DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Wagner boss Prigozhin says Putin's plan to 'demilitarize' Ukraine has been a bust as Ukraine now has one of the 'strongest' armies
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

"The Ukrainians are one of the strongest armies today," Yevgeny Prigozhin said in an interview. It turns out that on the contrary, we have militarized Ukraine," Prigozhin said in a video interview now circulating around social media. The nod to demilitarization refers to one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's key ambitions in the unprovoked assault on Ukraine in February 2022. Praising his adversary while calling attention to Russia's failures, Prigozhin said that "the Ukrainians are one of the strongest armies today." Kyiv's troops have used these systems to inflict devastating casualties on both Wagner and Russia's regular military.

☆ Ukraine battles rage, Kyiv reported to rethink counter-offensive after leak
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The head of the Moscow-controlled part of Donetsk, Denis Pushilin, said Russian forces now held 75% of the city. As the battles ground on, U.S. media outlet CNN reported that Ukraine was forced to amend some military plans ahead of its long-anticipated counter-offensive because of the leak of dozens of secret documents. HOT ON THE EASTERN FRONTA Ukrainian counter-offensive has long been expected after months of attritional warfare in the east. Elsewhere, Russia's defence ministry said its forces destroyed a depot with 70,000 tonnes of fuel near Zaporizhzhia, and Ukraine reported widespread Russian shelling in northern regions. In a rare coordination between the warring parties, Russia and Ukraine carried out another prisoner swap, with 106 Russian captives freed in exchange for 100 Ukrainians.

☆ Fact Check-UK parliament did not say Nigeria’s presidential election was rigged
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A question asked by a British MP about Nigeria’s presidential election is being misconstrued online as a declaration by UK parliament of a rigged vote. “UK Parliament Confirmed Nigeria Election Was Rigged In Favour Of APC,” said one person sharing a video clip of the question being asked on March 14 in the House of Commons (here). Moreover, Onwurah did not at any point say the Nigerian presidential election was rigged, according to a video of her question and parliamentary minutes (here and here). Chi Onwurah raised her constituents’ concerns about the Nigerian presidential election, but she did not say that it was rigged. A question asked during a parliamentary debate is not considered the official position of the UK’s Parliament.

☆ Fact Check-Video purporting to show post-election clash in Lagos, Nigeria, dates to at least October 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

“It seems Ndigbo have waken up to defend themselves from Tinubu's APC thugs in Lagos,” wrote one person who shared the video on Twitter. However, another online search of keyframes also revealed that the clip was shared online as early as October 2022 (here ) (here ) (here ). TVC News Nigeria reported that a clash broke out between traders and road transport workers at Alaba International market on Oct. 19 (here ). Corroborating videos said to show the market has been shared online (here ) and other local outlets reported on the clashes (here ) (here ). Video showing clashes in Alaba International Market in Lagos, Nigeria dates to at least October 2022.

☆ Nigeria's two big parties dominate governorship elections
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Macdonald Dzirutwe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LAGOS, March 20 (Reuters) - Nigeria's two biggest parties won the majority of states in weekend governorship polls, official figures showed on Monday, maintaining their political dominance following elections in which European Union observers said 21 people died from violence. But Obi came third in the presidential race behind Tinubu and Atiku and his Labour Party was yet to win a governorship race. Official figures showed that APC won 15 states, including the closely watched Lagos race, compared to seven for PDP, which led in another state as counting continued. A northern regional party won one state and led in another. Two races were declared inconclusive because they were too close to call between APC and PDP.

☆ Lagos governor re-elected in victory for Nigeria ruling party
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Macdonald Dzirutwe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Lagos state gubernatorial candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Babajide Sanwo-Olu, arrives his polling unit to cast his vote, during the gubernatorial election in Lagos, Nigeria March 18, 2023. The Lagos election was the highest profile among races for powerful governorships in 28 of Nigeria's 36 states, as well as for state assemblies across the country. Voting was postponed to Sunday at 10 polling stations in a Lagos neighbourhood following disagreements between INEC officials and voters over the location of polling units. In northeastern Adamawa, a conservative and largely Muslim state, electoral officials were collating results after a race that could produce Nigeria's first elected female governor. Voters were still casting ballots in two districts of oil-producing Rivers state where the INEC failed to deliver voting materials.

