U.S. President Donald Trump has said he is willing to accept the results of the midterm elections, bringing a temporary end to questions about whether he would challenge the outcome following a difficult night for Republicans.

In an interview with The New York Times, Trump said he was prepared to respect the election results, declaring, “I am absolutely willing to accept those results.”

The president also congratulated Democrats on their electoral victories and expressed readiness to work with them in the interest of the country, despite earlier warnings that he would use his presidential powers to block legislation backed by the opposition.

“My message is congratulations to the Democrats, and I look forward to working with you for the good of our country,” Trump told CBS News late Tuesday.

However, he suggested that cooperation would depend on Democrats being willing to work with his administration.

“I think they’re gonna want to work with me,” he said, adding that he could otherwise use his veto power to block their legislative proposals.

Republicans suffered significant setbacks in key races across the country as Democrats recorded victories in several contests, marking a challenging outcome for Trump’s party in the midterm elections.

Reacting to the results, Trump blamed his absence from the ballot as one of the reasons Republicans underperformed, arguing that his presence would have improved the party’s chances.

“I feel that I wasn’t on the ballot, and there was nothing that could be done about that. If I was, we would have won,” he said.

He also suggested that dissatisfaction with some Republican candidates contributed to the losses, claiming that certain candidates lacked his support and failed to attract the party’s political base.

“In some cases, they didn’t like the candidates, and in some cases those candidates were not my friend, and the base knows that better than anybody. And they stayed back,” Trump added.

Despite his conciliatory remarks to CBS News, the president maintained a firm position on his administration’s legislative approach.

Speaking later with Fox News Channel, Trump again emphasised his intention to use the presidential veto to prevent the passage of Democratic-backed legislation.

A business. woman, identified as the President of the Ponmo Sellers’ Association in Ondo State, reportedly collapsed in court during her arraignment in Akure on Tuesday following her arrest over the alleged discovery of human faeces at her ponmo processing centre.

The incident comes days after the Chairman of Akure South Local Government Area, Hon. Gbenga Fasua, ordered the immediate closure of a popular ponmo supply store on Igboliki Street in Akure following an environmental sanitation inspection that reportedly uncovered two buckets containing human faeces on the premises.

The discovery was made during the October edition of the monthly environmental sanitation exercise conducted on Saturday, when Fasua led a monitoring team through Oke Aro, Iro and Igboliki streets to assess residents’ and businesses’ compliance with environmental sanitation regulations.

According to information from the inspection, the ponmo business had reportedly operated in the area for more than 21 years.

The operator, who was present during the inspection, reportedly identified herself as the President of the Ponmo Sellers’ Association in Ondo State.

Following the discovery, Fasua ordered the immediate closure of the premises and directed the disposal of all ponmo products at the shop.

He also ordered that the operator be prosecuted in accordance with applicable local and state environmental laws.

The businesswoman was subsequently arrested and brought before a court in Akure on Tuesday for arraignment.

She reportedly collapsed during the court proceedings.

The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu will secure a second term in 2027, insisting that his administration’s achievements will earn him another mandate.

Alausa, who was recently appointed Director of Education Sector Mobilisation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, also accused opposition parties of lacking clear policy alternatives for Nigerians.

He made the remarks while describing the opposition’s criticism of the Tinubu administration as driven by envy rather than constructive engagement.

“Whatever nonsense these people (opposition) are talking about is out of sheer envy. They can’t deliver, they have been tested, they have no clue of what to do for Nigerians,” Alausa said.

“This president is giving Nigerians tangible benefits. Let’s be objective, that is what we have said and I am very unapologetic about this, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will win his second term squarely based on his achievements.”

The minister argued that Tinubu had introduced changes across different sectors of the economy and deserved re-election based on his administration’s record.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has transformed every sector of this country and he deserves to be re-elected come January 16, 2027, based on his accomplishments,” he said.

Alausa urged Nigerians not to be swayed by opposition parties, accusing them of promoting division instead of presenting a clear programme for national development.

“And please, let’s not listen to the opposition parties, they don’t have any clear agenda for this country. They are just there to cause division amongst us,” he added.

Defending the administration’s record in education, Alausa cited its engagement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), saying the Federal Government had fulfilled its agreement with the union.

He also said the government was working to ensure that students completed four-year university programmes within the stipulated period.

The minister further pointed to the absence of an ASUU strike since Tinubu assumed office as evidence of improved relations between the Federal Government and university lecturers.