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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is facing a political crisis. But would it move the needle in the US?

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The Venezuelan leader's remarks came during a day of protests by pro-government and opposition groups.

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The project has been a long-standing source of contention between parties in Italy's ruling coalition.

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed the case alleging that Nyesom Wike, Governor of Rivers State, forged the certificate containing details of his birth.

The suit, which was filed by Elvis Chinda, alleged that Wike forged the certificate stating his age in the documents he presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The suit sought to disqualify the Governor, who is seeking reelection on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Chinda had a sought a determination from the court on if the birth Certificate (Statutory Declaration of Age) attached to Wike’s Form CF001 presented to INEC was forged.

According to the suit, as at 1986 when the certificate was allegedly obtained, Obio/ Akpor Local Government Areas of Rivers was not in existence, adding that the local government in question was created in 1989 by Decree No 12 of 1989, two years certificate was said to be issued.

Ruling on the matter, Justice Inyang Ekwo noted that the suit at the was filed outside the provisions of Section 285, Subsection 9 the 1999 Constitution, which should have been 14 days after the cause of action had taken place.

The suit was thereafter dismissed.

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The African Action Congress (AAC) has dissociated itself from the endorsement of Samuel Ortom, Governor of Benue State, for the governorship election in the state.

A statement issued by Rex I. Elanu, the AAC Chairman in Benue State, noted that the said endorsement is Terry Nyikwagh, the AAC governorship candidate, does not represent the position of the party.

AAC is also considering disciplinary action against Nyikwagh for the purported endorsement.

The statement read: “It has come to the notice of African Action Congress Benue State that its gubernatorial flag bearer, Barrister Terry Nyikwagh, allegedly endorsed the Peoples Democratic Party's candidate, Governor Samuel Ortom, the incumbent Governor of Benue State, for his reelection bid in the coming state elections.

“On this premise, we categorically state that: Such act does not represent the position of AAC Party; the African Action Congress Benue State clearly dissociates itself from such endorsement as the said party does not reflect the constitutional ideals and principles of our great AAC Party; Barrister Terry Nyikwagh took such action solely on his discretion and did not consult the state leadership of our party; the state EXCO is already considering a disciplinary action suitable and equal for what is largely seen as anti-party activity; such action is not  the best interest of our visionary party.

“We, therefore, implore our courageous supporters and the public to disregard the news that the AAC Benue State endorsed the PDP's gubernatorial candidate. We have already launched investigation and would quickly make public our findings and recommendations.”

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Sir Kesington Adebutu, Chairman of Premier Lotto Limited and owner of the popular ‘Baba Ijebu’ lottery, has disowned the endorsement of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) for the governorship election in Ogun State on Saturday, by his son, Honourable Ladi Adebutu, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

On Thursday, the younger Adebutu, who is also the lawmaker representing Remo Federal Constituency, adopted APM’s Abdulkabir Akinlade.

Adebutu has been engaged in a legal battle with Senator Buruji Kashamu over the legal Ogun State governorship candidature of the party, which he has lost serially.

In a statement he personally signed on Friday, Sir Adebutu stated that he had nothing to do with the adoption of APM and did not support the position of his son.

He expressed shock over the decision, stating that he could not fathom any reason whatsoever why his son took such step without informing him.

"I wasn't privy to his meeting with Governor Amosun, neither did he inform me. I heard the news like every other individual and wondered what could have gotten over him. He is on his own on this move and does not have my support,” he said.

According to Adebutu, who is currently out of the country for his medicals, he has been inundated with several calls by well-meaning Nigerians asking if he knows about the decision of his son to adopt the candidate of the APM.

He maintained that he was not aware and that the decision did not have his blessings and endorsement.

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Hundreds Of 'Political Thugs' Apprehended On Highway To Anambra

Hundreds of young men believed to be political thugs have been apprehended while travelling to Anambra State.

A video of the young men being questioned on their states of origin, destination and their mission, circulated by Kufre Okon, the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, was obtained by SaharaReporters.

The text attached to the video claims "hundreds of thugs allegedly sponsored by APC Chairman Adams Oshiomhole departed Benin for Akwa Ibom to compromise this weekend's elections; they were intercepted at Obot Akara in the evening of Tuesday 05/03/2019".

Although SaharaReporters could not independently verify this claim, it was clear that the hundreds of youth, when questioned, could not give convincing answers as to their mission in Akwa Ibom, which they all admitted was their destination.

