African press review 5 October 2018

Kenya's opposition leader wins key support his proposed referendum on an inclusive government. And Nigeria's ruling party chieftains denounce attempts by national leaders hijack democratic process ahead of next year's elections.

We begin in Nigeria where no less than nine governors of the ruling All Progressives Congress, have been meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja since Wednesday behind closed doors.

Vanguard reports that the APC chieftains rushed to Abuja to protest alleged attempts by the party’s national leadership to undermine the stability of the party in their respective states.

According to the paper, the fuming governors, accused the National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, of undermining them by protecting some senators who the governors had prepared for the axe.

Punch says President Muhammadu Buhari is under pressure from his party's dignitaries to endorse his candidates to stand in primaries to select candidates for political offices by October 7.

Vanguard also reports from Port Harcourt where the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is set to hold its presidential primaries this weekend 132 days to the 2019 Presidential elections.

This Day wonders who is likely to fit in the Presidential as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar lead a field of aspirants vying to replace the incumbent Buhari.

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal was also expected to emerge at the end of the process as the party's flag-bearer according to the newspaper.

Sahara Reporters for its part holds, that despite all his presidential posturing, Senate President Bukola Saraki and his team understand that their chances are limited.

In Nigeria, the Tribune revisits the Aisha Buhari/ADC palaver as Nigerians wait to know how the country's First Lady came to the figures of up to five million euros of gifts intended for her ended up being diverted by her closest aide Police Superintendent Baba-Inna.

The paper reports relays claims by Premium Times which broke the story, that initial investigations conducted on Baba-Inna's house and bank accounts by the police found no traces of the money.

The Tribune however presses on, with what it calls very germane questions about Nigerian public officers and their attitude to power. 

If such a huge sum of money could pass through her ADC as alleged, it argues, then there must be a system at State House which facilitates access to slush funds running into billions of naira.

The newspaper criticizes the continued detention of the First Lady's ADC which it claims is in contravention of his fundamental human rights.

The Tribune also harps on the need for Mrs. Buhari to come clean about her charges against her ADC, how she found out about the gifts diverted and tell Nigerians about the officers who conducted these investigations and when.

In Kenya, a campaign by opposition leader Raila Odinga to get the country hold a referendum on constitution change is making ground, according to the Star.

The Nairobi-based newspaper reports that the drive which could lead to the creation of a larger parliamentary system received the backing of MP Moses Kuria on Thursday.

The Star says Raila has been looking for re-introduction of a Prime Minister's post which he wants reserved for him courtesy of the March 9 handshake with President Uhuru Kenyatta.

The publication says the Gatundu South lawmaker wants the referendum to be held as early as 2022.

And Times Live leads with a shocking story trending on social media about a caregiver from hell kicking a disabled child in the head.

The paper report that the shocking video was shot at a Johannesburg crèche.

In interactive comments posted of the newspaper's website, one of its readers claims that the caregiver was allegedly Black and the victim White, wondering why the affair has not been classified as a hate crime or a racist act.

Another imagines what would happen if the care giver was white and the child black.