South Africa shuts embassy in Nigeria after reprisal attacks

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Pretoria closes diplomatic missions as Nigeria encourages its citizens to return home amid anti-foreigner violence.

South Africa temporarily closed its embassy in Nigeria following violence against South African businesses in reprisal for attacks on foreign-owned stores in Johannesburg, while Nigeria announced plans to evacuate its nationals from South Africa.

South African Foreign Affairs Minister Naledi Pandor said on Thursday the embassy was closed temporarily after threats led to fears for staff safety.

"There is Afrophobia we are sensing that exists, there is resentment and we need to address that," Pandor told Reuters news agency.

Foreign ministry spokesman Lunga Ngqengelele confirmed the diplomatic missions in the Nigerian cities of Lagos and Abuja have been closed since Wednesday.

The announcement, which signals worsening diplomatic relations between the two African countries, comes after Nigeria introduced plans to evacuate its nationals from South Africa following a wave of attacks on foreigners.

Evacuation offer

The Nigerian foreign ministry said Air Peace, a commercial airline, offered to send an aircraft on Friday to evacuate nationals willing to return "free of charge".

"The general public is hereby advised to inform their relatives in South Africa to take advantage of this laudable gesture," Nigerian foreign ministry spokesman Ferdinand Nwonye said on Wednesday.

"Interested Nigerians are therefore advised to liaise with the High Commission of Nigeria in Pretoria and the Consulate General of Nigeria in Johannesburg for further necessary arrangement."

The statement was made after Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama said Nigeria would not cave to Pretoria.

"The South African government has to assume its responsibilities and protect Nigerians in South Africa and we have to hold them to account, and they have to do that as well as pay full compensation," he said.

Rioting has killed at least seven people in Johannesburg and Pretoria in recent days [AP]

Tensions rising

It also came a day after Nigeria pulled out of the World Economic Forum (WEF) gathering in Cape Town, South Africa, casting a cloud over initiatives to boost intra-African trade.

Nigeria also recalled its high commissioner to South Africa, Kabiru Bala.

A presidential source told the News Agency of Nigeria that Abuja also demanded full compensation for the loss of life and property of Nigerians affected by the attacks.

Rioting in South Africa has killed at least seven people in Johannesburg and Pretoria in recent days.

Police in the country have yet to pinpoint what triggered the violence, which began on Sunday when protesters armed with makeshift weapons roamed the streets of Pretoria's business district, pelting shops with rocks and petrol bombs and running off with goods.

Authorities have made about 400 arrests, while people across the continent have protested and voiced their anger on social media.

Analysts have noted contributing factors to the latest violence include high unemployment and frustration with limited economic opportunities.

Reprisal attacks

On Tuesday, Nigerians launched what appeared to be reprisals against South African businesses in several cities across the country. Police said dozens were arrested for looting and attacks on South African retail and telecoms firms.

Abuja has repeatedly condemned the reprisals, which it insisted could only hurt Nigerians working in the affected firms.

Nigerian police said on Wednesday that security had been strengthened around South African businesses.

Xenophobia: Fayemi state the reason Why he travelled to South Africa

Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, has stated the reason he travelled to South Africa, despite the protests that had greeted the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians resident there.

The Kano Emirate Council had shared the photographs of Fayemi, alongside the Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai; and the Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi, at the Africa in the World conference holding in Stellenbosch, South Africa.

Another global event, the World Economic Forum on Africa, is also holding in Cape Town between September 4th and 6th.

The WEF was boycotted by the Federal Government in protest against the xenophobic attacks visited on Nigerians resident in South Africa.

Nigerians had expressed concerns about the presence of some public figures in South Africa at a time citizens were protesting across the country against the xenophobic attacks.

Since the Federal Government had withdrawn its participation at the WEF, many Nigerians who saw the photographs of the three public figures on Twitter had expressed outrage, thinking the emir and the governors were at the Cape Town forum.

Fayemi has since denied attending the World Economic Forum.

A statement by his Senior Special Assistant (Electronic Media), Kanmi Olatoye, declared, “Contrary to some misleading online reports, Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, was not at the World Economic Forum in South Africa.

“Rather, the governor is in South Africa to honour an invitation by a long-time friend and one of Nigeria’s most celebrated journalists, Mr. Dele Olojode, at the Africa in the World Festival of Ideas, which held in Stellenbosch, a university town in South Africa’s Western Cape province.”

