Ivory Coast leader on first visit to the presidential palace

 (New African& JAR)

Ivory Coast's new leader Alassane Ouattara made his first visit Thursday to the presidential palace, exactly five months since his runoff election against the incumbent tipped the country into crisis.
Ouattara has been holed up in a hotel since the November 28 election which Laurent Gbagbo refused to accept he had lost. He was only eventually forced from power when he was captured at the end of a siege on April 11.
As he finally stepped foot in the palace in the country's main city of Abidjan, the new president said he would take oath of office next month in the official capital of Yamoussoukrou.
Ouattara is still trying to assert his authority in what remains a deeply divided country and his tour of the palace came a day after his forces killed a militia leader in Abidjan.
"It is clear that the palace still needs a lot of repair. We will ensure that, because we want to resume work as soon as possible," he told reporters.
"There is a lot of destruction which is regrettable. I saw looted offices and looted safes, a lot of regrettable things."
The presidential palace is in Abidjan's Plateau business district, the scene of the worst fighting between Ouattara's forces and pro-Gbagbo fighters earlier this month during the offensive to remove the defiant leader.
After taking refuge in an underground bunker in his residence, Gbagbo was finally captured by Ouattara's forces after the United Nations and French troops bombarded the building.
Gbagbo and his wife have since been placed under house arrest in different towns in the north of the country and the government this week said it had launched a probe against the toppled president and his associates.
Ouattara, 69, said he will officially take office next month.
"Our aim is to hold the swearing-in on May 21 in Yamoussoukrou. I have already called some African and foreign dignitaries requesting them to attend the occasion," said Ouattara.
"We will do everything necessary to ensure that the ceremony can go ahead on. That is what I wish and hope for it."
Ouattara is expected to continue to operate out of his hotel base for some time yet and he did not say when he planned to move to the presidential palace.
Since taking power, Ivory Coast's new authorities have been struggling to restore security, business and basic services disrupted during the months-long crisis.
Banks had been due to open their doors Thursday after being closed for several weeks. However by early afternoon, customers were still queueing in vain outside branches, worsening the woes of civil servants who have not been paid for two months. However some cash machines had been replenished.
Security has been restored in much of Abidjan, but diehard pro-Gbagbo fighters in the city's northwestern Yopougon neighbourhood have refused to disarm.
In their drive to secure the vast metropolis, government forces on Wednesday killed militia leader Ibrahim Coulibaly in the north of the city where he had been holed up with a pack of fighters.
Coulibaly, who at one stage fled Ivory Coast for plotting a coup against Gbagbgo, had sought an audience with Ouattara but had been told to disarm first.
He wanted acknowledgement from the government for the role played by his forces in driving out pro-Gbagbo militia from the northern Abobo district earlier this year.

Private jet of Madagascar's president deliberately damaged

JAR ANTANANARIVO (Xinhua) -- The private jet carrying Madagascar's Highest Transitional Authority (HAT) President Andry Rajoelina and members of his delegation to Zambia which was forced to land on Thursday due to technical problems could have been sabotaged, according to a statement from the HAT.
The HAT president, his wife, President of the Transitional Council Randrianantoandro Raharinaivo and Foreign Minister Yvette Sylla boarded the jet at the Ivato Air Base in the capital Antananarivo on Thursday afternoon.
However, after about 20 minutes of flight, the private jet developed some technical problems and could not fly at the required altitude, the statement said.
The plane was forced to return to Ivato airport. Immediately after landing, a thorough examination of the internal parts of the plane was carried out.
At this point, it was discovered that the toilets of this private jet had been used and the person just entered the plane before the president and his delegation got on board.
"This situation made the pilots and the investigators conclude that there was technical sabotage," the statement said.
One of the pilots who was quoted in this statement said, "The reactors of this private jet could have exploded in the air had the plane been forced to fly at the required altitude."
Judicial investigations have been launched to determine the real circumstances of this act of sabotage.
It was also pointed out that an international engineer was called in to help carry out a technical examination of this jet.
Rajoelina later used an Emirates plane and landed in Zambia without problems.
Rajoelina's journey to Zambia is to lobby the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) presidents before the community's summit scheduled for May 20 in Namibia.
The summit is meant to discuss the roadmap proposed by SADC envoy Leonardo Simao. The roadmap was signed by some Madagascan parties in March.
Recently, Rajoelina met with Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba and Mozambican President Armondo Emilio Guebuza.
The roadmap was rejected by Madagascar's ex-presidents Didier Ratsiraka, Albert Zafy and Marc Ravalomanana, saying it was not inclusive enough.
Rajoelina on his part has insisted that this roadmap, which was signed by many Madagascan political parties, should not be changed.

