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US President, Trump told to step down or be impeached

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President Donald Trump was told Friday to step down or face impeachment, as the top Democrat in Congress announced she had discussed with the military how to block the “unhinged” leader from the nation’s nuclear arsenal.

As his presidency imploded, Trump signalled a final, unrepentant display of division by announcing on Twitter that he will skip the inauguration of Joe Biden on January 20.

“To all of those who have asked, I will not be going,” he tweeted.

Biden responded this was “a good thing,” branding Trump an “embarrassment.”

However, Biden showed how wary he is of the growing rush to impeach Trump — and deepen the national political war — over his incitement of crowds who stormed Congress on Wednesday.

“That is a judgment for the Congress to make,” Biden said, adding that the “quickest” way to get Trump out was for him and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to take over in 12 days.

“I am focused now on us taking control as president and vice president on the 20th and to get our agenda moving as quickly as we can.”

Two days after Trump sent a mob of followers to march on Congress, his presidency is in freefall, with allies walking away and opponents sharpening their teeth.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned that Democrats will launch impeachment proceedings unless Trump resigns or Vice President Mike Pence invokes the 25th Amendment, where the cabinet removes the president.

“If the President does not leave office imminently and willingly, the Congress will proceed with our action,” Pelosi wrote.

In a jaw dropping moment, Pelosi revealed she had spoken Friday with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley about “preventing an unstable president from initiating military hostilities or accessing the launch codes and ordering a nuclear strike.”

“The situation of this unhinged President could not be more dangerous, and we must do everything that we can to protect the American people,” Pelosi wrote.

Democrats in the House of Representatives, who already impeached Trump in a traumatic, partisan vote in 2019, said the unprecedented second impeachment of a president could be ready next week.

“We can act very quickly when we want to,” Representative Katherine Clark told CNN.

Whether Republican leaders of the Senate would then agree to hold a lightning fast impeachment trial before the transition is another matter.

In the House, the senior Republican representative Kevin McCarthy said “impeaching the president with just 12 days left in his term will only divide our country more.”

Too little, too late

Trump, whose actions on Wednesday capped his relentless efforts to overturn Biden’s November 3 election win, finally conceded defeat on Thursday and appealed for calm.

“A new administration will be inaugurated on January 20. My focus now turns to ensuring a smooth, orderly and seamless transition of power,” Trump said in a short video.

However, the evidently reluctant concession, in which Trump failed to congratulate Biden or directly admit defeat, was too little, too late to calm outrage over his role in the Capitol invasion.

Five people died in the mayhem, including one woman who was shot dead and a Capitol Police officer. Flags over the Capitol were lowered to half-mast on Friday.

Senator Ben Sasse, one Republican who says he will “definitely consider” impeachment, recommended that Trump at minimum step back and let his vice president run the show in the dying days.

“I think the less the president does over the next 12 days the better,” he told NPR radio.

Government exit

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos became the second cabinet member to quit, after Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, telling Trump in a letter that such “behavior was unconscionable for our country.”

A string of lower level officials have also left. According to reports, the only reason the trickle hasn’t turned into a flood is the decision by senior figures to try and maintain stability during the transition to Biden.

Trump, however, appears to have lost the grip he once exercised on both the Republican party and his own staff as he rampaged through four years of one of the most turbulent presidencies in US history.

Speaking to CNN, retired Marine Corps general John Kelly, who served as Trump’s chief of staff for 18 months, said the cabinet should consider the 25th Amendment but believed the president had already been put into a box.

“He can give all the orders he wants but no one is going to break the law,” Kelly said.

Biden faces grim inauguration

Biden, who won seven million votes more than Trump, as well as a decisive majority in the vital state-by-state Electoral College, will be sworn in on the Capitol Steps under huge security.

Between drastic Covid-19 crowd restrictions, the absence of Trump, and a new “unscalable” fence around the congressional complex, there will be little of the ordinary inauguration vibe.

And Biden will immediately face extraordinary challenges, starting with his core campaign promise that he can “heal” the nation.

But at the same time, the crisis has sparked such revulsion in Congress on both sides of the aisle that Biden may come into office with an unexpectedly bipartisan tailwind.

Biden said Friday that more Republicans now saw Trump for what he was after he “ripped the Band-Aid all the way off.”

“I think it makes my job easier, quite frankly.”

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Relief as Rep ‘Lafi’ Empowers 300 Constituents Through Skill Acquisition Programme

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Over 300 constituents of Akinyele/Lagelu Federal Constituency in Oyo State benefitted from a skill acquisition and empowerment programme organized by their representative in the National Assembly, Hon. Akinmoyede Olafisoye.

