On Wednesday evening she had the task of announcing to Tanzanians that President John Magufuli had died and now Vice-President Samia Suluhu Hassan has taken his place as the country's head of state. First elected as Magufuli's running mate in 2015, she was re-elected last year along with him and, according to the constitution, she should serve out the rest of the five-year term in the top job. She becomes Africa's only current female national leader - the Ethiopian presidency is a largely ceremonial role - and joins a short list of women on the continent to have run their…

Leaders of Southern Nigeria and Middle-Belt, under the aegis of Nigerian Indigenous Nationalities Alliance for Self-Determination (NINAS), yesterday, set modalities to extricate their people from what they described as the “contraption called Nigeria.” At a world press conference at New Bodija, Ibadan, Oyo State, Chairman of NINAS, Banji Akintoye, and other leaders of the group, comprised of indigenous nations and people of southern and Middle-Belt of Nigeria, complained of injustice in the country and contradictions in the polity and 1999 Constitution. The press conference was organised at the expiration of a 90-day notice of grave constitutional grievances Issued by NINAS…

Ghana’s Supreme Court has upheld Nana Akufo-Addo’s victory in the December presidential election, dismissing allegations of irregularities. Opposition candidate, and former President John Mahama, had filed a petition asking the court to annul the results of the elections and order a rerun because of alleged irregularities. But the court ruled that Mr Akufo-Addo had obtained more than 50% (51.295%) of total valid votes and that the electoral commission’s corrections of the declared results did not significantly impact the outcome. According to the court, the declaration of the results was therefore legal and represented the will of the people. Mr Mahama’s…

Chad’s supreme court has cleared President Idris Deby, who has been in power for 30 years, to seek a sixth term in office in the 11 April presidential election. He faces nine other candidates who were qualified by the supreme court, including his main and historical rival, Saleh Kebzabo. The inclusion of Mr Kebzabo, who had on Monday withdrawn his candidacy, has raised questions. The opposition leader had cited the “obvious militarisation of the political climate” following the deadly attempt by security forces to arrest another opposition candidate, Yaya Dillo, at his home in the capital, N’Djamena. The 28 February…