I still hope to be friends with Atiku after we retire him on Saturday —Tinubu (Punch)
A national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, said on Thursday in Lagos that the APC would send the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, into retirement on Saturday for the good of Nigeria. Tinubu said this in a statement by his Media Officer, Mr. Tunde Rahman. “This election is more than a contest between two men, President Muhammadu Buhari and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, for that one exalted chair. Read more
Buhari promises peaceful polls in national broadcast (Guardian)
President Muhammadu Buhari in his broadcast to the nation on Thursday promised a peaceful election while enjoining Nigerians to come out to vote. Buhari, who seeks reelection to office on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, assured Nigerians and the international body of a “secure and peaceful atmosphere” during the polls. He noted that threats of intimidation from any source do not represent the position of the Federal Government of Nigeria. He also pleaded with the youth to eschew violence and destruction. Read more
Warn your children against electoral violence, NSCDC advises parents, guardians (Punch)
Mr. Nnamdi Nwannukwu, the Commandant, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps in Abia State, has advised parents to restrain their children and wards from engaging in acts capable of disrupting the peaceful conduct of the general elections in the state. Nwannukwu gave the advice in a statement issued by the Public Relations Officer of the command, Mr Ndukwe Ugwu, on Thursday in Umuahia. He said, “Parents are by this medium advised to warn their children and wards to desist from acts capable of breaching the public peace during the general elections.” Read more
Sowore lays out three economic action plans at Lagos forum (Guardian)
The candidate of African Action Congress (AAC), Mr. Omoyele Sowore, has laid out his economic blueprint, as campaigns wind down ahead of tomorrow’s presidential and National Assembly elections. It was at a business roundtable two days ago where he met leaders of Lagos business community at Landmark Event Centre, Oniru, Lagos. Tagged ‘The Business Round Table with Sowore: Making Nigeria Economy Consequential,’ other speakers at the interactive forum included Director General, Sowore 2019 Campaign, Dr. Malcolm Fabiyi, and strategist, political, business and brand analyst, Segun Awosanya. Read more
Mozambique makes five arrests in debt scandal (Punch)
Mozambique Thursday detained five people, including businessmen and intelligence officials — the first arrests of suspects linked to a government debt which plunged the country into its worst financial crisis. Among those arrested are Gregorio Leao, ex-director of the intelligence services, and Ines Moiane, a former assistant of ex-president Armando Guebuza, a prosecutor said in Maputo. “There are five persons arrested so far,” the public prosecutor told AFP. Read more
Arsenal beaten by BATE as Lacazette sent off (Guardian)
Arsenal face an uphill battle to progress in the Europa League after a 1-0 defeat by BATE Borisov in the last-32 first leg which saw Alexandre Lacazette sent off on Thursday. Stanislav Dragun put BATE ahead just before the break in Barysaw and Arsenal never threatened an equaliser, with Lacazette’s late dismissal also ruling him out of next week’s return game at the Emirates. Unai Emery’s side have now won just two of their last nine away matches — last weekend’s victory over the Premier League’s bottom club Huddersfield and an FA Cup win against third-tier Blackpool. Read more
French league to join lawsuit against racist Mbappe graffiti (Punch)
The French Football League said on Thursday it would join a lawsuit against the authors of racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic graffiti targeting Paris St Germain striker Kylian Mbappe. The graffiti was discovered in one of the French capital’s metropolitan trains on Tuesday, prompting the International League against Racism and anti-Semitism to file a complaint. The authors of the graffiti have yet to be identified. Read more