Voters In FCT Are Not Special, I Don't Need 25% There To Win – Tinubu

Nigeria's President-elect, Bola Tinubu, has stated that there is no exclusive obligation that a candidate must score 25 per cent in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to be returned president in an election, IGBERETV reports.

Tinubu made his position known in a preliminary objection he filed against the petition by the Labour Party (LP) and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, at the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja, seeking the dismissal of the petition for failing to disclose any cause of action.

Labour Party and other parties challenging outcome of the February 25 presidential election, have contended that APC and Tinubu did not secure the 25 per cent of the total votes cast in the FCT “as mandatorily required” in Section 134(2)(b) of the Constitution of Nigeria, and was, therefore, ineligible to be declared.

Tinubu's legal team led by Wole Olanipekun (SAN), argued that the Nigerian election is not based on the electoral college as it particularly relates to the FCT, adding that the residents are not super voters conferred with “any privilege or advantage that is not accorded to citizens of Nigeria of other communities, ethnic groups and places of origin.”

Olanipekun further noted that the territory was created by adjusting the boundaries and excising land from the neighbouring states of Kwara, Niger, Plateau and Kaduna states, etc.

He said, 

“The petitioners themselves agree in their paragraph 25 that Nigeria is one single constituency for the purpose of the presidential election.

“Thus, no part of that single constituency is superior to the other or carries a special status requiring a minimum threshold of votes not mandated in others.”

https://igberetvnews.com/1443123/voters-fct-special-dont-need-25-win-tinubu/

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Nobody Can Force Me Out Of Nigeria – Peter Obi Fires Back At Fani-kayode, Others

The 2023 Labour Party, LP, presidential candidate, Peter Obi has said nobody can force him out of Nigeria.

Obi spoke at Onitsha Holiday Resort in Anambra State while responding to calls for him to leave Nigeria.

A former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode had challenged Obi to leave Nigeria and never come back.

Fani-Kayode made the call in response to Obi’s outcry that he was under pressure to leave the country.

On Wednesday, the LP flag bearer in the last election accused the All Progressives Congress, APC, and some government agencies of trying to divert the country’s attention from the infractions that marred the just concluded polls.

However, Obi said his party is committed to creating a new Nigeria because there are too many “thieves” inflicting suffering on the masses.

Obi said, “There is too much suffering in this country, and that is what we, in Labour Party, are fighting to end. There are many thieves in the country.

So, Labour Party is fighting to create a new Nigeria. I am here with you, and nobody is going to force me to leave Nigeria.”

Source: https://dailypost.ng/2023/04/14/nobody-can-force-me-out-of-nigeria-peter-obi-fires-back-at-fani-kayode-others/

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PREMIUM TIMES Writes UK Govt, Seeks Clarification Over Peter Obi’s Arrest

Nigeria’s foremost investigative newspaper, PREMIUM TIMES, has written the United Kingdom government requesting the details of the arrest and detention of the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, by its immigration officials at Heathrow airport in London last week.

In the letter dated 13 April to the UK Home Office, the newspaper sought to understand the circumstances surrounding Mr Obi’s ordeals in the European country during Easter.

On Wednesday, the Head, Obi-Datti Media, Diran Onifade, in a statement announced that the LP candidate was last week detained in London by UK immigration officials over alleged impersonation.

Mr Onifade, however, said Mr Obi has since returned to Nigeria.

“The LP presidential candidate in the February 25 presidential poll arrived at the Heathrow Airport in London from Nigeria on Good Friday, April 7, 2023, and joined the queue for the necessary Airport protocols when he was accosted by immigration officials who handed him a detention note and told him to step aside,” he said in the statement.

He added that Mr Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, South-east Nigeria, was harassed by the London immigration officials and placed in detention where he spent the Easter holidays.

The statement did not, however, highlight the necessary details of Mr Obi’s arrest and his subsequent discharge before returning to the country.