Made to lie face down in front of their buses, which were way more than a dozen, and sometimes asked to sit on the floor, they all said they were headed to Akwa Ibom for a burial, but they could not mention the name of the deceased or the exact location of the burial within Akwa Ibom.

Majority of them said they were from Benin, but none of them could produce a burial poster or name the coordinator of the trip.

Also, a voice was heard from the background saying: "They're ready to kill everybody here o; better you say the truth."

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Nigeria Cameroon border

Abdulrahman Dambazau, the Minister of Interior, has ordered the closure of Nigeria's borders on Friday at noon.

The closure of the borders is part of activities in the build-up to Saturday’s governorship and state house of assembly polls.

Muhammad Babandede, Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, announced this in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday.

The borders would be closed till 12pm on Sunday, March 10, 2019.
 

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The Nigerian Army will deploy a jet to Kwara State for the governorship and state house of assembly elections. 

According to the Kayode Egbetokun, the Kwara Police Commissioner, the decision was taken to ensure better performance in the area of surveillance.

He urged the residents not to panic, but to come out to participate in the electoral process.

He said: “A military jet will be used for surveillance, instead of the police helicopter that was used in the last election. But residents should not panic when they see it, because it is just to ensure their safety. They should come out en masse and exercise their civic rights.

“The jet is to support our efforts at ensuring the safety of everybody. The military jet will do the job of surveillance better than the helicopter and we should feel comfortable with better equipment in use."

According to Air Commodore A. Adamu, the head of the Air Force Command in Kwara State, the use of the military jet was because the helicopter used earlier had been deployed to combat operations in the fight against insurgency in the North-East.

According to him, the use of the jet is “faster, more precise and will aid response time” to security challenges on the field.
 

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Olusegun Osoba, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says Ibikunle Amosun, Governor of Ogun State, has "serious inferiority complex".

According to Osoba, Amosun's issues with complex is why the latter resorted to visiting President Muhammadu Buhari, after he was suspended by the APC.

Osoba berated Amosun for his anti-party activities, and particularly lamented the incident in which national leaders of the party were pelted with objects during the APC presidential campaign rally in Ogun State.

Speaking in an interview with ThisDay, he said: "I am so disappointed with the way the media is hyping Amosun’s visit to the President. Amosun is coming from serious inferiority complex. If he has confidence in himself, he does not need to run in and out of the presidential villa. He is the governor. All governors are given direct access to the president. A serious governor will not be going, photo-shopping with president every day.

"He told the media that he went to the Presidential Villa 28 times within five weeks. What result did it produce? Do not forget. The President came to Abeokuta. He saw what happened. Yet, he is making mountain out of molehill. When the president came, he simply said vote for me and exercise your right in all elections.

"One, he can vouch for himself as President who swore to protect the Constitution of Nigeria. He was speaking as the President because the Constitution guarantees the freedom of association and right to vote for whom you like. So, he spoke as a politician and as a statesman. He does not bother me at all. The President has no vote in Ogun State. He has no direct say in the outcome of the elections in Ogun State. I do not need to sit in the villa, while Mr. President’s vote is in Katsina. It is me that will prove to the whole world that the President has spoken as the statesman, who swore to protect the Constitution and who said exercise your rights. Now, we will go and exercise that right. I do not need to go the presidential villa to exercise my right. If you want to go the villa, the vote in the villa is in the villa and not in Ogun State."

He also expressed serious disappointment with the conduct of the Commissioner of Police in the state, insisting that he should be "kicked out".

"As a citizen of Ogun State, I pay my tax to Ogun State in millions of Naira annually. Let the governor himself disclose my tax profile. I am among the first ten citizens that pay the highest tax to the Government of Ogun State. On this note, I demand the right of protection from Iliyasu. He has failed woefully.

"If the Commander-in-Chief was pelted with water sachets with a good number of police officers surrounding hoodlums that day and none of the hoodlums was arrested, we do not need any analyst to know that the Police Commissioner is a total failure. God forbid. If anything had hit Mr. President that day and he collapsed, what will we say in Ogun State? Out of 36 states the president travelled to, Ogun State is the only state where such an incident happened. The Police Commissioner did not arrest any suspect. I went to the president a week after. I asked him: 'What is going on?' A whole Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces was stoned. The Nigeria Police is part of the Armed Forces. If not for the eagle’s eye of the presidential guard seizing and stopping the pelted objects from getting to the president, the story will have been different. Even, the domestic assistant to the president fell flat before Mr. President that day.

