BORN in Kaduna on August 25, 1946, Archbishop (Professor) Adebayo Dada Akinde spent his formative years there even though his parents were of Egba (father) and Sierra Leonean (mother) extractions. Akinde, an electronics engineer and computer scientist, earned a B.Sc. degree in electronics from the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University).

Though it is not known to many Nigerians, the Office of he Vice President is actually saddled with the task of providing the economic roadmaps in conjunction with relevant bodies for the president’s approval. And so, the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo wouldn’t stop at nothing to help his principal, President Muhammadu Buhari succeed in putting the country on a sound pedestal. For one year now, both men have come to appreciate their passion for the country and Osinbajo’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Laolu Akande who follows and greatly understands the passion of these two leaders shares with select few Newspapers a vivid insider’s account of what the Economic Team located in the Vice President’s office has been doing, the gains of the Social Welfare Scheme of the government amongst other things. Vanguard was there.

To begin with, I never lost the election. Everyone who followed the 2015 Delta Central Senatorial District election in Delta State expected me to win in a landslide, which I did. But the electoral thieves, who believe they can rig their way into office every four years brazenly invaded polling units and ward collation centres to change the results. Like every criminal, they left credible evidence at the crime scene. At the senatorial collation centre, we found out that parties that did not participate in the election were awarded votes. On this criteria alone, we annulled so many unlawful votes and I was ahead by over 16,000 votes. Ordinarily, I should have been declared winner that day but when you have the entire machinery of the state government deployed against you, things don’t come easy. As a consequence, we had to go for a supplementary election which they rigged again. That was how Chief Ighoyota Amori was unlawfully declared winner.

When the British people voted to leave the European Union, it was in fulfilment of their age long desire not to surrender their sovereignty to a supra-national authority and bureaucracy in Brussels. But the outcome of the victory of the Leave campaigners has come with unanticipated consequences for the British and the world. In this interview with Vanguard newspaper, Ambassador Joe Keshi explains some lessons that our leaders must learn from the BREXIT referendum.

Mrs Angela Emuwa is the President of Autism Parents Association International, APAI, formerly known as Parents Against Autism Initiative, PAAI. She is a passionate mother who believes that every child must be treated equally because he or she has a right whether or not he has physical or intellectual disability.