Darfur rebels reject draft Doha accord

Journalists for African Renaissance

The main Darfur rebel group involved in the Doha peace talks said Thursday it "totally rejected" the draft documents submitted by UN mediators, further undermining prospects of a Sudan accord.
"We received the documents from the mediators in Doha yesterday. But we are disappointed with them as they offer less than the Abuja agreement," the Justice and Equality Movement's spokesman Gibril Adam said.
He was referring to a peace accord signed by rebel leader Minni Minnawi in 2006.
Adam said the solutions the latest documents proposed to the problem of refugees, compensation for Darfuris affected by the eight-year conflict, power and wealth sharing, and the restoration of land taken by Arab tribes all fell short.
"For all these reasons, we have totally rejected these documents," Adam told AFP by telephone from Doha.
JEM, the most heavily armed of the Darfur rebel movements, has been participating alongside the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) in the foundering peace talks with the Sudanese government in the Qatari capital.
Djibril Bassole, the outgoing UN and African Union mediator on Darfur, had been under pressure to submit draft texts acceptable to the three parties, with Khartoum signalling its growing frustration at the lack of progress.
The talks have effectively been in limbo since officials in Khartoum announced unilateral plans to hold a referendum on the administrative status of the war-torn region, now set to take place on July 1, according to the National Election Commission.
The vote, which would determine whether Darfur is granted regional status, which would give it a greater degree of autonomy, or remains as individual states, has been strongly criticised by the main rebel groups.
JEM accuses the government of being unwilling to reach a negotiated settlement, and criticised the draft documents on Thursday for failing to mention the region's administrative status.
Others argue that any referendum on how Darfur should be governed is impossible before peace has been established in the region.
Exiled rebel leader Abdelwahid Nur told AFP on Thursday that Antonov aircraft of the Sudanese armed forces had bombarded the Gorlang area of eastern Jebel Marra, Darfur's fertile central uplands.
He said three people were killed in Wednesday's attack and 17 wounded.
An army spokesman was not immediately available to comment on the allegations, which could not be independently verified.
Following a relative lull in the fighting in Darfur, renewed clashes between rebels and the army since December have resulted in more than 70,000 new arrivals at camps for the displaced, according to UN reports.
At least 300,000 people have been killed in Darfur and 1.8 million people fled their homes since the conflict broke out erupted in 2003 between non-Arab rebels and the Arab-dominated Khartoum regime, the United Nations says.
The government puts the death toll at 10,000

Tsvangirai: Zimbabwe not ready to vote in 2011

Tsvangirai: Zimbabwe not ready to vote in 2011 (Mail & Guardian& JAR)

Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said on Thursday the country could only hold elections next year, contrary to President Robert Mugabe's call for an earlier vote.

"In 12 months we can have an election in this country," Tsvangirai told delegates for his Movement for Democratic for Change (MDC) party congress in the southern city of Bulawayo.

"Let it be free and let it be peaceful. We want polls whose outcome will not be contested," he said.

Tsvangirai had earlier said that elections proposed for this year would not be possible before the drafting of a new constitution is completed.

Mugabe, his partner in the shaky unity government, had called for elections this year to end the power-sharing rule formed in 2008 after a disputed presidential vote marred by violence.

But he has appeared to back away from his insistance on the polls, after regional leaders last month insisted that Zimbabwe draft a new constitution before going to elections.

On Wednesday, Tendai Biti, the finance minister from Tsvangirai's party, told local media that the country did not have money to hold the proposed elections in 2011.

The two-day congress is set to elect the new leadership of the party, but Tsvangirai’s position will not be contested after he was nominated unopposed by the party’s provinces last week.

"Robert Mugabe and Zanu-PF (Mugabe’s party) took this country in 30 years to its knees. Our vision in the next 30 years is to be the best performing economy in Africa," said Tsvangirai,

"Our political reforms must create confidence for the country. ZANU-PF is a party of the past and MDC is the party of the future," he said.

The congress will be officially opened on Friday by Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who is also in a fragile unity government with President Mwai Kibaki after violent 2007 polls

Burundi's Senate passes draft law on political parties

JAR

BUJUMBURA (JAR) -- The Burundian Senate on Thursday passed the new draft law on political parties with only one abstention out of the 37 members.
All voted for the new draft law except Burundi's former president Sylvestre Ntibantunganya, who abstained arguing that there are many unclear provisions in the draft law which can impact on the setting up of the institutions.
"Forbidding formation of coalitions of political parties during an electoral period can have a bad impact on the setting up of institutions because the national constitution allows coalitions while the new draft law on political parties prevents them. However, the fundamental law is the national constitution," Ntibantunganya told reporters.
He also said Article 84 of the new draft law on political parties providing funding political parties should be clearly written because it is essential to finance electoral campaigns of political parties.
Ntibantunganya said, "I suggested an amendment on Article 84 on funding political parties especially during electoral campaigns because it's essential during that time since parties don't have equal financial means, but my amendment was rejected."
Senator Ntibantunganya also said amendments on illicit enrichment of political parties should be made clear.
He is a member of the Front pour la Democratie au Burundi (Sahwanya-FRODEBU), an opposition party which pulled out of the 2010 electoral process after opposition parties denounced fraud in the May 24 communal elections, the first in a series of five polls.
He however kept his seat at the Burundian Senate because the national constitution provides that former heads of state automatically become lifetime senators.
The Burundian parliament's Lower Chamber, the National Assembly, had unanimously passed the new draft law on Monday.
On Tuesday, the Burundian opposition regrouped in the Democrats' Alliance for Change (ADC-Ikibiri) said the new draft law on political parties lags behind in Burundi and urged the Senate to reject the draft law.
ADC-Ikibiri Chairman Zedi Feruzi said the new draft law lags behind because the new draft law urges every party to provide a list of 100 founder members per province to be registered at the Home Affairs Ministry.
According to Feruzi, this would mean a new registration while the parties already exist.
The new draft law comes to replace the 2003 law on political parties which urged each political party applying for registration to provide a list of six persons at the provincial level.
As both chambers of the Burundian Parliament have passed the new draft law on political parties, amendments will be included in the draft law which will be promulgated by the head of state before it goes into force.
In Burundi, there are 43 registered parties and only three of them are represented in the parliament.
Parties are required to comply with changes provided in the new draft law no later than six months after the head of state's law promulgation.

