Anxiety as Saraki’s group plans to influence 9th Senate leadership (Punch)
There is anxiety in the All Progressives Congress caucus in the Senate over alleged moves by the outgoing President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, to influence the emergence of new leaders of the 9th Senate. It was learnt that Saraki was working on how to remain relevant in national politics having lost his re-election bid for the Kwara Central Senatorial seat. A source told our correspondent on condition of anonymity that Saraki had planned to contest the position of the President of the Senate again if he had not lost the last National Assembly election to the APC’s candidate, Dr Oloriegbe Ibrahim. Read more
PDP wins in Benue, Bauchi, Sokoto, APC takes Kano, Plateau (Guardian)
The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has won Benue, Sokoto and Bauchi States in supplementary elections held Saturday, while Kano and Plateau States went to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Following the March 9, 2019 elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared polls inconclusive in the affected states. The commission yesterday announced Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal winner by a small margin of 342 votes. Read more
Election violence: INEC workers seek transfer from Rivers (Punch)
Some employees of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Rivers State are considering applying for transfer to neighbouring states as a result of election violence that has always characterised every poll in the South-South state. The INEC workers told our correspondent on Saturday that they were always afraid each time elections approached in Rivers, adding that they were tired of the situation. One of them, who simply identified herself as Cordelia, said though no local government was safe during election periods in the state, places like Emohua and some riverine areas were more volatile than the others during election time. Read more
Buhari pledges affordable education for youths as NOUN graduates 20,799 (Guardian)
President Muhammadu Buhari at the weekend said the Federal Government was committed to making education affordable to youths through the open and distance learning (ODL) system. He pledged the continued deployment of resources through direct budgetary funding and Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) interventions for the provision of qualitative education to that important segment of the society. The pledge came as the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) churned out a record 20,799 graduates for the 2018/2019 academic session at its eighth convocation in Abuja. Read more
Police arrest 77 for killing, cult clashes in Ajah (Punch)
The Lagos State Police Command has arrested 77 persons said to have been involved in cult clashes and the killing of a person on Chief Lasisi Baale Close, Oke Ira, in the Ajah area of Lagos. It was learnt that 16 suspects were picked up on Thursday following the clash between the Aiye and Eiye confraternities during which scores were injured. On Friday, the Divisional Police Officer, Lamgbasa Police Station, Adaobi Okafor, was said to have led police personnel to raid the area, which led to the arrest of 59 suspected hoodlums. Read more
MOSOP faults N3 billion expenditure on Ogoni cleanup (Guardian)
The Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) has described the Federal Government’s N3.039 billion expenditure on Ogoni clean up as the “biggest scam, using it to resume oil exploration in the region.” In a statement, the group’s president, Fegalo Nsuke, said his people had lost confidence in the entire process, alleging lack of transparency. Describing the project as “image laundering”, he submitted that the reported spending did not address the needs of the people, who still get drinking water from unsafe sources. Read more
EFCC closes case against Onnoghen at NJC (Punch)
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has rested its case of alleged misconduct against the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, at the National Judicial Council, The PUNCH has learnt. Our correspondent learnt from multiple sources conversant with the proceedings of the five-man investigation panel of the NJC that the EFCC rested its case after calling seven witnesses. The commission was said to have called its first witness on March 12 and rested its case within one week. Read more
Tuberculosis spreading, becoming untreatable in Nigeria, experts warn (Guardian)
Medical experts have warned of the spread of the untreatable variant of tuberculosis (TB) in Nigeria. As part of activities to mark the World Tuberculosis Day (WTD) today, they alerted the citizenry to the rise in cases of Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDRTB) nationwide, even as immediate action was sought on the menace. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the prevalence of the scourge in the country is between 400,000 and 450,000 cases, the highest in Africa and sixth in the world. Read more
Mueller report: President Trump ‘did not conspire with Russia’ (BBC)
