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Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, has urged opposition members to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in a bid to unseat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 elections.
El-Rufai made this known in a statement he personally signed on Monday, March 10, 2025, while announcing his resignation from the APC.
“Without prejudice to this decision, as a member of the SDP, I will focus on engaging with and persuading other opposition leaders and parties to join us and unite under a single democratic platform to challenge the APC in all elections and bye-elections between now and 2027, by the Grace of God.
“I, therefore, call on all our supporters and concerned Nigerians to join us in the SDP as we work towards making Nigeria a beacon of pride for Africans and the Black Race.”
El-Rufai’s decision follows a series of political consultations, including visits to former Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesola, cleric Pastor Tunde Bakare, and former President Muhammadu Buhari.
These meetings have fueled speculation about his political future and possible strategic alliances ahead of the 2027 elections.
Resignation from APC
In his statement, El-Rufai acknowledged his long-standing contributions to the APC but expressed disappointment with the party’s current direction.
“Founders naturally feel attached to institutions they helped build, but pragmatism demands recognition when differences become irreconcilable. I have diligently served the APC and contributed to its growth, but the party has since deviated, leaving me stuck in the vision of its well-meaning founders.
“As a loyal party member, I worked to secure the APC’s victories in 2015, 2019, and 2023. My tenure as governor of Kaduna State focused on progressive policies in education, healthcare, infrastructure, job creation, and investment promotion. However, in the last two years, the APC has sidelined its structures and treated its members with contempt. This is no longer acceptable.”
El-Rufai confirmed that he had officially resigned from the APC, effective immediately, after consulting his mentors, colleagues, and political loyalists across the country.
“Today, March 10, 2025, I submitted my resignation letter to my ward in Kaduna. Moving forward, I have decided to adopt the SDP as my platform for political engagement and activities.”
Singer Korede Bello has addressed concerns from fans regarding his relative absence from the public eye, sharing a deeply introspective message on Instagram.
In an Instagram post made over the weekend and accompanied by Carlos Cipa’s instrumental piece The Place Where They Go, Korede opened up about his journey of self-discovery and the significance of inner peace.
Responding to frequent inquiries about his whereabouts, the singer stated, “Whenever I hear or see comments like ‘Where have you been?’ I’m always usually kind of surprised. Why? Because I’ve been here all along, with me, myself and I.”
He highlighted the importance of self-awareness over external validation, adding, “I’m grateful that I don’t have to ask myself ‘Korede, where are you?’ For it is better for the world to ask ‘Where have you been’ than for you to ask yourself ‘Who am I…. where am I?’”
Korede also reflected on the often-overlooked struggles of fame, stating, “Don’t you know that you can be extremely rich and famous but lost inside your mind? I have come to realize that the more you connect with yourself the less the world connects with you.”alize that the more you connect with yourself, the less the world connects with you.”
The ‘Godwin’ singer acknowledged that deep self-reflection often leads to noticeable changes in one’s outlook and interactions.
“You think different, you act different because you are different. They might even say ‘Who do you think you are?…’ But this hero’s journey is so necessary because you cannot truly stand out until you stand out and become outstanding,” he said.
Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 2023, Adewole Adebayo, has welcomed former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai to the party.
Taking to X on Monday, Adebayo expressed his excitement, stating that El-Rufai’s entry strengthens the party’s mission to rescue Nigeria from years of poor governance and economic decline.
“On behalf of the teeming members of the @TheSDPNg and patriotic democrats who believe in Nigeria and her promise of inevitable greatness, I heartily welcome my dear brother @elrufai to our party.
“With the hardworking and sagacious Mallam joining our ranks, an avid worker for the people has been enlisted in our forces against poverty and insecurity,” Adebayo wrote.
He underscored the party’s commitment to fulfilling Chapter 2 of Nigeria’s Constitution, which addresses fundamental human rights, social justice and economic development.
Adebayo urged like-minded democrats and nationalists to join the SDP’s movement for national restoration.
“Good politics begets good governance. Let no one sit on the fence any further. There is no time to waste. Join us on the March Again! God bless Nigeria,” he added.
