President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aimed at solidifying the United States’ position as a global leader in cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence (AI).

The order prohibits central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and establishes a working group to develop clear regulations for the crypto industry.

This comprehensive directive outlines a framework designed to foster innovation, eliminate regulatory uncertainty, and safeguard individual financial sovereignty.

Following the announcement, Bitcoin (BTC), the world’s largest cryptocurrency, surged by 3%, reaching the $105,000 mark in Friday’s trading.

One of the most notable aspects of the executive order is the proposal to create a national crypto reserve. This “digital asset stockpile” would consist of cryptocurrencies seized by federal law enforcement agencies.

While Trump has previously suggested the idea of a national Bitcoin reserve, the order does not prioritize BTC alone. Instead, it includes U.S.-developed altcoins, indicating a broader approach to digital asset adoption.

Reflection on the crypto market 

The crypto industry welcomed the announcement, having urged the administration to provide clear support during Trump’s early days in office.

• As of 6:40 am Nigerian time, Bitcoin was trading at $104,971, up by 2.8%, after reaching an intraday high of $106,820. Ethereum also saw a surge, rising 5% to $3,376. The global cryptocurrency market capitalization increased by 2.65%, reaching $3.61 trillion.
• Other major altcoins followed suit, with Solana rising by 4%, XRP by 1%, Dogecoin by 1.3%, Cardano by 3.5%, and Chainlink by 5.2%. Additionally, Tron and Avalanche experienced gains.
• The volume of stablecoins now stands at $189.11 billion, accounting for 91.79% of the total 24-hour crypto market volume, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

In the past 24 hours, Bitcoin’s market capitalization surged to $2.079 trillion. Currently, Bitcoin’s dominance in the market is 57.49%, with BTC’s 24-hour trading volume rising by 73.5% to $100.98 billion.

What you should know 

Also on Thursday, President Trump addressed the World Economic Forum in Davos, declaring his intention to make America “the world capital of AI and crypto.” These comments marked the first direct mention of cryptocurrency by the President since his inauguration.

He emphasized that an increase in domestic oil and gas production would secure U.S. manufacturing dominance and establish the country as the global leader in artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency.

Industry insiders had grown concerned by the lack of a direct mention of crypto by the President since being sworn in on Monday. Bitcoin prices rose following the mention, further boosted by the news that Senator Cynthia Lummis was confirmed as chair of the Senate Banking Subcommittee on Digital Assets.

[Nairametrics]

The Managing Director of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Olubunmi Kuku has stated that she is ready to step down from her position if her leadership is no longer needed.

Speaking on Thursday evening while fielding questions during an interview on Television Continental, Kuku stated that she has stepped on toes and is ready to step on more toes to do her job properly.

She, however, stated that if her methods of  leadership are no longer working she is ready to resign from her position.

She said, “I have stepped on toes and I am still stepping on toes and I know that I need to do that with caution but definitely not at the jeopardy of the airport system.

“If I have to, I will step down, I will resign if I see that it is not working but what is important is to make sure that I do what is right.”

She also responded to criticisms that have greeted her claim that ₦580bn is required to fix obsolete runways across the country.

Kuku who confirmed the barrage of critics questioning what FAAN needed such a humongous amount for, appealed to all who care to understand the need for the money to find out what it takes to take care of aviation infrastructures

She said, “I would like to clarify two things; First we have a number of runways in Nigeria today, we have mentioned to you that there are 22 airports that are owned by the Federal Government and we also support some that are state-owned.

“I also made specific reference to airports with runways that have exceeded their lifespan. The average lifespan of a runway is about 20-25 years and a lot of our runways in Nigeria have actually exceeded that time. Meaning that we had them for 30 to over 35 years.

“What it means is that we have to reconstruct those runways. The N580bn that I initially mentioned was for over 17 runways and it is not just runways but also includes some perimeter fencing and so on.

“I have seen commentaries where people asked what we would be needing those monies for. Just look it up in Google to understand what it means to build runways, taxi expansion and all that is needed to be done.”

While speaking on what she had done within her first 100 days in office, Kuku topped her achievement with the level of sanity that has been restored to Nigerian aerodromes in the last 90 days.

“We have spent too much time talking about the decay and it is time for us to start fixing things and that is exactly what we are doing. And what is more critical is the continuity, meaning that wherever we stop, somebody needs to pick that up and that is the biggest challenge that we see. Because we have a new administration we tend not to complete or continue old projects.

“Now to what we are doing; I think what to do is to block some immediate gaps which is what we have done. If you have been a traveller in the last 90 days, you will observe that the airports are cleaner and more friendly in terms of the atmosphere,” she said.

