Politics
Slovakia ‘fully’ backs India’s bid to become new permanent member of UNSC
Bratislava [Slovakia], April 10 (ANI): Slovakian President Peter Pellegrini on Wednesday (local time) announced the country’s full support for India‘s bid to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), highlighting the longstanding and growing relationship between Slovakia and India, according to a Joint Press Statement, amid President Droupadi Murmu‘s state visit to the nation.
According to the joint press statement, President Pellegrini emphasised Slovakia‘s commitment to backing India‘s bid, stating, “I would like to clearly declare at this place that within the United Nations, Slovakia is prepared to fully support India‘s bid to become a new permanent memberof the UN Security Council.”
Meanwhile, President Murmu, in the statement, expressed her gratitude for the warm welcome extended by Slovakia and acknowledged the mutual respect between the two nations and commended Slovakia for its cooperation in various areas, including trade, investment, science and technology, defence, and space.
She further acknowledged Slovakia‘s “unwavering support” in evacuating Indian students from Ukraine during the Russia-Ukraine conflict, strengthening the bond between the two nations.
“I am extremely pleased to be in Slovakia, my first State visit to this beautiful country. I thank President Pellegrini and the people of Slovakia for the warm welcome and hospitality extended to me and my delegation. I bring warm wishes from the people of India. India and Slovakia are based on mutual respect, democratic ideals and a shared vision for global cooperation. Our two countries support each other in international forums, reflecting our deep friendship. Our trade relations are flourishing, and our trade and investment have grown significantly in recent years,” Murmu said.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Slovakia for its unwavering support in evacuating Indian students from Ukraine. India will always remember Slovakia‘s cooperation and generosity, which strengthens our bond as true partners and friends,” she added.
The leaders discussed various areas of bilateral cooperation, including trade, investment, nuclear cooperation, and cultural exchange and also reviewed global and regional issues of mutual interest, reinforcing their shared vision for international cooperation.
“We resolved to further strengthen our long-term bilateral relations covering all areas, including trade and investment, science and technology, defence, digital technology, migration and mobility, space, nuclear cooperation, and culture, and to further promote people-to-people contacts,” President Murmu added.
The two Presidents also signed documents related to the exchange of diplomats and cooperation in the field of small and medium enterprises.
Meanwhile, trade between the two countries has tripled in the past five years, reaching nearly EUR 1.3 billion, with Indian investments in Slovakia, including the Tata Jaguar Land Rover assembly plant in Nitra, contributing to this growth.
“Two documents on bilateral cooperation were signed, one pertaining to the exchange of our diplomats and the second supporting cooperation of small and medium companies. I can declare with pleasure that substantial growth is also a mutual trade which, over the past five years, has tripled today, reaching the level of nearly EUR 1.3 billion, and I’m very pleased indeed that the Indian partners are also showing more and more interest now in Slovakia,” President Pelligrini said.
In addition to these bilateral discussions, President Murmu and President Pellegrini will jointly inaugurate the India-Slovak Business Forum on Thursday and visit the Jaguar Land Rover Assembly plant in Nitra, marking a significant milestone in economic cooperation between the two countries.
President Murmu’s visit, the first by an Indian head of state to Slovakia in nearly 30 years, is expected to further strengthen the political and economic ties between the two nations. The visit underscores the growing partnership between India and Slovakia, with a focus on expanding trade, investment, and cooperation in various sectors.
Politics
PDP to screen Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday as its sole Presidential aspirant For 2027 race
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Tanimu Turaki, SAN, has scheduled to screen former president Goodluck Jonathan tomorrow, Tuesday, aMay 19, as the lone presidential candidate of party.
According to a statement from the PDP faction backed by the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, Former Vice-President Namadi Sambo, former governor of Plateau State, Jona Jang and a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tom Ikimi have been listed among a committee of 14 members to screen Jonathan described as a lone candidate by the party.
Other members of the committee were Chief Olabode George, Babangida Aliyu, Maryam ciroma, Zainab Maina, Josephine Anenin, Dr. Abdul Bulama, Dr. Esther Uduehi, Edo State PDP chairman, Tony Aziegbemi, Dr. Sunday Solarium and Chief Anicho Okoro, who would serve as administrative secretary of the committee.
Last week, the national Publicity Secretary of the faction, Ini Ememobong, disclosed that former president Jonathan has successfully registered as a member of the party in the fresh digital registration exercise directed by INEC.
The PDP faction also announced that it was set to screen 748 house of representatives aspirants, 198 senatorial aspirants, and 112 governorship aspirants.
The screening committee would screen 2122 states houses of assembly aspirants. The exercise will commence tomorrow, Tuesday in different states.
According to the statement, the screening exercise would take place nationwide on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.
