The rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in Spain ended after the Portuguese left Real Madrid for Juventus last summer in a staggering £100million deal.

Now, his fierce rival, Lionel Messi has admitted he wishes Ronaldo was still in La Liga.

'I miss Cristiano,' Messi told FM Club 947 in Argentina. 'Although it was a bit difficult to see him win trophies, he gave La Liga prestige.

'Juventus are a great candidate to win the Champions League since the arrival of Cristiano, and the match against Atleti must have given them a lot of confidence.'

The Barcelona captain also went on to name a list of players who he feels are at the top of their game at the moment.

'I don't want to forget anyone, but I think that Neymar, [Kylian] Mbappe, [Eden] Hazard, Luis Suarez and [Sergio] Aguero are the best,' he added.

'I didn't mention Cristiano because I put him aside from the list with me.'

Reacting to criticism aimed him after he pulled out of Argentina's win over Morocco this week and travelled back to Barcelona.

'Somebody says whatever they want to say about me and then people believe it and I'm painted as the son of a b****,' he said.

'It has become the custom to say things about me. They invent things about me when I am not there. Nothing surprises me.

'The truth is I came back to the Argentina team with a pubis injury that I have been carrying since December and I have been training less and not playing all games.

'Pubis injuries are complicated; you cannot shake them off from one day to the next. I feel better but I have to take care of myself.

'I wanted to play both games with Argentina but after the first game I had some pain and I decided to rest so as not to aggravate the injury. It is improving all the time but it is not completely cleared up.'

Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse, Buba Marwa has said of Nigeria’s estimated population of about 180 million, there are 15 million drug addicts.

Marwa, who was former military governor of Lagos State, referred to the development as alarming.  He said the global average rating of drug use and abuse is five per cent, noting that “In Nigeria, we are at 15 per cent.”

He made this claim on Wednesday, in Kaduna, in the company of members of his committee, when he addressed officers and men of Katsina Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

“We have an emergency situation before us regarding the issue of drugs abuse in Nigeria,” he said, adding that the Nigerian government decided to raise the committee to proffer recommendations and steps to be taken to resolve the issue of drug abuse in the country,

Marwa had earlier visited the Katsina Government House, where he told Governor Aminu Bello Masari that the committee commenced work last December.

“We started our work since December and finished the plenary and now we are visiting states across the country.

“On the whole, we are facing the supply side of drugs, in terms of cutting the supply because you must have drugs first before the use. Government agencies involved need to be strengthened to be able to carry out their functions effectively, and the demand side appears to be more difficult to handle.

“We also need to take the preventive measures to ensure that those who do not take the drugs remain so. We have to interface with esteemed leaders across the country. We feel that there ought to be committees on drug abuse, right from the federal to the local governments and across the communities.

“We do not know that the causes of drug abuse include, but it’s not limited to poverty, joblessness and idleness which translate to looking for jobs. Rehabilitation and counselling centres are few. We will interface with religious organisations and traditional leaders and also examine the Almajiri situation and embellish with western education. The Almajiris, in the course of their training, do other things that are not good for them.”

APC National Leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has asked the federal government to halt the planned increase in Value Added Tax(VAT). He said it will amount to taxing ordinary men in the country.

Tinubu, who spoke at the 11th Bola Tinubu Colloquium to mark his 67th birthday in Abuja this morning, said government should widen the tax net and ensure all those Nigerians who have refused to pay their tax are made to do so as a way of raising revenue.

He said increasing VAT at this stage will not help the ordinary man in the country, adding that those in charge of generating revenue for the country must begin to think of other sources of revenue.

''I must say this to Prof Osinbajo and his team, don’t increase VAT but increase tax net to accommodate those who are not yet paying. Don’t reduce the people’s purchasing power. We must criticise ourselves.” he said

The Federal government last week announced plans to increase VAT as a way of generating funds to pay for the N30,000 new minimum wage.

Empire star, Jussie Smollett, has been ordered to pay Police $130,000 to cover the cost of the investigation for the alleged street attack authorities said was staged to promote his career.

A letter from the city’s legal department to Smollett and his attorneys said that rhe figure covers overtime worked by more than two dozen detectives and officers who spent weeks looking into Smollett’s claim, including reviewing video and physical evidence and conducting interviews.

Those resources, the letter said, “could have been used for other investigations.”

If Smollett fails to pay, officials could charge him with violating a city ordinance and seek fines, damages and court costs, the letter stated.

Letter from City to Jussie Smollett titled

“Demand Letter-Smollett False Statement”

This comes after President Donald Trump tweeted that the FBI and the Department of Justice would review the “outrageous” case, calling it an “embarrassment” to the country after city prosecutors abruptly dropped 16 felony counts that accused Smollett of making a false police report about being the target of a racist, anti-gay attack in January.

He was accused of filing a false police report stating that he was the target of a racist, homophobic attack in Chicago in January. But Smollett maintained his innocence and insisted that the attack was real.

American actor, Nicolas Cage has filed for an annulment four days after getting married to his fourth wife, Erika Koike

According to Entertainment Tonight, the "Face/Off" star filed for an annulment from his partner on Wednesday. The court record also shows that the 55-year-old actor has requested a divorce if an annulment isn't possible.

The news outlet reported that the former couple who started dating last April applied for a marriage license and tied the knot on Saturday in Las Vegas.

This is Cage's fourth marriage. He was previously married to Patricia Arquette, Lisa Marie Presley, and Alice Kim.

He and Kim were married from 2004 to 2016 and share a son Kal-El who was born in October 2005. 

Before that, Cage was married to Lisa Marie but the union lasted just three months in 2002. His first marriage was to actress Patricia Arquette, 50, from 1995 until 2001.

Cage also has a son, Weston, 28, from a previous relationship with actress Christina Fulton.

Legendary rapper, Lil Wayne, has reportedly paid off a massive $14 Million Tax Debt.

According to court records obtained by The Blast, Weezy recently coughed up $14 million to settle his tax debt. The IRS filed releases of two separate federal tax liens against Wayne.

Back in 2017, the liens accused Wayne of failing to pay $7,341,399.07 in 2011 and $6,853,545.77 in 2012 for a grand total of $14,194,944.84.

It's understood the rapper must have cleared off the massive debt from the settlement money he received from Birdman last year when the two settled their years-long legal battle over his record deal.

At that time, Wayne who accused his label of owing him tens of millions of dollars, including an $8 million advance for “Tha Carter V” received an eight-figure payout from Universal Music Group and officially cut ties with Birdman’s record label, Cash Money Records.

