Tag: Politics - Page 8 - African News Today

<strong>Presidential Candidates Own Banks, Naira Notes Scarcity Don’t Affect Them – Kwankwaso</strong>

2Feb

By Mary UgwuanyiNo Comments

Elections, Finance, News, Rwanda

Presidential Candidates Own Banks, Naira Notes Scarcity Don’t Affect Them – Kwankwaso

The presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has said that his counterparts are not affected by the naira redesign policy because “they are owners of banks”. Recall that the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Godwin Emefiele had in October 2022, announced the plan to redesign N200, N500, and N1,000 notes and fixed January 31, 2023, as the deadline when the old notes will cease to be legal tender. Despite the apex bank recently announcing the postponement of the deadline to February 10, several Nigerians have found it hard obtaining the new naira notes. President Muhammadu Buhari has backed the policy and described it as having the potential to deter politicians from “mobilising resources to intimidate voters in the 2023 general election”. ...

<strong>How My House Was Bombed With Explosives – CUPP Spokesperson</strong>

2Feb

By Mary UgwuanyiNo Comments

News, Nigeria

How My House Was Bombed With Explosives – CUPP Spokesperson

Ikenga Ugochinyere, the spokesperson for the Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP, has given an insight into what happened during the January 14 attack on his country home in Akokwa, Imo State. Ugochinyere refuted claims that the attack was executed by members of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, saying that the incident which left over 500 bullet holes on his residential houses was carried out by sponsored militia. He stated that high grade explosives were used during the attack in which over 32 cars, motorcycles, and other properties worth N550 million were set ablaze. He disclosed these during a press conference in Abuja, noting that the attackers looked like the team that attacked his convoy on December 23, 2022, which he alleged was led by Chinasa Nwaneri, Special...

<strong>Pope Francis in Congo: Africa is the World’s Smile, Stop Choking Africa</strong>

1Feb

By Mary UgwuanyiNo Comments

News, Nigeria, Religion, Security

Pope Francis in Congo: Africa is the World’s Smile, Stop Choking Africa

Pope Francis has asked more advanced countries to see Africa beyond an opportunity to plunder the continent’s natural resources. He said this during a visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, on Tuesday. Pope Francis holds his pastoral staff as he celebrates Mass marking Sunday of the Word of God in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican Jan. 22, 2023. The pope at the Mass formally installed lectors and catechists. (CNS photo/Vatican Media) The Pope spoke against the “terrible forms of exploitation, unworthy of humanity” in the country. He urged the more advanced countries to acknowledge the “catastrophic” injustices done in times past, and put an end to the ongoing plundering of the continent’s rich resources. The Pope said, “Hands off the Democratic Republic of the ...

<strong>Why Cashless Policy is Important – Osinbajo</strong>

31Jan

By Mary UgwuanyiNo Comments

Elections, Finance, News, Nigeria

Why Cashless Policy is Important – Osinbajo

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has said that when Nigeria operates an effective cashless policy, illicit election financing can be curbed. Osinbajo stated this when he received a delegation of the EU election observation mission led by Barry Andrews, on Monday. According to a statement issued by his media aide, Laolu Akande, the VP said that a functional cashless policy will facilitate seamless tracking of funds and be helpful for financial inclusion. He said, “I think that what we should be looking at is to provide more infrastructures. “The cashless thing has been really advantageous and helps with tracking. “That sort of infrastructure is useful for more financial inclusion and the more financial inclusion you have, the easier it is to track. “So much money can be s...

<strong>We Will Shun Any Forum With PDP ‘Agents of Violence’ – Sanwo-Olu</strong>

29Jan

By Mary UgwuanyiNo Comments

Elections, Lagos News, News, Nigeria

We Will Shun Any Forum With PDP ‘Agents of Violence’ – Sanwo-Olu

Lagos State Governor, Babjide Sanwo-Olu, has said that he won’t attend any forum where he would share a stage with Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, members. There was an alleged attack in the Surulere area of Lagos State on Friday. While the opposition PDP has accused the All Progressives Congress, APC, of deploying thugs to attack supporters of its governorship candidate, Abdul-Azeez Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, the APC has maintained that it was Adediran’s thugs that carried out violence on residents of the area. Reacting to the development, Gbenga Omotoso, Lagos State commissioner for information, in a statement on Saturday said the state would not tolerate being portrayed in a bad light. Omotoso said, “The Lagos state government has noted the flood of comments sp...

