French President Emmanuel Macron defeated his far-right rival Marine Le Pen on Sunday by a comfortable margin, securing a second term and heading off what would have been a political earthquake. Cheers of joy erupted as the results appeared on a giant screen at the Champ de Mars park at the foot of the Eiffel tower, where Macron supporters waved French and EU flags. People hugged each other and chanted “Macron”. In contrast, a gathering of dejected Le Pen supporters erupted in boos and whistles at a sprawling reception hall on the outskirts of Paris. Le Pen admitted defeat but…
Author: Newsdesk
Prof Ango Abdullahi has recanted reports which emanated from him that the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), has endorsed two presidential aspirants from the North, former president of the Senate, Abubakar Bukola Saraki and Bauchi state governor, Bala Mohammed as consensus candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Speaking with the African Independent Television (AIT) in a telephone conversation on Sunday, Ango Abdullahi said the endorsement was in his personal capacity and not on behalf of other members of NEF. According to him, the report was his personal assessment and evaluation of the four Northern aspirants on the platform of the…
The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have said that they will fast-track the implementation of the G20 debt relief scheme. The IMF Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva and the World Bank President, David Malpass announced at the ongoing 2022 Spring Meetings of the World Bank-IMF in Washington DC that the institutions would help debtor nations to achieve development and macro-economic stability. The G20 had in November 2020, reached an agreement on a Common Framework to deal with insolvency and liquidity problems in DSSI-eligible countries, including Nigeria. These include strengthening institutions and the capacity needed to improve debt transparency,…
The Catholic Bishop of Ekiti Diocese, Rev Felix Ajakaye has appealed to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and Nigerian government to resolve the lingering crisis that has led to the closure of all public universities in the interest of the students, Parents and the country. He made the call at the funeral mass held in honour of the of the immediate past Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), Late Professor Adebiyi Daramola on Friday April 22 at St Peters Catholic Church Okemesi, Ekiti state. In his homily the Bishop Said the fight between two…
A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen has said that the process towards a consensus presidential candidate for the forthcoming 2023 election has collapsed. This is contained in a statement by the Director-General, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen Campaign Organization, Lamis Shehu Dikko made available to newsmen on Sunday. While noting that the campaign organisation was aware of Prof. Ango Abdullahi-led committee’s decision to announce Bauchi governor Bala Mohammad and Senator Bukola Saraki as the preferred Northern consensus candidates for the PDP, it however stressed that the aspirants involved could not reach a compromise amongst themselves, resulting in the decision of…
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is preparing to welcome U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin to Kiev on Sunday as a delegation from Washington makes a visit to the embattled country. The announcement came as Russia continued to bombard Ukrainian cities on Saturday. Amid the onslaught, Zelensky said he planned to discuss with Blinken and Austin the weapons Ukraine needs and how quickly they can be supplied, in comments to the press in a Kiev metro station. Zelensky added that he hoped that US President Joe Biden would also come to Kiev “as soon as the…
Scores of people were on Saturday burnt beyond recognition following an explosion at an illegal oil refinery in Rivers. Mr Idris Musa, Director-General, National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), confirmed the incident saying investigation by the agency is underway. “There was an explosion at an artisanal refining site in Egbema-Ndoni local government area, Rivers state earlier today. The incident claimed several lives, especially those engaged in the illegal oil refining and bunkering. “The incident is still under investigation even though the raging inferno has subsided. “That area is one of the oil theft prone locations. “An incident similar to…
A Friday night explosion that occurred at an illegal oil bunkering site in Imo has left over 100 people dead. The incident which occurred at about 8pm happened at the boundary between Abacheke and Abezi community in Ohaji/Egbema local government area on Saturday. Unidentified burnt bodies littered the area even as family members were seen moving away the remains of their loved ones. A community leader and President-General of the Supreme Council of Oil and Gas Producing Areas in Imo, Chief Collins Ajie, described the incident as ‘unfortunate’. “It is unfortunate. A tragedy no one dreamt of where are about…
A cleric, Pastor Dan Horn on Saturday night urged Nigerians to pray to God to intervene in the current challenges facing the country. Horn, the Pastor of the Reformation Baptist Church, South Carolina, U.S., said this while speaking at an interdenominational crusade held in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi state. He said that consistent acts of insincerity and lack of the fear of God was partly responsible for the problems facing the country. “Repent and seek the face of God for the cleansing and total healing of the land. “Turn to God to remedy the socio-economic and political problems bedevilling the nation,”…
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is to hold its 96th National Executive Committee (NEC) on Wednesday, May 4. The party disclosed this in a notice issued by its National Secretary, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, in Abuja on Saturday. He urged all members of the NEC to attend the meeting. Anyanwu said that the meeting that would start by 2pm would hold at the NEC Hall, PDP National Secretariat, Wadata Plaza, Abuja. Though the agenda of the meeting was not disclosed, it is expected that the party would among other things discuss issue of zoning of the presidential ticket, the party’s primary…