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  • JUST IN: Court restrains NYSC from denying issuance of certificate to Enugu Governor-Elect, Mbah

    JUST IN: Court restrains NYSC from denying issuance of certificate to Enugu Governor-Elect, Mbah

    The Federal High Court, Abuja has restrained the National Youth Service Corps, (NYSC) from further publishing a disclaimer, denying the issuance of certificate dated Jan.6, 2003 to the Enugu state Governor-elect, Mr Peter Mbah.

    Ruling on an ex parte application moved by Mr Emeka Ozoani, SAN, on behalf of Mbah, Justice Inyang Ekwo also barred the NYSC Director, Corps Certification, Mr Ibrahim Muhammad from continuing to issue a disclaimer to the effect that Mbah’s NYSC certificate was not issued by the NYSC.

    Ozoani brought the motion under Section 13(1) & (2) of the Federal High Court Act Cap F12, Vol. 6, Law of Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and Order 26 Rule 6(1) of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2019.

    Justice Ekwo granted prayer one on the motion paper.

    The judge, however refused to grant prayer two saying that it was far reaching but rather ordered the plaintiff to put the defendants on notice.

    He said that the second prayer was an issue to be adjudicated upon in the substantive suit.

    Consequently, the trial judge ordered the applicant to serve the defendants with court processes within two days of the order.

    The motion ex parte was predicated on 10 grounds.

    He said that after graduating in law from the University of East London in 2000, retuned to Nigeria and as a pre-requisite to practice as barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, applied and was admitted into the Bar part 1 programme of the Nigerian Law School.

    Mbah said upon completing the bar part I exam, he had to wait for the bar part 2 programme, and was advised that instead of spending time idling around, he should proceed to the mandatory one year NYSC programme.

    He said he was called up for NYSC and was deployed initially to Nigerian Ports Authority Apapa for his primary assignment but was rejected by NPA, before securing the law firm of Ude & Associates.

    “The plaintiff in the course of his service year and after six months of NYSC, applied and was granted approval to defer the NYSC in order to enable him complete the bar final exam.

    “Thereafter, the plaintiff was remobilized to finish the NYSC programme, which he did complete.”

    Mbah averred that upon completion of the NYSC, he was issued the certificate of National Service No. A.808297 dated Jan.6 2003.

    Justice Ekwo adjourned the matter until May 22 for hearing of the motion on notice.

    Recall that the NYSC had on Feb. 1 written a letter signed by Mr Ibrahim Muhammed saying that the NYSC certificate belonging to Mbah was not issued by the corps.

    NAN also reports that Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) won the Enugu state governorship election held in March 18.

    Vanguard

  • Assault: Seun Kuti in Police Custody

    Afrobeats musician, Seun Kuti, has turned himself in at the Lagos State Police Command headquarters days after he was seen in a viral video assaulting a policeman in traffic.

    The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, and the Police Service Commission (PSC) immediately reacted with the IGP ordering for the Musician’s immediate arrest.

    Seun Kuti, however, in the early hours of Monday turned himself in at the Lagos State Police Command in Ikeja, in company of his lawyer and a family representative.

    According to the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Benjamin Hundeyin, who took to his social media handles to annouce the development, the musician has been placed under arrest in line with the law.

    Seun, the controversial son of the late Afrobeats legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, is likely to be charged for assault.

    Leadership

  • Buhari Hails Hilda Baci For Placing Nigeria On Global Spotlight

    President Muhammadu Buhari has shared the joy of celebrations as 27-year-old gourmet chef, Hilda Bassey Effiong, a.k.a Hilda Baci, made history by breaking the world record of longest hours of cooking, finding her way into the Guinness Book of Records, and placing Nigeria on the global spotlight.

    President Buhari in a statement by Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, on Monday, lauded the young culinary expert for turning her talent and passion into a career, with a rippling effect on the economy as she runs a restaurant in Lagos, and trains other talents on entrepreneurship, and now leads the world in resilience, perseverance, and consistency in cooking.