[NaijaNews]

Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has described the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, as a politician with double loyalty, saying such a character is shameless and sets a dangerous precedent in Nigerian politics. 

The governor stated this in a statement signed by Mukhtar Gidado, his
Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, reacting to Wike’s recent media chat where he knocked Mohammed’s opposition to President Bola Tinubu’s Tax Reform Bills

Mohammed, who is the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, said Wike’s incoherence often made it difficult to discern any substantive points.

The statement read, “Chief Wike’s ascendancy in politics is a testament to the opportunities provided by the PDP, yet, he now gleefully undermines the very foundation that nurtured him. It is disheartening that a man who owes so much to a party that stood by him in his political journey has chosen to be a willing tool in its denigration.

“Unlike Wike, who thrives on drama and divisiveness, Sen. Bala Mohammed has always understood that politics is not a game of self-serving theatrics but a platform to serve the public good. Wike’s erratic behaviour and opportunistic alliances expose him as an unreliable and fair-weather friend—traits that alienate even those who once stood by him.”

The governor said that Wike’s recent media outburst was yet another reminder of his transactional approach to politics, where personal ambition eclipsed loyalty, principles, and collective interests.

Governor Mohammed stated that Wike’s attempt to question his opposition to President Tinubu’s Tax Reform Bills was not only baseless but hypocritical.

“While Wike accuses others of insincerity, he has seamlessly transitioned from being a self-proclaimed PDP stalwart to an ardent supporter of the APC government. He now advocates for the re-election of the same APC administration in 2027, all while continuing to claim membership in the PDP. This chameleonic behavior raises serious questions about Wike’s credibility and moral compass.

“Nigerians are not deceived by Wike’s antics. They see a man willing to undermine his party for personal gain, a man whose loyalty shifts as quickly as his alliances. By contrast, Sen. Bala Mohammed’s opposition to the Tax Reform Bills reflects a principled stand aimed at ensuring inclusive governance and accountability. His constructive interventions have already led to significant adjustments in the reform process, underscoring the importance of meaningful dialogue over hollow rhetoric.

“Chief Wike’s dual loyalty—if it can even be called that—is a dangerous precedent in Nigerian politics. His shameless oscillation between PDP and APC undermines the moral fabric of democracy. Politics must be guided by principles, not by personal whims. Wike’s behavior, reminiscent of George Orwell’s Animal Farm, where roles blur and values vanish, exemplifies the kind of amoral politics that erodes public trust and damages national unity,” the statement added.

[DailyPost]

Veteran journalist, Dele Momodu, has accused the All Progressives Congress, APC, of causing crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Labour Party, LP, and New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP.

Momodu said APC was orchestrating crisis within the opposition to weaken them.

In an interview with Arise Television, the PDP chieftain accused APC of pushing Nigeria towards a one-party state.

According to Momodu: “Nigeria is obviously moving in a direction of a one-party state.

“The ruling party, APC, is so scared of opposition that right now crisis are being orchestrated from party to party, especially the leading opposition parties like PDP, Labour Party, and NNPP. It’s obvious what is going on.”

He further expressed concern about the uncertainty surrounding the situation, stating, “no one is in doubt about that. How this would end, I have no idea. So, we are watching.”

Stressing that power is transient, Momodu cautioned those currently aligned with the APC.

“The maximum they would do is eight years, so after that, what next? It’s not about how long, it’s about how well.

“That’s why I’m advising a lot of people now who are holding onto Asiwaju; he would think they love him—No!

“It’s self-preservation because they lost out in one party, they ran to Asiwaju, and now they are using him as an umbrella when they should be holding the broom,” he said.

[DailyPost]

Music superstars Burna Boy, Tems, Lojay and Davido have bagged nominations for the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards.

Davido and Lojay are up for Best R&B Song for their feature on Chris Brown’s “Sensational,” competing against South African singer Tyla for her hit single “Water”.

Grammy winners Burna Boy and Tems are nominated for World Artist of the Year with British rapper Central Cee, Tyla, and Jamaican star YG Marley.

Tyla leads the African contingent with three nominations, including Best Dance Song for the remix of “Water” with Marshmello. 

The iHeartRadio Music Awards are set to take place on March 17 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, airing on FOX.

