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Obi and Ahmed ticket rekindles hope and freedom from chains of captivity

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Peter Gregory Obi and Datti Yusuf Baba-Ahmed joint ticket has all the required capacity to unlock the chains of captivity Nigerians have been caged in by selfish politicians in a corrupt riddled economy for so long and to liberate them. With the opportunity the Labour Party has given Nigerians in the duo’s joint ticket – if one goes to north, east west and south one will understand that – hope has been awoken in the hopelessness of the nation.

Nigerians are very conscious of this opportunity especially the youths who do not want the golden chance to slip away have shown enough willingness for self-emancipation. They have grabbed the project with every sense of sincerity, power, enthusiasm, passion and commitment. Their campaign has been very consistent and emphatically clear, they want good and qualitative leaders, and in Obi and Baba-Ahmed they have scrutinized and found what they seem to have been searching for in leaders. The ovations from every part of Nigeria that welcomed Baba-Ahmed as the running mate of Peter Obi were very huge, massively impressively, pleasantly joyous and extremely intimidating.

I have said this severally that ordinary Nigerians have no problem with one another, as long as one is doing what is good, right and legitimate they embrace that person irrespective of the person’s religion or where she or he comes from. The problem has always been the policy makers – the politicians – who are supposed to be pacesetters, but always play the card of ethnicity and religion to divide us for their selfish interests. This bunch has held us in captivity for too long and Nigerian youths are in unison this time to say enough is enough.

While these politicians have always found ways to settle their differences, swum together in corruption and stuck with one another in their exploitation of the masses, we the ordinary Nigerians they exploit have not found a way to say no to their manipulation. Instead they use us and make us to fight each other while they share our collective wealth, and even sometimes they make us kill ourselves in defending them and their evil. The only time we summoned courage, did what was right and came together like them was the time of the #EndSARS protest, and we saw how scared and trembled they were. But again they had the upper hand as they forgot their political and religious differences and came together, planned their evil attack and brutally descended on us militarily and mercilessly. We will never forget this and it is pay back time. With our experience and the elders joining our OBIDIENT and YUSUFUL movement now we are currently more resolute and extra formidable to take back our country and they cannot defeat us again – we are better equipped now and armed than them. Our Permanent Voters Card (PVC) is our AK47 and we are going to “shoot at sight” any recognized destiny destroyer since 1983 who wants to become a governor or a lawmaker etc. We will show no mercy in this mission.

Nigeria is a hijacked country that is at the verge of collapse. In security, terrorists are firmly in control of some parts of the country with the advancement to capture more places. They collect taxes in areas they invaded and occupied with citizens gnashing their teeth in agony, helplessness and disheartenment. In the judiciary, people grief that justice could elude the innocent or be bought by the highest bidder based on controversial and questionable judgments judges have given in recent times. The worst was the shocking Supreme Court judgment that brought Hope Uzodinma of APC as the governor of Imo State. That judgment was a terrible blunder and a judicial tragedy, and there was nothing supreme about it. INEC, the constituted electoral body declared Hope as coming fourth in that election. But supposedly Supreme Court judges accepted votes that came from people that were not even registered voters and gave them to Hope and declared him winner. In that Supreme Court judgment on Imo State justice died in Nigeria.

Obi and Baba-Ahmed joint ticket is a masterstroke. The duo is young, intelligent and with inspiring, clean and successful records as public servants and in their private lives. They are not corrupt. Their academical records, age and sources of wealth are not in question or doubt. So they do not need to pay any SAN or swear any affidavit to defend a very simple question that needs a very simple answer. Therefore, while it is true that Nigeria is a hijacked project by political monsters and corrupt leaders and the country is at the verge of collapse, it is equally a fact to note that the emergence of Obi and Baba-Ahmed have risen hope of liberation and the hijacked country is at the verge of salvation.