    The President noted the antecedents of the restaurateur, who dazzled at the Jollof Face-off Competition, 2021, preparing mouth-watering dishes that won the choice prize, and settled an age-long rivalry with Ghana on which African country should own the trademark for cooking better jollof- rice.

    President Buhari believed Hilda Baci’s drive and ambition have brought more interest and insight into the uniqueness of Nigerian food, as another cultural icon, with huge tourism benefits, hoping more young people will follow in her footsteps.

    The President thanked the sponsors of Hilda Baci Cook-a-thon, government officials, including Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, celebrities from the bubbling music and movie industry, and fans of the chef for all the support that has brought glory to the country.

    President Buhari wished Hilda Baci more grace for a prosperous career.

    Leadership

  • Turkey faces momentous runoff election after Erdogan fails to win outright

    Turkey faces momentous runoff election after Erdogan fails to win outright

    Turkey is braced for a bruising runoff election after longtime leader President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was forced into a second round with only a narrow lead over his rival, Kemal Kilicdaroglu.

    Neither candidate achieved the required 50% to take the presidency outright, but Kilicdaroglu now faces a tough battle to win the second round after Erdogan performed better than some opinion polls had suggested.

    The incomplete results for both frontrunners remained just below the threshold 50% mark after 99% of ballot boxes were opened, according to Turkey’s Supreme Election Council. So far, Erdogan has 49.40% of the vote, Kilicdaroglu gained 44.96% and the third candidate, Sinan Ogan, earned 5.2%, the head of the council Ahmed Yener said.

    With the final count underway, the electorate will turn to a second round of voting that could extend Erdogan’s 20-year grip on power, or set the stage for a change in political direction.

    Each candidate looked to re-energize voters once results began to surface in the early hours of Monday, in remarks that framed their contrastingly conservative and secular approaches to power.

    Erdogan said he was “already ahead” of his “closest rival.”

    “We are already ahead of our closest rival by 2.6 million votes. We expect this figure to increase with official results,” he commented.

    He added that his camp does not know yet “if the presidential election is over in the first round,” but said, “We believe we will finish this round with over 50% of the votes.”

    The leader of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party received a litany of criticism in the months preceding the election, fielding accusations of negligence following the deadly February 6 earthquake, and overseeing an unorthodox fiscal policy that has plunged the nation into a cost of living crisis.

    His decision to maintain close relations with Russia amid the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine has also caused friction with NATO allies, after he blocked requests for Finland and Sweden’s accession to the transatlantic military alliance. He campaigned on a manifesto championing the stability of his long rule, independent foreign policy and lowering the retirement age.

    Kilicdaroglu, who represents an election coalition of six opposition parties, has promised an overhaul of Erdogan’s Islamist-leaning policies in favor of a political slogan based on secularism and fixing Turkey’s economic woes.

    He welcomed the prospect of a runoff vote and said his party would triumph, after accusing Erdogan’s AK Party of demanding recounts and delaying results in opposition strongholds, including in Ankara and Istanbul.

    “If our nation says second round, we gladly accept it. We will absolutely win this election in the second round. Everyone will see that,” Kilicdaroglu said, of the runoff.

    Deciding factor

    Supporters for both candidates claimed momentum was on the side of their candidate, but the final results of the runoff could be determined by a key third component.

    Ogan, the 55-year-old far-right candidate, has enough support from the first round to swing the vote in either Erdogan or Kilicdaroglu’s favor, depending on whom he chooses to endorse.

    “There will be another difficult 15 days ahead,” Ogan said on Sunday at a press briefing in Ankara.

    “We will do our best to make this process a good one for our nation and our country. At this time, we are not saying that we will support one party or the other.”

    CNN

  • Ukraine “positive” about prospect of creating a fighter jet “coalition,” says Zelensky

    Ukraine “positive” about prospect of creating a fighter jet “coalition,” says Zelensky

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he feels “positive” about the prospect of Western allies providing Kyiv with more fighter jets.

    Zelensky spoke at a brief press conference alongside Rishi Sunak after the two leaders met at the British prime minister’s country retreat Chequers on Monday.

