUC must develop a holistic approach to peace and security which encompasses the major drivers of conflict on the continent,’’ he said.

Earlier on Saturday, President Buhari had joined other African leaders to participate at the opening ceremony of the AU Summit, where President Azali Assoumani of Comoros, officially took over the AU’s rotating presidency.

Among the speakers at the opening ceremony of the 36th AU Summit were Moussa Mahamat, Chairperson of the AU Commission, Dr. Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister of Ethiopia and the host, Ahmed Gheit, the Secretary-General of the Arab League, Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, and Mohammad Shtayye, the Prime Minister of Palestine.

In Addis Ababa on Friday, President Buhari had participated at the second Heads of State and Government Summit of the Sahel Region Climate Commission (SRCC).

At the SRCC High-Level meeting, he declared Nigeria’s readiness to host the Secretariat of the Sahel Climate Fund, including equipping and provision of accommodation to the top management staff of the fund.

Also on Friday, President Buhari, was represented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, at the meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council on the situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

At the mini-summit, which took place simultaneously with the SRCC High-level meeting, African leaders urged all armed groups to withdraw from occupied territory in the eastern DRC by the end of next month.

They also called for an “immediate ceasefire” by all armed groups and the resettlement of people displaced by the violence.

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Politics

2027: NDC fixes October 20 for Campaign Council inauguration, Presentation of Certificates of Return

by Myke Uzendu

October 10, 2026

By Myke Uzendu, Abuja The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has fixed October 20, 2026, for the inauguration of its Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), presentation of Certificates of Return to its candidates for the 2027 general elections and a strategic dinner for candidates contesting various elective positions. The party also disclosed that its presidential and vice-presidential candidates, Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, respectively, would participate in consultations to determine key appointments in the campaign council. National Chairman of the NDC, Senator Moses Cleopas Zuwoghe, announced this on Saturday at a press conference at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja. He said the campaign council’s organisational structure and timetable had been ready since the end of August, but its inauguration was being delayed to allow Obi and Kwankwaso to conclude consultations and recommend nominees for strategic positions. According to him, the activities scheduled for October 20 would follow a meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), where key decisions concerning preparations for the 2027 elections are expected to be considered and ratified. Cleopas said the delay did not indicate inactivity or internal division, explaining that the party was committed to establishing a properly constituted campaign structure capable of coordinating its nationwide electoral activities. He added that appointments would reflect national spread, competence, capacity and the ability of nominees to contribute meaningfully to the campaign. The NDC chairman disclosed that Obi and Kwankwaso were expected to recommend nominees for several strategic positions in the Presidential Campaign Council, including Director-General, Deputy Director-General, campaign spokesperson, Director of Social Media and Financial Controller. The candidates are also expected to nominate two additional officers who, alongside the party’s National Treasurer, will oversee the campaign council’s separate and dedicated bank account. Cleopas said the arrangement was intended to ensure that the presidential and vice-presidential candidates were actively involved in decisions affecting the organisation, financing and direction of their campaign. He maintained that the party leadership, the candidates and the National Leader, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, were united in their preparations for the 2027 elections. The chairman said the campaign council would be formally announced after the national leadership received the candidates’ nominations and recommendations. He argued that constituting the council without the active participation of the presidential candidate and his running mate would be inappropriate, given their central roles in the presidential contest. Cleopas also dismissed reports suggesting that the party was divided or struggling to organise itself ahead of the 2027 elections. He said the press conference was partly convened to address concerns raised by party members, supporters and Nigerians over the apparent delay in establishing the presidential campaign structure. The chairman maintained that the National Working Committee (NWC), NEC, National Leader and party structures at the state, local government and ward levels remained committed to the party’s candidates. He equally rejected suggestions that Dickson was working with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to undermine the NDC presidential ticket. Questioning the basis of the allegation, Cleopas said it would have been easier for Dickson to join the APC than to undertake the more demanding process of establishing and registering a political party if his objective had been to work for the ruling party. He urged journalists to exercise caution in reporting political allegations and speculation, warning that misinformation could create unnecessary distrust and mislead the electorate. ...