Zimbabwe’s state media have launched a vicious attack against Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga after he accepted an invitation to be a guest at a congress for a party led by his Harare counterpart Morgan Tsvangirai. Mr Odinga will officially open Prime Minister Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party congress in the second city of Bulawayo Friday. State media propaganda against the PM’s party has gone into overdrive in what analysts say is reflection of widening cracks in Zimbabwe’s coalition government. The state owned Herald newspaper, which usually reflects the thinking in President Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party, described Mr Odinga as a merchant of violence. “Who then is this Raila Odinga,'' wrote George Rugare Chingarande in the paper’s opinion pages. “Raila Odinga is a political schizophrenic. “His rhetoric oozes with refined contemporary democracy dogma, but his actions reveal a very violent and dictatorial streak. “The exorbitant nature of this obsessive preoccupation with violence is rivalled by a few in modern day Africa

EAC elects new Secratory General

The East African Community gets new secretary-general {JAR}

The newly appointed East African Community (EAC) secretary-general, Dr Richard Sezibera, said yesterday that his focus will be to strengthen and bring the Community’s programmes to success.
Speaking after being sworn in, Dr Sezibera said there was a need for the partner states to ensure the Community achieves its goals as planned.
He said his main duties will be to push for the complete establishment of the East African common market and put it into practice.
Until his appointment, Dr Sezibera, 47, has been Rwanda’s health minister. He becomes the fourth secretary-general of the EAC.
“I expect the partner states to support me in ensuring the implementation of the Community programmes,” said Dr Sezibera.
He added that another duty will be to facilitate integration and make sure all the residents of the EAC area were well informed and aware of the EAC programmes and activities.
'Proud and courageous': On what EAC people should expect from him, the new secretary-general said his commitment to work for the Community was among the important issues that would move the Community's development ahead.
“I am committed to work for the East African people, it makes me very proud and courageous,” said Dr Sezibera

Troops worlde wide should be well connected &strong to Handle Somalia situations

Somalia

US, EU urged to boost support to African force in Somalia (JAR}

A summit of the East African Community on Tuesday urged the United States and the European Union to step up their support for AMISOM, the African Union's peacekeeping force in Somalia.
"The summit called upon the international community, in particular the US and the European Union, to enhance their support to AMISON including addressing the piracy menace," a final communique said.
The EAC, which groups Tanzania with Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya, also "commended Burundi and Uganda for the sacrifices borne out of their efforts to restore stability" in Somalia.
The 9,000-strong force of Ugandan and Burundian troops deployed to protect the ailing Somali transitional federal government (TFG) has over the past five months regained significant ground in central Mogadishu.
The TFG and AMISOM had long been confined to a few blocks, unable to take the battle to the Shebab, an Islamist insurgent movement that has controlled most of the Horn of Africa country for two years.
AMISOM now controls around half of Mogadishu and is gradually tightening its grip around Bakara market, the heart of the capital's economic activity and a crucial source of funds for the Shebab.
AMISOM top commander General Nathan Mugisha earlier this month said this was a turning point in the conflict and urged the world to help AMISOM break the back of the Islamist insurgency.
Despite an increased international military presence off Somalia's coastline pirate attacks have surged and they have raked in huge ransoms.
A total of 97 attacks were recorded off Somalia in the first quarter of this year, up from 35 in the same period last year, the International Maritime Bureau said in a report last week.
Participants in Tuesday's summit in Tanzania's economic capital Dar es Salaam also backed the AU position in favour of extending the TFG's mandate for a year.
The Kenyan, Burundian, Ugandan and Tanzanian presidents Mwai Kibaki, Pierre Nkurunziza, Yoweri Museveni and Jakaya Kikwete attended the summit, while Rwanda was represented by Prime Minister Bernard Makuza.
The heads of state and government approved the nomination of Rwandan Health Minister Richard Sezibera as the next EAC secretary general.

NORTH SUDAN & SOUTH SUDAN GOVERNMENT SEEMS YET CHALLENGE!