    “Today we talked about the jets – a very important topic for us,” Zelensky said. “We want to create this jet coalition and I’m very positive about it. We spoke about it. And I see that in the closest time you will hear some, I think, very important decisions, but we have to work a little bit more about it.”

    However, Sunak struck a more cautious tone. “We are going to be a key part of the coalition of countries that provides that support to Volodymr and Ukraine. It is not a straightforward thing … to build up that fighter combat aircraft capability,” he said.

    Sunak announced in February that the UK would start training Ukrainian pilots on NATO-standard fighter jets.

    Slow progress: For months, Ukraine has made pleas to its Western allies to supply more military hardware. More than just ammunition and artillery, Ukraine wants tanks and jets.

    In January, Ukraine secured a major breakthrough after Germany announced it would permit the supply of Leopard 2 tanks to aid the country’s defense efforts. The United States also pledged to send Abrams tanks.

    Yet many of Kyiv’s Western allies have been reluctant to provide Ukraine with fighter jets, with the notable exception of Poland.

    However, Monday’s discussion of a fighter jet “coalition” shows that Ukraine has not abandoned its demands — and that its allies are still listening.

    CNN

  • Policemen storm Seun Kuti’s house, shrine

    Following the Inspector-General of Police order for the arrest of the late Fela Kuti’s son, Seun, over assault on a policeman on the Third Mainland Bridge, Lagos, Vanguard gathered, yesterday, that policemen stormed the Afrobeat musician’s Lagos apartment and the African shrine, in Ikeja area of Lagos to arrest him.

    Vanguard gethered that police operatives were at Seun’s place on Saturday night and Sunday morning, but did not meet him.

    A source told Vanguard that efforts were being made to apprehend Suen, who is suspected to have gone into hiding.

    This came as Police Service Commission, PSC, yesterday, condemned the assault of a Police Officer in uniform and on official duty in Lagos by Seun.

    PSC commended the Inspector General of Police, Baba Usman Alkali for his prompt action in ordering the arrest and prosecution of Seun.

    He’ll report himself today —Femi Falana

    Meanwhile, rights activst and lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, yesterday, said Seun, had sought his legal service following the IGP’s order to immediately arrest the singer after a viral video surfaced on Saturday showing the Afrobeats star slapping a uniformed policeman.

    Falana said: “I am his lawyer and he has briefed me. He certainly has evidence. This is not the first time he is dealing with the police.”

    Falana added that the embattled singer would turn himself in on Monday, saying, “He is going to report himself to the police tomorrow morning (today). There is no problem at all.”

    Efforts to reach the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, yesterday, failed as he did not respond to calls and text messages to his mobile line.

    However, police sources at the Command headquarters assured that the IGP’s directive would be carried out to the latter.

    Reacting to the order via his Instastory on Saturday night, Kuti said he welcomed the investigation.

    He wrote, “I welcome the investigation and will give my full cooperation. I also pray to the IG that whoever is wrong should be indicted.”

    Condemning Seun’s action, Executive Director, Rule of Law and Accountability Centre, Mr. Okechukwu Nwagunma, said: “Section 98 of the Police Act 2020-98 states that ‘A person who assaults, obstructs or resists a police officer in the discharge of his duty, or aids or incites any other person to assault, obstruct or resist a police officer or other person aiding or assisting the police officer in the discharge of his duty, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine ofN500,000 or imprisonment for a term of six months or both.

    “Where a person is called upon to aid and assist a police officer who is, while in the discharge of his duty, assaulted or resisted or in danger of being assaulted or resisted, and the person refuses or neglects to aid and assist, the person commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of N I 00,000 or imprisonment for a term of three months or both”.

    “Since Seun claims that the police officer wanted to kill him, the Police should impartially and exhaustively investigate the case so as to unravel the full facts and take appropriate actions in line with the findings and the law,” he stated.

