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Namibia elects Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah as first woman president

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Namibia elected its first woman president with Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah winning last week’s presidential elections disputed by technical and logistical issues in the country.

 

The 72-year-old, the current vice-president of the country, won with 57 per cent of the vote, extending the ruling South West Africa People’s Organisation (Swapo) party’s grip on power since independence from South Africa in 1990.

“The Namibian nation has voted for peace and stability,” Ms Nandi-Ndaitwah said after the final results were announced late on Tuesday.

Her victory defied predictions that she might be forced into a run-off after opposition parties rejected the results after polling had to be extended for three days in some parts of the country following technical and logistical problems.

Her closest rival Panduleni Itula, who got 26 per cent of the votes, had alleged electoral malpractice.

The polling was scheduled to conclude last Wednesday but had to be extended till Saturday in some parts after polling booths suffered shortages of ballot papers and other issues.

The opposition parties said the extension was illegal and boycotted the results announcement on Tuesday, saying that they will challenge the results in court.

Ms Nandi-Ndaitwah is known as a dedicated Swapo loyalist who joined the party at the age of 14 and was part of an underground independence movement against South African rule in Namibia in the 1970s which was responsible for the implementation of apartheid.

Her leadership in Swapo’s Youth League laid the foundation for her political rise, eventually earning her ministerial positions in foreign affairs, tourism, child welfare, and information.

She was promoted to vice president in February after president Hage Geingob died while in office and will become the fifth president of Namibia after independence.

Namibia Election (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
© (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

 

Her victory as the first female president of Namibia adds her to the exclusive club with Tanzania’s president Samia Suluhu Hassan. She, however, took office through constitutional succession and not a popular vote.

“Swapo Wins. Netumbo Wins. Namibia Wins. Now Hard Work,” the ruling party posted on its official account on social media site X.

Mr Itula, of the Independent Patriots for Change opposition party, won the second-largest number of seats in parliament behind Swapo.

The Independent Patriots for Change have led the criticism of the vote and pledged to lodge a challenge in court, calling the three-day extension for voting unconstitutional.

Swapo maintained a grip on power in Namibian politics for nearly three decades. However, its popularity came under question in the 2019 election when it lost its two-thirds majority, reducing its vote share to 56 per cent from 87 per cent.

It faced challenges of growing unemployment, allegations of corruption on high ranking officials of Swapo and high levels of inequality.

This year in May, South Africa’s African National Congress lost its majority in parliament for the first time since the end of apartheid. The Botswana Democratic Party was also booted out of power after ruling since independence from Britain in 1966.

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EVENTS

PRESIDENT TINUBU CONGRATULATES SENATOR IFEANYI ARARUME ON HIS BIRTHDAY

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President Bola Tinubu felicitates Senator Ifeanyi Godwin Ararume, astute politician and accomplished businessman, on his birthday, December 16.

Senator Ararume’s odyssey in politics began in the late 1980s, when he served as the State Treasurer of the Liberal Convention in old Imo State. He later joined the National Finance Committee of the defunct National Republican Convention.

He represented Imo North in the 9th National Assembly. He was first elected in May 1999 and re-elected in April 2003. He also served on several committees and held other official roles.

President Tinubu commends the former senator for his years of service to the nation and contributions to its peace, unity, and progress.

The President describes Senator Ararume as a resolute and shrewd politician, highlighting his courageous and remarkable political journey through the years.

President Tinubu wishes Senator Ararume a happy 67th birthday and prays that God Almighty will grant him more years of good health and strength.

 

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Ndigbo are no longer spectators in the Nigerian project- Minister Dave Umahi dismisses calls for Biafra under Tinubu’s administration

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The Minister of Works, David Umahi, says the all-inclusive style of governance being practiced by President Bola Tinubu has made the agitation for Biafra an unnecessary clamour.

While speaking at the inspection of the Enugu-Anambra road last Saturday, December 13, Umahi said the Tinubu administration had given Ndigbo what they had sought for decades, not through secession, but through what he described as unprecedented inclusion in national governance and development.

He explained that the agitation for Biafra was historically driven by neglect, exclusion and underrepresentation at the federal level, but insisted that the situation had changed under the current administration.

“When a people are fully integrated, respected and empowered within the structure of the nation, the dream they once chased through agitation has already been achieved through cooperation.

The push for Biafran secession over the years was borne out of neglect, exclusion and underrepresentation but today the narrative has changed dramatically under President Bola Tinubu.

The President has deliberately opened the doors of national development to the South-East. Appointments, policy inputs and infrastructure priorities now reflect true federal balance.

Every sector now bears visible Igbo footprints. The emergence of Igbo sons and daughters in strategic positions is a testament to this inclusion.

Biafra was never about breaking Nigeria; it was about being counted in Nigeria. Through inclusion, equity and concrete development, Ndigbo are no longer spectators in the Nigerian project; they are co-authors of its future. When justice finds a people, agitation loses its voice.”he said

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ADC Launches 90-Day Membership Drive, Fixes Dates For Congresses, National Convention

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The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has announced a 90-day nationwide membership mobilisation, revalidation, and registration exercise as part of preparations for its internal party activities ahead of 2026.

The party also approved provisional dates for its congresses and the election of delegates at the polling unit, ward, and local government levels across the country.

In circulars issued by its national secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, the ADC said the congresses are expected to hold between January 20 and January 27, 2026.

The process, the party said, will lead to the emergence of delegates who will participate in its non-elective national convention scheduled for February 2026 in Abuja.

A statement by Bolaji Abdullahi, national publicity secretary of the party, said the decisions were reached at a meeting of the national working committee (NWC) held on November 27, 2025.

Abdullahi said the timetable and activities were approved in line with the resolutions of the NWC and in accordance with relevant provisions of the party’s constitution.

The ADC said further details on the membership exercise, congresses, and convention will be communicated to party members and stakeholders in due course.

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