US election: Germany warns of ‘very explosive situation’

 

GERMAN Defence Minister, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, on Wednesday, warned that the United States was facing a “very explosive situation” and a possible systemic crisis after President Donald Trump prematurely declared election victory.

Following Trump’s remarks that he will go to the Supreme Court to stop ballots from being tallied, Kramp-Karrenbauer told public broadcaster ZDF “this election has not been decided… votes are still being counted”.

She said Trump could create “a constitutional crisis in the USA”, calling such a scenario “something that must deeply concern us”.

The minister, who is also head of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union party, said it appeared “the battle over the legitimacy of the result, however, it turns out, has begun”.

She admitted that the German-US relationship had faced “a tough test in the past four years” with fierce Trump criticism of Berlin over trade and military spending.

However, she said, “this friendship is more than a question of which administration is currently in the White House”, saying she dismissed calls in Germany to “decouple ourselves from the United States”.

But Kramp-Karrenbauer stressed that regardless of the ultimate outcome of the US vote, Europe would need to become more self-sufficient.

“We will have to do a lot more for our own interests — both as Germany and in particular with the other Europeans,” she said.

Finance Minister Olaf Scholz echoed the sentiment, saying that given the developments in the United States, Europe needed to strengthen its own “sovereignty” so that “a rules-based global order can exist”.

“That is why we need to take this opportunity to make Europe strong,” he told reporters in Berlin.

– AFP

 

US: You can’t stop vote counting, Biden team replies Trump

 

JOE Biden’s White House campaign slammed President Donald Trump’s threat to try to stop the election vote count as “outrageous” early Wednesday, saying its legal team was ready to prevent such an “unprecedented” act.

“The president’s statement tonight about trying to shut down the counting of duly cast ballots was outrageous, unprecedented, and incorrect,” Biden campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon said in a statement as the election remained undecided.

“Never before in our history has a president of the United States sought to strip Americans of their voice in a national election.”

The comments came shortly after Trump delivered an extraordinary speech from the White House, in which he claimed that “we did win this election” despite neither candidate reaching the electoral vote threshold for victory.

“We want all voting to stop,” Trump said, appearing to mean halting the counting of mail-in ballots, which can be legally accepted by state election boards after Tuesday’s election — provided they were postmarked in time.

Several battleground states were still up in the air early Wednesday when Trump spoke, including Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Biden has long warned that Trump was seeking to diminish the integrity of mail-in voting, which has surged this year given the health concerns about going in person to polling places during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Having encouraged Republican efforts in multiple states to prevent the legal counting of these ballots before Election Day, now Donald Trump is saying these ballots can’t be counted after Election Day either,” Dillon said.

Trump branded slow ballot tabulations in battleground states a “fraud” and said he would go to the Supreme Court to dispute the counting of votes.

But Biden’s campaign insisted “the counting will not stop.”

“We have legal teams standing by ready to deploy to resist… and they will prevail,” Dillon said.

The presidential election hung in the balance, with Biden so far winning 238 votes in the Electoral College and Trump securing 213 based on the states they have won so far, according to projections by US media.

The magic number for victory is 270 out of a total of 538.

– AFP

 

 

Sultan asks IGP, DSS to interrogate Bishop Onah over attacks on Muslims in S’South, S’East

 

UMMU ABUBAKAR

THE Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs has alleged that Bishop Godfrey Onah of Nsukka Catholic Diocese instigated the recent attacks on Muslims in the South-East and South-South regions.

The NSCIA made the allegation in a petition to the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, and the Department of State Services.

It called on the law enforcement agencies to, as a matter of urgency, interrogate the Bishop in connection with the allegations.

The Council stressed that the violent attack by those it called Christian bigots, on Muslims in Nsukka, and the burning of their Mosques was as a result of an “inciting sermon of lies, fabricated to provoke hatred for Muslims”, delivered by Bishop Onah.

It warned that the recurrence of these kinds of virulent assault on Muslims in the two regions, if left unchecked, could surely ignite reprisals in other parts of the country, especially in the North.

The NSCIA noted that despite an appeal to the security agencies on October 23, to offer special protection to Muslims in the two regions in view of the threats they faced, the attacks persisted with greater intensity.

The petition to the IGP was signed on behalf of the President General of the NSCIA and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, by the Council’s Deputy Secretary-General, Prof. Salisu Shehu, The Point reports.

It said, “On Saturday, October 31, 2020, some Christian bigots unleashed violent and virulent attack on Muslims in Nsukka and burnt their Mosques as a result of a hateful and inciting sermon, full of lies and fallacies, delivered by one Bishop Reverend Father Godfrey Igwebuike Onah.

