Political Climate
Chad president kicks off campaign for sixth term
President Idriss Deby of Chad kicked off his campaign for a sixth term on Saturday, calling for unity after rival protests were banned. The first rally since the start of the official election period on Thursday was held by Deby’s Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS) at a packed stadium in the capital, N’Djamena. Deby, who has ruled for 30 years and is widely deemed a shoo-in for another term, said he had fought for national unity, while also drawing a line in the sand for his opponents. “People must know that democracy is not synonymous with disorder,” the incumbent warned. “Those who believe that should go elsewhere.” On Thursday, three opposition candidates quit the race ahead of the April 11 ballot with one of them — Mahamat Yosko Brahim — saying the climate was “not favourable for fair ...
Oyo ADC: We’ll stand by Senator Lanlehin in whatever political decision he makes
The Oyo State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has reaffirmed support and loyalty to its governorship candidate in the 2019 elections, Senator Olufemi Lanlehin, promising to stand by him in “whatever political decisions he makes.” The party stated this in a communiqué at the end of its meeting held in Ibadan, at the weekend, against the background of the breakdown of the coalition over non-fulfilment of the agreement reached before the election. Senator Lanlehin and Chief Sharafadeen Alli of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) are two major governorship candidates that dropped their aspiration to support the candidature of Makinde in the election. ADC leadership, in the communiqué jointly signed by Reverend Ezekiel Adeniran and Pastor David Orolade, acting state chairman and assistan...
Presidential elections in Ghana, others top agenda at ECOWAS meeting
The 44th Ordinary Meeting of the Mediation and Security Council of the Economic Community of West African States has called attention to the ongoing insurgency in Nigeria, Gambia and Guinea Bissau as well as the political crisis in Mali. The Council at its meeting in Niamey, Niger, on Friday, also focused on forthcoming presidential elections in Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Niger. The meeting was presided over by the Nigerien Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chair of the Mediation and Security Council, Kalla Ankourao. Ankourao recalled the challenges COVID-19 has brought upon the region coupled with the breakdown in democratic governance in Mali. He urged the ECOWAS body to take the necessary steps for the preparation and smooth conduct of the upcoming presidential electi...
Nigerian stocks down by N1.14 trillion in first half
Nigerian stocks closed the first half down with average loss of 8.80 per cent, equivalent to net capital depreciation of N1.14 trillion as investors struggled with a threesome of domestic macroeconomic uncertainties, global decline in crude oil price and trade wars and the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic. Benchmark indices at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), which are generally regarded as sovereign equity indices for Nigeria, showed that Nigerian stocks swiveled through steep decline in first quarter and a major recovery in early months of the second quarter, closing the six-month period with net loss of N1.14 trillion. The All Share Index (ASI), a common value-based index that tracks all share prices at the Exchange, closed first half at 24,479.22 points as against 26,842.07 points recorded...
