Ballot boxes set ablaze in Lagos (Punch)
Some ballot boxes at Polling Unit 18 located at junction of Ohafia/Ago Palace Way, Okota in Oshodi/Isolo LGA of Lagos State have been set on fire. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent who witnessed the incident reports that Polling Unit 23 located on Baba-Ewe Street/Ago Place Way was also affected by the fire. INEC ad-hoc staff at the polling units, as well as voters who came out to cast their votes, ran away from the polling centres for safety. Read more
Buhari will accept polls outcome, says Osinbajo (Nation)
The Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari will accept the outcome a free and fair presidential election. He said this after casting his vote at polling unit 033 in Victoria Garden City (VGC), his country home in Lagos. “This administration will do everything it said. We are going to accept the outcome of a free, fair and credible poll. That is democracy. Let the voting process be peaceful. Cast your vote and encourage others to do the same. Let it remain as peaceful as it can. If the election is free and fair and everybody says it is free and fair, then we must accept the result,” he said. Read more
Yobe governor shelves voting in hometown after Boko Haram attack (Guardian)
Yobe governor Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam could not travel to Bukarti, his country home, in Yunusari Local Government Area of the state to vote, due to an early morning attack on Geidam by Boko Haram insurgents. Abdullahi Bego, Director General, Media affairs to the governor, confirmed the development in a statement released to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Damaturu. Bego, saying that the situation was under control and voting was going on, stated that the governor could not partake in the exercise. Read more
Thugs storm Imo polling units, snatch ballot boxes (Punch)
Thugs dressed in military uniform on Saturday stormed Ilile Primary School, Umuonu polling booth 13 and Nkahara polling booth 7 all in the Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area and made away with the electoral materials. A voter in one of the affected booths said that the hoodlums on arrival shot indiscriminately into the air before carting away the ballot boxes. The voter who pleaded anonymity said that the development made the electorate to leave the voting points. According to him, the snatching of the ballot boxes brought the voting process to an abrupt end. Read more
El-Rufai votes after four hours on queue (Guardian)
Gov. Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna said he felt relieved after queuing for over four hours before casting his vote. El-Rufai said this in an interview with newsmen shortly after voting on Saturday in Kaduna at Polling Unit 24, Anguwan Sarki, Runfa Ward “When I arrived at the polling unit, the card reader was malfunctioning, so until after two hours before it was fixed and voting commenced.” The governor expressed gratitude to the people of the state for their patience and coming out in large numbers to cast their vote at the rescheduled date. Read more
#NigeriaDecides2019: We’ll disclose our observation on Tuesday —EU chief observer (Punch)
The European Union’s Chief Observer for the Elections Observation Mission Nigeria 2019, Maria Arena, said on Saturday that her mission would give its “impression” about the ongoing exercise in its preliminary report to be released on Tuesday, February 26. Arena spoke to journalists at about 10.55am on Saturday on the premises of Post Office in Area 10, Abuja, venue of Polling Unit 018, where there is a massive turnout of voters. There were 3,266 registered voters in the unit with six voting points. Read more
Woman faints on voting queue in Kwali (Guardian)
An average aged woman voter (name withheld) at Bonugo Primary School Polling Unit 004 in Kwali Area Council of Federal Capital Territory has fainted while on queue to cast her vote in Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the woman was rushed to a hospital in Kwali for medical attention. Some of the electorate who are familiar with her said the woman has been sick for quite some time. Read more
Sirleaf leads ECOWAS election observers in Abuja (Punch)
The Head of ECOWAS Election Observer Mission to Nigeria, Madam Ellen Jonhson Sirleaf, is leading a delegation of election monitors to some polling centres in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Sirleaf led her team to the Durumi II Primary School polling centre with eight voting points to monitor the conduct of Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections in the country. Sirleaf, who arrived the polling centre at about 8.55 a.m waited patiently until the first female voter, Mrs Comfort Akale, cast the first ballot of the polling unit at about 9.50 a.m. Read more
