INEC postpones general elections to February 23
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has postponed the general elections to February 23. The commission has announced that the Presidential and National Assembly elections, initially scheduled for Saturday, February 16, will now hold on February 23, while the governorship and state houses of assembly elections will take place on March 9. INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, made this known at a short press briefing at 2:44 am on Saturday morning broadcast live on television. Read more
Two Lagos Assembly aspirants challenge INEC’s failure to enforce APC decision (Nation)
The Federal High Court in Lagos has fixed February 20 and 22 to hear two suits by two All Progressives Congress (APC) members challenging INEC’s failure to enforce the APC’s decision to uphold their candidacies for the March 2 House of Assembly polls. Justice Rilwan Aikawa will on February 20 hear the suit filed by Famakinwa Adedayo Olufemi, representing Ajeromi/Ifelodun Constituency 1. The other suit, filed by Akeem Bello representing Amuwo Odofin Constituency II, will be heard by Justice A. O. Faji on February 22. The first to third defendants in Olufemi’s suit are: INEC, Olumoh Sa’adu Lukman and the APC, while INEC, Wale Rauf and the APC are the first to third defendants in Bello’s suit. Read more
66 people killed in Kaduna (Guardian)
The governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai has confirmed the killings of 66 killing of 66 persons in Kajuru local government area of the State. “Security agencies today reported the recovery of 66 bodies that were killed in attacks by criminal elements on various dispersed hamlets in the Maro Gida and Iri axis of Kajuru LGA. The settlements affected include Ruga Bahago, Ruga Daku, Ruga Ori, Ruga Haruna, Ruga Yukka Abubakar, Ruga Duni Kadiri, Ruga Shewuka and Ruga Shuaibu Yau,” El-Rufai said in a statement on Friday. Read more
Rwanda seizes skin bleaching products worth $46,000 (Punch)
Rwandan authorities have seized skin bleaching products and other illegal products worth $46,000 in a joint operation conducted in different parts of the country, the Rwanda Investigation Bureau said on Friday. Jean Twagirayezu, head of investigations department of the investigation bureau, in Kigali, capital city of Rwanda, said, “The operation seeks to enforce the law against skin bleaching products which are illegal under the ministerial order determining the list of cosmetics prohibited in Rwanda. “Other impounded products include expired foodstuffs,” Twagirayezu told journalists. Read more
Don’t get drawn into pitch battle, Guardiola warns Man City (Punch)
Pep Guardiola has warned his Manchester City stars not to use the dubious state of Newport County’s pitch as an excuse when they face the fourth tier giant-killers in the FA Cup on Saturday. Guardiola is aware that Newport’s Rodney Parade ground has one of the more badly damaged surfaces in the Football League, with two rugby union teams also using it and plenty of rain in South Wales causing further problems. Premier League leaders City are chasing silverware on four fronts this season and a fifth round tie away to the team 82 places below them in League Two should in theory provide a comfortable passage into the FA Cup quarter-finals. Read more
Zola defends Chelsea’s treatment of Hudson-Odoi (Guardian)
The 18-year-old, whose contract expires in 2020, was disillusioned by his treatment since Maurizio Sarri took charge as Chelsea manager in the close-season. Hudson-Odoi has rarely featured under Sarri despite some eye-catching performances in pre-season, but Chelsea blocked his hopes of a move to Bayern by refusing to sell him. Since the transfer window shut on January 13, the English winger has been restricted to just 19 minutes of action and is still awaiting his first Premier League start. Read more
Gerrard in favour of paying to tear up plastic pitches (Guardian)
Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has backed calls from Scottish players’ union to ban plastic pitches from the Scottish Premiership and is even open to his club and rivals Celtic funding the change. A quarter of Premiership games will take place on plastic surfaces this season with Kilmarnock, Hamilton and Livingston all using artificial pitches. In a survey from players at the other nine Premiership clubs with grass pitches, PFA Scotland said on Thursday there had been a 100 percent response against the use of plastic pitches. Read more