Buhari vs Atiku, 2019: We have no Preferred Candidate- USA

The United States of America (USA) has said that it has no preferred candidate in the forthcoming general elections in Nigeria in 2019.

Mr Phillip Franz, a political officer in the U.S. embassy in Nigeria, said this during a visit to Katsina State Government House on Wednesday in Katsina.

Franz said that the USA was, however, interested in the electoral processes that would ensure credible elections.

“We want to emphasise that the U.S. has no candidate in this election; our candidate is the process; we very much respect the sovereignty of the country,” he said

He therefore assured the support of the USA to Nigeria in conducting free, fair and transparent elections in 2019.

“We will support peaceful electoral process and we stand to provide whatever assistance in order to see free fair, transparent and credible election in Nigeria in 2019,” he said.(NAN)

APC Reconsiders Shahu Sani as a Senatorial Candidate for 2019 Election

The Appeals Committee set up by the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has upheld the decision of the party to returned Senator Shehu Sani as the candidate of the party for the Kaduna Central Senatorial District.

The committee said the primary conducted by the electoral panel set up by the party was done in contempt of a court order, adding that the only aspirant cleared by the party to contest the election was Senator Shehu Sani.

Senator Sani was one of the four aspirants that petitioned the Appeals Panel, with Senator Mohammed Sani Saleh, Hon. Usman Ibrahim and Hon. samsudeen Lawal Giwa being the other three.

Both Saleh, Ibrahim and Giwa questioned the decision to disqualify them and give automatic ticket to one of them and demanded fresh primaries, while the fifth aspirant why was declared winner of the primary by the committee and Political Adviser to the governor, Mallam UBA Sani did not file any petition before the panel.

The panel also dismissed the two petition against the party candidate in Kaduna North Senatorial District, Senator Aliyu Mohammed Lawal and Dr. Abba Ibrahim against Suleiman Abdu Kwari’s candidacy.

It also dismissed all petitions against the conduct of the House of Representatives seat and declared Ahmed Mohammed Munir Lere as the candidate of the party for Lere Federal Constituency, stressing that the candidate that was declared winner was indicted by a court of competent jurisdiction in 2008.

The panel also dismissed the petition by the former Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba against the conduct of the party primary for Jigawa South Senatorial District that his name was removed from the ballot paper, ruling that he actually participated in the primary.

The panel asked the National Working Committee to take an appropriate decision on the petition by Abdullahi Gomel who is a sitting Senator, while the case of Yusuf Shittu Galanbi for Jigawa Central has been overtaken by INEC guideline.

Source: The Nation

Africa Politics: Zimbabwe opposition to rejects election results

Harare, Zimbabwe (CNN)Zimbabwe's pursuit of stability appeared uncertain Friday after the country's main opposition leader said his party would challenge the results of the presidential election, labeling them "fraudulent and illegal."

A day after President Emmerson Mnangagwa was declared the winner of the vote, Nelson Chamisa, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, told a news conference the vote was "anything but a free and fair."

 

The landmark vote -- Zimbabwe's first since the toppling of strongman Robert Mugabe -- was being closely watched, with election observers and foreign investors looking on to see if the country had shed its previous reputation.

 

Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa says his party will challenge the election results.

Chamisa, who at 40 is the country's youngest presidential candidate, said his party was working "around the clock with a legal team" to put together a plan of action following the results, but he did not give any details. 

 

"As far as we are concerned this presidential result is fraudulent, illegal, illegitimate, and characterized by serious credibility gaps and some serious legitimacy issues that we feel must be raised," Chamisa said at the news briefing. 

 

The opposition leader's first attempt to hold a press conference Friday was thwarted after police stormed the Harare hotel where he was scheduled to speak, a development that was highly condemned by the incumbent leader, Mnangagwa.

Read more here...

 

 

 

Rwandan President Reshuffles Cabinet, Names a New Finance Minister

Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame appointed Uzziel Ndagijimana as finance minister in a cabinet reshuffle, his office said.

Kagame swept to a landslide victory in a presidential election last year, securing a third term in office and extending his 17 years in power.