Continuing, the statement asserted that, “More importantly, the event already held before the decision of the Federal Government to boycott the WEF programme.”

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Zambia calls off match with South Africa because of xenophobic violence

By Daniel Gallan, for CNN

Updated at 1341 GMT (2141 HKT) September 4, 2019

A South African cheers prior to the start of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations match between Egypt and Bafana Bafana earlier this year.

(CNN) — The ugliness of the real world has infiltrated the beautiful game as a football match between Zambia and South Africa was canceled because of a spate of xenophobic attacks in Johannesburg and Pretoria.

The two former African champions were set to meet in the National Heroes Stadium in the Zambian capital of Lusaka Saturday, but the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has called off the match.

The decision comes after a series of violent clashes between South Africans and foreign nationals which has resulted in the reported deaths of five people, with 189 people arrested as foreign-owned shops and businesses were ransacked in broad daylight

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Ijaola Ayopo Abdul Wasiu popularly know has Wadoo Ibile

he is from Abeokuta area of Ogun state. 

He had his first school leaving in ibarapa Central Area of Oyo state bfor moving to secondary school in eruwa area Oyo state. During his day in school, Abdul wasiu was a talented football and sprinter. He later discover his music talent before he finished his ssce.

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Tinubu, APC mount pressure on Ambode to step down, endorse Sanwo-Olu

[YOU MAY ALSO LIKE] 2019: APC reviews timetable for primaries

“But Ambode seemed not to be pleased with the directives of the leaders as he declined the ministerial dangle. He also told them to allow the APC primary process to continue as planned. For now, the meeting is still continuing and there is no compromise in sight.”

“The body will meet again on Saturday when members will discuss more on the aspirants.”

“We told him that he might likely lose if he decided not to fight back, but he just smiled,” another source said.

A source said the meeting merely took briefing on the three aspirants – Ambode, Sanwo-Olu and Dr Femi Hamzat – and later discussed Osun State governorship election.

A source said, “Ambode was told to step down and forget his second term ambition. He was told to publicly endorse Sanwo-Olu as his successor. He was promised a ministerial appointment after the APC might have won the presidential election. He was even told to pick a ministry of his choice.

Also, it was gathered that the meeting of the Governor’s Advisory Council, the APC’s highest advisory political organ, which held in Lagos, did not discuss Ambode’s issue.

Ambode

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he incumbent Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, to drop his second term bid and endorse his opponent, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

He said, “Tinubu should not use politics to spoil the development going on in Lagos. Ambode has done enough to get a second term.”

However, it was gathered that the state APC leaders were still insisting that Ambode must go as of Wednesday evening.

It was gathered that Ambode, however, told them that he would prefer to go ahead with the direct primary option of the party in the state.

It was gathered that the body was supposed to advise the party on the choice between Ambode and Sanwo-Olu and its implication for the party.

Meanwhile, some residents of Lagos State took to the street on Wednesday to protest against Tinubu’s refusal to back Ambode

Notable APC leaders in the state, who were either allies of Tinubu or his followers, were at the declaration.

of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos State continued on

On Monday, Ambode’s wife, Bolanle had tried to save her husband’s job when she met with Tinubu in Osun State and tried to pacify him to change his mind. The meeting did not yield positive result.

One of the protesters, Mr Charles Akube, said Ambode’s infrastructural development projects were enough to earn him a second term.

Our correspondent also learnt on Wednesday that Ambode had instructed his camp not to speak to any journalist and wait for the electoral process to pan out.

Our correspondent learnt that both the state and national leaders of the party met on Wednesday and mounted pressure on the Lagos governor to accept the decision of the state party leaders.

Pro-Ambode demonstration holds in Lagos

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Sanwo-Olu came into reckoning in Lagos politics after he obtained the state governorship form last Tuesday and immediately got the backing of the Mandate Movement in the Lagos APC.

Sanwo-Olu, a former commissioner in the state, on Sunday formally declared his intention to vie for the Lagos State governorship ticket of the APC, promising to restore the glory of the state when he was voted in as the governor.

Sesan Olufowobi

The battle on who gets the governorship ticket

The body was also said to have advised the party to shift the primary to September 29, 2018, instead of the September 25 it planned to hold the primary.