IMF says North Sudan must undertake measures to avoid post-secession "shock" (Sudan Tribune)

WASHINGTON – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) this month drew out the possible scenario for North Sudan’s economy following the breakaway of the South next July and urged the government in Khartoum to implement swift measures to cushion its impact.

The oil-rich South voted last January almost unanimously to split from the Arab-Muslim dominated North but the new state becomes official only at the end of the interim period next July.
However, a number of key issues remains outstanding particularly the post-secession sharing formula for the oil wealth that is stationed mostly in the South.
There has been conflicting signs on how much the South is willing to offer the North from its oil exports. Most recently, the South Sudan International Cooperation minister Deng Alor dismissed any talk of oil sharing after independence.
The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) states that the North and South shall equally split the revenue from oil exports during the six years following the signing of the accord.
While most of Sudan’s proven daily output of 500,000 oil barrel is extracted from oilfields in the south, the pipelines infrastructure and refineries are based in the north. The South will therefore be required to pay a fee to transport its oil and ship it abroad from Port Sudan terminal.
But it is all but certain that the North will receive far less than the 50-50 split currently in place. The loss will cause a drop in inflow of foreign currency, impact public finances and balance of payments which could lead to additional pressure on the fiscal deficit and the country’s foreign exchange reserve which already at record lows.
The IMF said that North Sudan may lose 75% of oil revenues in a worst case scenario that would result in domestic and external imbalances.
“With oil revenue constituting more than half of government revenue and 90 percent of exports, the economy will need to adjust to a permanent shock, particularly at a time when the country has little access to external financing. The size and nature of the necessary adjustment could have significant implications for growth and macroeconomic stability”, said the report dated last January but released this month.
Under that scenario, it is also assumed that North Sudan will witness a 10% decline in non-oil GDP to reflect the share of the South in total non-oil economic activity as well as a decline in oil related services; an increase in service receipts to reflect the transportation fees charged for the transportation of South’s share of oil; a decline in both transportation payments and investment income payments to reflect lower oil production; a decline in imports of goods to reflect the shares of the oil sector and the South; an increase in imports of petroleum products to reflect the shortfall in domestic production..
To confront this scenario, the IMF stressed that North Sudan will need to reduce spending, lift fuel subsidies, reduce tax exemptions and enhance revenue administration.
Earlier this year, the Sudanese government approved an austerity package that partially removed subsidies on sugar and petroleum products with further cuts expected to follow.
The IMF welcomed these measures saying that it will narrow the gap between world and domestic prices and free up critically needed fiscal resources. It also recommended future subsidy reductions in the form of a gradual increase in the price of the crude oil delivered to the local refineries, in order to make the subsidy “more explicit and transparent”.
The report revealed that Khartoum plans to issue a supplementary budget during the second quarter of this year that would take into account agreements reached between the North and South on post-referendum issues particularly oil revenue sharing which remains under negotiations.
The Washington-based body pointed out that Sudan’s economic growth slowed down in 2010 to around 5% from 6% a year before.
Inflation rate on the other hand increased sharply from 10.0% in November 2010 to 15.4% the following month. The IMF attributed this to the surge in food prices, uncertainties in the run-up to the referendum, depreciation of the Sudanese pound and high money growth, as well as early speculation about possible removal of subsidies on petroleum products, sugar and other products.
Foreign exchange reserves held by Sudan declined significantly in 2010 due to heavy intervention by the Central Bank of Sudan (CBOS) to a little over $500 million last October.
Over the last year the Sudanese pound has dropped dramatically versus the dollar and black market flourished as a result while banks and Forex bureaus have been unable to meet demand. CBOS move to inject hard currency into the market did little to halt the trend.
In face of this, the authorities introduced the premium concept to encourage holders of Forex to come forward and sell their holdings at a generous rate close to that of the black market. The margin was initially set at 16.29% above the official price.
The IMF welcomed the de-facto depreciation by the Sudanese authorities but warned that this mechanism as opposed to an outright depreciation “could create some market distortions and could undermine transparency in the CBOS policy implementation”.
Further steps taken by Khartoum to curtail demand for foreign exchange such as imposing import limits “are likely to add price distortions and are unlikely to yield the intended objectives”, the IMF said in its report.
Sudan’s debt on the other hand reached $36.8 billion by December 2010 and will need relief soon from creditors in order to tackle this chronic problem. The figure is slightly lower than earlier projections of $37.8 billion.
"In the meantime, the authorities should minimize to the extent possible the contracting or guaranteeing of nonconcessional external borrowing, which would further weaken debt sustainability,".
The splitting of national debt is also a subject of discussion between North and South Sudan.
The North insists that the South should bear a portion of the debt saying that part of the money was used for development project in the semi-autonomous region.
But the South says that the money was borrowed to finance the northern army to fight southerners in the civil war.
The IMF said that the South pointed out that in case of debt apportionment, the debt should be allocated geographically, according to the ultimate beneficiary principle

JAR only collaborates with reliable sources

FRANCE & ITALY ready to unite for Libya strategy!