Artist of the Year

Billie Eilish

Doja Cat

Jelly Roll

Kendrick Lamar

Morgan Wallen

Post Malone

Sabrina Carpenter

SZA

Taylor Swift

Teddy Swims

Song of the Year            

    “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”- Shaboozey

    “Agora Hills”- Doja Cat

    “Beautiful Things”- Benson Boone

    “Espresso” – Sabrina Carpenter

    “Greedy”- Tate McRae

    “I Had Some Help” – Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen

    “Lose Control” – Teddy Swims

    “Lovin on Me” – Jack Harlow

    “Not Like Us”- Kendrick Lamar

    “Too Sweet” – Hozier

Best Collaboration

    “Die With a Smile”- Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars

    “Fortnight”- Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone

    “I Had Some Help”- Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen

    “Like That” – Future, Metro Boomin and Kendrick Lamar

    “Miles on It”- Kane Brown and Marshmello

Producer of the Year

    Julian Bunetta

    Jack Antonoff

    Evan Blair

    Mustard

    Dan Nigro

Songwriter of the Year

    Josh Coleman

    ERNEST

    Ashley Gorley

    Amy Allen

    Justin Tranter

GENRE-SPECIFIC CATEGORIES

Pop Song of the Year

    “Agora Hills”- Doja Cat

    “Beautiful Things”- Benson Boone

    “Espresso”- Sabrina Carpenter

    “Greedy”- Tate McRae

    “Too Sweet”- Hozier

Pop Artist of the Year

    Billie Eilish

    Chappell Roan

    Sabrina Carpenter

    Tate McRae

    Taylor Swift

Best New Artist (Pop)

    Benson Boone

    Chappell Roan

    Gracie Abrams

    Shaboozey

    Teddy Swims

Country Song of the Year

    “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”- Shaboozey

    “Cowgirls” – Morgan Wallen featuring ERNEST

    “I Am Not Okay”- Jelly Roll

    “I Had Some Help”- Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen

    “World on Fire”- Nate Smith

Country Artist of the Year

    Jelly Roll

    Kane Brown

    Lainey Wilson

    Luke Combs

    Morgan Wallen

Best New Artist (Country)

    Ashley Cooke

    Dasha

    George Birge

    Shaboozey

    Tucker Wetmore

Hip-Hop Song of the Year

    “Like That”- Future, Metro Boomin and Kendrick Lamar

    “Lovin on Me”- Jack Harlow

    “Not Like Us”- Kendrick Lamar

    “Rich Baby Daddy”- Drake featuring Sexyy Red and SZA

    “TGIF” – GloRilla

Hip-Hop Artist of the Year

    Drake

    Future

    GloRilla

    Kendrick Lamar

    Travis Scott

Best New Artist (Hip-Hop)

    310babii

    BigXthaPlug

    BossMan Dlow

    Cash Cobain

    Jordan Adetunji

R&B Song of the Year

    “ICU” – Coco Jones

    “Made for Me”- Muni Long

    “Sensational” – Chris Brown featuring Davido and Lojay

    “Water” – Tyla

    “WY@”- Brent Faiyaz

R&B Artist of the Year

    Chris Brown

    Muni Long

    SZA

    Usher

    Victoria Monét

Best New Artist (R&B)

    4Batz

    Ambré

    Inayah

    Josh X

    Maeta

Alternative Song of the Year

    “Dilemma” – Green Day

    “Landmines” – Sum 41

    “Neon Pill”- Cage The Elephant

    “The Emptiness Machine” – Linkin Park

    “Too Sweet”- Hozier

Alternative Artist of the Year

    Cage The Elephant

    Green Day

    Linkin Park

    Sum 41

    twenty one pilots

Best New Artist (Alt and Rock)

    Djo

    Fontaines D.C.

    Good Neighbours

    Myles Smith

    The Last Dinner Party

Rock Song of the Year

    “A Symptom of Being Human” – Shinedown

    “All My Life” – Falling In Reverse and Jelly Roll

    “Dark Matter” – Pearl Jam

    “Screaming Suicide” – Metallica

    “The Emptiness Machine” – Linkin Park

Rock Artist of the Year

    Green Day

    Linkin Park

    Metallica

In response to the outcry over their manner of handling the sons of Nigerian billionaire Chief Razaq Okoya, Subomi and Wahab, over alleged naira abuse versus their priors, the EFCC finally issued a public invitation for those boys to appear at their office on Monday. Respectfully summoning those boys for an investigation was a far cry from their approach to confronting the same “crime” when it involved the child of a non-billionaire just last year. The same EFCC that wrote a tame letter to the Okoyas ferociously stormed Pinnock Estate to arrest Bobrisky (Okuneye Idris). They were so carried away by the sensation they generated that they turned Bobrisky’s arrest into the defining trophy of their institutional life. So, what happened to all their boasts about “we are very serious about restoring the dignity of the naira”? They even mentioned setting up a department dedicated to tackling naira abuse.