The roller coaster of events that have characterised the global political scene since last year have been quite interesting. The world has witnessed major episodes ranging from failed efforts to denuclearise the Korean Peninsula, to populism, the Brexit process, and of course the escalating US-China Trade War.

Without a doubt, the United States of America and China are two of the largest economies in the world. They are both operating at the heart of global industrial supply chain. However, these two economies have lurked horn in an on-going trade war which has seen both of them try to undermine the economic prowess of each other.

What is a Trade War?

Basically, Trade Wars are subsumed in the concept of protectionism, where tariffs are levied on imports. Tariffs, in theory, make a locally made products cheaper than imported ones; thereby encouraging consumers to buy home-made products.

Trumponomics: How the U.S-China trade war began in retrospect

The on-going trade war between the U.S and China began in March 2018, when the United State’s President, Donald Trump, announced general tariffs of 25% on imported steel and 10% on imported aluminium.

According to Trump, the decision to impose such a general tariff was to help reduce the US’s trade deficit from China, which has been described as detrimental to the US steel and aluminium industries. It was also revealed that more than 90% of the 5.5 million tonnes of aluminium used in the United States is imported.

However, The New York Times reported that China is not among the top 10 suppliers (of either steel or aluminium) of U.S. imports. Instead, Canadian aluminium made up more than half of America’s imports in 2016. Also, Canada boasts of the largest share of America’s steel import of 17%. The U.S. Department of Defence also pointed out that most U.S. imports are produced by U.S. allies, including South Korea, and Turkey, which would be hurt by broad tariffs.

It is intrusive to note that one of the hallmarks of the Trump administration since he assumed office, is his concern about China’s trade practices.

Beyond steel, China is the US largest supplier of imported goods

As at 2017, the U.S. exports to China amounted to approximately $185 billion. On the other, China constituted U.S. largest supplier of imported goods worth more than $500 billion in the same year.

Also note that China is the biggest trading partner for some of the Africa’s most significant economies, including Nigeria, South Africa, and Ethiopia. So, whilst Africa comprises a mere 2% of global trade, US-China trade tension is of direct relevance to the continent.

Despite over $250 billion worth of tariff on Chinese goods, Trump threatens more

Data from the US census bureau shows that the US has imposed three rounds of tariffs on Chinese goods, totalling more than $250 billion.

Despite the $250 billion on Chinese goods entering the U.S, President Trump has also threatened tariffs on another $267 billion worth of goods – meaning all Chinese imports could be subject to tariffs. The US has also put tariffs on worldwide imports of goods like steel and washing machines, which further affects products from China.

China retaliated with $160 billion tariff on US goods – China hit back with tariffs worth $160 billion of US goods, accusing the US of starting the largest trade war in economic history. China has targeted products including chemicals, coal, and medical equipment with levies that range from 5% to 25%.

China has strategically targeted products made in Republican districts and goods that can be purchased elsewhere, like soybeans.

US-China Trade War rages on, as China’s exports rose back in January

China’s export rose dramatically in January 2019 due to a surge in exports to the European Union and Southeast Asia. Export rose by 9.1%, contradicting earlier forecast by Bloomberg of a 3.3% decline.

Also, in 2018, exports to the U.S. rose 11.3% year on year in 2018, while imports from the U.S. to China rose 0.7 percent over the same period. China’s surplus with the U.S. grew 17% from a year ago to hit $323.32 billion in 2018. It was the highest on record dating to 2006, according to Reuters.

How the global economy will be affected?

From an economic standpoint, escalation in trade war would see a reduction in global trade and consequently global demand. For instance, a weaker US and Chinese economy would weaken global supply chains.

By extension, the weak global supply chain would result in slower global growth, and in turn, affect commodity prices.

This may not be a Trade War after all, but where does Africa stand?

There has been concern from the West that the Chinese policy of using Chinese banks to issue grants to developing economies, is deliberately designed to capitalise on their global financial infrastructure to rival the IMF and the World Bank.

That is to say that the tussle between the US and China may not just be a Trade War, but a war over who controls the world’s financial flows in the long term.

Meanwhile, as though response to the allegation levied against China of debt trapping developing economies like Nigeria with loans, China tripled its offerings of interest-free loans and grants to Africa to dispel such threat. This further deepens its romance with the African continent. Just recently, China offered $15 billion assistance to Africa, with about $60 billion aid package pledged to the continent.

Africa may be regarded as the new bride for the developed economies, for instance, China-African trade increased to $170 billion in 2017. A recent United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) prediction shows that in the aftermath of the on-going trade war, Africa would be an enticing destination for these foreign goods.

Therefore, as president Trump continues to put tariffs on Chinese exports, China is gradually turning to Africa to make up the difference. In the end, both Africa and China will benefit.

The Asian Romance and the Nigerian economy

Despite the lingering U.S-China Trade War, the Nigerian economy continues its economic romance with the Asian superpowers. Recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that Nigeria export to Asia was estimated at N1.42 trillion in just the last quarter of 2018. The country’s highest import, which also came from China, is estimated at N900 billion for the same period.

Also, in terms of export, India is the biggest market for Nigeria export, with 15.53% of the total export in the last quarter of 2018. In the same period, Nigeria exported both oil and non-oil products worth N780 billion to the country. On the export chart, the U.S ranks 10th while India leads the top 10 recipients of Nigeria exports.

Last year when Nigerians became critical of the country’s $5 billion China loan, the Debt Management Office (DMO) stated the following:

“BORROWING FROM CHINA EXIM IS ONE OF SUCH MEANS OF ENSURING THAT NIGERIA HAS ACCESS TO MORE LONG TERM CONCESSIONAL LOANS. GIVEN THE COUNTRY’S INFRASTRUCTURE DEFICIT, WHICH NEEDS TO BE URGENTLY ADDRESSED, THE LOANS FROM CHINA EXIM, WHICH PROVIDE FINANCING FOR CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN ROAD AND RAIL TRANSPORT, AVIATION, WATER, AGRICULTURE AND POWER AT CONCESSIONAL TERMS, ARE APPROPRIATE FOR NIGERIA’S FINANCING NEEDS AND ALIGN PROPERLY WITH THE COUNTRY’S DEBT MANAGEMENT STRATEGY.”

Hence, the bilateral trade war and  slowing growth in the two superpowers’ economies will create unwelcome challenges for Africa in terms of currencies, slower trades and dampened investor sentiment.

