Tinubu arrives Abu Dhabi for bilateral talks

President Bola Tinubu, Sunday night, arrived Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where he will be interfacing with the country’s leadership on diplomatic issues.

President Tinubu, who departed the capital of India, New Delhi, landed at the Abu Dhabi International Airport at about 10:15pm, UAE local time.

Although Nigeria and the UAE continue to maintain their diplomatic relations, contacts became strained when in October 2022 the Emirate authorities slammed a visa ban on Nigerian after Emirates Airlines suspended flights to Nigeria.

UAE reacted to the failure of Nigeria to repatriate billions of dollars trapped funds belonging to the Emirates Airlines.

However, President Tinubu started mending relations with the country, which has become a choice destination to thousands of Nigerian travellers for various reasons.

Armed Groups Vow To Battle Mali Junta

A coalition of armed groups, who are signatories to a major peace agreement in northern Mali, said Sunday they were preparing to defend themselves against the ruling junta, accusing it of violating mutual security commitments.

The Permanent Strategic Framework for Peace, Security, and Development (CSP) coalition urged civilians to move away from military facilities in what appeared to be a prelude to conflict.

The governorate of the eastern Gao region on Sunday said it had installed a 30-day overnight curfew between 8:00 pm and 6:00 am with only security vehicles exempted.

The armed groups’ statement followed a suicide attack Friday on a military base in northern Mali, which itself came a day after deadly strikes on an army camp and a passenger boat by suspected jihadists killed 64 people.

The region — the cradle of a jihadist insurgency that has swept into three Sahel nations — has seen a resurgence of tension in recent weeks, triggered in part by the pullout of UN peacekeeping troops from Mali.

The Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA) — a coalition of Tuareg independence, and Arab nationalist groups which is one of the parties to the strategic Framework — said late Saturday it had shot down an army plane in the Gao region after they came under attack.

Akpabio names ex-Reps spokesman, Eyiboh Media Adviser

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has named a former spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, as his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs.

Akpabio made the announcement himself at a media parley with the Senate Press Corps in Abuja at the weekend.

The Senate President described Eyiboh as “an astute politician, experienced media manager, public affairs expert and communications guru”.

A two-time member of the House of Representatives, Eyiboh was in the Green Chamber from 2007 to 2011 and was reelected in 2011.

He was spokesman and chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs between 2007 and 2011 under the speakership of Rt. Hon. Dimeji Bankole.

Tribunal sacks Kano NNPP Rep, declares APC candidate winner

The National and State House of Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Kano State on Sunday nullified the election of Yusuf Umar Datti, the New Nigeria Peoples Party candidate for the Kura/Madobi/Garun Malam Federal Constituency.

The tribunal, headed by Justice Flora Ngozi Azingbe, voided Yusuf’s election over his failure to resign from his lecturing job at Bayero University, Kano, within 30 days before the election.

Justice Azingbe also held that Datti could not convince the tribunal that he was a member of the NNPP.

Following the decision, the tribunal declared Musa Ilyasu Kwankwaso of the All Progressives Congress as the rightful winner of the election.

Kwankwaso was a commissioner for Rural Development during the administration of former governor Abdullahi Ganduje in Kano State.

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