“In the sermon, it was clear that the Bishop instigated the worshippers against Mosques and Muslims. It would therefore require any disagreement, no matter how minute, to execute the premeditated havoc wreaked on the Muslims in the two zones.

“You may recall our letter dated 6 Rabiul-Awwal 1442 AH (23 October, 2020) wherein we implored the Nigeria Police Force to specially protect the lives, property and places of worship for Muslims living in the South-East and South-South.

“In the said letter, we informed you about the violent assaults being unleashed on the Muslims in some parts of the zones. Some were killed and their property worth billions of Naira were looted, vandalised or set on fire. Mosques including very ancient ones built by indigenous Igbo Muslims were burnt.

“Rather than abating, the persecution and violence against Muslims in the said two zones have persisted with greater intensity.”

The NSCIA added, “In view of the above, the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, on behalf of the entire Muslim Ummah, hereby reiterate our call to you, Sir, to rise up to this challenge and protect the lives and property of Muslims in the South-East and South-South as bonafide citizens of Nigeria who should live peacefully in any part of the country.

“Specifically, we also implore you, as a matter of urgency to interrogate, Reverend Father (Bishop) Godfrey Igwebuike Onah of his hate speech, inciting sermon of lies, fabricated to provoke hatred for Muslims.”

 

 

SDP state chairmen, others, pass vote of no confidence in national chair

 

REBECCA AJANI

CHAIRMEN of Southern states and zonal leaders in the Social Democratic Party, on Tuesday, passed a vote of no confidence in the acting National Chairman of the party, Abdul Ahmed Isiaq.

The leaders hinged their decision on a claim that his emergence as Chairman was in breach of the SDP Constitution.

Recall that Isiaq became acting national chairman following the voluntary retirement of the former Chairman, Tunde Adeniran, in September.

The vote of no confidence in the acting chairman was announced in a communique issued at the end of a meeting held by the SDP leaders in Akure, Ondo State.

The party leaders, in the communiqué, signed by 15 state chairmen, declared support for the Deputy National Chairman (South), of the party, Olu Agunloye.

According to them, Agunloye remains the constitutionally recognised acting national chairman.

The communiqué said, “We have confidence in the National Working Committee of Social Democratic Party and the party constitution in Article 13, section 2, sub-section (ii) in filling the vacant position of the office of the National Chairman.

“While awaiting the appropriate action of the NWC, we, being members of SDP and state chairmen and zonal officers hereby recognise the Deputy National Chairman (South), Dr. Olu Agunloye, as the bona fide acting national chairman of the party. We hereby enjoin others to follow the same in the interest of the Constitution of SDP.”

 

 

US Election 2020: Results show tight Trump-Biden race in key states

 

THE outcome of the United States presidential election is on a knife edge, with Donald Trump and his rival, Joe Biden, neck and neck in key swing states.

Mr Biden, a Democrat, said he was “on track” to victory, while Mr Trump, a Republican, claimed “a big win”.

The president is projected to have held the must-win state of Florida – a major boost to his re-election bid.

But Mr Biden could snatch Arizona, a once reliably conservative state. The vote caps a long and bitter race.

Other key states such as Georgia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan and North Carolina are toss-ups.

With the nation on edge, the final result may not be known for days as postal votes are tallied.

More than 100 million people cast their ballots in early voting before election day on Tuesday – setting US on course for its highest turnout in a century.

Control of Congress is also at stake. As well as the White House, Republicans are vying to hang on to a Senate majority.

Republicans have lost a Senate seat in Colorado, but gained one in Alabama.

Mitch McConnell, the Republican Senate leader, and Trump ally Lindsey Graham have both been re-elected.

The House of Representatives is expected to stay in Democratic hands.

What are the presidential results so far?

With partial results in, Mr Biden has a solid lead in Arizona. Fox News has projected Mr Biden will win that state and CBS News, the BBC’s US partner, said it was leaning the Democrat’s way.

But the Trump campaign said it was too early to declare a winner in Arizona. A loss for Mr Trump in that once reliably Republican state would be a potentially serious setback.

The BBC projects Mr Trump will win another conservative sunbelt state, Texas, where the Biden campaign had dreamed of an upset victory.

The Rust Belt battlegrounds of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin – which propelled Mr Trump to the White House four years ago – still look as though they could tip either way.

Pennsylvania, along with Florida, is considered a must-win for Mr Trump if he is to stave off defeat

Cliffhanger counts are also under way in two more critical swing states on the East Coast, Georgia and North Carolina.

No surprises have emerged yet in the other states.

Mr Trump will keep hold of Ohio and Missouri, known as bellwether states because they have so often predicted the eventual winner, according to the BBC’s projection.

