Atiku files for access to all INEC materials used in presidential election (Guardian)
The People’s Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has filed for access to all INEC materials used to conduct the presidential election before the tribunal. Atiku and PDP filed the ex-Parte application before the Presidential election petition tribunal seated at the Court of Appeal in Abuja. The motion filed by the PDP candidate and the party seeks to get permission to the database of the smartcard readers and all the election materials for audit. The PDP presidential candidate in the February 23 election, lost to the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Read more
Do your job, ignore Atiku’s claim over son-in-law, BMO tells EFCC (Punch)
The Buhari Media Organisation has accused the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the May 23 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar, of lying over the arrest of his son-in-law, Abdullahi Babalele, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The group claimed Babalele, who is also the Group Finance Director of Atiku’s companies, is under probe by the anti-graft agency over an alleged laundering of about €150m (N63bn). The BMO in a statement signed by its Chairman, Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary, Cassidy Madueke, said the claim by the opposition that he was arrested to make Atiku concede defeat was yet another proof of the many lies from the camp of the former Vice President before and after the Presidential elections. Read more
Amosun reinstates Ogun NLC Chairman (Punch)
The Ogun State government has reinstated the state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Akeem Ambali, 28 months after he was fired. The National President of the Union, Ayuba Wabba, disclosed this to newsmen after a meeting between the state government and national leaders of the NLC at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, on Tuesday. The NLC President said all issues raised by the NLC regarding workers’ welfare had been resolved. He also said that the issues on the plight of staff of the Tai Solarin College of Education, Omu-Ijebu, had also been resolved. Read more
We regret going to Libya, say returnees (Guardian)
As about 2000 young Nigerian returnees are currently being taught self-employment skills nationally, some beneficiaries in Ijebu-Ode on Tuesday regretted their decision to travel to Libya. The National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCRMI) had last Monday flagged-off a Five-day skills acquisition training programme for returnees from across the six geo-political zones of the federation. Some of the returnees told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of the training programme in phone repairs and soap production that they regretted travelling to Libya. Read more
32 political parties, 20 gov candidates join forces with PDP against Bauchi gov (Punch)
Thirty-two political parties and 20 governorship candidates have formed a coalition with the Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate in Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed, as part of their renewed effort to unseat incumbent Governor Muhammed Abdullahi Abubakar in the governorship elections of Saturday, March 9. This is the third time political parties and stakeholders will be making the attempt. The parties, according to the leader of the coalition, Bello Kirfi, announced their position to support PDP candidate on Tuesday at the end of their meeting at River Edge Hotel in Bauchi. Kirfi named the parties in the coalition to include United Progressive Party, Green Party of Nigeria, Change advocacy Party, All Peoples Movement, All Blending Party, People’s Democratic Party, Action Joint Alliance, Advance Peoples democratic Alliance, Grassroots Development Party of Nigeria and Accord Party. Read more
Resignation: My tenure expires in June, says Emefiele (Punch)
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Godwin Emefiele, on Tuesday dismissed claims in some quarters that he had been asked to proceed on terminal leave. There had been speculations on that President Muhammadu Buhari had asked the apex bank boss to proceed on terminal leave. The leave according to some online media was to last for three months which would ultimately lead to his exit from the apex bank. Emefiele has been Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria since June 3, 2014. His appointment is for a period of five years which is renewable if the president so wish. Read more
Only certified vehicles legitimate to move election materials – FRSC (Guardian)
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says that only certified vehicles by it and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will be allowed to move election material during the governorship election. Mr Hyginus Omeje, the FRSC Lagos State Sector Commander made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Tuesday. Omeje said that INEC had had Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with National Union of Road Transport Workers on the legitimate movement of the election materials to the various polling unit. Read more
Plateau pastor, secretary kidnapped during vigil (Punch)
Unidentified gunmen have kidnapped a pastor with the ERCC church in Quaapan Local Government Area of Plateau State, identified as Rev. Thomas Ashaku. It was gathered on Tuesday that the pastor and the church Secretary, Mr. Ezekiel Agwadu were kidnapped during a vigil organised by the church located at Namu community of the Council Area. The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr Tyopev Teena, did not pick his phone calls when contacted over the matter but the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Quaapan Council Area, Rev Isaac Tali, confirmed the kidnap of the two clerics to our correspondent in Jos on Tuesday. Read more
Hillary Clinton rules out 2020 presidential run (BBC)
Hillary Clinton has ruled out a second US presidential run in 2020. “I’m not running, but I’m going to keep on working and speaking and standing up for what I believe,” Mrs Clinton told New York’s News 12 TV channel. As the Democratic candidate in 2016, Mrs Clinton was widely expected to become the first female US president, before a shock defeat by Mr Trump. Asked by News 12 if she would run again for any public office in future, she said: “I don’t think so.” The interview is the first time Mrs Clinton has definitively rebutted speculation that she might take on Mr Trump again in 2020. Read more
UK negotiators seek to get Brexit ‘over the line’ in new EU talks (Guardian)
Britain’s Brexit negotiators headed back to Brussels on Tuesday vowing to “get a deal over the line” as they seek EU support to break the stalemate in London before this month’s divorce deadline. The sitdown comes after EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said on Saturday that the European Union was ready to give further guarantees to help push a troubled divorce deal through the British parliament. He also suggested European leaders would be amenable to a short “technical” delay in Britain’s departure from the bloc scheduled for March 29, to give parliament time to formally ratify a final divorce deal. Read more