<strong>How Obi Was attacked After Katsina Rally – Campaign Team</strong>

25Jan

By Mary UgwuanyiNo Comments

News, Nigeria, Security

How Obi Was attacked After Katsina Rally – Campaign Team

The Labour Party, LP, presidential campaign council has said that Peter Obi was attacked in Katsina. This was contained in a statement issued by its head of media, Diran Onifade, saying that Obi’s car was attacked by hoodlums when he was on his way to the airport after a rally in the state. The statement reads, “Our candidate had met with women in a townhall and then held a hugely successful rally at the Muhammad Dikko Stadium. “However, on his way to the airport, hoodlums attacked the car our candidate was riding in with heavy stones from his driver’s side, causing substantial damage to the vehicle. “To the glory of God, Mr Obi and other occupants of the car were unhurt. “Subsequently, another set of thugs also threw stones outside the stadium which damaged several veh...

<strong>Ebonyi Artiste Beaten To A Pulp Over APC Campaign Song</strong>

25Jan

By Mary UgwuanyiNo Comments

News, Nigeria

Ebonyi Artiste Beaten To A Pulp Over APC Campaign Song

Kelvin Ibinabo, an Ebonyi State artiste has been hospitalized after he was allegedly beaten by an aide to the State Governor, David Umahi. The aide identified as Machiavelli Uzo, the Coordinator of Ohaozara Development Centre in the Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. According to the musician who spoke to Punch on Tuesday, Uzo alongside his supporters attacked him on Saturday and locked him up in a dark room. The musician said that he was booked by the LGA Chairman, Mr Consider Ajah, to perform at the burial of his mother-in-law in the council. Ibinabo said that when it was nightfall, he asked his crew to pack up. The victim said, “It was at that point that the Ohaozara Development Centre Coordinator, Machiaveli Uzo, emerged from nowhere and ordered m...

<strong>Breaking: Gunmen Behead Imo LG Boss Despite Collecting N6m Ransom</strong>

23Jan

By Mary UgwuanyiNo Comments

News, Nigeria, Security

Breaking: Gunmen Behead Imo LG Boss Despite Collecting N6m Ransom

Gunmen have beheaded the sole Administrator of Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State, Chris Ohizu, who was abducted. The LG boss was murdered on Sunday after his captives were allegedly paid N6 million as ransom. Video of his beheading trended on social media on Sunday, where his abductors insisted that there won’t be election in the country. According to a source who chose to remain anonymous, the killers of the council boss posted videos of the incident with the phone of their victim on his WhatsApp status. The source said, “The sole administrator has been beheaded. We saw videos of how he was being beheaded on Sunday. His killers posted it with his phone on his own WhatsApp status. That was how people got to know that he was beheaded. Se...

<strong>Why I Wrote The Piece Forecasting Obi’s Defeat – Soludo</strong>

20Jan

By Mary UgwuanyiNo Comments

Elections, News, Nigeria

Why I Wrote The Piece Forecasting Obi’s Defeat – Soludo

Anambra State governor, Charles Soludo has said that he wrote the article that predicted Peter Obi’s defeat at the presidential election for “history”. Soludo stated this during an interview with Channels Television on Thursday. The Anambra State governor in the article published on November 14, 2022, stated that Labour Party, LP, presidential candidate, Obi, knows that “he can’t and won’t win” the 2023 presidential election. According to Soludo, the LP candidate is merely pinching votes from the stronghold of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the advantage of the All Progressives Congress, APC. Soludo wrote, “Indeed, if I were Asiwaju Tinubu, I would even give Peter Obi money as someone heading one of the departments of his campaign because Obi is making Tinubu...

<strong>Nigeria To Spend 60% of Revenue On Debt Servicing In 2023 – Finance Minister</strong>

19Jan

By Mary UgwuanyiNo Comments

Finance, News, Nigeria

Nigeria To Spend 60% of Revenue On Debt Servicing In 2023 – Finance Minister

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, has said that the country intends to reduce its debt service-to-revenue ratio to 60 percent this year. Ahmed stated this during an interview with Bloomberg TV on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday. Recall that Nigeria recorded a debt service-to-revenue ratio of 80.6 percent in 2022 -a figure much higher than World Bank’s suggested 22.5 percent for low-income countries such as Nigeria. The International Monetary Fund, IMF, had predicted that Nigeria may spend almost 100 percent of its revenue on debt servicing by 2026. Commenting on the development, Ahmed while agreeing that the current ratio isn’t sustainable, said that the country is making effort to reduce its revenue spendi...