We’ll resist violence, voter suppression by APC, says Agbaje (Punch)
The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos State, Jimi Agbaje, has challenged the ruling All Progressives Congress to be prepared for resistance if the ruling party unleashes violence in the March 9 governorship election. Agbaje, in a series of videos posted on his verified Twitter account on Friday, decried the violence reported at several polling units across the state during the presidential and National Assembly elections last Saturday. He said he had visited some areas affected by voter suppression and violence, adding that it was understandable why some Lagosians were disappointed, angry or afraid. Read more
Alleged election rigging: Atiku, PDP leaders show video proofs to Abdulsalami, Kukah, others (Punch)
Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, and the National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, have shown video clips of alleged rigging of the February 23 presidential and National Assembly elections in the country to members of the National Peace Committee headed by a former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.). They presented the videos in Abuja on Thursday night, Saturday PUNCH has learnt. Among those who watched the clips with the former head of state were Cardinal John Onaiyekan and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah. Read more
Presidential Poll: Abdulsalami panel meets Buhari over Atiku’s grievances (Guardian)
The National Peace Committee (NPC), led by former head of state, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, yesterday, met with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where it tabled the concerns raised by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, over the results of last Saturday’s presidential election. Specifically, Buhari was declared as winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), having polled 15,191,847 votes to defeat Abubakar, who garnered 11, 262, 978 votes. Addressing State House Correspondents after the meeting, which lasted about an hour, the former head of state, while acknowledging that the results of the elections have raised a lot of dust, with divergent grievances across the polity, however, said he was pleased with the news that the PDP has decided to approach the court to seek redress. Read more
Okorocha, Okechukwu react to suspension over anti-party activities (Guardian)
Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, has criticised his suspension and moves to expel him, his Ogun State counterpart, Ibikunle Amosun, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Uguru Usani and the Director General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr. Osita Okechukwu by the All Progressives Congress National Working Committee (NWC), led by its National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, saying Oshiomhole was determined from the onset to destroy APC by throwing caution to the winds and playing 2023 politics. Okechukwu saw his suspension as victory for bigotry, while the Ogun State chapter of the party described the suspension of Amosun as “long overdue.”APC’s NWC, yesterday, recommended the punitive measure to the National Executive Committee (NEC), led by President Muhammadu Buhari. Read more
Elections: EFCC stopped from probing plane loaded with cash (Punch)
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has been barred from investigating a private jet loaded with money on February 15, 2019, the eve of the aborted presidential and National Assembly elections, Saturday PUNCH learnt on Friday. Our correspondent gathered that the plane which was billed to fly to Ilorin, Kwara State, from Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos failed to take off due to the weight of the money on board. Multiple sources said the EFCC operatives thereafter stormed the plane after a tip-off from some people about the cargo. They demanded the source of the money, its owner and destination. Read more
Army parades 11 corps members, 43 others over alleged electoral fraud (Guardian)
The 6 Division Nigerian army, Port Harcourt, has paraded 11 National Youth Service Corps Members, 43 others over alleged electoral fraud in Rivers State. The corps members were said, to have been arrested in a hotel in Gokana Local Government Area of the State filling result sheets in favour of a political party during the Presidential and National Assembly elections last week. The spokesman of the Division, Aminu Illiyasu, while parading the suspects at the 6 Division Headquaters PortHarcourt yesterday, said, preliminary investigations reavealed that the suspects were moved from the pollling units to a hotel to rig the elections in favour of a political party.He said, items recovered from the hotel include 34 ballot boxes loaded with ballot papers, three card readers, 10 bags containing electoral materials and Toyota Hiace bus with registration No.Lagos EQ171KRD. Read more
How thugs forced us to rig polls at gunpoint in Rivers–Corps members (Nation)
A youth corps member, Tuatimi James Powell, yesterday revealed how some leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State sent thugs to force him and 10 other colleagues to a hotel in Bodo-Ogoni, Gokana Local Government Area, Rivers State to rig the February 23 presidential and National Assembly elections at gunpoint. Powell, who was a Presiding Officer (PO) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), said he and other youth corps members had horrifying experiences in the hands of the PDP thugs who bundled them into a waiting bus amid sporadic gunshots and moved them to Greenside Hotel. Read more
Buhari will live up to expectations of Nigerians, says Ribadu (Guardian)
