These are the stories you should be monitoring today:
Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto and Presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has pledged to accept the outcome of ongoing consultations for a consensus or a primary election even if it does not favour him.
Tambuwal who disclosed this in Kebbi on Tuesday, while on a visit to lobby delegates of the party in the state, ahead of the October 5 presidential primary, also promised to address the security challenges in Zamfara, Kaduna, Benue, Taraba as well as Kebbi if elected president.
“Our party is still consulting the stakeholders on who to present to contest for the presidential position. If the consultation fails, we will do the primary and I will accept the outcome and support whoever emerges as our candidate,” he said.
The Independent National Electoral Commission has on Tuesday clarified its position on the alleged ban on use of phones and cameras during voting, as it urged Nigerians to shun any attempt by individuals or groups to politicise what is purely a preventive measure.
Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja, while reacting to the statement credited to the National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus, condemning INEC’s decision to ban the use of smartphones at polling booths, said the ban only implied that no voter would be allowed to use any recording device inside the voting cubicle.
“In other words, INEC is not banning phones around the polling unit area, but the ban takes effect from the moment a prospective voter collects his or her ballot paper and enters into the voting cubicle to thumbprint and thereafter, drop the folded ballot paper into the ballot box. After that, the voter can have access to his or her phone,” he explained.
A former National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Barnabas Gemade has criticised the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), noting that both parties lacked internal democracy and had been taken over by impunity.
Speaking at the National Secretariat of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) on Tuesday, the senator representing Benue North-East Senatorial District, said “the issues that drove him from the PDP were the same he met in the APC,” adding that both parties lacked respect for the rule of law as enshrined in the nation’s constitution.
“If you don’t condone something, and it is something you cannot remove from where you are; you remove yourself. Politics is all about times and seasons. The reason is that so many issues had bedevilled a lot of parties,” Gemade stressed.
The Oyo House of Assembly witnessed a string of defections on Tuesday, as seven of the lawmakers including the Speaker and the Minority Leader announced their decision to jump ship to three different parties during the plenary session in Ibadan.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Speaker, Hon. Olagunju Ojo, Hon. Wunmi Oladeji and Hon. Solomon Olukayode of the Labour party defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), while Hon. Gbenga Oyekola and Hon. Peter Oyetunji, also of the Labour party defected to African Democratic Congress (ADC) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) respectively.
The Minority Leader, Hon. Ademola Ige and Hon. Fatai Adesina of Accord Party defected to the ADC.
And stories from around the world:
Roberto Firmino came off the bench and scored a dramatic late winner as Liverpool beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-2 in their Champions League opener played at Anfield on Tuesday.
In another tough encounter, two late goals flattened Tottenham as Inter Milan came from a goal down to win their Champions League Group B opener 2-1 at the San Siro. (Sky Sports)
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the United States is considering a request from Poland for a permanent U.S. military presence in the fellow NATO country, acknowledging that he shares Poland’s concerns about possible Russian aggression. (Reuters)
South Africa’s highest court has legalised the use of cannabis by adults in private places. (BBC)
North Korea agreed on Wednesday to “permanently” abolish its key missile facilities in the presence of foreign experts, and said it is willing to close its main nuclear complex if the United States takes unspecified “reciprocal action.” (Reuters)
Myanmar’s army has used unfathomable levels of violence against minority Rohingya, UN investigators said Tuesday, calling for the military to be removed from politics and top generals to be prosecuted for genocide. (AFP)
Temidayo Taiwo-Sidiq is a Journalist, Political Analyst and Satirist with major interest in Nigerian Politics, Governance and Sports.
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