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Atiku Abubakar , the former Vice President and PDP chieftain , has dropped a major bombshell that is shaking up Aso Rock . Forget all the small talk—this one is serious! He is sounding a powerful alarm, warning that Nigerian youth are rapidly losing hope in the future of Nigeria. The big question is: why are the leaders ignoring this silent crisis? The ' Japa ' Trend Is A Symptom Let’s be honest, everywhere you turn, young Nigerians are planning their escape. It’s the ‘Japa’ syndrome, and it has become the biggest dream of every graduate. According to Atiku, this mass exodus isn't just about adventure; it’s a direct vote of no confidence in the system. He says the feeling of "hopelessness" is now a heavy cloud over our energetic, smart young people. They are seeing zero light at the end of the tunnel, and that is a danger sign for the whole country! What Is Killing Their Hope? Two Main Reasons! Atiku didn't just complain; he pointed fingers at the two deadly ...

In what appears to be a major shake-up ahead of the 2027 general elections, Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, is reportedly on the verge of leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The move, confirmed by top APC figures on Friday, marks yet another high-profile defection that could alter the political dynamics in the South-East region. APC Confirms Mbah’s Defection Plan The APC National Chairman, Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, alongside the party’s Deputy National Chairman (South-East), Emma Eneukwu, officially disclosed the development during the swearing-in of the newly inaugurated Enugu State caretaker committee in Abuja. According to them, Mbah’s defection will be formalized at an event in Enugu next week, where the governor is expected to publicly announce his new political alignment. The caretaker committee, chaired by former APC state chairman Ben Nwoye, has already begun mobilizing members and coordinating logistics ahead of the ...

The Presidency has strongly criticized former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for expressing support for the planned protest led by human rights activist Omoyele Sowore over the continued detention of IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu . In a statement released on Thursday, Bayo Onanuga , the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, described Atiku’s position as “opportunistic and irresponsible,” especially coming from someone who once occupied a top position in the country. Atiku’s Comment Draws Presidency’s Fury Onanuga said it was disappointing that Atiku would openly endorse what he called a “mob action,” instead of respecting the rule of law. According to him, a true statesman should not encourage protests over judicial matters that are still pending in court. “I am surprised that ex-VP Atiku Abubakar, who is always opportunistic, has supported the planned mob action. As a statesman, he should know better that matters of justice are not resolved on the stree...

The political setting in Nigeria has once again been stirred following the appointment of Professor Joash Amupitan as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) . Prominent political commentator, Mahdi Shehu , has openly criticized the appointment, calling the process a “one-man show” and alleging that political loyalty, rather than competence, drove the nomination. Shehu’s scathing comments were shared on his X handle on Thursday, where he expressed disbelief at what he described as a “rubber-stamp confirmation” by the National Council of State . According to him, no member of the council would dare oppose the president’s choice, suggesting that the process was devoid of independent scrutiny. “This is not news at all. No member of the National Council of State will have the audacity, guts, temerity and liver to oppose the one-man-show nomination of the new INEC chairman,” Shehu tweeted. A “Trusted Tinubu Appointee” Shehu mockingly referred to Profe...

The United States is once again facing a government shutdown under President Donald Trump’s administration. But this time, political analysts say the stakes are higher — the tension deeper, the effects wider, and the motive more personal. According to a report by Livemint,the 2025 shutdown marks a turning point in America’s growing political divide. The disagreement stems from the federal budget dispute, border-security funding, and Trump’s insistence on cutting what he calls “government waste.” Unlike the 2018–2019 shutdown, which lasted 35 days and left over 800,000 federal workers without pay, this one comes with a stronger push from Trump’s allies in Congress. The president’s message is simple: reduce federal control, strengthen the executive arm, and force lawmakers to align with his fiscal agenda. Critics, however, see it differently. Democrats have accused the White House of holding ordinary Americans hostage in a political power play. They argue the shutdown has crippled key fe...

