OPC warns IPOB against attack on Yoruba territory (Punch)
The Oodua People’s Congress has warned the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra against attacking any Yoruba territory based on the alleged attack on Igbo in Lagos State after the presidential and National Assembly polls. The President of OPC, Rasaq Arogundade, gave the warning in a statement made available to SUNDAY PUNCH in Lagos. Arogundade’s statement was in reaction to an earlier statement by the Publicity Secretary of the IPOB, Emma Powerful, which claimed that Igbo residents living in Lagos State were attacked during the last Presidential and National Assembly elections and were prevented from voting for the candidates of their choice. Read more
Buhari’s victory an end to tyranny, says Afenifere (Nation)
Ekiti State chapter of the Yoruba socio cultural and political organisation, Egbe Afenifere Ilosiwaju Yoruba, under the national leadership of Senator Ayo Fasanmi, has declared the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari as the end of discussion for old breed politicians. The elders said those parading themselves as ‘deciders of human fate’ and holding Nigerians to ransom have been rendered useless politically. It added that the people have taken over power in a bloodless and democratic manner. The group disclosed that the election was a departure from the old nuances oligarchs, who had always believed they held the ace in through politics of the nation. Read more
Buhari’s victory: Atiku to seek tribunal’s order for a rerun, sets up legal team (Punch)
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, who is also a former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, on Saturday, in Abuja, inaugurated his legal team to challenge the result of the February 23 presidential election. The team is headed by Dr Livy Uzoukwu (SAN). The mandate of the legal team, according to sources close to both the national leadership of the party and Atiku, is to ask the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal to sack President Muhammadu Buhari. Read more
EFCC Arrests Atiku’s son-in-law Babalele (Nation)
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), yesterday arrested Alhaji Babalele Abdullahi, a son in law of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. It was not clear why he was arrested, but the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) believed it was politically motivated. He vowed that under no circumstance would he mortgage “the mandate of Nigerians as freely expressed on the 23rd of February, 2019.” Atiku’s media team said in a statement in Abuja that the EFCC operatives invaded Abdullahi’s residence at Maitama, Abuja to effect his arrest. He doubles as finance director of Atiku’s group of companies. Read more
Okorocha’s suspension: Imo APC demands Oshiomhole’s resignation (Punch)
The Imo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has called for the resignation of the party’s National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, over the suspension of the governors of Imo and Ogun states. The party’s National Working Committee, on Friday, suspended the two governors, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Uguru, and the Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria, Osita Okechukwu, for alleged anti-party activities. At a press conference in Owerri on Saturday, the state APC Chairman, Daniel Nwafor, said the suspension of the two governors was null and void. Read more
30 killed in fresh Zamfara carnage (Nation)
About 30 people are feared killed in a reprisal attack by hoodlums on members of a local vigilance group known as “Yan sa kai” in Kwari community of Shinkafi local government of Zamfara State in the early hours of Friday. No fewer than 60 others were also abducted by bandits during a raid of the area on Wednesday. Governor Abdul Aziz Yari visited the town yesterday and told the brains behind the bloodletting that there would be no negotiation with them and that they would not know peace unless they put an end to their nefarious activities. Read more
Why we supported Buhari –Ohanaeze Youth Council (Punch)
The leadership of the apex Igbo youth organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council, has said it supported the re-election bid of President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress because it believed he is more committed to the Igbo cause than former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party. The group said it was reluctant to endorse any of the presidential candidates when many tribal and inter-tribal groups and influential individuals were adopting candidates as it believed endorsements never amounted to votes. It said it carefully weighed the options which were in the best interest of the Igbo nation. Read more
Police arrest nine for looting Bayelsa amnesty centre (Punch)