The most imminent impact is likely to be on emerging markets via financial markets. Increased anxiety surrounding the US-China Trade War could trigger large capital flights to safety and a sell-off in emerging markets’ riskier assets.

Another risk to the African continent comes from its particularly close economic relationship with China (Africa’s largest trading partner and a major investor), making it vulnerable to any potential weaknesses in the Chinese economy. Slower growth in China could, therefore, depress investment flows from there.

Meanwhile, Nigeria may just have discovered its “new oil”

A slowdown in China-centred trade would negatively affect demand for raw materials such as iron ore, coal, and platinum, which in the event of price burst could seriously distress any country (like Nigeria) which depends on trade with China.

With 923,763 km2 land arable land, the U.S-China trade tussle portends an opportunity for Nigeria to become a major supplier of agricultural products to China and other Asian neighbors.

Also, the rise in tariffs on Chinese goods going into the United States will create supply gaps in the U.S. market, exports from other countries become “more competitive” due to the tariffs on China. This situation presents new opportunities for Nigerian export in the United States market which is currently reducing.

As Reuters put it, summarising Carmen Ling, Managing Director and Global Head of RMB Solutions,

“WE BELIEVE THAT COUNTRIES LIKE KENYA AND NIGERIA WILL BENEFIT BECAUSE CHINA WILL LOOK TO IMPORT MORE FROM AFRICA; SOME AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS FROM KENYA, SOME OIL PRODUCTS FROM NIGERIA.”

Hence, the Nigerian Government needs to be forward-looking in policy formulation and implementation, that will aid penetration into the impending global markets that could open up.

By Bamidele Samuel Adesoji

Former Manchester United boss, Jose Mourinho is reportedly planning a move to France for the next of his managerial career.

According to Wednesday's edition of L'Equipe, Mourinho who has been without a club since Manchester United sacked him in December, has identified either Lyon or Monaco as his preferred next destination.

Lyon are currently third in the Ligue 1 standings, 24 points behind leaders PSG, while Monaco are 16th in Ligue 1, eight points clear of the bottom three but L'Equipe suggests it is unlikely Mourinho will head there as he shares the same agent as the coach of the club, Leonardo Jardim.

Acting Inspector General of the Nigeria Police Force, Mohammed Adamu has spoken on the poor funding affecting the force since he assumed office.

Adamu, speaking before the House Committee on Police Affairs to defend the 2019 budget proposal for the Police, said the Police needs more funding “to maintain neutrality and avoid compromises in the performance of its statutory duties”. He lamented that the Force received less than 20 per cent of the N25billion capital budget for security outfits.

Adamu said: “On my assumption of office as the Inspector-General of Police in January 2019, I began taking determined steps, drawing from national and international policing leadership experiences, to provide the highest possible level of professional and responsible leadership for the Nigeria Police to enhance its efficiency and effectiveness. However, at every turn, I am confronted with the issue of inadequate funding.

“Nigeria is a large country with a huge population and policing a nation as large and diverse as Nigeria requires enormous funding. Also, to maintain neutrality and avoid compromises in the performance of its statutory duties, the Nigeria Police Force should obtain its funding requirements from constitutionally recognised sources.”

The Police boss also stressed that the meagre allocation to the force is grossly inadequate to meet the day-to-day running and need of every personnel.

He said: “Presently, the Police depend on the government for the provision of funds for day-to-day operations. However, the annual budgetary allocation for the Force, especially with regards to capital and overhead costs, does not reflect the enormous size, scope of responsibility and actual needs of the Force.

“Arising from the limitations of funding occasioned by the budgetary constraint, most of the requirements that would enable the Force to perform are never met. For instance, as against a capital budget estimate of N342.9billion proposed for the 2018 fiscal year, the Force was given an appropriation of N25.5billion.

“Appropriations in respect of the overhead cost and capital budget to the Force over the years have failed to meet the funding requirements of the police.”

Members of the committee condemned the low funding allocated to the Police in the 2019 proposed budget. They also posited that the Police Trust Fund Bill currently before the Senate should be passed and transmitted for presidential assent.

The Presidential Election Tribunal has granted the request of PDP and its presidential candidate in the February 23rd general election, Atiku Abubakar, to serve their petition against President Buhari to him through his party, All Progressives Congress (APC) as they have found it difficult to access him.

Recall that the party and Atiku, have filed a petition at the tribunal, challenging the victory of President Buhari in the election.

At the commencement of the hearing of the petition in Abuja this morning, the opposition party and Atiku applied for leave to effect service of the petition on President Buhari  on the grounds that they were finding it difficult to serve him personally as they have no access to him.

The three-man tribunal, after to listening Chris Uche (SAN) who moved the ex-parte filed by the petitioners, granted them permission to serve through substituted means. Justice Abdul Aboki, who led the panel, ordered that Buhari, who is the second respondent to the petition, be served through any senior official or an officer of the APC at the party’s secretariat in Abuja.

Justice Aboki, in his lead ruling, said “it is in the interest of justice” to grant the prayers in the petitioners’ motion.

Today March 27th is singer/actor/politician, Banky W's birthday. His wife, Adesua, took to her Instagram page this morning to pen the sweetest birthday message ever. She wrote;

I shudder to think of how life would have been,

If God didn't show me, if I hadn't seen,

That you are ALL i ever prayed for,

My knight in shining armour, my thor

Your love is one I've never seen before

My heart you cherish, my being you adore

Olubankole, you were worth waiting for

This love I feel, really is hardcore.

Your heart is so pure, your love is like gold

So precious, so valuable, a beauty to behold

I'll tell everybody, both young and old

And I'll love you in return, a thousandfold

Thank you for being the man you are

Mama raised a game changer, an absolute star

When I count my blessings, I don't look too far

Cause i turn to my side and there you always are.

May the lord increase you on every side

And with you, may he always abide

May favour in your life be multiplied

And all your needs, may he provide.

My lover, my baby, Happy birthday

Remember God's goodness, especially today

May you look at this wonderful life and say

Thank you Lord Jesus, keep having your way.

I love you very much.

Always and forever,

Your Shug.

Reality star, Uti Nwachukwu, has finally reacted to rumours circulating social media that he is expecting a child with former Big Brother Naija housemate, Tboss.

Sharing a lovely photo of them together, he wrote: '#WCW ALL DAY EVERY DARN DAY!!

Speculations/Assumptions will ALWAYS be the mother of all F*#k Ups!! But then again... it’s what we signed up for init?

Regardless, @officialtboss_ will always Be my WCW and #WCE period! I always stand by who I support because Loyalty is rare in this industry and we are part of the chosen few with unique hearts. ..... Keep Shinning Beautiful!I de here to ALWAYS cheer you on!

