News
Bwala: Atiku May Never Have Been Destined for Presidency
Presidential aide Daniel Bwala has suggested that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, his former principal, may not have been destined to become Nigeria’s president.
“There is my former principal who believes that he is going to win,” Bwala said on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Monday, dismissing the chances of Atiku and other opposition coalition leaders such as Peter Obi and Rotimi Amaechi to unseat President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
“In all honesty, I have expressed my opinion that it may never have been destined by God for him to be a president in Nigeria because he has done everything he needs to do to be president and he did not win the presidency.
“2023 was the biggest opportunity that my former principal Atiku Abubakar had. He will never have that kind of privilege again,” he said.
Interestingly, Bwala was an Atiku campaign spokesperson in the 2023 election but he switched loyalty to Tinubu months ago.
‘Opposition has no alternative policies’
The opposition leaders had come together last week to adopt the African Democratic Party (ADC) as the platform for its coalition to send Tinubu whom they said has taken the country backwards packing from the Aso Villa.
But Bwala dismissed any threat from them, saying that they have been unable to present alternative policies which can convince Nigerians to vote for them.
“What I still find intriguing is that this coalition of internally displaced politicians have not been able to summon the courage and come up with alternative facts, alternative policies or alternative programmes.
“Throughout the interview you had with Peter Obi, what I find is that he has not been able to counter or to disagree in the real sense of the word with the policies that we are implementing,” he said.
‘Coalition will scatter in six months’
Brushing off the threat of the opposition leaders to the Tinubu’s presidency further, Bwala said that the recently formed coalition will not last beyond six months.
He said that the struggle for who will be the flagbearer under the newly adopted ADC will balkanize the coalition and make things easier for Tinubu in 2027.
“All this fantasy of coalition, we all know that once there is a phenomenon like that we are going to have a good two to three weeks of all these romanticizing of ‘we have ideas, we can do this’.
“But one of them, his name is Datti (Baba-Ahmed) already sensed the danger that is ahead for them and he said that the problem of theis coalition will be who will be the president because right now, I’m quoting him, ‘everybody wants to be the president’.
“After one month when they sit down, I am telling you on my own honour, in the next six months, that coalition thing will not even be a conversation, they will scatter,” Bwala added.
News
Update: El-Rufai To Be In Custody Till June
Justice Darius Khobo of the Kaduna State High Court has adjourned the bail hearing of former Kaduna State governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, to the first week of June, 2026.
El-Rufai was arraigned last week on an amended nine-count charge bordering on alleged fraud and abuse of office, filed by the Independent Corupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
He appeared before the court last Tuesday for hearing of his bail application.
However, the presiding judge, Darius Khobo, adjourned ruling on the application to Tuesy April 21, 2026.
The former governor was, last week, granted bail by a Federal High Court in Kaduna in another corruption case instituted against him by the ICPC.
Justice Rilwanu Aikawa admitted El-Rufai to bail in the sum of N200 million.
The judge had ordered that El-Rufai remain in ICPC custody pending the fulfilment of the bail conditions.
As part of the conditions, the defendant was barred from making public comments on the case and must attend all court sittings.
However, speaking after the court session on Tuesday, counsel to the former governor, Ukpon Akpan, said the bail application had been adjourned.
He kicked against the lingering adjournment, saying it is politically motivated.
International News
5 Key Players Barca Will Let Go This Summer
Barcelona are set to let five key players leave the club this summer, as they plan a squad overhaul, according to reports.
The Blaugrana are currently sitting nine points clear at the top of LaLiga, and are set to romp to a second consecutive title ahead of rivals Real Madrid.
However, after more disappointment in the Champions League, in which they were dumped out by Atletico Madrid, Hansi Flick and the board at Barcelona are preparing to rebuild their squad at the end of the campaign.
Spanish media outlet Marca are reporting that there are five players who have ‘completed a cycle at the club’ and will likely be moved on come the summer.
Marcus Rashford is one of those players. Barcelona can buy the 28-year-old, who is on loan from Manchester United, for £26million under the terms of the deal, but reports have emerged that they are not willing to exercise that option.
The 28-year-old has contributed 12 goals and 13 assists this season to help the Catalan giants run rampant in LaLiga, and as recently as last week, it was believed that Barca would like to keep him.
However, they have made a failed bid to renegotiate the £26m fee with United, who are refusing to budge on the clause which expires on June 15 – four days after the World Cup kicks off in North America.
It means there is a strong chance that Rashford will be forced to return to his boyhood club following England duty if he is selected for the tournament this summer.
Another attacker who seems set for the exit door is none other than Robert Lewandowski.
The Pole, who joined Barcelona from Bayern Munich in 2022, is out of contract in the summer, and there has been little indication that he will sign a new deal at the club.
It is believed that both Lewandowski’s ‘age and recent physical problems’ have thrust his future at Barca into doubt.
Barcelona are said to be looking at freeing up some financial legroom, and for that reason, they want to offload stars on big wage packets.
One of those players is Frenkie de Jong, who is understood to be on just under €400,000 (£348,000) per week, and Marca suggest that he could be sold to ‘ease the financial burden’ on the Spanish giants.
Former Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen and La Masia graduate Marc Casado are also said to be on the proverbial chopping block.
Christensen played 161 games in six seasons with the Blues before making the move to Catalonia in 2022 on a four-year deal. That deal is now set to expire, and there are no plans for an extension at this moment in time.
Casado, however, still has two years left on his contract, but due to a lack of minutes, could be forced to find a new club.
The defensive midfielder has failed to break into the team ahead of Pedri, Eric Garcia, and Gavi, and has started only one of the last eight LaLiga games.
News
Genocide: Minister Accused Of Attempted Bribery By US Official
Kimberly Daniels, a United States Democratic member of the Florida House of Representatives for District 14, has alleged that Nigeria’s minister of state for defense, Bello Matawalle, attempted to bribe a US official to deflect the narrative of the United World Congress of Diplomats, UN-WCD, report.
The lawmaker made the claim in a viral video released on her official Facebook account on Monday.
She said Matawalle’s alleged move was to cover up the UN-WCD report on Christian genocide in Nigeria, which indicted him.
Daniels insisted that no amount of pressure can silence her stand against the killings of Christians in Nigeria.
“A US elected official was offered money by Nigeria’s minister of state defense, Bello Matawalle, to change the narrative of the UN-WCD Christian genocide in Nigeria report,” she said in the viral video.
Recall that Daniels, who doubled as the chairperson of UN-WCD, had called for President Bola Tinubu to remove Matawalle over alleged complicity in the killings in Plateau, Benue, Kaduna, and other parts of Nigeria.
Matawalle is yet to officially reply the US lawmaker.
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