Late on Friday, he promoted state minister of finance Ndagijimana to replace Claver Gatete as finance minister, the office of the presidency said.

Gatete, a previous central bank head credited with overseeing a period of relative monetary stability, was named minister for infrastructure.

The economy has been rebuilt with a focus on technology, mining, tourism and agriculture following the 1994 genocide of 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and politically moderate Hutus.

Growth rates have averaged 5-6 percent over the last decade. This year, the International Monetary Fund expects its economy to expand by 7.2 percent.

In another move, Kagame named Yvonne Manzi Makolo as chief executive of the national carrier RwandAir. The airline sacked its previous head in April last year.




African News 

Dangote Faults Kenya over Corruption

Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote has faulted Kenya’s leadership for their greed and persistent failure to place matters of national interest first when it comes to development.

Speaking to a renowned Kenyan journalist Jeff Koinange, he shelved his plans to build a mega cement factory in Kenya after being put off by top decision makers in the country whom he described as “more corrupt than Nigerians.”

Speaking on his breakfast show in a local FM station, Jeff shared a private conversation he had with Dangote when he attended the billionaire’s daughter’s wedding in Nigeria last month.

“I asked him, ‘Al Hajj when are you coming back to Kenya?’ and he said ‘Jeff, there are people in that place (Kenya) who put greed and personal interest ahead of national interest. I didn’t think Kenya would be more corrupt that Nigeria.‘” Koinange narrated on air.

Dangote, who has been estimated to be Sh1.5 trillion by Forbes, visited Kenya in September 2013 as part of a high-powered delegation of 50 wealthy Nigerian businessmen accompany the country’s then president President Goodluck Jonathan.

The Nigerian tycoon recently pushed the factory’s entry to Kenya to 2021, having earlier planned to build a cement factory in the local market next year.

Dangote is widely known for using lower pricing to gain market share in new markets and its delayed entry will give some reprieve to existing players in a market that is already witnessing stiff competition.




AFRICAN NEWS 

Sierra Leone's New President pledges inclusive gov't

Sierra Leone’s new president, Julius Maada Bio, has appealed to the rival he defeated in an election run-off to drop a legal challenge against the result, and instead work with him in the new government.

Bio was declared winner late on Wednesday with 51.81 percent of votes and was sworn in hours later, but the ruling All People’s Congress (APC) candidate, Samura Kamara, who polled 48.19 percent, said the vote was marred by fraud and he would challenge the result.

“He is a resource. He has the expertise and the experience. And I think we can put those to work in addition to all that we have to make sure that Sierra Leone is a better place.”

The two men have previously worked together during Bio’s brief stint as head of a military junta in 1996.

In an interview, with Reuters, Kamara, who is yet to concede defeat, said he is always ready to serve Sierra Leone.

“Julius Maada Bio and I have worked … together,” he said, adding: “I have a passion to serve Sierra Leone at any time.’‘

Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP)‘s spokesman, Alie Kabba told AFP that the president had a “very warm conversation” with Kamara on the phone on Thursday. He added that they ‘plan to meet soon’.

Presidential win, parliamentary loss

The president is keen to establish a working relationship with APC which secured a parliamentary majority in the recent general elections.

While he won the presidential poll, in a parliamentary election held at the same time, Bio’s SLPP won only 47 of the 132 seats. Kamara’s APC got 67, a slim majority.

He has since appointed a transition team of 10 men and two women whose first task will be to “interface” between the new team and that of the outgoing president, Ernest Bai Koroma.

“The SLPP won the elections and we will form an inclusive government reflecting all aspects of Sierra Leone,” Kabba told AFP, refusing to say whether ministers could come from other political parties.

The vote to replace Ernest Bai Koroma, who could not run again for president due to term limits, was largely peaceful – a relief for a country of 7 million people which suffered a civil war in the 1990s that was fueled by the diamond trade and notorious for its mutilations and drugged-up child soldiers.