Natasha Osawuru, an Edo State House of Assembly member and the woman at the center of 2Baba’s latest love saga, has seen online, broke her silence after being accused of witchcraft by Rose Idibia, the singer’s mother.
It all began when 2Baba publicly confirmed his relationship with Natasha following his separation from Annie. In the wake of this revelation, his mother, in a viral video, expressed grave concerns, alleged that her son was no longer in his right mind.
She pointed fingers at Natasha, accused her of using jazz to control him and demanded that she remove the beads she had placed on his neck and wrist.
On Monday, March 10, Natasha reportedly addressed the allegations in an interview with renowned blogger Stella Dimoko Korkus.
She dismissed 2Baba’s mother’s claims of Juju, set the record straight about the much-debated beads.
As a princess from her royal lineage, Natasha revealed that the beads were sacred family heirlooms, gifted to her by her grandfather, the Esama of Benin, Chief Igbinedion.
According to her, 2Baba, known for his deep love for traditional accessories, admired them and decided to wear them, not under any spell, but purely out of appreciation for their cultural significance.
Natasha in Stella’s detailed interview, speaks;
“Those beads were given to me on my birthday, they represent a Princess from a Royal family, You know i am from the Igbinedion Royal Family.
“On my last Birthday, my mum gave me three nice beads, they call it “EZENEKA”which means River that never runs dry.
“The pearl on his neck was given to me by my grandad, the queen of England gave it to him when she was alive… You know my grandad was a knight to the Queen of England..
“So they are just traditional beads, he liked them and wore them, there is nothing to it and are not diabolical and do not also contain juju …
“I did not wear them on him, he saw them and liked them and wore them, if you observe you will see that he likes beads a lot and has been wearing several before now…”
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Popular content creator, actor, skit maker and activist, Adebowale “Debo” Adedayo, popularly known by his stage name, Mr Macaroni, has vowed not to acknowledge the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the next time they meet.
In the past, Mr Macaroni, has been caught on camera avoiding Sanwo-Olu at public functions. During one of those exchanges, he was forced to greet the governor.
However, Mr Macaroni has now made it clear on the microblogging platform X, that he will never again be cajoled to interact with Sanwo-Olu in the future. He wrote:
“This is the last time I will address this matter. It is not worth my peace of mind.
“Since you people won’t stop attacking me because I didn’t greet Governor Sanwoolu, next time I see him, I still won’t greet him.
“And this time, even if he calls me I won’t answer. You people will cry today, tomorrow and forever!”
Mr Macaroni’s grudge with Sanwo-Olu may not be unconnected with his arrest during the ENDSARS protest in 2021.Mr Macaroni
In January, comedian, Oluwaseyitan Aletile, also known as Seyi Law mocked Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, after skit maker Mr Macaroni vowed to continue snubbing him.
Seyi Law reacted to a post of Mr Macaroni’s where the skit maker ranted about how he was humiliated by the government, hence losing respect for it.
The comedian then mocked Lagos state governor for acting like he doesn’t know him, yet he reportedly begs Mr Macaroni for a handshake.
Omowunmi Aloba, widow of the late singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, caused a stir online with a deeply distressing live video that has left many shaken.
In the viral clip, Wunmi, her voice thick with fear and anguish, frantically cried out for help, claimed her little son, Liam, had been attacked.
The weight of her desperation was undeniable as she declared that she would never stay silent, unlike her late husband, who, according to her, remained quiet until the very end, only for his life to be cruelly taken.
With raw emotion spilling from her every word, Wunmi vowed to fight for Liam until her last breath, refusing to let history repeat itself.
She painted a chilling picture of the threats looming over her, recalled how she and her son were allegedly targeted for abduction and threatened with gun at Mohbad’s coroner’s inquest.
The terror in her voice made it clear she no longer felt safe, not inside her home, not outside, not anywhere.
As panic and uncertainty grip her, she pleaded with Nigerians, with anyone who still has a sense of justice, to come to her rescue.
According to her, Liam, an innocent child, is being dragged into a storm he never asked for, and she is determined not to let him become another casualty of silence.
