General
Election 2019: Chain Reactions Begins Political Campaign Management Services
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
One of Nigeria’s leading Public Relations and Integrated Communications Consulting firms, Chain Reactions Nigeria, the Nigerian affiliate to Edelman which is the largest Public Relations firm in the world, has unveiled its bespoke public affairs and political campaign management services for governments, political parties, aspirants and candidates aimed at preparing them to structure their political campaigns better with better professional support in the run up to the next 2019 general elections in Nigeria.
A statement issued at the weekend in Lagos and signed by the firm’s Managing Director and Chief Strategist, Mr Israel Jaiye Opayemi, disclosed that incumbent political office holders and their challengers can take advantage of different plans in the firm’s public affairs and political campaign management service bouquets to run better and well-structured campaigns to win in this election cycle.
Explaining the various services governments and politicians should take advantage of, Mr Opayemi said, “We have a Campaign Play Book for governments and candidates seeking re-elections.
“The package is themed, ‘How to Win Re-Election Campaigns.’ We have a Play Book for challenger aspirants and candidates in a package named, ‘How to Defeat an Incumbent.’ They are like two sides of the same coin we have learnt to toss up in favour of different clients who approach us for our services.
“They are part of the professional services we run by the highest professional and ethical standards with clear rules of engagement spelt out. For example, we cannot provide these services to both an incumbent and his or her challenger no matter the fees.”
According to Mr Opayemi, other services in the rich bouquets of the firm’s political campaign management services include a Campaign Strategy Starter Pack, Unpacking the Opposition and Opposition Research Guide, Understanding Polling, Developing Thematic Campaign, Developing a Message Deck, Vote Mapping and Targeting, Media Training for Candidates and Campaign Managers, Debate Simulation and Elocution Training for Candidates and Running Mates, Social Media Management and Online Reputation Management in the age of fake news.
He further listed Issues and Crisis Management, Technology for Vote Protection and Anti-Rigging, Operations Manual for a Campaign and Elections Situation Room, Planning Guide for Election Day Logistics, Framing Effective Campaign Structure, Creative Design and Production Services, Campaign Events Management and Roadshows, Media Strategy and Planning Services as well as Creative News Room Services for political parties, aspirants and candidates amongst others.
Mr Opayemi further assured that apart from interested governments, political parties, aspirants and candidates benefiting from best in class professional campaign management services from Chain Reactions will also be working with a number of local research firms and their international counterpart with presence in Nigeria to help political players who sign on to its services to access professional polling services.
He explained that this is one of the areas where some political parties and candidates with financial war chest fail woefully in political contests in our climes.
“Political gladiators need to understand the power of research and polling. You cannot sit in the comfort of your campaign offices and hotels and frame your campaign theme and message.
“They must be derived from research. You need to feel the pulse of the electorate. This was our game changer in the last governorship elections in Ekiti State and we can repeat that feat for any aspirant or candidate who approaches us,” Mr Opayemi said.
He urged political parties, aspirants and candidates preparing to participate in the 2019 elections to take advantage of working with professionals who specialize in services of this nature saying, “the insights we will be sharing are products of the collective experience our Public Affairs Practice Heads have pulled together from 26 years of active involvement in planning and managing political campaigns across five elections cycles from 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015 aside from off cycle elections such as such as the Ekiti State Governorship elections of 2014 and 2018 where our services were utilized. Nothing beats experience.”
On the overall benefits of political gladiators working with professionals who help to frame their campaigns, Mr Opayemi said Nigeria will be better for it as the electorate will be empowered to take informed decision at the polls.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has explained why it initiated a move to freeze the bank account of the Osun State government.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Governor of Osun State, Mr Ademola Adeleke, claimed that the anti-money laundering agency asked one of its bankers, First Bank, not to release funds to the state government.
According to the Governor, this was part of the strategies to frustrate his administration ahead of the August 15, 2026, governorship election in the state.
Reacting to the issue on Wednesday night, the EFCC, in a statement, said it has been investigating the state government since March 2026 over an alleged “fraudulent handling of Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds and Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) account to the tune of N11.0 billion.
The organisation noted that some officials of the state government, especially the Accountant General of the State, have had interview sessions with investigators of the EFCC.
“These ongoing investigations of the state government would not have warranted any placement of Post No Debit order on its account but for the precipitate and unwarranted movement of funds from the accounts to different suspicious accounts since August 2, 2026.