Libya 1.    France and Italy Will Also Send Advisers to Libya Rebels (New York Times) 2.    France sends military officers to Libya (Xinhua) 3.    British commander joins rebel fight against Gaddafi (Independent) 4.    Libya vows to fight foreign ground troops as Western coalition boosts Libyan opposition (Xinhua) 5.    Gaddafi son defiant as Libya rebels plead for help (Mail & Guardian) 6.    Libya foreign minister says free elections could be held (UK Guardian) 7.    Kadhafi must be toppled 'by force' - rebel chief (New African) 8.    Gaddafi loyalists pound Misrata (Xinhua) Nigeria 1.    A new era is coming, Jonathan pledges (Nigerian Guardian) 2.    President Jonathan calls for calm after riots in Nigeria (Xinhua) 3.    Calm returns to Kano, Sokoto (Punch) 4.    Buhari disowns rioters (Punch) 5.    Niger Delta ex-militants vow to defend President Jonathan's mandate (Africa Review) 6.    'Bodies thrown into wells' in Nigerian post-poll riots (Mail & Guardian) Côte d'Ivoire 1.    Ivorian Government holds first Cabinet meeting in official premises (New African) 2.    Gunfire in Ivory Coast as govt ousts militia (New African) Egypt INTERVIEW: 'Egypt's Military Leadership Is Reacting Too Slowly' – El Baradei (Spiegel) Uganda Death toll in Uganda protests rises to 4 as army steps in (Africa Review) Sudan 1.    IMF says North Sudan must undertake measures to avoid post-secession "shock" (Sudan Tribune) 2.    Darfur mediators to submit final draft peace agreement on 27 April (Sudan Tribune) Somalia US, EU urged to boost support to African force in Somalia (New African) Swaziland Swaziland unions to hold monthly protests (Africa Review) Zambia 1.    Shut up! President Banda tells Opposition leader Michael Sata (Zambia Daily Mail) 2.    North Zambia protests leave three dead and properties razed (Africa Review) Zimbabwe 1.    Zim cabinet minister released (Mail & Guardian) 2.    Mugabe admits that Zimbabwe faces food shortages (Zimbabwean) Malawi UK: Settle down please, Malawi (Mail & Guardian) Lesotho South Africa hands over suspects in Lesotho PM murder plot (Mail & Guardian) South Africa South Africa signals shift in Black Economic Empowerment laws (Mail & Guardian) East Africa The East African Community gets new secretary-general (Africa Review) ************************************************************************************ Libya France and Italy Will Also Send Advisors to Libya oppositions PARIS — The French and Italian governments said Wednesday that they would join Britain in sending a small number of military liaison officers to support the ragtag rebel army in Libya, offering a diplomatic boost for the insurgent leader, Mustafa Abdel-Jalil, as he met with President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris. After the meeting, The Associated Press reported, Mr. Sarkozy pledged to intensify French airstrikes that started in March. The announcements came as the international community searched for a means to break a bloody battlefield deadlock that has killed hundreds in the contested cities of Misurata and Ajdabiya and left the rebels in tenuous control of a few major coastal cities in their campaign against Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi. Source> JAR

Latest Nigerian Presidential Election Results (TABLES)

Latest Nigerian Presidential Election Results (TABLES)

ABUJA - Sun Apr 17, 2011

Below is a table of the latest available results from states around Nigeria from Saturday's presidential elections.


The figures show the number of votes won by the main candidates in each state. There are 36 states plus Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Results are still awaited from one state and for some candidates. The Independent National Electoral Commission has yet to centrally confirm all of the figures, which may mean slight adjustments to some numbers.

                                          PDP               CPC             ACN            ANPP


 ABIA                       1,175,984              3,743          4,392          1,455
 ADAMAWA                 508,314           344,526        32,786          n/a

 AKWA-IBOM           1,165,629              5,348         54,148          2,000
 ANAMBRA               1,145,169              4,223          3,537           975

 BAUCHI                      258,404         1,315,209      16,674         8,777
 BAYELSA                    504,811                 691            370            136

 BENUE                        694,776            109,680      223,007        8,592
 BORNO                       207,075            909,763        n/a              n/a

 CROSS RIVER*          605,057               3,715          4,808         2,314
 DELTA                     1,378,851               8,960        13,110         2,746

 EBONYI                      480,592               1,025          1,112        14,296
 EDO                           542,173               17,795       54,242        2,174

 EKITI                         185,009                2,689       116,981        1,482
 ENUGU                      802,144                3,753          1,755          1,111

 FCT                           253,444              131,576        2,327          3,170
 GOMBE                      290,376             495,898          n/a             n/a

 IMO                        1,381,357               7,591         14,821          2,520
 JIGAWA                    491,252             663,994        17,353          7,676

 KADUNA                 1,190,179          1,334,244       11,278         17,301
 KANO                        440,666           1,624,543       42,353      526,310

 KATSINA                   428,392           1,163,919       10,945        6,342
 KEBBI                        369,198             501,453           n/a              n/a