In any case, I do not think that the Okoya boys did anything that warranted their invitation. Their act was not that serious, and it would not have been taken as such by the public if the EFCC had been reasonable. I have always thought of the whole idea of criminalising “naira abuse” as specious. Abusing a currency cannot be achieved by pursuing those who indulge in harmless fun with money; it is always about the (in)actions of the agents and institutions whose activities torture the economic value out of it. Restoring the dignity of the naira will not be achieved by elevating the paper notes into a national fetish but through serious political and economic activities that enhance its value. The EFCC must know this already, but they still had to invite the Okoya boys because they set themselves up to an iberiberi standard which they must now uphold. That is why you do not make ridiculous laws. Enforcing them makes you look stupid.

The EFCC is not the only organisation that finds itself in the crosshairs of Nigerians over the Okoya boys’ issue. Even the police whose officer appeared in the video helping the boys to hold the bales of naira as they played now must explain themselves to the public why they did not act on the supposed naira abuse. In justifying themselves, the spokesman for the Nigeria Police Force, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, noted that the officer had the duty to prevent a crime or at least not participate in it. On that score, I agree with him one hundred per cent. Even if there is no offence called “naira abuse” listed in the books somewhere, the officer should still have known better than to participate in such a silly display. If he let the boys use him as a prop, you can bet his interaction with them off-camera will be unprofessional.

Where I depart from Adejobi is his failure to recognise himself and his organisation in that officer. If he looks well enough, he will see that unnamed officer as a metonym of the police impotence when interacting with a higher power. The Nigerian police is one organisation that knows how to rage, but only at people who have little or no power. There is a reason that the people they serially arrest, detain, and on whose behalf they even defy the courts to incarcerate extendedly for frivolous crimes like “cyberbullying” or “cyberstalking” in a matter involving the rich and the poor are mostly the economically weaker party. Their understanding of what constitutes crime and punishment is driven by personalities and not necessarily principles, and that is why it would never have occurred to anyone in either the police or the EFCC to storm the Okoya mansion to arrest those boys. Their postured zeal always capitulates to a higher power (aka money, which, of course, buys the political capital that protects the Okoya family from police indignities).

So, for Adejobi, if the police organisation right up to its topmost cadre cannot maintain principled professionalism, why should that lowly officer be different? If his bosses get so regularly swayed by money power that they hold themselves back from the ethical discharge of their duties, what can anyone expect from an officer confronted by billionaire sons holding cash he has probably never seen before? I do not know why Adejobi thinks the officer could have straightened out those boys when even his own bosses do not have a record of doing so in their dealings with rich people. If the police find the picture of their officer serving money cringey, it is good because they at least get an idea of how the public views their lack of self-assurance.

Instead of merely scapegoating him, they should take some time to consider how the psyche of the officers they send to the houses of wealthy Nigerians is impacted by being in such an environment. Poorly paid officers cannot but be intimidated by the wealth and power of folks who are also (often) haughty, making it hard for them to be consistently professional. That is why police officers assigned to wealthy Nigerians usually become servants.

There are countless cases of police officers who have become gatemen, drivers, nannies, and even handbag carriers. Female politicians (or consorts) use policewomen to carry their accessories like designer handbags. They must derive satisfaction from accessorising themselves with an officer of the state serving their vanity. Remember that video Davido posted of himself where, in his background, a police officer was washing his Rolls Royce? If not an ego trip, who buys a vehicle like a Rolls Royce and uses untrained hands like that of a random police officer to clean it?

These things happen every single day across the country. When the manifestation of police servitude cuts too close to the bone in its depiction of their organisation, PROs like Adejobi throw a fit. They recall that one single officer while the rest of his poor colleagues continued to wash plates for the madams at the top.

If there is any reason that the officer in the Okoya mansion could not challenge those boys as his bosses expected him to, it is because the police system does not autonomously run as an agency staffed with professionals who approach their duties with the self-assurance of knowing the law and enforcing it detachedly. They are vulnerable to the intimidation of power and that spirit percolates right through to the smallest officer deployed to the spaces occupied by rich and powerful people. If the EFCC and the police could not confront the Okoyas, do you blame a powerless officer for not being able to stand on his two feet before those boys?

