President Bola Tinubu has penned a birthday tribute to former President Muhammadu Buhari, vowing to continue to build on the latter’s legacy.

Mr Buhari clocked 82 on Tuesday.

“Dear President Muhammadu Buhari. On behalf of the government and people of Nigeria, I extend my warmest congratulations and best wishes to you on your 82nd Birthday.

“As you celebrate this remarkable milestone in Daura, we reflect on your years of dedicated service and leadership, which have significantly shaped the course of our nation.

“Your steadfast commitment to Nigeria’s advancement and unity inspires many, and your enduring legacy continues to guide our nation’s journey towards prosperity and stability,” wrote Mr Tinubu.

He lauded Buhari for his doggedness and resilience in contesting presidential elections in 2003, 2007, and 2011 before winning them in 2015 and 2019 also inspiring “us never to give up.”

Mr Tinubu added, “I will continue to build on the infrastructure legacy you bequeathed to our nation as the leader of our country’s first All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.

“On this special day, may you be surrounded by the love of your family and friends and continue to enjoy good health, happiness, and fulfilment in all your endeavours, now and in the future.

“Happy Birthday, and thank you for your services to Nigeria.”

President-elect Donald Trump has received adequate electoral votes to officially become the 47th president of the United States.

Mr Trump reached a major milestone after Texas’ electors awarded him the state’s 40 electoral votes at their meeting in Austin on Tuesday.

The electors’ decisions in Austin formalised Mr Trump’s victory in the November 5 presidential election which saw him crush her rival Vice-President Kamala Harris.

It takes 270 of the 538 electoral votes to be elected a U.S. president.

Mr Trump won 312 in November’s election. Ms Harris got 226 votes.

So far, every elector has voted for the candidate they were elected to represent.

It is now expected that each state’s votes be sent to Congress on January 6 for a joint session of lawmakers to officially tally the electoral votes and declare Mr Trump the next U.S. president.

Mr Trump will be inaugurated on January 20, 2025.

The electoral college was established in the U.S. Constitution, in part, as a compromise between the election of the president by a vote in Congress and the election of the president by a popular vote of qualified citizens.

This year’s electoral college meeting in Austin was less dramatic than it was in 2020 because Mr Trump won the election. Mr Trump was cantankerous when he lost his previous bid for reelection.

Ms Harris said she had accepted the results in good faith.

The process was also seamless as a result of the Electoral Count Reform Act, a bipartisan law passed in 2022, clarifying how exactly the process should work and making it harder to dispute the results.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is concluding his four-day trip to Africa with a visit to Lesotho on Saturday.

Steinmeier’s visit is the first by a German president to the small mountainous country, which is situated within South Africa.

The trip follows an invitation from King Letsie III, extended during a visit to Berlin last year.

Steinmeier’s visit to Lesotho comes off the back of discussions in South Africa with President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday.

Since gaining independence from the United Kingdom in 1966, Lesotho has suffered from political instability.

Justice, public services, and security agencies suffer from corruption and abuses of power, with crucial reforms systematically undermined by political elites, analysts say.

Many villages remain accessible only on foot or by horse.

The country heavily relies on its large neighbour South Africa and due to limited employment opportunities, many inhabitants have sought work in South Africa for decades, particularly in mining.

Lesotho’s economy primarily depends on agriculture and the export of textiles, diamonds, and water.

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Shamseldeen Babatunde Ogunjimi as the Acting Accountant General of the Federation (AGF).

Ogunjimi’s appointment comes after the pre-retirement leave of the incumbent AGF, Oluwatoyin Sakirat Madein.

The appointment was disclosed in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, on Tuesday, December 10.

The statement partly reads: “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Mr Shamseldeen Babatunde Ogunjimi as the Acting Accountant General of the Federation (AGF).

“His appointment is effective immediately following the pre-retirement leave of the incumbent AGF, Dr. (Mrs.) Oluwatoyin Sakirat Madein.

“In announcing Madein’s successor, President Tinubu ensures a seamless transition in the administration of Nigeria’s treasury and consolidates the implementation of the present administration’s treasury policy reforms.

“As a career civil servant and the most senior director in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), Mr Ogunjimi brings over 30 years of extensive experience in financial management across the public and private sectors.

“He has held significant positions, including Director of Funds at the OAGF and Director of Finance and Accounts at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”

Nigeria’s former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, has congratulated Ghana’s President-elect, John Mahama, on his election triumph shortly after his major challenger, who also doubles as Ghana’s Vice President, Mahamudu Bawumia, called to concede defeat.

