Okorocha’s son in-law Nwosu rejects Imo Gov polls result (Punch)
Candidate of Action Alliance in the governorship election held in Imo State on Saturday, Uche Nwosu, has rejected its outcome. Nwosu, who is also Governor Rochas Okorocha’s son in-law, briefed journalists in Owerri, the state capital on Tuesday, arguing that the Independent National Electoral Commission was wrong to have declared Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party the winner of the election. He contended that Ihedioha did not meet up with the constitutional requirements to have emerged the state’s governor-elect. Read more
Atiku’s appeal: CUPP ‘leaks’ names of election petitions panel members (Punch)
Opposition political parties under the aegis of the Coalition of United Political Parties on Tuesday released a list of five Justices of the Court of Appeal who it said have been approved to hear the petition of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, over the February 23 election. It claimed that the list was approved by the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, “with the endorsement of the Buhari APC.” The coalition’s national spokesman, Imo Ugochinyere, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja. Read more
Boko Haram fighters stranded without supplies, MNJTF claims (Punch)
The Multinational Joint Task Force in Chad, says the leadership of the Boko Haram terrorists group is currently overwhelmed and in disarray. Col. Timothy Antigha, the Chief of Military Public Information of the MNJTF, confirmed this in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday. Antigha said the group was overwhelmed after a sustained air and land attacks in the ongoing “Operation `Yancin Tafki’’ in the Lake Chad region. He also said ex-fighters, who were “receiving humane attention divulged that morale and fighting spirit of the group’s fighters is very low.’’ Read more
Don’t celebrate yet, Akpabio warns Akwa Ibom Gov after re-election (Punch)
The All Progressives Congress stalwart and senator representing Akwa Ibom North West senatorial district, Godswill Akpabio, on Tuesday described Governor Udom Emmanuel’s victory in Saturday’s governorship polls as a “purchased victory which must be reclaimed.” The Peoples Democratic Party candidate and re-elected governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel, was, on Sunday, declared the winner of a total 519,712 votes to defeat his APC candidate, Nsima Ekere who came behind with 171,978 votes. Read more
To arrest Fani-Kayode, Odumakin, follow due process, court tells EFCC, DSS, Police (Punch)
The Federal High Court Abuja, on Tuesday, ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission not to arrest Femi Fani-Kayode and Yinka Odumakin without following the appropriate due process of the law. Ruling on a fundamental rights suit filed by the duo, Justice John Tsoho maintained that such arrest by the EFCC, Department of State Services or the Police must be subject to processes being in accordance with provisions of the law. Justice Tsoho also ordered that the EFCC’s public declaration to arrest Fani-Kayode and Odumakin on the basis of spreading false rumours was an infringement on their rights and a breach of their fundamental rights as enshrined in Sections 34(a) 35(1) (4) and (5) of the 1999 Constitution. Read more
Electrician denies killing wife with a pestle (Nation)
A 49-year-old electrician, Ismaila Salau, on Tuesday in an Igbosere High Court denied killing his wife, Silifat Yakubu with a pestle. Salau was arraigned in 2015, on a count charge of murder preferred against him by the Lagos State Government. At the resumed hearing, the witness who was led in evidence by his counsel, Mr A. A Babalola, said that on Oct. 3, 2014, he was held up in traffic after running errands for a friend. The witness told the court that on the fateful day, he left home around 6 a.m and returned back the following day at 4 a.m. because his friend sent him on an errand. Read more
EFCC reopens Erastus Akingbola’s 10-year trial (Punch)
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has reopened before the Federal High Court in Lagos, the 10-year fraud trial of a former Managing Director of the defunct Intercontinental Bank Plc, Dr Erastus Akingbola. The trial, in the charge marked FHC/L/CS/443c/09, reopened on Monday before Justice Mojisola Olatoregun. In the 26 counts filed before the court, the prosecution alleged that while he was MD and Chief Executive Officer of Intercontinental Bank, Akingbola, between November 2007 and July 2008, was involved in reckless approval of credit facilities, without adequate security for a number of firms. Read more
Start preparing for 2023 general elections, REC urges political parties (Punch)
INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner in Oyo State, Mr. Mutiu Agboke, has advised political parties not to relax, but to ‘start preparing for the 2023 general elections in earnest.’ He also added that the era of manipulating the results of elections in favour of any political party is over in the nation’s democracy. Agboke, who stated this on Tuesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Ibadan, said the votes of the electorate would always count in determining who win elections. Read more
Four arrested for electoral offences in Osun, says Police (Punch)
The Osun State police command on Tuesday said it arrested four people during the State Assembly elections held last Saturday. The command said the suspects were arrested for “acting in a manner inimical to the success of the election in some parts of the state.” Speaking to our correspondent in Osogbo, the command’s spokesperson, SP Folasade Odoro, said security measures set up across the state, frustrated those planning to disrupt elections. Read more
DR Congo: Violence may be crime against humanity, UN says (BBC)
A UN investigation says violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo last year may amount to crimes against humanity. It says at least 500 people were killed, including families burnt alive in their homes and a two-year-old who was thrown into a septic tank. Ethnic violence broke out when one community wanted to bury one of their traditional chiefs on another community’s land. The investigation adds that violence could flare up again at any time. Read more
No South African bailout for Zimbabwe after Ramaphosa visit (Guardian)