In justifying why the police officer had to be recalled and punished, Adejobi reportedly said he was never attached to the young men. He was supposed to be on guard duty at the Okoyas’ family business, Eleganza. Several things are instructive here. One is that Eleganza is a private company that has been in business long enough to pay for the services of a security agency to guard their facilities. Why impose an officer on them at the expense of the public already starved of efficient policing too? The fact that the Eleganza administrators forwarded the officer to their house to serve their children suggests they find police security redundant. Why retain him then? There must be some self-glorifying feeling to having a police officer in your house to run your errands.

If the officer’s bosses knew that the family had reassigned him and they did not withdraw him, it demonstrates the poverty of their organisational self-understanding. If they had no idea that the officer was reporting at the Okoya mansion instead of at Eleganza, then it calls into question their operational efficacy and their ability to provide “security.”

A heartwarming moment has captured the internet’s attention, as a video of Cameroonian football legend and President of the Cameroonian Football Federation, Samuel Eto’o, recognising a former teammate working as a security guard goes viral.

The encounter reportedly took place after an Ecobank Group seminar in Douala, Cameroon, according to a report shared on X by a news platform, ED HUB.

In the video, Eto’o, surrounded by fans and attendees, was leaving the venue when someone offscreen called out his name.

At first, he glanced back briefly before walking on, but then he stopped, turned again, and realised it was an old friend.

The former Barcelona star warmly shook hands with his old teammate, embraced him briefly, and exchanged pleasantries in Bassa’a, a Cameroonian dialect.

Eto’o was visibly moved, repeatedly patting his friend’s arm as they reminisced.

Turning to the crowd gathered around them, Eto’o introduced the man, saying, “He was my colleague. I played with him.”

The touching moment has drawn widespread admiration on social media, with many users praising Eto’o for his humility.

This heartfelt moment has however earned him praise among netizens.

Hendrïxx, tweeting as @Mr_humble87, wrote, “When life favors you, don’t ever think others are lazy. Bravo to Eto’o on acknowledging his old teammate.”

Another user,  @MrsLucyEssel, wrote, “Much respect to Etoo. Even if he doesn’t meet him again this man would forever remember this day.”

Dark Cookies, tweeting as @ayo30bg, speculated on how Eto’o recognised him, saying, “I think he called him a name his old friends or close family calls him and caught his attention very fast.”

Some users even translated parts of their conversation spoken in Bassa’a.

Keke, tweeting as @corenti67008438, explained, “He Said: we need to meetup, we can’t speak right now because I have meetings in 10 minutes but tell Christian (assistant of Eto’o and friends of both) to do everything we meetup we gonna speak my friend. I’m happy to see you.”

Many netizens reflected on the unexpected twists and turns of life.

Twiddle™, tweeting as @Boison__, wrote, “Life be someway o. May all the boys we roll with succeed and may we all meet at the top!”

Another user, @Phemmydeji, added, “Life is deep. Sometimes you really can’t understand the mystery.”

[Punch]

Last week, I was invited to the presidential villa to meet President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser (NSA).

The reason given was that I am an “important Ogoni Stakeholder” and I was really surprised to have received such a flattering summons because I have been a vocal opponent of Tinubu since 2022.

OK so I made my way to this meeting on Tuesday alongside other senior Ogoni stakeholders. 

We were told that the government wanted to find out what it could do to persuade us and our brethren back home to support its interest in resuming oil operations on our ancestral turf.

Ogoniland quit producing oil in the early 1990s at the height of the Ken Saro Wiwa crisis – a very complicated situation that cannot be adequately summarised in a few newspaper paragraphs. But let me provide a potted history anyway for newcomers to this tragic story.

Saro Wiwa was the face of a robust campaign that focussed on Shell Petroleum’s environmental abuses. The Ogoni leadership was deeply divided. Some moderate Ogoni leaders (my late father Ignatius, for example) favoured negotiation with the authorities. Saro Wiwa and the youths he controlled favoured a more radical approach. 

Eventually, 4 blameless Ogoni chiefs – my uncles Edward Kobani, Albert Badey, Theophilus Orage and Samuel Orage – were murdered.

Some Ogonis blamed the Nigerian army for this fratricidal outrage. Others blamed Ken and his fans. The then head of state, General Sani Abacha, also regarded them as guilty; and they were executed.

Shell Petroleum, which was accused of colluding with the Federal Government, was forced to retreat. Numerous attempts to resolve the impasse have failed. The rift with Shell was never healed. Other companies that have expressed an interest in taking over from Shell have been rejected. And Ogoniland has yet to recover – politically, socially, financially, psychologically – from the trauma, bloodletting, bitterness and absence of significant economic activity.

Most members of the delegation that went to meet President Tinubu on Tuesday bear emotional scars linked to this sorry state of affairs.

