Today’s Headlines: US Monitors January Election in Nigeria; Adeola Backs Tinubu’s Second Term

𝗨𝗦 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮’𝘀 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘆 – 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀

US officials have pledged to closely monitor Nigeria’s January presidential election, with a senior State Department official identifying the exercise as a potential trigger for violence amid the country’s security challenges.

The Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Frank Garcia, raised the concern in his prepared testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa during a congressional hearing on violence in Nigeria on Thursday.

Garcia said the forthcoming election was among the challenges confronting efforts to address insecurity in the country, warning that the exercise could heighten tensions and lead to violence.

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State for the 2027 general elections, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, has declared that President Bola Tinubu deserves a second term, citing what he described as the achievements of his administration in infrastructure, education and workers’ welfare.

Adeola made the declaration on Thursday at the IBD/INUMIDUN Squad for PDA/PBAT/YAYI and All Ogun State APC Candidates Rally in Abeokuta, where he urged Nigerians to support Tinubu’s re-election bid.

He said the President had demonstrated the courage and political will to take difficult decisions aimed at repositioning the country and laying a foundation for sustainable development.

𝐓𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐛𝐮 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐲𝐨 𝐤𝐢𝐝𝐧𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐬 — 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has declared his willingness to work with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar or former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi in a possible opposition alliance to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress in the 2027 presidential election.

Makinde disclosed that discussions among opposition figures were ongoing, saying he was actively involved in efforts to determine the most viable political arrangement ahead of the election.

Speaking in a Friday interview with ARISE News anchor, Ojy Okpe, the governor dismissed suggestions that he was merely open to an opposition alliance, revealing that consultations were already underway.

The abductors of a recent graduate of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Adedoja Hannah, and three other individuals have reportedly demanded a ransom of N500 million for their release.

The victims were allegedly kidnapped on Tuesday night when suspected gunmen invaded a farm along the Akintobi-Alabata axis of Abeokuta, Ogun State, where they were working.

The development was disclosed by the Students’ Union Government (SUG) of FUNAAB in a statement posted on its official Facebook platform on Thursday, expressing concern over the safety of the victims and appealing to members of the university community and the general public to remain calm.

According to the union, Hannah, a recent graduate of the Department of Agricultural Administration, was among the four people abducted during the incident.

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