An old video of  Cardi B admitting she used sex to drug and rob men of their money has surfaced on the internet.

In the video, the Grammy award-winning rapper says:

“You gotta go to a good school yo and you gotta put in that bread. I did it with my money, so for a b*tch to say that I don’t motherf*cking deserve it cause I don’t put in no f*cking work, now that’s when I feel like n*ggas is buggin’.

“Cause I did it myself. N*ggas must’ve forgot my n*gga, the sh*t that I did to motherf*cking survive like I had to go strip. I had to go ‘oh yea, you wanna f*ck me? Yea, yea, yea, let’s go to this hotel.’ And I drugged n*ggas up and I robbed them..”

“That’s what I used to do. Nothing was motherf*cking handed to me my n*gga! Nothing! So for a b*tch to motherf*cking say that I don’t deserve sh*t that’s when I know that they’re f*cking buggin’ cause they do not f*cking know the sh*t that I had to do.”

Rapper #CardiB admits to using sex to DRUG men and ROB them of their money. pic.twitter.com/vIYYP1fMfr

— 24/7 HipHop News (@BenjaminEnfield) March 25, 2019

The video comes after it was reported that she is suing two bloggers for defamation after they alleged she had sex for money and has herpes.

The Kano State Government has challenged anyone with proof of killings during the supplementary governorship election of March 23 to come forward with it.

Malam Mohammed Garba, the Commissioner of Information, gave the challenge while addressing a news conference in Kano. According to Garba, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) claimed two persons were killed in Nasarawa Local Government but when they went to the area and to Nasarawa Hospital, they were unable to get report of any death. 

He maintained that if there was any person who witnessed the killing of somebody in Nasarawa LG or anywhere, he or she should come forward with proof. Garba noted that there were a lot of fabricated stories during the election, which were the handiwork of people who were “desperate opposition party members seeking to discredit the election at all costs”. 

He asserted that the supplementary election was generally peaceful beside the two incidents that were quickly addressed by the security agents in the affected areas. He added that the state government would continue to ensure the safety and security of all the residents of the state. He also called on them to remain law-abiding. 

Garba commended the journalists for adequate coverage of the exercise and called on them to use their positions to promote peace in the state. The Kano supplementary governorship election was blighted by incidents of violence, voter intimidation and ballot box snatching. 

Abba Yusuf, governorship candidate of the PDP, was leading the race as of the time the March 9 governorship election was declared inconclusive. But after Saturday's supplementary exercise, incumbent Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of the All progressives Congress (APC) was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Controversial Irish UFC star, Conor McGregor, who just announced his retirement from the sport today, is reportedly under investigation over sexual assault accusation in Ireland

According to TMZ, the father of two was arrested in January as part of a sexual assault investigation stemming from an alleged incident in Dec. at a hotel in Dublin, Ireland.

McGregor was reportedly released from custody and has not been charged with a crime.

Irish media have been reporting on the case for months without naming McGregor as the suspect because of laws that prevent news outlets from naming rape suspects unless they have been convicted.

The accuser is said to a woman in her 20s who claims she had been hanging with friends in South Dublin before ending up at the Beacon Hotel on Dec. 10th.  After the alleged sexual assault, the woman went to police and filed a report and was then taken to a nearby hospital where she was treated in the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit, according to local reports.

It was also reported that cops tried to obtain surveillance footage to see if they could place McGregor at the hotel at the time of the alleged incident.

When approached by the media back in December, a police spokesperson said, "[Cops] are investigating an alleged sexual assault on a female which occurred in Dublin 2 in the early hours of this morning, Monday, December 10, 2018."

"No arrests have been made and investigations are continuing."

EFCC has declared a former Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Ayodele Oke and his wife, Folasade, wanted after they failed to answer for fraud charges filed against them.

Justice Chukwujeku Aneke of a Federal High Court Lagos, had on February 7, 2019 issued an arrest warrant on them, consequent upon an oral application by counsel for the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo.

Oke and his wife are wanted in connection with the $43,449,947, £27,800 and N23,218,000 cash recovered by the EFCC from an apartment at Osborne Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, in April 2017. They are facing a four-count charge bordering on money laundering offence to the tune of N13 billion.

One of the counts reads: "That you, Amb. Ayodele Oke and Mrs. Folasade Ayodele Oke between 25th day of August 2015 and 2nd day of September 2015 in Lagos, with in the jurisdiction of this court directly converted $160,777,136.85 property of the Federal Government of Nigeria to your own use which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed part of proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: criminal breach of trust and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act".

Aminu Tambuwal, governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Sokoto State, has retained his seat as the Governor of Sokoto state, by a slim margin, after collation of results from 22 Local Governments Areas (LGAs), where supplementary elections were held. 

Results collation for the Sokoto State governorship election took place at the state collation centre of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).  When the results of the March 9 governorship elections were declared inconclusive, PDP had secured 489,558 votes, while Ahmad Aliyu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) came a close second with 486,145 votes. 

At the time, the margin of lead was 3,413 votes. There were cancellations in 136 polling units across 22 LGAs, which had 75,403 registered voters.  For Kebbe LGA, the last deciding factor for the elections, PDP secured 5,457, while APC polled 7,173 votes.  According to the official results of 21 LGAs announced so far at the Sokoto collation centre, located at the Sultan Maccido Institutes, Sokoto State,

Tambuwal was leading his counterpart, Aliyu Ahmad of the APC, with a margin of 161 votes. However, at the final count, the APC polled 511,661 votes, while the PDP secured 512,002 votes, respectively.  As such, PDP defeated APC with 341 votes.

Flamboyant Nigerian monarch, Oluwo of Iwoland, Rasheed Akanbi has said the Osun State Government might be unable to sustain its current wage bill let alone pay the new N30, 000 minimum wage unless it overhauls the civil service.

The monarch who expressed concern about the new minimum wage bill passed by the Senate, while many states were still struggling to pay N18, 000 to the least paid workers, said the state civil service was over-bloated and needed a complete overhaul. 

Oba Akanbi said, “Osun is sick. The governor, Oyetola, may not be able to say this truth because he is a politician. But I am a royal father. I should be good to tell the truth always. It will be tough for the state to pay the new minimum wage, unless there is a complete overhaul of the civil service. 

“The current wage bill of the state government cannot be sustained. The civil service needs overhaul.  A situation whereby 26 drivers will be attached to two vehicles must stop.”