☆ Fact Check-Video of ballot-stuffing predates the 2023 presidential elections in Nigeria
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

“Rigging of presidential election in northern Nigeria on 25/02/2023” wrote one Facebook user sharing the video and which has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times (bit.ly/3ZhJoGC). The video is unrelated to Nigeria’s 2023 election, as Reuters could trace it back to as early as January 2021 (here). The original source, location and context of the video, however, have not been verified and are out of the scope of this fact check. The All Progressives Congress (APC) party candidate Bola Tinubu has been declared the winner of the 2023 presidential election, but the two main opposition challengers have said the result is fraudulent and have vowed to challenge it in court (here). The video can be traced back to 2021 and is unrelated to the 2023 general election in Nigeria.

☆ Fact Check-Video of Nigeria’s outgoing President Buhari asking people to ‘vote again’ dates to 2019
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A clip from a 2019 speech by Nigeria’s outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari has been shared online again by people falsely claiming that it shows Buhari saying the results of the 2023 general election are void. In the two-minute video, Buhari asks attendees of a caucus meeting of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), to encourage their constituents to be patient and to peacefully “vote again”. “Breaking news the 2023 election has been canceled watch from President #Buhari,” reads one comment on Twitter which included the clip on Feb. 28 (here). But the video is from 2019 and is unrelated to the 2023 election. Meanwhile, results for the 2023 election can be seen on the INEC website (here).

☆ Fact Check-Spreadsheet shown during Nigerian broadcast does not show a vote counting mistake
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An image of a spreadsheet that was shown during a broadcast of Nigeria’s presidential election has been falsely touted online as evidence of a voting miscount. At timestamp 7:43:17 here , a spreadsheet is shown onscreen whereby the result for each party is tallied at the bottom of separate columns. The sum of the 13 rows in the APC column, for example, is 151,850. However, the apparent mismatched totals are a result of neither the screenshot nor the broadcast showing the entire spreadsheet. There are 13 rows shown in the NTA broadcast, which is therefore the results of 13 local government areas.

☆ Six Nigerian states challenge election in Supreme Court
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Camillus Eboh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

ABUJA, March 3 (Reuters) - Six opposition-led Nigerian states have asked the Supreme Court to throw out the result of last weekend's presidential vote, saying the electoral body broke the law and its own rules during the count, court papers showed. Six of Nigeria's 36 states - Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo and Sokoto - said in court papers dated Feb. 28 that the election commission had failed to transmit results through an electronic system meant to show transparency. They sought a court declaration that all presidential election results announced by the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) "were invalid, null and void, and of no effect whatsoever". Those materials included ballot papers and voting machines, the order from the appeals court showed. There have been numerous legal challenges to the outcome of past Nigerian presidential elections but none has succeeded.

☆ Bola Tinubu: From godfather of Lagos to Nigeria's president-elect
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Tim Cocks | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

And since he bowed out as Lagos governor in 2007, Tinubu has picked every subsequent winning candidate to run Africa's biggest city. That power will now be tested as Tinubu attempts to tackle Nigeria's crises and improve on Buhari's lacklustre record. Many of these problems worsened under Buhari, on whose party ticket Tinubu ran. A spokesman for Tinubu's campaign did not respond to repeated requests for comment. A biography on his campaign website says Tinubu was born in Lagos in 1952, to a Muslim family from the Yoruba ethnic group, the majority in southwest Nigeria.

☆ Nigerian ruling party candidate declared winner in highly disputed election
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

ABUJA, Nigeria - March 1, 2023: Ruling party candidate Bola Tinubu, addresses supporters during celebrations at his campaign headquarters. Tinubu won Nigeria's highly disputed weekend election, electoral authorities said on Wednesday, securing the former Lagos governor the presidency of Africa's most populous democracy. Nigeria's ruling party candidate Bola Tinubu was declared the winner of the country's presidential election on Wednesday after polling was marred by transparency concerns and widespread technical problems. The APC, PDP and Labour Party won 12 states apiece, while the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) candidate Rabiu Kwankwaso claimed one state. However, the PDP, Labour Party and several other opposition parties had already rejected the results by the time Tinubu was declared president-elect on Wednesday.

