News
Ex-South African President Zuma Involved In Car Crash
South Africa’s former president Jacob Zuma has been involved in a car crash overnight after a vehicle transporting him was hit by a drunk driver, police said on Friday.
Zuma, however, escaped from the accident unhurt.
The car crash happened just hours after electoral officials barred Zuma from standing in the May 29 general election, further stoking tensions in the run-up to the polls.
The driver’s car “collided with former president Mr Jacob Zuma’s official armoured state vehicle”, the South African Police Service (SAPS) said.
The 51-year-old man was arrested in KwaZulu Natal province “for drunken driving, as well as on a charge of reckless and negligent driving”, SAPS said.
Zuma and his bodyguards escaped uninjured and the 81-year-old was taken to his place of residence.
Zuma, a former veteran of the ruling African National Congress (ANC), was forced out of office in 2018 under a cloud of corruption allegations but still wields political clout.
In December he announced he would be campaigning for the opposition uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party in an attempt to relaunch his career — a major blow to the ANC.
On Wednesday the ANC launched a new court application against MK, after losing an initial bid to have it disqualified.
The ANC says that MK’s name and logo are similar to those of the now disbanded apartheid-era military wing of the ANC once led by Nelson Mandela, and that this could deceive or confuse voters.
– Conspiracy theories –
MK’s spokesman Nhlamulo Ndhlela alleged the car collision was not a coincidence.
“The police minister who is responsible for the former president’s protection unit has not upgraded his vehicle for eight years and he is the same person that has previously uttered messages around burying Zuma,” Ndhlela told AFP.
“There is underhand at play here,” he said, alleging that Zuma’s car was specifically targeted in the motorcade.
Political tensions are running high in the lead-up to the polls, in which the ANC is on the brink of dropping below 50 percent of the vote for the first time since it came to power at the end of apartheid in 1994.
The party is bleeding support amid a weak economy and allegations of corruption and mismanagement.
Zuma’s car accident, two months before the vote, has been sparked conspiracy theories across social media.
The driver of the other vehicle is expected to appear in court on Tuesday.
When asked how Zuma was, Ndhlela told AFP: “He is in high spirits as always and was in laughter this morning about the accident.
“But it does not mean he took it lightly (or that) he is not aware of what’s happening.”
“Mr Zuma is in church today praying that the devil does not come into MK,” referring to the ANC.
The month of March was a busy one at the Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency with numerous Programmes and Trainings approved and sponsored by Rep. O. K. Chinda.
The month of April is already showing signs of being busier as we have commenced a Free 3-day Medical Outreach.
Today, which is day 1, featured Health Talks and Sensitization, with some participants going home with 10kg of rice after being attended to.
The programme continues tomorrow and will include the following: –
• Vital signs checking.
• Seeing of Doctor/optometrist.
• Laboratory/ diagnosis
• Pharmacy.
The medical outreach is anchored by Dailystar Pharmacy Nigeria Limited
“I WIN, U WIN”
From
The Media Team
Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency Office
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
There was tension on Wednesday As vigilante operating at Dei-Dei community in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mujahid Ibrahim (32), has reportedly shot himself while trailing a suspect in the area. Abuja Metro learnt that the bullets from his rifle injured him around his feet, with at least seven cartridges extracted from his body
He was said to be awaiting x-ray results for the possibility of more cartridges in his body.
The incident took place around 12 am in the early hours of Wednesday when the victim and his colleague intercepted a resident in the neighbourhood, they were guarding for working at late hours.
Speaking yesterday at the Kubwa General Hospital, where he was rushed to, Ibrahim said the suspect came around 12 am against the 11 pm, which was agreed upon by the members of the community.
“My colleague, who attended to him, tried in vain to make him understand the rule, but instead for him to cooperate, he resorted to violence and in an effort to scare him, I cooked my rifle pointing toward the sky. I later withdrew the rifle back to my shoulder, but forgot to pull it back and in the process of running toward him as the man was having a scuffle with my colleague, the gun fired out some bullets that hit me around my feet,’’ he said
Also speaking, his colleague, who accompanied him to the hospital, Ben Isaac, said following the incident, the resident in question disappeared but his elder brother has taken all the responsibilities including the treatment charges.
He added that a 24- hour warning was issued to him to appear or get arrested.
The Independent National Electoral Commission,( INEC) has rejected the petition to recall the Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, inadequate.
The electoral umpire via its 𝕏 handle on Thursday, April 3, 2025, made this known in a terse statement where it disclosed that the group, who initiated the process did not meet the requirements of the constitution.
INEC in a tweet on its ‘X’ handle said; “The petition for the recall of the Senator representing the Kogi Central Senatorial District has not met the requirement of Section 69(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended)”.
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