Politics
US President, Trump told to step down or be impeached

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.”
Politics
We’re Not Leaving APC – Buhari Ally, Farouk Aliyu Declares

A prominent member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and close ally of former President Muhammadu Buhari, Farouk Aliyu, has rubbished speculations suggesting that the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) bloc is plotting to exit the ruling party.
Aliyu, a former Minority Leader of the House of Representatives and self-identified member of Buhari’s inner political circle clarified on Wednesday during an interview on Politics Today, a flagship programme on Channels Television.
“It’s not true; there is nothing like members of the defunct CPC wanting to move out of APC,” Aliyu asserted firmly. “Our certificate, the certificate of CPC, was part of what formed APC. So how can we leave? To go where? This is our party.”
The CPC was one of the major parties that merged in 2013 to form the APC, alongside the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), and a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). The merger paved the way for Buhari’s historic victory over then-President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.
Responding to recent reports surrounding former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s purported defection to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Aliyu distanced Buhari from any such endorsement. He cautioned El-Rufai against taking a wrecking-ball approach to the APC simply because he was overlooked for a ministerial position.
“If he didn’t get what he wanted, he shouldn’t bring down the roof,” Aliyu stated, adding that El-Rufai’s move does not represent the stance of Buhari or the CPC bloc.
He, however, advised the APC leadership to intensify engagement with all internal factions and legacy groups within the party to reduce political friction ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“Politics is about engagement. Politics is about the interests of groups, people, and so on,” he said. “That is what we are saying: engage more—not only with people from the defunct CPC but even from the PDP. So that in 2027, there will be less competition.”
The Jigawa-born political heavyweight also warned against complacency within the APC, particularly as opposition forces coalesce around former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
“We cannot just sit by and allow strange bedfellows to take over the government,” Aliyu cautioned, expressing confidence that the APC would present a unifying presidential candidate capable of fracturing the opposition alliance.
Politics
Makinde Hints at Presidential Ambition, Says Focus Remains on Oyo People

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has voiced confidence in his ability to lead Nigeria, stating he possesses the capacity to occupy the nation’s highest political office.
However, the two-term governor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) maintained that his current focus remains on delivering good governance to the people of Oyo State.
Makinde made this assertion during an appearance on Politics Today, a political programme on Channels Television, closely monitored by Mega Icon Magazine.
Reflecting on the 2027 general elections, Governor Makinde predicted a major political showdown, describing it as one between the Nigerian people and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), rather than a straightforward contest between the PDP and the APC.
“I don’t have any doubt that I have the capacity to occupy the highest office in this land and I have what it takes,” Makinde declared. “But what I want to do right now—is it what Nigerians are asking for? Is it what my party will say we should do? We don’t know; we still have a long time to go.”
In a moment of humility that reflected both personal conviction and political maturity, Makinde added, “Let me also say this: if my political journey ends here, I am also happy.”
His comments come amid a flurry of political realignments and coalition talks across opposition lines ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, PDP’s 2023 presidential candidate, recently spearheaded a coalition effort with key political figures including former Anambra governor Peter Obi and ex-Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai. The coalition, announced on 20 March 2025, aims to unseat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s APC-led administration, which faces mounting criticism over economic hardship, rising inflation, and soaring cost of living.
However, in a surprising twist, Makinde and fellow PDP governors rejected the Atiku-led coalition during a party meeting held on 14 April 2025. Speaking on the issue, Makinde insisted that while individuals may be free to explore alliances, the party must first set its house in order.
“Your house must be in order before you invite others,” he stressed, distancing the PDP from the idea of hurried mergers or coalitions.
Elder statesman and PDP Board of Trustees member, Chief Bode George, threw his weight behind the governors, arguing for a more strategic approach and advocating a southern presidential candidate to lead the party into the next general elections.
When asked directly whether he would contest the presidency in 2027, Makinde responded with characteristic clarity and resolve.
“Nobody will set an agenda for me. I will set an agenda for myself,” he said.
“People can say whatever they want to say. Right now, I am focusing on what the people of Oyo State have given to me—the task ahead of us. I am not distracted. I will not play stunt politics. I will not do things because it feels right in some people’s ears. No, I will stay focused to ensure we bring the dividends of democracy to our people.”
Makinde emphasised the importance of governance over grandstanding, highlighting ongoing infrastructural projects and policies aimed at securing the future of Oyo State citizens.
“If I want to contest, I will come out at the appropriate time,” he concluded. “One thing you should expect from Seyi Makinde is that he would never come out to say I want to do XYZ without preparations and without being held accountable for whatever he says he wants to do.”
Politics
Defiant Return: Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan Defies Ban, Receives Hero’s Welcome in Kogi

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan on Tuesday received an enthusiastic reception from supporters and residents of Ihima community in Kogi State, despite a state government ban on rallies and processions.
By 8 am, crowds from the five local government areas of Kogi Central Senatorial District, which Akpoti-Uduaghan represents, had flooded the Ihima community in Okehi Local Government Area (LGA) to welcome the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker.
Several local musicians entertained the gathering as they eagerly awaited the arrival of the senator. Their patience was soon rewarded when Akpoti-Uduaghan arrived in a white helicopter, prompting cheers and jubilant applause from her supporters.
Addressing the crowd, Akpoti-Uduaghan acknowledged the state government’s ban but dismissed concerns that it applied to her visit.
“Yesterday, we heard on the news that rallies and gatherings will not be allowed, that roads will be blocked, and convoys leading into the state will not be permitted. I knew that we were the targets. But then I said, this is not a political season, this is not campaign time,” she said.
“We are not having a rally. This is just me, the Senator representing Kogi Central, coming down to her people to celebrate this festive time – Sallah – with you, and there is nothing wrong with that. I am breaking no law. This is Nigeria. We have the right to be free, to express our choice in gatherings and celebrations.”
Her visit came just hours after the Kogi State Government imposed a ban on public gatherings and processions, citing security concerns. The restrictions were further reinforced by a curfew imposed in the area by Okehi LGA Chairman, Amoka Monday, and a police warning advising her to cancel the event.
Despite these measures, Akpoti-Uduaghan remained defiant, insisting that no authority could prevent her from visiting her home.
“Nobody and nothing can stop me from coming home. I’m an Ebira woman; this is my land. I’m the daughter of the late Jimoh Abdul Akpoti. I know my roots; I’m not a bastard, and I’m not afraid of anybody,” she declared to the cheering crowd.
Ahead of her homecoming, the senator alleged that any security breach during the event should be blamed on Kogi State Governor Usman Ododo, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.
Akpoti-Uduaghan has been in the headlines in recent months, having been suspended from the Senate for allegedly violating its rules. Her suspension coincided with a sexual harassment allegation against Senate President Akpabio. Additionally, a recall process against her is currently underway. However, she maintains that her political travails are the result of a witch hunt.
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