President Trump’s campaign did not conspire with Russia during the 2016 election, according to a summary of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report submitted to Congress on Sunday. The report summary did not draw a conclusion as to whether Mr Trump illegally obstructed justice – not exonerating the president. The report was summarised for Congress by the attorney general, William Barr. President Trump tweeted in response: “No Collusion, No Obstruction.” Read more
Christchurch attack: New Zealand’s Ardern orders top-level inquiry (BBC)
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has ordered a top-level inquiry into the Christchurch mosque attacks that left 50 people dead. She said a royal commission would examine whether police and intelligence services could have done more to prevent the 15 March shootings. A royal commission is the highest level of independent inquiry available under New Zealand law. Ms Ardern said it would produce a “comprehensive” report. “It is important that no stone is left unturned to get to how this act of terrorism occurred and how we could have stopped it,” she told reporters in Wellington on Monday. Read more
Thailand election: Pro-military political party takes lead (BBC)
A pro-military political party in Thailand has taken an unexpected lead in the country’s first election since the army took power five years ago. With more than 90% of ballots counted, the Palang Pracha Rath Party has gained 7.6m of the popular vote – half a million more than opposition Pheu Thai. Pheu Thai is linked to former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, whose loyalists have won every election since 2001. The announcement of official results has been postponed until Monday. Read more
Disappointed Nigerian fans warn Rohr to sit up or quit Eagles (Guardian)
It was supposed to show Nigeria’s readiness for the Egypt 2019 African Nations Cup, but Super Eagles’ supporters who thronged the Stephen Keshi Stadium to watch their team against the minnows from Seychelles on Friday, left the arena wondering if they were not expecting too much from the Gernot Rohr-led side. In unison, they said that Nigeria would not make any meaning impact at the continent most important football competition if what they saw on Friday was the best the team’s handlers could offer. Since Nigeria defeated Algeria and Cameroon in the Russia 2018 World Cup qualifying series, the Super Eagles have not done anything worthy of the hype surrounding the pedigree of Africa’s first country to win an Olympic gold medal. Read more
Pharaohs arrive in Asaba for friendly against Eagles (Guardian)
A delegation of seven-time African champions, Egypt arrived in the country yesterday for tomorrow’s prestige friendly with the Super Eagles. Yesterday’s morning, a chartered Air Peace aircraft flew from Nigeria to Niamey, capital of Niger Republic to airlift the delegation to Asaba, capital of Delta State, where they confront the three-time African champions in tomorrow’s encounter. The Pharaohs, who have already qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) that they will host this summer, drew 1-1 with hosts Niger Republic on Saturday in one of the final-day AFCON qualifying matches. Read more
Coach Amuneke makes history as Tanzania qualifies for AFCON (Guardian)
Coach Emmanuel Amuneke yesterday made history for Tanzania after tutoring the country’s senior national team to secure a place in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after 39 years absence from the continent’s top-flight football. Tanzania’s Mbwana Samatta was part of the side that sealed qualification for Egypt 2019 with victory over Uganda after defeating their rivals Uganda 3-0 in Dar es Salaam to qualify for the AFCON finals. The Taifa Stars secured the victory they needed to join already-qualified Uganda from Group L. Read more
Schulz hits last-minute winner for Germany (BBC)
Nico Schulz scored a last-minute winner as Germany gained revenge over the Netherlands with a thrilling Euro 2020 qualifying victory in Amsterdam. The Dutch reached the Nations League finals by scoring twice in the final five minutes in November, relegating Germany to Group B in the process. They hit back from 2-0 behind again through Matthijs de Ligt’s header and Memphis Depay’s drilled finish in the second period. Leroy Sane had confidently slotted in the opener following De Ligt’s slip and Serge Gnabry curled in a superb second for the visitors, before midfielder Schulz stroked in late on. Read more
We expect hostile environment – Southgate (BBC)
Manager Gareth Southgate says England’s young players need to be prepared for a “hostile environment” when they take on Montenegro in their Euro 2020 qualifier in Podgorica on Monday. When England played there in 2013, players were verbally abused and targeted with missiles. “That is the sort of challenge our players have faced many times before,” Southgate said. England beat the Czech Republic 5-0 in their opening Euro qualifier on Friday. Read more
Hazard scores on 100th Belgium appearance (BBC)
Chelsea forward Eden Hazard scored on his 100th appearance for Belgium to help them record a comfortable 2-0 victory over Cyprus and move top of Euro 2020 qualifying Group I. Hazard fired Belgium into the lead within 10 minutes with a curling effort from inside the box. Team-mate Michy Batshuayi then rounded the keeper after he was played in by Thorgan Hazard to make it 2-0. The Crystal Palace striker has scored 13 goals in 25 international matches. Read more