The Ghanaian Standard

Nigeria election 2023: Early results arriving

(Abuja, Nigeria) – Early results have started to arrive from Nigeria’s tightest election since the end of military rule in 1999.

Official results from the southwestern Ekiti state show a clear victory for ruling party candidate Bola Tinubu in one of his strongholds.

Ghana voted against Russia on principle – President Akufo-Addo

According to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Ghana’s recent vote against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at the United Nations (UN) aligns with the country’s long-standing principles. He explained that Ghana has consistently rejected the idea that big powers have the freedom to do as they please on this planet.

Ghana has never accepted this principle, regardless of the nation in question. President Akufo-Addo made these comments while receiving German Ministers of Economic Cooperation and Development, and Labour and Social Affairs, Huberus Heil, along with the Director-General of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Gilbert F. Houngbo.

France to boost military support to Ivory Coast after Burkina Faso orders out French troops

France is looking towards Ivory Coast for military support in the Sahel region, following the recent expulsion of French troops from Burkina Faso, said France’s defence minister, Sebastien Lecornu, during his visit to the Ivorian capital Abidjan on Monday.

We are starting to realize that we do have some control over our voices and our vote – Nigeria’s young voters on presidential election;

Nigeria’s upcoming presidential election has seen a surge in young voter interest, with many looking for alternatives beyond the two main political parties.

Clinical psychologist and first-time voter, Amanda Iheme, has decided to vote for Peter Obi, a 61-year-old of the self-styled insurgent Labour Party, whom several polls have placed ahead of his rivals.

Iheme had previously abstained from voting due to candidates being out of touch and the belief that the vote would be rigged.

However, she has now been encouraged to vote due to the mass protests in 2020 against police brutality and a sense of control over her voice and vote.

A poll conducted by the Nigerian civil society group, the Anap Foundation, found that 82% of under-35-year-olds have committed to voting, with the electoral commission adding over 9.5 million new voters to the register, three-quarters of whom are under 35 years old.

Mr Obi’s active social media campaign and promises to break with Nigeria’s gerontocratic past have appealed to many younger voters. The former banker has promised jobs, skills training, and funding for young Nigerians.

High debt African countries being charged ‘extortionate’ rates – U.N. Secretary-General;

United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, said on Saturday that African countries are being charged “extortionate” interest rates by the international financial system, which is not serving the needs of developing countries. He announced a $250 million crisis fund to help African communities at risk of famine.

The UN Chief wants extensive reforms to the international finance structure to be made, to serve developing countries more efficiently. Public debt ratios in sub-Saharan Africa are at their highest in over two decades, according to the International Monetary Fund.

US lawmakers want to cancel $1bn arms sale to Nigeria over military’s human rights abuse reports Two members of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, Sara Jacobs of California, a Democrat, and Chris Smith of New Jersey, a Republican, are calling on President Joe Biden to revoke a $1 billion arms deal with Nigeria after reports of targeted killings of children and an illegal abortion program carried out by the Nigerian military.

The lawmakers, who are both members of the subcommittee on Africa, are also asking for a review of security assistance and cooperation programs in Nigeria, including an assessment of civilian casualties resulting from the arms assistance.

BREAKING NEWS: Christian Atsu dead, body recovered;

Ghana Black Stars player, Christian Atsu, has been confirmed dead after being missing following the Turkey earthquake. Atsu’s manager, Nana Sechere, announced the tragic news via Twitter on Friday, February 18, 2023.

“It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to announce to all well-wishers that sadly Christian Atsu’s body was recovered this morning,” Mr Sechere tweeted.

Nigerian military denies coup plot ahead of 2023 presidential election;

Nigeria is preparing for its presidential election on February 25, 2023, and the country is closely watching the race between the three top contenders: Bola Tinubu from the All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Peter Obi from the Labour Party.

Nigerian military denies coup

However, a recent claim by the APC that the military was planning to disrupt the election has caused a stir in the country.

Anglican Church is divided over same-sex marriage – Archbishop of Canterbury The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby, has stated that the Anglican Communion does not have a single position on the issue of same-sex marriage.

Speaking ahead of the 18th Plenary of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC18) in Accra, the Archbishop reported that 85% of Anglicans still uphold the traditional view of marriage.

Female student killed at Cape Coast: Body found without private part;

The Central Region Police are investigating the murder of Nana Ama Clark, a level 300 student of Cape Coast Technical University.

Her body was found in a pool of blood without her private parts on Friday night at OLA Estate in Cape Coast.

According to the Police, they received information around 9:00 pm that a female adult was found lying dead by the roadside at OLA Estate near the OLA College of Education.

Professor Stephen Adei, former Director-General and Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), has suggested a revolutionary approach to improve the poor performance of public basic schools in Ghana.

According to him, the lack of active supervision in these schools has resulted in highly qualified teachers not living up to their potential and contributing to the student’s poor performance.



Ethiopia restricts social media access after 30 people die in church rift-related protests;

In the wake of violent protests that were sparked by a rift within Ethiopia’s Orthodox Church, access to several social media platforms, including Facebook, Messenger, TikTok and Telegram, has been restricted, according to Internet watchdog NetBlocks.

The protests began when three church officials declared themselves as archbishops and set up their own governing body, leading to conflicting demonstrations from supporters and opponents of the move.

Ghanaians continue to hope for Christian Atsu’s return; Some Ghanaians are still in a state of uncertainty and anguish following the unknown whereabouts of former Black Stars winger Christian Atsu after the tragic earthquake that occurred in Turkey last Monday. Efforts were being made by the Turkish rescue team and family members to locate the player four days after being caught in the earthquake that hit Turkey and parts of Syria.