    PSC demands immediate prosecution of Seun Kuti

    PSC in a statement by ts spokesman, Ikechukwu Ani, said: “The commission demands that the culprit must be arraigned immediately and that the Inspector General must ensure that the matter is followed to it’s logical conclusion to restore public confidence in the Nigeria Police as the lead agency in internal security and in it’s ability to maintain law and order and also protect lives and properties.”

    Chairman of PSC, Dr.Solomon Arase, former Inspector General of Police, said: “No matter the offence the Police Officer committed, nobody, including Seun Kuti has the right to assault a Policeman in uniform and on official duty.

    “We must as a civilized people explore established channels of complaints against alleged infractions by law enforcement officials rather than this uncouth behavior in assaulting the symbol of authority in our country.

    “We look forward to the prompt prosecution of Seun to act as a deterrent to others of his ilk,” he added.

    He commended the Police Officer for refusing to be provoked by the action of his aggressor, a development he said would have been more fatal.

    Vanguard

  • Nigerians of My Era Made Right Choices of Leaders – Fmr President Obasanjo

    Nigerians of My Era Made Right Choices of Leaders – Fmr President Obasanjo

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has compared the performances of Nigerian leaders before independence with what is currently obtainable and concluded that the Nigerian leaders of those days were much better.

    Speaking during the National Daily Awards in Lagos at the weekend, Obasanjo said though political activities were raging like fire in those days, the Nigerians were determined and ensured that they chose the right leaders who made the right decisions for the country.

    “In fact, in making choices of leaders, I will say Nigerians of post-independence make the right choices of leaders. We all know that if your choice is right, the performance and consequences will be right.”

    Obasanjo, who was the keynote speaker at the occasion, recalled the opinion of world leaders about Nigeria immediately after independence.

    He regretted that the country is not living up to that expectation.

    “When the then Prime Minister went to the United Nations post-independence, the world referred to Nigeria as a giant in the sun, not even a giant of Africa.

    “But the question is, have we lived up to that? If we have not, the question is why? Are there certain qualities that leaders in the post-independence era had that are absent in leadership today? We talk about values, have our values changed? What is Nigeria today, and what is the Nigeria we want? How do we get the Nigeria we want?”

    “Over a long period of my life in peacemaking and mediation, I have come to realise that peace, security, and stability are essential ingredients for the development and growth of any country. Without justice, equity, and fairness, no country can attain greatness.

    “When you look at us individually, there is something unique about Nigerians. Wherever they go, they excel individually. Today, when you look globally, Nigerians are doing great things individually. It’s time for us to unite and take the country to where it’s supposed to be.

    “If we fail to do so, then our existence is useless. We need to make a difference so that we can leave behind a better society.”

    The Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babjide Sanwo-Olu, and the Inspector General of Police (IG), Usman Alkali Baba were among the eminent Nigerians who received awards for outstanding performances.

    Arise News

  • Parents accuse school guard of defiling 4-year-old pupil in Lagos

    Parents accuse school guard of defiling 4-year-old pupil in Lagos

    A security guard at Greater Scholars International School– a private nursery and primary school in Lagos, identified simply as David, has been accused of defiling a four-year-old pupil of the school.

    The parents of the minor, who want to be identified simply as Mr and Mrs Olusola, told PREMIUM TIMES Saturday that the pupil complained about “pains in her vagina” and subsequently confirmed that one Mr David assaulted her.

    Greater Scholars International School Premises
    Greater Scholars International School Premises

    While the parents revealed that two medical reports already confirmed “injury and physical trauma” in her vagina, the spokesperson for the police in Lagos State, Benjamin Hundeyin, on Friday, tweeted that the suspect has been “arrested and is still in custody.”

    Mr Hundeyin added that “a medical report that would ensure a conviction is being expected.”

    Lagos State, NGO wade in

    The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Agency (DSVA) also tweeted on Saturday morning that it is on the case and that it would be transferred to the Gender unit of the Lagos State Police Command before it is charged to court on Monday.

    “On 3 May 2023, we received a report of this case through our toll-free line and acted promptly by referring the child for medical and psychosocial support.

    “We also alerted the Ajiwe FSU Police Division for investigation. The suspect is currently in police custody,” the tweet read in parts.

