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“Anytime we want to kill terrorists, President would ask us to take permission from France but they were killing our soldiers-” Niger Republic coup leader
Leader of last weekend’s military coup in Niger Republic, Major General Abdurrahman chiani has further explained why they had to overthrow the administration of President Mohammed Bazoum, saying among other things that any time the soldiers discover hideout of terrorists and want to bomb or kill them, the President would order them to seek clearance from France, even as the terrorists kill their soldiers without mercy.
It would be recalled that Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Authority of Heads of State and Government under the leadership of Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, met in Abuja on Sunday and issued a seven-day ultimatum to the military to release and reinstate President Mohammed Bazoum as the legitimate Head of State and government of Niger.
Present at the meeting were Presidents Patrice Talon of Benin Republic, Alassane Ouattara of Cote d’Ivoire, Adama Barrow of The Gambia, Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana, Umaro Embalo of Guinea Bissau, Macky Sall of Senegal and Faure Gnassingbé of Togo while Presidents of Cape Verde, Liberia, Niger and Sierra Leone were represented.
While reacting, General Abdurrahman chiani rejected the call and warned ECOWAS against military intervention, saying, “We want to once more remind ECOWAS or any other adventurer of our firm determination to defend our homeland.”
He warned against any military intervention in a statement read on Niger national television.
Je said- “The objective of the ECOWAS meeting is to approve a plan of aggression against Niger through an imminent military intervention in Niamey in collaboration with other African countries that are non-members of ECOWAS, and certain Western countries,” Aljazeera quoted the military spokesperson, Col. Amadou Abdramane, to have said.
Making further explanation on the matter, the interm president said that- “Some people think that the coup operation is a game،
But whether we like it or not, there’s no going back.
“There are two cases, if France and its allies try to attack us to liberate Bazoum, we will have to liquidate it even before the Westerners reach us. Those who want to rally, let’s do it now, otherwise, having understood that we succeeded, if they come, we will not give up, either kill them or go to jail.
“I’ll tell you a secret: We often located terrorists, but when we asked to rush to kill them, President Bazoum told us to ask permission from the French forces first.
But our soldiers were falling on the fronts and France did not pay attention to this.
“We decided to do the same as Mali and Burkina Faso because one of the largest nests of terrorists is located here, and the “Ahmed Koufa” of the Malians is also located here near the Mali / Niger border.
We are ready to form a partnership with Russia and rely a lot on Mali to achieve this.
I’m already old and so are the other generals, so if we die it will be for a good reason.
The young man will take power, as in Burkina Faso and Mali.
“France will be weaker than all that. Mali was right about these imperialists. Many presidents here in Niger have received billions to spoil us, I myself have received offers but we have not given up, so be sure of one thing that will make us like Mali. If I wanted, I would have led the command but if I let the former chief of staff salivo Modi lead it is for a very good reason and I have my reasons.
“I ask the people of Niger to follow the example of Malians and Burkinabes,” he stated.
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Turaki-led PDP wins as Court of Appeal affirms Wole Oluyede as duly nominated candidate for Ekiti
Dr. Wole Oluyede has been affirmed as the duly nominated candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the Ekiti State governorship election.
The Court of Appeal, Akure Division, made the affirmation in a landmark judgment, thereby giving validity of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary election for the same.
In a unanimous decision, the three-man appellate panel led by Hon. Justice Peter Chudi Obiorah, alongside Hon. Justice Jane Esienanwan Inyang and Hon. Justice Peter O. Affen, set aside the earlier judgment of the Federal High Court, Ado-Ekiti.
The justices held that the primary election conducted by the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC) was valid, transparent, and complied with the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act.
On the 13th of January, 2026, the Federal High Court, Ado-Ekiti nullified the Ekiti State Governorship primary election conducted on the 8th and 9th November, 2025.
Dissatisfied with the judgment, the Party appealed to the Court of Appeal and today, the Court of Appeal allowed the appeal and set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court..
The Court further held that the primary election was duly conducted.
This judgment effectively puts to rest the leadership and candidacy disputes that have shadowed the party’s preparations for the 2026 Ekiti State Governorship Election. By upholding the Turaki-led process, the Court has provided the necessary legal finality to ensure the PDP enters the general election as a unified front.
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India slaps Nigeria, rejects Tinubu’s ambassador-designate
India and some other countries have reportedly declined to accept some of President Bola Tinubu’s recently posted ambassadors-designate due to diplomatic policies that discourage receiving envoys from administrations with less than two years remaining in office.
According to reports in the media, India, where career diplomat Ambassador Muhammad Dahiru has been designated to serve, maintains a standing policy against accepting ambassadors from governments with tenures of less than two years remaining.
India is exercising its discretionary powers to turn down the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ request to accept Dahiru’s posting.
According to sources quoted by the report, the Federal Government was already receiving signals from New Delhi and possibly other capitals about their reluctance to grant agrément.
Agrément is the formal approval given by a receiving country to accept a diplomat designated by the sending country, and it is a prerequisite before an ambassador can assume duty.
“They don’t accept an ambassador from an administration that has less than two years in office. So they are giving us that body language already,” a Presidency official was quoted to have said
The source continued, “Some countries are reluctant to accept some people, not because of the individuals but because of time. They are already seeing the Tinubu government as an outgoing government.
“So their concern is that he has just one year left, so what if he doesn’t win the election? Another government may come and remove them. We also understand that some countries have this policy. Any ambassador from an administration that has less than a year or two in office will not get accepted. And one of such countries is India.”
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Belonging to two political parties to attract imprisonment
The House of Representatives on Wednesday amended Section 77 of the recently assented Electoral Act 2026 to prescribe two-year jail term or N10 million fines or both, for anyone who knowingly maintains membership of two political parties at the same time.
Lawmakers during the committee of the whole presided by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Okezie Kalu, made amendment to section 77 of the 2026 Act by inserting three new clauses 8, 9 and 10 which were considered and approved by lawmakers after a heated session of back and forth debates.
According to the new clauses approved by lawmakers, any party member found to be registered as member of more than one political party at the same time will have his or membership of the said parties voided.
Clause (8) of the approved amendment stipulates that “A person shall not be registered as a member of more than one political party at the same time.”
Clause (9) stipulates that “Where it is established that a person is registered as a member of more than one political at the same time, such dual membership shall be void, and the person shall cease to be recognised as a valid member of any political party pending regularisation in accordance with the provisions of this Act and the constitution of the political party concerned.
Clause (10) stipulates that “A person who knowingly registers or maintains membership in more than one political party at the same time commits an offence is liable on conviction to a fine of N10,000,000 or to imprisonment for a term of two years, or both.”
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