The Big 5: 2019 Presidential aspirant, Adamu Garba explains why he wants the APC ticket; Moscow official says West is trying to deny Russia World Cup and other top stories

These are the stories you should be monitoring today.

The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Akanbi, Telu I, sparked diverse reactions yesterday by adopting the title of an Emir.

He officially declared himself the Emir of Yorubaland.

Speaking at the installation and the turbaning ceremony of the first Waziri of Yorubaland, Fadhilaru Sheikh Yahquub Abdul-Baaqi Mohammed, the Oluwo, who adorned an Islamic regalia, said whoever calls him an Emir of Yoruba was in order.

The monarch said Iwo is using the title of Waziri to announce to the world it is truly a citadel of Islamic knowledge.

A presidential aspirant in the 2019 general elections, Adamu Garba II, has confirmed he will be seeking the ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

According to Garba, founder/CEO, IPI Solutions Nigeria Limited, a leading cloud computing company based in Lagos, his decision to contest on the platform of the ruling party is because of the need for Nigeria to preserve its democratic institutions.

“I strongly believe the APC is that party with the right history and structures needed for me to actualise my ambition, which is to be president and nothing less.

“As democrats willing not just to participate in politics and get appointments but reading to contest elections and win to be able to fix the many problems of this country, we must not say because the guys in APC and PDP have stolen our money, they did this then we need to go to another party.

“No, if we do that, we are not doing the right thing for the country’s history. We need to stay within and change the rot from within,” he explained.

The lawyer to the National Chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus, Emeka Etiaba, has given the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, 48 hours to withdraw his libelous statement against Secondus or face litigation.

A statement issued by Nancy Shikaan, a counsel in the chambers, quoted Etiaba as making the demand on Saturday in Abuja, in a letter with reference number EESE&C/1/31/03/18 dated March 31, 2018, addressed to the minister.

The letter was titled “Re: Publication of false and defamatory statement against Prince Uche Secondus”.

He demanded retraction, apology and payment of N1.5 billion as damages.

The proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Saturday, vowed to stop the Ohanaeze Ndigbo from holding its planned summit to discuss the restructuring of Nigeria.

Describing the summit as “Fulani-sponsored Igbo summit”, the Biafra agitators said such a move was unacceptable.

The group maintained that the only summit that it would support was one that would educate the people on a referendum to decide on Biafra and “not on restructuring to remain in Nigeria.’’

British-born Nigerian boxer Anthony Joshua Saturday, defeated New Zealander Joseph Parker in a world heavyweight title bout at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.

It was a unanimous points win for Joshua after two judges gave the fight it to him by a margin of 118-110, with the third scoring it 119-109.

With the victory, Joshua now holds the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO world heavyweight titles.

And stories from around the world…

A deal has been reached to evacuate critically injured people from Douma, the last rebel-held town in Syria‘s Eastern Ghouta region, reports say.

The agreement follows negotiations between the rebel group Jaish al-Islam, civic leaders and Russia.

The International Criminal Court in the Hague has taken into custody a man wanted for war crimes in Mali, after the authorities there handed him over.

Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud headed the Islamic police in Timbuktu when it was under the control of jihadist militants five years ago.

He is accused of victimising women and girls by approving their forced marriages to Islamist fighters.

He is also alleged to have helped destroy ancient mausoleums in Timbuktu.

Voters in Sierra Leone have been choosing their new president in a run-off poll between a coup leader and the president’s hand-picked successor.

The vote was delayed after an allegation of electoral fraud in the first round earlier this month.

Former military coup leader Julius Maada Bio received the most votes in the first round.

He now faces ruling party candidate Samura Kamara.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has accused the UK and US of seeking to stop her country hosting this summer’s World Cup.

Speaking in a lengthy interview with a Russian TV channel, she said their “main aim” was to “take the World Cup out of Russia”.

The UK has been seeking to punish Russia after accusing it of mounting a nerve agent attack in Britain.

The Royal Family will shun the World Cup as part of the British response.

UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has likened Russia’s World Cup to Nazi Germany’s Olympic Games in 1936. and one British Opposition MP has called for the Cup to be postponed or moved.

Australian travellers to Russia have been warned to brace for possible anti-western sentiment as the fallout continues from the poisoning of a former spy in the UK.

Last week, the foreign affairs minister Julie Bishop announced two Russian spies had been asked to leave Australia, in a show of solidarity with the UK over the nerve agent attack on former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury.

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