“Your Excellency, Mr. President-elect John Mahama, @JDMahama. My warmest congratulations on your victory,” Mr Abubakar posted on X Sunday morning. “I was told you were on your way to church and thought I could catch up with you before you entered the church for the Sunday service. Once again, kindly accept my hearty congratulations on your landslide victory. – AA”

President Bola Tinubu also congratulated Mr Mahama on his electoral victory.

According to a statement by Bayo Onanuga, the president’s spokesperson, on Sunday write, “In a telephone call to Mahama, President Tinubu hoped that Mahama’s ascension to power for the second time would further bring stability to the Economic Community of West African States, of which President Tinubu is the chairman.

Congratulations have continued to pour in from all parts of the world after Mr Bawumia accepted the loss, even though the Electoral Commission of Ghana has yet to announce the official result.

Mr Bawumia, 61, said internal collation indicated that Mr Mahama won the polls in a victory similar to that of the U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who defeated Vice President Kamala Harris at the November 5 polls.

“Let me say that the data from our own internal collation of the election results indicate that former President John Dramani Mahama has won the presidential election decisively,” Mr Bawumia said in his concession statement Sunday morning.

“The NDC (National Democratic Congress) has also won the parliamentary election. Even though we await final collation of a number of seats, I believe ultimately these will not change the outcome.”

Ghanaians believe that incumbent President Nana Akufo-Addo’s eight-year term beset by economic crisis set his veep on a path to landslide loss as they were less likely to vote for a party that landed the nation in an economic mess compounded by soaring inflation and a high unemployment rate.

Citizens have blamed Mr Akufo-Addo for the economic crisis bedevilling Ghana, bemoaning prices of goods and services, particularly food, which have since doubled under his watch.

Mr Bawumia, who enjoyed the president’s blessing to become president, was beaten at the polls as Ghanaians believe he was also partly to blame for the nation’s economic woes given his party, New Patriotic Party (NPP), was the one in power.

Mr Mahama, 66, who lost his re-election bid to President Akufo-Addo in 2016, will again be sworn in to lead the West African nation in January.

President Tinubu has arrived in Cape Town, South Africa, to participate in the 11th session of the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission (BNC).

He was welcomed by South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Roland Lamola, and Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu.

US President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday named Lebanese-American businessman, Massad Boulos, as his senior advisor on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs.

“I am proud to announce that Massad Boulos will serve as Senior Advisor to the President on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs,” Trump posted on Truth Social of the appointment, which puts his daughter Tiffany’s father-in-law in a major White House position.

Boulos was a key emissary for the Trump campaign, helping to mobilize Arab American and Muslim voters, many of whom were angry over President Joe Biden’s steadfast support for Israel in the Gaza war even as the civilian death toll rose into the tens of thousands.

The businessman will take over a difficult portfolio, with Israel’s war still raging in Gaza, a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon seeing early violations, and rebel forces in Syria making advances against the government of Bashar al-Assad.

Boulos’s son, Michael, is married to Trump’s daughter Tiffany. He is the latest family member to be appointed to a key position.

On Saturday, Trump named real estate executive Charles Kushner — the father of his son-in-law Jared — as his pick to be the US ambassador to France, the latest case of Trump eschewing experience or expertise as the criterion for joining his team.

“Massad is an accomplished lawyer and a highly respected leader in the business world, with extensive experience on the International scene,” said Trump of his appointment to the Middle East advisor job.

“He has been a longtime proponent of Republican and Conservative values, an asset to my Campaign, and was instrumental in building tremendous new coalitions with the Arab American Community.”

The Republican referred to Boulos as “a dealmaker.”

Boulos was a key emissary for the Trump campaign, helping to mobilize Arab American and Muslim voters, many of whom were angry over President Joe Biden’s steadfast support for Israel in the Gaza war even as the civilian death toll rose into the tens of thousands.

The businessman will take over a difficult portfolio, with Israel’s war still raging in Gaza, a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon seeing early violations, and rebel forces in Syria making advances against the government of Bashar al-Assad.

Boulos’s son, Michael, is married to Trump’s daughter Tiffany.

On Saturday, Trump named real estate executive Charles Kushner — the father of his son-in-law Jared — as his pick to be the US ambassador to France, the latest case of Trump eschewing experience or expertise as the criterion for joining his team.