Mexico apology after police handed youths over to gang (BBC)
Mexican officials have issued a rare apology to the families of five youths who were killed in 2016 in the eastern state of Veracruz. Corrupt local police officers colluding with the notorious Jalisco New Generation drug cartel (CJNG) seized the five in the mistaken belief they were members of a rival gang. They handed them over to the CJNG which killed them and burned their bodies. More than 5,000 people have disappeared in Veracruz over the past decade. Read more
Air India demands crew ‘hail motherland’ (BBC)
India’s national airline has told its crew to end every in-flight announcement with the patriotic phrase, “Jai Hind” (Hail the motherland) – and this has tickled social media users. Air India’s company advisory instructs crew to say the phrase after a “slight pause and with much fervour”. This quickly inspired tweets of imaginary in-flight announcements that end with “Jai Hind”. But many wondered if patriotism was the right focus for the struggling airline. Read more
Mystery as Quadriga crypto-cash goes missing (BBC)
Efforts to recover millions in crypto-cash from the digital wallets of a man who died without revealing passwords to access them have hit a snag. The wallets have been found to be empty. The discovery was made by a firm appointed to oversee QuadrigaCX after the death of founder Gerald Cotten. It expected to find the wallets full of C$180m ($137m; £105m) in crypto-cash deposited by the coin exchange’s customers. Mr Cotten, who died in India in December, had sole responsibility for handling the funds and coins passing through the site. Read more
Czech man mauled to death by lion he kept in back yard (BBC)
A man has been mauled to death by a lion caged at his family home in the eastern Czech Republic. Michal Prasek owned the nine-year-old big cat and another lioness for breeding, reportedly drawing concern from local residents. Mr Prasek’s father found his body in the lion’s cage and told local media it had been locked from the inside. The animals – living in separate pens – were shot dead by police called to the scene. A police spokesperson told local media that the shootings were “absolutely necessary for them to get to the man”. Read more
Kylie Jenner becomes youngest self-made billionaire ever (Metro)
Kylie Jenner is going through a rough patch in her personal life, after accusing her beau Travis Scott of cheating. However, that hasn’t stopped her from smashing it in the business world. Forbes has just announced that the 21-year-old has officially become the youngest ever self-made billionaire – and we can’t help but feel proud. After watching the star grow up on Keeping Up With The Kardashians, it’s clear to see she has come one heck of a way since squabbling with her big sis Kendall. But, when setting her mind to it, the mother-of-one managed to launch her own beauty line Kylie Cosmetics, to which the publication values at around $900million (£686million). Read more
Kidnappers free Super Eagles Samuel Kalu’s mother (Punch)
Kidnappers have released the mother of Bordeaux and Nigeria winger Samuel Kalu after holding her for nearly a week, the police have said on Tuesday. Ozuruonye Juliet Kalu was seized from her car on February 27 as she travelled to her home in Abia state. Reports said the kidnappers demanded some three million Naira ($40,000, 35,000 euros) for her release. But it was not known whether the money was paid, Abia state police spokesman Godfrey Ogbona told AFP. Read more
Friendly match: Pharaohs to arrive in Nigeria on March 24 (Punch)
The senior national team of Egypt will arrive in Nigeria on March 24 for the March 26 international friendly with the Super Eagles. Officials of both the Nigeria Football Federation and the Egyptian Football Association have confirmed that the team would arrive aboard a chartered flight. It will head to the Asaba Airport direct from Niamey in Niger Republic. The Pharaohs are due to take on Niger Republic a day earlier (March 23) on the final day of the qualifying campaign for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. Read more
VAR likely for Women’s 2019 World Cup says FIFA (Guardian)
The FIFA Referees Committee has recommended the use of video refereeing technology (VAR) for the 2019 Women’s World Cup, the sport’s governing body said on Monday. A decision on VAR being used at the event staged in France between June and July this year would be made at their next meeting it said. “We are confident about proposing the use of VAR in France to the FIFA Council, as we are very positive about its implementation,” commented FIFA deputy secretary general Zvonimir Boban. Read more
Jerome Boateng speaks out after Joachim Low ends his Germany career (Metro)
Jerome Boateng has expressed his pride in being able to represent Germany down the years after Joachim Low called time on his international career. On Tuesday, World Cup-winning trio Boateng, 30, Thomas Muller, 29, and Mats Hummels, 30, were all informed that they were no longer part of Germany’s plans, with Low looking to clear the path for the younger generation. Germany have won just two of their last six matches and were relegated into the second tier of the Nations League following a 2-1 defeat away to France back in October. Read more
FIFA approves Rice switch from Ireland to England (Guardian)
West Ham midfielder Declan Rice is free to play for England after world governing body FIFA confirmed his switch from Ireland. The highly rated 20-year-old, who was born in London but qualified for Ireland via his paternal grandparents, considers himself “to be of mixed nationality” and played three times for Ireland. But because they were friendlies it left the door open for him to change allegiance and last month he announced his intention to do so, a move that has now been ratified by FIFA. Read more
‘I don’t have an expiry date’, says Alves as he eyes 2022 World Cup (Punch)
Injury deprived him of what looked like a last chance at World Cup glory last year, but Dani Alves is now spurred on by the dream of lifting the trophy with Brazil in Qatar in 2022. “I don’t have an expiry date. My body is my answer — when I see that I can no longer compete, when my head is not in it anymore, it will be the time to stop,” Alves said in an exclusive interview with AFP. “What I do know is that I am going to try to get to the World Cup in 2022. My objective is to fight to get there — I don’t hold the key, but I will try.” Read more
Bayern extend Gnabry’s contract as part of squad overhaul (Guardian)
Germany winger Serge Gnabry has extended his Bayern Munich contract until 2023, adding three more years to his deal, as the defending Bundesliga champions continue to rejuvenate their squad. The 23-year-old is being groomed to replace Bayern’s ageing wingers Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery, who are both 35 and out of contract at the end of the season. Gnabry, Canadian wunderkind Alphonso Davies, 18, and Frenchman Kingsley Coman, 22, are the next generation of Bayern wingers. Read more