 KOGI                         399,816             132,201         6,516         16,491
 KWARA                     268,243              83,603          52,432        1,672

 LAGOS                    1,281,688            189,983        427,203       8,941
 NASARAWA              408,997             278,390          1,204         1,047

 NIGER                       321,429             652,574         13,344        7,138
 OGUN                        309,177              17,654         199,555       2,969

 ONDO                        387,376              11,890          74,253        6,741
 OSUN                         188,409               6,997          299,711       3,617

 OYO                           484,758              92,396         252,240       7,156
 PLATEAU                 1,029,865            356,551          10,181        5,235

 RIVERS                    1,817,762             13,182           16,382        1,449
 SOKOTO                     309,057            540,769          20,144        5,063

 YOBE                           117,128           337,537             6,069      143,179
 ZAMFARA                   238,180             624,515          17,970       46,554


 TOTAL                22,060,737       11,992,580    2,023,203     866,629


 CANDIDATES AND PARTIES


 PDP - Goodluck Jonathan (People's Democratic Party)

 CPC - Muhammadu Buhari (Congress for Progressive Change)
 ACN - Nuhu Ribadu (Action Congress of Nigeria)

 ANPP - Ibrahim Shekarau (All Nigeria Peoples Party)


 * Results for Cross Rivers are for 17 of 18 local government areas (LGAs). The count from the final LGA is being brought by

canoe from a remote and rugged region.




ELECTION PICTURES

Incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan cast ballot at Otuoke in Rivers State, Nigeria

Independent National Electoral Commission

Dr. Jega. - Chairman INEC

The Topmost Contenders - Buhari, Jonathan and Ribadu

A woman casting her vote

An electorate casting her vote in Surulare, Lagos

Voting in Progress in one of the units in Abuja

Presidential elections voting starts from early morning of 16.04.2011

NIGERIA HITS FOR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS 16/04/2011
"The 2011 presidential, National Assembly gubernatorial and states Assembly elections provide an historic opportunity for Nigeria to become a model for the rest of Africa and the world, especially for those citizens demanding democracy in their countries."if it only finalizes peacefully says by Journalists for Africa 's president Ms. Moha Farah Jire who observes the Nigerian elections in Abuja the head quarter. she added in the security is very tightened by the Authorities of Nigeria with all possibilities even brought to all big historic places in to trained military security dogs ho assists from any explosives to take place on election day.
JAR wishes peaceful elections to take place and expects the smooth way things has started to be finishes at the end.

North & South Sudan agree to withdraw “all unauthorized forces” from Abyei

JAR– North and South Sudan have agreed to withdraw “all unauthorized forces” from Abyei and form a joint committee to monitor the implementation of an accord signed last January in Kadugli town to ease tension in the hotly contested region. The deal was reached in a meeting held on Wednesday at the Khartoum-based headquarters of the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), said the UN body which issued a press release welcoming the agreement and expressing readiness to provide the necessary assistance required to facilitate its implementation.
A text of the agreement seen by Sudan Tribune states that the two sides, the north’s National Congress Party (NCP) and the south’s Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), had agreed to form a Joint Technical Committee (JTC) consisting of evenly-split army and police units as well as UN representatives.
The JTC’s duty will be to oversee the implementation of Kadugli agreement, including the withdrawal of all unauthorized forces and deployment of Joint Integrated Units throughout the region.
The committee is due to meet in Abyei on April 18.
The status of the oil-producing region of Abyei remains a major point of contention in the implementation of the 2005’s peace deal that ended decades of civil wars between north and south Sudan which voted to form an independent state whose existence is due to be declared in July.
Abyei saw several clashes in the past but violence has recently been exacerbated by the onset of the migration season during which members of the north-backed Misseirya tribe traverse the borders into the areas of the south-linked Dinka Ngok tribe in order to graze their cattle.
UNMIS recently intensified patrolling of Abeyi region in the wake of clashes between Messirya and South Sudan police stationed in the region. There have also been reports of military buildups in the region by the north’s Sudan Armed Forces

Nigerian Govt imposes curfew and closes all borders 16th april presidential election

The Federal Government on Thursday shut all the country’s land borders till 6am on Monday to ensure a peaceful and hitch-free conduct of the presidential election.

It added that vehicular movement would not be allowed nationwide from 8 am to 5pm tomorrow, the day of the election.

The Minister of Interior, Capt. Emmanuel Ihenacho (retd.) announced this just as the Police also said that movement would be restricted from 10pm today till 6am tomorrow nationwide.

Ihenacho’s statement was made available shortly after the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, assured of the commission’s readiness for the poll.

The minister, in the statement by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Alhaji S.B. Osigiza, explained that only INEC vehicles, security operatives specially assigned for election duties as well as those on essential and emergency duties would be allowed to ply the roads.

Also, the Nigerian Police Force, through its Public Relations Officer, Mr. Olusola Amore, said in Abuja that there would be restriction of movement of persons from 8am to 6pm on Saturday within the voting areas and centres.