As part of ways out of the situation, the royal father said unproductive civil servants must be made productive by government and be deployed where their skills would be useful. He added, “Also, aggressive revenue generation through internally generated revenue, especially from the informal sector, would be of help to government.”

Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State has been re-elected for a second term. The Returning Officer for the election, Professor Richard Kimbir, announced the results this morning at the collation centre for the governorship election in Jos, the state capital.

According to him, the governor who is the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was returned elected after polling the highest number of votes in the keenly contested poll.

Governor Lalong got a total of 595,582 votes ahead of his closest rival and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Jerry Useni, who polled 546,813 votes. He was declared the winner two weeks after the governorship election held on March 9 in Plateau and 28 other states in the country.

The states where election did not hold are Edo, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, Bayelsa, Kogi, and Anambra. While winners emerged in some states, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the governorship election in Plateau and five other states as inconclusive.

Professor Kimbir had explained that the declaration, was as a result of the margin of a lead of 44,929 between the APC and the PDP candidates, which was less than the 49,377 cancelled votes.

He added that this constrained him to return a winner but rather declare the poll inconclusive. This led to the supplementary election which held in nine local government areas of the state on Saturday, March 23. .

Governor Lalong defeated Mr Useni with a difference of 48,769 votes in the rerun poll. .

The local government where INEC conducted the supplementary election below: Barkin Ladi LGA – APC: 041  PDP: 296 Jos North LGA – APC: 274  PDP: 1,036 Shendam LGA – APC: 337  PDP: 80 Bassa LGA – APC: 1,040  PDP: 367 Kanam LGA – APC: 944  PDP: 476 Pankshin LGA – APC: 446  PDP: 151 Bokkos LGA – APC: 1,342  PDP: 1,337 Mangu LGA – APC: 6,931  PDP: 3,520 Langtang South LGA – APC: 972  PDP: 1,224

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said those opposed to the decision of Atiku Abubakar to seek legal redress over the outcome of the presidential election have evil minds.

Atiku, who contested under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), lost to President Muhammadu Buhari in the March 23 election.

Speaking on the judgement of the Osun governorship tribunal, Obasanjo said Atiku did the right thing by challenging Buhari’s victory.

He said without a reasonable cause, Buhari went to the court to challenge his loss in three elections, wondering why some people were trying to “stop Atiku from going to court”. On Friday, the tribunal declared Ademola Adeleke of the PDP as winner of the September 2018 election in the state.

In a statement on Saturday, Obasanjo said the nullification of the election, which he described as an illegality, has given renewed confidence in the judiciary. “While I was in Dubai to attend the Global Education and Skills Forum meeting, I received the news of the judgment of the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal declaring Senator Ademola Adeleke, the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the winner of the 2018 Governorship election in the state,” Obasanjo said.

“Let me take this opportunity to commend the tribunal for its courage in nullifying what was clearly an illegality. This action by the judicial officers, albeit a first step in the legal process, gives renewed confidence in the judiciary at a time when there are coordinated efforts by some political leaders to undermine, if not destroy, it.

“As I have repeatedly said, the world is watching events in Nigeria with keen interest. What we do or do not do right in our electoral process will have implications not just for Nigeria but for Africa and indeed the world. By correcting what was clearly a desperate attempt to change the will of the Osun people, the tribunal has saved Nigeria from great embarrassment and started the process of saving and strengthening our democracy.

“Let me also commend Sen. Adeleke for his statesmanship in going to court to seek justice. This is the right

Nigerian reality star, Ceec cried out last night during the Big Brother Naija reunion show where she said, 'I can’t kill myself for you guys. Google my name, the first thing you will see is the most bitter Nigerian woman”.

Shareholders have lauded Zenith Bank Plc for its dividend payout after the tier-1 lender declared a final dividend of 280 kobo for FY 2018.

Zenith Bank, earlier in the year, proposed an interim dividend of 30 kobo per share. The February announcement of an additional dividend of 250 kobo per share brought the total dividend for the year to 280 Kobo.

This is more than the total dividend of 270 Kobo per share paid in 2017. And shareholders considered were excited by the improvement.

But they want to more more involved – During the bank’s 28th Annual General Meeting (AGM) which held on March 18 and was covered by Nairametrics, the shareholders said while they are pleased with the Dividend Payout. However, they want to be more involved in the activities of the bank.

According to Mr Abraham Onyema, a shareholder, the dividend offered to them is reasonable. He added that the management is perfect as it is.

“I THINK IT’S (DIVIDEND) REASONABLE. THE BANK MADE A PROFIT OF SIX NAIRA PLUS PER SHARE AND THEY OFFERED US TWO NAIRA EIGHTY KOBO, I THINK IT’S REASONABLE.

“I THINK I’M OKAY WITH THE (FINANCIAL) PERFORMANCE. THE BANK IS A PACESETTER, I CAN SAY ZENITH BANK IS THE NUMBER ONE BANK IN NIGERIA IN TERMS OF ITS PERFORMANCE AND DIVIDEND PAYOUT. THIS IS THE BANK THAT PAYS THE HIGHEST DIVIDEND THIS YEAR.”

Also, Mr Lawrence Ogidi, another shareholder of Zenith Bank Plc, said the involvement of shareholders should go beyond the AGM. He also tasked the management to improve on its performance rather than relent on it.

“I THINK THE BANK SHOULD GET THE SHAREHOLDERS MORE INVOLVED IN THE ACTIVITIES OF THE ORGANISATION, NOT JUST WHEN IT’S TIME FOR AGM. CARRY US ALONG RIGHT FROM THE ONSET, LET US KNOW WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING RIGHT INSIDE THE BANK. BECAUSE WITHOUT THE SHAREHOLDERS, THE BANK CAN NOT STAND.”

Zenith Bank’s financial performance

Jim Ovia expressed joy over the result – Just like the bank’s shareholders, the Chairman of Zenith Bank, Jim Ovia was ecstatic about the financial result the tier-one bank pulled in 2018. He said with the global and domestic factors that affected the growth of businesses in the financial sector, Zenith Bank continued with its impressive track record.

The growth in the bank’s finances was linked to the ability of Zenith Bank to fully exploit the opportunities within the banking sector environment.

“CLEARLY, THE RESULTS ARE, ONCE AGAIN, A REFLECTION OF THE EXCEPTIONAL FINANCIAL HEALTH OF THE BANK AND THE GROUP.”

Financial result breakdown

Total deposits – Zenith Bank had recorded total deposits of N3.69 trillion for the year ended December 31, 2018, representing a 7 per cent increase over the previous year’s figure of N3.43 trillion.

