Connect with us

Politics

Nigeria’s ruling party seizes party machinery from recalcitrant Senate President

The leadership of Nigeria’s ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC), has dissolved the Kwara State executive of the party, citing electoral malfeasance in the last ward, local and state congresses

Published

on

The leadership of Nigeria’s ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC), has dissolved the Kwara State executive of the party, citing electoral malfeasance in the last ward, local and state congresses.

The country’s Senate President, Bukola Saraki, hails from the North-central State of Kwara and has had a running battle with APC, the party that brought him to power.

Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed had at the weekend reportedly asked party officials loyal to Senate President Bukola Saraki to resign their appointments and announced Bashir Bolarinwa as the new state chairman of the party.

Perhaps, acting out a written script, APC’s National Working Committee (NWC) led by its chairman, Adams Oshiomhole on Monday “reviewed the actions of some leaders of the party that emerged from the congresses who participated in an open rally calling on the Senate President to decamp to the PDP”.

Read Also: Mugabe won’t vote for the party he helped form. Why it may not count

The party said after a careful and exhaustive deliberation on this and other developments in the state chapter of the party that it
resolved “to dissolve all party organs from Ward, Local Government and State Executive of the Party in Kwara state; and to constitute caretaker committee at all levels of the party of the party organ at Ward, Local Government and State Executive Committees.

“That Hon. Bashir Bolarinwa shall and is hereby appointed as the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the State Executive Committee of APC in Kwara State”.

With the party structure clearly taken away from him, the development tactically calls out Senator Saraki to play his next card of further disrupting the party in order to create a stalemate or grab the structures by force.

Saraki has, in recent public appearances, given hint that he might dump APC for the major opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The Senate President’s next move, analysts believe, may quicken his departure for PDP.

Politics

Coup: Regional bloc, ECOWAS might intervene in Sierra Leone ‘if need be’

Published

on

Amidst a wave of military coups in the West African sub-region, a delegation of the ECOWAS Commission has hinted at likely bloc intervention in Sierra Leone following a failed coup over the weekend.

A chief of the commission and officials of the Nigerian government were received by Sierra Leone’s President, Julius Maada Bio, after Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the head of the 15-member sub-regional bloc, sent a message to Bio through Omar Alieu Touray, the head of the Ecowas Commission.

Gunmen last week exchanged fire for several hours with security forces in what the government attributed to “renegade soldiers.” Meanwhile, the police promised a “reward” to anyone providing information leading to the capture of 34 suspected fugitives.

“ECOWAS is ready and committed to supporting the people of Sierra Leone, including to strengthen their national security and the deployment, if need be, of regional elements,” Touray said.

The visit by the envoys appears to be a show of support for the government of Sierra Leone in the wake of the fatal attack that rocked the country’s capital, Freetown, on Sunday.

ECOWAS commended Bio’s and his government’s leadership in putting an end to what he described as a “very unfortunate incident.”

Concern has been raised by the wave of coups that have swept through Africa in the last three years, particularly in the West African bloc. The bloc has seen military takeovers of democratically elected governments in 2023 in Niger and Gabon, where troops removed Mohamed Bazzoum and Ali Bongo, respectively.

Continue Reading

Politics

Another Tunisian opposition leader, Moussi begins hunger strike in prison

Published

on

Another Tunisian opposition leader, Abir Moussi has begun a hunger strike in prison to protest what her lawyers described as a violation of her rights to freedom and political activity.

Moussi, who is a prominent opponent of Tunisian President, Kais Saied, was last month sentenced after police arrested her at the presidential palace entrance on suspicion of assault intended to cause chaos, viewed as part of a crackdown on opposition politicians by some watchers.

In a statement, her party, the Free Constitutional Party (PDL), cautioned against “attempts to fabricate legal obstacles to remove her from participating in the presidential elections” that are anticipated to take place the following year.

In a statement, her attorneys said that Moussi would go on a 16-day hunger strike to draw attention to the issue of violence against women in Tunisia. She is an advocate of the late president Zine El Abidine ben Ali, whose overthrow in 2011 was brought about by widespread demonstrations; an uprising subsequently extended throughout the Middle East, dubbed “the Arab Spring”.

In a similar move in September, embattled Tunisian opposition leader, Rached Ghannouchi, who has been a political prisoner since April, also threatened to begin a hunger strike in captivity.

Moussi faces charges of plotting against state security alongside other opposition figures who are in jail. She had accused Saied of staging a coup in order to close the elected parliament and impose rule by decree.

President Saied has been accused of suppressing dissenting voices in the nation since taking office. This year, the police has detained over 20 political figures, including Ghannouchi, on suspicion of trying to compromise national security.

More than 20 prominent politicians have been detained by police this year; some are a accused of being involved in plots against state security. “Terrorists, traitors, and criminals” is how Saied has characterised the people under arrest.

Continue Reading

EDITOR’S PICK

Tech9 hours ago

Bolt Kenya suspends 5,000 drivers over violations

Bolt Kenya has revealed the suspension of more than 5,000 drivers from its platform in the past six months due...

Culture10 hours ago

Kenyan parliament bans iconic ‘Kaunda Suit’ made popular by legendary Zambian President, Kaunda

The Kenyan Parliament has placed a ban on the use of an iconic suit, known popularly as the “Kaunda Suit”,...

Sports10 hours ago

Onana emerges highest-rated EPL goalkeeper

Despite a string of uninspiring performances in his early days in the English Premier League, Cameroon and Manchester United goalkeeper,...

Strictly Personal11 hours ago

Reviewing the world economic model, By Lekan Sote

The newly elected President of Argentina, Javier Milei, promises to smash orthodox economic models in Argentina. He vowed to cancel...

Politics11 hours ago

Coup: Regional bloc, ECOWAS might intervene in Sierra Leone ‘if need be’

Amidst a wave of military coups in the West African sub-region, a delegation of the ECOWAS Commission has hinted at...

Politics11 hours ago

Another Tunisian opposition leader, Moussi begins hunger strike in prison

Another Tunisian opposition leader, Abir Moussi has begun a hunger strike in prison to protest what her lawyers described as...

VenturesNow11 hours ago

Nigeria’s Bola Tinubu presents N27.5 trillion 2024 budget of ‘Renewed Hope’

Exactly six months after his inauguration, Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu, presented the N27.5 trillion 2024 budget proposal to a joint...

Metro12 hours ago

Zambian govt snubs transparency calls, says no law compels President Hichilema to declare assets annually

The Chief spokesman for the Zambian government, Cornelius Mweetwa, has countered calls for President Hakainde Hichilema to declare his assets...

Metro17 hours ago

Nigeria set to begin passport automation 

Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has announced that the automation of the country’s passport application is in its final...

Metro18 hours ago

Nigeria: Former election commission boss calls for total unbundling of electoral body, political party reforms

The immediate past Chairman of Nigeria’s electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, has called for...

Trending