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa concluded a much-anticipated visit to Zimbabwe on Tuesday, dashing any lingering hopes that his country would bail out its economically-troubled neighbour. Ramaphosa commended the new administration of Emmerson Mnangagwa for its bid to revive the economy and promised to explore a number of options of financial help. But otherwise he made no concrete offer of help, voicing a “commitment to work with Zimbabwe in addressing the socio-economic challenges.” Read more
Rwanda invites Macron to attend 25th anniversary of genocide (Punch)
Rwanda, which has accused France of complicity in the 1994 genocide that killed some 800,000 of its citizens, said Tuesday it had invited President Emmanuel Macron to attend the 25th anniversary of the massacre on April 7. Kigali has long insisted that France supported the Hutu regime and helped train the soldiers and militiamen who carried out the killing of minority ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus. “President Macron has been invited to the 25th commemoration of the 1994 genocide,” Rwanda’s state minister for foreign affairs, Olivier Nduhungirehe, told AFP. Read more
EU adds 10 countries, including UAE, to tax blacklist (Guardian)
The European Union expanded its tax haven blacklist by 10 countries on Tuesday, adding the United Arab Emirates and Bermuda despite the objections of powerful member states such as Italy. The list, now 15 countries long, was first drawn up in 2017 in the wake of several scandals, including the Panama Papers and LuxLeaks, that pushed the EU into doing more to fight tax evasion by multinationals and the rich. Seven countries are to be moved back from a grey list because reform commitments had not been met. These are Aruba, Belize, Bermuda, Fiji, Oman, Vanuatu and Dominica, an EU statement said. Read more
Boeing: UK joins wave of countries grounding the 737 Max (BBC)
The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has banned the Boeing 737 MAX from operating in or over UK airspace “as a precautionary measure”. The decision comes after an Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed on Sunday, killing 157 people on board. It was the second fatal accident involving the 737 Max 8 model in less than five months. Countries including China, France and Germany have also grounded the jets. However, US officials say the aircraft are still safe to fly. In a move that was welcomed by British pilots, the CAA said the directive would remain in place until further notice. Read more
Biden teases 2020 presidential bid in address to firefighters (Guardian)
Former US vice president Joe Biden dropped teasing hints Tuesday that he could soon announce a 2020 White House campaign, telling an enthusiastic crowd that he may need their energy “in a few weeks.” The Democratic elder statesman has been mulling a challenge against President Donald Trump for months. While he tops nearly all early polls for the Democratic nominations race, strategists and election observers have stressed he is under pressure to enter the crowded field soon, or bow out. Read more
Big Bang: K-pop star quits showbiz amid ‘sex bribery’ claims (BBC)
One of South Korea’s most successful boyband stars has announced his retirement from showbiz, a day after he was charged with supplying prostitutes to business investors. Seungri will be leaving the five-piece group Big Bang, who have sold over 140 million records since their 2006 debut and are known as the “Kings of K-pop”. The 28-year-old wrote on Instagram: “I have decided to retire because the controversy has become so big.” Read more
FBI uncovers celebrity exam cheat plot (BBC)
Desperate Housewives star Felicity Huffman is among at least 40 people charged in a US college cheating scam, according to unsealed court records. The alleged scheme involved helping students cheat on entrance exams, as well as getting non-athletic students admitted on fake athletic scholarships. Elite schools Yale, Stanford, and Georgetown were among the destination universities. There was no suggestion that the schools were involved in wrongdoing. According to the charging documents, Ms Huffman was charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. She was secretly recorded discussing the scheme with a co-operating witness. Read more
Louis van Gaal: Former Manchester United, Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss retires at 67 (BBC)
Former Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has retired from football, with England striker Marcus Rashford among those to pay tribute. The Dutchman, 67, handed an 18-year-old Rashford his professional debut for United in February 2016. Van Gaal’s successful managerial career included a Champions League win with Ajax, as well as league titles with Barcelona and Bayern Munich. “I am a pensioner now,” he told Dutch TV show VTBL on Monday. Read more
Bale tough enough to deal with Real Madrid’s fans, says Giggs (Punch)
Ryan Giggs has backed star man Gareth Bale to shine for Wales despite his problems at Real Madrid, where he has been targeted by disgruntled fans. Bale has won four Champions League trophies in Spain but has been consistently relegated to the bench in recent weeks as Real’s season has unravelled. The 29-year-old’s limited integration into Spanish life has also drawn fire and Monday’s return of Zinedine Zidane as manager in place of the sacked Santiago Solari may also make the situation more difficult for Bale. Read more
Pochettino banned for ‘aggression’ (BBC)
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino’s “aggressive” actions were the reason he was given a two-match touchline ban for confronting referee Mike Dean, the Football Association says. He accepted an FA charge of improper conduct for his actions after his side’s defeat at Burnley last month. Pochettino later said he was “in shock” at the “unfair” ban. But the FA said Pochettino’s “repetitive and aggressive” actions merited a “sporting sanction”. Read more
Loew to explain squad in press conference rather than statement (Guardian)
Germany coach Joachim Loew will use a press conference to explain the thinking behind his squad for a friendly against Serbia and the Euro 2020 qualifying opener in the Netherlands. A statement with the squad was originally planned, but following the furore over the permanent axing of Mats Hummels, Jerome Boateng and Thomas Mueller, the situation changed. The German football association on Tuesday said Loew wanted to underline “his fundamental considerations’’ to reporters. Read more