Arguing that “peaceful and stable” Afghanistan is in the interest of all of its neighbouring countries in the region, the United States on Thursday urged all parties involved in the Afghan conflict to reach a negotiated political settlement and a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire. When asked whether the United States encouraged India to engage in talks with the Taliban, the US State Department said Washington continues to galvanise and support the diplomatic process toward peace in Afghanistan. “A peaceful, stable Afghanistan is in the interest of all of Afghanistan’s neighbours and countries in the region. Regional consensus and support for…
Author: Ifeanyi N.
The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has vowed to declare war on all politicians and traditional rulers of Southeast extraction if its leader, Nnamdi Kanu remains incarcerated. IPOB warned that Igbo politicians and traditional rulers will never have peace until Kanu regains freedom. Emma Powerful, a spokesman for the group, issued the warning while rebuking Southeast leaders over their silence in the face of Kanu’s current travail. Powerful wondered why Southeast leaders would not show solidarity towards Kanu like Northern leaders are allegedly doing towards bandits and terrorists. In a statement signed by Powerful, the separatist group vowed to declare…
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the House of Representatives has condemned Deputy Speaker of the House, Idris Wase for the process of the passage of the Electoral Act. InfoStride News had reported that the caucus staged a walkout in protest against the process of the passage of the bill. Mr Idris Wase, who is the chairman of the committee of the whole, had promised the opposition lawmakers that he will reconsider clause 52 of the bill. It would be recalled that section 52 stalled the process on Thursday as the members disagreed on electronic transmission of results.” At the…
A leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has slammed, Olumide Jones, Governor Dapo Abiodun for saying the All Progressives Congress (APC) is the only political party in Ogun State. Jones said it makes no sense for a leader like Abiodun to make such a comment in a democratic system. InfoStride News reports that Governor Dapo Abiodun has repeatedly gloated that there are no other political parties in Ogun State. As the governor tours the 20 local governments in the State ahead of the July 24 local council polls, he has continued to boast that no other political parties could…
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has left out the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Valentine Ozigbo, on the list of cleared candidates for the November 6 Anambra governorship election. The commission also excluded the factional candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Professor Chukwuma Soludo, from the list. INEC, in a statement by Festus Okoye, its National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, cited Court Order for the exclusion of Ozigbo. Recall that Soludo had emerged the winner of the APGA faction loyal to Governor Willie Obiano. However, INEC cleared the candidate of…
US President Joe Biden said his administration will not ease restrictions on remittances sent from US residents to relatives in Cuba because the Cuban government will likely confiscate the money. On Sunday, thousands of Cubans took part in the biggest anti-government protest in Cuba in recent years to express dissatisfaction with what they believe to be a lack of freedom and a degrading economic situation in the country. Some protesters demanded that free elections be held. “There are a number of things that we would consider doing to help the people of Cuba but it would require a different circumstance…
A Federal High Court sitting in Awka, Anambra State, has declined to stop Senator Andy Uba from parading as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the November poll in the State. The court rather asked the APC to maintain the status quo ante bellum pending the hearing and determination of originating summons on the governorship primary of the party held on June 26 ,2021. One of the governorship aspirants, Chief Maxwell Okoye, had approached the court over the outcome of the primary. Okoye had asked the court for an order restraining Andy Uba from parading himself as candidate…
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Thursday described as ‘shocking, the rejection of electronic transmission of election results by the Senate. A statement by PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan said that majority of Nigerians were shocked that the Senate gave no condition for rejecting the demand for the electronic transmission of election results. Ologbondiyan said Senate’s decision amounts to undermining Nigeria’s electoral process, a direct affront and a defilement of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). It noted that the 1999 Constitution clearly conferred operational independence to INEC to conduct elections, free from interferences and regulations from any other…
The electronic transmission of results has stalled the consideration of the electoral amendment bill. The clause by clause consideration of the bill has been besieged by rancour and rowdiness, as the Deputy Speaker, Idris Wase, who is the Chairman Committee of the Whole, was ruling against popular votes. The ongoing saga is pitching members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) against one another. The minority leader, Toby Okekwukwu had moved for electronic transmission of results as an amendment to section 52 of the bill. His amendment was seconded by an APC lawmaker, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, the deputy majority leader. Mr Wase…
The Senate on Thursday, confirmed the nomination of Prof. Sani Muhammad Adam, as the National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Adam is representing the North Central zone. This followed a presentation of a report by its Committee on INEC. Chairman of the Committee, Sen. Kabiru Gaya (APC-Kano), noted that President Muhammadu Buhari’s request to confirm Adam, was made in accordance with Sections 153(1)(f) and 154(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). The Senate had investigated a petition against Adam and received explanations regarding his personal life, work experience and integrity for appointment to become a National Electoral…
