Politics

Nigeria’s ruling party, APC National Convention in disarray as thugs besiege venue

Published

3 years ago

March 26, 2022

The much anticipated National Convention of Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), held at the Eagles Square in Abuja, the nation’s capital on March 26, was thrown into disarray and choas as political thugs loyal to different politicians, threw caution to the wind and besieged the venue.

They were ably aided by hoodlums of all shapes who took advantage of the slack security and unleashed mayhem on the party delegates and journalists, snatching phones, laptops, tablets, jewellery, handbags, wallets and whatever valuables they could lay their hands on.

Reminiscent of the choas that also characterized the party’s convention in 2018, eyewitnesses say the delegates who were attacked by the thugs, could not gain access into the venue through the main entrance as it was marked ‘out-of-bounds’ for non-VIP delegates, which forced some accredited but non-statutory delegates and journalists, as well as staff of the APC Convention Electoral Committee, to use other alternative entrances which made it possible for the thugs to have a field day.

The confusion, according to a journalist who witnessed the chaotic situation first hand, led to the metal barriers surrounding the alternative gate being brought down as the delegates tried to force their way into the venue.

“The tumultuous situation led to chaos and disorder which opened the door for the thugs and hoodlums, leading to many being robbed of their personal effects.

“It took some reinforcement from security operatives to regain control of the situation or it could have degenerated into something much worse,” the journalist said.

The police and other security operatives, however, worsened the already charged atmosphere when they dispensed canisters of teargas at the crowd in a bid to disperse them.

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Politics

Nigerian Air Force adds 34 Italian planes, helicopters

Published

4 hours ago

October 15, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Nigeria’s air force is acquiring 24 Italian-made M-346 attack jets and ten AW-109 Trekker helicopters as part of a fleet renewal strategy, a spokesperson said on Monday.

Air Force spokesperson, Olusola Akinboyewa, said in a statement that a team led by Nigeria’s Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar met with executives from Italy’s Leonardo S.p.A, the manufacturer, in Rome who confirmed the first three M-346 aircraft were expected to be delivered by early 2025, with subsequent deliveries running until mid-2026.

The Trekker helicopters are expected by early 2026, Akinboyewa said.

“The M-346 and Trekker acquisitions are key steps towards fleet renewal,” Abubakar was cited as saying, emphasizing the need for a maintenance hub in Nigeria to provide long-term support, particularly for the M-346 fleet.

Nigeria, which has been fighting a 15-year Islamist insurgency against Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the northeast, as well as attacks by armed bandits in the northwest, has increased military spending in recent years.

Nigeria received two “Huey” helicopters in June to go with the two Trekkers it had previously purchased and the twelve American-built A-29 Super Tucano light attack jets it had been given in 2021 to combat rebels.

Wing Loong II drones manufactured in China are still awaiting delivery.

Politics

Cameroon prohibits discussing 91-year-old President Biya’s health

Published

3 days ago

October 12, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

In response to growing suspicion that 91-year-old President Paul Biya was ill, Cameroon has banned any talk regarding Biya’s health, according to a letter released by the interior ministry.

The reports that the president had been unwell were brushed off as “pure fantasy” by the administration, which released comments earlier this week stating that he was in good condition and on a private visit to Geneva.

Paul Atanga Nji, the interior minister, stated that talking about the president’s health was a matter of national security in a letter to regional governors dated October 9.

“Therefore, it is strictly forbidden to have any discussion about the president’s condition in the media going forward.” The whole weight of the law would be applied to offenders, Nji stated.

He gave the governors orders to form teams to keep an eye on social media and private media broadcasts.

If Biya passed away or was too sick to hold office, the oil- and cocoa-producing nation of Cameroon—which has only had two presidents since gaining independence from France and Britain in the early 1960s—would probably be faced with a difficult succession situation.

The National Communication Council, Cameroon’s media regulator, could not be reached for comment at this time. Many criticised the action as an example of state censorship.

“The president is elected by Cameroonians and it’s just normal that they worry about his whereabouts,” said Hycenth Chia, a Yaounde-based journalist and talk show host on privately owned television Canal2 International.

“We see liberal discussions on the health of Joe Biden and other world leaders, but here it is a taboo,” he told Reuters.

Committee to Protect Journalists, an advocacy group for press freedom, expressed its deep concern.

“Trying to hide behind national security on such a major issue of national importance is outrageous,” said Angela Quintal, head of the CPJ’s Africa Program.

Since early September, when Biya attended a China-Africa summit in Beijing, she has not been sighted in public. His absence at a summit in France last weekend, which was scheduled, fuelled even more public speculation about his health.

President Biya is one of several long-serving African leaders, including Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, who has been in office since 1982, and Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda’s Paul Kagame is also gradually evolving into the group.