Category: News

Nigeria’s Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal on Friday ordered WhatsApp and Meta Platforms Incorporated to pay a $220 million penalty and $35,000 to the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) within 60 days over data discrimination practices in Nigeria. The tribunal upheld the $220 million penalty imposed by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) on WhatsApp and Meta Platforms Incorporated, as well as $35,000 as reimbursement for the Commission’s investigation against the social media giant. The tribunal also dismissed the appeal of WhatsApp and Meta Platforms Incorporated regarding the $220 million penalty imposed by the FCCPC for alleged discriminatory practices in Nigeria. The tribunal’s three-member panel, led by Thomas Okosun, passed the verdict on Friday. WhatsApp and Meta’s legal team, led by Professor Gbolahan Elias (SAN), and the FCCPC’s legal team, represented by Babatunde Irukera (SAN), a former Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, made their final arguments on behalf of their respective clients on January 28, 2025. Nairametrics previously reported that WhatsApp and Meta Platforms Incorporated had appealed to the tribunal, arguing that the FCCPC’s $220 million penalty should be overturned, citing 22 reasons, including alleged vague directives, unjustifiable data-sharing orders, and procedural errors. The appellants claimed that the FCCPC’s demands were vague, technically impossible to implement within the stipulated timeframe, and unsupported by Nigerian law. The fine imposed by the FCCPC followed an investigation into alleged violations of data protection and consumer rights by Meta and WhatsApp. The Commission expressed concerns about Meta’s allegedly abusive and invasive practices affecting data subjects and consumers in Nigeria. What WhatsApp and FCCPC Legal Documents Say In their appeal, the appellants argued that the FCCPC denied them a fair hearing by imposing a hefty penalty without giving them an opportunity to understand how the penalty would be calculated or to respond to the calculation of the proposed amount. Elias had urged the tribunal not to rely on foreign laws that are not applicable in Nigeria, maintaining there is no abuse of dominance since users can choose from other providers such as TikTok and Google Meet. In response, Irukera urged the tribunal to uphold the Commission’s orders and dismiss the appeal in its entirety. He countered the appellants’ claims about foreign precedents, stating that while foreign law is not binding, it is persuasive in similar contexts. The FCCPC also sought the tribunal’s leave to transfer the Commission’s “entire record within its custody” to the panel to support a fair and transparent adjudication of the dispute. What The Tribunal Said Passing its verdict on Friday, the tribunal stated that the reliance on foreign decisions by the FCCPC is appropriate and persuasive in law. “The appellants were given ample opportunity to be heard,” Okosun said. “The tribunal finds that the FCCPC did not exceed its powers while making orders in respect to data protection,” the tribunal said, adding that the FCCPC acted within its lawful mandate to address market dominance. •The tribunal agreed with the FCCPC that the privacy policy of WhatsApp and Meta breached Nigerian laws. “The tribunal finds no error in the overall orders of the FCCPC,” the tribunal held. “Accordingly, the administrative penalties of the FCCPC were lawfully imposed on Meta and WhatsApp,” the tribunal held. The tribunal ruled that the appellants’ appeal against the FCCPC failed and was dismissed. The tribunal subsequently made the following orders: What You Should Know Following the FCCPC’s orders, WhatsApp stated: “In 2021, we globally informed users about how talking to businesses would work. While there was initial confusion, it has proven quite popular.” Similar fines are not uncommon. The European Data Protection Board had fined Meta a record €1.2 billion for non-compliance with EU privacy regulations. Over the past five years, Big Tech companies such as Amazon, Meta, and Google have faced significant fines under the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The legality of the FCCPC’s penalties against Meta Platforms Incorporated is now a matter for the tribunal to decide.