Nigerian cleric Primate Elijah Ayodele has stirred the political pot again. In a video shared on Facebook, he warned that some leaders are focusing on the wrong “opponents,” and they may be losing the game altogether. Ayodele started by calling out political figures who shy away from confronting real issues. > “Problems are there in your government, but you lack boldness to confront them. You fear people. The more you fear, the more power you concede,” he said. Then came the bombshell: > “You are not facing Jonathan. No, it is Atiku that you will face,” Ayodele declared, making it clear who he believes will be the real challenger in 2027. He didn’t stop there. He cautioned that giving influence to certain individuals is dangerous, saying, > “And the fool is, they are ready to stand by him, and you are giving them full power.” This revelation comes in a season when political contenders are lining up for the 2027 race. Ayodele, known for his prophetic statements, seems to be sen...

 Former President Goodluck Jonathan has been advised to abandon any plans of running against President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections. According to Abdulazeez “Jandor” Adediran, the 2023 Lagos PDP governorship candidate and founder of the Lagos4Lagos movement, Jonathan risks facing a humiliating defeat if he dares to contest. Jandor issued the warning during a recent media interview in Lagos, cautioning that those urging Jonathan to make a comeback were not being sincere. He explained that such a move would only tarnish the former president’s political legacy and reduce his reputation to ridicule. “People are saying Jonathan is the only person who can challenge Tinubu, but they forget Tinubu defeated him from the outside,” Jandor said. “Such a man cannot be put side by side with somebody who just slept and woke up and found himself in the seat of the president.” He further mentioned that Jonathan’s wife, Patience Jonathan, had previously advised her husband not to run ag...

  The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Organizing Secretary in Edo State, Ogbeide Ifaluyi-Isibor, has revealed that his party, alongside some independent individuals, conducted an investigation into the alleged $250 million investment deal supposedly secured by the state government in Scotland. Speaking in an interview with Arise News Television, Ifaluyi-Isibor disclosed that their findings showed the deal was fabricated. According to him, Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo and his aides merely went on a vacation to Scotland and later presented it as an investment mission to impress the people. "There was really no $250m investment deal, Governor (Monday Okpebholo) and his aides actually went to Scotland for a vacation. In an attempt to impress the Edo State people, they came up with the idea to make up something to look like we went to actually work." He further explained that, during their investigation, they contacted the number listed on the organization’s website, only to...

Former lawmaker and policy analyst Honourable Cletus Obun recently didn’t pull any punches in a video interview shared by Trust Television. He sharply criticised Nigeria’s leadership for a pattern of hypocrisy when it comes to economic management. According to him: “You expect the price of rice to be ₦30,000, then you go and sell it for ₦80,000 and still withdraw your children from school.” Obun used this comparison to expose what he sees as waste, mismanagement, and a lack of forward-planning in governance. What Obun Is Really Saying Priced cheap in theory, expensive in practice: Leaders talk big about affordable essentials like rice, but then allow or even encourage prices to be wildly inflated. Mismatched priorities: Despite higher prices for basic goods, leaders still treat public welfare like an afterthought even pulling kids out of school instead of investing or planning ahead. No reserves or safety nets: Obun argues that when revenues or resources are good, there’s...

A prominent chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olajide Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, has made a bold prediction about the 2027 presidential election. In a surprising statement, Jandor declared that the upcoming election will be a "walkover" for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). His comments are particularly noteworthy coming from a leading figure in the main opposition party, which is expected to mount a strong challenge against the incumbent. Speaking during a television interview, the former Lagos PDP gubernatorial candidate expressed his view that the current political landscape strongly favours the President for a second term. His assertion suggests a belief that the opposition may not have the structure or unity required to successfully unseat the ruling party in the next election cycle. The statement has already begun to cause a stir in political circles, with many questioning the motivations behind such a c...