I frequently find myself furiously dwelling on the fact that the bodies of my assassinated uncles have never materialised. If I feel like this, imagine how the children of the disappeared victims feel! Anyway, I applaud Mr President for including both pro- and anti-Ken individuals on his guest list and for appealing to all of us to put the past behind us and embrace the spirit of reconciliation.  

He urged Ogonis to set aside historical grievances and work together to achieve peace, development, and a clean environment.

“We cannot in any way rewrite history, but we can correct some anomalies of the past going forward. We cannot heal the wounds if we continue to be angry,” the president said.

I and most of the Ogonis I know feel neglected, marginalised and cheated. There has never been an Ogoni Governor, Deputy Governor, Chief Judge or Speaker of the State House of Assembly.

The President promised to prioritise peace, justice and the sustainable development of Ogoniland, then directed the NSA to coordinate inclusive negotiations with Ogoni leaders. The Rivers State Governor, Sir Sim Fubara, was also at this meeting and made all the right noises and sounded sincerely committed to working with us to enable Ogoniland to enjoy a brighter future. 

A separate meeting at the NSA’s office was immensely cordial, though too short (because it was quite late in the day) to accommodate those who had hoped for in-depth discussions about the best way forward.

The Chief Executive of NNPCL,  Mele Kyari, and Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, the DG of the DSS (who is married to a Rivers woman!) joined us and assured us of maximum cooperation.

I personally think, on reflection, that the best way forward is for Ogonis to create a detailed and sophisticated masterplan for our region, in conjunction with expert development consultants.

All that remains now is to keep one’s fingers tightly crossed that regular consultations at community level will ensue and that Mr President, the NSA, the NNPCL CEO, the DG DSS and our Governor will keep their promises and not try to be too clever by half!

I am trying my best to give all of the above the benefit of many doubts (my own doubts as well as doubts expressed by other Ogonis who don’t trust this government or ANY Nigerian government).

I will maintain an open mind. But I will be the first to complain very loudly if this project is not handled ethically and efficiently.

President Joe Biden within seven weeks from December 1, 2024, granted over 2,500 pardons including for his son,  Robert Hunter Biden.

Hunter had been convicted  on a nine-count charge   for  tax felony amounting to $1.4 million,  evading tax assessment  and filing false tax returns. He faced a maximum 17 years in prison.  His sentencing was scheduled for December 16, 2024. But fifteen days before, Biden  not only pardoned his son, but also granted him  immunity  from additional or new charges that can be brought against him especially by the Trump administration. It stated that Hunter  has immunity:  “For those offenses against the United States which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014, through December 1, 2024”

His predecessor and successor, President Donald Trump in one day, on January 20, 2025, issued over 1,500 pardons. Both men within seven weeks granted over 4,000 pardons. The process the two  political rivals are basically abusing,  is the power of pardon granted the United States, US President   under Article II Section 2, Clause 1   of the American constitution. This  provides that: “The President…shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except  in Cases of impeachment.”

However, there remains a problem Trump  still needs to solve over the Capitol Hill violent invaders against whom he claims “ a grave national injustice” had been perpetrated. The US Constitution grants the   President power to pardon people convicted, but not power  to halt on-going trials. Now, some of the judges have merely dismissed the cases. This leaves open the possibility that charges can brought  against the accused in future. There are still some 300 such cases pending which judges might be holding up or delaying.  Perhaps Trump can learn from Biden granting  his son immunity from any prosecution.

Biden with his total 8,064 pardons granted from 2021 -2025 holds  the record of granting the most pardons in US history. While the pardons granted this week by Trump, were basically to free convicted criminals  who levied war against the state in an attempt to reverse the 2020  Presidential Elections which he had lost, some of the pardons by Biden were  to correct cases  of historical injustice the White establishment had visited on American Indians  and African Americans in its  bid to maintain supremacy and dominance over the country.

I first heard the name, Leonard Peltier on August 12, 2024 at the  International Conference to End Colonialism In The World which was held in Abuja.  The Opening Address was  from  Puerto Rican freedom fighter, Oscar Lopez Riveria who had spent 38 years in US jails. I had remarked that Africa’s Nelson Mandela had spent 27 years in jail   and that as far as I knew, Riveria had been  the  longest serving political prisoner in history. But Kazi Toure, of the International  People’s Senate National Jericho Movement, USA and, former US political prisoner, corrected me.  He told me about the then 79-year old Indigenous American Indian freedom fighter called Leonard Peltier who was in his 49th year in US jails.

