Popular Nigerian skitmaker and activist Adebowale Adedayo who is popularly known as Mr Macaroni, has reignited political discourse on social media after replying to a series of old tweets made by President Bola Tinubu in 2014, during the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

The tweets, originally posted when Tinubu was a vocal opposition leader under the All Progressives Congress (APC), criticised the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over issues of national trust, security, and leadership competence.

Mr Macaroni reworded and reposted the same tweets, only replacing the PDP and Jonathan’s names with APC and Tinubu’s, to highlight what many see as similar or worsening issues under the current administration.

One of Tinubu’s tweets from September 24, 2014 read, “The entire nation has lost its trust in the ruling party, PDP. It is a challenging time and we have to be very careful.”

Mr Macaroni responded with a mirrored post, “The entire nation has lost its trust in the ruling party, APC. It is a challenging time and we have to be very careful.”

He also referenced another 2014 tweet where Tinubu condemned attacks on Christian worshippers and questioned then-President Jonathan’s competence.

“The slaughtering of Christian worshippers is strongly condemnable. It calls to question the competence of Jonathan to protect Nigerians,” Tinubu tweeted in 2014.

Mr Macaroni responded with nearly identical wording, questioning President Tinubu’s ability to protect Nigerians amid ongoing insecurity in parts of the country.

“The slaughtering of Christian worshippers is strongly condemnable. It calls to question the competence of Tinubu to protect Nigerians.”

Tinubu had also tweeted in 2014, “Nigeria’s security situation is precarious, Nigerians are tired of excuses and explanations. They want protection for their lives and property.”

In reaction, Mr Macaroni retweeted, “Nigeria’s security situation is precarious Nigerians are tired of excuses and explanations. They want protection for their lives and property.”

The United States Department of Homeland Security said Harvard University will lose its privilege to enroll foreign students if it does not meet the Trump administration’s requirements to share information on some visa holders.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem also announced on Wednesday that two DHS grants totalling more than $2.7 million to Harvard will be terminated.

Noem said she wrote a letter to Harvard demanding records on what she called the “illegal and violent activities” of Harvard’s foreign student visa holders by April 30.

“And if Harvard cannot verify it is in full compliance with its reporting requirements, the university will lose the privilege of enrolling foreign students,” Noem said in a statement.

A Harvard spokesperson said the university knew Noem’s letter “regarding grant cancellations and scrutiny of foreign student visas.”

The spokesperson said the university stood by its statement earlier in the week to “not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights” while saying it will comply with the law.

Trump’s administration has threatened universities with federal funding cuts over pro-Palestinian campus protests against United States ally Israel’s devastating military assault on Gaza after a deadly October 2023 attack by Palestinian Hamas militants.

Trump casts the protesters as foreign policy threats who are antisemitic and sympathetic to Hamas.

Protesters, including some Jewish groups, said the Trump administration wrongly conflates their advocacy for Palestinian rights and criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza with support for extremism and antisemitism.

The Trump administration is also attempting to deport some foreign protesters and has revoked hundreds of visas across the country.

“With a $53.2 billion endowment, Harvard can fund its own chaos – DHS won’t,” Noem said, adding an “anti-American, pro-Hamas ideology” existed at Harvard.

Operatives of the Kano State Hisbah Board have arrested a 24-year-old man, Shamsu Yakubu, for allegedly engaging in an obscene act with a she goat.

Shamsu was captured in a viral video on social media licking the genitalia of the animal. The suspect, a resident of Dawakin Kudu local government area of Kano State, was apprehended on Tuesday after the video surfaced on TikTok.

He was heard instructing another unseen person to film him in the act. The footage has sparked widespread outrage among residents of the State and netizens on social media.

In the video, Shamsu says he was doing the act to gain attention online. When questioned, he admitted to staging the scene in an attempt to “to trend” and gain fame on social media platforms.

His queer behaviour has been met with strong condemnation from his community members, some of whom threatened to take matters into their own hands. However, a local community leader intervened and reported the incident to the Islamic Police known as Hisbah Board, prompting swift action.

During initial interrogation by the Hisbah operatives, Shamsu denied actually licking the goat’s genitalia, claiming he merely placed his mouth close to the animal’s private part. He also insisted it was the first time he had done anything of the sort and promised not to repeat the behaviour.

The suspect further denied being under the influence of drugs or any intoxicating substance at the time. Nonetheless, the Hisbah Board has ordered comprehensive psychiatric and drug evaluations to ascertain his mental and physical state.

Reacting to the incident, the Deputy Commander-General of the Hisbah Board, Sheikh Mujahidden Aminuddeen Abubakar, strongly condemned Shamsu’s actions, describing them as not only disgraceful but also deeply offensive to Islamic teachings and moral standards.

“It is tragic that a Muslim man would subject himself to such a disgraceful act, ignoring all religious and ethical values. This individual clearly lacks any proper understanding of Islam. His pursuit of cheap social media fame has led him into disgrace,” Sheikh Abubakar said.