    Speaking to PREMIUM TIMES, the Founder of The Unbroken Foundation- a non-governmental organisation focused on social and human rights, Sonia Obi-Okodo, said her organisation, in collaboration with the Inclusive Social Welfare and Empowerment Foundation, is following up on the case.

    She noted that both organisations advocate and challenge all forms of gender-related violence.

    “With the parent’s reports about what happened to their child, and the girl’s account of who actually did it to her, it is enough for us to swing into action,” Ms Obi-Okodo said.

    Allegation

    The incident became public Friday when a Twitter user, with the handle, @Omolomo, accused the school of hiring thugs to threaten the minor’s parents, who had gone to the school to report the results of the medical examination.

    The handler, who also posted a photo of the school’s Director and the accused, claimed that the school management had been reluctant and allegedly attempted to sweep the matter under the carpet.

    More details

    Giving further details, Mr and Mrs Olusola said their daughter, who is now in pre-school, was enrolled in the school in January 2022, adding that they noticed she had been unnecessarily “downcast” before confirming the assault.

    “She cried about her vagina pains when she went to urinate on Sunday, 30 April; then we saw bruises when we checked with a touch light. This prompted us to take her to the hospital,” Mrs Olusola narrated.

    She noted that they immediately took the daughter to Lifeline Children’s Hospital, Lekki, in Lagos, for a medical examination.

    “Upon seeing the bruises, the paediatrician transferred us to a gynaecologist to run a test, who confirmed the injury and physical trauma as a result of an attempted forced penetration.

    “We went ahead to the Lagos Island Maternity Hospital, and it was the same result. Though they told us her hymen is still intact.”

    Mr Olusola also noted that the 4-year-old said when “she fell down while playing with her friend, the security guard told her there is plenty of dirt in her “wee wee” i.e. her vagina, that he wants to wash it.

    “So maybe that was how he lured her. He might be doing the same to other girls in school,” he added.

    Parents displeased with school

    Speaking further, Mrs Olusola said for the past week, since they withdrew the child from the school due to sexual molestation, the school had not contacted them.

    “As a mother, it hurts me so bad thinking about what he did to her and what she went through,” she told PREMIUM TIMES on the phone, even as she cried.

    “If I were the owner of the school, I would have taken action. If they had put the same energy into trying to resolve this instead of silencing us, it would have been resolved amicably by just arresting the guard without dragging the school.

    “We are trying to get justice for our daughter by all means,” she said.

    Premium Times

  • Nigerians slam Seun Kuti for slapping cop as IG orders singer’s arrest

    …Sowore cautions IGP over order to arrest Seun Kuti for assaulting police officer

    Social media users on Saturday expressed outrage at the action of a popular singer, Seun Kuti, who was filmed assaulting a policeman on the Third Mainland Bridge, Lagos State.

    While some expressed disappointment at Kuti’s action, others asked that the artiste be sanctioned.

    A 12-second video clip which went viral on Saturday showed Kuti, who wore a red shirt and white pair of trousers, pushing a policeman, who stood beside a Toyota Hilux police van.

    He then proceeded to slap the cop, as he shouted, “You dey crase, you dey mad?”

    A motorist, who filmed the incident from his car, was heard saying, “Omo na Kuti o. Na better news be this o.”

    Reacting to the video, a tweep @usmanlade, wrote, “Seun Kuti can’t escape this sha. He don buy market.”

    A popular tweep, @PoojaMedia, said Kuti had no right to assault the officer, adding that he was looking forward to seeing the police handle the case.

    He wrote, “You have no right to slap a police officer though. I will love to see how the police handle the case of Seun Kuti and slapping a uniform man.”

    On Instagram @oyin_ayobam wrote, “Let justice be served. Control your anger. Respect the uniform. We want a better country it starts from us.”

    Another Instagram user, @tonia.gram_ wrote, “What is wrong is wrong. Irrespective of how police behave most times, I won’t justify what Seun did. He don enter trap.”

