Africa
Africa’s longest serving President launches sixth term presidential bid
After ruling Equatorial Guinea for the past 43 years, President Teodoro Obiang Mbasogo has launched his bid for a sixth term in the 20 November election.
80-year-old Obiang seized power in 1979 from President Francisco Nguema.
President Teodoro Obiang Mbasogo at the PDGE congress in Bata. Photo Source: AFP
Announcing his intention at a first campaign event in the northern town of Ebebiyin, the president said his dominant Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea had chosen him to run “because I am the symbol of peace that reigns in Equatorial Guinea”.
His electoral manifesto is centered on continuity and developing the Central African nation, rich in oil and gas resources but the majority of its population live below the poverty line.
Obiang is the longest-ruling head of state in the world excluding monarchs and he has never officially been re-elected with less than 93 percent of the vote.
His Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea holds 99 of the 100 seats in the outgoing Lower House of Parliament and all of the senate seats.
Running against Obiang are Andres Esono Ondo of the Convergence for Social Democracy party and Buenaventura Monsuy Asumu, who represents the Party of the Democratic Social Coalition.
Mr Esono Ondo is running for the first time, Mr Monsuy Asumu for the third.
More than 425,000 voters are registered for the polls out of a population of around 1.4 million.
RULE OF OBIANG
Equatorial Guinea under the watch of Obiang has been marked by torture of political opponents, sham elections, and corruption, rights groups and foreign powers say.
A typical example is the detention of a former justice minister, Ruben Mangue, after he criticised the president.
According to Human Right Watch, “corruption, poverty, mismanagement of public funds, torture, arbitrary detention, and unfair trials continue to plague Equatorial Guinea under President Obiang”.
Obiang however denies such charges.
His son, who is also the country’s Vice-President, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, is a jet-setter with a love for parties, fast cars, and jewelry, and was convicted of embezzlement by a French court in 2020. In two separate cases, the United States and Switzerland agreed to settle with Teodoro, resulting in the confiscation of assets that would be used to benefit Equatorial Guinea’s people.
US GOVERNMENT ON THE ELECTION
US Department of State through its Spokesperson, Ned Price, has called on the “government of Equatorial Guinea to honor its international commitments and constitutional principles by supporting a free and fair vote”.
This call comes as “the United States has been concerned by reports of arrests and harassment of opposition members and civil society”.
A statement issued by Price therefore urged the “government to allow its citizens to freely and confidently express their preferences at the ballot box. Equatorial Guinea can cultivate a more inclusive, peaceful, and democratic society by ensuring the expression of diverse political perspectives, a free and fair voting process, and the protection of the human rights of all individuals”.
Africa
Online Confrontation Erupts as Man Urges Internet Spiritualist Uzihben to Embrace Christianity, Met with Counterclaim
In a digitally-fueled confrontation that sparked intense debate across social media platforms, an unknown individual challenged prominent Internet Spiritualist Uzihben to embrace Christianity, only to receive a counterclaim from Uzihben urging him to reconnect with his ancestral roots. The fiery exchange of words unfolded on October 3, 2023, and has since become a hot topic of discussion in online communities.
The dispute, which originated on Uzihben’s social media channel, began when a man, a devout Christian, publicly implored Uzihben to accept Jesus Christ as his savior and renounce his spiritualist beliefs. The man argued that Christianity provided the path to salvation and spiritual enlightenment.
In response to the man’s call for conversion, Uzihben retorted with a message emphasizing the importance of ancestral reverence and heritage. Uzihben encouraged the to explore his own ancestral spirituality and traditions, arguing that connecting with one’s roots can be a profound and fulfilling spiritual journey.
The online exchange escalated as both parties defended their respective beliefs and perspectives. The man reiterated his conviction that Christianity offered the ultimate spiritual truth and salvation, while Uzihben emphasized the value of diverse spiritual paths and the need to respect individual choices.
As the debate raged on, observers on social media weighed in with a variety of opinions. Some supported the man’s efforts to share his faith, while others praised Uzihben for championing the idea of exploring one’s cultural and ancestral heritage as a source of spiritual fulfillment.
While the exchange remained largely civil, it underscored the ongoing tension between different belief systems and the challenges of religious and spiritual dialogue in the age of the internet. The encounter left both the man and Uzihben with firm convictions in their respective faiths and worldviews.
In the aftermath of this online confrontation, discussions on the role of religion, spirituality, and cultural heritage in personal belief systems continued to reverberate through online communities. It served as a reminder of the diversity of perspectives and the importance of respectful dialogue in an increasingly interconnected world.
As the digital age continues to foster global conversations about spirituality and belief, exchanges like this one remind us of the need for tolerance, empathy, and understanding in navigating the complex landscape of faith and spirituality in the modern era.
Watch the video below:
Africa
How much is Nigeria International Passport 2023
In the year 2023, the cost of the standard 32 pages passport is N70,000 and 64 pages cost N100,000.
Africa
Give us another G5 for APC to win in 2027, Akpabio tells Wike
The G5 is a group of five aggrieved politicians who opposed their party’s decision to elect a northerner and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as its flag-bearer in the 2023 presidential election.
The members of the group consisting of Wike, the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, former Governors of Benue, Abia, and Enugu States, Samuel Ortom, Okezie Ikpeazu, and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi respectively, were believed to have contributed to the party’s failure in the February 25 poll.
Akpabio craves another G5 group ahead of 2027
Meanwhile, the Senate President said he wished for another aggrieved group to emerge within the PDP ahead of the next general elections to make things easier for his party.
He said this on Sunday, June 18, 2023, at a thanksgiving reception held at Wike’s private residence on Ada-George Road, in his hometown, Rumuepirikom in the Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of the oil-rich South-South state.
Akpabio, a former Akwa Ibom State governor, also used the occasion to thank Wike for backing the return of power to Southern Nigeria and supporting All Progressives Congress (APC)’s candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
“I want to thank you for all your efforts to bring justice to Nigeria,” the Senate President said.
“And I want to thank the G5 Governors.
“We are very delighted, we are proud to have G5. Please, ensure that in 2027, another G5 emerges so that APC will continue to do well in this country. And if you like, you can add two more, make it G7 and not only G5,” Akpabio added.
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