BEIJING – In a major geopolitical shift, China has expressed support for U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to negotiate a peace deal with Russia to end the ongoing war in Ukraine. The announcement came during the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in South Africa on Thursday, where U.S. allies reaffirmed their backing of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Less than a month into his presidency, Trump has drastically altered U.S. policy on Ukraine, reversing a long-standing strategy to isolate Russia. His approach has included direct engagements with Russian President Vladimir Putin and high-level discussions between U.S. and Russian officials—moves that have largely…
Author: New Daily Prime
A three-man delegation from the World Bank has concluded a five-day visit to the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency (LASPPA) to evaluate the state’s electronic procurement system. The delegation, led by Procurement Specialist Akin Onimole, was following up on a previous visit by the Bank’s Regional Manager last year, during which the agency requested the World Bank’s support. Onimole, a former General Manager of LASPPA, expressed his admiration for the agency’s progress, particularly its implementation of the e-Government Procurement (e-GP) system. He commended LASPPA for its achievements, especially the live demonstration of the e-GP system by agency officials and the…
The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has urged Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, to call off Saturday’s local government elections, warning that the poll would be unconstitutional and invalid. In a statement issued on Thursday, Fagbemi emphasised that conducting the election would breach the Constitution, as the tenure of the allegedly sacked local government officials remains valid according to a recent Court of Appeal ruling. The judgement, delivered on February 10, 2025, restored the ousted chairmen, rendering any new election unnecessary and unlawful. The political crisis in Osun State, sparked by a…
Renowned constitutional lawyer and human rights advocate, Professor Mike Ozekhome (SAN), has called for fresh local government elections in Osun State to resolve the ongoing dispute that has sparked violence and political tension across the region. In a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja, Ozekhome described new elections as the only viable solution to avoid “needless orchestrated violence” and restore peace to the state. He emphasised that the Court of Appeal’s recent judgement did not reinstate the sacked local government officials, as widely misconstrued, but rather struck out the case brought by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). “I watched with…
The House of Representatives has set up an ad hoc committee to investigate the activities of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Nigeria, following allegations made by US Congressman Scot Perry that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is funding global terrorism, including Boko Haram. The investigation, spurred by a motion from Gombe lawmaker Inuwa Garba, aims to uncover the identities, sources of funding, and expenditures of NGOs operating in the country, particularly those in the North-East, which is the epicenter of terrorism in Nigeria. Garba expressed concern that if the allegations were true, they could undermine Nigeria’s fight against…
The UK needs to develop a pipeline of construction skills and knowledge After months of delivering confidence-sapping messages on the British economy, the Labour party has begun to change its tune. Last week, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer unveiled plans to build new towns across the country; part of a broader promise to construct 1.5mn homes within the current parliament. That followed announcements last month to revive the development of a third runway at Heathrow airport and the science-rich Oxford-Cambridge Arc. Forthcoming plans to cut red tape in the planning system could also unlock the government’s goals to decarbonise the…
Neither the US nor China is willing to assume the responsibility “The 1929 depression was so wide, so deep and so long because the international economic system was rendered unstable by British inability and United States unwillingness to assume responsibility for stabilising it.” Such was the economic historian Charles Kindleberger’s conclusion about why the Depression became an international catastrophe. The world economy, he argued, needs a hegemon: a leader willing to incur some cost and risk for the sake of the whole. “For the world economy to be stabilised,” he wrote, “there has to be a stabiliser, one stabiliser.”…
Former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida (retd.), has for the first time publicly acknowledged that the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola won the June 12, 1993 presidential election, but described its annulment as the “most difficult decision” of his life. Babangida made the revelation in his newly launched autobiography, A Journey in Service, unveiled in Abuja on Thursday, February 120. The book offers a deep dive into pivotal moments of Nigerian history, including controversial decisions during his time in power. While reviewing the book at the launch, former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo quoted Babangida as saying that Abiola, who…
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has officially withdrawn from the upcoming local government election scheduled for Saturday, February 22. The party’s decision follows a controversial Court of Appeal ruling earlier this month that reinstated its sacked chairmen and councillors. In a letter dated February 17, which was signed by the APC State Publicity Secretary, Alao Kamorudeen, and addressed to the Secretary of the State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC), the party announced its withdrawal from the electoral process, citing the implications of the February 10 judgment. The Court of Appeal’s ruling in Akure nullified a previous Federal High…
The Department for Combating Illegal Migration (DCIM) in Libya has successfully deported 48 Nigerian women and two children with support from Nigeria’s consular services and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The repatriation was carried out on Wednesday via Mitiga International Airport, ensuring the safe return of the migrants to Nigeria. This effort forms part of broader initiatives aimed at assisting Nigerian nationals who are facing hardships abroad, especially in conflict-affected areas like Libya. Migrant Rescue Watch confirmed the operation in a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter), stating: “DCIM repatriated from Tripoli with 🇳🇬 consular and 🇺🇳 IOM support…