The Hisbah Board reaffirmed its commitment to upholding moral values and warned against any attempts to erode the cultural and religious fabric of the state through indecent acts, especially those shared publicly for attention-seeking.

Fresh insight has emerged regarding the delay in the appointment of Nigerian ambassadors, with Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar confirming that the list of nominees has been with President Bola Tinubu for over a year.

Minister Tuggar noted that steps are being taken to stabilize funding and improve the sustainability of Nigeria’s foreign service infrastructure.

“First is ensuring the stability in the exchange rates… now we have a single exchange rate that allows for stability and predictability,” he explained.

He added that the ministry had presented a memo to the Federal Executive Council to begin rationalizing foreign properties and pursue public-private partnerships aimed at making some missions self-sustaining.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has endorsed Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno’s bid for a second term—barely 24 hours after the latter publicly endorsed President Bola Tinubu for re-election.

Governor Eno, a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had on Tuesday declared his support for President Tinubu to serve a second term in office.

The gesture was reciprocated by Akpabio, a key leader within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Speaking at a public lecture hosted by the Faculty of Social Science at the University of Uyo, Akpabio lauded the governor’s rare political gesture and pledged the support of the party in return.

“Sir, for doing that, I am a member of the All Progressives Congress. I am speaking for the elders and to tell you we are also going to support you for a second term,” the Senate President declared, leading to applause from attendees, including Governor Eno.

“We will support you in whatever aspiration you have. Yesterday, you broke a record by being the first opposition governor to declare support for a second term bid of Mr Tinubu,” Akpabio added during his goodwill remarks at the lecture.

Akpabio was represented at the event by Saviour Enyiekere, Chairperson of the National Assembly Service Commission.

The event also doubled as a celebration of Governor Eno’s recent academic achievement. The governor, an alumnus of the University of Uyo, had recently earned a doctorate in Political Science with a specialisation in Public Administration. He served as guest speaker at the event, delivering a speech on “Leading Economic Development in Sub-Nationals of the Nigerian Federation: The Arise Agenda.”

The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, on Wednesday, April 16, called for peace and unity among Nigerians across all regions, ethnicities, and religions.

Shettima said Nigerians have no business fighting each other no matter the provocation.

The Vice President said this during the Validation Workshop on Framework for the Anticipatory Action for Nigeria at the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Office of the National Security Adviser in Abuja.

Condemning the repeated killings by some yet-to-be-identified gunmen in Plateau state, Shetiltima said Nigerians should rather be United in fighting poverty.

He said, “We have no business fighting each other. We should be fighting poverty. 

“The heart of the President bleeds, as does my heart and the heart of every conscientious Nigerian and African, with the tragedy unfolding in Plateau State.”

Pan-Yoruba sociopolitical organization, Afenifere, has criticized the policies of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, saying it is working against democratic federalism.

The group added that the actions of President Tinubu have been autocratic and targeted at silencing all dissenting voices.

Naija News reports that the position of Afenifere was made known by the faction loyal to late Pa Ayo Adebanjo in a statement signed by its leader, Oba Oladipo Olaitan and National Publicity Secretary, Prince Justice Faloye.

The group argued that the current administration led by Tinubu is “de-structuring the Nigerian federation” and “stifling democratic freedoms.”

It accused the Tinubu government of usurping the federating units, the judiciary and the legislative arm, displaying unrestricted abuse of basic rights of freedom of speech and association, spiralling insecurity, and destruction of the country’s economic fabric, among other things.

It also specifically condemned the ban of the song, ‘Tell Your Papa’ by Eedris Abdulkareem.

According to the Afenifere faction, “Instead of restructuring towards a prosperous egalitarian federation, President Tinubu is destructuring Nigeria with his autocratic attack on the fundamental pillars of democratic federalism.

“With the blatant usurpation of the federating units, the judiciary and the legislative arm, the abuse of basic rights of freedom of speech and association, spiralling insecurity, and destruction of our economic fabric, and among other things, we can’t but wonder how much more can the federation take before imploding, and the wheels come off our manifest destiny.

“Freedom of speech, a basic tenet of democracy, has repeatedly been under attack. This suppression of democratic freedoms, most instantiated by the banning of ‘Tell Your Papa’ by Eedris Abdulkareem, a fair response to the atrocious claims made by Seyi Tinubu on the state of the nation.

“The autocratic ban signals a leadership tendency that is disconnected from citizens’ realities, essentially inclined to maintaining autocratic control than fostering a milieu of freedom and creativity. The ban destructs the principles of democracy, is evidence of the increasing disregard for dissenting voices in Nigeria, potentially silencing artists and stifling creativity and the progress we need to move forward as a society.”

Growing Insecurity

The group blamed the growing insecurity and attacks in some parts of the country on the inability of the government to manage the affairs of citizens, leading to frustration in many quarters.

“Insecurity incidents, as contained in the recent report of HumAngle’s Conflict Tracker, have accounted for the death of 1,420 Nigerians, with over 537 reportedly kidnapped across the country in the first quarter of 2025,” it said.

Demand For State Police

Afenifere, however, said the establishment of State Police would go a long way in addressing the various security challenges. It also called on the government to consider ranching as a way to prevent further clashes among farmers and herders in the country.