Her desperate cry for help sparked concern among her live viewers, while others who saw the clip online reacted with worry, some raised eyebrows.
An ally to former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has claimed his supporters were not surprised by his resignation from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Recall that El-Rufai has officially resigned from the APC and joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP), citing irreconcilable differences with the ruling party’s leadership.
In a resignation letter submitted to his ward in Kaduna State on Monday, El-Rufai expressed disappointment with the APC’s trajectory in recent years.
El-Rufai, a founding member of the APC, played a key role in securing electoral victories for the party in 2015, 2019, and 2023. Reflecting on his tenure as Kaduna governor, he highlighted his administration’s focus on human development, education, healthcare, infrastructure, job creation, and investment.
Despite his contributions, he signaled his decision to part ways with the APC due to growing concerns about governance and internal party dynamics.
Announcing his move to the SDP, El-Rufai expressed gratitude to his mentors, colleagues, and supporters, reaffirming his commitment to advancing democratic principle
An ally, who served as a commissioner under El-Rufai’s administration, told Daily Trust on condition of anonymity that supporters of the former governor have been waiting for his resignation from APC.
“Yes, we are all aware that he (El-Rufai) will tender his resignation from APC today, Monday, 10th March 2025, and join SDP. That is all we have been waiting for,” the source said.
Justice Obiora Egwatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has fixed the suit filed by the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, for March 25, 2025, for hearing.
The suspended lawmaker had prayed the court for an order, restraining the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Privileges from investigating her over alleged misconduct after a face-off with Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, over a seating arrangement in the Red Chamber.
The court granted the order last week Wednesday, but the Senate on Thursday suspended Senator Natasha for six months after it considered the report of the Committee.
During the proceedings on Monday, counsel to Natasha, Michael Numa (SAN), informed the court that all parties had been served, adding that affidavits of service were before the court.
After going through the affidavits of service before the court, Justice Egwatu confirmed service of all processes on all Defendants.
At this point, Counsel to the third Defendant, the Senate President, Kehinde Ogunwumiju, SAN, prayed the court for an adjournment for all processes to be harmonised.
Other Counsels supported the move, stressing that this will facilitate accelerated hearing at the next adjourned date.
In his ruling, Justice Egwatu, therefore, adjourned the matter to March 25, 2025, and ordered that all the relevant processes should be served on parties before the adjourned date.
The Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Peter Nwaebonyi, who was present in court, said legal service was very important. He added that it was only when parties were properly served that they would be able to study the matter and respond accordingly.
He pointed out that it was strange for the court to interfere in the affairs of the Senate as the upper chamber only answered the call of the court for being a responsible and law-abiding institution.
British Monarch King Charles III has expressed love for Pidgin English after listening to music by Nigerian five-time Grammy nominee David Adeleke, popularly called Davido, who is on a 17-track playlist recently launched on Apple Music.
Recalls that King Charles launched his Apple music radio show, ‘The King’s Music Room,’ to share the songs that have brought him joy.
Speaking on the song’s inclusion, the King stated that he loves pidgin English, recalling his attempt to make a speech in Nigerian pidgin English when he last visited the West African country.
He was photographed at Buckingham Palace for the music project, with an “On Air” sign on the desk of the royal DJ saying, “The next is by a Nigerian Artist called Davido, and it is called ‘Kante.’
“It also features lyrics in pidgin, which I love in all its forms and which I attempted to make a speech with when I last visited Nigeria.
“I understand now; thanks to Afrobeats, it is becoming more popular.”
Davido is the only Nigerian on the king’s list alongside late South African music legend Mariam Makeba, whose song ‘The Click Song’ also made the playlist.
‘Kante,’ featuring Fave, is one of the hit songs from Davido’s Grammy-nominated album ‘Timeless,’ released in 2023.
The album enjoyed commercial success and set several streaming and charting records.
The Singapore Exchange plans to list bitcoin perpetual futures in the second half of 2025, targeting institutional clients and professional investors, Bloomberg News reported on Monday.