The statement said the Interim National Working Committee (iNWC) has also released the names of members to serve on the Screening Committees and Screening Appeal Panels.
It added that the publication of the screening details “is in accordance with the party’s guidelines and timetable for the conduct of the 2027 general elections.”
Politics
Oshiomhole wins Edo APC senatorial primaries unopposed
A former governor and incumbent Senator, Adams Oshiomhole, along with his counterpart Senator Joe Ikpea, sailed through the All Progressives Congress senatorial primary in Edo unopposed, and securing their tickets without a single vote cast against them.
Also Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama emerged the winner in the APC primary for the Edo South senatorial district.
Ogbeide-Ihama won in the seven local government areas of Edo South in the results announced by the Chairman of APC National Assembly Primary Election, Muhammed Ajana at the Urokpota Hall, Benin.
He polled 27,154 votes while his opponents, Senator Neda Imasuen, got 13,580, and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu got 6785.
The elections were hitch-free in Edo North and Edo Central, where there was no contest against the incumbents, Senators Oshiomhole of Edo North and Ikpea of Edo Central, respectively.
Ajana at the Urokpota Hall said the collation arose from votes cast in the seven local government areas made up of 77 wards where elections were conducted by members of the committee.
He said, “There are seven local governments that make up the Edo South Senatorial District. We have heard from the Returning officers from the seven local government areas. From the collation, the cumulative result we have for Edo South Senatorial District is this; Ogbeide-Ihama with 27,154 votes, Imasuen with 13,580 votes and Ize-Iyamu with 6, 785.
“This is the total reflection of what has transpired from the ward level to the local government and the Edo South senatorial district collation centre. With this we await further directives from the National Secretariat, we have done our best by collating the results which is our mandate, to collate the results and send them to the National Secretariat.”
However, it was gathered that Ize-Iyamu emerged as the APC candidate for Edo South Senatorial race. He claimed to have clinched the party’s ticket after defeating Ogbeide-Ihama and Imasuen.
It was claimed that the Chief Returning Officer, Abubakar Muhammad Kabiru, officially declared Ize-Iyamu the winner after securing the highest number of votes cast.
On his part, the senator representing the district condemned the exercise describing it as a sham allegedly designed to favour a preferred aspirant.
Imasuen spoke while reacting to events at his polling unit in Umagbae North Ward 5, Urhokuosa where he said he was denied the opportunity to vote following what he described as a chaotic and manipulated process.
The lawmaker accused leaders of the party of openly adopting a preferred candidate ahead of the exercise and intimidating members into supporting that aspirant.
He said, “There is nothing satisfactory about this sham of election they did today and it is very unfortunate because as a loyal party member, I expected something better than this.”
He said the warning signs emerged days before the primary when some ward chairmen allegedly informed him that they had been directed not to receive him during consultations.
Imasuen claimed that some ward leaders openly told him the party had already adopted a preferred aspirant, identified as Hon. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, making further consultations unnecessary.
Politics
Ajuloopin Suffers Setback as Home Ward Rejects Third Term Return Bid in Kwara APC Primary
The re-election bid of the member representing Ekiti/Isin/Irepodun/Oke-Ero Federal Constituency, Hon. Raheem Tunji Olawuyi, popularly known as Ajuloopin, suffered a major setback on Friday after party members in his home ward, Omu-Aran Ward 1, boycotted the All Progressives Congress APC House of Representatives primary.
According to party stakeholders and observers present at the exercise, no valid election took place in the ward after members refused to participate in protest against what they described as the lawmaker’s poor performance after three consecutive terms in the House of Representatives.
Sources in the ward said efforts by some political figures and loyalists to persuade members to back Ajuloopin’s ambition failed, with party faithful insisting they would not endorse what they termed an attempt to impose his candidacy again.
The boycott led to a breakdown of the electoral process in Omu-Aran Ward 1, with many members staying away from the polls entirely. Stakeholders have called on the APC Electoral Committee to disregard any result purportedly presented from the ward, arguing that no credible primary was conducted there.
Political observers in the constituency described the development as a significant blow to Ajuloopin, noting that the rejection came from his own ward and among constituents most familiar with his record.
Preliminary reports from other parts of Irepodun, Isin and Oke-Ero local government areas, where voting proceeded, also indicated weak support for the incumbent. Many party members were said to have voted for alternative aspirants.
APC stakeholders have urged the party leadership to review reports from affected wards and accept only authentic and verifiable results to preserve the credibility of the primaries. They stressed that internal democracy was critical to the party’s prospects in the constituency and warned against imposing unpopular candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.
With tension rising across the federal constituency, party faithful said the leadership must listen to grassroots members and allow delegates and supporters to determine the outcome of the primaries.
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