Profit-Before-Tax – The company’s profit-before-tax rose by 16 per cent, from N199 billion in 2017 to N231 billion in 2018.

Profit-After-Tax – Zenith Bank’s Profit-After-Tax was N193 billion in 2018, increasing by 11 per cent, from N173 billion in 2017.

Total Assets – Meanwhile, the Total Assets of Zenith Bank was said to have grown by 6 per cent from N5.59 trillion to N5.95 trillion.

Shareholders’ fund – The Shareholders’ fund increased by 0.5 per cent, from N812 billion to N816 billion.

Gross Earnings – Zenith Bank recorded a decline by 15.4 per cent from N745 billion in year 2017 to N630 billion in 2018.

Dividend – Zenith Bank declared and paid an interim dividend of 30 Kobo per share in the course of 2018, proposing a final dividend of 250 Kobo per share. The total dividend for the year ended December 31, 2018 amounts to 280 Kobo per share as against 270 Kobo per share paid in 2017.

British billionaire, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, may succeed Roman Abramovich as Chelsea FC’s owner. Ratcliffe had held talks over the potential takeover.

£2.5 billion valuation for Chealsea? – In a new development, Chelsea is the subject of interest for the British richest man. And he may only acquire the club for £2.5 billion (around N1.2 trillion).

He made his money from petrochemicals – Ratcliffe, who made his fortune by founding petrochemicals company Ineos, has already made his mark on the sporting scene by agreeing to purchase Team Sky, a British professional cycling team.

Ratcliffe may not have been contented with the intended purchase of Team Sky, as he’s now exploring the possibility of replacing Abramovich as the Chelsea owner, according to the Times.

The billionaire owns Swiss football outfit, Lausanne-Sport – Though Chelsea is not officially for sale, Abramovich has become an increasingly distant figure due to problems with his visa and he has withdrawn plans to rebuild Stamford Bridge. A sale to Ratcliffe is some way off, however, with Abramovich demanding £2.5 billion.

What will interest you about Sir Jim Ratcliffe

His net worth – Ratcliffe is thought to have a net wealth of £21 billion. He is the founder and majority owner of Ineos, a closely held chemicals manufacturer. The London-based company has about 19,000 employees, operates in 24 countries and reported revenue of $60 billion in 2017. It produces about 60 million tons of chemicals every year, including polymers and resins.

Ratcliffe is calculated to own 54 per cent of closely held Ineos, based on a Bloomberg analysis of a 2014 U.K. government filing and the 2017 annual report of subsidiary Ineos Group Holdings. The London-based company is valued based on a calculation of the group’s average Ebitda and the average enterprise value-to-Ebitda multiple of three publicly traded peer companies: BASF, LyondellBasell Industries and Saudi Basic Industries.

Ratcliffe, who studied chemical engineering and worked later in venture capital, only started as an entrepreneur in 1992 and founded Ineos just about 21 years ago. The company expanded quickly by buying unfashionable petrochemical assets cast off by big oil and chemicals groups. By slashing fixed costs, he soon had most of them generating lots of cash, allowing him to refinance loans.

The Peoples Democratic Party PDP has said that its candidate in the February 23rd presidential election, Atiku Abubakar, beat its main contender and incumbent, President Buhari, by 1.6 million votes. Punch reports that the party stated this in a petition it filed before the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja on Monday March 18th.

INEC had on February 27, 2019 declared that Buhari won the election with 15,191,847 votes to defeat Atiku, whom it said polled 11,262,978 votes.

However, the party's petiton stated that “from the data in the 1st respondent’s (INEC’s) server…the true, actual and correct results” from “state to state computation” showed that Atiku polled a total of 18,356,732 votes to defeat Buhari whom they said scored 16,741,430 votes''.

The opposition party said the results were the total votes scored by the candidates in 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, as there was “no report on sever” about the results from Rivers State as of February 25, 2019.

By this, Atiku claims to have defeated Buhari with 1,615,302 votes.

The five grounds of the petition reads

“The 2nd respondent (Buhari) was not duly elected by the majority of lawful votes cast at the election. The election of the 2nd respondent is invalid by reason of corrupt practices. The election of the 2nd Respondent is invalid by reason of non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended). The 2nd respondent was at the time of the election not qualified to contest the said election.

“The 2nd respondent submitted to the 1st Respondent an affidavit containing false information of a fundamental nature in aid of his qualification for the said election.”

On the grounds that President Buhari isn't qualified to run for the seat of president, the party said

“The 2nd respondent (Buhari) does not possess the educational qualification to contest the election to the office of the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“The petitioners state that by Section 31 (1) of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended), every political party shall not later than 60 days before the date appointed for a general election submit to the Commission in the prescribed form the list of the candidates the party proposes to sponsor at the elections.

“Further, by Section 31(2) of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended), the list or information submitted by each candidate shall be accompanied by an affidavit sworn to by the candidate at the Federal High Court, High Court of a State or Federal Capital Territory indicating that he has fulfilled all the constitutional requirements for election into that office.

“The 2nd respondent filled and submitted Form CF001 to the 1st Respondent, which was declared before the Commissioner for Oaths at the Registry of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on the 8th day of October, 2018. The said Form CF001 is accompanied by an ACKNOWLEDGEMENT indicating that the 1st Respondent received same.

“The petitioners aver that the said Form CF001 filled by the 2nd Respondent and submitted to the 1st Respondent for the Office of President was also accompanied by the Curriculum Vitae of the 2nd Respondent as well as GENERAL FORM OF AFFIDAVIT duly sworn to by the 2nd respondent at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, along with copies of his Membership Card of the 3rd Respondent and Voter Card.

“The information submitted to the 1st respondent (INEC) by the 2nd respondent (Buhari) is false and of a fundamental nature in aid of his education qualification, notwithstanding that he had declared in the said sworn affidavit as follows: ‘I hereby declare that all the answers, facts and particulars I have given in this Form, are true and correct and I have to the best of my knowledge, fulfilled all the requirements for qualifications for the office I am seeking to be elected’.”

The party argued that the educational institutions President Buhari claimed to have attended and the certificates presented by him namely, Elementary School Daura and Mai Aduaa between 1948 and 1952, Middle School Katsina between 1953 and 1956 and Katsina Provincial College (now Government College, Katsina) between 1956 to 1961 and mentioned by the 2nd respondent in his curriculum vitae attached to Form CF 001, were not in existence as of  those mentioned dates.”

