Politics
Eight people including 6 children missing as heavy rains trigger flooding in Sri Lanka
Eight people including 6 children missing as heavy rains trigger flooding in Sri Lanka
Eight people, including six children who were returning from school, have gone missing in Sri Lanka when the farm tractor they were traveling on was swept away by floods triggered by heavy rains, police said Wednesday.
Sri Lanka has experienced heavy downpours and strong winds over the past two days that have flooded homes, fields and roads and forced authorities to suspend train services in tea-growing mountain areas.
In the worst incident, a farm tractor carrying 11 school children was swept away Tuesday evening in the eastern region of the country, police said.
Five children were rescued while six other children along with the driver and another adult are still missing in the incident near the town of Karaitivu. A search operation is underway, police said in a statement.
Separately, a woman died when a brick wall collapsed on her in the mountainous region of Badulla in the central part of the country. Eight people were injured in various other weather-related incidents, the Disaster Management Center said.
As of Wednesday, over 3,000 people had been moved to evacuation centers and nearly 600 homes were damaged,
Army and navy troops were deployed to rescue victims and provide food and other essentials to those affected.
The Meteorology Department attributed the severe weather to a deep depression in the Bay of Bengal and warned it is likely to move closer to Sri Lanka and intensify into a cyclonic storm on Thursday.
Sri Lanka has been grappling with severe weather since May, mostly caused by heavy monsoon rains. In June, 16 people died due to floods and mudslides.
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Politics
FEDERAL HIGH COURT STOPS INEC FROM RESTRICTING DEFECTION TO ANOTHER PARTY AFTER CONTESTING PRIMARY
Here is the judgement from the Federal High Court, Abuja today
1. INEC can only monitor 2027 primaries but cannot fix timetable for when a political party should conduct its primaries for this election
2. INEC cannot give a shorter timeframe or abridge the period in which a political party can provide information of their candidates for 2027 election
3. INEC cannot give a shorter timeframe to political parties as regards withdrawal or replacement of candidates (Placeholders)
4. INEC cannot publish any final list of candidates for 2027 elections before 60 days to election.
5. INEC cannot fix 2027 campaigns to end 2 days to elections.
6. This is AN ORDER nullifying and setting aside the timeframes imposed by INEC for 2027 General Election for:
– the conduct of primary elections by political parties for the 2027 general elections
– the submission of personal particulars of candidates by their political parties for the 2027 general elections
– the withdrawal and replacement of candidates by political parties
– the publication of the final list of candidates for the 2027 general elections and campaigning.

Is this a trap or a game changer for some aspirants???
Politics
Fubara To Contest Rivers Governorship Seat Under NDC
A Rivers State politician, Blessing Fubara, has declared his intention to contest the 2027 governorship election in Rivers State under the platform of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
The politician has already obtained both the nomination and expression of interest forms needed to participate in the governorship race ahead of the 2027 election.
Blessing Fubara shares the same surname and local government area with the current Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
Both men are from Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area. However, there has been no confirmation that they are family members.
The Chairman of the NDC in Rivers State, Success Jack, confirmed that Blessing Fubara is among those seeking the party’s governorship ticket.
He also stated that he could not confirm whether the governorship aspirant is related to Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
According to him, the party is preparing seriously for the 2027 general elections and hopes to win not only the governorship seat but other elective positions in Rivers State.
The development comes weeks after Blessing Fubara left the All Progressives Congress and joined the NDC.
Following his defection in Abuja, he was received by former Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, alongside other leaders and members of the party.
After joining the NDC, Blessing Fubara said his decision was taken for the interest of Rivers people.
He also stated that the future of the state must be protected ahead of the next general election, expressing confidence that the state would experience positive changes after the 2027 polls.
Politics
Desmond Elliot Withdraws from APC Lagos Assembly Primaries, Cites Intimidation
Surulere I lawmaker Desmond Elliot has withdrawn from the All Progressives Congress Lagos House of Assembly primaries, citing intimidation across multiple zones.
In a viral video posted online, the lawmaker said he was stepping out of the race despite seeking re-election under the APC. He alleged that his supporters faced intimidation during the process in several parts of the constituency.
Elliot’s decision came as the primaries held across Lagos on Tuesday. Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila, who represents Surulere Federal Constituency, praised the conduct of the exercise in Surulere, describing it as peaceful.
The withdrawal narrows the contest for the APC ticket in Surulere I ahead of the 2027 general election. Party officials in Lagos have not yet responded to Elliot’s claims, and the APC state chapter has not announced whether the primary in the constituency will proceed with other aspirants.
Elliot has represented Surulere I in the Lagos State House of Assembly since 2015.
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