POLITICS

Saturday, 23 February 2019 02:40

After false start, Nigerians focus on economy in tight presidential vote

President Muhammadu Buhari’s hold on power faces a strong challenge today in a delayed election that hinges on the fate of the economy, Africa’s biggest. The presidential vote in the continent’s top oil producer and most populous nation is too close to call between Buhari and the main opposition candidate Atiku Abubakar, a businessman and former vice president who leads a field of more than 70 challengers. The election, due to be held a week ago, was postponed around five hours before polling stations were set to open and there are concerns that the delay may hurt turnout. The electoral…

Saturday, 23 February 2019 02:38

No genuine PVC, no voting – INEC

Anyone who does not possess a valid permanent voters card (PVC), or whose PVC is not authenticated by a card reader and ‘biometrics taken’ will not be allowed to vote today, chairman of the electoral commission, INEC, Mr Mahmood Yakubu, said on Friday. Yakubu said this while briefing journalists and local and international observers in Abuja about his agency’s preparedness for today’s presidential and parliamentary elections. “No genuine PVC, no voting,” Yakubu said. Yakubu also explained that while voters can go to polling units with their phones, they will not be allowed to take such phones to the polling booth,…

Saturday, 23 February 2019 02:37

PDP sues Buhari over ballot snatchers

Peoples Democratic Party has sued President Muhammadu Buhari over his directive to security agencies to deal ruthlessly with ballot box snatchers during the general elections. “I really gave the military and police order to be ruthless,” Buhari had said on Monday. “Anybody who thinks he has enough influence in his locality to lead a body of thugs to snatch ballot boxes or disturbs the voting system, will do so at the expense of his own life.” In a suit filed before Federal High Court in Abuja, PDP asked the court to declare the directive as unconstitutional, unlawful and void. The…

Thursday, 21 February 2019 04:02

Only act of God can stop Saturday’s elections - INEC

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday stated that only an ‘act of God’ can stop the conduct of the rescheduled Presidential and National Assembly election slated for this Saturday. INEC Chairman, Mr Mahmood Yakubu, stated this in Abuja while addressing a cross section of diplomatic community and international election monitoring groups in Nigeria, for 2019 general elections. Meanwhile, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, has urged the international community, to respect the sovereignty of Nigeria and allow the country solve her internal challenges herself without the undue interference of some of the foreign countries. Onyeama stressed that while…

Wednesday, 20 February 2019 03:55

Atiku ‘reveals’ how APC trained operatives in China to manipulate card readers

Presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has complained about what he described as plan by All Progressives Congress (APC) to slow down card readers in regions considered his strongholds. The PDP candidate stated this on Tuesday at an emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting at Wadata Plaza, national secretariat of the party. According to the candidate, some people were trained in China and are equipped with gadgets that look like mobile phones. He said the gadgets will be used to slow down card readers in his strongholds and fasten them in other regions. He said the plan is to…

Wednesday, 20 February 2019 03:53

INEC chairman, foreign minister to meet diplomats, others

Foreign Affairs Minister Mr Geoffrey Onyeama and chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mr Mahmood Yakubu, will on Wednesday (today) brief Heads of Diplomatic Missions and International Organisations on the conduct of February 23 elections. The ministry’s spokesperson, Mr George Edokpa, said this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja. Edokpa said that the duo would brief the officials on Presidential and National Assembly elections re-scheduled to hold on Saturday. According to him, the briefing is scheduled to hold at 10 a.m. at Rotunda Hall, Tafawa Balewa House, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja. INEC had on Saturday announced postponement of…

Wednesday, 20 February 2019 03:48

Amosun’s loyalists disrupt TraderMoni disbursement in Ogun

Pandemonium broke out on Tuesday in Abeokuta, Ogun State, when some men, suspected to be loyalists of Governor Ibikunle Amosun, invaded Lafenwa Market, venue of the disbursement of TraderMoni and disrupted the programme. The men, led by Chairman, Abeokuta North-West Local Council Development Area, Mr Monsuru Shorunke, also took away the Iyaloja of the market, Mrs Ramotalai Olatunji, but returned her few minutes later. TraderMoni is a Federal Government intervention programme for petty traders under Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme. Our correspondent gathered that handlers of TraderMoni had arrived at the market and were documenting the traders’ bio-data using their…