Names of 21 Senior Advocates of Nigeria and 18 other lawyers appeared on the petition.

The legal team is led by Mr Livy Uzoukwu (SAN).

They sought among their five main prayers, that the tribunal should determine that Buhari “was not duly elected by a majority of lawful votes cast in the said election” and therefore his declaration and return by INEC “as the President of Nigeria is unlawful, undue, null, void and of no effect”.

They also prayed that Atiku having been “duly and validly elected” ought to be “returned as President of Nigeria, having polled the highest number of lawful votes cast at the election to the office of the President of Nigeria held on February 23, 2019 and having satisfied the constitutional requirements for the said election.

They sought “an order directing the 1st respondent (INEC) to issue a Certificate of Return to the 1st petitioner (Atiku) as the duly elected President of Nigeria”.

They also asked the tribunal to rule that Buhari “was at the time of the election not qualified to contest the said election”, and that he “submitted to the Commission affidavit containing false information of a fundamental nature in aid of his qualification for the said election”.

However, they sought as their alternative prayer, “that the election to the office of the President of Nigeria held on February 23, 2019 be nullified and a fresh election ordered.”

The petitioners are relying on 50 sets of documents which they, in the petition, gave INEC the notice to produce the original copies of those in its custody.

Some of the documents are, “INEC Nomination Form CF001 of the 2nd respondent (Buhari); all INEC result sheets;(Form EC8 Series), EC8A, EC8B, EC8C, EC8D and EC8E – Certificate of Return; PDP Party Membership Cards; INEC Voter Cards; all witnesses’ party membership cards; and all Witnesses’ Voter Cards.”

The petitioners also sought to rely on, “the circulars/corrigenda/manuals issued by INEC for the conduct of the Presidential Election held on 23/2/2019; Polling Unit materials checklist; summary of total registered voters on units’ basis; summary of PVCs collected on units’ basis; Voter Registers and letters of complaints over irregularities and malpractices during the election addressed to the INEC/Police/other relevant agencies/institutions.”

They also sought to rely on “security reports relating to the election video/audio recordings/DVD/CD relating to the Election; Election Observers’ or Observers’ Reports; Newspaper/Television/ Radio reports and news; appointment letters and tags of PDP agents; expert reports and analysis; and photographs and GSM and other phone outputs”.

Microsoft founder, Bill Gates, become the world's second 'centi-billionaire' after his fortune reached the $100 billion thresholds.

According to Bloomberg, which tracks the wealth of the planet's richest people through its Billionaires Index, the Microsoft co-founder has already earned $9.5 billion so far this year - taking him right up to the magic $100 billion marks.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos became the first centi-billionare in history in November 2017 and is now worth $146 billion.

Bezos, who started e-commerce marketplace Amazon in 1994, has amassed a staggering $20.7 billion since January 1. 

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has announced it will increase the Value Added Tax (VAT) by between 35 and 50 per cent in 2019. This move comes a day after Nigerian legislature approved the N30,000 minimum wage.

The Chairman of the Revenue service made the disclosure when he and other top officials in the Federal Ministry of Finance appeared before the Senate Committee on Finance in Abuja, on Tuesday, March 20, 2019.

The officials appeared before the committee to give details of the 2019-2021 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper, this is according to the News Agency of Nigeria.

The increase in the VAT, if in fact increased between 35 per cent and 50 per cent, the current five per cent will rise between 6.75 and 7.25 per cent.

Senate increases minimum wage increase

The hint of a possible increase in VAT was announced shortly after the Senate passed the National Minimum Wage Act (Amendment) Bill in which it approved N30, 000 as the new minimum wage for the workers in the country. As earlier reported, the members of the House of Representatives also agreed to the new wage bill.

Making the minimum wage increase worthless: With the decision to increase VAT, the Federal Government has just shot a plane mid-air, crashing the relevance of the increment in minimum wage. This will affect the prices of household goods as well as increasing the cost of living, as VAT registered companies will transfer the VAT expense on its consumers by raising the value of their goods and services.

So as far as the VAT increase is likely to take effect in 2019, it’s back to square one for the Nigerian workers. The reason for the call to increase minimum wage was due to the inability of the N18, 000 to meet daily needs, but if the minimum wage and VAT are increased simultaneously, then Nigeria will for many years retain its position as the world’s poverty capital.

Diamond Bank Plc shares have been placed on full suspension by the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), with effect from today, March 20th, 2019.

According to the Nigerian Stock Exchange, the suspension of Diamond Bank’s shares follows a court sanction of the Scheme of Merger between the bank and Access Bank Plc.

More reasons for the suspension- The suspension, according to The Exchange, is required to prevent trading in the shares of the Diamond Bank in order to determine the Bank’s shareholders who will qualify to receive the Scheme consideration.

Diamond Bank obtained the court sanction of the Scheme on Tuesday, 19 March 2019, being the effective date for the scheme.

As we reported earlier, the merger process was near its concluding stage last week, after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) both granted the banks  final approval to merge.

The shareholders of the banks earlier approved the merger between the lenders, after a series of Extra Ordinary General Meetings that held in Lagos.

Both banks are poised to offer the best banking experience in Africa

When the highly anticipated merger eventually takes effect by the end of Q1 2019, Diamond Bank Plc and Access Bank Plc would have successfully combined efforts to bring the power of banking to millions of account holders across Nigeria and beyond. Much emphasis will be on the need for speedy and secured service delivery. Also, the partnership will ensure that customers of both banks continue to experience the best banking experience, with zero disruptions to normal banking services.

Diamond Bank also noted that although there may be some changes in the future, any such changes will be duly communicated to the customers ahead of time.

Diamond Bank Plc and Access Bank Plc unanimously announced late last year, that they plan to combine resources in order to create the biggest retail bank in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Following the announcement, the banks proceeded to secure the necessary regulatory approvals and are currently waiting for the due date in order to make the deal official. 

On Tuesday March 19th, 2019, media reports speculated that the richest woman in Africa,  Isabel dos Santos, could potentially get removed as a Board Member of Angola’s Unitel.

According to the speculations, the move could be driven by some core investors’ determination to address the corporate governance issues the company had recently been immersed in.

Even Angola’s oil company Sonangol, which owns 25 percent stake in Unitel SA, had in the past clamoured for a new set of board members to administer the affairs of the company.