The BBC also projects Mr Trump will win Florida, Iowa, Montana, Alabama, Mississippi, Idaho, Wyoming, South Carolina, Kansas, Nebraska, Utah, Louisiana, Indiana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Kentucky, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Arkansas and West Virginia, all as expected.

Mr Trump is also projected by the BBC to win Nebraska, though Mr Biden picked up one vote there in the electoral college, which could turn out to be crucial if the race goes down to the wire.

Mr Biden will retain his home state of Delaware and the battleground state of Minnesota for Democrats, along with California, Virginia, New York, Rhode Island, Oregon, Washington, Illinois, New Hampshire, Connecticut, New Mexico, Colorado, Vermont, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Washington DC, according to BBC projections.

CBS projects Nevada, Maine and Hawaii were also trending towards Mr Biden.

National opinion polls gave a firm lead to Mr Biden, but pointed to a closer race in the handful of states that are likely to decide the outcome.

Projections are based on a mixture of exit poll data and, in most cases, actual votes counted – and are only made where there is a high degree of certainty.

In the US election, voters decide state-level contests rather than an overall, single, national one.

Conservative Nebraska would seem to be an unlikely electoral battleground. There is a scenario, however, where the state – or at least part of it – could decide who becomes the next US president.

Donald Trump is projected to win here – but in a surprise, Joe Biden was able to pick up one of its five electoral college votes.

This is because Nebraska is one of two states that allots some of their electoral college votes to the winners of individual congressional districts, in addition to the victor in the overall popular vote.

Mr Biden is projected to carry one of these districts, the second, which includes the largest city in the state, Omaha.

If the presidential race is close – if, for instance, Mr Biden flips Arizona, Wisconsin and Michigan from 2016 but loses Pennsylvania – having won Omaha could be the key in determining whether the Democrat becomes president.

The year 2020, full of surprises and turmoil, may have a few tricks left up its sleeve still.

– BBC

 

 

IPC condemns call for social media censorship by Northern Govs

 

AYO ESAN

THE International Press Centre, Lagos, has condemned the call for social media censorship by Northern States’ Governors, following a forum with Emirs and Chiefs on Monday in Kaduna.

The call for social media censorship was highlighted in Section 5 of the resolution of the meeting, which said, “The meeting took note of the devastating effect of the uncontrolled social media in spreading fake news, and therefore, calls for major control mechanism and censorship of the social media practice in Nigeria.”

Executive Director of IPC, Lanre Arogundade, however, said social media censorship would violate the rights guaranteed by the constitution, the right of free expression, the right to privacy, the right to know. 

According to him, it will also violate press freedom.

Arogundade said, “It is important to note that there are existing laws to deal with unwholesome use of the internet, such as the Cyber Crime Act.

“Nigerians already rejected the social media bill before the Senate and it would be unacceptable to return it through the backdoor.”

 

 

PDP explains discrepancy in Obaseki’s UI certificate

 

ADEMETO ADELEKAN

THE Peoples Democratic Party has explained the discrepancy in the University of Ibadan certificate of the Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki.

The party said the governor, while filling the forms for the election in 2016, “had mistakenly filled in 1976 as the year of graduation, which was actually the year of his admission into UI.”

The PDP also explained that some information was missing in the certificate because the “original certificate was issued in A5 size. However, in order for the photocopy to be attached to the Form CF001, the size was reduced to A4 and in the process, leaving out some information on it.”

There had been a petition by the Action Democratic Party (ADP) and its governorship candidate, Iboi Emmanuel, accusing Governor Obaseki of forgery, giving false information and engaging in electoral malpractices.

The party asked the tribunal to disqualify Obaseki on the basis of an alleged controversial first degree certificate. 

It also prayed the tribunal to order the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct a fresh election and exclude only PDP and its candidate.

But the PDP noted, on Tuesday, that Obaseki observed the mandatory National Youth Service Corps scheme, despite the errors pointed out, adding that the petition was incompetent and statute barred.

It also described it as a pre-election matter, which the tribunal could not entertain.

The party said, “At the time Obaseki was completing his Form CF001 in 2016, he deposed to an affidavit, saying he had misplaced the originals of all his certificates, while changing offices, with the intention to apply for a re-issuance of the certificates.

“Subsequently, before Obaseki submitted his Form EC9 in 2020, the original certificate issued by UI was found, which has the signatures of then Vice Chancellor and Registrar. The original certificate was issued in A5 size. However, in order for the photocopy to be attached to the Form CF001, the size was reduced to A4 and in the process, leaving out some information on it.

“The tribunal lacks the jurisdiction to entertain the petition because it is statute barred; the issues raised by the petitioners are averments which are not relevant in determining the petition.”