Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike Appointed A Life Bencher

The Executive Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency, Nyesom
Wike has been appointed a Life Bencher, TNL had learnt.

The ceremony of his appointment took place at the Supreme Court
Complex, Abuja, today, the 24th day of January, 2019.

The Former Acting Minister of Education under the Good luck
Jonathan led-administration, was called to the Nigerian Bar in
1998, as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria,
before he was elected as the Governor of the Oil Producing
State.

The appointment therefore implies that the Executive Governor of
Rivers State, Nyesom Wike is now among those qualified to sponsor
aspirants to the bar.

US, UK Warns Politicians on 2019 Elections

The United States and the United Kingdom announce repercussions,
including visa restrictions, for election interference and
election-related violence.

U.S. Statement
The conduct of the upcoming elections in Nigeria is important not
only for Nigeria, but for the African continent.

The United States government does not support any specific
candidate or party in Nigeria’s upcoming elections. The United
States supports the Nigerian democratic process itself. We support
a genuinely free, fair, transparent, and peaceful electoral
process.

We, and other democratic nations, will be paying close attention
to actions of individuals who interfere in the democratic process
or instigate violence against the civilian population before,
during, or after the elections. We will not hesitate to consider
consequences – including visa restrictions – for those found to be
responsible for election-related violence or undermining the
democratic process. Under U.S. immigration law, certain violations
may also lead to restrictions on family members.
We welcome the signing of peace pledges by Nigerian candidates and
their commitment to a peaceful electoral process.
……….

UK Statement
23 days to the Presidential and National Assembly elections and 37
days to the Gubernatorial and State Assembly elections, the British
High Commission in Abuja would like to reaffirm our strong support
for free, fair and peaceful elections in Nigeria.

We and our international partners remain committed supporters of
Nigeria’s democracy. We do not support any party or individual and
believe that the Nigerian people should be able to choose their
leaders in an environment free from hate speech and insecurity.

We continue to provide significant support to Nigeria’s
Independent National Electoral Commission and to Nigerian civil
society to help them deliver credible elections. We also regularly
engage with actors across the political spectrum to encourage them
to respect electoral rules and maintain an atmosphere of peace and
calm. We will be deploying an extensive observation mission for the
forthcoming elections, including coordinating with the EU’s
Election Observation Mission.

Our monitors will in particular be looking out for any attempts
to encourage or use violence to influence the elections, including
on social media. We would like to remind all Nigerians that where
the UK is aware of such attempts, this may have consequences for
individuals. These could include their eligibility to travel to the
UK, their ability to access UK based funds or lead to prosecution
under international law.

The UK is a friend and partner of Nigeria. We hope our continued
support will play a role in helping Nigeria take a further step
towards consolidating the progress made since democracy returned in
1999.

PRNigeria