China continues to bully its neighbours to try to coerce them into behaviour that is more in keeping with its national security or economic interests, the Pentagon said on Monday. Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby was speaking to reporters at a news conference. “China continues to bully its neighbours to try to coerce them into behaviour that is more in keeping with China’s national security or economic interests. And we don’t believe that that is conducive to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Kirby said. The Biden administration, he said, has put a real premium on bolstering and reinforcing its alliances…
Author: Ifeanyi Nwagboso
The wrangling in the Taraba State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has further deepened as the State Congress committee has been accused of conducting the exercise in the farm of a party chieftain. The accusations came from some critical stakeholders of the party and the party’s Forum of contestants on Monday. They said they could not fathom why the Congress slated for last Saturday did not hold but was rather secretly held on Sunday in a farm on the outskirts of Jalingo. Pondering on the lack of inclusivity, the Forum vowed not to rest until justice prevailed. Speaking…
The appeal committee set up at the national headquarters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to listen to complaints emanating from its congresses in Bauchi State on Monday barred lawyers from participating in its sittings, declaring that issues relating to its sittings are family affairs. This is according to the chairman of the committee, Mohammed Mabo Kassim. He told journalists in Bauchi at the commencement of the committee’s sittings in the state that all grievances in the party will be settled within. Kassim revealed that a lawyer was at the party secretariat on Monday with a petition but the committee…
An Igbo socio-political organization, Nzuko Ndigbo, has warned against the manipulation of the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra State. InfoStride News recalls that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had announced November 6th, 2021 for the conduct of the Anambra poll. Major Candidates of the political parties for the forthcoming polls are Professor Charles Soludo (All Progressives Grand Alliance), Valentine Ozigbo (Peooles Democratic Party), Dr. Godwin Maduka (Accord Party) and Senator Andy Ubah (All Progressives Congress). In a statement by its Convener, Mazi Chuks Ibegbu, Nzuko Ndigbo disclosed that it has constituted an election monitoring team and will send poll…
A coalition of civil society organizations in the South-East has urged the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, to immediately withdraw the sit-at-home order it issued ahead of the Anambra State governorship election. The election, scheduled for November 6, is now under threat with the IPOB ordering a sit-at-home from November 5 to November 10. At an international press conference in Enugu, on Sunday, the CSOs said should the order be carried out, the Federal Government would have no option other than to impose a state of emergency on the state and the citizens would be the ultimate losers. Although the…
US President Joe Biden said the US was committed to defending Taiwan from a Chinese attack, in some of his strongest comments yet as the administration faces calls to clarify its stance on the democratically ruled island. Biden answered “yes” when asked during a CNN town hall Thursday whether he could pledge to protect Taiwan. “I don’t want a Cold War with China — I just want to make China understand that we are not going to step back, we are not going to change any of our views,” Biden told host Anderson Cooper in Baltimore. A White House spokesperson…
A group under the auspices of the Southern Taraba Women and Youth Coalition has appealed to Governor Darius Ishaku to contest the Southern Taraba senatorial seat in 2023. The coalition made the appeal while presenting an endorsement letter to the State PDP chairman, Col. Agbu Kefas (rtd). The co-convener of the group and member representing Ibi Constituency in the State House of Assembly, Mohammed Abdulkarim, explained that the group saw that Governor Ishaku has what the group called “an unquenchable spirit of development and love for his people.” According to Abdulkarim, “The governor has proven to be a good ambassador,…
An Igbo interest group, Igbos for Progressive Nigeria (IPAN), has called on Anambra residents who are eligible to vote in the forthcoming governorship election in the State to be vigilant while performing their civic responsibilities. The group, during a press conference on Sunday, advised the voters to evaluate all the candidates based on their pedigree either in private or public life to determine who can manage the tiny resources of the State for the betterment of all. Mr Lawrence Onuzulike, IPAN National President, who made the call at a press conference in Awka, charged the Anambra electorate to shine their…
Moghalu, who made this known on his Twitter page, said Nigerians need a transparent leader to manage diversity. This, he said, was how to build trust and a better nation. He said, “Nigeria’s ethnic tensions are manufactured and exaggerated by dimwitted politicians. “We need a leader who will be fair and just to all, and transparent in his or her dealings. That’s how to manage diversity. Building trust. Building a nation.” Moghalu, who recently joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to pursue his presidential ambition in 2023, had earlier accused big political parties in the country of failing Nigerians. He…
Yiaga Africa has expressed concern over the security situation and low level of voter education ahead of the Anambra governorship election. In a statement at the weekend, the non-governmental organization said with the November 6 date approaching, insecurity poses a big threat to the poll. The group observed the activities of secessionist agitators, political attacks, and intersecting criminality. Yiaga questioned the ability of security agencies to guarantee the safety of lives and properties. The statement lamented that Anambra has had four Commissioners of Police since February till date. On heavy deployments of security personnel and equipment, Yiaga called for coordinated…
