Category: Elections - Page 47 - African News Today

Obasanjo Defends Decision to Present Yar’Adua For Presidential Election Despite His Kidney Transplant

1Feb

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Elections, News, Nigeria

Obasanjo Defends Decision to Present Yar’Adua For Presidential Election Despite His Kidney Transplant

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has defended the decision to field former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua as the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate in the 2007 general elections. Obasanjo said he knew Yar’Adua was ill but he had been medically certified as fit by the then ruling party prior to his emergence as the party’s candidate. He added that he got medical advice that Yar'Adua, who had a kidney transplant, was fit to run as President. Obasanjo made the revelation while responding to questions in an online interview with a Nigerian historian and professor of African Studies, Toyin Falola on Sunday. Falola had asked Obasanjo to respond to allegations of imposing the Late Yar'dua despite knowing his health status. Obasanjo described the allegations as ...

Uganda: Court Orders Soldiers to Vacate Bobi Wine’s Home

25Jan

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Armed Forces, Elections, Human Rights, Judiciary, Justice, News, Uganda

Uganda: Court Orders Soldiers to Vacate Bobi Wine’s Home

A court in Uganda has order security operatives to vacate the home of opposition leader, Bobi Wine, whose house arrest since the recent presidential poll has drawn international pressure, his lawyer said on Monday. Security forces have laid siege on the home of the 38-year-old musician turned politician, preventing him from leaving his home in Kampala since he cast his vote in the January 14 election where he contested against the long-serving incumbent, President Yoweri Museveni. The opposition leaders counsel, George Musisi told Reuters, "The judge ordered that the state and its agencies should immediately vacate his property and his right to personal liberty should immediately be reinstated." The 76-year-old Museveni has been in power for 35 years prior to winning a new term in...

INEC Mulls Making NIN Compulsory for Voter Registration

20Jan

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Elections, News, Nigeria

INEC Mulls Making NIN Compulsory for Voter Registration

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, is considering making the National Identity Number, NIN, compulsory for registering voters when the continuous voter registration exercise begins soon. This was disclosed by a national commissioner at INEC during an interview with The Punch on Tuesday. According to him, the Nin would help tackle challenges of underage voting, alien voting and other challenges associated with registration. The INEC commissioner who chose to remain anonymous said a final decision would be reached soon. He said that the permanent voter card was only supposed to be in use for a maximum of 10 years, adding that most countries rely on a national database and not the Permanent Voter Card for voting. He said, “The NIN is the ideal. When we want to...

Ohanaeze Ndigbo Faction Seeks Court Restrain Order Against Obiozor Led Faction

17Jan

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Elections, Judiciary, News, Nigeria

Ohanaeze Ndigbo Faction Seeks Court Restrain Order Against Obiozor Led Faction

A faction of the apex Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, led by Uche Okwukwu, has asked a High Court sitting in Abuja to restrain Professor George Obiozor, who was elected by the Nnia Nwodo-led Ohanaeze from parading himself as the President General or be jailed. Recall that Obiozor who was an erstwhile Nigerian ambassador to the United State, Israel and Cyprus, was elected President of the group at the Dan Anyim Stadium in Owerri, Imo State on January 10. Okechukwu in a motion on notice number FCT/HC/BIU/M/14/21 sought an order restraining Obiozor and his proxies from parading as President of the group pending the determination of the substantive suit. The notice partly read, “An order of this honourable court restraining the defendants, its agent servants from further h...

Uganda Election: President Museveni Wins Sixth Term in Office

16Jan

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Elections, News, Uganda

Uganda Election: President Museveni Wins Sixth Term in Office

The incumbent president of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni has won a sixth term in office, the Electoral Commission announced on Saturday. Chairperson of the Commission, Justice Simon Byabakama disclosed that Museveni won the election with 58.64 of the total votes. Byabakama also said that Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine finished second with 34.83 per cent of the tallied votes. Patrick Amuriat, who vied under the Democratic Change party was the second runner up with 3.24 per cent of the tallied vote. The victory extends Museveni’s rule for another five-year term since he came to power in 1986.

