Abuja, Nigeria | AFP | Nigeria’s two main presidential candidates on Wednesday staked their claim for the country’s top job, with one month to go to polling in Africa’s most populous nation. President Muhammadu Buhari and Atiku Abubakar both staged set-piece meetings to secure the support of a record 84 …
Read More »DR Congo court to examine election appeal from Tuesday
Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | DR Congo’s Constitutional Court said it would start hearing Tuesday an appeal against presidential election results that gave victory to opposition leader Felix Tshisekedi. “The Constitutional Court will start examining the appeal by Martin Fayulu tomorrow, from 9:30 am (0830 GMT),” press officer Baudouin …
Read More »Regional bloc urges DR Congo unity govt, vote recount
Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | An African regional bloc on Sunday called for a unity government in Democratic Republic of Congo following disputed presidential elections, while also urging a recount of the ballots. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) said political leaders should agree to a negotiated settlement after …
Read More »Nigeria’s chief justice facing assets charges: court
Abuja, Nigeria | AFP | Nigeria’s most senior judge was on Saturday charged with failing to declare his assets, in a move the main opposition party said triggered alarm bells as elections approach next month. Chief Justice of Nigeria Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen will appear before a panel of three …
Read More »Malawi vice president turns opposition candidate in election race
Lilongwe, Malawi | AFP | Malawi Vice President Saulos Chilima has launched a bitter attack on his own government ahead of elections in May, when he hopes to win power as head of a new opposition party. Chilima told AFP in an interview that he no longer speaks to President …
Read More »DR Congo presidential runner-up asks court to cancel result
Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | The runner-up in DR Congo’s presidential election, Martin Fayulu, has appealed to the Constitutional Court to annul the provisional result which awarded victory to his opposition rival Felix Tshisekedi, his lawyer said Saturday. The request was filed on Friday ahead of a 48-hour deadline …
Read More »Obama protege Julian Castro set to join 2020 race
San Antonio, United States | AFP | Former mayor of San Antonio, Texas and Obama-era cabinet member Julian Castro is expected Saturday to launch his bid to become the nation’s first Hispanic president, scheduling his announcement in a border state central to America’s immigration debate. Castro would become the most …
Read More »US congresswoman Gabbard, who met Syria’s Assad, says will run for president
Washington, United States | AFP | Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, an Iraq war veteran who met dictator Bashar al-Assad in Syria during that country’s devastating civil war, said Friday that she is launching a US presidential bid. “I have decided to run and will be making a formal announcement within …
Read More »Ruling ANC kickstarts S.Africa election season
Durban, South Africa | AFP | South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to unveil the ruling ANC party’s election manifesto on Saturday in front of tens of thousands of supporters, marking the start of four months of hectic campaigning. The African National Congress (ANC), which has ruled since the …
Read More »Russia, China push UN to stay out of DR Congo poll dispute
United Nations, United States | AFP | Russia and China led calls at the United Nations Security Council on Friday for world powers to stay out of an election dispute in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Western nations and observers have questioned the outcome of the December 30 poll, in …
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