China will “strengthen adjustments” in tax collection to boost revenue and reform the country’s income distribution, but in a targeted and accurate way, as part of efforts to achieve long-term “common prosperity”, state-run Xinhua news agency said. China aims to “divide the pie” by “reasonably” adjusting the income of its top-earners and elevating the earnings of lower-income groups, Xinhua wrote in a question-and-answer piece on the Chinese economy. The idea is to form an “olive-shaped” income distribution structure with a large middle and two small ends, Xinhua said. But China’s taxation policy must not be misinterpreted as “robbing the rich…
The All Progressives Congress, APC, Congress Appeal Committee for Osun State has upheld the results of the recently concluded Osun APC State congress. The Chairman of the five-man Osun APC Appeal Committee, Ambassador Obed Wadzani made this known during a press briefing on Sunday at the state party secretariat in Osogbo. Ambassador Wadzani also revealed that despite a report of a parallel State Congress in the State, the five-man Appeal Panel did not receive any petition since its inauguration on October 21 by the leadership of the party at the National Secretariat, Abuja. The Appeal Committee Chairman disclosed that the…
The Senator who represented Imo East at the 8th Senate, Senator Samuel Anyanwu on Sunday charged Nigerians to take their destinies in their hands, having seen that the All Progressives Congress, APC does not have any regard for their security and welfare. The chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State, said plans were on top gear to tackle insecurity in Nigeria when the PDP takes over in 2023. Anyanwu maintained that since the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is doing nothing to reassure Nigerians of adequate security, such callous mistake has been identified by the PDP for…
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has reaffirmed its preference for a presidential candidate from the Yoruba Muslim stock. The group warned that any party that picks a Yoruba Christian as its 2023 candidate should forget Muslim votes. “No political party should tell us that they cannot find competent Yoruba Muslims”, Professor Ishaq Akintola said on Monday. A statement by the Director said no Yoruba Muslim ever occupied the State House either as president or vice president since 1960. MURIC advised presidential aspirants and parties mapping out strategies for the next general elections to heed its call. Akintola condemned the “stigmatisation…
The Progressive Consolidation Group (PCG), a political group recently endorsed by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), has dismissed speculations that Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has renounced his ambition to contest in the 2023 presidential election. The group said there was never a time the Vice President attended a meeting where he renounced his bid to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023, as rumoured, noting that such was the figment of imagination of those purportedly behind the rumour. In a statement which was sent to newsmen on Sunday by the Chairman of the group, Dr. Aliyu Kurfi, it said…
A deal within reach, President Joe Biden and Congress’ top Democrats edged close to sealing their giant domestic legislation, though the informal deadline appeared to slip as they worked to scale back the measure and determine how to pay for it. Negotiations were expected to continue into the weekend, all sides indicating just a few issues remained unsettled in the sweeping package of social services and climate change strategies. Biden met at the White House on Friday with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer joined by video call from from New York, trying to shore up…
The Leader Of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Ayodele, on Sunday issued a warning to the former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, on Igbo presidency in 2023. Primate Ayodele warned that Uzor Kalu is one of the politicians who can push for the Igbo presidency but his efforts will not be appreciated and recognized. He made it known that he will not be able to put the All Progressives Congress, APC, together in Abia State, because he would face a lot of challenges. In a statement signed by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, the clergyman urged him to…
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman in Zango Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Mr. Francis Zimbo, has won the rescheduled elections conducted on Saturday. The local government elections in Zagon Kataf and Birnin Gwari local government areas had been scheduled for Saturday, October 23, 2021, due to a security threat. The Returning Officer, Prof. Nuhu Garba, who declared the result on Sunday, said Zimbo scored 28,771 votes to defeat Mr. John Hassan of the All Progressives Congress who polled 19,509 votes. He said Zimbo, having satisfied the requirements of the law and scored the highest number of votes…
The Ebonyi State Chapter of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, has faulted claims that its newly elected Chairman, Mr. Tochukwu Okorie, was foisted on the party through an undemocratic process. In his petition to the PDP Congress Appeal Committee made available to the media, Mr. Silas Onu, one of the chairmanship contestants in the just-concluded State Congress held in Abakaliki, alleged that “Mr. Okorie failed to meet the minimum requirements for nomination and therefore did not qualify to stand election at the Congress”. He accused the party’s National Working Committee of gifting Mr. Okorie a nomination form contrary to the…
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari and the governors of the Southeast States to take prompt action to forestall the massive bloodbath that may be unleashed should the Federal Government of Nigeria carry out its threats to take military action against groups standing in the way of the Anambra State governorship election in less than two weeks away. HURIWA, in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media Affairs Director, Miss Zainab Yusuf, at the weekend, said it was worried by the fact that up until…