- It’s unfair to say presidential election was fraudulent, most credible since 1999 – Dele Alake
- I hope next administration will continue our anti-corruption war – Buhari
- Many feared dead as Shi’ite members clash with El-Rufai’s convoy in Kaduna
- MC Oluomo warns Igbos in Lagos to vote for APC or stay home
- Ignore Peter Obi’s Labour Party, vote other parties – Reno Omokri
Across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, these are the five top Nigerian news stories you shouldn’t miss:
It’s unfair to say presidential election was fraudulent, most credible since 1999 – Dele Alake
According to Dele Alake, a media adviser to President-elect Bola Tinubu, it is unreasonable for a portion of the world media to label the country’s presidential election as ilcalabargistblogimate.
Alake said that certain foreign media outlets favored candidates based on “flawed surveys” at a meeting with officials of international media organizations on Thursday in Abuja.
According to the president-elect’s adviser these occurrences have resulted in a “mischaracterization” of Tinubu, which they oppose.
“With the eventual outcome of the election at variance with some of the Labour Party-sponsored pre-election predictions, many international media organisations that took premature positions on the basis of these flawed polls, found themselves blind-spotted, leading to some of the skewed reports about the election,” Alake said.
“We object to the mischaracterisation of the presidential election by a section of the international media.
“Contrary to the innuendos and aspersions being cast on the election by organisations such as Financial Times, Economist, New York Times among others, we make bold to say that the 2023 Presidential election is the most credible, most free and most fair national election in Nigeria since 1999.
“We consider it unfair and quite uncharitable to describe the last election as fraudulent, manipulated or flawed.
“All the noise over results not being uploaded on the INEC server was misplaced. The election in Nigeria is done at about 176,000 polling units. The results are announced, signed by party agents and sent to collation centres at ward, council and state levels.
“Results are tallied at the state level and announced.”
Alake said Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), failed at the polls because of the way they split votes among themselves.
“It must be stressed that only the APC went into the 2023 election intact,” he said.
“These divisions within the main opposition played out in our favour. It was a repeat of 2015 when some PDP states supported the new coalition of parties called APC and gave President Buhari a resounding victory.
“The presidential candidate of PDP at his post-election press conference admitted that the Labour Party swept away his party’s votes from its traditional stronghold in south-east and south-south.
“He is yet to admit the impact of the rebellion of the G5 governors and Kwankwaso in the large voting state of Kano.”
I hope next administration will continue our anti-corruption war – Buhari
According to President Muhammadu Buhari, corruption is still a major problem in every country.
On Thursday, Buhari met with the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) management, led by CCT chairman Danladi Umar, at the presidential palace in Abuja, according to a statement released by presidential spokesperson Femi Adesina.
Buhari has expressed optimism that the fight against corruption, for which his administration “laid the basis,” will be taken up by future administrations.
The CCT has been a “crucial weapon in our fight against corruption over the last seven years,” as Buhari put it.
The President said the CCT “which is in the trenches, are relied upon to demonstrate that the government means what it says and remains committed against corruption in all its forms”.
“It is our hope that the foundation which has been laid by this administration will be carried forward and continued, as the issue of corruption remains an existential threat to all nations,” Buhari said.
Buhari said the CCT and similar agencies are “in the midst of very challenging economic and revenue shortages”, promising that innovative and new models of financing important agencies would be put in place.
In his remarks, Umar commended Buhari’s administration for the impact it has made in the area of infrastructural development, agriculture, and provision of social services, among others.
He said the CCT is hampered by funding challenges, and poor staffing, and appealed for intervention.
Many feared dead as Shi’ite members clash with El-Rufai’s convoy in Kaduna
On Thursday night, security personnel accompanying Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-convoy Rufai’s engaged in violent scuffles with local Shi’ite Muslims in the Bakin Ruwa Area of Igabi Local Government Area.
At least four people were reportedly killed and many more were hurt in the incident.
When the Shi’ites were on their weekly march from Bakin Ruwa to Nnamdi Azikiwe Expressway, the governor’s motorcade reportedly crossed paths with them.
A Shi’ite delegate in Kaduna state, Abdullahi Usman, reportedly verified the occurrence and stated that none of the victims were members of his faith.
DSP Mohammed Jalige, the Kaduna State Police Command’s spokesman, also acknowledged the occurrence and said an investigation was underway and a statement will be published at a later time.
MC Oluomo warns Igbos in Lagos to vote for APC or stay home
The Lagos State Parks Management Committee Chairman, Musiliu Akinsanya, also known as MC Oluomo, has warned Igbos in the state ahead of this Saturday’s governorship election.
MC Oluomo, addressing supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in a viral video, threatened Igbos who will not vote for the party to stay at home.
“We have begged them. If they don’t want to vote for us, it is not a fight. Tell them, mama Chukwudi, if you don’t want to vote for us, sit down at home. Sit down at home,” he said.
His threat comes after Peter Obi of the Labour Party, LP, won in Lagos state during the presidential poll on February 25.
Obi’s unprecedented victory has positioned LP’s candidate in Lagos state, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, as a major challenger to incumbent Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the APC.
Ignore Peter Obi’s Labour Party, vote other parties – Reno Omokri
Barely 48 hours to the March 18 gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections, Reno Omokri, a social media influencer and former aide to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan said Lagosians should vote other parties other than Labour Party.
On his official Twitter handle on Thursday, Omokri faulted the performance of the presidential candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi during his eight years reign as Anambra State governor.
He listed world class railways and solid roads as achievements of Sanwo-olu.
“Love him or hate him, Sanwoolu built world class railways and solid roads. What does Obi have to show for his 8 years in Anambra, other than a beer brewery that he has interest in? If you can’t vote PDP on Saturday, March 18, jejely vote any other party but Labour” [sic].
Sanwo-olu, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of Labour Party, Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran of People’s Democratic Party and others will lock horns for the 7,060,195 registered voters in the 37 Local Government Areas in Lagos State.
