Today’s Headlines: El-Rufai withdraws interest in ministerial appointment, jets out of country, UN worries about deteriorating conditions of detained Nigerien president, Bazoum.

El-Rufai withdraws interest in ministerial appointment, jets out of country.

According to Vanguard news, Former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has opted out of President Bola Tinubu’s

cabinet as a minister. In an exclusive report by an online newspaper, PREMIUM TIMES, El-Rufai was said to

have told President Tinubu at a meeting on Tuesday that he was no longer interested in becoming a

minister but would continue to contribute his quota to the development of Nigeria as a private citizen.

Quoting presidency sources, Premium Times also reported that the former governor “told the

president that he needed time to focus on his doctorate programme at a university in The Netherlands”.

Additional sources confirmed that El-Rufai who had already left the country was very angry that

if President Tinubu really wanted him in his cabinet, he would have made it possible for him to get the nod of the Senate.

Photo Credit: Google.

UN worries about deteriorating conditions of detained Nigerien president, Bazoum.

According to Vanguard news, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, is concerned about the deteriorating conditions in which the Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum, his wife and his son have been detained.

UN Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, Mr Farhan Haq, said this at a news conference in New York on Friday.

President Bazoum and his family are believed to be living without electricity, water, food or medicine, according to media reports.

The democratically elected leader has been detained since soldiers seized power on July 26.

“Further to what the Secretary-General has said about his concerns about President Mohamed Bazoum of Niger, Türk, today said that he is extremely concerned about the rapidly deteriorating conditions,” Haq said.

He said he had received credible reports that the conditions of detention could amount to inhuman and degrading treatment, in violation of international human rights law.

Manchester City’s win at Burnley marred by injury to De Bruyne.

According to Vanguard news, Champions Manchester City suffered an injury blow in their Premier League game at Burnley as captain Kevin de Bruyne hobbled off early on in their 3-0 win.

The league opener played at the Turf Arena on Friday saw Erling Haaland’s first-half double put Manchester City on course for a comfortable win.

But coach Pep Guardiola’s satisfaction at a solid start was tempered by the injury to his Belgian playmaker.

De Bruyne, 32, had also limped off in the Champions League final two months ago with a hamstring injury and Guardiola said it was a recurrence of that problem.

“Yes he is injured again. Same issue (as last season) he told me. So that is a problem. We need to go back and reflect with the medical team.

“He was feeling really good and playing really good in the first minutes. But unfortunately, he is injured again.

Military’ll not sabotage Nigeria’s democracy — CDS, Gen Musa.

According to Vanguard news, The Defence headquarters has stated categorically that the military is happy and better under democracy hence it will not get involved in any act to sabotage the hard-earned democracy in our country.

The DHQ made the declaration following reports calling on the military to interfere in the nation’s democracy and distract it from performing its constitutional responsibilities.

DHQ said it detested any attempt by any individuals or group to instigate law-abiding armed forces of Nigeria to embark on an unconstitutional change of government in the country.

The statement titled “Military Better Under Democracy” was signed by the Director of Defence Information, Brig Gen Tukur Gusau.

It said, “The Defence Headquarters frown at a report being circulated online about welfare issues in the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

” The report’s call on the military to interfere in our democracy is highly unpatriotic, wicked, and an attempt to distract the Armed Forces of Nigeria from performing its constitutional responsibilities.

“While the leadership of the AFN gives priority to the welfare of its personnel

however, we detest any attempt by any individual or group to instigate the law-abiding Armed Forces of Nigeria to embark on any unconstitutional change of government in our country.

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