Similarly, the UK government has yet to provide any information surrounding Mr Obi’s ordeal in London.

THE INQUIRY
Based on these concerns and its desire to accurately report the incident amidst unsubstantiated claims on social media on the issues, PREMIUM TIMES placed a telephone call on Thursday to UK Home Office for further details on Mr Obi’s ordeal.

However, this newspaper was requested to write a letter formally requesting the details.

In the letter, signed by the newspaper’s Editor-in-Chief, Musikilu Mojeed, it specifically sought clarification on Mr Obi’s offences, when and how he was released, the conditions upon which he was released, the current status of the case against him and other related issues.

“Our newspaper is interested in understanding the circumstances surrounding the arrest and detention of Mr Obi, including:

-details of when he was arrested,

– his offences,

– when and how he was released,

– the conditions upon which he was released,

– the current status of the case against him and

– whether he was arraigned and in which court,”the letter read.

LP mute
Meanwhile, a similar request among which include the inquiry into the crimes committed by the “impersonator” that led to Mr Obi’s detention as well as his current access status to the UK, which were forwarded to Mr Onifade were left unanswered as of the time of filing this report.

Also, a check on the LP’s website by this paper also revealed that the party might have deleted the statement issued by Mr Onifade about Mr Obi’s London ordeal which it published earlier.

NO APOLOGY FROM UK AUTHORITIES
Meanwhile, LP has denied reports that the UK government had apologised to Mr Obi over his “arrest”, “detention” and “harassment” at the London airport as claimed by his party in the statement.

“We have been receiving enquiries with regards to a so-called apology, purportedly issued by the British Government or any of its agencies, to our Principal Mr Peter Obi, in respect of a routine Immigration engagement with him, as he arrived London, for a brief visit, last Friday, the 7th of April.

“We would like to state emphatically that we are not aware of any such apology, and have not issued any statement whatsoever, in that regard,” Mr Onifade said in a statement on Thursday.

The LP spokesperson said while the party continues to examine any dubious or political motive, on the part of the perpetrators of the identity theft, it had every confidence in the ability of the British authorities to resolve the matter to a conclusion.

“Mr Peter Obi and the LP/PCC have since moved on from the incident and continue to be totally focused, on the legal processes before the Election Petition Tribunal towards the recovery of our mandate, which we are firmly convinced was overwhelmingly expressed by voters, in the Presidential election of February 25th,” the statement said.

The LP presidential candidate has yet to speak on his ordeal in London.

Mr Obi was one of the 18 candidates in Nigeria’s recent presidential election in which he came third.

The electoral commission declared the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, winner of the poll with over eight million votes against Mr Obi’s over six million votes.

The LP candidate is currently challenging the result in court.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/593345-premium-times-writes-uk-govt-requests-details-of-peter-obis-arrest.html

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Tiwa Savage Escapes Kidnap Attempt, Suspects Arrested

Popular singer , Tiwa Savage has confirmed escaping a security breach at her residence – widely reported online as a kidnap attempt.

The talented singer made the revelation on her Instagram handle via a statement signed by her management.

The statatement reads: “Following recent reports onlin, we can confirm that on Thursday 13th April 2023 there was a major security breach at the residence of musician Tiwa Savage.

“A number of suspects were caught and are currently being held under investigation at Alagbon Police Station, Ikoyi.

Ms Savage and her family are safe and well.”

According to several media outlets who published the report earlier and quoted self-acclaimed investigative journalist, Kemi Olunloyo, the singer’s new driver was alleged to have provided information about her movement known to his co-conspirators, but luckily for Tiwa Savage, all the people in the kidnap attempt have all been arrested and handed to the police.

SOURCE 

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Putin Signs Electronic Conscription Bill, to block those who intend to flee

Russian President Putin on Friday signed a bill allowing authorities to issue electronic notices to draftees and reservists amid the fighting in Ukraine, sparking fears of a new wave of mobilization.

The bill signed into law by Putin was published on the official register of government documents.

