The Late 5: Kenyatta didn’t debate but won, Buhari may not debate – Keyamo; PDP wants NASS to probe killing of 100 soldiers | Other top stories

These are the stories that drove the conversation today:

President Muhammadu Buhari has disagreed with the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as he has said that anyone displeased with the method or anything that has been done and feels deprived of his/her rights, is at liberty to approach the courts for redress.

“We can’t deliberately deny people of their rights. We agreed that party primaries should be conducted either through direct, indirect or consensus methods, and if anyone feels unjustly treated in the process, such a person can go to court. The court should always be the last resort for the dissatisfied. For the party to outlaw the court process is not acceptable to me,” the president said.


The Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation, has said it was yet to decide if the President would participate in forthcoming debates ahead of the February 16 elections, referencing that President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya did not debate, yet he won the presidential elections in that country.

Spokesman of the organisation, Festus Keyamo, who spoke on the development on Arise TV on Monday, said the president’s participation must be a collective decision of the entire ‘war room’ including the President himself, stressing that Buhari has taken active part in a televised debate in the past, so the issue of being camera shy cannot be brought forward by anyone.

“At times, some things are designed and you know that they are core people there, who are hostile to government or who are hostile to your candidate as the case may be. Either way, Uhuru Kenyatta did not take part in the debate, but he won. He won resoundingly. So, as important as that is, at times the people may also understand,” he added.


The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the National Assembly to commence investigation into alleged compromises leading to the killing of over 100 Nigerian soldiers by Boko Haram terrorists, stressing that the insensitivity of the Buhari Presidency to the killing as well as alleged moves by the authorities to sweep the matter under the carpet has created despondency among the citizens.

According to a statement on Monday by the PDP spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the probe has become expedient going by a disturbing video circulating in the public domain, showing soldiers, weeks before the attack, giving accounts of their neglect by the authorities, resulting in their vulnerability to insurgents,.

The PDP also accused the Presidency of condoning extra-judicial killing in the country and demanded an immediate forensic inquiry into the reported killing of a principal witness in the Offa robbery incident, Michael Adikwu, in the custody of the Kwara State police command, as it called for a public investigation into the circumstances surrounding the killing.


Ekiti Governor, Kayode Fayemi on Monday clarified his stance on the fate of the immediate past governor of the state, Ayodele Fayose, as he said there was never a time he said he would probe him.

Speaking with State House correspondents after a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, he explained that looking into books to know the status of things as at the time of assuming office is the duty of any new governor, maintaining that he only talked about a visitation panel into the education sector in the state, not probe.

“It is just accountability not probe. I am not EFCC. I am not ICPC, there are institutions that are charged with the responsibility to do that and its entirely up to them if they want to probe the governor or not. “It is not my business, I leave Fayose to God, I have said that before,’’ he said.


The crisis rocking the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo, took a dramatic turn on Monday, after hundreds of its members formed the New-PDP with Fabian Ihekweme as the state Chairman.

At the announcement of the faction in Owerri, the N-PDP said what is being tagged as the gubernatorial primary election of PDP in the state is a ruse and an imposition that is totally unacceptable to the generality among the silent majority of party members, while giving the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) up till 29th of November 2018 to resolve all the issues or face mass defection of members of the PDP to opponent camp.

“It is the intention of N-PDP in the foregoing, to put the NWC of PDP on notice to immediately commence urgent actions to redress the very issues that brought about the crisis in the party on or before the 29th of November 2018 or be prepared to manage the consequences of a pandemic drift of over 200,000 members.” he added.


And stories from around the world:

Ukraine demanded the release of its sailors and more sanctions against Moscow on Monday after the Russian navy fired on and seized three Ukrainian ships off the coast of Crimea. (AFP)

Similarly, the United States has warned Russia that its seizure of Ukrainian ships in the Sea of Azov was an “outrageous violation” of Ukraine’s sovereign territory, as the Ukrainian President announces plans to impose martial law for 30 days.


British Prime Minister, Theresa May has defended her proposed Brexit deal in the Commons in the face of sustained criticism from the opposition and many Conservative MPs.

She said the deal delivered on the result of the EU referendum – and MPs will get to vote on it on 11 December. (BBC)


Turkish police searched a remote villa in a coastal area southeast of Istanbul on Monday as part of the investigation into the killing last month of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, officials said. (Reuters)


The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday, freed 31 year old British scholar Matthew Hedges, who was sentenced to life in prison last week for spying after he received a presidential pardon, Emirati officials said. (Al Jazeera)


French President Emmanuel Macron, caught off guard by violent demonstrations against diesel tax hikes, warned his cabinet on Monday that the protests could tarnish France’s image and said the government needed to listen to voter anger. (Reuters)

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