The chairmen of the 57 councils had also declared support for Sanwo-Olu.

The governor and Tinubu have been in the news in the past few days because of an alleged rift over the second term bid of Ambode.

The Mandate Movement is led by the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who was Ambode’s political godfather.

The protesters, who stormed the secretariat of the Ikeja Local Government Area in Ikeja, said the incumbent governor deserved automatic ticket.

The source said, “Asiwaju, the governor, as well as the two other aspirants, were not present at the meeting. A briefing on the profile of the aspirants was taken and advice was given that the primary be shifted to September 29.

There had been reports that the verdict of the body would seal the fate of both Ambode and Sanwo-Olu.

Tinubu had refused to back Ambode’s second term ambition despite pleas by notable people in the state and the country.

Wednesday with the party leadership mounting pressure on t

Ayefele speaks about meeting with Ajimobi

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Demola Olonilua and Timileyin Akinkahunsi

The saga between the Oyo State government and popular singer Yinka Ayefele seems to be far from over after the state government partially demolished the singer’s Music House on Sunday.

The demolition sparked a public outcry and on Thursday, the governor set up a meeting with the singer, his younger brother and his publicist. Ayefele gave details of the meeting through his publicist, David Ajiboye.

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He made it known that it was the Oyo State governor that asked for a meeting with the singer. “On Thursday, we were at a meeting organised by the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria at Golden Tulip when we got a call from one of the governorship aspirants in the state. He told us that the governor would like to see us. I was at the BON meeting with Yinka Ayefele and his younger brother. We felt that since they were the ones that invited us, we should honour the governor’s call; so we excused ourselves from the BON meeting and went to the governor’s office. We got there at about 12noon but the governor did not get to his office till about 4 pm. We did not leave the governor’s office until about 7 pm. I was at the meeting with Yinka Ayefele and his younger brother,” he said.

Ajiboye noted that although they insisted on having a closed-door meeting with the governor, they were shocked when pictures of the singer and the governor surfaced on Twitter a few minutes into the meeting.

“When the governor came into the office, we all prostrated to greet him being that he is older than us and we told them that we did not want cameras. We wanted a closed-door meeting with the governor so he asked the pressmen to excuse us but his private photographer did not leave the room. We noticed that while we were talking with the governor, the photographer was taking our pictures and uploading them on their twitter handle immediately. The governor later invited his team to come and join us in the meeting; his team comprised the commissioner for information, a governorship aspirant in the state and about four special assistants. The governor told us his grievances. He told us that he could have saved the situation if only we had come to see him. He felt we ought to have come to beg him and our chairman, Yinka Ayefele, pointed it out that we had since told the commissioner for information to book an appointment with the governor. He further said that he called the SSG to help him book an appointment with the governor even before this incident happened and the commissioner corroborated his claims but said that the governor was unavailable at the time,” Ajiboye said.

The singer’s publicist further told Saturday Beats that it was a coincidence that the monarchs were in the governor’s office as at when Ayefele had a meeting with Ajimobi. He said that the concerned monarchs pulled their weight behind the singer.

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“Coincidentally, there were about ten monarchs who were also waiting to see the governor as at the time we were waiting for him. They were led by the Alaafin of Oyo; so when the Obas saw Ayefele, they decided to rally round him. After they had met with the governor, they came back to meet Ayefele and possibly plead on his behalf to the governor. That was when they allowed the cameramen to enter and we felt it was more or less a set-up because we wanted a closed-door meeting. We did not want cameras but there was nothing we could do because we were at the governor’s office. The monarchs appealed to the governor to help Ayefele rebuild the music house. After the monarchs left, the governor also left us with his team and told us to iron things out with them. They claimed that they wrote several letters to us but that we ignored them, they went ahead to say that we did not have a Certificate of Occupancy for the building and we showed them all the proof. They all agreed except one commissioner who said that we have to do damage control because we have dented his personality and that of Oyo State government. We had to tell him that it was beyond us because we did not ask people to abuse their government. If they had not demolished the Music House, people would not lay curses on the government. That was what happened at the meeting. The governor’s team said they would get across to the governor on Thursday night to brief him and they would get back to us. We would wait for what the outcome of their meeting with the governor would be. We are not taking any position now,” he said.