“In 1963, 33 African leaders gathered in Addis Ababa with a dream—One Africa. One army. One currency. One voice. Sixty-two years later, that vision is still a dream deferred.”

Dr. Arikana Chihombori-Quao gave a searing and passionate address, calling out Africa’s failure to actualize the dreams of its founding fathers. Recalling the ideological clash between the Casablanca Group, which demanded immediate unity, and the Monrovia Group, which pushed for gradualism, she declared:

“When the Casablanca Group lost in 1963, Africa lost. That was our moment and we missed it.”

In her address, she asked Africa’s leaders and youth a piercing question:

“Why is it that even the simplest of goals like visa-free travel for Africans within Africa has not yet been achieved?”

She recounted a real story from a border market: women on either side selling tomatoes, unable to trade because of visa restrictions, calling the situation “insane and ridiculous.”

Challenging the continent’s intellectual and political complacency, she exclaimed:

“We have been miseducated. Our curriculum must change. It must become Pan-African.”

She took aim at global institutions like the World Bank, IMF, and the UN, formed after Europe’s tribal wars of 1945, stating:

“These institutions must be dismantled. We have no business being in them.”

She condemned African ministers who still travel to Washington to be told how to devalue their currencies and borrow more:

“And they say, ‘Yes,
master.’ They don’t challenge them. Loans paid a gazillion times over are still counted as debts. When are we going to wake up?”

On stolen African artifacts, she didn’t hold back.

“Our ancestors’ heads sit in European jars, classified not for repatriation—but as ‘trophies of conquest.’ If we’re going to destroy our heritage, let it be us—not them.”

Dr. Chihombori-Quao closed with a fervent call:

“We must reclaim our dignity, rewrite our education, dismantle the chains of neocolonialism, and unite—not tomorrow, but now.”

The Federal High Court in Lagos has struck out the N12.3 billion fraud case filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against the Chairman of Honeywell Group, Dr. Oba Otudeko, and three others, following the formal withdrawal of the charges by the anti-graft agency on Wednesday.

The EFCC had initially arraigned Dr. Otudeko alongside former Managing Director of First Bank, Olabisi Onasanya; former Honeywell board member, Soji Akintayo; and Anchorage Leisure Limited in a 13-count charge (Suit No. FHC/L/20C/2025). The defendants were accused of conspiring to fraudulently secure N12.3 billion in credit facilities from First Bank of Nigeria for V-TECH Dynamic Links Ltd. and Stallion Nigeria Ltd.

At the court proceedings, EFCC counsel Rotimi Oyedepo informed Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke that the matter had been amicably resolved between First Bank—the nominal complainant—and Dr. Otudeko.

Oyedepo stated:

“The parties have reached a full and final settlement. First Bank has formally withdrawn its complaint. The disputed funds have been fully repaid, and the bank has no further interest in pursuing the case.
In light of this resolution and to avoid abuse of court processes, the Attorney General of the Federation, having reviewed the facts and the complete recovery of the funds, has directed the discontinuation of the prosecution.”

He explained that, following applications for settlement by the defence, the AGF convened a stakeholders’ meeting. This led to a formal resolution, communicated through a letter from First Bank dated July 16, 2025, and another from Otudeko’s legal team confirming the agreement. A follow-up letter dated July 21, 2025, reaffirmed First Bank’s decision and requested the withdrawal of the charges.

Otudeko’s lead counsel, Bode Olanipekun, SAN, told the court that all matters leading to the charge had been fully resolved. His position was supported by the other defence counsels: Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN (for Onasanya); Tunde Afe Babalola (for Akintayo); and Dr. Charles Adeogun-Phillips (for Anchorage Leisure Ltd.), all of whom confirmed the amicable settlement.

After considering the submissions, Justice Aneke ruled:

“In view of the prosecution’s application and the confirmation by the defence, this case is hereby struck out.”

Following the ruling, Honeywell Group issued a statement signed by its General Counsel, Olasumbo Abolaji, welcoming the court’s decision and describing it as a reaffirmation of Dr. Otudeko’s integrity.

Renowned activist Aisha Yesufu has decried the lack of credibility in Africa’s electoral systems, calling it a “civilian coup” when political mandates are stolen from the people. Speaking at ICAD 2025 panel session on the theme “The African Path to Electoral Integrity: Rethinking Elections Through Afro Best Practices”, Yesufu emphasized that democracy begins with a free, fair, and violence-free electoral process.

“When elections are rigged, it’s no different from a civilian coup. The people lose their power, and we begin to see impunity thrive,” she said.

Yesufu lamented that Nigeria’s institutions, particularly the judiciary, have become complicit in undermining democracy. She cited the alarming trend of judicial shopping, where litigants bypass local jurisdictions to seek favorable rulings in distant states.

“Today, people leave places like Agbede in Edo State to file cases in Jigawa, all in search of biased judgments. Even when courts issue rulings, they sometimes merely give opinions rather than clear, categorical judgments,” she stated, referencing discrepancies in high-profile rulings like that of Natasha Akpoti.

The activist stressed that such failures in the judicial and electoral systems are signs of deep institutional capture. According to her, reforms must be comprehensive, extending beyond elections to restoring citizen agency and strengthening all arms of government.

“The judiciary is no longer the last hope of the common man. It now bows to corrupt politicians,” she said. “But no Nigerian is more Nigerian than another. We must rise together to reclaim our democracy.”