The opposition coalition led by by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the immediate past Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai on Thursday hit back at the Presidency, saying the defection of Delta Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, his predecessor, Ifeanyi Okowa and several prominent leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party did not come as a surprise. A key stakeholder of the coalition and former National Vice Chairman (North-West) of the All Progressives Congress, Mallam Salihu Lukman disclosed this in a statement made available to The PUNCH in Abuja. Lukman was reacting to Monday’s trolling by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who mocked Atiku, saying his coalition will crumble following the defection of his key allies to the APC. “Atiku’s political future looks bleak. The coalition that he, El Rufai, Babachir, and new member Baba-Ahmed are cobbling together has disintegrated. “Potential allies, including former running mate Ifeanyi Okowa and defunct CPC members, are giving his leprous group a wide berth. Atiku is a loser again,” he stated. Onanuga’s scathing remark was a follow-up to a similar post by a fellow presidential aide, Tunde Rahman, who also derided the PDP, describing the development as “the biggest shocker ever” for Atiku. Rahman argued that with the PDP governors now aligning with President Bola Tinubu, the coalition was “dead on arrival.” But Lukman, a chieftain in the coalition kicked, saying the presidential spokesmen were just humouring themselves. The politician stated that aside from Okowa and Oborevwori, they are equally aware a few other governors are likely to jump ship. He said, “First, I think anybody who says this is unexpected will only be deceiving himself. The signals have been there, that some governors are going to decamp. It’s not just one but some governors. The PDP is clearly a shadow of its own self. Although we acknowledge there are people and leaders in the PDP who are optimistic they can rescue the party. “But if you remember when the governors issued a statement against the coalition, what was our response? Our response was that many of them are working for Asiwaju. Shortly after that, you saw the statement from Akwa Ibom, a,nd of cour,se the Delta governor. It’s not only him. If you check the comments, there are many more being expected. “On the one hand, people who genuinely worry for the country are expressing fear about a one-party state. On the other hand, the government and APC are jubilating. Look, the beauty of democracy is about competition. The whole initiative to begin to negotiate the coalition is to ensure that in 2027, Nigerians are presented with options.” While saying the defection has been long foresaw, Lukman vowed that the opposition figures in the coalition will not be distracted. The North-West politician also urged the PDD governors and leaders to reconsider their stance on not joining the coalition to form a merger ahead of the 2027 presidential election. “We have gone far and what has happened in terms of some governors and leaders moving into the APC is not going to distract us at all. Not long from now, the full detail of the coalition will be unveiled to Nigerians including the structure and the strategy in terms of how the election will be contested will be clarified. We want to correct all the mistakes and shortcomings from the Buhari administration to the Asiwaju administration. We want to restore the aspiration of Nigerians by producing leaders and greater country we will be proud of. That is what the coalition is all about. If anybody sees it differently, we are going to correct all of that. “If we are talking of correcting the mistake of Buhari, correcting the mistake of Asiwaju, we don’t want to produce a government that will be seen as a sectional government. We want to produce a government that Nigerians will be proud of. We don’t want to produce another set of emperors,” he assured Ganduje welcomes Kawu Sumaila, other NNPP defectors A few hours after Lukman’s statement, the National Chairman of the APC, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje officially welcomed key political figures who recently defected from the New Nigeria Peoples Party to the APC. The high-profile decampees include Senator Abdurrahman Kawu Sumaila, who represents Kano South Senatorial District, and Rt. Hon. Kabiru Alhassan Rurum, the member representing Rano/Kibiya/Bunkure Federal Constituency. Others received into the APC fold are former Secretary to the Kano State Government, Dr. Baffa Bichi; former federal lawmaker representing Danbatta/Makoda, Hon. Badamasi Ayuba; Hon. Abdullahi Sani Rogo; Rt. Hon. Zubairu Hamza Masu; Hon. Muhammad Diggol; Hon. Sha’aban Ibrahim Sharada; and Hon. Abbas Sani Abbas. Captured in a series of photographs, the event showed Dr. Ganduje warmly receiving the former NNPP stalwarts, symbolizing their official integration into the APC. The images reflect a celebratory and unified atmosphere as the defectors were seen exchanging handshakes and holding the party’s flags. Political observers note that the defections were prompted by longstanding grievances within the NNPP, particularly complaints of marginalization and internal party injustice allegedly orchestrated by NNPP leader, Dr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso. These and other undisclosed reasons led to the mass exodus of these key figures into what they described as the “blessed fold” of the APC. PDP kicks as Osun NNPP chairman predicts more defections Meanwhile, Osun State chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Dr Tosin Odeyemi, has predicted that more people would dump Peoples Democratic Party before the governorship poll. His prediction comes in the wake of the defection of the lawmaker representing Oriade/Obokun Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Wole Oke, Odeyemi in a statement obtained in Osogbo on Thursday, specifically said those that would dump PDP are those that love progress of Osun, noting that people would no longer sit back and watch helplessly observing governance degenerating to “mere entertainment.” Reacting, the PDP dismissed Odeyemi’s claim as a mere wishful thinking, adding that those seeking Adeleke’s exit are people that want political patronage at the expense of well-being of the…

A Chicago housing official shocked attendees at a crucial meeting by making an inappropriate personal remark. Francine Washington, a member of the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA), reportedly stated in front of colleagues that she was in “dire need of sex” and needed to “get laid.” This incident led to an investigation by the Office of the Inspector General, which confirmed that Washington had a sexually graphic conversation in the presence of other agency staff. The report further noted that Washington was critical of an attorney’s response to a union representative and described the reaction as stemming from “white privilege.” Interim Board Chair Matthew Brewer later met with Washington, and according to the report, she committed to refraining from such behavior in the future. While Washington acknowledged the meeting with Brewer, she said she couldn’t recall the specifics of their conversation. Washington believes the incident was reported by a human resources manager who may have been frustrated with her persistent questioning of agency operations. “All the board members know me,” she said. “I don’t change with the weather. I love being a public housing resident and I love my residents. I would never do anything to hurt the residents or the authority.” Appointed to the CHA Board of Commissioners in 2014, Washington also serves as President of the Central Advisory Council and the Washington Park Local Advisory Committee. She is involved in several other prominent boards and committees. The Inspector General’s report revealed a lack of a formal sexual harassment policy within the CHA and recommended that such a policy be developed. In response, Brewer agreed with the report’s recommendations, noting that commissioners already undergo annual ethics and sexual harassment training. The CHA stated that it is committed to maintaining a culture of respect and accountability and emphasized that while it cannot comment on specific personnel matters, it takes all allegations of misconduct seriously.

The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has predicted a wave of defections from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State, citing dissatisfaction with the party’s performance at the state level. NNPP’s spokesperson, Adetayo Alabi, said the ruling PDP has failed to meet the expectations of residents, prompting party members to seek alternative platforms. Alabi stated that the defections witnessed in recent weeks are just the beginning, as many PDP loyalists are growing disillusioned with what he described as the government’s inability to deliver on its campaign promises. He added that the NNPP is gaining traction as a viable opposition in the state, ready to offer better governance and accountability. He emphasized that the NNPP remains open to accommodating new members who share the vision of a progressive and inclusive Osun State. According to him, the party has embarked on grassroots mobilization to strengthen its presence across all local government areas ahead of the next general elections. The NNPP called on residents of Osun to hold their leaders accountable and to consider alternative political platforms that prioritize development, transparency, and the welfare of citizens. Alabi expressed confidence that the NNPP will emerge as a formidable force in the state’s political landscape.