It added that the restriction order was to enable law enforcement agents checkmate miscreants, thugs and other criminals who might want to use the cover of darkness to interrupt the smooth conduct of the elections.

A statement by Amore reads, “The police will not condone any act or conduct that is detrimental to the smooth conduct of the election as any trouble makers will be arrested and dealt with according to the law.

“The police are using this medium to assure all Nigerians that all law enforcement agents are working in collaboration to ensure violence free and fair elections.

“All eligible voters are advised to go out and cast their votes without fear of molestation and they are also enjoined to leave the immediate voting vicinity and allow their various party agents to take care of protecting and watching all vote cast until they are duly counted and recorded by the INEC officials.”

Also on Thursday, Jega directed all presiding officers of INEC to paste results of elections at the polling units.

He explained while receiving the European Union election observation group that the order was necessary to guarantee transparency and ensure greater fairness in the polling process.

Jega, who advised voters to ensure that returning officers pasted results at the polling units after tabulation, expressed worry that the commission received reports that results were not pasted in some polling units during last Saturday’s National Assembly elections.

“Once the results are tabulated, they must be pasted. This is in order to bring additional credibility in the polling process,’’ he said.

The INEC chairman also expressed the commission’s readiness for the presidential poll.

He said that the states had taken delivery of all the materials needed for the exercise.

Jega acknowledged hitches witnessed at the National Assembly election, including the late commencement of voting due to the late arrival of materials and some missing names in the voters’ register.

He said, “Some of the challenges of accreditation have been addressed. We have also taken steps to correct the omission of names of voters from the register at some polling centres.

“We hope there will be remarkable improvement by next Saturday,” he said.

Jega expressed his appreciation to the EU for its contribution to the achievements of the Commission since he assumed office.

Earlier, the EU Chief Observer, Alojz Peterlez, had commended INEC for a successful National Assembly elections.

Peterlez said the mission of the group was to ascertain the commission’s preparations for presidential poll

President of JAR,Ms Moha Farah Jire arrives in Nigeria

 the elections in Africa seems very sensative to JAR and they always observe in a very close eye, for which way its taking place in the continent
the most over populated country in Africa almost Nigeria which hosts people of 155 million population are holding their parliamentary,Senet,and presidential elections, president of JAR Moha Farah Jire who visited Abuja the last days of the campaing wishes successful peaceful election in Nigeria, she calls all political leaders in politics is only temparory but life and peaceful name and historic democratic implementation is the future of all Nigerians in the good name out side world and even with in the reputation of their neiboring countries.

Moha Farah says that she appreciates so far how the process is taking place and names it most historic if it succeedes.

final Parliamentary & senet elections is announced as winner of PDP

The leading party finally of Nigera got the majority of the Parliamentary seats which was finally announced by the International Electro Commission chair,
the current president of Nigeria Mr. Good Luck Jonathon has always luck with him so though he even calls Good luck Nigeria his myth of the campain, from deputy governor to a vice president to a president and again candidate for power , many people beleives now in he may win the election as the unity of the two main oppostion partys  CPC &ACN failed for the last moments of the campaing.
which could have defeat the incumpent president for the 2011 elections.
so far the country's security is very tight and the process is taking place very cool
JAR wishes best out of the elections for Nigerians

Nasarawa-West CPC candidate arrested?

 

Journalists for Africa

JAR

The Police Force headquarters is currently detaining the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) candidate for Nasarawa-West senatorial district, Gen. Ahmed Aboki Abdullahi (rtd), Peoples Daily learnt late last night.
A source close to the CPC candidate told our reporter that General Abdullahi is being held by the police at the Force CID in Garki Area 10, Abuja.
Sources close to the General confirmed that the CPC senatorial candidate was invited by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Hafiz Ringim, along with his Nasarawa-South senatorial district candidate, Alhaji Tanko Wamba.  
Our sources revealed last night, however, that since he left Keffi to report to the IGP’s office in Abuja, the General could not be reached, thereby suggesting that he might have been detained by the police.
When contacted last night, Tanko Wambai confirmed that he and General Abdullahi were invited by the Police, but said he could not report to the Force headquarters yesterday because, “the message got to me at about 11pm today (yesterday) and I said I can’t leave for Abuja this night.”
The Nasarawa South CPC senatorial candidate could not however confirm General Abdullahi’s arrest, even though he said he could reach the former Director of Military Intelligence (DMI) since they spoke much earlier.
It would be recalled that the Nasarawa West and South senatorial contests were trailed by controversies, with the CPC threatening to challenge the results of last Saturday’s National Assembly election in the two senatorial districts over alleged electoral malpractices.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared former Governor Abdullahi Adamu and Senator Suleiman Adokwe of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as winners of the election in Nasarawa West and South respectively.
Only last Monday it was reported that the CPC raised an alarm over alleged ballot box stuffing during the election by top PDP officials in the state.
The party, through its gubernatorial candidate, Alhaji Tanko Almakura, alleged that a highly placed government official was accosted by a team of security operatives in Giza development area, where it was alleged that the official was caught with illegal ballot boxes while thumb printing ballot papers in his personal residence.
All attempts to speak to the Police Force spokesman, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Olusola Amure for his reaction to the alleged arrest failed, as he refused to respond to phone calls to his cell phone, and also failed to reply a text message sent to him.

