Political calculations for the 2027 race intensified as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar secured the presidential ticket of the African Democratic Congress in Abuja. Delegates at the Transcorp Hilton Congress Hall handed Atiku a commanding victory over Rotimi Amaechi and Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, in a contest party leaders framed as a test of opposition unity.
Official figures announced at the convention showed Atiku polling more than three times the votes of his closest rival. Receiving the party flag from the leadership, he appealed to defeated aspirants and estranged members to “close ranks” and join what he described as a broader national rescue mission. He insisted there were “no winners and no losers,” promising to work with stakeholders to strengthen the ADC ahead of the general election.
On the security front, new disclosures from Washington shed light on a Trump-era directive that reportedly reshaped US engagement against ISIS-linked militants in Nigeria and the wider Lake Chad Basin. Former US official Pete Hegseth said the instruction from then President Donald Trump specifically prioritised the protection of Nigerian Christians targeted by extremist groups.
According to Hegseth, the order unlocked additional intelligence assets and military coordination, culminating in a joint US-Nigerian operation that killed ISIS’s number two figure in Nigeria, identified as Abu-Bilal al-Minuki. He claimed the commander had been central to attacks on Christian communities and plots with potential implications for US interests, adding that follow-up strikes were carried out on associated cells.
In Abia State, governance and symbolism intersected as Governor Alex Otti inaugurated the Umuahia Central Bus Terminal and named it after Prof Nnenna Nnannaya-Oti, the academic who served as returning officer in the 2023 governorship election. Otti praised her “unflinching integrity” under pressure, saying the gesture honoured all officials and citizens who resisted electoral manipulation. He outlined plans to expand transport infrastructure, including electric buses and upgraded urban mobility systems.
Children’s Day commemorations were overshadowed by anxiety over the fate of at least 82 pupils and teachers abducted in recent attacks in Oyo and Borno states. Armed groups raided schools in Askira Uba and Chibok areas of Borno, as well as multiple institutions in Oyo, seizing dozens of children. President Bola Tinubu acknowledged that many youngsters who should be celebrating with their families were instead in captivity, assuring them they were “not forgotten” and directing security agencies to intensify intelligence-led rescue efforts and reinforce school protection.
In the United Kingdom, the Nigerian community in Swansea, Wales, is mourning the sudden death of Kayode Ogunbodede, known as Kay, who reportedly died in his sleep. Friends say the father of two had been a stabilising presence for new migrants, and community groups are rallying to support his student wife and their young daughters with funeral costs and long-term welfare.
