Business
2019 Presidency race gets tougher as Former President, Obasanjo endorses Atiku Abubakar
Arising report indicates former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, is sure to be the fourth time lucky, as he throws his hat into the ring to contest the forthcoming 2019 Presidential election.
Post-Nigeria reliably gathered that former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has secretly endorsed Atiku, because of the failure of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led the government to bring the desired changed.
“Apparently aware of Atiku’s intimidating political structures across the nation, Obasanjo has likely endorsed him”, a source said.
Post-Nigeria’s investigation revealed that Atiku is reputed to have sauntered into the fourth republic, with the huge measured quantity of democratic credentials.
Atiku established himself as a Democrat immediately he left the public service, and became a political devotee of late Gen. Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, an acclaimed great political tactician that flounced the country like a hurricane.
His political history is legendary: a Politician, Businessman, and Philanthropist. He was born on November 25, 1946, and in the beginning of his national political career, served as the second elected Vice President, from 1999 to 2007, under the umbrella of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, with President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Atiku worked in the Nigeria Customs Service for 24 years, rising to become the Deputy Comptroller-General. He retired in 1989, and took up full-time business and politics.
He ran for the office of Governor in the Gongola State (now Adamawa and Taraba States) in 1991; and for the Presidency in 1993, coming third after MKO Abiola and Babagana Kingibe, in the disbanded Social Democratic Party, SDP, primaries.
In 1998, he contested and won the Governor of Adamawa State. And while still Governor-elect, he was picked by the PDP Presidential candidate, Olusegun Obasanjo, as his running mate. They went into the election and won in 1999.
As documented by Historians, Atiku’s second term as Vice President, was characterised by a squally relationship with Obasanjo.
His attempt to succeed Obasanjo did not receive the latter’s support, and it took the judgement of the Supreme Court to allow him to contest in 2007, after he was initially disqualified by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, over an alleged financial misconduct by a “discredited” investigating panel, set up by Obasanjo.
The apex court later ordered the Electoral Commission to restore Atiku’s name onto the Presidential ballot, and he ran on the platform of the Action Congress, AC, having quit the PDP on account of his issues with Obasanjo.
Expectedly, he lost the election, coming third after the late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, and Muhammadu Buhari of the then All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP.
As a “consummated” Businessman, Atiku is a co-Founder of Intels, an oil servicing business with wide ranging operations across the country and outside the country. He is also the founder of Adama Beverages Limited, and the American University of Nigeria, AUN, both in Yola, the Adamawa State capital.
Born to an itinerant Fulani Trader and Farmer, Garba Abubakar, the former Vice President was said to have started out in the real estate business during his early days as a Customs Officer.
History has it that in 1974, he applied for and received a N31,000 loan to build his first house in Yola, which he put up for rent. From proceeds of the rent, he was reported to have purchased another plot, and built a second house. He was said to have continued that way, building a considerable range of property in Yola.
Apparently very go-getting in investment, he was said to have later moved into agriculture, acquiring 2,500 hectares of land near Yola, to start a maize and cotton farm. The business fell on hard times and closed in 1986. “My first foray into agriculture in the 1980s, ended in failure”, he was quoted as saying.
Obasanjo finally endorse Atiku Abubakar for presidency 2019
Later venturing into trading, buying and selling truckloads of rice, flour and sugar, Atiku’s most important business move, was to have come while he was a Customs Officer at the Apapa Ports.
One Gabrielle Volpi, an Italian Businessman in Nigeria, was said to have invited him to set up the Nigeria Container Services, NICOTES, a logistics company operating within the Ports. Those who know him very well said that NICOTES provided immense wealth to Atiku.
Atiku’s first expedition into politics was in the early 1980s, when he worked behind the scenes on the Governorship campaign of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, who at that time was Managing Director of the Nigeria Ports Authority.
He canvassed for votes on behalf of Tukur, and also donated to the campaign. Towards the end of his Customs career, he met late General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, who had been second-in-command of the Military Government that ruled Nigeria between 1976 and 1979. Atiku was drawn by Yar’Adua into the political meetings that were now happening regularly in Yar’Adua’s Lagos home.
In 1989, Atiku was elected as National Vice Chairman of the Peoples Front of Nigeria, PFN, the political association led by Yar’Adua, to participate in the transition programme initiated by Babangida.
Atiku won a seat to represent his Constituency at the 1989 Constituent Assembly, set up to decide a new Constitution for Nigeria. The Peoples Front was eventually denied registration by the government (none of the groups that applied was registered), and found a place within the Social Democratic Party, one of the two parties decreed into existence by the regime.
