Once a president, always a president
Northern Elites advocate for Jonathan’s return to the presidency
Good morning, Big Brains. How do you feel about another lockdown? I know, “what happened to hello? What happened to ‘how are you’?” The Monkeypox virus could send us into another one soon according to X users and a new update from the Philippines.
- Margaret
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Reading time ~3 mins
Let’s get into today’s edition:
Northern leaders push for Jonathan to run for 2027 presidential election
Philippines reports new mpox case, waiting to identify strain as global concerns grow
Nigeria faces new risk of more asset seizure by Chinese company
The Big Deal
Northern leaders push for Jonathan to run for 2027 presidential election
Goodluck Jonathan’s stans are up! The former president might be making a very interesting comeback in the 2027 presidential election and Northern leaders are responsible for this possibility.
It’s going to take a lot of convincing to get him on board, but some of your favourite Northern elites are already on it.
Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State is one of Jonathan's biggest cheerleaders. He even said he would not be participating in the presidential elections if Jonathan is participating. He went on a fanboying spree during the weekend, talking about how intentional and dedicated Jonathan was to improving Nigeria.
But so far, Jonathan hasn’t shown any real interest. Some of his closest confidants said he’s not exactly considering the invitation to participate because it’s not even happening anytime soon. They also said he’s more concerned about his humanitarian work and personal projects.
Why is this a big deal?
The Northern part of the country is known for making up a large percentage of the registered voters in Nigeria, a crucial region in decision-making. Some Northern elites are upset with the Tinubu administration, particularly after the federal government decided to move certain departments of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the headquarters of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) from the country’s capital in Abuja to Lagos. So there’s a chance that Tinubu might have a hard time convincing them to re-elect him.
Some Northerners swear that Jonathan’s administration was largely inclusive and tackled issues like the Almajiri system while launching initiatives for unemployed youths. He also has other impressive achievements that are traceable to his administration.
During his administration, Nigeria welcomed foreign businesses and became Africa's top destination for investors. In the first half of 2014, the country received $9.70 billion (₦1.51 trillion) in foreign direct investments (FDI). Nigeria also updated its GDP for the first time in over a decade during his administration, making it the largest economy in Africa, surpassing South Africa and Egypt.
We are curious to see how 2027 will play out but time is going to tell.
Philippines reports new mpox case, waiting to identify strain as global concerns grow
To everyone who’s still recovering from the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, we’re going to hold your sanitised hands while we tell you this, the Monkeypox virus-positive might be spreading.
The Philippines has reported its first case of the mpox virus since December, according to the Department of Health (DOH). The patient is a 33-year-old Filipino man with no recent travel history outside the country. Health officials are now waiting for test results to identify the specific strain of the virus.
The man developed symptoms over a week ago, starting with a fever, followed by a rash that spread across his body, including his face, back, and hands. This case brings the total number of confirmed mpox cases in the Philippines to ten since the first was reported in July 2022.
The DOH's ongoing investigation will determine if this new case is linked to a recently discovered variant that has been spreading globally.
Nigeria faces new risk of more asset seizure by Chinese company
Whoever’s blowing powder against Nigeria needs to tone things down because the work rate is crazy.
You probably still remember the Zhongshan beef that led to the seizure of two Nigerian presidential jets. Now, Zhongshan is eyeing two other Nigerian government properties in Liverpool.
Attorney-General Lateef Fagbemi has accused Zhongshan of using heavy-handed tactics to seize Nigerian assets abroad but the Chinese company isn’t fazed by his opinion.
In 2021, an arbitration panel awarded Zhongshan $74.5 million after Ogun State refused to pay. Nigeria’s attempt to appeal was weakened because they couldn’t prove that Zhongshan had lied or hidden important information, according to US court sources.
The panel said Ogun State's 2013 deal with Zhongshan was based on its judgement and that not sharing details about internal agreements wasn’t considered wrongdoing like former Ogun state governor, Ibikunle Amosun, said. The US appellate court confirmed that Nigeria’s sovereign immunity didn’t apply in this case because of the FSIA’s arbitration exception, and the New York Convention rules applied to the award.
This Week’s Big Question
“Which fictional character would you want as a mentor, and what would you hope to learn from them?”
Mikun’s response - “I’d pick Aunty Ifeoma from Purple Hibiscus. Her blend of wisdom and resilience inspires me. From her, I'd learn how to really live, even though all society teaches you to do as a woman is to survive.”
You can also share your response here and if it’s as interesting as Mikun’s response, we’ll feature it in the next edition.