The event, held at Faith Joe Event Centre, Alegongo, Akobo, Ibadan, aimed to address the challenges of unemployment and economic hardship by equipping participants with practical skills and financial support.

The programme focused on empowering youths, students, and unemployed graduates to become self-reliant. Each participant was provided with a certificate, a Point of Sale (POS) terminal, an umbrella, and ₦100,000 as a startup grant to kickstart their businesses.

The tools and financial aid were designed to enable beneficiaries to establish sustainable sources of income.

Participants received comprehensive training, gaining hands-on experience to ensure they could effectively utilize the tools provided. The POS machines were configured with the personal details of the recipients, ensuring proper use and discouraging unauthorized transfers.

Addressing the participants, Akinmoyede who is the Chairman House Committee on Nigeria/ Mexico Parliamentary Friendship enjoined the beneficiaries to explore the opportunity for their benefit by ensuring that they use the machines for the purpose it was meant for.

He added that all the machines have been configured with the documents of individual beneficiaries which will make it very difficult to transfer to another person.

In his goodwill message, the Oyo Central Senatorial chairman of APC, Hon. Joshua Oyebamiji said comparing what the lawmaker has been doing in the area of dishing out empowerment and palliatives to his constituents, it is difficult to tag him a first-timer at the national assembly.

While appreciating Akinmoyede for his gesture at the event, former APC Deputy State Chairman, Alhaji Isiaka Alimi, Hon. Fatai Awoyoola, and Hon. Akinbode Emmanuel said they were yet to discover the magic wand being used by the lawmaker for his constant and habitual empowerment programmes.

Some of the beneficiaries who spoke at the end of the training, Afolabi Kuburat, Akinropo Akindotun, Ajala Abisade Iyabo, and Grace Anuoluwapo Ayinde lauded the lawmaker for giving them the opportunity to be self-reliant at this time when Nigerians are facing economic hardship.

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Oyo: Olafisoye Facilitates Capacity-Building Training for 300 Constituents

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The House of Representatives member representing Akinyele/Lagelu federal constituency Oyo State, Hon. Prince Akinmoyede Olafisoye Wasiu has initiated another skill acquisition and capacity-building training for no fewer than 300 members of his constituency.

The initiative which is being organized in partnership with Federal Cooperative College, Ibadan is part of a strategic effort by the lawmaker to foster rural development of cooperative for their economic emancipation and break the shackles of poverty so as to alleviate the impact of the high cost of living among the people in Akinyele/Lagelu federal constituency he represents.

The training programme is coming up on Monday 18th November, 2024 at Faith Joe Event Centre hall. Alegongo, Ibadan by 8.00am.

A statement issued by the Special Assistant on Media to the lawmaker, Alimi Abdullahi stated that the capacity-building is designed to equip participants with essential entrepreneurial skills with a view to building sustainable livelihoods and improve the quality of lives of the people of Akinyele/Lagelu federal constituency.

All the participants for the training are expected to be at the venue by 8am so as not to miss any part of the training.

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#OndoDecides2024: Rep Oseni Hails Aiyedatiwa’s Victory, Commends Residents for Peaceful Polls

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The Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and lawmaker representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency of Oyo State, Engr. Aderemi Oseni has congratulated Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa on his victory in the recently concluded Ondo State gubernatorial election.

Aiyedatiwa, the incumbent governor of the Sunshine State, was declared the winner of the election on Sunday at 2:30 pm. He defeated his closest rival, Ajayi Agboola of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in a landslide victory.

In a statement issued on Sunday by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, Oseni described Aiyedatiwa’s triumph as a testament to his resilience, grassroots connection, and unwavering dedication to the development of Ondo State.

He praised the electorate for reaffirming their trust in visionary leadership.

“I extend my heartfelt congratulations to my dear brother, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, on this historic victory. Your emergence reflects the confidence and hope the people have in your ability to deliver purposeful and transformative leadership,” Oseni remarked.

The lawmaker commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, and other stakeholders for their pivotal roles in ensuring a transparent and credible election.

He also applauded the people of Ondo State for their active participation and peaceful conduct during the polls, which bolstered the election’s credibility.

Oseni expressed optimism that Aiyedatiwa’s administration will usher in renewed development, unity, and prosperity for the state.

“As you prepare to assume office, I urge all stakeholders and citizens of Ondo State to lend their support to your administration. Together, you can advance progress and strengthen the democratic foundations for a better Ondo State,” he stated.

 

He further expressed confidence that Aiyedatiwa’s second term will be characterized by impactful governance and innovative policies that will advance the state’s growth and enhance the welfare of its people.

 

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