“THE MEETING AT UNITEL SA, WHOSE CHAIRWOMAN ISABEL DOS SANTOS OWNS 25 PERCENT, COMES AFTER AN ARBITRATION COURT RULED THAT BRAZILIAN TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANY OI SA WAS ENTITLED TO RECEIVE $654 MILLION FROM OTHER UNITEL SHAREHOLDERS BECAUSE THEY VIOLATED SEVERAL CLAUSES OF THE COMPANY’S SHAREHOLDERS’ AGREEMENT AND FAILED TO PAY DIVIDENDS TO OI.

SHAREHOLDERS WITH AS MUCH AS 75 PERCENT OF UNITEL ARE LIKELY TO VOTE FOR THE REMOVAL OF DOS SANTOS, ACCORDING TO ANTONIO ESTOTE, AN INDEPENDENT ECONOMIST AND PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSIDADE LUSIADA DE ANGOLA. BESIDES OI, THE SHAREHOLDERS ARE STATE OIL COMPANY SONANGOL AND ARMY GENERAL LEOPOLDINO DO NASCIMENTO, WHO EACH HOLD 25 PERCENT, ACCORDING TO ESTOTE.”

Unitel’s core investors voted on the matter – Yesterday, the telecom company’s main shareholders met in Luanda and surprised speculators by unanimously re-electing Ms Santos as the Chairwoman of the company’s Board of Directors.

She now has another four years to possibly try and make a difference. Note that the woman has a 25 percent stake in the leading Angolan telco.

Isabel dos Santos was fired before – As Nairametrics reported, the billionaire was relieved of her job as the head of Angola’s state oil company, Sonangol, back in 2017. Her firing followed the new Angolan President’s determination to fire Santos and rid the country of the corruption that pervaded the system while her, Jose Eduardo dos Santo, ruled for 37 years.

Shocking reports are emerging of a mass shooting in Holland as Dutch police confirm that several people have been shot in the city of Utrecht.

At least one person has died and a number of people injured in a shooting 'with possible terrorist motive' in the central Dutch city of Utrecht on Monday morning, local news reports.

One or several gunmen opened fire on a tram in the city centre at around 10.45 local time on Monday morning, before fleeing the scene, witnesses say. Police say one or multiple assailants are still at large, and have since instructed all schools, as well as mosques and transportation hubs, in the city to keep their doors closed. 

Shortly after 12.30 local time, the Dutch government raised the terrorism threat level to the highest possible in the province of Utrecht.

The Dutch anti-terror coordinator Pieter-Jaap Aalbersberg said in a statement that the 'threat level has gone to 5, exclusively for the Utrecht province,' referring to the highest level. 'The culprit is still on the run. A terror motive cannot be excluded,' he said in a Twitter message. He called on citizens to closely follow the indications of the local police.

Dutch military police have been ordered to be on 'extra alert' at Dutch airports and 'vital buildings' due to the ongoing police manhunt.

Former president Goodluck Jonathan, has denied reports that he has resigned as a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In a statement released by his media adviser, Ikechukwu Eze, the former president said that a ‘fake story’ had claimed that he had dumped the party on whose platform he rose to the post of the President of Nigeria. He stressed that the story was borne out of mischief as the former President never spoke to any news outlet on the subject matter.

The statement reads;

“Obviously, this is a fabrication borne out of mischief as the publishers of the fake story claimed that the former President made the statement while being interviewed by Nigeria News Agency, (NNA). There is absolutely no way the former President could have spoken to a non-existent news agency, as none in the country goes by that name.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Dr Jonathan has no reason at this time to resign his membership of PDP, the party under which platform he became Deputy Governor, Governor, Vice President and President. Those who derive pleasure in spreading fake information had better occupy themselves with more productive endeavours that are obviously more relevant to nation-building.”

Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, says the president will neither interfere with the supplementary polls in five states nor ask the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to change results in favour of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Shehu said this in a statement released on Sunday March 17th. According to him, some APC leaders expected Buhari to abuse his office by usurping the powers of INEC to turn the tables in their favour. He said INEC is fully in charge of electoral matters in the country, advising party leaders in the affected states to work hard to earn the votes of the people. Read the full statement below

The Presidency has cautioned against a lot of the hate spewing, incitement to violence and the polarizing statements by so-called political leaders as a number of states brace up for supplementary elections prescribed by the National Electoral Commission, INEC.

The Presidency also rejects unfair and ridiculous criticisms of President Muhammadu Buhari's apparent disinterest in the upcoming elections in some states by party members who wrongfully assume that the President will abuse power by changing results to favour them.

Past Presidents of Nigeria were known to interfere in inconclusive elections, and that is why party members appear to be upset that the same thing is not happening now, but President Buhari is a different kind of leader. He swore to defend the constitution and will not veer off from that.

The constitution of Nigeria gives the President no such powers. It is unfair and ridiculous to criticise President Buhari for not going against the constitution.

Party members in states where there will be supplementary elections then need to be reminded that they need to work hard to earn their people's votes, rather than expect President Buhari to manipulate INEC in their favour.

Interestingly, while members of the ruling APC party were criticising the President for not interfering on their behalf, members of the opposition were condemning the President based on their assumptions that he would definitely interfere, as many in the opposition did while in power.

Under President Buhari, INEC had been and will be completely independent throughout the elections, free from any interference.

President Buhari is a man of conviction, and the manipulation of election results goes against everything he stands for INEC is completely in charge.

No fewer than 100 people have died and many more are missing in Mozambique and neighbouring Zimbabwe on Sunday after tropical cyclone Idai barrelled across the southern African nations with flash floods and ferocious winds.

Authorities in Zimbabwe said the toll there had risen to 65 in the east of the country, while Mozambique said 48 people were killed in affected central areas, after the cyclone tore across the region on Friday and Saturday. 

A member of parliament for Zimbabwe’s Chimanimani district the worst hit part of the country gave the updated toll and added that scores remain missing, after houses and bridges were washed away by flash floods when the storm slammed the area.

The most affected areas are not yet accessible, while high winds and dense clouds have hampered military rescue helicopter flights. 

“So far we looking at 65 people that have lost their lives. We are looking at probably 150 to 200 people missing,” Joshua Sacco, lawmaker for Chimanimani, told AFP by phone.

The majority of those unaccounted for are thought to be government workers, whose housing complex was completely engulfed by raging waters. Their fate is currently unknown because the area is still unreachable. 

“We are very worried because all these houses were just suddenly submerged under water and literally washed away and that is where we have about 147 missing. It’s very sad and the situation is dire” he said. 

Two pupils at a secondary school were among those killed, after a landslide sent a boulder crashing into their dormitory, the country’s Department of Civil Protection (DCP) said.