Nigeria Breaking News
Nigeria’s Tinubu defends win in disputed presidential vote
Nigeria’s new president-elect, Bola Tinubu, defended the election he just won as credible on Wednesday but Peter Obi, one of his main opponents, planned to challenge the result in court, according to Obi’s running mate.
The main opposition parties have described the outcome of Saturday’s election as fraudulent after new technology that the electoral commission had promised would make the process more transparent instead malfunctioned, eroding trust.
Voter turnout was also low, even by Nigerian standards. With total votes cast at just under 25 million, out of 87 million people with voter identity cards and eligible to vote, turnout was only 29%. The 2019 election saw a 35% turnout.
“I am very happy I have been elected the president of the federal republic of Nigeria,” Tinubu, 70, who was the ruling party’s candidate, said to cheers in the federal capital Abuja. “This is a serious mandate. I hereby accept it.”
A former governor of Lagos and a veteran power broker at the heart of Nigeria’s political class, Tinubu will take the helm of Africa’s most populous country, the biggest economy and top oil producer as it struggles with overlapping crises.
Those include Islamist insurgencies in the northeast, an epidemic of kidnappings for ransom and conflicts between herders and farmers, as well as shortages of cash and fuel, industrial-scale oil theft, high inflation and deep-rooted poverty.
But for now, the focus is on the election itself, in which Tinubu won 37% of the vote, or 8.79 million votes, according to official results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Nigeria has a population of over 200 million.
“I commend INEC for running a credible election no matter what anybody says,” said Tinubu. “The lapses that were reported, they were relatively few in number and were immaterial to affect the final outcome of the election.”
But Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, Obi’s running mate, said a legal challenge was already being mounted. “We will go to court within the limit of the time. The legal people are putting the papers together,” he said, calling on supporters to remain peaceful.
Nigeria has a long history of political violence, but the atmosphere was calm in the main cities on Wednesday, with many people appearing deflated. In the eyes of God, the man (Tinubu) is not the winner,” trader Mercy Efong said in Awka, in Obi’s home state of Anambra.
Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, a group that monitored the election, said the outcome was not credible because of what it described as severe logistical failures, a lack of transparency, disruption of voting and violent incidents.
“This is all the more disappointing since the elections were held in an atmosphere in which the people showed remarkable commitment to democracy, eagerly engaging in the electoral process and waiting patiently to vote in very difficult circumstances,” the group said in a statement. Some voters were unable to cast their ballots due to malfunctioning voter card reading machines.
INEC said the main opposition challenger, former vice president and political veteran Atiku Abubakar, won 29%, or 6.98 million votes, while outsider Obi won 25% or 6.1 million votes.
To win, a candidate must get more votes than the others and at least 25% of the ballot in at least two–thirds of Nigeria’s 36 states. Tinubu cleared both hurdles.
Source: SABC
Nigeria Breaking News
Nigeria’s constitution not working, paperwork for military – Bode George
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Bode George, on Monday said Nigeria’s constitution is not working. George said Nigeria’s constitution is paperwork for the country’s military. Featuring on Arise Television’s Morning Show, the PDP chieftain said the current constitution gives room to politicians to share largesse in Abuja.George reiterated the call for restructuring Nigeria, stressing that it’s an antidote to secession agitation in Nigeria.
According to George: “The constitution we are running is not working, it’s more like paperwork for a military organization; why should everybody head to Abuja monthly to collect their largess; it’s not working, what does the president do with my local government or that in Sokoto? Nothing.
“Politics is local and we want to see that the restructuring everybody is talking about is the path we should take instead of taking arms and shooting people which is a modern-day Robin Hood.
Source: Naijanews
In other news – I dislike men who wear skirts – Davido
Nigerian Afrobeats star David Adeleke, aka Davido, has revealed the fashion trend that he dislikes. The DMW boss stated that he dislikes men who wear skirts.
He said he would never wear a skirt but may reconsider if he is offered half a million dollars.Davido disclosed this in a recent interview with American fashion content creator, Mysterious Fashioniest. Read more
Nigeria Breaking News
EFCC vows to probe bank chiefs over COVID funds, World Bank loans
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFFC, said it has redoubled its investigation into the culpability of bank Chief Executive Officers, CEOs, in the mismanagement of COVID-19 funds and World Bank loans. This is contained in a statement by its spokesman, Dele Oyewale, on Sunday in Abuja.
The statement said that also under probe is the alleged mismanagement of recovered Abacha loot given to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development for disbursement to beneficiaries of the Federal Government support-for-the-poor programme. The EFCC also announced that it had recovered N32.7 billion and $445,000 so far from top officials of the ministry under its searchlight, adding that the abuse of naira has become a priority investigation of the agency.
Shedding light on the probe of malfeasance in the Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development ministry, the agency said: “At the outset of investigations, past and suspended officials of the Humanitarian Ministry were invited by the commission and investigations into the alleged fraud involving them have yielded the recovery of N32.7billion and $445,000 so far.
“Discreet investigations by the EFCC have opened other fraudulent dealings involving Covid -19 funds, the World Bank loan, Abacha recovered loot released to the Ministry by the Federal Government to execute its poverty alleviation mandate.
Source: Dailypost
In other news – Singer Paul Okoye hints at remarrying
Popular singer and half of P-Square, Paul Okoye, aka Rudeboy, has hinted at remarrying. The ‘Reason With Me’ crooner dropped the hint while scolding fans for wishing his divorce from his ex-wife to be toxic.
He stated that he would not succumb to their wishes, urging them to accept the reality that he is with his new partner, Ivy Ifeoma.He went on to unveil hashtag options for himself and his partner, Ifeoma. Read more
Nigeria Breaking News
I dislike men who wear skirts – Davido
Nigerian Afrobeats star David Adeleke, aka Davido, has revealed the fashion trend that he dislikes. The DMW boss stated that he dislikes men who wear skirts.
He said he would never wear a skirt but may reconsider if he is offered half a million dollars.Davido disclosed this in a recent interview with American fashion content creator, Mysterious Fashioniest.
The interview asked, “What’s one fashion trend you dislike? He said, “Skirt; men that wears skirts. I will never wear the skirt. Except if I am offered half a million or a million dollars [laughs
Source: Dailypost
In other news – Junior Pope not buried by river bank – Police
The Anambra State Police Command says the remains of Nollywood star, John Paul Odonwodo, popularly called Junior Pope, were not among those buried by the bank of the Anam River. The Command’s spokesman, SP Ikenga Tochukwu, made the clarification on Sunday, stating that only three of the deceased families agreed that the victims be buried by the riverside.
He noted that after the burial of the three, one of the families came back to exhume the remains of their daughter for a befitting burial in her country home.Ikenga added that the corpse of Junior Pope was deposited at a morgue. Read more
- Nigerian Celebrities2 days ago
Junior Pope not buried by river bank – Police
- Nigeria Breaking News2 days ago
Why I married Boko Haram fighter – Freed Chibok girl
- Nigeria Breaking News2 days ago
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa Assigns Portfolios to Newly Appointed Commissioners in Ondo State
- Nigeria Breaking News2 days ago
Governor Umaru Bago declares state of emergency in parts of Minna over renewed insecurity
- Nigerian Celebrities2 days ago
Singer Paul Okoye hints at remarrying
- Nigeria Breaking News2 days ago
Nigeria’s constitution not working, paperwork for military – Bode George
- Nigeria Breaking News2 days ago
EFCC vows to probe bank chiefs over COVID funds, World Bank loans
- Nigeria Breaking News2 days ago
I dislike men who wear skirts – Davido