Peltier was serving two life sentences for allegedly killing two Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI agents, Jack Coler and Ronald Williams on June 26, 1975  in a shootout on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.  The immediate dispute was over the Indians insistence on self-determination and,  Native Treaty Rights.  The agents had gone to serve arrest warrants. The American state and system including  the FBI knew Peltier was innocent of the crimes. The FBI had forensic evidence proving that the shots that took the lives of the officers did not come from Peltier’s gun, but chose to suppress  the fact at the trial. It also manufactured fake affidavits and distorted facts.  

Peltier  had been  denied parole including at a  July, 2024 hearing  and, was not  eligible again for parole  until 2026. He was a leader of the American Indian Movement, AIM  which the state wanted to destroy. AIM had in 1973 taken over  the village of Wounded Knee on the Pine Ridge reservation. This led to  a 71-day standoff with federal security forces. The increased clashes led to the face off two year later for which Peltier was sent to prison.

The injustice done to Peltier had turned him into the symbol of the indigenous peoples’ resistance  and a living legend. It was for this and the insistence by the FBI for a pound of flesh from the American  Indian people, that saw him spend half a century wasting in prison.  Appeals by international  figures  including Nelson Mandela, Pope Francis, Bishop Desmond Tutu and the actor, Robert Redford did not move the American establishment.

As the Biden era was winding up,  the local and international activists who for decades had pushed for presidential pardon, decided to make a last second push. On Wednesday, January 15, 2025, Kazi posted an appeal by freedom activists titled “Tell Biden: FREE Leonard Peltier!” The appeal was that people should call President Biden that day and the next  on 2024561111 or text the White House on 302404 0880   with the simple message: “Grant Leonard Peltier Clemency” I thought the campaigners for a last second clemency were simply  optimists. 

I did not think a Biden would have the courage to grant Peltier pardon  especially when the FBI and the establishment were  openly opposed.  In fact,  FBI Director,  Christopher  Asher Wray wrote Biden this month saying that Peltier must  not be granted clemency. He repeated the false claim that: “Peltier is a ruthless murderer who has shown a complete lack of remorse for his many crimes.”

But as Biden was handing over power to Trump on Monday, January 20, 2025, the White House issued a statement that Peltier was now a free man!  He is to be released from a Florida federal detention on February 18, 2025.  Biden’s release of Peltier, is a healing process for the indigenous American Indian people who have faced genocide.  Another healing process Biden set off  was his posthumous pardon for Pan African Prophet Marcus Garvey who was falsely accused in 1923 of mail fraud.

Garvey who wanted to unite all Black people in the world, had set up empowerment businesses. When one of them, the large Black Star shipping line collapsed, the racist American establishment used that as an  excuse to charge him with “mail fraud” over the sale of the company’s shares. Using a corrupt judicial system, he was railroaded into prison. His connived conviction was then used in December 1, 1927 to deport him to his native Jamaica. Pardons in the US have essentially become weapons to be wielded for political purposes rather than to further the aims of justice.

It is no longer news that the former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, was ousted by his colleagues on Monday, January 13, 2025 while he was holidaying in the U.S., thus bringing his 10-year cruise on the Lagos gravy train to an abrupt stop.

Obasa was first elected in 2007 to represent Agege Constituency 1 and subsequently emerged Speaker in June 2015, chalked in an unprecedented third term, becoming powerful, or so he thought. And because, as the 19th century writer Lord Acton remarked, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely,” he got carried away and became conceited.

He started seeing himself as a political kingmaker, treating his colleagues condescendingly and had no respect for Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. But apparently he didn’t reckon with the Igbo proverb which says that “when an idol becomes too powerful and arrogant, it is told the wood it was carved from.” That was exactly what happened. His colleagues said that much when they accused him of becoming an existential threat. 

Tobun Abiodun, who represents Epe Constituency 1, alleged shortly after Obasa’s ouster that he was impeached to save Lagos State and the House of Assembly. Accusing the former Speaker of gross misconduct and unconscionable abuse of office, Abiodun said Obasa’s impeachment had become inevitable. “The members of the parliament today have decided to change the leadership of the House.

You know the constitution made it clear that the House has the power to regulate its proceedings. The members felt they have had enough of the leadership of Rt. Honourable Mudashiru Obasa… We have resolved to work together and ensure that we move the parliament to the next level. We cannot open our eyes and allow the parliament to dwindle. We owe the constituents a duty of ensuring that the sanity and integrity of the House are restored. We have unanimously agreed to carry out this action to save our image, and save the state.”

