LAGOS: Nigerians voted on Saturday for a successor to President Muhammadu Buhari in a tightly fought race, with three frontrunners competing for the first time in the country’s modern history.
Nearly 90 million people are eligible to vote in the election, which is taking place as Africa’s most populous democracy grapples with a multi-front security crisis, a sluggish economy and widening poverty.
For the first time since the end of military rule in 1999, a third serious candidate has emerged to challenge the dominance of Buhari’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“It’s going to be different this time, we have three people,” said Friday Ikwuako, 55, a school employee voting in the affluent Ikoyi district of Lagos. “We want a change in government.”
Polling stations were meant to open at 0730 GMT, but election officials arrived late in numerous centers in Lagos and in southern Port Harcourt and northwest Kano.
With Buhari stepping down after two terms in office, the APC’s Bola Tinubu, 70, a former Lagos governor and political kingmaker, says “It’s my turn” for the presidency.
He faces a familiar rival — PDP candidate and former vice president Atiku Abubakar, 76, who is on his sixth bid for the top job and touts his business experience to fix the economy.
But the emergence of a surprise third candidate appealing to young voters, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, 61, has thrown the race open with his campaign for change from his old-guard rivals.
“There’s a lot of pressure this year, in the choice. We know how elections go usually and there’s been a lot of promises with this election,” said Osaki Briggs, 25, a photographer voting in Port Harcourt.
“Our expectations are higher. We hope we won’t be disappointed.”
The success of Saturday’s election will be closely watched after West Africa’s democratic credentials took a knock from coups in Burkina Faso and Mali and Islamist militancy spread north of Nigeria’s Gulf of Guinea neighbors.
Megacity Lagos may have put Nigeria on the global entertainment map today for its Nollywood film industry and global Afrobeats stars like Burna Boy, but the new leader of Africa’s largest economy inherits a complex set of security and financial risks.
Cash and fuel shortages in the days before the election have also left many Nigerians angry and struggling more than usual in a country already hit by more than 20 percent inflation.
Presidential elections have in the past often been marked by violence, ethnic tensions, vote-buying and clashes between supporters of rival parties.
Nearly 10 million new voters registered this year, most of them under 34, representing an essential bloc if they come out to vote.
Streets in Lagos and other cities were calm as traffic was restricted. Groups of boys took advantage to hold impromptu football matches in the empty roads.
Voters will also cast their ballot for Nigeria’s two houses of parliament, the National Assembly and Senate. Polls close at 1330 GMT.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has given no timeline for results, but votes are expected to be tallied within a few days. Under a 2022 law, the official results have to be confirmed within 14 days.
To win the presidency, a candidate must get the most votes, but also win 25 percent in two-thirds of Nigeria’s 36 states.
If no candidate wins, a runoff will take place within 21 days between the two frontrunners — an unprecedented outcome that some analysts say is a possibility this time around.
“It’s difficult for us to make an easy prediction as to what is going to be the likely outcome,” said Kano State College public affairs lecturer Kabiru Sufi.
The rules reflect a country almost equally split between the mostly Muslim north and predominantly Christian south, and with three main ethnic groups across the regions: Yoruba in the southwest, Hausa/Fulani in the north and Igbo in the southeast.
Voting also often falls along ethnic and religious lines.
This time, Tinubu is a southern Yoruba Muslim, Atiku is an ethnic Fulani Muslim from the northeast, and Peter Obi is a Christian Igbo from the southeast.
Today, most experts see INEC as being more prepared than in 2019. It has introduced biometric voter IDs to help prevent fraud, and results will be transmitted electronically.
Around 400,000 police and troops have been deployed around the country to protect the vote.
But security challenges are vast. Buhari, a former army commander, was elected in 2015 and re-elected in 2019, on promises to make Nigeria safer and less corrupt.
But miiltants operate mostly in the northeast, bandit militias carry out mass kidnappings in rural communities in the northwest, and separatist gunmen are accused of targeting INEC offices and police in the southeast.
Nigerians vote for new president in tight election race
https://arab.news/whvy8
Nigerians vote for new president in tight election race
- Nearly 90 million people are eligible to vote in the election
- Official results have to be confirmed within 14 days
UN condemns ‘summary executions’ of children by M23 in DR Congo
“We are also aware that children were in possession of weapons“
GENEVA: The Rwanda-backed M23 armed group has summarily executed children in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the United Nations said on Tuesday.
The UN rights office warned the situation in eastern DRC was “deteriorating sharply, resulting in serious human rights violations and abuses.”
“Our office has confirmed cases of summary execution of children by M23 after they entered the city of Bukavu last week,” rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva.
“We are also aware that children were in possession of weapons,” she said.
She urged “Rwanda and M23 to ensure that human rights and international humanitarian law are respected.”
M23 fighters and Rwandan soldiers have seized Goma and Bukavu, the capitals of North and South Kivu provinces respectively.
In South Kivu, more than 150,000 people have been forced to flee, UN refugee agency UNHCR said.
UN experts say Rwanda effectively controls M23 and has at least 4,000 troops fighting alongside it.