2023: Why Power Should Rotate to South – Zulum

16Jan

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Elections, News, Nigeria

2023: Why Power Should Rotate to South – Zulum

Prof Babagana Zulum, Governor of Borno State, has advocated for the return of power to the south in 2023 in fairness to other regions of the country. Zulum frowned at the sentiment that any part of the country could not be trusted with power, because of fear of succession. This was contained in his speech at the 17th Chief Gani Fawehinmi annual lecture, organised by the Nigerian Bar Association, Ikeja Branch in commemoration of the life of late Fawehinmi. The event was themed, ‘The constitutional history of Nigeria’s dysfunction: Any pathway to indivisibility and common progress?’ The Borno State governor stressed that of the bedrocks to sustainable growth was fairness to all in the country. He said, “I’m persuaded that other sections of the country should be given the oppor...

Uganda Election: President Museveni in Early Lead, Preliminary Results Suggest

15Jan

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Elections, News, Uganda

Uganda Election: President Museveni in Early Lead, Preliminary Results Suggest

Uganda’s incumbent President Yoweri Museveni has taken an early lead in the presidential poll, according to preliminary results released on Friday morning by the electoral umpire, African News Today has gathered. Reuters reports that after 13.6% of votes were counted, Museveni had garnered 1,536,205 votes, or 65.0%, while main opposition candidate Bobi Wine got 647,146 (27.4%), the commission said. The main opposition candidate, Wine, who has rallied young electorates with his message of change, in a tweet on his Twitter handle on Friday said he was optimistic of victory despite “widespread fraud and violence” during the poll. President Museveni who had led the East African country for 34 years had yet to make a statement at the time of filing this report. Recall that the gover...

Yoruba Media Sabotaged EndSARS Protest Because of Tinubu’s Presidential Ambition – Nnamdi Kanu

12Jan

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Elections, News, Nigeria, Security

Yoruba Media Sabotaged EndSARS Protest Because of Tinubu’s Presidential Ambition – Nnamdi Kanu

Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, has blamed the failure of the 2020 EndSARS protests to produce a resolution on the alleged presidential ambition of the All Progressive Congress national leader, Bola Tinubu, in 2023. He said this in a special live broadcast on Sunday, Sahara Reporters reports. Kanu accused the Yoruba media of dousing the EndSARS protest to prevent Nigeria from collapsing so as to secure Tinubu’s 2023 presidential ambition. He noted that the Fulani was on a mission to divide southern Nigeria, to prevent them from being united in purpose. He said, "The Yoruba are trying to protect their interests because they know, by 2023, there is every likelihood that they may rig Tinubu into office. "I remember EndSARS very well. When you come ...

Obiozor, Former Ambassador to US, Emerges Ohaneze President

12Jan

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Elections, News, Nigeria

Obiozor, Former Ambassador to US, Emerges Ohaneze President

George Obiozor, a former Nigerian ambassador to the US, has been elected the president-general of Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohaneze Ndigbo. The election which was conducted in Owerri, Imo State on Sunday saw Obiozor emerge the winner after seeing off two other contenders for the position. Obiozor was the Nigerian ambassador to the United States, from 2004-2008. Prior to the election, there were reports making the rounds that Obiozor had been chosen as the consensus candidate but the outgoing president, John Nwodo debunked supporting any candidate for the position. Nwodo in a statement said, “The attention of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has been drawn to a spurious, mendacious and malicious news item making the rounds that a candidate has been chosen to occupy the post of the Pre...

APC Weighs in on US Controversy, Asks Trump to Emulate Buhari

10Jan

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Elections, News, Nigeria, United States of America

APC Weighs in on US Controversy, Asks Trump to Emulate Buhari

The All Progressive Congress has asked US President Donald Trump to emulate his Nigerian counterpart, President Muhammadu Buhari after losing an election. This was contained in a statement issued by the Secretary of the party’s Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee, John Akpanudoedehe. Akpanudoedehe in the statement titled “The integrity of a leader is as important as strong institutions,” condemned the invasion of the Capitol Hill by pro-Trump protesters and faulted Trump’s refusal to concede defeat in the presidential poll. The party said President Buhari contested and lost elections a couple of times and followed the process through to the Supreme Court on all accounts, lauding his example as ‘an outstanding credential of a true democrat’. The statement ...