Professor Udenta Udenta, a Political Affairs Analyst, has argued that the current devaluation of the Nigerian currency undermines the supposed increase in monthly revenue allocated to each state of the Federation. In an interview aired on TrustTV News on Wednesday, he stressed that what truly matters is not the amount of money received but the actual value of the funds disbursed by the Federal Government. He dismissed the much-publicized claim by President Bola Tinubu’s administration that state governors no longer struggle to pay workers’ salaries due to higher statutory allocations. Udenta pointed out that former Presidents Muhammadu Buhari, Goodluck Jonathan, and Olusegun Obasanjo also did not owe salaries during their respective tenures. "It is not how much money you collect that counts but the value of the money in your hand. Buhari didn't owe salaries, Jonathan didn't owe salaries, Obasanjo didn't owe salaries, go and check the records," he asserted. He furt...

Political Affairs Analyst, Prof. Udenta Udenta, has asserted that both former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, and former President, Goodluck Jonathan, have the capacity to secure a majority of votes from the South-South and South-East in the next presidential election. Speaking in an interview with TrustTV News on Wednesday, he explained that even if Jonathan does not contest, the South-South and South-East would predominantly rally behind Peter Obi’s candidacy. He said: "If Jonathan doesn't contest and Peter Obi contests for example, no matter the platform, especially if it is going to be the PDP, the South-South and South-East will heave in one direction. That means the magical unity of the South is completely gone. The Solidarity the APC is craving for will be lost." According to him, such a scenario would shatter the Southern solidarity that the APC is counting on, forcing President Bola Tinubu to rely heavily on his South-West base for the bulk of his support in t...

Nigerian economist, Professor Ken Ife, has come hard on the ongoing PENGASSAN strike, warning that reckless union actions could scare away vital investments and even hurt the same workers they claim to defend. Speaking on Channels Television on Monday, Prof Ife didn’t hold back. He recalled his experience in the UK during his PhD days in the early 1980s, when former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher clashed with coal miners. According to him, that crisis crippled the industry, just like America’s car manufacturing sector later shifted to China. “Those losses,” he said, “came from unions that refused to respect the law or embrace healthy industrial relations. They pretended to fight for workers, but in reality, they destroyed jobs.” “Dangote Can Find His Own Way” Turning to Nigeria’s present situation, Prof Ife warned that Dangote could easily bypass union disruptions. “Dangote may decide to use inland waterways to move fuel across the country. Are you going to stop him? He may even buil...

Iran finds itself in one of its toughest spots since the 1979 revolution. On one side, growing unrest among its own people. On the other, international isolation creeping back in after nuclear talks failed. Sanctions Return, Economic Pain Returns On Saturday, the United Nations reactivated sanctions on Iran after last-minute talks with Britain, France, and Germany collapsed. These sanctions hitting oil, banking, weapons, and uranium enrichment threaten to push Iran’s already fragile economy off a cliff. Inside official circles, there’s panic. A senior source told Reuters, “Our people cannot take more economic pressure or another war.” The regime fears public anger could spiral into chaos. Caught Between Pressure and Pride Accepting Western demands would betray decades of defying foreign pressure. But resisting might bring further collapse. As one insider put it, “The clerical establishment is trapped between a rock and a hard place.” Some warn the survival of the Islamic Republic itsel...

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has strongly condemned a directive from the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) to its members to halt all crude oil and gas supplies to the massive facility. In a powerful statement, the refinery's management described the union's order as a "criminal and reckless" act of economic sabotage. The company warned that if the directive is carried out, it would not only cripple the refinery's operations but also threaten Nigeria's supply of essential petroleum products like petrol, diesel, and aviation fuel, potentially plunging the nation into a severe fuel crisis. The conflict stems from an ongoing labour dispute between PENGASSAN and the refinery over the recent sacking of hundreds of workers. In response, the union ordered its branches in major oil and gas companies to immediately shut all supply valves to the Lekki-based plant. Dangote's management countered that the union has no legal ri...