Russia’s military service rules previously required the in-person delivery of notices to conscripts and reservists who are called up for duty. Under the new law, the notices issued by local military conscription offices will continue to be sent by mail but they would be considered valid from the moment they are put on a state portal for electronic services.

In the past, many Russians avoided the draft by staying away from their address of record. The new law closes that loophole in an apparent effort to create a tool for quickly beefing up the military ahead of a widely anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive in the coming weeks.

Recipients who fail to show up for service would be prohibited from leaving Russia, would have their drivers’ licenses suspended and would be barred from selling their apartments and other assets.

Kremlin critics and rights activists denounced the new legislation as a step toward a “digital prison camp” that gives unprecedented powers to the military conscription offices.

Lyudmila Narusova, the widow of former St. Petersburg mayor Anatoly Sobchak, was the only house member who spoke against the measure when the Federation Council, the upper house of parliament, considered the bill Wednesday.

Narusova, whose late husband was Putin’s mentor, charged that the bill contradicts the country’s constitution and various laws, and strongly objected to its hasty approval.

The swift enactment of the law fueled fears of the government initiating another wave of mobilization following the one that Putin ordered in the fall.

Authorities have said that another mobilization isn’t planned. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said this week that the measure was needed to streamline the outdated call-up system in view of the flaws that were revealed by last fall’s partial mobilization.

“There was a lot of mess in military conscription offices,” he said. “The purpose of the bill is to clean up this mess and make the system modern, effective and convenient for citizens.”

Putin announced a call-up of 300,000 reservists in September after a Ukrainian counteroffensive that pushed Russian forces out of broad areas in the east. 

The mobilization order prompted an exodus of Russian men that was estimated to number in the hundreds of thousands.

@AP

Federal Gov’t Denies Bailing Peter Obi Out Of Detention In UK

The Federal Government of Nigeria has denied news making the rounds that it intervened in the detention ordeal of the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in London, United Kingdom last week.

LEADERSHIP reports that Obi was briefly detained at Hearthrow Airport in London in a case of mistaken identity during his trip to celebrate Easter in the UK.

A fake photo has gone viral on the social media on Thursday purportedly showing the executive chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, seated in an office with Obi and a UK law enforcement officer in order to secure the LP presidential candidate’s release from detention.

Also, an aide of President Muhammadu Buhari, Bashir Ahmad, also tweeted on Thursday, implying that the Federal Government intervened in Peter Obi’s ordeal to secure his release.

Ahmad wrote: “I heard Aunty @Abike Dabiri has done it for the Compatriot that needed her intervention in the UK. God bless you and the services you have been rendering for our countrymen and women, especially this recent one, ma’am!”

But, the spokesperson and head of Media, Public Relations and Protocol Unit of NiDCOM, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, has disowned the viral photo, describing it as a stunt.

He said the NiDCOM boss, Dabiri-Erewa, was not in the UK and not in a position to secure the release of any Nigerian suspected to be under UK interrogation

“Our attention has been called to the above social.media stunt which has gone viral. Aunty Abike Dabiri-Erewa is NOT in UK and NOT in a position to secure the release of any Nigerian suspected to be under UK interrogation. So, members of the public should disregard the information in its entirety,” the NiDCOM spokesman stated.

https://leadership.ng/federal-govt-denies-bailing-peter-obi-out-of-detention-in-uk/

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Ronaldo’s Manager At Al Nassr, Rudi Garcia Sacked

Al Nassr has announced that head coach, Rudi Garcia has left the club by mutual agreement.

Garcia has been fired due to his poor relationship with the dressing room, which includes Cristiano Ronaldo.

He recently confronted the players, a move which proved costly, as the Saudi Pro League club has taken the decision to dismiss him.

Garcia has also failed to live up to the expectations set out in his club’s ambitious project.

With seven fixtures left to play, Al Nassr is currently in second place, three points behind Al Ittihad.

DAILY POST

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