ABUJA— PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, in Abuja appealed to all Presidential candidates in Saturday’s election to commit to the ideals of the peace accord for a rancour-free contest.

LESS than 48 hours from now, Nigerians will elect a new president. There is, understandably, both excitement and anxiety in the air. Whichever way the election goes, its outcome will be consequential.

THIS Saturday’s presidential election features a motley crowd of candidates, about 76 in all! Yet, despite the dense thicket of candidates, only two really matter. The contest is between two recurring faces in Nigeria’s political space: President Muhammadu Buhari, of All Progressives Congress, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, of People’s Democratic Party. Both candidates are very different personalities, with diametrically opposite visions and values. But neither possesses, holistically, the qualities needed for a country’s leadership, and, indeed, each has devastating flaws. Thus, Nigerians must decide, based on key evaluative factors, which of the two candidates is the lesser of two evils. 

While the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, last week suspended its three months old industrial action, many stakeholders were excited with the news, believing that at least students and lecturers can now return to classroom.

Gernot Rohr believes the Super Eagles chances of winning the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations have reduced because this summer’s tournament is the first time 24 teams will compete for the title.

NIGERIANS woke up recently to see giant broom monuments being erected on the hallowed grounds of the Abuja City-gate and the Abuja Unity Fountain by yet-to-be-identified individuals.

CALABAR—National Legal Adviser of Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF and Senior Advocate of Nigeria(SAN), Nella Andem Rabana, has said a vote for President Muhammadu Buhari will further plunge Nigeria into slavery.

LAGOS—BURDENED Elders, a group of eminent Nigerians and elder statesmen led by Professor Anya O. Anya and Dr Christopher Kolade, yesterday, looked at the state of the nation, and the toxic tone of the 2019 electioneering campaigns and returned a grim verdict: The nation is bleeding profusely… and approaching a frontier it has never seen before.’’

BENIN—EDO State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in collusion with the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state have perfected what it called “evil plans” to sabotage the electoral process in some local government areas in the state, during the February 16 elections.

In the build-up to the election that brought the APC to power, ex-US Secretary of State John Kerry had visited then-candidate Muhammadu Buhari and then President Goodluck Jonathan as part of efforts at ensuring credible elections.