Cardinal admits Church’s files on paedophile priests ‘destroyed’ (Punch)
A top Catholic cardinal admitted Saturday that Church files on priests who sexually abused children were destroyed or never even drawn up, a move which allowed paedophiles to prey on others. “Files that could have documented the terrible deeds and named those responsible were destroyed, or not even created,” German Cardinal Reinhard Marx told a landmark Vatican summit on tackling paedophilia in the clergy. “Instead of the perpetrators, the victims were regulated and silence imposed on them. Read more
Assam toxic alcohol deaths: 99 people die in north-eastern Indian state (BBC)
At least 99 people have died and more than 100 are being treated in hospital after drinking toxic bootleg alcohol in north-eastern India, officials say. Several women are among the victims, who all worked on tea plantations in Assam state. The deaths come days after tainted spirits killed about 100 people in the northern states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. An inquiry has been ordered into the tragedy. The first victims died on Thursday, the administrator of the Golaghat district in Assam, Dhiren Hazarika, is quoted as saying by Agence France-Presse (AFP). Read more
Samir Flores Soberanes: Thousands march in Mexico City over activist’s murder (BBC)
Thousands of protesters have marched in Mexico City following the murder of an environmental activist. Samir Flores Soberanes, who was also a journalist, was shot twice in the head in his home in Amilcingo, south of Mexico City, on Wednesday. The protesters held signs saying “Samir didn’t die, the government killed him”; “Samir lives”; and “Justice for Samir”. As the march made its way through Mexico City, thousands gathered in Amilcingo to lay Flores to rest. The reasons for the killing are not yet clear but a prosecutor has indicated it was linked to organised crime. Read more
Flying Eagles to know World Cup opponents tomorrow (Guardian)
Nigeria’s U20 squad will know their group phase opponents at this summer’s FIFA U20 World Cup finals in Poland after the draw ceremony to be held inside the Gdynia Sports Arena tomorrow. Already, the seven –time African champions have been slotted into Pot 2 of the draw, alongside African champions Mali, as well as New Zealand, Colombia, Korea Republic and Italy. There will be six groups of four teams each at the 24 –nation championship, with the top two teams at the end of the group phase, as well as the best four third –placed teams, advancing to the Round of 16. Read more
Maurizio Sarri starts Carabao Cup final mind games: ‘Pep Guardiola’s lucky at Man City’ (Metro)
Maurizio Sarri believes Pep Guardiola is “lucky” for being given enough time to embed his philosophy at Manchester City. The reigning Premier League champions finished fourth in Guardiola’s first season in charge of the club in 2016, before going on to succeed further down the line under the Spaniard more recently. He secured 28 wins from his first 43 games in charge of the side, which is the same feat which Sarri has now achieved at Chelsea. Read more
Man’s dying wish is to find his dog a new home (Metro)
John knows he won’t be around forever, so he’s making sure he’s got everything sorted for what happens when he dies. Top of the list is finding a loving home for his dog, Pawpaw. John met Pawpaw back in 2017 at Muttville Senior Dog Rescue in California, when Pawpaw was 11 years old. It was love at first sight. Pawpaw provides John with companionship, fun, and support – all of which are vital considering John has ALS, a neurodegenerative disease that can cause daily pain. Read more
Piers Morgan slams the Beckhams as ‘rank hypocrites’ for ‘pimping up their kids’ (Metro)
Piers Morgan might have made amends with Ariana Grande after the pair publicly went to war with each other on Twitter. But it seems as though the 53-year-old couldn’t keep on the down low for all that long, as he’s just gone and claimed the Beckhams as his next celebrity victims. While chatting to the Daily Mail’s Weekend Magazine, the Good Morning Britain presenter slammed both David and Victoria for the way they are ‘pimping up their kids.’ During a discussion about his upcoming Oscars coverage on GMB, the star spat out a number of A-listers he ‘truly hates’ and well Posh and Becks fell right at the top of his list. Read more