One of his crimes was his undisguised lack of respect for Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. Matters came to a head during the 2025 budget presentation  on November 22, 2024 when he declared that he was neither too young nor lacked the requisite experience to run for the governorship “I have made it a personal task to mobilise people on the platform of Mandate, which has been misconstrued by some political detractors as being a selfish aspiration on the ground for me to become governor of the state,” he crowed impetuously.

“There is the need, however, to correct this wrong impression. My concern is about building our party, and whatever we do is mainly for this cause. To the blackmailers who have embarked on the mission to distort and redefine our mission, let me state it unequivocally here, our intention is to promote our party on the platform of Mandate. Becoming governor is secondary; it is something that I have not given serious consideration. Nevertheless, that does not mean I am too young or lack experience to run; whereas, those who have been before me are not better off.”

Of course, one of those that was there before him is President Bola Tinubu. Obasa’s needless outburst was political indiscretion stretched too far, a sacrilege reminiscent of the  Nza  bird, one of the smallest birds in Igbo folklore, that bumped into a sumptuous meal and after having his fill challenged his “Chi” (personal god) to a wrestling match. Little wonder that the same lawmakers who unanimously passed a vote of confidence in him, turned around barely two months later to sack him ignominiously 

Obasa must have realised by now that he actually did not belong to the ‘owners of Lagos club.’ When they met to decide his fate, he was not even summoned to defend himself. He was not emotionally intelligent. Now, he has become a political leper that no one wants to openly associate with. The visits to his house have drastically reduced. As the 2027 political signalling in Lagos State becomes clearer, things will get worse for him politically. It will even be more so as his capacity for political patronage shrinks.

Today, Agege, his constituency is calm and the people have moved on. His few hangers-on who wanted to demonstrate at the Lagos State House of Assembly were quickly rounded up by policemen and taken away in a Black Maria even as they were singing, “on your mandate we shall stand.”   That is the nature of politics. As Ndigbo would say,  onye bu igu ka ewu na eso  – a goat follows whoever has palm frond. Loyalties have shifted and there are no apologies.

But Obasa’s ouster shouldn’t be an end in itself. The lawmakers are within their rights to choose who leads them. They have exercised that right by replacing Obasa with Hon. Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, who has also made history as the first female Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly. But it is not just enough to impeach him.  In moving the impeachment motion under ‘Matters of Urgent Public Importance,’ which was adopted by 32 out of 40 members of the House, Hon. Femi Saheed made allegations of financial misconduct, abuse of office and authoritarian leadership against Obasa.   Most recently, there have been reports alleging that he approved the withdrawal of ¦ 43 billion for lawmakers’ vehicles. Most of these allegations were made by the lawmakers themselves, so it should be assumed that they are not frivolous.

It behoves, therefore, the State Assembly to submit a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe the fraud allegations against Obasa and the anti-fraud agency to do the needful. Not only that, Obasa claimed to have received a bachelor’s degree in Law from Lagos State University in 2006. But recently, a document which surfaced on the social media reveals that his name is not in the record of legal practitioners in Nigeria. The document, a response by the Supreme Court to a verification request by an anonymous petitioner on his status as a lawyer, was dated July 24, 2020 and signed by one Gertrude Karenton-Mordi on behalf of the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court.

Titled, “Re: Verification of Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa as a Solicitor and Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria,” the apex court, according to the document, advised the impeached Speaker to come forward with relevant documents for enrolment, as his name was not found in their records. Addressing the petitioner, the apex court wrote: “We acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 23rd July, 2020 on the above captured subject matter. This is to inform you that we have checked our records and cannot find the name: MUDASHIRU AJAYI OBASA on the numerous Rolls of Legal Practitioners kept in this Honourable Court.

MUDASHIRU AJAYI OBASA is at liberty to come to this Honourable Court with his Call to bar and qualifying certificates for enrolment. If he has done a change of name, he is expected to show proof of same.” Supreme Court spokesperson, Dr Fetus Akande, has confirmed the document, acknowledging that, “It emanated from our office.” Obasa’s apologists insist it is a non-issue because law degree, or in fact any university degree for that matter, is not a prerequisite for becoming a lawmaker or even Speaker.

That is true. The immediate past governor of Katsina State,  Aminu Bello Masari, became Speaker of the House of Representatives without any. That is how low the bar is when it comes to leadership in Nigeria. But it is a crime to ascend political office with forged certificates. I know that Obasa can challenge his accusers to cast the first stone if they can. And the truth is that they cannot. But that should not be the norm. Ours should not be a country where certificate forgers call the shots in public office without any consequences.