Kenya’s press on Saturday praised the Supreme Court decision to annul last month’s presidential poll as a hard-fought victory for the rule of law, and sign of a maturing democracy. Pointing to widespread irregularities in the electronic transmission of vote results, Chief Justice David Maraga declared President Uhuru Kenyatta’s victory “invalid, null and void”. The unexpected ruling in favour of opposition leader Raila Odinga stunned the nation. The Saturday Standard headlined its front page “Maraga Thunder”, while the Star went with “Not yet, Uhuru” and the Saturday Nation had “Raila’s big victory”. All agreed that what the Nation termed a “Supreme Bombshell” was a welcome sign of the judiciary’s independence. “Kenyans have struggled for decades to institutionalise the rule of law. We have fought, shed blood, lost lives and property in search of constitutional order,” the paper said in an editorial. “Intrinsic in this is the desire to establish independent instit...

Nigeria have received clearance from FIFA for Chelsea defender Ola Aina to make his international debut in the World Cup qualifier against Cameroon on Monday. Coach Gernot Rohr said Aina, who can play at right-back or left-back, could now line up in Yaounde as the Super Eagles look for a second victory in four days over Cameroon. “FIFA have approved Ola Aina who can now play for Nigeria,” Rohr said in Uyo where Nigeria thrashed Cameroon 4-0 on Friday to take a giant stride towards qualification for the finals in Russia. Aina, who is on a season-long loan at English Championship side Hull City, was scouted by the Super Eagles to fill a gap in the full-back positions. The player was born in London to Nigerian parents. Although he has a Nigerian passport, he has represented England at various junior levels and so needed to apply to change his international allegiance. Rohr had hoped to use Aina in the first clash against Cameroon but the FIFA clearance did not ar...

The Kogi State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Everestus Obiyo, has allegedly sold a 2015 Toyota Camry car with forged documents. He was said to have claimed that the car was given to him by the state government without the necessary papers. But following a disagreement with a car dealer, Chigozie Osakwe, who assisted him in selling the vehicle, Obiyo allegedly arrested and detained him in his house for three days. Osakwe was subsequently detained by the Federal Capital Territory Command of the NSCDC for collecting N1.1m as commission from the N6.5m the vehicle was sold for. The auto dealer revealed that he handed over the car to a Lebanese, Ilyasu Buodid, who thereafter procured the forged papers with which it was sold in Abuja. Osakwe, who was released on bail, narrated how many people, who indicated interest in the car, declined to buy it on hearing that it had no documents. He stated that the car was with him between Ap...