These are the stories that drove the conversation today:

German Chancellor, Angela Merkel on Friday met with President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja, as part of her three African nations’ tour.

Her visit facilitated the signing of two Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) in agriculture and commerce.

The first agreement was signed between the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and the German-Africa Business Association while the second agreement was signed between the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) and the PETKUS Technologie GmbH, a company that specialises in post-harvest agricultural value chain.

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Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar on Friday wept openly at his Presidential Campaign Office in Abuja, over the sorry state of the nation as he received from the Atiku Support Group, the Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms to vie for the presidency under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

“The event today (purchase of nomination form) is significant and historic because this is the only time in my political career that young men and women in this country have come together without my knowledge or even consent to contribute their own hard-earned money to buy me an Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms.

“You could have seen that one of the ladies who spoke virtually succeeded in getting me to weep. This is because she aptly described the challenges every Nigerian is facing in this country today and she believed honestly and sincerely from the bottom of her heart that I could be an instrument of addressing those challenges.” he said.

Atiku further vowed to restore sanity to the land if elected the President come 2019.

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Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki has reacted to a statement by the ‘Not Too Young To Run’ movement condemning his decision to declare his intention to run for the presidency in 2019 at a town hall for youths and young aspirants organised by the movement in Abuja on Thursday.

According to a statement signed on Friday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, “it is true that the Not Too Young To Run leadership had no prior knowledge of the content of the Senate President’s remarks.

“However, the announcement by the Senate President that he intends to throw his hat into the ring to contest for the Presidency was made in good faith to young PDP aspirants, partly as a symbolic act of encouragement.

“It was not the intent of the Senate President to put the group or its leadership in an invidious position,” the statement added.

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The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on Friday faulted the argument by President Muhammadu Buhari that the rule of law is subject to national interest or security, as it frowned at the practice “where the Executive selects which court order to obey.” 

This position was contained in a communique issued on Friday in Abuja , at the end of NBA’s 2018 Annual General Conference and signed by its President, Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN), adding that the rule of law is supreme in every democracy.

The NBA further called for a non-selective fight against corruption by the Federal Government and as well advocate for peaceful, free and fair elections next year.

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Former governor of Kaduna, Balarabe Musa, has stepped down as the National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP).

Alhaji Musa (82) who was speaking on Friday, in Kaduna, while declaring open the 54th national executive committee (NEC) meeting of the party, thanked members of the party for all the support given him over the years and urged them to extend same support to whoever succeeds him.

“Due to age, declining energy and failing health, it has become necessary for me to vacate the seat for a younger and fresher blood, I will always be available for party assignments within the limit of my fading energy and failing health,” he said.

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And stories from around the world:

Talks between the US and Canada about amending the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) are heading into their final day with no deal in sight. (BBC)

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Iran has given ballistic missiles to Shi’ite proxies in Iraq and is developing the capacity to build more there to deter attacks on its interests in the Middle East and to give it the means to hit regional foes, Iranian, Iraqi and Western sources said. (Reuters)

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The United Arab Emirates (UAE) asked an Israeli spyware company to hack into the phones of the Qatari emir and a Saudi prince among other political and regional rivals, emails obtained by the New York Times appear to show.

According to a report published on Friday, leaked emails submitted in two lawsuits against the Israel-based NSO Group suggested involvement in illegal spying for clients. (Al Jazeera)

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