    Kuti, in a reaction to the viral video on his Instagram page @BigbirdKuti, said the policeman made an attempt on his life and his family.

    He wrote, “He tried to kill me and my family, I have the proof but I no dey chase clout. He has apologised and I have agreed not to press charges. Make una mind una business, make the poor guy no lose him job.”

    However, the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, ordered the immediate arrest of Kuti, who is the youngest son of Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.

    The IG gave the order in a statement on Saturday by the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi.

    The statement read, “The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, has ordered the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, to arrest Afrobeat singer, Seun Kuti, who was captured on video assaulting a police officer in uniform.

    “The IG has equally ordered a speedy and full investigation into the remote and immediate cause(s) of the assault and prosecution of the suspect accordingly,” the statement read.

    Adejobi also quoted the IG as assuring Nigerians that the act of “contempt/disdain for symbols of authority” would not be tolerated, while “offenders of such hideous crimes will surely be brought to book.”

    Attempts by our correspondents to hear from Kuti on the incident proved abortive, as he did not take his calls which rang out several times.

    However, Kuti, while reacting to the order for his arrest on Instagram, promised to cooperate with the police authorities.

    He said whoever was wrong should be punished.

    Sowore cautions IGP over order to arrest Seun Kuti for assaulting police officer

    The presidential candidate of the All Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 presidential election, Omoyele Sowore, has cautioned the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba-Alkali over an order to arrest Afrobeats prodigy, Seun Kuti following a viral video where he was seen assaulting a police officer.

    Reacting to the incident in a statement issued on Saturday night by the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adéjọbí, the IGP ordered the arrest of the singer and also ordered a full investigation into the causes of the incident and immediate prosecution of the artiste.

    However, Sowore, the publisher of Sahara Reporters, in a tweet on Sunday morning, defended Seun’s action and told the IGP that he must caution police officers not to take laws into their hands while dealing with members of the public.

    “@PoliceNG declared wanted @seunkuti, a scion of late Afrobeat king, #FelaAnikulapoKuti over an altercation between a police contingent that rammed into him and his family on the 3rd Mainland bridge in Lagos earlier today.

    “I am aware that @seunkuti and his attorneys have agreed to help the @policeng in an effort to unravel circumstances that led to the altercations.

    “It must be noted that that while these conversations are ongoing for a full cooperation with the police, officers of the @PoliceNG including the Inspector General of Police must not engage in extra judicial action(s) like they are known for in settling disputes.

    “Seun Kuti has agreed to cooperate fully with @policeng as soon as possible. ##Revolutionnow,” he wrote.

    Punch/Ripples

  • SERAP urges World Bank to suspend $800m loan to Buhari govt

    SERAP urges World Bank to suspend $800m loan to Buhari govt

    The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) on Sunday, implored the World Bank to suspend the $800 million loan being solicited for by the President Muhammadu Buhari’s Government.

    This was contained in a letter dated 13 May 2023 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, which reads: “The World Bank should comply with its own Articles of Agreement in disbursing any loans. The Bank should not sacrifice international standards in the rush to disburse the $800m loan to the government.”

    The organisation also urged the World Bank President Mr David Malpass to use his “good offices to suspend any disbursement of the $800m loan to the Federal Government and to request the incoming administration to provide satisfactory explanations for the loan.”

    It also wanted Mr Malpass and the World Bank “to reopen discussion on the reportedly approved $800m loan with the incoming administration to clarify the details on the rationale and use of the loan because the term of office of the government of President Muhammadu Buhari ends in May 2023.”

    The Federal Government in April announced its plan to spend the $800 million loan as ‘part of its subsidy palliatives measures’. Also, last week, President Buhari requested the Senate’s approval for the World Bank loan. It is unclear whether the request to the Senate is for a fresh loan or the one announced in April.

    The letter further reads in part: “SERAP is concerned that the government is seeking to spend the loan when it has barely two weeks to leave office and when the project objectives and intended purposes for which the loan is reportedly approved and will be disbursed remain unclear.”

