INEC clears Buhari, Atiku, Ezekwesili, Okotie, others (Nation)
Rivers State All Progressives Congress (APC) was battling yesterday to assure its members that all will be well after its candidates’ names were omitted from the list of those who will run in the general elections. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) released the final list of candidates for the February 16 National Assembly polls. No candidates were listed for the APC in Rivers. The party has been embroiled in internal crises leading to the disqualification of its candidates, following its failure to conduct acceptable primaries. Read more
Go and collect your PVCs, Ohanaeze tells Igbo (Guardian)
The leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council worldwide yesterday urged registered voters in the southeast to collect their Permanent Voters cards (PVCs).It lamented the huge number of uncollected PVCs across the southeast and other parts of the country where Igbo reside, noting that this will undermine their voting strength. OYC National President, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, after their meetings in Abakaliki, made the call in a statement.OYC urged all the Igbo across the 36 states and Abuja to collect their PVCs to enable them vote for candidates of their choice in the election. Read more
Atiku to speak at US chamber of commerce (Vanguard)
Presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, was expected to arrive in Washington, DC, yesterday, TheCable can report. The former vice-president is reportedly scheduled to speak at the Chamber of Commerce today, from 2:30 pm to 4pm local time, although the event could not be confirmed the event. The private roundtable, to be hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce and the US Africa Business Centre, is reportedly going to hold at 1615 H street, NW 20062. Atiku secretly flew out from Lagos on Wednesday night with most of his aides and associates taken unawares. Read more
El-Rufai urges CJN Onnoghen to resign (Nation)
Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai yesterday joined the push for Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Walter Onnoghen to step down. He knocked his Southsouth counterparts for backing the CJN after admitting the errors in the assets declaration forms he submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB). El-Rufai said it was complimentary for President Buhari to have had no knowledge of the CJN was being investigated by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB). He said that the President’s decision not to interfere with the activities of institutions was a plus for him. Read more
We shall deliver credible polls, INEC assures EU (Guardian)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured the international community, especially the European Union (EU), that it would deliver free, fair, and credible process in next month’s general election. INEC chairman, Professor Mahmud Yakubu, who made the vow in Abuja, Wednesday, maintained that his commission would not disappoint the international community and Nigeria. Stressing that INEC would conduct free and fair elections that would further deepen the nation’s democracy, the INEC boss acknowledged the contribution of the international community, particularly the EU to the planning and implementation of the processes for smooth and credible elections in the country. Read more
APC disciplinary c’ttee recommends Okorocha’s sack (Vanguard)
The Imo State All Progressives Congress, APC, 9-man Disciplinary Committee, yesterday recommended that Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, should be expelled from APC for engaging in anti-party activities. The letter from the disciplinary committee was made available to Vanguard in Owerri and was signed by the committee chairman, Matthew Omeghara and Secretary, Mr Kevin Ugwu. According to the committee, Imo state governor could not appear before the committee and did not put in writing any reasons for his absence. Read more
36,000 retired civil servants in Kaduna vow to work against El-Rufai (Guardian)
About 36,000 retired civil servants in Kaduna State have vowed to work against Governor Nasir El-Rufai in the upcoming poll.The workers, from across 23 local government areas, urged the people to reject El-Rufai, in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s counsel that governors who failed to pay salaries and entitlements be voted out.Secretary of the retirees, Umar Jafar, who addressed a rally at the premises of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), condemned their sack by the governor in 2017. He said: “We have decided to notify the general public of the evil that the present government has meted on us, and to mobilise them against the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Governor El-Rufai.” Read more
Suspected kidnapper nabbed for threatening victim in Katsina (Punch)
The police in Katsina State have arrested a suspected kidnapper, who reportedly had collected N80,000 from the N1m ransom he demanded from his victim. The alleged kidnapper, Musa Aminu, 32, of Yar-malamai village in the Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State, reportedly told his victim to pay the full ransom or risk being abducted again. Aminu was alleged to have conspired with one Ado Maiunguwa, alias Nagogo, who is now at large, to commit the act. The spokesperson for the Katsina State Police Command, SP Gambo Isah, confirmed the development to Northern City News on Thursday. Read more
Nigeria, Brazil seal $1.1b agriculture project deal (Nation)
The Federal Government is shopping for $1.1 billion to implement the Nigeria-Brazil Cooperation Project Agriculture “Green Imperative,” Finance Minister Hajia Zainab Ahmed, said yesterday. She said at the inauguration of the project at the Old Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja. She said the chunk of facility will be provided by the Brazilian government. According to her, the launch of the project was part of moves by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to reposition and diversify the economy in a sustainable way. The loan, the minister said, will be provided in kind through the supply of agricultural machineries and implements in form of Completely Knocked Down (CKD) parts. Read more
Ochanya’s family seeks IG’s help to arrest suspect (Punch)
The family of the late Miss Ochanya Ogbanje, the 13-year-old girl who was allegedly raped to death in Benue State last year, has urged the acting Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to help bring the culprits to book. Ochanya died in October 2018 due to complications from the alleged sexual assaults she suffered in the hands of her guardian, Mr Andrew Ogbuja, a lecturer at the Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo, and his son, Victor Ogbuja, a final year student at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi. The elder brother of the deceased, Mr John Ameh, made the appeal on behalf of the family during the second annual awards and lecture of the Daily Asset Newspaper in Abuja. Read more