Tuesday, 19 February 2019 04:22

Outrage as Buhari threatens electoral offenders with death

Politicians, human rights activists, lawyers and prominent Nigerians on Monday attacked President Muhammadu Buhari for declaring that death awaited ballot box snatchers during February 23 Presidential and National Assembly elections. Buhari had early on Monday while speaking at a national caucus meeting of All Progressives Congress in Abuja, said ballot box snatchers would pay with their lives as security agencies had been given the go ahead to be ruthless with them. The President said this at the meeting, convened by APC to review the poll delay and discuss other plans by the party ahead of elections on Saturday. Buhari stated,…

Tuesday, 19 February 2019 04:21

PDP holds emergency NEC meeting over polls shift

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will today (Tuesday) hold an emergency national executive committee (NEC) meeting, a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, has disclosed. The meeting is coming after Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) postponed the presidential and National Assembly elections by a week to February 23. Ologbondiyan said the meeting will hold at national secretariat of PDP in Abuja at 12 p.m. Expected at the meeting are the party’s serving state governors and members of its National Working Committee (NWC), among others. The agenda of the meeting was not made known by the party. But sources…

Tuesday, 19 February 2019 04:20

Again, Oshiomhole attacks INEC, accuses commission of working with PDP

National Chairman of Nigeria’s ruling party, APC, has again accused the electoral commission, INEC, of working in cahoot with the main opposition party, PDP. Mr Adams Oshiomhole made a similar accusation last week. Oshiomhole made his latest allegation on Monday at APC caucus meeting held in Abuja. The meeting was attended by President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice Presdient Yemi Osinbajo, 11 APC governors and other party leaders. At the meeting, Oshiomhole said INEC in states like Akwa Ibom and Rivers was working with PDP. He alleged that INEC ad-hoc staff in Akwa Ibom were appointed by INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in…

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Tuesday, 19 February 2019 04:18

Buhari’s Minister blasts Oshiomole over call for resignation of INEC Chairman

Daniel Agbolade, Ibadan Minister of Communications, Mr Adebayo Shittu, has kicked against the call for the resignation of National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mr. Mahmood Yakubu by National Chairman of ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Adams Oshiomole, over postponement of the general election, stating that it is unfair and unacceptable. The Minister who spoke with journalists in Ibadan, said if INEC chairman resigns, it may affect conduct of the rescheduled general elections on Saturday, quering "would Oshiomole have agreed to resign if called upon when he supervised the worst primary elections of APC?" It would…

Tuesday, 19 February 2019 04:17

Brex-split: 7 lawmakers quit Labour over EU, anti-Semitism

Seven British lawmakers quit the main opposition Labour Party on Monday over its approach to Brexit and anti-Semitism — the biggest shake-up in years for one of Britain’s major political parties. The announcement ripped open a long-simmering rift between socialists and centrists in the party, which sees itself as the representative of Britain’s working class. It’s also the latest fallout from Britain’s decision to leave the European Union, which has split both of the country’s two main parties — Conservatives and Labour — into pro-Brexit and pro-EU camps. Many Labour lawmakers have been unhappy with the party’s direction under leader…

Monday, 18 February 2019 04:19

APC national caucus meets today ahead of rescheduled elections

All Progressives Congress (APC) National Caucus will today (Monday) hold an emergency meeting in Abuja to discuss prevailing national issues. The meeting is coming after Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) postponed the earlier scheduled February 16 presidential and National Assembly elections. APC caucus, which is a statutory organ of the party, is chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari and has the Vice President and all the party’s former governors as members. Its membership also includes the party’s serving governors, and members of its National Working Committee (NWC), among others. INEC Chairman, Mr Mahmood Yakubu, had a few hours to commencement of…

Monday, 18 February 2019 04:17

Election shift: INEC ignorant, we’ll reopen campaign – PDP

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it is set to reopen its campaign following postponement of presidential and National Assembly elections by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). INEC chairman, Mr Mahmood Yakubu, had on Saturday at a press briefing said campaigns remained stopped for the elections as they had been since last Friday. The electoral law states that campaigns should end a day to the election. With the postponement, campaigns should continue until next Friday, PDP argues. The party made this known in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, on Sunday evening. Mr Ologbondiyan said the party…

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