These are the top five Nigerian stories that drove conversation today.
Former Presidential spokesman, Doyin Okupe has challenged Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti-Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay to reveal the the running costs of the principal officers of the National Assembly.
He also asked him to include that of President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, ministers, special advisers to the President.
In a statement on Tuesday, Okupe said Sagay must give the figures between 24 hours or lose his credibility.
Okupe said, “I find the threat by Professor Sagay on allowances and running costs of the leadership of the National Assembly very interesting. It will aid our fight for transparency in public affairs.
“However, he should not be selective. For us to take him seriously, he should include details of the running cost of the office of the President, Vice President, mnisters, special advisers, heads of government agencies, parastatals and even himself. Afterall, all the salaries, allowances and running cost come from the same public coffers.”
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday met behind closed doors with former Vice-President Namadi Sambo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The former vice-president arrived the Presidential Villa at about 12:00 noon and went straight into the President’s office.
He left the premises at about 12.25pm.
“It was a a private meeting,” Sambo told journalists.
One of the police officers accused of killing six persons in Apo, Abuja, in 2005, Danjuma Ibrahim has been promoted to the rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG).
He was decorated with the new rank on Monday at the force headquarters in Abuja.
Ibrahim and five other police officers had been accused of killing some persons, including five traders, on June 7, 2005.
In November 2017, he was controversially acquitted alongside two others by a federal high court in Abuja, after pleading not guilty to the charges.
Reno Omokri, former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan has accused Vice President Yemi Osinbajo of lying against the ex-President.
Osinbajo had on Monday said Jonathan shared N150 billion two weeks before the 2015 polls.
In a statement on Tuesday, Omokri asked Osinbajo to publish evidence that the former president shared the amount.
“It is sad that the vice-president has again surrendered his lips to Satan to be used to spread slander and lies. Nigerians may recall that lying is the most consistent achievement of professor Osinbajo’s almost three years as vice-president,” Omokri said.
The Reformed Niger Delta Avengers and 10 other militant groups have threatened to attack oil installations in the Niger Delta if Paul Boroh, sacked coordinator of the amnesty programme, is not reinstated.
The militants gave an ultimatum of 4 weeks for the reinstatement.
Johnmark Ezonbi, leader of the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers, said the federal government would “hear from them” if Boroh is not reinstated.
President Muhammadu Buhari had removed Boroh from the position and appointed Charles Dokubo, a professor, in his place.
And now, stories from around the world…
Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg has been called on by a parliamentary committee to give evidence about the use of personal data by Cambridge Analytica.
The consulting firm is accused of harvesting the data of 50 million Facebook users without permission and failing to delete it when told to.
Damian Collins, the chairman of the Commons inquiry into fake news, accused Facebook of “misleading” the committee.
London-based firm Cambridge Analytica denies any wrongdoing.
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been taken into police custody for questioning over allegations that he received campaign funding from the late Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi.
Police are investigating alleged irregularities over the financing of his 2007 presidential campaign.
Police have questioned him previously as part of the probe. Mr Sarkozy has denied any wrongdoing.
The centre-right politician failed to return to power in 2012.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle revealed who will make the cake for their May 19 wedding.
The honor has fallen to pastry chef Claire Ptak, who was raised in California and now owns London-based bakery Violet Cakes, Kensington Palace announced Tuesday.
According to the palace, the couple asked Ptak to make a “lemon elderflower cake that will incorporate the bright flavours of spring” rather than the more traditional fruitcake. It will also feature buttercream and fresh flowers as decoration.
Xi Jinping, China’s President, has warned self-ruled Taiwan that it will face the “punishment of history” for any attempt at separatism.
In a speech at the end of China’s annual session of parliament, Xi told the 3,000-odd delegates that the country would push for the “peaceful reunification of the motherland” and work for more Taiwanese to enjoy the opportunities of China’s development.
“It is a shared aspiration of all Chinese people and in their basic interests to safeguard China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and realise China’s complete reunification,” Xi said.
“Any actions and tricks to split China are doomed to failure and will meet with the people’s condemnation and the punishment of history.”
US President Donald Trump has spoken to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to congratulate him on his electoral victory two days ago.
He said they they would meet in the “not too distant future” to discuss the arms race, Ukraine and Syria.
Mr Putin was re-elected by a landslide, with more than 76% of the vote, for a fourth six-year term.
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