“The renewed unrestrained violence of Fulani herdsmen and bandits highlight the need for the government to address the root cause of these conflicts-open grazing- and outrightly ban it, while enforcing and promoting the more sustainable and safe alternative- ranching.”

“Specifically, we call on the government to deploy effective security strategies to protect lives and property, ensuring Nigerians can live without fear of violence or attack. We, again, call for the establishment of state police to complement existing internal security architecture.

“Politics aside, all management principles and best practices inform us that a single police hierarchy is not sufficient to provide the security required by a nation of our size and diversity.

“Yet due to personal political consideration, the Tinubu government has refused to create State Police as killings and kidnapping rise, threatening our national cohesiveness,” the group added.

A former House of Representatives minority leader and Muhammadu Buhari’s ally, Farouk Adamu Aliu has accused erstwhile governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai of undermining Northern unity for personal reasons.

Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television Politics Today, Aliu questioned El-Rufai’s shift in stance regarding President Bola Tinubu.

He pointed out how the former governor rallied Northern Governors to support Tinubu’s presidential candidacy, but has now decided to jump ship after failing to secure a ministerial position.

He said, “We the elites of this country are simply not being fair to the people. We don’t kill ourselves, so why do we allow the masses to kill themselves for our own selfish reasons?

“When Tinubu was contesting to be President, El-Rufai led the Governors of the North to challenge the Northern Elders to do the right thing and support President Tinubu.”

Aliu expressed disappointment at El-Rufai’s recent criticisms of Tinubu, suggesting that El-Rufai’s discontent stemmed from not securing a ministerial appointment.

“Now, because he didn’t get a ministerial appointment, Tinubu is suddenly a bad man?” Aliu questioned.

He reminded that Buhari’s victory was achieved with Tinubu’s assistance, questioning El-Rufai’s sudden shift in perspective, “Buhari got elected with Tinubu’s assistance, now because Tinubu is in government, all of a sudden he doesn’t like the North?”

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Director-General of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Ladan Salihu, has emphasised the necessity of a united opposition to defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.

Speaking during a Thursday appearance on The Morning Brief on Channels Television, Salihu declared that collaboration among political parties is the only viable path to reclaim power from the APC.

“We all agreed during our meeting with Atiku and others that we should go into a coalition with other political parties to democratically rescue power from the APC. Coming together is strategic, helpful, and will generate the numbers necessary to succeed,” Salihu revealed.

Naija News reports that this aligns with recent remarks by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who signalled that any forthcoming opposition alliance ahead of 2027 will not be confined to just one political platform.

The former FRCN DG cautioned that without such alignment, President Bola Tinubu’s re-election would be almost guaranteed. “From where we stand today, there’s no way the PDP alone can secure victory. If we don’t collaborate and bring all stakeholders under one umbrella, Tinubu will return,” he warned.

Beyond coalition politics, Salihu also raised serious concerns about internal power dynamics within the PDP. He criticised the recent PDP Governors’ Forum meeting held in Ibadan, labelling it a breach of the party’s constitution.

“The PDP has a pedigree and history guided by its constitution, just like any country operates under the rule of law,” he said. “What we saw with the outcome of the governors’ meeting in Ibadan was a misstep. It appears to me that the Governors’ Forum has taken over the powers of the National Executive Committee (NEC), and that is unconstitutional.”

Salihu noted that the actions of the governors could weaken the party’s internal democracy. “To assume that a forum within the party can come up, organise a national convention, create committees with chairmen and members from within itself, and assume full control of the party structure — that is overriding and unconstitutional,” he stated.

He also pointed to the conspicuous absence of members from the National Working Committee (NWC) and NEC during the governors’ meeting, calling the development exclusionary.

“Everything I have seen in the actions of the Governors’ Forum is an abuse of the constitutionality of the PDP,” Salihu said.

Reflecting on the party’s past missteps, he issued a stern warning: “If this trend continues, it would be as though we are a party that shoots first and aims later. We end up in blame games when we lose, instead of taking timely and strategic decisions. The governors must not be dictatorial.”

Unknown hoodlums armed with cutlasses and firearms reportedly attacked the family residence of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan in the early hours of Tuesday, April 16, 2025, in the Obeiba-Ihima area of Okehi Local Government Area, Kogi State.

According to intelligence sources, the attack occurred around 1:00 a.m., and at least three armed individuals were involved in vandalizing the building, including shattering window panes.

The incident was promptly reported by the Senator’s Chief Security Officer, Yakubu Ovanja, to the relevant security authorities.

Following a distress alert, security operatives from the Okehi Division were swiftly deployed to the scene.

While no casualties were reported and no arrests have been made, security teams have documented the damage, and preliminary investigations are underway.

According to Zagazola Makama, Police sources have indicated that the motive behind the attack remains unclear.

As of press time, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, a prominent political figure in Kogi Central Senatorial District, had not issued a public statement regarding the incident.

The investigation is ongoing, with authorities working to determine the attackers’ motives and identify those responsible for the attack.