“Massad is an accomplished lawyer and a highly respected leader in the business world, with extensive experience on the International scene,” said Trump of his appointment to the Middle East advisor job.

On Wednesday in Abuja, the House of Representatives Committee on Defence began screening the acting chief of army staff, Olufemi Oluyede, for confirmation.

The committee chairman, Benson Babajimi (APC-Lagos), said the screening was a constitutional mandate of the house.

He said that proactive approaches to national security must be prioritised to address insecurity in the country.

Mr Babajimi said that Nigeria continues to grapple with an evolving spectrum of security challenges, ranging from insurgency and banditry to communal clashes and cyber threats.

The lawmaker said that for over a decade, the Armed Forces of Nigeria have been at the forefront of responding to these challenges, launching numerous operations and providing vital support to internal security efforts.

“While we commend the significant successes recorded in recent years, it is clear that more work remains to be done to achieve sustainable peace across all regions of the country.

The chairman said the task before the committee is to assess the qualifications and vision of the chief of army staff nominee and establish a collaborative roadmap for tackling Nigeria’s security challenges.

Mr Babajimi said as a partner in the pursuit of a secure and prosperous Nigeria, the house remained steadfast in its commitment to legislative oversight and support for the armed forces.

The chairman said the committee will ask questions reflecting the concerns of constituents and the nation. He urged the nominee to provide comprehensive and candid responses to guide deliberations, saying the new role is pivotal in Nigeria’s journey toward lasting peace and stability.

Responding, Mr Oluyede pledged to bring peace to the country if confirmed as a substantive chief of army staff. He said the security environment in the country today required a united effort on the part of every Nigerian.

He called for strong bilateral and multilateral alliances with neighbouring countries, deep collaboration, and joint efforts by the services and other security agencies.

Mr Oluyede said that the security environment required a united effort on the part of every Nigerian.

He said there is a need for strong bilateral and multilateral alliances between Nigeria and her neighbours and deep collaboration among services and other security agencies.

On Wednesday, former Governor Yahaya Bello pleaded not guilty to a 16-count fraud charge brought against him by the EFCC.

Mr Bello denied the allegation of fraud before Justice Maryann Anenih at the FCT High Court.

Mr Bello’s defence counsel, Joseph Daudu, moved an application for bail for ex-Kogi governor, but the counsel to the anti-graft agency, Kemi Pinheiro, opposed it, saying that it had already expired since October.

Mr Daudu said, “It is within his rights to enjoy his liberty while preparing for trial.”

The defence counsel said Mr Bello’s bail application was filed on November 22 and was also supported with a written address, adding that “Exhibit A, which is the public summons, is very vital and the appearance of the defendant in Court today, shows he has respect for the law.”

Mr Dauda added, “The prosecution’s objection is based on the fact that he is facing charges at the Federal High Court and has refused to appear to take his plea. The court should not use issues from another court to determine issues before the FCT High Court.”

The defence counsel also objected to the EFCC’s move for the immediate commencement of trial and calling of its first witness because they were served with the charge around 11:00 p.m. on Tuesday and that he would need time to prepare his client.

He also explained that “when the jurisdiction of the court is challenged, the defendant need not to appear until the issues arising from the jurisdiction are resolved.”

G7 foreign ministers are meeting, on Monday, near Rome for two days of talks with regional counterparts in the Middle East, before turning to Russia and the war in Ukraine.

The Group of Seven ministers will also discuss the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas’s military chief, “and the possible effects on the current crises in Lebanon and Gaza”, Italy’s foreign ministry said.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will attend the talks in Fiuggi and Anagni alongside ministers from fellow G7 nations Britain, Canada, Germany, France and Japan, hosted by Italy’s Antonio Tajani.

The first session on Monday afternoon will be dedicated to the situation in the Middle East and the Red Sea, notably efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon.

One session will include ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, as well as the secretary general of the Arab League, Rome said.

“We have asked for the presence of partners in the region to foster dialogue with the members of the G7,” Tajani said in a statement.

“Only together can we find concrete solutions that can bring peace and stability to the region.”

On the second day of talks on Tuesday, the discussion will turn to Ukraine in the presence of the war-torn country’s foreign minister, Andriy Sybiga.

Officials will discuss ways to continue supporting Kyiv, prospects for peace and initiatives for future reconstruction, Rome said.

The same day in Brussels, ambassadors from NATO countries and Ukraine will hold talks over Russia’s firing of an experimental hypersonic intermediate-range missile.