From the former Chairman of the Economic and financial Crimea commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu comes assurances that President Muhammadu Buhari would live up to the expectations of Nigerians. Ribadu, who is the Director of Field Operations Directorate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, expressed gratitude to Nigerians who trooped out en masse to ensure the re-election of President Buhari at the polls. He spoke during a ‘thank you’ reception for members of the directorate, held in Abuja and extolled the leadership qualities of President Buhari required to reposition the country for sustainable growth and development. Read more
Teacher remanded in prison for defiling, impregnating 14-year-old pupil (Punch)
A 34-year-old teacher at a school in Lagos, Quaseem Olayiwola, has been remanded in prison custody, following his arrest and arraignment for alleged defilement of his pupil. Olayiwola reportedly had unlawful sex with the 14-year-old pupil which made the girl pregnant. City Round learnt that the father of the victim reported the incident to the police at the Ayobo Police Division and the teacher was arrested. Preliminary investigation conducted by the police revealed that Olayiwola committed the indecent act between October 2018 and January 2019 in a hotel. Read more
Passenger kills okada rider, demands motorcycle documents from family (Punch)
Mohammed Baba, a commercial motorcycle rider in the Bida area of Niger State, has met his untimely death in the hands of his passenger, one Isah Hassan. Hassan reportedly killed Baba, buried him and fled with his newly bought motorcycle and mobile phone. Not done, Hassan was said to have checked Baba’s phone for the contacts of his relatives. He reportedly disguised as a policeman and called the relatives, telling them that the victim had been arrested at Police A Division, Bida, for hitting a police van. Read more
Billie Wayne Coble: Two men arrested at Texas execution (BBC)
Two men have been released on bail after allegedly throwing fists and swearing during an execution in Texas. Billie Wayne Coble, 70, was put to death by lethal injection nearly 30 years after murdering his wife’s parents and brother. His son and grandson, Gordon Wayne and Dalton, allegedly became violent witnessing his death and were arrested after swearing and lashing out. The pair were later released on bail of $1,000 (£755). Gordon Wayne Coble’s wife also allegedly caused a disturbance but was not charged. Read more
Prison guard resigns after he was filmed ‘torturing’ inmate (Metro)
A corrections officer resigned after he was filmed brutally beating a restrained inmate. Travis VanDeWiele, a deputy at the Ramsey County Jail in Minnesota, was filmed punching and kneeing Terrell Johnson, 24, in the stomach after he was arrested on April 13, 2016. The St. Paul, Minnesota mayor called the incident ‘torture’ and the video sparked outrage which led to the guard’s resignation. Read more
Lula to be let out for grandson’s funeral (BBC)
Former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been granted leave from prison to attend his grandson’s funeral. The seven-year-old died of meningitis on Friday, and the jailed ex-leader will be allowed to go to the burial in Sao Paulo on Saturday. Lula, as he is known, was sentenced to 12 years in prison on corruption charges last year. The ex-leader says his conviction was politically motivated. An iconic figure for the left in Latin America, the former trade unionist led Brazil between 2003 and 2010. But he was convicted for work done on a beach front property, and in February a court doubled Lula’s sentence after he was found guilty of taking renovation work from a company implicated in a corruption scandal. Read more
Maurizio Sarri says ‘English mentality’ in Chelsea squad is hampering Sarri-ball (Metro)
Maurizio Sarri admits it is taking him longer to install his philosophy at Chelsea compared to Napoli due to the ‘English mentality’ which favours intensity over tactics. The Italian was granted a stay of execution with Wednesday’s win over Tottenham but there are still significant question marks over his future at Stamford Bridge, with a win over west London rivals Fulham required on Sunday. Some fans have questioned the manager’s dogged attachment to his ‘Sarri-ball’ style of play, and he admits the reticence towards working on tactics in the Premier League has been a problem. Read more
Dortmund suffer shock defeat at Augsburg (BBC)
Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund suffered their first league defeat since December as Ji Dong-won scored twice for FC Augsburg. The South Korea winger gave the hosts the lead against his former club midway through the first half. He doubled their lead on 67 minutes with a delicate chip over the keeper that sailed into the top right corner. Dortmund striker Paco Alcacer scored a late consolation with less than 10 minutes to go. Read more
Lewis Hamilton: Mercedes driver braced for ‘toughest battle yet’ (BBC)
Lewis Hamilton says he is braced for his “toughest battle yet” after conceding Ferrari have had the best car in pre-season testing. The five-time world champion believes his Mercedes team’s deficit to Ferrari is “potentially half a second”. However, Hamilton ended the final test day just 0.003 seconds slower than Sebastian Vettel’s pace-setting time. “Last year there were many occasions we as a team were behind on performance and had to achieve,” Hamilton added. “We were not behind anywhere near as much last year.” Ferrari have been consistently quick during two weeks of testing in Spain and their car has proved easy to drive and fast in all conditions. Read more