"I once told the president that they were tearing and defacing your billboards. Mr. President himself answered if it happened in the North, it could lead to riot. Yet, the Police Commissioner did not arrest any suspect. As for me, Iliyasu is of no value. What can the police commissioner do to us? We have told our people to be ready. The law says you have the right to defend yourself. The right to self-defence is entrenched in our Constitution. We have resorted to self-defence. Let one million Iliyasus be made Police Commissioners, we will cast our votes in peaceful manner.

"So, his presence has energised our people. I have gone round to preach to them. Forget about the Police Commissioner and not the rank and file. But those who are backing him will regret on Saturday when we deliver the governorship election in Ogun State to the APC and Mr. President, who has won his election. I do not need the Police. When you are in the majority, God is with you."

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A Rivers State Chief Magistrate Court in Port Harcourt has issued an arrest warrant against Nsima Ekere, governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State.

S.D. Andrew-Jaja, the chief magistrate of the court, said Ekere and one Katungo Moljengo should be arrested “in compliance with Section 138 of the Rivers State Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2015.”

The court's order, bearing the seal and signature of S.T. Dappa, Principal Registrar of the court, said the arrest warrant against  Ekere and Moljengo was issued “in Port Harcourt under the seal of the court and hand of the presiding chief magistrate, this 5th day of March 2019".

The magistrate said the warrant for the arrest of Ekeme and Moljengo was issued because of the listed complaints and a suit marked PMC/MISC/15/2019 by one Multi-intelligence Development Limited.
 

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West African king Mansa Musa had more wealth than the Forbes' five richest billionaires combined.

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Why agronomy students in Haiti want to plant 1.5 million trees in the deforested country.

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TV news in both countries were accused of sensationalism and partiality. How far did they take it?

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A new study suggests acupuncture may be useful in reducing hot flushes and night sweats.

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Crucial votes on Brexit next week could determine whether the UK has greater flexibility to set tariffs.

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A group of women have formed a choir, which helps them forget their troubles in eastern Ukraine's conflict zone.

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A rise in hate crimes against minority groups has lead some to take up weapons for themselves.

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Voting for the Supreme People's Assembly is mandatory and voters don't have a choice of candidates.

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The country's health ministry said evidence suggested 11 newborns all died from septic shock.

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The pro and anti-Maduro demonstrations take place as power cuts continue across the country.

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested Sotayo Olatayo Johnson, candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).

Sotayo is seeking to represent Abeokuta South Constituency 1, Ogun Central in the Ogun State House of Assembly,

He was allegedly caught with N1.7million neatly arranged in white envelopes, stashed in carrier bags.

The anti-graft commission revealed this on its Twitter handle, stating that he was arrested at Ijaye Park Polling Unit in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The tweet read: “#Polls: EFCC operatives arrest Sotayo Olatayo Johnson, a contestant for Ogun State House of Assembly, allegedly caught with N1.709million neatly arranged in envelopes stashed in carrier bags. He was arrested at Ijaye Park Polling Unit, Abeokuta, Ogun State. #SayNoToVoteBuying.”

Sotayo's APM is the party of Ogun governorship candidate Adekunle Akinlade, the man anointed by Governor Ibikunle Amosun. With the exception the presidential election, Amosun has urged his supporters to vote for APM at all levels, including for Sotayo.

When the presidential campaign train of the All Progressives Congress (APC) hit Abeokuta, capital of the sate, on February 11, Amosun had told the crowd:

"Please, I beg you, this is the vote of President Muhammadu Buhari. Don't worry; the other one, we will resolve. You know we will resolve it. On March 2, we will resolve it. This one is for President Muhammadu Buhari...

"Please, all of you carrying this APM, by the benevolence of the almighty God, all of you are what, APC. By March 2, all of you will turn to what, APM. All of us, whether you carry this APM, you carry anything, this February 16, it is APC.

"I have told you, the most important election is that of President Muhammadu Buhari. All of us, on Staurday, we are APC. Please repeat after me. But when it is time for March 2nd, we know what we are going to do."

The March 2 election was eventually moved to March 9.

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Akinwunmi Ambode, Governor of Lagos State, has won his polling unit in Epe for Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Ambode, who got to his polling unit at Ward A5, Unit 033, Ogunmodede College, Ajaganabe Area, Papa Epe, with his wife around 9:55am, voted at exactly 10:11am.

After the count, APC polled 262 votes, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled 62 votes. In the House of Assembly election, the APC also polled 253 votes, while the PDP secured 61 votes.

Speaking to journalists after voting, Ambode harped on the need to enhance democracy and promote the culture of one man one vote.