DR Congo urged to delay election results (BBC)
The African Union (AU) has called on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) to postpone the announcement of its presidential election results. The pan-African organisation, which aims to promote unity and democracy, says it has “serious doubts” about provisional results released last week. Those figures gave opposition candidate Felix Tshisekedi victory but an opponent of the current administration, Martin Fayulu, insists he won. The final results are due on Friday. Read more
Trump cancels Nancy Pelosi foreign trip citing shutdown (BBC)
US President Donald Trump has postponed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s upcoming trip to Brussels and Afghanistan, asking her to stay to negotiate an end to the partial US government shutdown. The president was able to halt the trip by denying the use of military aircraft to Mrs Pelosi and a delegation. On Wednesday Mrs Pelosi had urged Mr Trump to postpone his State of the Union address, amid political deadlock. Mr Trump’s move came on the 27th day of the US’s longest-ever federal shutdown. The Republican president wants $5.7bn (£4.4bn) of congressional funding to build a wall on the US-Mexico border, but Democrats have refused. Read more
Super Falcons lose 0-3 to China, now to meet Romania (Guardian)
Nigeria’s women national team, Super Falcons were afforded a clear view of how intense things could get at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in France this summer when losing 0-3 to China in their first match of a Four–Nation Tournament ongoing in Miezhou. China’s Steel Roses were in front after only 10 minutes and then rocked Nigeria’s net in the 65th and 92nd minutes to condemn the nine–time African champions to defeat at the Huitang Stadium. Goalkeeper Tochukwu Oluehi, carrying on from where she left off at the Women Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana, made a number of commendable saves, but the onslaughts were relentless from a Chinese squad that played about 10 friendly games in Australia last month. Read more
FIFA discussing 48-team Qatar World Cup, confirms Infantino (Vanguard)
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that world football’s governing body is discussing the feasibility of expanding the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to 48 teams. The World Cup finals have been played with a 32-side format since 1998, and the addition of 16 extra countries has long been planned for the 2026 edition. But Infantino has hinted in recent months that the expansion could be brought forward, and confirmed on Thursday that it may go ahead in Qatar, although admitted that some matches may need to be staged in neighbouring countries. Read more
Barca fight back to reach quarter-finals (BBC)
Barcelona overturned a 2-1 first-leg deficit to beat Levante 4-2 and reach the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey. Two fortuitous Ousmane Dembele goals in the first half put Barca – cup winners in the past four seasons – ahead on aggregate at the Nou Camp. Lionel Messi tucked in a third, his seventh goal in five games. However, Barca could be thrown out of the competition amid claims that they fielded an ineligible player in the first leg. Levante have said they will lodge a complaint to the Spanish federation because Barca defender Juan Brandariz should have been serving a suspension after receiving a yellow card while playing for Barcelona’s B team in the Segunda B division. Read more
I am too young to retire, says Mourinho (Guardian)
Jose Mourinho says he is “too young” to consider retirement as he spoke for the first time since he was sacked by Manchester United.Mourinho, who was appearing as a pundit for Qatar-based broadcaster beIN Sports on its coverage of the Asian Cup, says he still belongs at the top level. The 55-year-old had not spoken to the media since his dismissal in December.“I want to coach. I belong to top-level football and [that] is where I am going to be,” Mourinho said.“I am too young, I am in football for a long, long time but I will be 56 in a couple of weeks and am really too young.” Read more
Robertson signs new long-term Liverpool deal (Vanguard)
Scotland captain Andy Robertson became the latest Liverpool player to sign a new long-term contract on Thursday, with the left-back agreeing a deal until 2024. Signed from Hull City in July 2017, Robertson has become a fundamental part of the Liverpool side that reached last season’s Champions League final and currently sits four points clear at the top of the Premier League. “As soon as the club came to me, it was a no-brainer for me –- I want to stay here, so as soon as they put an offer on the table it was signed as quickly as that,” Robertson told Liverpoolfc.com. “It was a pretty easy contract for me and I’m sure for the club as well. We both agreed very quickly.” Read more
19-year-old dies as fire razes journalist’s Abuja apartment (Punch)
A journalist with The Guardian, Oludare Richards, has lost all his possessions in a fire outbreak at his apartment in the Mpape community, Abuja. The fire, which occurred in the early hours of Saturday, also claimed the life of a 19-year-old boy and destroyed properties in two apartments and a pharmaceutical shop. The journalist and members of his family were not at home when the fire broke out, Northern City News learnt. Richards’ apartment and the one occupied by the landlady were completely gutted by the inferno. Read more
Housewife cuts maid with razor blade for stealing baby’s milk (Punch)
A nursing mother, Folake Ogunrinu, has been arrested by operatives of the Oyo State Police Command for allegedly lacerating her 10-year-old maid with a razor blade in the Sanyo area of Ibadan. PUNCH Metro gathered that the suspect, who had accused the victim of stealing her baby’s milk, in a bid to discipline her, subjected the girl to torture by allegedly using a razor blade to lacerate her on the back and hand, leaving the girl with severe injuries. An eyewitness, who pleaded anonymity, while condemning the action of the nursing mother, said the maid ran out of the house to get help from neighbours when she could no longer withstand the pain from the torture. Read more
Court suspends judgment as rape victim, uncle, two others die (Punch)
Tragedy struck on the Benin-Auchi Expressway in Edo State on Wednesday after a 17-year-old pregnant rape victim, her uncle, an advocacy officer identified as Promise Ezekiel, and their driver, Paul Opashe, were killed in a road crash. PUNCH Metro learnt that the victims were travelling in a car to the Evbuoraria Magistrates’ Court, Benin, where judgment was to be delivered in a case involving the teenager’s father when a truck rammed into their vehicle. The fifth occupant of the car was said to be in a critical condition in the hospital. Read more