    “The government has not satisfactorily explained or justified the need for the loan at this time, especially given the lack of clarity on its use and the crippling debt burden, and the disproportionately negative impact of these retrogressive measures on poor Nigerians.”

    “The World Bank cannot close its eyes to these important transparency, accountability and human rights issues.”

    “We would consider the option of pursuing legal action should the World Bank refuse to suspend the disbursement of the loan to the Federal Government and to implement the other recommendations contained in this letter, and we may join the government in any such suit.”

    Ripples

  • Erdogan In Tough Poll As Turkey Votes

    Erdogan In Tough Poll As Turkey Votes

    Turkey on Sunday voted in a momentous election that could extend President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s two-decade grip on power or put the mostly Muslim nation on a more secular course.

    Turnout was expected to be huge in what has effectively turned into a referendum on Turkey’s longest-serving leader and his Islamic-rooted party.

    It is the toughest of more than a dozen that Erdogan has confronted — one that polls suggest he might lose.

    “They have been in power since I was born,” 19-year-old Sila said after voting with her father in Ankara. “I want change now.”

    Erdogan, 69, has steered the nation of 85 million through one of its most transformative and divisive eras in the post-Ottoman state’s 100-year history.

    Turkey has grown into a military and geopolitical heavyweight that plays roles in conflicts from Syria to Ukraine.

    The NATO member’s footprint in both Europe and the Middle East makes the election’s outcome as critical for Washington and Brussels as it is for Damascus and Moscow.

    “My hope to God is that after the counting concludes this evening, the outcome is good for the future of our country, for Turkish democracy,” Erdogan said after casting his ballot in Istanbul.

    ‘We all miss democracy’

    Erdogan’s first decade of economic revival and warming relations with Europe was followed by a second one filled with social and political turmoil.

    He responded to a failed 2016 coup attempt with sweeping purges that sent chills through Turkish society and made him an increasingly uncomfortable partner for the West.

    The emergence of Kemal Kilicdaroglu and his six-party alliance — a group that forms the type of broad-based coalition that Erdogan excelled at forging throughout his career — gives foreign allies and Turkish voters a clear alternative.

    Polls suggest the 74-year-old secular opposition leader is within touching distance of breaking the 50-percent threshold needed to win in the first round.

    A runoff on May 28 could give Erdogan time to regroup and reframe the debate.

    But he would still be hounded by Turkey’s most dire economic crisis of his time in power and disquiet over his government’s stuttering response to a February earthquake that claimed more than 50,000 lives.

    “We all missed democracy,” Kilicdaroglu said after voting in Ankara. “You will see, God willing, spring will come to this country.”

    ‘Can’t see my future’

    Polls show Kilicdaroglu winning the youth vote — responsible for nearly 10 percent of the electorate — by a two-to-one margin.

    “I can’t see my future,” university student Kivanc Dal told AFP in Istanbul on the eve of the vote.

    Erdogan “can build as many tanks and weapons as he wants, but I have no respect for that as long as there is no penny in my pocket”.

    But kindergarten teacher Deniz Aydemir said Erdogan would get her vote because of the economic and social progress Turkey made after half a century of corruption-riddled secular rule.

    The 46-year-old also questioned how a country could be ruled by a coalition of six parties — a favourite attack line of Erdogan during the campaign.

    “Yes, there are high prices… but at least there is prosperity,” she said.

    Erdogan’s campaign became increasingly tailored to his core supporters as election day neared.

    He branded the opposition a “pro-LGBT” lobby that took orders from outlawed Kurdish militants and was bankrolled by the West.

    Erdogan’s ministers and pro-government media referred darkly to a Western “political coup” plot.

    The opposition began to worry that Erdogan was scheming up ways to hold on to power at any cost.

    The tensions boiled over when Istanbul’s opposition Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu — a sworn foe of Erdogan who could become Kilicdaroglu’s vice president — was pelted with rocks and bottles while touring Turkey’s conservative heartland.

    Heavy turnout

    The election is expected to feature heavy turnout among the country’s 64 million registered voters.

    The last national election saw Erdogan win 52.5 percent on a turnout of more than 86 percent.

