The All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship primary in Ekiti was on Saturday stalemated with exercise suspended indefinitely over violence that erupted on alleged fraud being perpetrated by a particular aspirant
Before the decision was taken, there was a serious violence at the Oluyemi Kayode stadium, venue of the exercise, as agents of some strong contenders accused security agencies of allegedly compromising the process in favour of one of the leading aspirants.
Reports have it that only delegates from four local governments had concluded their voting and was on the turn of the fifth council when the violence erupted leaving Police and other security agencies to shoot sporadically into the air when the situation was escalating into a full blown violence among various camps.
President Muhammadu Buhari has said that his decision to seek re-election in 2019 election was borne out of his passion to continue to render service to the nation and not for personal gains.
President Buhari who stated this on Saturday during the All Progressives Party’s, APC, Ward Congress held at Bayagida Model Primary School in Daura, Katsina State, explained that the driving force for seeking public office should be to serve the people, and see their lives improved, not for frivolity or personal ambition.
He said that the passion to serve and see real changes in the lives of Nigerians informed his choice to join partisan politics in the first place, and inspired him to contest elections in 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015. He added that his administration had already started the process of ensuring fairness, justice and equity, in spite of challenges, and would work hard to consolidate on the gains.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as part of efforts to regain power at the center in 2019 inaugurated its Contact Committee on Friday.
Its National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, while inaugurating the committee at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, said the mission of the committee is to look into ways and means to bring in every stakeholder within or outside the PDP, or other political groups, and stakeholders so that they could form a united front to be able to rescue the country from eminent collapse.
Secondus went on to further condemn the prevailing situation in Nigeria where citizens were being killed on daily basis blaming it on what he describes as “…a confirmation of the lack of coordination of our own Security System.’’.
The Chairman of the committee and former governor of Cross River, Sen. Liyel Imoke while responding, pledged that the committee would swing into action to achieve its mandates within the two weeks’ time frame it was given.
“I want to assure you that we will deliver in expectations of our party members and Nigerians.’’ he said
Former Head of State, Retired General Abdulsalami Abubakar, has advised Nigerians and all registered political parties to promote peace as the country prepares for 2019 general elections.
Abubakar gave the advice when he received a delegation of the Northern Leaders and Stakeholders Assembly (NLSA) who paid him a visit in his Abuja home on Saturday.
The former head of state said peace was paramount, saying: “If there is no peace, there is no nation; if there is no peace, there won’t be any politicking.
Following a heavy rainfall that caused a major disaster at the Taraba State National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), the scheme’s management has described the occurrence as a natural disaster.
It was reported that corps members at the camp had massively protested the disaster which led to the injury of an undisclosed number of corps members.
Reacting to the report, the NYSC spokesperson, Mrs Adenike Adeyemi affirmed that the rainstorm blew off some of the camp’s roof injuring corps members in the process.
She said the occurrence was beyond the scheme’s control adding that repairs work have since commenced in the camp.
And stories from around the world…
Hundreds of protesters angered by the impending inauguration of Vladimir Putin for a new term as president of Russia demonstrated throughout the country on Saturday but were eventually arrested by the police.
The arrested protesters included protest organizer, Alexei Navalny, the anti-corruption campaigner who is Putin’s most prominent foe.
Police seized Navalny by the arms and legs and carried him from Moscow’s Pushkin Square, where thousands were gathered for an unauthorized protest.
President Putin is to be inaugurated for a fresh six-year term on Monday after winning re-election in March with 77 percent of the vote.
Thousands of people marched through the streets of Paris on Saturday to protest against President Emmanuel Macron ahead of the first anniversary of the French president’s election.
The protests against Emmanuel Macron is part of a series of protests mainly conducted by far-left activists in opposition to Emmanuel Macron’s policies and various comments or policy proposals he has made since he was announced winner of the Presidential election on 7 May 2017. This round of protests also follows riots by groups on the sidelines of the traditional May Day marches by trades unions in Paris earlier in the week.
The French Police had said they were planning to beef up security, with 2,000 officers to be deployed.
Mozambique’s Renamo opposition party on Saturday named former secretary general of the party, Ossufo Momade as its interim leader following the sudden death of veteran chief Afonso Dhlakama, who had headed the party for 39 years.
Renamo fought a 16-year civil war against the ruling Frelimo party until 1992 and then emerged as an opposition party that still retained its armed fighters.
Momade told reporters however that he was committed to Dhlakama’s peace efforts.
According to party spokesman Alfredo Magumisse, Momade “was unanimously elected as coordinator of Renamo’s national political commission,” He is expected to take over until Renamo’s next congress, which is yet to be scheduled.
Meanwhile, Dhlakama, who died at aged 65, will be given an official funeral on Wednesday in Beira.
Stoke City relegated from English Premier League
Stoke City were relegated from the English Premier League after a 2-1 defeat against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
The club with only one game remaining are second bottom and three points from safety. Third-bottom Southampton and fourth-bottom Swansea are billed to play each other midweek, it is impossible for Stoke to garner enough points toremain in the elite division.
The Paul Lambert’s side poor run of 13 games without a victory brings to an end their 10 season stint in the Premier League. The goals were scored by Stoke’s Xherdan Shaqiri through a fantastic left-footed free-kick, Palace midfielder James McArthur however equalised in the 68th minute as well as Patrick van Aanholt in the 86th minute to end the home team’s hope of avoiding the Championship next season.
The Iraqi journalist who grabbed headlines around the world by hurling his shoes at then US president George W. Bush is pitching for a seat in parliament at upcoming elections.
“My ambition is to throw all the thieving politicians in prison, make them regret what they have done and confiscate their wealth,” Muntazer al-Zaidi, 39, told AFP ahead of the May 12 vote in his conflict-scarred homeland.
Zaidi shot to prominence in December 2008 when he leapt up at a farewell press conference Bush was holding in Baghdad and flung his shoes at the US leader.
Temidayo Taiwo-Sidiq is a Journalist, Political Analyst and Satirist with major interest in Nigerian Politics, Governance and Sports.
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