Tensions in the Asia-Pacific are also on the agenda at the G7 meeting, and the Italians have invited foreign ministers from South Korea, India, Indonesia and the Philippines.

The G7 ministers are also expected to discuss the ongoing crises in Haiti and Sudan, as well as the political situation in Venezuela.

The ICC issued warrants against Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant as well as Hamas’ Mohammed Deif on Thursday in response to accusations of crimes against humanity and war crimes in Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza, triggered by the militant Palestinian group’s October 7, 2023, attack.

Israel and its allies denounced the decision, but it was welcomed by Turkey and rights groups.

Several countries have said they would comply with the ICC warrants and arrest Netanyahu should he enter their soil, while other nations were still considering their response to the decision.

The Labour Party, LP, has debunked reports making the rounds in the social media that the party leadership is partnering with President Bola Tinubu ahead of 2027 elections.

The reports followed a video in which an activist, Deji Adeyanju, claimed that the LP has entered a partnership with Tinubu ahead of the next presidential poll.

The National Publicity Secretary of Labour Party, Mr Obiora Ifoh, dismissed the claims in a statement on Friday.

Ifoh said the party has on several occasions spiritedly debunked allegations that it has an understanding with the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, to collaborate ahead of the 2027 general election.

“As a matter of fact, the Labour Party is the most visible opposition party as at today and our National Chairman, Barrister Abure is the leading voice in the opposition camp, and has been most critical of the present government.

‘”After the 2023 general election, it continued to interrogate the system’s failure and has been very visible playing the role of the opposition, continuously critiquing the policies, proffering solutions and advising the government.

“Recently, the party under the able leadership of Mr Julius Abure came up with series of programmes, including the creation of the Electoral Reform Committee.

“Where we hope to enthrone a credible, fair and transparent processes, leading to the selection of leadership in the country, Labour Party being a major victim in the 2023 general election,” he stated.

According to Ifoh, the party had created a Political Education Committee for reorienting citizens on the need to have positive attitudinal and behavioral changes towards their understanding of politics in Nigeria.

He added that the party had become the first party in Nigeria attempting to deepen participatory democracy by the introduction of e-membership registration with thousands of people already subscribing.

”All these efforts to reposition the party, for someone to be demarketing such a party in such an unguarded and callous manner, is most ridiculous and unfortunate.

“We are therefore challenging Deji Adeyanju and any other person to come up with facts and proofs that either the party leadership or Mr. Abure intends to work for President Bola Tinubu or his party, the APC in the 2027,” he stated.

The Senate on Thursday passed a bill that seeks to empower the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation, and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to monitor accruals to, and disbursements from, the Federation Account.

The Senate passed the bill following its consideration and adoption of the report by its Committees on National Planning and Economic Affairs, Finance, and Appropriations during plenary.

The proposed legislation, according to the chairman of Senate Joint Committees on National Planning and Economic Affairs, Finance and Appropriations, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, seeks to repeal the RMAFC Act, 2004, and replace it with the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation, and Fiscal Commission Bill, 2024.

The proposed law, he said, revised the composition and operational framework of the Commission to ensure that federal, state, and local governments receive the constitutionally mandated resources necessary to address governance and development challenges.

To enhance the Commission’s efficiency, he said the bill proposed additional funding, allowing RMAFC to effectively discharge its constitutional responsibilities.

Abdullahi emphasised the importance of the amendment of the Bill amid dwindling national revenues and Nigeria’s rapidly growing populati

He stated that the Act, last updated over two decades ago, no longer reflects the nation’s evolving economic realities.

According to him, the primary objective of the bill is to reinforce the mandate and powers of the RMAFC as the constitutionally recognised body responsible for monitoring revenue generation and ensuring its equitable disbursement among the three tiers of government.

He noted that the Bill prescribes a revamped structure and operational method for the Commission, ensuring that federal, state, and local governments are adequately resourced to meet governance and developmental challenges.

“In the conduct of this onerous task the Commission requires adequate funding from the Federation Account, the lack of which has hitherto hampered the effective performance of its Constitutional responsibilities,” he said.

Senators approved the amendments to the Bill when the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, put the recommendations in the report to voice vote.

The Independent National Electoral Commission has presented certificates of return to Ondo State Governor-elect, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, and his deputy, Adelami Olayide.

The certificates were handed over in Abuja on Wednesday by the Supervisory National Commissioner for Ondo State, Prof. Kunle Ajayi.

This comes four days after INEC declared Aiyedatiwa the winner of the governorship election held on Saturday.