The DRC government accuses Rwanda of “expansionist ambitions” and says it is stealing vast amounts of minerals.
Shamdasani said the situation was “very chaotic,” and the UN rights office was “receiving a lot of information... which we are not able to confirm or verify.”
It had, however, confirmed a case of three boys, thought to be aged between 11 and 15, who had been killed in Bukavu on Sunday “during an altercation with members of M23.”
The boys were allegedly wearing uniforms and carrying weapons found in an abandoned DRC army camp, firing shots and looting stores, she said.
“What appears to have happened is that they were asked to surrender their weapons and they refused to do so and they were killed,” she said.
The rights office had also documented cases of “ill treatment, conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence, child and forced recruitment, intimidation and death threats,” she said.
Prison breaks from South Kivu’s Kabare and Bukavu jails on Friday had made matters worse.
“We have received protection requests from victims and witnesses (who) fear retaliation from escapees, given their active participation in the trials against some of these prisoners convicted of grave human rights violations and abuses, some of which amount to international crimes,” she said.
She said the UN had received “reports that journalists, human rights defenders and members of civil society organizations have been threatened, and forced to leave.”
UN rights chief Volker Turk “expresses his horror at the events unfolding in South and North Kivu, and the impact this is having on civilians,” she said.
“The risks of this spilling over into an even deeper and wider conflict are frighteningly real.”
The fighting has already spurred an exodus toward neighboring Burundi, UNHCR warned.
“Between 10,000 and 15,000 people have crossed into Burundi over the last few days,” spokesman Matthew Saltmarsh told reporters.
“Most of those arriving are Congolese, mainly from the Bukavu area,” he said.
He highlighted reports of thousands more people arriving through “unofficial border points,” including across rivers, “with reports of several individuals drowning.”
“Conditions in the communities near the border are extremely dire, with a lack of shelter, water and sanitation facilities,” he said.
Campaigners call on F-35 partner countries to end supplies to Israel
- Over 200 organizations send letter to government ministers in US, UK, Australia, Canada, elsewhere
- ‘The past 15 months have illustrated that Israel is not committed to complying with international law’
LONDON: More than 200 organizations worldwide have urged countries involved in the F-35 jet program to halt arms transfers to Israel over fears of humanitarian law violations, The Guardian reported on Tuesday.
It comes as the war in Gaza reached 500 days, with the F-35 jet being used extensively by the Israeli Air Force to conduct bombing operations throughout the conflict.
The organizations signed a letter that was sent on Monday to government ministers in the UK, the US, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands and Norway.
The 232 signatories come from the countries involved in production of the jet, as well as Jordan, Lebanon, India, Belgium, Switzerland, Ireland and elsewhere.
Leading charities such as Oxfam, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch signed the letter, which was coordinated by the Campaign Against Arms Trade.
It says: “The past 15 months have illustrated with devastating clarity that Israel is not committed to complying with international law.
“Partners to the F-35 program have individually and collectively failed to prevent these jets from being used to commit serious violations of international law by Israel.
“States have either been unwilling to observe their international legal obligations and/or claimed that the structure of the F-35 program means that it is not possible to apply arms controls to any end-user, making the entire program incompatible with international law.”
Israel is part of the international agreement behind the F-35 program. British firms supply 15 percent of the parts used in the jet, which is produced by a global consortium led by US defense firm Lockheed Martin.
Governments including those of the US, the UK, Australia and Canada have faced legal action over their involvement in granting arms licenses to Israel that include F-35 components.
The UK in September suspended 30 out of 350 arms export licenses to Israel over fears that the weapons may be used to violate international humanitarian law.
But components of the F-35 were exempt from the suspension for reasons of “international peace and security.”
All countries in the F-35 program are parties to the arms trade treaty, except the US, which is a signatory.
The treaty requires the prevention of military transfers where a risk of humanitarian law violations exists.
More than 48,000 people have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, with some researchers saying the death toll could be up to 40 percent higher than the number recorded by the enclave’s Health Ministry.
Katie Fallon, advocacy manager at CAAT, said: “The F-35 jet program is emblematic of the West’s complicity in Israel’s crimes against Palestinians.
“These jets were instrumental in Israel’s 466-day bombardment of Gaza, in crimes that include war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
“Since the limited ceasefire the US government, and lead partner to the F-35 program, has threatened Gaza with mass ethnic cleansing and forced displacement.
“This program gives material and political consent from all western partners, including the UK, for these crimes to continue.”
Vatican cancels hospitalized Pope Francis’s weekend events
- The Holy See had already indicated that the pontiff would stay longer in the hospital than initially believed due to a ‘complex’ clinical picture
- It is latest of a series of health issues for the pope, who has undergone hernia and colon surgery since 2021, and uses a wheelchair for a sore knee
VATICAN CITY: The Vatican on Tuesday canceled two of Pope Francis’s events at the weekend as the 88-year-old continues to receive hospital treatment for bronchitis.
The Holy See had already on Monday indicated that the pontiff, who was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on Friday, would stay longer than initially believed due to a “complex” clinical picture.
“Due to the health conditions of the Holy Father, the Jubilee audience of Saturday February 22 is canceled,” it said in a statement Tuesday.