Many of his followers have said time without number that a “tested hand” like Atiku, is surely needed to coordinate the proper integration of the youths into the economic mainstream.
“He is the highest individual employer of labour in Nigeria, and a believer in excellence. The truth that cannot be dismissed, is that among those jostling to convince Nigerians for their votes in 2019, only the Turaki has experience in job creation. This is the choice Nigerians must make in 2019, without sentiment and pandering to the propaganda of surrogates of past failures”, one of his followers said.
“The fragility of our mutual existence as a country cannot be over exaggerated. As a matter of fact, the erosion of our cultural, religious, and social commonalities, is an ever constant feature of the past two decades.
“There is need to undertake enormous reintegration of all divergent groups into a united country. Nobody can do it better than Atiku. He is a proven man of immense conviction and political muscles, to navigate us to the destination of unity.”
Precision and Heritage: How Fifi Stitches Is Rewriting African Fashion Narratives
A Nigerian-born designer is gradually carving out a cross-continental footprint in contemporary fashion, blending African textile heritage with British technical discipline.
Esther Fiyinfoluwa Adeosun, Founder and Creative Director of Fifi Stitches, is gaining recognition for structured womenswear and bridal couture that reinterprets traditional fabrics through architectural tailoring and precision construction.
Born in Ibadan, Oyo State, Adeosun’s fashion journey began at home, seated beside her mother’s sewing machine. What started as childhood curiosity, sometimes jamming the machine just to understand its mechanics—evolved into a disciplined design practice now operating between Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
During an interview with journalists the fifi Stitches once mentioned “I was fascinated by how flat fabric could transform into something structured and meaningful”.
In her Story , early designs made for her family, though imperfectly finished, were worn with pride—an encouragement that laid the foundation for her professional confidence.
Today, Fifi Stitches is recognised for sculpted bodices, controlled tailoring, corsetry construction, and the contemporary reinterpretation of Ankara, Aso Oke, and Adire textiles.
The brand challenges the long-held perception that African fabrics belong solely in ceremonial contexts, instead positioning them within global luxury and modern design spaces.
Adeosun’s training reflects this dual perspective. She studied Fashion Design and Entrepreneurship at the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Development Studies, Obafemi Awolowo University, and earned a Diploma in Fashion Design through Alison Online.
In the UK, she undertook industry-focused technical training with Fashion-Enter Ltd and gained fashion business exposure through Fashion Capital UK.
Her technical expertise spans pattern drafting, draping, garment technology, structured tailoring, corsetry, and bespoke fittings—skills she describes as central to credibility in fashion. “Precision builds trust,” she says. “A designer must understand construction as deeply as creativity.”
Fifi Stitches has showcased collections at the Suffolk Fashion Show, Liverpool Fashion Show – FB Fashion Ball, Red Carpet Fashion Event in London, and through editorial features in London Runway Magazine.
The brand has also received coverage in The Guardian Nigeria and Vanguard Allure, expanding its visibility across markets.
Beyond couture, Adeosun integrates community impact into her practice.
She has facilitated garment construction workshops, draping sessions, and introductory training programmes for women and emerging creatives, promoting fashion as both artistic expression and vocational empowerment.
Fifi Stcithes Boss operates between Nigeria and the UK, in order to continue to shape her brand identity.
According to her “Nigeria provides cultural richness and expressive textile traditions, while the UK offers structured production systems, sustainability conversations, and institutional frameworks”.
Looking ahead, Adeosun said she plan to establish a fully structured fashion house spanning Africa and the UK, develop scalable production partnerships, launch capsule collections, and expand independent editorial visibility.
Her broader ambition is clear: to position African textile craftsmanship within global contemporary design conversations—through structure, discipline, and technical excellence.
GTCO Launches “Take on Squad” Hackathon 3.0, Opens Call for Applications
Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (“GTCO” or the “Group”) has announced the launch of “Take on Squad” Hackathon 3.0, reaffirming its commitment to fostering innovation, empowering talent, and supporting the development of technology-driven solutions that address real-world challenges across Africa.
Now in its third edition, the Hackathon brings together developers, designers and entrepreneurs across Nigeria in a collaborative environment to build practical solutions across key sectors including financial services, healthcare, commerce and digital inclusion. Under the theme “Smart Systems: The Intelligent Economy,” participants are challenged to design and build intelligent, data-driven solutions that transform how communities engage with money.