Representing the All Progressives Congress, Aiyedatiwa defeated Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party and 15 other candidates.

He won across all 18 local government areas of the state, polling 366,781 votes against Ajayi’s 117,845.

Days after the Court of Appeal in Abuja nullified his presidency, Musiliu ‘MC Oluomo’ Akinsanya assumed office as the National President of the National Union of Road Transport Workers on Tuesday.

This marks the first time MC Oluomo has publicly announced assuming office since the appellate court’s decision to reaffirm Ibikunle Baruwa as the legitimate NURTW president.

MC Oluomo, who was elected unopposed during an election at the union’s zonal secretariat in Osogbo, had his presidency nullified by a three-member appellate panel. The panel, comprising Justices Hamma Akawu Barka, Nnamdi Okwy Dimgba, and Asmau Ojuolape Akanbi, upheld the National Industrial Court’s earlier ruling of 11 March, which recognised Baruwa as the rightful president.

The court also awarded N100,000 in costs against MC Oluomo, in favour of the respondents. Following the ruling, human rights lawyer Femi Falana called on the federal government to ensure the immediate reinstatement of Mr Baruwa. Falana urged the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, and the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to enforce Baruwa’s leadership.

President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday forwarded the names of three Resident Electoral Commissioners to the Senate for approval.

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio made this known during the Tuesday plenary.

The House subsequently referred the request to the committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to report back as soon as possible.

Barely two weeks ago, the president nominated a lawyer, Saseyi Feyijimi Ibiyemi, as REC for Ondo State.

President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has said he’s 100 percent loyal to the President.

Bwala said he is loyal to Tinubu like he was to the 2023 Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

He spoke while featuring on Channels TV programme, Politics Today.

“I’m 100 percent loyal to the president, when I was with Atiku I was 100 percent loyal,” he said.

Bwala, a former member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), served as the party’s campaign spokesman in the 2023 presidential election.

He ditched the PDP after the presidential election and returned to the All Progressives Congress.

The Southwest Zonal Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Olalekan Folorunsho, aka Lekan Salami, has declared that the embattled National President of the Union, Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, is no longer a member.

Salami maintained that MC Oluomo is not ineligible to hold any position within NURTW.

In a statement, Salami explained that MC Oluomo ceased to be a member of the NURTW in 2022 after he openly tore his Union identity card.

MC Oluomo had disclosed his exit from the Union after he was issued a query from the national leadership.

“Our Constitution stipulates that a returning member must submit a formal application to the National leadership, which will be considered.

“If accepted, the member must spend at least two years before being eligible to seek any office, starting from the unit chairman level. None of these steps have been followed by MC Oluomo,” Salami said.

Salami also reaffirmed the leadership of Baruwa, stressing that his tenure was valid and has been upheld by the Appeal Court.

“The NURTW in Osun State remains under the leadership of Alhaji Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa. The government must not condone gangsterism, and MC Oluomo should be called to order,” he added.

The Independent National Electoral Commission will officially present certificates of return to Ondo State Governor-elect Lucky Aiyedatiwa and his deputy on Wednesday.

The certificates will be issued at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

Rotimi Oyekanmi, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, confirmed this on Monday.

He said, “The certificates of return will be presented by the commission to the governor-elect and his deputy on Wednesday.”

The electoral commission declared Aiyedatiwa the winner after he secured a total of 366,781 votes, defeating the PDP’s Agboola Ajayi, who garnered 117,845 votes.

The Labour Party, LP, gubernatorial candidate in the ongoing Ondo state governorship, Festus Olorunfemi has cast his vote in the exercise.

Olorunfemi cast his ballot at his polling unit in Unit 8, Ward 5, Ajowa-Akoko, Akoko North West LGA.

DAILY POST reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Friday, at the eleventh hour to the election included Olorunfemi’s name in the governorship election following a court verdict that asked for the replacement of Olusola Ebiseni.

An alleged vote-buyer in the ongoing Ondo State governorship election has been arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS.

The alleged vote-buyer was apprehended with two bags of money believed to be aimed at inducing voters.

He was arrested at Ward 4, Polling Unit 007 outside St. Stephen’s Primary School, Akure, Ondo State, around 9:00 am on election day.

Meanwhile, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has casted his vote at Polling Unit 6, Ward 4 in Obenla, Ilaje LGA.

Aiyedatiwa is contesting to retain the governorship seat in the off-cycle election against 16 other candidates from different political parties, including Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).