leading party of Nigeria looses parliamentary & upper houses primarily results

Nigeria started for voting both parliamentary& upper houses elections which almost 73 million people go for voting, the primarily results are showing in the leading party which have led Nigeria almost 12 years People's Democratic Party seems loosing both elections of lower and upper houses of Nigeria even the constituencies of the president, vice president ,parliament speaker and high officials of P D P government, though Mr. Good luck Jonathon was in power for about  a year now still people are complaining in his party have never done so much of security, education, electricity , and the management of the oil resources.
the presidential elections is gonna take place on Saturday 16th of April this year and people forecasting in C P C, congress for progressive change may win the presidential elections as well C P C is led by Gen. Mohamed Buhari who was once 1983-1985 a president in Nigeria and left the power in Military coup. any way journalists for African Renaissance is expecting to witness peaceful elections in the most over populated country in Africa which hosts about 150 million population.
African Union, European Union and all international concerned groups may pay special attention to Nigeria elections.

Libyan opposition rejects any peaceful talks with Ghadafi after AU delegation arrives

Libya situation is worse and getting no improvements at all since the political crises started almost in two months now, there is high level AU{African Union delegation } to solve the issue between the opposition and brother leader Ghadafi of that country. though NATO secretory clears that forceful  can never be handles the situation of Libya and needs to be handled in understanding collaboration progressive way.

Gbagbo was captured by French alliances

since the Ivory coast presidential elctions there was permanent crises which have coused thousands of deaths and led the Ivorians to flee out side their beloved country after the so called failed previos president lost the elections and refused permanently to hand over the power peacefully to the elected president.
Finally the Un forces says that they had never shared his capturing movement .
the secretory of foreign affairs of the US .Ms. Clinton calls for Ivorian s to enjoy their future peacefully from now on and wishes luck.

Djibouti president wins the elctions third time!

Djibouti elections concluded in very peaceful way, though this election was quite historic for Djboutians, its the third time since the re elected president  of Djobouti got in power again, the third time .

JAR{journalists for african renaissance } congratulates Djiboutians for their willingness and colaboration of peaceful elections to take place in Djibouti,though the oppossition leaderMr Mohamed Warsame is expected to consider the peace and stability of the country with all other interests a side.

Djbouti is one of the smallest countries in Horn of Africa with less then one million people who speaks French,Arabic and Somali.

Best wishes for Djiboutians and grateful message for the peaceful elections which took place in Djbouti says the president f JAR,Madam Moha Farah Jire who took place in the elections as an observor for international and regional media.

Djibouti hits presidential elections peacefully

President Gele  of Djibouti promises   Rail way between Djibouti  To Ethiopia in his last Speech of presidential campaing

By.JAR

Djibouti- Djibouti presidential elections are taking place on Friday, though there are no strong political parties who are capable to compete with the current president who run for president for two terms and now running again the third time for Djibouti presidency! There is only private candidate who stood alone as an independent candidate called Mr. Mohamed Warsame who was never show up in the political history of Djibouti but the current president talked about the political achievements of his country and promised building 4thousand houses each year if he wins th election, investing to find cheaper electricity  in collaboration with Ethiopia, he also promised to give justice  in the government system for poor and rich, and neutralize the economy of the country for all investors. He also promised if he loses the election in he will give up smooth manner peacefully, while he was talking about Alshabab and their interference of systematic government in Somalia he called to stop kiiling people and create any good long last living activities with their people.

On the other hand the opposition leader who is private candidate talks about how he can influence all sorts of live aspects in Djibouti either rich or poor and promises in he will give better democracy and hope for Djiboutians.

No matter how th campaign finalizes with peaceful and hopeful way People of international diplomatic societies still predicts in the current president will be back to Power cause of the credibility and the famousity he created though the time .

Peaceful finalization of Djibouti election campaign may encourage peaceful elections

Djibouti Campaing of elections got finalized peaceful way , while the election polling day which is on the 08th of April is about to take place soon with full commitment of peaceful elections

President Of JAR{journalists for African Renaissance is on Djibouti for election observations and defenitely willing to see as many concerned African world expects,


Ms. Moha Dahir Farah sends peaceful congratulatory message to all Djiboutians for their willingness and assistance to all peace supporting co-ordinations with love ,care and stable way.
Moha wishes to see from Djibouti peaceful conclusion of all started election process .

JAR says Africa should count on enough the expereince they had from the election crises which still continues from Ivory coust and many others in hidden damaging way!
Djibouti is having one party election which is leading by Mr. ismail Omer Gele who run for presidency for the last two terms and one Private candidate as well
Best Wishes and peacefl elections says by JAR's president, Madam Moha Dahir Farah