The Late 5: Obasanjo denies being neutral for the 2019 election; Buhari charges youth to lead anti-corruption fight | Other top stories

These are the stories that drove conversation today.

President Muhammadu Buhari Sunday, at the launching of the 2018 Africa Youth Congress Against Corruption (AYCAC) at the old Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja, said that the involvement of African youth is pertinent if the war against corruption is to be won.

He said, “To the young people of Africa, this fight against corruption is yours to lead and to win in order to reverse the negative trends of corruption and it’s implications for Africa.

“The Youth of Africa must pool their energies to effectively ensure that our natural and mineral resources remain on the continent for value addition, job and wealth creation as well as to create affordable health-care and quality education for our people. Winning the fight against corruption is very much in your hands!”

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Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, at the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Door-To-Door-Campaign flag off of the Professor Yemi Osinbajo (PYO) Support Group, has said the President Buhari will not steal from the national treasury and will not allow others either.

He said, “We should not allow those who have stolen our money in the past to come back. They stole all the money and they want to come. People are saying, enough is enough.

“In four years, PDP spent 383 billion US dollars. And they want to come back. Sixteen years is enough. After 16 years of ensuring that the country did not make progress, they want to come back. They will never come back.”

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Former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, in a statement Sunday, through his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi has denied reports that he has decided not to support any candidate for the 2019 presidential elections.

“For the records, and as accurately reported by some media organisations, what the former president said at the convention in Owu was that while he would not impress any candidates on them, Nigerians should vote for credible candidates who will drive growth and development and make their lives better than it is now,” Akinyemi said.

He explained that Obasanjo’s statement did not suggest his neutrality, as he believes that, “only a fool will sit on the fence or be neutral when his or her country is being destroyed with incompetence, corruption, lack of focus, insecurity, nepotism, brazen impunity and denial of the obvious.”

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Majority leader of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan says President Buhari cannot be forced to sign the electoral act amendment bill.

He said the president’s decision to withhold assent is not a big deal and that the 2010 electoral act is good enough for the conduct of the 2019 general election.

“INEC conducted a very good election in 2015 with the existing act. So, I believe that we can use that and nobody should start thinking that the elections will not be free and fair.

“The 2015 elections were free, fair and transparent. All over the world, we were commended for conducting such a credible election. It is not like the current act is so defective that we cannot use it.”

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The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has notified airlines of the withdrawal of its services to Osubi Airport, Warri, Gombe Airport and Murtala Muhammed Airport 2 (MMA2) over alleged indebtedness.

FAAN’s general manager for corporate communications, Henrietta Yakubu said the agency had given notices to the operators of the airports and affected state governments before the decision was reached.

The notice is effective from midnight Sunday, December 9.

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And stories from around the world…

The Afghanistan attorney general, Farid Hamidi has suspended six members of the Afghanistan Football Federation, including the president, Keramuddin Karim, after reviewing allegations of sexual and physical abuse of the Afghanistan women’s national team by AFF staff.

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The U.S. President’s son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner continued to have private conversations with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman following the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, The New York Times reports.

Kushner offered the de facto Saudi ruler advice “about how to weather the storm” following the death of Khashoggi, the Times reported on Saturday, citing a Saudi source familiar with the conversations.

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Britain‘s Prime Minister Theresa May has warned that a failure by lawmakers to back her Brexit deal risks the entire venture being cancelled.

Speaking to the Mail Sunday, May insisted that if members of her own party were to rebel, it would leave the country in “uncharted waters.”

“If you want Brexit, make sure you get it, and that’s about this deal,” she said.

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Jamaican dance hall reggae artist Mark Anthony Myrie, popularly known as Buju Banton has been released from a federal prison in Georgia.

Banton was convicted of federal drug charges in February 2011 for illegal possession of a firearm and conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute. He was sentenced to 10 years, a prison term his attorneys appealed to be reduced a year later, citing his “limited participation” in the drug operation that led to his December 2009 bust.

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A helicopter has crashed in eastern Sudan, killing a state governor and at least four other officials.

The helicopter exploded in flames after it hit a communications tower as it tried to land in the remote Al-Qadarif state, witnesses are quoted by AFP news agency as saying.

No official reason has yet been given for the crash.

Read » The Late 5: Obasanjo denies being neutral for the 2019 election; Buhari charges youth to lead anti-corruption fight | Other top stories on YNaija

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