It added that the pontiff has delegated a senior Vatican clergyman to celebrate a planned mass on Sunday morning.
The Vatican did not mention the Angelus prayer, which the pope normally delivers at midday on Sunday, but which he missed last weekend.
Francis, the head of the worldwide Catholic Church since 2013, was admitted to hospital after struggling for several days to read his texts in public.
It is latest of a series of health issues for the Argentine Jesuit, who has undergone hernia and colon surgery since 2021, and uses a wheelchair for a sore knee.
In a statement on Monday, the Vatican said tests had confirmed “a polymicrobial infection of the respiratory tract that has led to a further change in treatment.”
“All the tests carried out until now are indicative of a complex clinical picture that will require adequate hospitalization,” it said.
In an update later on Monday evening, it said his condition was unchanged.
“The Holy Father remains without a fever and is proceeding with the prescribed treatment,” it added.
He had on Monday morning “received the Eucharist and subsequently dedicated himself to some work and reading texts,” it said.
“Pope Francis is touched by the numerous messages of affection and closeness he continues to receive,” it added.
Vietnam parliament approves plan for leaner government
- The number of government ministries will be reduced to 14 from the current of 18
- More than 97% of lawmakers present in Vietnam’s National Assembly approved the plan
HANOI: Vietnam’s National Assembly on Tuesday approved a bold bureaucratic reform plan that will slash up to a fifth of government bodies, as the country tries to cut costs and improve administrative efficiency.
The number of government ministries will be reduced to 14 from the current of 18, to be up and running from March 1, the assembly said in a statement.
More than 97 percent of the lawmakers present approved the plan.
The assembly earlier on Tuesday passed an amendment to a law on organizing government, paving the way for approval of the planned cull of 15 percent to 20 percent of the state apparatus, which will also include four agencies and five state television channels, among other cuts.
The move would “not only save money for the state budget but more importantly, boost the efficiency of the system,” General Secretary of Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party, To Lam, told parliament last week. Investors, diplomats and officials have broadly welcomed the plan but expect some administrative delays in the short term in Vietnam, a regional industrial hub that relies heavily on foreign investment. The government has said the overhaul would not impact project approvals.
The planning and investment ministry, which approves foreign investment projects, will join the finance ministry, while the transport ministry and the construction ministry will be merged.
The natural resources and environment ministry and the agriculture ministry will also be merged.
Lawmakers on Tuesday ratified the appointment of two new deputy premiers, including the incumbent investment minister. That will increase the number of deputy prime ministers from five to seven.
The plan coincides with similar post-pandemic government cost-cutting measures being implemented or pledged across the world, including by Argentina’s libertarian President Javier Milei and US President Donald Trump.
Vietnam’s state media last month reported the restructuring would affect 100,000 state officials. It did not elaborate.
“Poor-performing employees must be removed from the system,” it quoted Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh, as saying.
“State agencies must not be safe shelters for incompetent officials.”
South Korea’s parliament presses for Yoon Suk Yeol’s removal as impeachment trial winds down
- Lawyers for both sides summarize their arguments and evidence at the Constitutional Court
- Yoon Suk Yeol has argued that he had a right as president to issue his martial law decree
SEOUL: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol could try to impose martial law again or undermine constitutional institutions should he be reinstated, lawyers for parliament argued on Tuesday as his impeachment trial entered its final phase.
After weeks of testimony by high-ranking current and former officials, including some facing criminal charges for their role in the brief imposition of martial law on December 3, lawyers for both sides summarized their arguments and evidence at the Constitutional Court.
“Declaring martial law in a situation that doesn’t fit a national emergency is a declaration of dictatorship and military rule,” Kim Jin-han, a lawyer for the parliament, told the justices.
He cited pro-Yoon protesters who stormed a different court in January.
“If he returns to work, we don’t know if he will again exercise martial law,” Kim said. “If he returns to work, we can’t rule out the possibility that he will attack other state and constitutional institutions.”
The Constitutional Court is due to hold another hearing to question three more witnesses on Thursday, including the impeached prime minister and the former police chief.
The court is reviewing parliament’s impeachment of Yoon on December 14 and will decide whether to remove him from office permanently or reinstate him. If he is removed, a new presidential election must be held within 60 days.
Yoon has argued that he had a right as president to issue his martial law decree, which lasted around six hours before he rescinded it in the face of parliamentary opposition. He said the move was also justified by political deadlock and threats from “anti-state forces” sympathetic to North Korea.
His case at the Constitutional Court has also included arguments that he never actually intended to stop parliament from operating, even though the order was publicly declared and troops and police were deployed to the legislature.
Yoon also sent troops to the National Election Commission and later said the decree was necessary in part because the NEC had been unwilling to address concerns over election hacking, a claim rejected by election officials.
Prosecutors have also indicted Yoon on separate criminal charges of leading an insurrection. He was arrested last month and is being held at a detention center.
The first preparatory hearing in that case is scheduled for Thursday.
Insurrection is one of the few criminal charges from which a South Korean president does not have immunity. It is punishable by life imprisonment or death, although South Korea has not executed anyone in decades.