Applications are now open, and interested teams can find full guidelines and registration details on the official portal at https://squadco.com/hackathon.
Speaking on the initiative, Eduophon Japhet, Managing Director of HabariPay, stated: “Today’s dynamic, digitally driven world demands continuous innovation, which is shaping how economies grow, how businesses scale, and how societies evolve. Through “Take on Squad” Hackathon, we are deliberately investing in the ideas and talent that will define the future. Our objective is not simply to encourage innovation, but to enable its translation into scalable solutions that deliver real and measurable impact. This reflects GTCO’s role as a financial services platform that connects capital, capability, and creativity to drive sustainable progress.”
The social coding event remains a cornerstone of HabariPay’s mission to foster creativity and problem-solving among emerging tech talents. Competing teams will leverage Squad’s advanced APIs to create scalable digital tools that address everyday challenges faced by businesses and individuals.
Through initiatives such as this, GTCO continues to position itself at the intersection of finance, technology and enterprise, actively shaping the future of digital transformation in Africa.
About HabariPay
HabariPay Ltd is the fintech subsidiary of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO), one of the largest financial services institutions in Africa with direct and indirect investments in a network of operating entities located in 10 countries across Africa and the United Kingdom.
Licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), our goal is to support SMEs, micro merchants, large corporations and other fintechs (Tech Stars) with the tools they need to thrive in an evolving digital economy and expand beyond their current market reach. HabariPay’s solutions include Squad, a full-scale digital payments toolkit to make in-person and online payments simpler, HabariPay Storefront, an e-commerce website to facilitate online purchases, Value-Added Services to help merchants access cost-effective and flexible airtime and data bundles to run their businesses, as well as a switching infrastructure that enables tech-focused businesses to optimise cost and make transactions more efficient.
HabariPay’s contributions to Accelerating Digital Acceptance in Africa have not gone unnoticed–it received Mastercard’s Innovative Mobile Payment Solution Award at TIA 2022 for its innovative payment solution, SquadPOS.
About Squad
Squad is a complete digital payments solution that is reliable, secure, and affordable, making receiving in-person and online payments simpler and convenient.
Thousands of merchants currently leverage Squad’s payment solutions for their daily business operations. Squad’s current products and service offerings include SquadPOS, Squad Payment Links, Squad Virtual Accounts, USSD, and E-Commerce Storefront.
Find out more at www.squadco.com.
Electric 8-Seater Tula Moto Keke Enters Nigerian Market, Targets Higher Operator Earnings
LAGOS — A new electric-powered tricycle with an expanded passenger capacity has been introduced into Nigeria’s urban transport sector, offering operators a potentially more profitable and eco-friendly alternative to conventional petrol-driven “keke.”
The newly launched 8-seater electric tricycle, now available in Lagos with plans for nationwide distribution, features a dual-row seating arrangement capable of accommodating up to eight passengers per trip—significantly higher than the standard three-passenger configuration common across the country.
Promoters of the innovation say the increased capacity is designed to boost daily earnings for operators, particularly amid persistent fluctuations in fuel prices. By running entirely on electric power, the vehicle eliminates dependence on petrol, reducing operating costs and shielding drivers from fuel price volatility.
According to the distributors, the tricycle is equipped with a durable battery system capable of covering extended distances on a single charge, making it suitable for commercial operations across high-traffic routes, residential estates, campuses, and marketplaces.
“The concept is straightforward—enable drivers to earn more while spending less,” a company representative stated. “With higher passenger capacity and zero fuel requirements, operators can maximise each trip without the burden of daily fuel expenses.”
Beyond its cost-saving potential, the electric keke is also said to require less maintenance than traditional models, offering additional long-term savings. Its quieter and smoother operation is expected to enhance passenger comfort and overall commuting experience.
Industry analysts note that the introduction of electric mobility solutions reflects a growing shift toward cleaner and more sustainable transportation alternatives in Nigeria, particularly in densely populated urban centres such as Lagos.
The distributors added that the product is currently available under a limited promotional offer, with delivery options across the country.
For inquiries and purchase: 📞 08153432071
📞 08035889103
Office Address:
📍 Plot 9, Block 113, Beulah Plaza,
Lekki–Epe Expressway,
Lekki Phase 1, Lagos
As transportation costs continue to rise and environmental concerns gain prominence, innovations like the electric 8-seater keke may signal an emerging transition toward more efficient and sustainable mobility solutions nationwide.
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