The police have arrested nine suspects in connection with the looting and vandalism of a vocational training centre located at Biro in the Kaima, Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. Built and equipped by the Presidential Amnesty Programme, the centre is designed to train unskilled repentant militants, providing them a wide range of training programmes such as plumbing, catering, fashion designing and building technology in order to transform them into skilled and employable workforce. The looting of the office was said to have been carried out between February 14 and 16 by the natives of the community as well as those from the neighbouring towns and villages. Read more
Widows, CAN, others donate to Umahi’s re-election (Punch)
The Coordinator of Widows in Ebonyi State, Stella Ogoke, has said widows, Christian Association of Nigeria, Muslim community and market women contributed money to fund the re-election bid of the state governor, David Umahi. Ogoke said this on Friday during a town hall meeting with the governor and stakeholders at the Akanu Ibiam International Conference Centre, Abakaliki. She said the widows prayed for God’s blessing on Umahi’s re-election, adding that on their own, they jointly contributed money towards the second-term bid of the governor who they described as their husband. Read more
DR Congo: Tshisekedi pledges to free political prisoners (BBC)
The new president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Felix Tshisekedi, says he wants to free all political prisoners within the next 10 days. In a speech he said he would ask the justice minister to release all those held in jail for their political views. Mr Tshisekedi assumed office in January, taking over from Joseph Kabila, who had been in power for 18 years. But the result was disputed and Mr Kabila remains politically powerful. Read more
Donald Trump launches furious attack on Robert Mueller (BBC)
US President Donald Trump has launched a furious attack on Special Counsel Robert Mueller and on his critics at a conservative summit. In the longest speech of his presidency, Mr Trump railed against the inquiry into alleged collusion between his campaign and Russia. “We’re waiting for a report by people who weren’t elected,” he told a crowd of cheering conservatives. Mr Mueller is expected to hand in his report to the attorney general shortly. “Unfortunately, you put the wrong people in a couple of positions and they leave people for a long time that shouldn’t be there and all of a sudden they are trying to take you out with bullshit, okay?” the president said. Read more
Bernie Sanders launches 2020 presidential bid (BBC)
US Senator Bernie Sanders has launched his bid to be president in 2020 with an attack on corporate greed and a promise to unleash a “political revolution”. Speaking in Brooklyn, New York, he called Donald Trump the “most dangerous president” in recent US history. Mr Sanders, a 77-year-old independent senator for Vermont, lost the 2016 Democrat race to Hillary Clinton. He faces a much more crowded field this time but brings name recognition and a passionate support base. More than 10 others are also running to be Democrat candidate, including Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker and the Mayor of San Antonio, Texas, Julian Castro. Read more
Rakitic goal wins El Clasico for Barca (BBC)
Barcelona moved 10 points clear at the top of La Liga after a second El Clasico win in four days, Ivan Rakitic’s goal all but ending Real Madrid’s faint title hopes. Rakitic kept his composure to beat Thibaut Courtois after a one-two with Sergi Roberto split Real’s defence. Karim Benzema and Raphael Varane were denied towards the end but Real rarely looked like equalising at the Bernabeu. They are third in the table, 12 points behind Barcelona with 12 games left. Atletico Madrid, who are second, will cut Barca’s lead at the top to seven points if they win at Real Sociedad on Sunday (17:30 GMT). Read more
Mahrez hits winner as Man City return to top (BBC)
Pep Guardiola says Manchester City’s win at Bournemouth was “one of the best performances we’ve ever played” as the champions overcame injuries to Kevin de Bruyne and John Stones to go two points clear at the top of the Premier League. The champions lost De Bruyne and Stones either side of the break before Riyad Mahrez – on for Belgian De Bruyne – scored the only goal of the game early in the second half. “[It was] an incredible performance – one of the best performances we’ve ever played,” said Guardiola. “We didn’t concede one shot on target, we were committed at set-pieces defensively, every time we lost the ball we had three or four guys going to recover the ball. Read more
Wilder makes U-turn, says he now wants Joshua fight before Fury rematch (Vanguard)
Deontay Wilder has done a 180-degree spin and now stated that he wants to fight Anthony Joshua before the Tyson Fury rematch. The American blasted Fury for opting to take an interim bout rather than immediately settle their score on May 18 and, as a result, would now prefer to pursue AJ once again. First, the WBC heavyweight champion must fulfil his mandatory obligation against Dominic Breazeale – now likely for May 18 instead. When asked whether he wants Joshua or Fury after Breazeale, Wilder told Blue Blood Sports TV: “I want Joshua, of course I want to unify the belts. Read more