Spread this message to those people who are still living in fantasies of how they will bribe us, and inform those dreamers who are equally asking for our political structures that in our quest for a better working Nigeria, we are strongly united, resolute and formidable, no religion, ethnicity, amount of inducement or political party can divide us. The voice of the people is the voice of God. Inform them that Obi and Baba-Ahmed are coming. On May 29, 2023the duo will be sworn in as elected president and vice unless something drastic and unexpected happens which is unlikely. Obi and Baba-Ahmed only need to be very conscious of their security now than ever.

While our hearts ache for the state of the nation today, hope beckons in Obi and Baba-Ahmed for redemption that the economic revolution happening in Rwanda is also possible in Nigeria.

I am just being OBIDIENT and YUSUFUL to Nigeria.

♦ Uzoma Ahamefule, a refined African traditionalist and a patriotic citizen writes from Vienna, Austria. WhatsApp: +436607369050; Email Contact Uzoma >>>>

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Houston

Turnout, Trust, and Ground Game: What Decided Houston’s Runoff Elections

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Low-turnout runoff races for Houston City Council and Houston Community College trustee seats revealed how message discipline, local credibility, and voter mobilization determined clear winners—and decisive losers.

The final ballots are counted, and Houston’s runoff elections have delivered clear outcomes in two closely watched local races, underscoring a familiar truth of municipal politics: in low-turnout elections, organization and credibility matter more than name recognition alone.

In the race for Houston City Council At-Large Position 4, Alejandra Salinas secured a decisive victory, winning 25,710 votes (59.27%) over former council member Dwight A. Boykins, who garnered 17,669 votes (40.73%). The margin was not accidental. Salinas ran a campaign tightly aligned with voter anxiety over public safety and infrastructure—two issues that consistently dominate Houston’s civic conversations. Her emphasis on keeping violent criminals off city streets and expanding Houston’s water supply spoke directly to quality-of-life concerns that resonate across districts, especially in an at-large contest where candidates must appeal to the city as a whole.

Salinas’ win reflects the advantage of message clarity. In a runoff, voters are not looking to be introduced to candidates—they are choosing between candidates they are already familiar with. Salinas presented herself as forward-looking and solutions-oriented, while Boykins, despite his experience and political history, struggled to reframe his candidacy beyond familiarity. In runoffs, nostalgia rarely outperforms momentum.

The second race—for Houston Community College District II trustee—followed a similar pattern. Renee Jefferson Patterson won with 2,497 votes (56.63%), defeating Kathleen “Kathy” Lynch Gunter, who received 1,912 votes (43.37%). Though the raw numbers were smaller, the dynamics were just as telling.

Patterson’s victory was powered by deep local ties and a clear institutional vision. As an HCC alumna, she effectively positioned herself as both a product and a steward of the system. Her pledge to expand the North Forest Campus and direct resources to Acres Home connected policy goals to place-based advocacy. In trustee races, voters often respond less to ideology and more to proximity—those who understand the campus, the students, and the neighborhood. Patterson checked all three boxes.

By contrast, Gunter’s loss highlights the challenge of overcoming a candidate with genuine community roots in a runoff scenario. Without a sharply differentiated message or a strong geographic base, turnout dynamics tend to favor candidates with existing neighborhood networks and direct institutional relevance.

What ultimately decided both races was not a surprise, but execution. Runoffs reward campaigns that can re-mobilize supporters, simplify their message, and convert familiarity into trust. Salinas and Patterson did exactly that. Their opponents, though credible, were unable to expand or energize their coalitions in a compressed electoral window.

The lesson from Houston’s runoff elections is straightforward but unforgiving: winners win because they align message, identity, and ground game. Losers lose because, in low-turnout contests, anything less than that alignment is insufficient.

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Nigeria–Burkina Faso Rift: Military Power, Mistrust, and a Region Out of Balance

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The brief detention of a Nigerian Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft and its crew in Burkina Faso may have ended quietly, but it exposed a deeper rift shaped by mistrust, insecurity, and uneven military power in West Africa. What was officially a technical emergency landing quickly became a diplomatic and security flashpoint, reflecting not hostility between equals, but anxiety between unequally matched states navigating very different political realities.