"I believe strongly that in doing this, we would continue to enhance the tenets of democracy and like you can see, we believe that with this, we are promoting the culture of one man one vote and then also improve on the state's well-being and the good governance that we have always enjoyed in Lagos State. I'm happy that I have done this and I will do it again," he said.

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Some thugs in Abeokuta, Ogun State, engaged in a free-for-all after a disagreement broke out over the sharing of money given to them by politicians.

The thugs were seen in front of Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s house at Ibara Housing Estate, exchanging blows.

According to our correspondent who saw the thugs in front of the Governor’s house on Friday, the thugs failed to reach a sharing formula on the distribution of the money satisfactorily.

Displeased at how the money sharing was taking longer than expected, one of the thugs launched an attack, which eventually degenerated into a free-for-all.

It could not be confirmed who exactly gave the thugs the money, but an eyewitness claimed that it was possible they got the money from politicians loyal to Amosun and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).

“They probably got the money from the politicians that work for Amosun and his candidate, Adekunle Akinlade,” an eyewitness said.

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With just hours to the governorship and state houses of assembly elections, the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State has been razed by fire.

It is not yet known how the fire started, but it is said to have been started by persons suspected to be hoodlums.

Elections materials were destroyed in the incident.

At the time of this report, it was not yet clear if the destruction of election materials would affect elections in the state, leading to postponement, as INEC is yet to release an official statement on the matter.

The goevernorship and state houses of assembly elections are scheduled to hold on Saturday, March 9, 2019.

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The pilot of the twin-engine propeller plane reported technical problems before losing contact.

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has postponed the state House of Assembly election across Mopa-Muro Local Government Area of Kogi State.

Opanachi Ojodale, the Electoral Officer of the LGA, said the election was postponed to Sunday, March 10, 2019, as wrong ballot papers were taken to the area.

According to Ojodale, ballot papers belonging to Akpa East LGA in Kogi East were taken to Mopa-Muro LGA.

The new ballot papers for Mopa-Muro would be delivered later on Saturday from Abuja.

There are no governorship elections in Edo, Ondo, Ekiti, Bayelsa, Kogi, Anambra and Osun because the tenures of their governors are yet to expire. However, the state assembly elections are ongoing in all states.

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Adebayo Adelabu, governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Oyo State, has expressed confidence that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would conduct credible governorship and house of assembly elections in the state.

Adelabu said the electoral body has learnt from its mistakes in the last elections and the ad hoc staff deployed for the ongoing elections showed "expertise in their skills".

He spoke shortly after he cast his vote at Polling Unit 10, Ward 009 in Oke-Odo Area, Ibadan South East, Oyo State. He came alongside his wife.

"INEC has learnt from the mistakes of the last presidential and national assembly elections as it shows that its personnel appear to have been better trained now. And I have confidence in INEC that the results which will emerge from this election would be credible and acceptable,” he said.

He also expressed satisfaction with the turnout of the electorate.

"I am happy to come out and cast my vote today as everything is going on peacefully and smoothly. As you can see, the turnout is very massive and also impressive, and there is no thuggery here too. I can also tell you that the process is plain, free and fair. I so much believe that we are going to have credible elections in the end,” he said.

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There is high voter apathy in the chairmanship and councillors elections ongoing in the Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory  (FCT).

Many polling units recorded low turnout of voters.

The election process started as early as 8am in many parts of the territory with many polling units scanty and desolated, unlike the presidential and national assembly elections that recorded large turnout of voters.

Some of the centres visited included PU 005, 004, 003, Usuma Ward, 01A Biaji Junction and Biazhin Primary School Kubwa.

Many people who spoke to SaharaReporters attributed the low turnout to the low level of campaign and mobilisation on the part of political parties and candidates, while others blamed it on the abysmal performance of political office holders in the Area Council which they say have not been beneficial to FCT residents.

Also, despite the movement restriction order placed by the Nigeria Police, business and commercial activities were going on in some areas.

However, so far, the election has been peaceful.

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has intercepted two bags full of cash allegedly meant for vote buying.

According to the anti-graft agency, the money was intercepted at North Bank Area, Markudi, the Benue State capital.

EFCC tweeted: “#Polls At North Bank Area, Makurdi, Benue State, EFCC operatives intercept bags of cash meant for vote-buying. In an attempt to arrest the culprit, some thugs attacked operatives and vandalised the bus used for patrol. #SayNoToVoteBuying”

Other reports have suggested that the money belongs to Emmanual Jime, the governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC).

However, at the time of the report, the ownership of the cash was yet to be verified.

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