Presidential, N’Assembly elections vicious –Soyinka

Prof. Wole Soyinka

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has described the presidential and National Assembly elections as the most vicious, unprincipled, vulgar and violent he had ever witnessed.

Soyinka, in an interview with TheGuardian UK on Sunday, was quoted as saying, “We’re talking about a very positive response by the public in terms of determination to register and vote but, you know, this has been one of the most vicious, unprincipled, vulgar and violent exercises I have ever witnessed.

“I just hope we won’t go down as being the incorrigible giant of Africa.”

According to Soyinka, the stakes appear to be so high that all scruples have been set aside and it’s very distressing to compare this election with that of 1993, which was one of the most orderly, civilised and resolute elections the country ever had.

PVC better than US voter card –Ambassador

US Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle

The Ambassador of the United States to Nigeria, Mr. James Entwistle, has applauded the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission to use the Permanent Voter Card in the general elections which commenced on Saturday.

The ambassador, who spoke with journalists at the International Conference Centre, venue of the National Collation Centre of the election results, on Sunday said Nigeria’s PVC involved superior technology which his state of Virginia in the US needed to copy.

He said, “I am very impressed by the decision of INEC to use technology in this election. The Permanent Voter Cards are very high-tech.

INEC office razed as Rivers protesters demand fresh polls

All Progressives Congress supporters protesting at the INEC office in Port Harcourt... on Sunday
| credits: Stanley Ogidi

The office of the Independent National Electoral Commission in the Emouha Local Government Area of Rivers State was on Saturday night set ablaze by persons believed to be political thugs.

A senior official of the commission confirmed the incident hours after hundreds of All Progressives Congress protesters on Sunday besieged the INEC office in Port Harcourt     demanding the conduct of a fresh presidential and National Assembly elections in the state.

The INEC official, who did not want his name in print, said, “I got information from one of our officials that some individuals harassed them before setting the place ablaze on Saturday.

“We are still trying to gather more information on the situation.”

The protesting APC supporters   had converged on the Government House in Port Harcourt, around noon before proceeding to the INEC office on Aba Road.

The party supporters, who were led by their   governorship, Dakuku Peterside, carried placards some of which read, ‘‘INEC is an arm of Rivers PDP,’’ ‘‘There was no election in Rivers,’’ ‘‘We must be allowed to vote,’’ and ‘‘INEC, conduct election in Rivers State.’’

PDP, APC clash over Lagos poll results delay

The agent of the Peoples Democratic Party for the presidential election collation in Lagos State, Mr. Wahab Owokoniran, and his All Progressives Congress counterpart, Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi, earlier today, hotly disagreed during the collation exercise at the Independent National Electoral Commission Lagos office.

The quarrel began immediately the Collation Officer for Lagos State, Prof. Isaac Adewole, announced the suspension of the collation of the presidential poll till 8am.

Before Adewole suspended the collation of the result at 1.48am, electoral officers of 4 local government areas had submitted the results of their respective council areas, while the results for the remaining 16 local government areas had yet to be returned to the INEC office.

But immediately after Adewole, who is the Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, announced the suspension of the collation of the result, Owokoniran flared up and protested the decision, asking the state collation officer to explain the rationale behind the shift.

Young couple get married after meeting on Arsenal striker Lukas Podolski's Facebook page

Two football fans who liked his Facebook page have - in the words of pop star Rihanna - found love in the hardest place.

• 
• 
• 
• 

View gallery

.

Lukas Podolski joined Serie A giants Inter on loan from Arsenal in the January transfer window to get more matches - and it appears he's now become match maker for a young couple abroad.

Group of Chelsea fans  racially abusing

 A British football team has vowed to support any criminal action brought against its fans who were filmed as they physically stopped a black man from getting on the Paris metro Tuesday.

The amateur video obtained by The Guardian, and posted on its website, shows the man make multiple attempts to board a train at Richelieu-Drouot station, only to be pushed away each time by a group of passengers.

Breaking News*** Abia guber 2015

‪#‎APGA‬ MERGES WITH ‪#‎PPA‬ AS ‪#‎OTTI‬ STEPS DOWN FOR ‪#‎UDENSI‬

Information just reaching our news room from a very reliable source indicates that the Abia state chapter of APGA has reached to a consensus agreement with PPA for the guber election coming up on 11th April. The APGA candidate Otti who has been having a running battle with Diamond bank lately agreed in principle to step down and support udensi while Udensi will provide funds to assist him offset his debt with Diamond Bank . Otti had approached Udensi for assistance following repeated threats by Diamond bank to drag him to EFCC if he fails to recover the Bank’s funds borrowed to Abia state government under Otti, before the end of this February. The Bank is afraid that the next government may refuse to redeem the debts if Otti fails to win the gubernatorial election as the deals were executed under questionable circumstances and without following due process.