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has begun actively engaging with key stakeholders in Niger State to strengthen preparedness and mitigation strategies for anticipated floods. The move is part of a national campaign to enhance resilience and response capabilities in high-risk areas. Zubaida Umar, the director-general of NEMA, stated that the agency is acting on seasonal climate predictions received from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), which indicate potential for significant flooding in the region. NEMA has announced a comprehensive plan to deploy teams directly to flood-prone communities across the state. These teams will work alongside State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) and local community volunteers to deliver early warning messages to people at the grassroots level, ensuring that even the most remote areas are informed and prepared. The agency has also made a strong call for collaboration, urgin...

Hollywood powerhouse Whoopi Goldberg has ignited a storm of reactions after suggesting that former US President Donald Trump be removed from office following his controversial United Nations address. What She Said on The View During a recent episode of The View, Goldberg didn’t mince words. She described Trump’s UN performance as “unhelpful” and “not presidential,” and went on to say she was “worried” about his capacity to lead. She even floated invoking the 25th Amendment a constitutional mechanism that allows for removal of a president deemed unfit to serve. She added: > “If Biden had behaved like this, I’d say ‘take him.’ This was not presidential.” Co-host Sunny Hostin joined in, calling parts of Trump’s UN speech “inflationary and misleading,” particularly around his claims on immigration and war.  The Speech That Started It All Trump’s UN speech was rocky from the start. A teleprompter failure forced him to improvise parts of his remarks — a moment he joked about mid-addre...

A Paris court on Thursday rocked global politics by handing former French President Nicolas Sarkozy a 5-year prison sentence, after finding him guilty of criminal conspiracy tied to allegations that Muammar Gaddafi helped bankroll his 2007 presidential campaign.  The Verdict & What It Means The judge didn’t send him off immediately, instead, prosecutors have one month to notify Sarkozy when he'll be taken into custody. Even if he lodges an appeal, the sentence still stands.  If this goes through, Sarkozy would become the first modern French president ever jailed. He was also slapped with a €100,000 fine (about $117,000) and barred from holding any public office ever again.  Other Accused & Their Sentences Alexandre Djouhri, accused of being the middleman, got 6 years and must go to prison immediately.  Claude Guéant, a close associate, got 6 years, but may not serve it due to health issues.  Brice Hortefeux, former minister, got 2 years, but he might s...

Vice President Kashim Shettima has made a powerful case for Nigeria to be granted a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, arguing that the institution must be reformed to reflect the world as it is today. Speaking at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the Vice President delivered a speech outlining several key steps required to strengthen global peace and development. At the top of his agenda was the urgent need for institutional reform at the UN, with Nigeria's inclusion in the Security Council as a central demand. Shettima stated that for the UN to maintain its relevance, it must acknowledge the significant global changes since its founding. He contrasted Nigeria's past as a colony of 20 million people with its present status as a sovereign nation of over 230 million, projected to be the third most populous country in the world. He positioned Nigeria as a stabilizing force in Africa and a consistent partner in global peacekee...

In a high-stakes courtroom in Florida, the jury delivered a swift and damning verdict. Ryan Routh, 59, was found guilty on all five federal charges, including attempted assassination of Donald Trump, assaulting a federal officer, and multiple firearms offenses.  The trial lasted two tense weeks but the jury only needed around two hours of deliberation to reach their decision.  The Shocking Moment: Self-Harm Attempt As the court read the verdict, chaos erupted. Routh suddenly grabbed a pen and tried to stab himself in the neck. Marshals immediately intervened, restraining and dragging him out of the courtroom.  The pen used was reportedly a flexible, safe type designed for use by detainees — it didn’t inflict serious injury.  The Backdrop: What Routh Did (And Tried to Do) In September 2024, Routh positioned himself near one of Trump’s golf courses, armed with a rifle, hiding in shrubbery, waiting for his target.  A Secret Service agent spotted him, fired shots, a...