The firm thinks its offering will "significantly expand institutional market access", a spokesperson for firm told Bloomberg. Retail customers would be barred from trading the instruments, the report said.
(Reuters)
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Cryptocurrency prices extended their slide on Monday as escalating tariff war tensions and diminishing prospects of further Federal Reserve rate cuts offset a wave of pro-crypto announcements from President Donald Trump last week.
Risk assets like crypto have been under pressure since the US Fed signalled a pause in rate cuts in mid-December. Adding to the uncertainty, Friday’s labor data showed US unemployment stood at 4.1%, up from 4% last month.
Bitcoin fell as much as 3.7% early on Monday and later pared some of its losses to trade at $82,568 as of 11:30 in London.
“A large spike in ‘underemployment’ to 5 year highs has added fuel to recession fears and driven yields lower as rate cuts were pushed forward into early summer,” said Augustine Fan, a partner at crypto derivatives software provider SignalPlus.
Trump’s crypto-friendly stance, including an executive order to create a US Bitcoin reserve and a separate stockpile of other tokens, along with a high-profile summit with industry executives in Washington, has done little to lift market sentiment. While the administration pledged to capitalize the reserve with crypto seized in legal proceedings, the absence of fresh capital commitments disappointed investors.
“The market perceived the summit as underwhelming and top cryptocurrencies dropped after it was revealed that the widely anticipated crypto reserve would only hold existing government holdings,” said Jeff Mei, chief operating officer at crypto exchange BTSE.
The US currently owns about $17 billion worth of Bitcoin and about $400 million worth of several other tokens, largely attributable to asset forfeitures related to civil and criminal cases.
Investors are rationally more bullish on crypto given recent developments like the reduced US Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement, but other factors are more nuanced or even negative, said Ari Paul, co-founder of BlockTower Capital.
“The apparent capricious favoritism in the administration’s selection of assets for the strategic reserve — especially after the launching of Trump and Melania coins — is a strong deterrent to investors,” Paul said in a message. “It’s created the impression that the Trump administration is engaged in lobbying based selection and promotion of ‘insider’ assets, and that the cryptocurrency market today is largely a short-term trading casino,” he added.
Since February investors have withdrawn a net $4.4 billion from the group of US Bitcoin ETFs, which played a key role in the token’s record run last year. The largest cryptoasset is currently down 25% from its record high of $109,241 and the broader crypto market has lost over a trillion US dollar in market capitalization from its peak, according to CoinGecko.
“Bitcoin could very well drop to the $70,000-$80,000 range in the coming weeks. Only when this tariff war ends and the Fed resumes cutting rates will top cryptocurrencies resume trending towards previous all-time highs,” Mei added.
[Bloomberg]
Bitcoin falls below $83,000 as Trump's pro-crypto push fails to impress and recession fears grow
Admin
Bitcoin tumbled as low as $80,000 on Sunday, slightly bouncing back before hitting a new low this year, as fears of a recession loom.
The cryptocurrency is down almost 2% and trading at around $82,860 as of Monday morning, marking a more than 10% decline over the past seven days and 1% in the last 24 hours. Ethereum has been down 1% over the last 24 hours, as are Tether and XRP, while Solana has been down 4%. Cardano has shed 2% over in that time, adding to a 24% decline over the last week.
Crypto stocks are behaving much like the broader market, as President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China spark fears of a recession. Major business groups have warned that Trump’s planned taxes on imports of foreign goods will hurt their industries and consumers.
Goldman Sachs (GS) said on Friday that the likelihood of a recession within the next 12 months has increased to 20% from 15%. If the White House continues with additional tariffs, such as the planned 25% duties on aluminum and steel set to kick in on March 12, the bank said the risk of a recession could increase.
On Sunday, Trump was asked by Fox News (FOXA) host Maria Bartiromo if he was expecting a recession this year. The president didn’t deny that was a potential outcome.
“I hate to predict things like that,” Trump replied. “There is a period of transition, because what we’re doing is very big. We’re bringing wealth back to America. That’s a big thing, and there are always periods of, it takes a little time. It takes a little time, but I think it should be great for us.”