☆ Nigeria's Tinubu defends win in disputed presidential poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said Tinubu garnered 8.79 million votes in the weekend election, ahead of main opposition challenger Atiku Abubakar's 6.98 million votes. Peter Obi, an outsider popular with younger and more educated urban voters, garnered 6.1 million votes. "I am very happy I have been elected the president of the federal republic of Nigeria," Tinubu said to cheers in Abuja. Nigeria's election was meant to be its fairest and most open contest to date. As Lagos governor, Tinubu won praise for partially fixing some of the cities problems, including reducing violent crime, waste collection and traffic.

☆ Fact Check-Video circulated alongside claim of vote rigging in Nigeria is from at least 2015
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Social media users sharing the clip present it as if it relates to Nigeria’s most recent vote, held on Feb. 25 (bit.ly/3Z6SPIQ). One account posting the video here wrote: “INEC Staff Seen On Camera Rigging The Presidential Election In Favour Of APC.” APC refers to the ruling All Progressives Congress party. However, the video is old and does not relate to events associated with the 2023 election. The 2023 presidential election has been disputed by opposition parties and the public as votes have been tallied (here and here). Read more about our work to fact-check social media posts here .

☆ Partial results of disputed Nigeria election show Tinubu in lead
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LAGOS, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Provisional results from Nigeria's disputed presidential election over the weekend showed Bola Tinubu from the ruling party in the lead, a Reuters tally of votes in 25 of the country's 36 states showed on Tuesday. Electoral commission results from the states showed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress party (APC) was ahead with about 36% or 7 million of valid votes counted, with Atiku Abubakar of the main opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) trailing close behind with 30% or nearly 6 million valid votes. Peter Obi of the smaller Labour Party got 20% or about 3.8 million votes. More results were expected to show the winner later on Tuesday. INEC had promised to upload results directly from each polling unit to its website in the election to replace outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari, but most were unable to do so immediately.

☆ Nigeria's Tinubu has unassailable lead in provisional election results - Reuters tally
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LAGOS, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Nigeria's ruling party candidate Bola Tinubu has an unassailable lead in the presidential election held over the weekend, a Reuters tally of provisional results from all 36 states and the federal capital Abuja showed on Tuesday. Tinubu of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) of outgoing president Muhammadu Buhari got about 35% of the vote, trailed by Atiku Abubakar of the main opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) with 30%. Peter Obi of the Labour Party, an outsider popular with the youth and educated voters, got 26%. Tinubu's potential victory extends the All Progressives Congress party's (APC) grip on power in Africa's top oil producer and most populous nation, though he inherits a litany of problems from outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari. Reporting by Hamza Ibrahim in Kano, Ahmed Kingimi in Maiduguri, Anamesere Igboeroteonwu in Onitsha Tife Owolabi in Yenagoa, Tim Cocks and Macdonald Dzirutwe in Lagos; Writing by Tim CocksOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Nigerian parties criticise slow pace of weekend election count
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Macdonald Dzirutwe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LAGOS, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Nigeria was to resume announcing presidential election results on Monday amid complaints of irregularities as opposition parties criticised the slow pace at which the results were being uploaded on to the election commission's website. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has so far released official results from only one of 36 states. By 0830 GMT, INEC had uploaded results from 52,236 polling units out of a total 178,846, its website showed. "We take full responsibility for the problems and regret the distress that they have caused the candidates, political parties and the electorate," said INEC. In northern Kano state, police said suspected thugs had attacked a campaign office for a smaller opposition party and set the building on fire, killing two people.

☆ Factbox: Results so far from Nigeria's presidential election
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

LAGOS, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Nigeria's electoral commission has announced the following results following the country's presidential election, with the final tally expected within five days of the close of voting on Sunday. Below are tallies for the top three candidates - Bola Tinubu from the All Progressives Congress party (APC), main opposition leader Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the Labour Party's (LP) Peter Obi. EKITI STATEBola Tinubu (APC) 201,494Atiku Abubakar (PDP) 89,554Peter Obi (LP) 11,397Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe and Tim Cocks; Editing by Jan HarveyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 'Unpredictable' election in Africa's largest economy is set to resonate around the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

After 24 years of uninterrupted democracy since ending military dictatorship in 1999, Africa's most populous nation and largest economy is conducting its seventh election. Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria's president, speaks during the U.S.-Africa Business Forum in New York. Leena Koni Hoffmann, associate fellow of the Africa Programme at Chatham House, told CNBC on Monday that the presidential election will be the "most unpredictable" since the transition to civilian rule. Alongside the Covid-19 pandemic and war in Ukraine, Koni Hoffmann noted "missed opportunities" and "self-inflicted crises" under Buhari's regime. Economists panned the decision, which Koni Hoffmann suggested rendered Nigeria and its neighbors more vulnerable to the damage of the pandemic.