    Turkey has no exit polls but tends to count ballots quickly.

    Polling stations close at 5:00 pm (1400 GMT) and all reporting restrictions are lifted four hours later. The first results are sometimes published before then.

    Voters will also select a new 600-seat parliament.

    Polls suggest that Erdogan’s right-wing alliance is edging out the opposition bloc in the parliamentary ballot.

    But the opposition would win a majority if it secured support from a new leftist alliance that represents the Kurdish vote.

    AFP

  • Sudan Crisis: Country’s Crippling Economy Further Weakens  As Looting Thrives

    Sudan Crisis: Country’s Crippling Economy Further Weakens  As Looting Thrives

    A month ago, Mohsen Abdelrahman owned a small but profitable jewellery store in Khartoum. Now, he has nothing to his name but a broken lock and a hollowed-out shopfront.

    Ten days after battles broke out between two rival Sudanese generals, he received a call from the shopkeeper next door to his business saying it had been looted.

    Despite the danger, Abdelrahman braved the relentless gunfire and air strikes ravaging the capital to get to his store on the other side of town, only to have his worst fears confirmed.

    “Everything I owned was gone,” he told AFP, adding that now he just wants “this war to end, so I can start over.”

    There is no end in sight to the conflict pitting the forces of army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against those of his deputy-turned-foe Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

    But even before the fighting broke out, Sudan was one of the world’s poorest countries, brought to its knees by decades of international sanctions under former dictator Omar al-Bashir, as well as rampant corruption and the 2011 independence of South Sudan which held almost all the country’s oil.

    After a brief respite following Bashir’s ouster, a 2021 coup led by Burhan and Daglo saw the international community cut $2 billion of annual aid to the country, slashing 40 percent of its budget.

    The economy has been in free fall since, with the government never announcing a 2023 budget but instead boasting that dizzying inflation had recently fallen under 100 percent.

    – Broken locks –

    Prior to the ongoing conflict, Khartoum saw signs of economic renewal, with international restaurants and supermarkets stocked with organic food and American goods — although much of it was smuggled through the Sahel.

    But nowadays Khartoum, which is home to five million people, is a city whose shattered windows, gutted shopfronts, pockmarked cars and empty shelves bear witness to the rampant violence and looting.

    Khartoum airport, now a shell of its former self, has been shut down since the fighting began on April 15.

    Sudan once depended on vital trade coming through Port Sudan on the Red Sea, where now only planes and ships full of fleeing civilians take off, and crucial humanitarian aid trickles in.

    Nothing has been spared from the looting, including hospitals, humanitarian organisations, and the abandoned houses of more than 500,000 people who fled the capital for neighbouring towns, or other countries.

    Noureddine Adam’s mobile phone store was no exception. On the fifth day of the conflict, a lock was broken and his shop was ransacked.

    “They didn’t leave anything, and now I have nothing left,” he told AFP.

    In addition to having lost their inventory, shop owners and traders like Adam are now saddled with debt, he said.

    – Empty silos –

    According to a customs official who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity, the Soba container terminal south of Khartoum — where imports are processed before coming into the capital and other areas — has been stripped bare.

    “It was all products from abroad that had come in and were waiting to be processed, but their importers couldn’t come and finish the paperwork because of the war,” he said.

    According to witnesses in Khartoum North, wheat silos at Sayga, Sudan’s largest producer of flour, have been emptied out — a potential disaster for a country where the UN predicts 19 million people could be food insecure within six months.

    Khartoum residents have tried to hold out hope, even while sheltering under air strikes and seeing their fleeing neighbours’ homes broken into and ransacked.

    But Abdeldayem Omar knows his clothing store is gone for good.

    “On the third day of the war, a rocket fell on the market,” he told AFP.

    “Some stalls burned to the ground, including mine. Others partially survived the flames, but whatever was left was looted.”

    The irony, according to him, is that “the main police station in the district is headquartered inside the market itself.”

    “But the police have completely disappeared, and there’s no protection left.”

    AFP