Nepal’s government on Thursday recommended President Bidya Devi Bhandari to summon the new session of the House of Representatives on July 18, according to a Cabinet minister. A Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba made the decision to summon the meeting of the reinstated House on July 18, Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand told reporters. This would be the first meeting of the 275-member lower house of parliament after it was unconstitutionally dissolved on May 22. A five-member Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana on Monday reinstated the dissolved House…
Senator representing Kogi East Senatorial District, Jibrin Isah Echocho has rejected the electronic means of transmitting election results during the parliamentary debate on Thursday. The senate was caught in a heated debate on the amendment of the Electoral Act 2010 that would empower the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to transmit election results to avoid rigging challenges that tend to put the umpire in a bad light. The proviso in the Committee report submitted by Senator Kabir Gaya was succinct to enable INEC transmit results electronically but the debate generated confusion among senators who stood for and against. InfoStride News…
A caucus group in the All Progressives Congress, APC, Osun Progressives (TOP) has cried out over alleged irregularities being perpetrated by the leadership of the party in the state. The group accused the leadership of manipulating membership registration in Osun and performing acts of demolition of unity within the APC in the state. The Osun Progressives has now told President Muhammadu Buhari, that “all is not well with the Osun APC.” This was made known in a press conference on Thursday in Osogbo before the weekly general meeting of the group. Addressing the journalists, the chairman of the caucus group,…
The crisis in the Kwara chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has deepened, following the decision of the caretaker committee to ratify the suspension of 11 members loyal to Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed. The 11 members had dragged the party and the state chairman Abdullahi Abubakar to court. The approval of the suspension was contained in a letter by the National Secretary, Caretaker/Extra-ordinary National Convention Planning Committee, Senator James Akpanudoedehe, to Abubakar. The letter read in part: “the Caretaker/Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee ratifies the decision of the Kwara State Caretaker Committee and upholds suspension of the following…
Former Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress in Niger State, Comrade Jonathan Vatsa, has lambasted the 9th Assembly of the Nigerian Senate for the proposed bill seeking death penalty for anyone convicted for hate speech. While addressing selected journalists in Minna, the former Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism in the state described the move as not only laughable but a direct invitation for anarchy. The APC chieftain advised the 9th Assembly to also propose a bill that will apply for lands in the 36 states, including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja as did for Ruga to be used…
Haiti chief on Wednesday accused a Venezuelan businessman who owns a security company in Florida of travelling to Haiti numerous times as part of a plot to assassinate President Jovenel Moise, who was killed last week. Leon Charles, head of the Haiti’s National Police, said Antonio Intriago of CTU Security signed a contract while in Haiti but provided no other details and offered no evidence. The investigation is very advanced, Charles said. Intriago could not be immediately reached for comment. Colombia’s national police chief has said that CTU Security used its company credit card to buy 19 plane tickets from…
The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF, on Thursday declared that the North still has four years to rule Nigeria, after the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari. AYCF National President, Yerima Shettima made the declaration while faulting Southern governors call for a rotational presidency in 2023. Speaking exclusively with the media, Shettima insisted that former Presidents, Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan ruled Nigeria for 14 years in favour of the South, while late Musa Yar’Adua and Buhari would have ruled for 10 years in 2023, hence the North has four years outstanding. Southern governors had demanded that the Southern part of…
A group of elders, under the auspices of Abia Founding Fathers, has stated that the Governorship seat of Abia State should be zoned to the Isuikwuato extraction of Abia North senatorial district ahead of the 2023 general elections. The Abia Founding Fathers made their position known in a communique at the end of an enlarged meeting held in Umuahia, against the backdrop of the continued controversy over which senatorial zone in the State will produce Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s successor in 2023. They stated that they arrived at the decision to ensure equity, justice and fairness in all strata of governance…
Chief Tony Okocha, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has kicked against his former principal, Rotimi Amaechi’s insistence in zoning the party’s governorship ticket to the Riverine area. Okocha declared that Amaechi, who is the current Minister of Transportation, cannot decide where the next governor of the State will come from. Okocha, who was Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt, during Amaechi’s reign as governor, said this at the inauguration of the Obio/Akpor LGA chapter of a political pressure group, the Rivers Voice of Freedom (RVF). Okocha said no individual had the responsibility to…
Rochas Okorocha, the Imo West Senator, has lambasted the state Governor, Hope Uzodinma. Okorocha described Uzodinma as a Supreme Court governor and a gatecrasher. The former governor of the state said Uzodinma was never an APC member until the ruling of the apex court in 2019. Speaking through his Special Adviser on Media, Sam Onwuemedo, the lawmaker accused the governor of attempting to force those who laboured for APC out of the party. In a statement by Onwuemeodo, the former governor insisted that Uzodinma was reaping where he did not sow. The statement reads: “Governor Uzodinma was never a member…