Change is on, Liberia President elect, Weah, promises

Former football superstar, George Weah, took to his Facebook page to react to provisional results of Tuesday’s presidential runoff polls in Liberia. “My fellow Liberians, I deeply feel the emotion of all the nation. I measure the importance and the responsibility of the immense task which I embrace today.

“Change is on’’, Weah wrote shortly after the results were released by the National Elections Commission (NEC), putting him in a comfortable lead to be the next president of Africa’s oldest republic. The former World Footballer of the Year who ran on the platform of the opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) is way ahead with 720,023 votes or 61.5 per cent. His rival and incumbent Vice President, Joseph Boakai, of the ruling Unity Party (UP) is far behind with 451,088 votes representing 38.5 per cent. The Chairman of NEC, Mr. Jerome Korkoya, who released the results at a news conference in Monrovia on Thursday, said 98.1 per cent of the total votes cast in the polls had been counted. With pending results from just 104 or 1.9 per cent of polling places, Weah has sealed a massive victory as the successor to outgoing President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.
The announcement was greeted with massive celebrations by Weah’s supporters in the capital, Monrovia, and across the country.
Political observers have attributed Weah’s “victory’’ to a number of factors including alleged divisions in the ruling Unity Party and secret backing from Johnson-Sirleaf for the soccer icon. “Johnson-Sirleaf has not campaigned for her vice president,’’ said Mr Patrick Korna, a political analyst. “Since the start of political campaigning in July, she has not been visibly involved; she has not shown up in any of the rallies held by her vice president. “The Unity Party says it remains one body, but it has two factions – President Sirleaf’s faction and Joseph Boakai’s faction,’’ Korna said. Besides, the outgoing administration is dogged by widespread allegations of corruption, nepotism, waste, fuelling the people’s hunger for change.
Meanwhile, the European Union Election Observation Mission has described the successful runoff polls as a “milestone achievement’’ for the country’s democracy. “An undeniable aspect of this significant election is the collective effort that underpinned its realisation,’’ the mission said in its preliminary report issued on Thursday. “Voters, civil society, Liberian institutions, in particularly NEC, the judiciary and the Liberian National Police, the domestic observers and ECOWAS all contributed to make this important for Liberia’s democracy possible,’’ it said.

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CJN Tanko unveils panel to hear Atiku’s appeal against Buhari

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed is presiding over the 7-man panel that will hear the appeals filed by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, challenging the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari at the February 23 poll. Other members of the panel are Bode Rhodes-Vivour, Amiru Sanusi, Uwani Abaji, Ejembi Eko, John Inyang Okoro and Olukayode Ariwoola. Atiku and his party are challenging the September 11 judgment of the Justice Mohammed Garba-led Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal which affirmed President Buhari’s victory at the polls. The appeals hearing has generated some controversies especially due to the silence of the Supreme Court on the justices that would constitute the panel, with the Coalition of United Progressives Party (CUPP) demanding the use of seniority in selecting them. A senior member of Atiku’s legal team, Chief Chris Uche (SAN), told reporters that they considered it strange that as at

NNL: Sanni dumps Saraki Boys

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Chechnya leader makes Mo Salah honorary citizen

Chechnya leader Ramzan Kadyrov has made Egypt’s talismanic striker Mohamed Salah an honorary citizen of the southern Russian region at a farewell banquet held for the eliminated World Cup side. Rights groups and Western governments allege that authorities in Chechnya repress their political opponents, discriminate against women and persecute sexual minorities, all allegations that Chechnya’s leaders deny. Chechnya has been hosting the Egyptian team’s World Cup training camp and Kremlin-backed Kadyrov has seized on opportunities to appear alongside Salah. Sarah’s goalscoring exploits for Liverpool and Egypt have made him an international superstar. “Mohamed Salah is an honorary citizen of the Chechen Republic. “Yes, that’s right! Tonight I signed a decree conferring this high award on the great footballer and member of the Egypt and Liverpool teams,” Kadyrov wrote on Telegram. Salah was presented with a badge and a copy of the decree at the dinner, Kadyrov said. The Egy

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