[1/5] Supporters of All Progressives Congress (APC) wear traditional attire with APC branding during a campaign rally in Abuja, Nigeria, February 11, 2023. Ahead of the Feb. 25 vote, political rallies and campaign events have become catwalks for colourful printed fabrics twisted into elaborate dresses, tunics and headscarves. He wore an LP-emblazoned, green, red and white version of a traditional hat and held a wooden walking stick that is often used as an accessory among Hausa men. "You can see the stick here which means I am a full Lagosian by virtue of this campaign in Lagos," said Ahanotu. "This is our official regalia for APC presidential campaign council," she explained.

☆ Fact Check-Chatham House clip of Nigeria’s Bola Tinubu edited with comedy film quote
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Footage of Nigerian presidential candidate Bola Tinubu appearing to face criticism for making “insanely idiotic” and “rambling, incoherent” comments at Chatham House in London has been overdubbed with audio from comedy film “Billy Madison” and shared online as if real. Tinubu, presidential hopeful for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) party, spoke at the independent policy institute in Dec. 2022 (here). “At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Footage of Nigerian presidential candidate Bola Tinubu was edited to feature audio from a film. Tinubu was not captured being accused of making an “insanely idiotic … rambling, incoherent response” during a Chatham House event in Dec. 2022.

☆ Factbox: Nigeria election 2023: what you need to know and what's at stake
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Here is what you need to know about the election. Tinubu and Atiku have significant powerbases across Nigeria, while Obi is banking on frustration over the economy and insecurity to turn voters against the two major parties. Obi, who left the PDP last year and was Atiku's running mate in 2019, casts himself as a reformist willing to overhaul Nigeria's political system. But on policy, there is little separating the main candidates. Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by James Macharia Chege, Gareth Jones and Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ukraine repels attacks in eastern region while Russia’s Wagner claims to have taken a village
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Ukraine’s military said on Sunday its forces repelled an attack in the area of Blahodatne in the eastern part of the Donetsk region, while Russia’s Wagner private military group said it took control of the village. It added that its forces repelled Russian attacks in the areas of 13 other settlements in the Donetsk region. The Wagner Group, designated by the United States as transnational criminal organization, said on the Telegram messaging app on Saturday that its units had taken control of Blahodatne. Ukrainian soldiers stand atop on APC before going to the frontline in Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, on Saturday. The Wagner Group has made premature success claims before.

☆ Analysis: Western military aid girds Kyiv for counterattacks despite tank deadlock
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Tom Balmforth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The latest U.S. aid includes 90 Stryker armoured personnel carriers (APC) and 59 Bradley fighting vehicles with powerful canons - adding to 50 Bradleys pledged earlier this month along with French and German infantry fighting vehicles. A group of nine European states, including Britain and the Baltics promised on Thursday to deliver heavy artillery, air defence, ammunition and infantry fighting vehicles and battle tanks sought by Kyiv. Zagorodnyuk said he believed infantry fighting vehicles were a clear endorsement of Kyiv's counterattack plans, also noting the importance of large donations of ammunition. Berlin said earlier this month that it would send 40 Marder infantry fighting vehicles before the end of March; Paris said it would send AMX 10-RC armoured combat vehicles, which are seen as tank destroyers. In an interview with the Economist in December, Ukraine's top general, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi said he needed 300 tanks, 600-700 infantry fighting vehicles and 500 howitzers to help his forces push back the invaders.

☆ Factbox: Ukraine's military supplies: What ground vehicles are Kyiv's allies sending?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

THE UNITED STATES:Bradley Fighting Vehicle: a tracked, armoured vehicle with a turret-mounted 25-mm gun that can carry up to seven soldiers in addition to three crew. M109A6 Paladin self-propelled howitzer: a tracked, armoured vehicle with a 155 mm gun. Stryker armoured personnel carrier: a wheeled armoured vehicle that can be configured to handle anything from carrying infantry to medical evacuations. M1117 armoured security vehicle: a wheeled vehicle with a mine-resistant hull. SWEDENArcher Artillery System: a wheeled, self-propelled gun.

Search resuls for: "APC"

25 mentions found