“The commission noticed huge transfers of funds into different corporate entities and had to swiftly halt the trend by freezing the accounts from which such heavy funds are being moved,” parts of the statement said.
In the disclosure, the agency noted that its preventive mandate is a public-inclined framework of safeguarding public funds, assets and resources, stressing that it cannot “watch idly while a state government’s account is being pillaged.”
“While the commission is fully aware of the impending governorship election in Osun State, it has a responsibility to act in defence of the sanctity of the funds of the state. It will be uncharitable for the commission to allow an excuse of an upcoming election to fold its arms to perform its legally-assigned functions,” it pointed out.
The EFCC disclosed that it is “keeping watch over the finances of other states like Osun State. Many of these states are on the investigative radar of the commission to ensure accountability and probity. The commission has always pointed out that it is non-partisan and non-sectarian but always working in the overall interests of Nigerians. The Osun State government account was frozen to save public funds from being looted.”
The organisation urged the public “to ignore false narratives and deliberate demonisation of the works of the EFCC. The interests of all Nigerians are greater and will always be protected by the commission.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has launched a mobile application designed to monitor fuel consumption patterns in real time across retail outlets nationwide.
The NMDPRA, established under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, is responsible for the technical and commercial regulation of Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum operations. The deployment of the mobile application aligns with the authority’s broader efforts to leverage technology to improve regulatory compliance and strengthen accountability.
The pilot phase of the project began on August 1 in Abuja and its six Area Councils, the authority said in a statement published on X.
As part of the rollout, the Executive Director for Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure (DSSRI), Mr Ogbugo Ukoha, led a team alongside officials from the Abuja Regional Office to assess the readiness and operational performance of the digital platform at participating retail outlets.
According to the NMDPRA, the application captures inventory and compliance data in real time, enabling regulators to monitor fuel distribution more effectively while improving operational efficiency across the sector.
The authority said the platform would generate reliable, data-driven insights to support evidence-based decision-making, strengthen national energy security planning and enhance transparency in the downstream petroleum industry.
It added that the initiative is expected to provide significant value to government, investors, operators and other stakeholders by improving access to accurate fuel consumption and compliance data.
Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector has undergone significant changes since the deregulation of the petrol market and the removal of fuel subsidies, with regulators placing greater emphasis on data-driven supervision to ensure product availability, prevent supply disruptions and discourage sharp regional disparities in distribution.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
No doubt, moving money among African markets remains a slow, fragmented process that relies on multiple intermediaries and prolonged settlement cycles.
To solve this issue and drive the development of stablecoin-enabled payment services for businesses across the continent, Onafriq has joined forces with a leading stablecoin infrastructure provider, Privy.
The collaboration will enable Onafriq to create and manage embedded digital asset solutions for its partners and, in time, institutional clients where regulation allows. The initial phase focuses on cross-chain stablecoin transfers and treasury and settlement workflows, creating the foundation for future cross-border payment and liquidity solutions.
Integrating Privy’s secure infrastructure enables Onafriq to build the capabilities required to support a new generation of efficient digital payment services for banks, fintechs, and mobile money operators.
This partnership is a key component of Onafriq’s broader strategy to modernise pan-African payment infrastructure, enabling secure multi-modal wallets and more efficient movement of value across the continent.
The outcome will support a range of future institutional use cases, including stablecoin-enabled settlement, treasury management and liquidity services, as it reflects Onafriq’s commitment to driving Africa’s digital transformation agenda by investing in technologies that make financial services more efficient, connected and accessible.
It was gathered that Onafriq selected Privy for its enterprise-grade infrastructure to enable the seamless integration of digital asset wallet capabilities into its products, subject to regulatory approval, and deliver a simple user experience while abstracting the complexity of blockchain technology.
“At Onafriq, we keep investing in technology that makes payments faster and more accessible. Privy gives us a building block for faster settlement and better liquidity management. As demand for digital asset services grows, our goal is to ensure Africa’s payment ecosystem benefits securely and in line with regulatory frameworks,” the Group Chief Product and Innovation Officer at Onafriq,” Mr Luke Kyohere, said.
The chief executive of Privy, Mr Henri Stern, said, “Stablecoins will play an increasingly important role in the future of global payments, but real-world adoption depends on infrastructure that is secure, scalable and simple to implement. Working with Onafriq allows us to help build that foundation across Africa and beyond.”