On December 8, 2025, the Nigerian Air Force transport aircraft made an unscheduled landing in Bobo-Dioulasso while en route to Portugal. Nigerian authorities described the stop as a precautionary response to a technical fault—standard procedure under international aviation and military safety protocols. Burkina Faso acknowledged the emergency landing but emphasized that the aircraft had violated its airspace, prompting the temporary detention of 11 Nigerian personnel while investigations and repairs were conducted. Within days, the crew and aircraft were released, underscoring a professional, if tense, resolution.

Yet the symbolism mattered. In a Sahel region gripped by coups, insurgencies, and fragile legitimacy, airspace is not merely technical—it is political. Burkina Faso’s reaction reflected a state on edge, hyper-vigilant about sovereignty amid persistent internal threats. Nigeria’s response, measured and restrained, reflected confidence rooted in capacity.

The military imbalance between the two countries is stark. Nigeria fields one of Africa’s most formidable armed forces, with a tri-service structure that includes a large, well-equipped air force, a dominant regional navy, and a sizable army capable of sustained operations. The Nigerian Air Force operates fighter jets such as the JF-17 and F-7Ni, as well as A-29 Super Tucanos for counterinsurgency operations, heavy transport aircraft like the C-130, and an extensive helicopter fleet. This force is designed not only for internal security but for regional power projection and multinational operations.

Burkina Faso’s military, by contrast, is compact and narrowly focused. Its air arm relies on a limited number of light attack aircraft, including Super Tucanos, and a small helicopter fleet primarily dedicated to internal counterinsurgency. There is no navy, no strategic airlift capacity comparable to Nigeria’s, and limited logistical depth. The Burkinabè military is stretched thin, fighting multiple insurgent groups while also managing the political consequences of repeated military takeovers.

This imbalance shapes behavior. Nigeria’s military posture is institutional, outward-looking, and anchored in regional frameworks such as ECOWAS. Burkina Faso’s posture is defensive, reactive, and inward-facing. Where Nigeria seeks stability through deterrence and cooperation, Burkina Faso seeks survival amid constant internal pressure. That difference explains why a technical landing could be perceived as a “serious security breach” rather than a routine aviation incident.

The incident also illuminates why Burkina Faso continues to struggle to regain political balance. Repeated coups have eroded civilian institutions, fractured command structures, and blurred the line between governance and militarization. The armed forces are not just security actors; they are political stakeholders. This creates a cycle where insecurity justifies military rule, and military rule deepens insecurity by weakening democratic legitimacy and regional trust.

Nigeria, despite its own security challenges, has managed to avoid this spiral. Civilian control of the military remains intact, democratic transitions—however imperfect—continue, and its armed forces operate within a clearer constitutional framework. This stability enhances Nigeria’s regional credibility and amplifies its military superiority beyond hardware alone.

The C-130 episode did not escalate into confrontation precisely because of this asymmetry. Burkina Faso could assert sovereignty, but not sustain defiance. Nigeria could have asserted its capability, but chose restraint. In the end, professionalism prevailed.

Still, the rift lingers. It is not about one aircraft or one landing, but about two countries moving in different strategic directions. Nigeria stands as a regional anchor with superior military power and institutional depth. Burkina Faso remains a state searching for equilibrium—politically fragile, militarily constrained, and acutely sensitive to every perceived threat from the skies above.

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Bizarre Epstein files reference to Trump, Putin, and oral sex with ‘Bubba’ draws scrutiny in Congress

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The latest tranche of emails from the estate of late convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein includes one that contains what appear to be references to President Donald Trump allegedly performing oral sex, raising questions the committee cannot answer until the Department of Justice turns over records it has withheld, says U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee.

Garcia insists the Trump White House is helping block them.

In a Friday afternoon interview with The Advocate, the out California lawmaker responded to a 2018 exchange, which was included in the emails released, between Jeffrey Epstein and his brother, Mark Epstein. In that message, Mark wrote that because Jeffrey Epstein had said he was with former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, he should “ask him if Putin has the photos of Trump blowing Bubba.”

“Bubba” is a nickname former President Bill Clinton has been known by; however, the email does not clarify who Mark Epstein meant, and the context remains unclear.

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