African News 

House on Fire! APC Dumps Board of Trustees, Sets up Another Body

The All Progressives Congress has taken the decision to replace its Board of Trustees (BoT) with a new body.

The National caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has approved a 50-member Elders Council to replace the Board of Trustees (BoT), according to a report by The Nation.

 

It was gathered that the approval of the Elders Council was part of the decisions taken at the Caucus meeting of the party held at the Presidential villa on Monday night.

 

It is not yet known how the members of the council will be selected, but they are expected to begin work before the National Convention scheduled for June.

 

The constitution of the Elders Council is part of the amendment contained in the party’s constitution which was expected to be adopted by the National Executive Committee.

 

The decision to have an Elders Council may not be unconnected with the inability of the party to constitute a Board of Trustees

Tori NEWS

Produce Nnamdi Kanu or be thrown to Jail: Court tells Abaribe

Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High court sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday gave Senator Enyinaya Abaribe till June 26, 2018 to provide leader of proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu in court or risk jail terms.

 

The trial Judge adjourned till June 26, 2018 after the court ordered the prosecution to serve the sureties with an earlier order of court demanding them to appear in court and explain the whereabouts of Kanu or show cause why they should not forfeit their bail bond.

 

According to a report by Nigerian Tribune, Abaribe who is representing Abia South Senatorial District, Immanuel El-Shalom a Jewish Chief High Priest and a Chartered Accountant residing in Abuja, Mr Tochukwu Uchendu, had on April 28, entered an undertaken to produce Kanu before the court to face his trial, and deposited a whooping sum of  N100 million each.

 

When the matter was called yesterday, counsel to the sureties observed that the court order had not been served on their clients to enable them prepare for their defence.

 

Counsel to Abaribe, Chukwuma Umeh (SAN), whose submission was adopted by others urged the court to direct that an enrol order be issued and served on his client by the prosecution.

 

This, he submitted, was in the spirit of a fair hearing as enshrined in section 36 of the 1999 constitution.

 

According to him, “I apply that a proper thing be done, that is for a summon to be issued and served on the sureties for them to show cause why their bail bond should not be forfeited.

 

“The prosecution ought to have taken further steps to obtain an enrol order served on them. This is because a court order that is not served cannot be used against them as it is not binding on them until it is served on them “, he said.

 

Both Franklin Chude, who appeared for Tochukwu Uchendu, one of the sureties and Alloy Ejimakor, counsel to Emmanuel El-Shalom, aligned themselves with the submission of Umeh.

 

However, Chude drew the court’s attention to an application he filed seeking the setting aside of the ruling of the court, adding that the prosecution counsel has not filed a counter affidavit to the application.

 

Justice Nyako, however, observed that the said application referred to by Chude was not in the court’s file.

 

Responding, prosecution counsel, Shuaibu Labaran urged the court to discountenance the submissions of the applicants and proceed with the business of the day, which he said was for the sureties to show cause why they should not forfeit their bail bond.

 

In a brief ruling, Justice Nyako ordered that ”The sureties are to be served with an enrol order of the court to show cause why their bail bonds should not be forfeited and or produce the 1st defendant (Kanu) in court or in the alternative go to prison.”

 

It would be recalled that prosecution counsel, following the failure of Kanu to appear in court to face his trial, had in an application asked the court to order that the three sureties produce the first defendant or should be made to appear before the court on the next adjourned date to show cause why their bail bond should not be forfeited.

 

Kanu who is the 1st defendant is facing four out of the five-count amended charge preferred against him and four others, whose trial has since been separated from that of Kanu.

 

It will be recalled that Justice Nyako had in a ruling on April 25, released Kanu on bail after he had spent a year and seven months in detention, though the court okayed his co-defendants to remain in prison custody.

 

Consequently, Abaribe and the two others had on April 28, entered an undertaken to produce Kanu before the court to face his trial, and deposited a whooping sum of  N100m each.

 

However, Kanu’s whereabouts have remained unknown after the military attacked his hometown in Abia State last year, a development that has placed his sureties at risk of being sent to prison or forfeiting their bail bond.

Tori News