Crypto stocks also didn’t react favorably to the president’s plans to establish a strategic Bitcoin reserve and a separate stockpile of digital assets. The U.S. owns more than 198,000 Bitcoin, worth about $16.6 billion, according to Arkham, along with hundreds of millions of dollars worth of other cryptocurrencies.
After a wave of support from the Securities and Exchange Commission, which withdrew litigation against major crypto firms and declared that memecoins are generally not securities, some in the industry had expected something more from the president. Others have praised the initiative and said it would benefit Bitcoin in the long-term.
Trump, who has slapped his name on a few crypto projects, on Friday was somewhat optimistic about the industry, telling a group of industry leaders that “we feel like pioneers in a way.”
“From this day on, America will follow the rule that every bitcoin knows very well: Never sell your Bitcoin. That’s a little phrase that they have,” he said at the White House’s crypto summit. “I don’t know if that’s right or not. Who the hell knows, right? Who knows? Who knows, but so far, it’s been right, and well, let’s keep it that way.”
[Quartz]
A Standard Chartered analyst said that while implementing President Donald Trump's most recent executive order, the U.S. government may buy Bitcoin using multiple budget-neutral approaches.
According to a report by decrypt, Geoff Kendrick, who is the global director of digital assets research at the UK bank, the policies would steer clear of "incremental costs on United States taxpayers," forbidden under Trump's creation of a strategic Bitcoin reserve on Thursday.
The U.S. government could buy Bitcoin via "several budget-neutral means," including selling some of its gold reserves or tapping into the Treasury's ERF, which has $39 billion in net assets, as Kendrick wrote in a Friday research note.
Impact of 'gold card' on global finance
First presenting the idea of the "Gold Card" on February 25, 2025, President Donald Trump proposed a new immigration program providing U.S. residence and a road to citizenship for a $5 million investment.
Targeting wealthy people to enhance economic development, this project seeks to replace the current EB-5 visa program.
Experts are now sharing their thoughts about it.
Adding to the discussion, crypto industry experts like David Balikey, the CEO of Bitcoin Magazine, recommend that the U.S. also use Bitcoin for its immigration policy, suggesting that "President Trump should accept Bitcoin paid into the SBR in exchange for the "Gold Card. "
The Gold Card is a measure that would potentially help net-worth billionaires avoid capital restrictions in more and more developing countries.
"Many elites in emerging markets want to live in the U.S. but struggle to move $5M in USD out of their home countries. Bitcoin offers a simpler, safer, and more discreet solution." Bailey wrote in a recent post on social media.
Drawing on a recent Deutsche Bank report, Matthew Sigel, head of digital assets research at VanEck U.S., also chimed in, saying the economic and geopolitical advantages of a Bitcoin reserve asset for the U.S., noting that Bitcoin could help cement American dominance in digital finance.
Launching the U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve to reconstruct the financial markets as such steps would reflect U.S. confidence in Bitcoin as a hedge against inflation and dollar devaluation.
[The Street]
2027: Aregbesola, Fayemi, Others Set To Join SDP As Peter Obi, Atiku Factions Join Alliance – Source
Admin
Emerging reports have it that former Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, and former Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi are in talks to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
The source in the report also has it that former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, former Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Adamu, some aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as well as some former Ministers who served during the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari are in talks to join the SDP.
According to a source, the coalition efforts from the opposition will involve Atiku Abubakar’s faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi’s faction of Labour Party (LP), and Nasir Elrufai, who recently defected to the SDP.
The opposition parties are reportedly planning on joining forces under an existing registered party. However, if they are unable to agree on a shared platform within the party they intend to join, they will opt to align with the SDP instead, according to sources quoted by our correspondent.
Recall that former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kola Ologbondiyan, has said merger talk from opposition politicians has been gaining success.
Speaking on AIT Focus programme, on Monday, Ologbondiyan stated that the opposition politicians would come out with what would give Nigerians hope.
The former PDP spokesman said defeating the current government would be easy with what the opposition political leaders would be bringing out.
[NaijaNews]