Flowerbud News

Year: 2026

  • People’s Votes Must Count in August 2026 – Governor Adeleke

    People’s Votes Must Count in August 2026 – Governor Adeleke

     

    Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has warned that vote of the people must count in August 15th governorship election in Osun State saying that is the only way to protect the Nigerian democratic system.

    Governor Adeleke gave this charge while hosting members of the Public Accounts Committee of the House of Representatives in his office, a statement by Mal. Olawale Rasheed, Spokesman to the Governor has disclosed.

    Governor Adeleke, while welcoming the lawmakers, led by their Chairman, Hon. Bamidele Salam, urged Nigerians to learn from history, stressing the importance of free and fair elections as a foundation for the sustenance of democracy. “Credible election is not optional but a compulsory process to safeguard the democratic system,” the Governor noted.

    “For us in Osun State, August 15 is a critical phase for national democratic evolution. As the last major election before the general elections of 2027, Osun is in the eyes of the nation and the world. We, therefore, must get it right by enforcing free and fair polls.”

    The Governor used the occasion to highlight some of the achievements of his administration, saying delivery of good governance serves as the watchwords of his administration. “We have completed several projects abandoned by the previous governments while we initiated and completed several new ones. We are paying billions of naira of inherited half salaries and pension debt which the previous administration refused to touch. Our government initiated and implemented several policies and projects in health, education, sports, ICT, cooperative empowerment, agriculture, infrastructure, financial inclusion, economy, and business, among others. We received honours and awards in programmes and competitions organised even by several federal agencies.” Governor Adeleke declared.

    Earlier in his remarks on behalf of the committee, Deputy Chairman, Hon. Jeremiah Umar, appreciated the Governor for turning Osun into a giant construction site. He wondered how the Governor was able to do so much for the people in barely three years with records that surpassed the achievements of his predecessors.

    While recommending the Governor for awards in good governance, the Deputy Chairman of Public Accounts of the House of Representatives lauded the transformation of the state’s economy through tax harmonization, increase in IGR, workers’ welfare, and revitalisation of the healthcare system.

    “When we were coming, we saw flyovers in different places in Osogbo and other towns. Opposite the State Government Secretariat, we saw a dual carriageway being constructed and other projects. In fact, you have turned the state into a giant construction site. This could not have been done other than by a man that has people at heart.”

    “When we interrogated residents of the state about the dancing Governor, we were told that Your Excellency has renovated over 200 primary health centres across the state.”

    “In terms of education, we realised that the two state universities are making waves, especially the University of Ilesa that you established, which has recorded over 100 courses accreditation, while UNIOSUN also got full final accreditation to graduate medical doctors, a feat that can only be attained by Imole.” concluded the Committee’s Deputy Chairman.

     

  • “Who Authorized You to Turn Our Region Into a Battlefield?” — UAE Billionaire Al Habtoor Confronts Trump Over Escalating Wars

    “Who Authorized You to Turn Our Region Into a Battlefield?” — UAE Billionaire Al Habtoor Confronts Trump Over Escalating Wars

     

    A storm of political controversy has erupted across the Middle East after prominent Emirati billionaire Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor publicly challenged U.S. President Donald Trump over his administration’s growing military involvement across several regions of the world. In a strongly worded open message that quickly spread across social media and

    A storm of political controversy has erupted across the Middle East after prominent Emirati billionaire Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor publicly challenged U.S. President Donald Trump over his administration’s growing military involvement across several regions of the world. In a strongly worded open message that quickly spread across social media and international news platforms, the Dubai-based businessman questioned the authority and rationale behind Washington’s recent military actions, warning that the decisions could drag the Middle East into a dangerous and unnecessary conflict.

    Al Habtoor, the founder and chairman of the influential Al Habtoor Group, did not hold back in his remarks. Addressing Trump directly, he asked what many in the region are now quietly wondering: “Who authorized you to drag our region into a war?” The billionaire’s message came amid escalating tensions following U.S. strikes linked to the widening conflict involving Iran and its allies, which has already triggered retaliatory attacks and fears of a broader regional war.

    In his lengthy statement, Al Habtoor accused the U.S. president of abandoning one of his most prominent campaign promises — to keep America out of foreign wars and focus primarily on domestic priorities. According to the Emirati businessman, Trump had pledged during his campaign that his leadership would place the United States first and avoid the kind of international military entanglements that had defined previous administrations. However, Al Habtoor argued that the reality of Trump’s second term appears to tell a very different story.

    The billionaire claimed that during the current administration, the United States has launched or participated in military interventions across at least seven countries, including Somalia, Iraq, Yemen, Nigeria, Syria, Iran and Venezuela. These operations, he said, were accompanied by naval deployments in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean. In his view, such actions contradict the image of restraint and non-intervention that Trump once promised American voters.

    Even more striking were the numbers cited in the businessman’s criticism. Al Habtoor stated that more than 658 foreign airstrikes were carried out during Trump’s first year back in office — a figure he noted is roughly equivalent to the total number of strikes conducted during the entire presidency of former U.S. President Joe Biden. For Al Habtoor, the statistics highlight what he sees as a dramatic escalation of U.S. military engagement abroad, especially for a president who had previously criticized earlier administrations for dragging America into costly wars.

    The billionaire also raised concerns about the political consequences of such policies within the United States itself. He pointed to declining approval ratings for Trump since the beginning of his second term, suggesting that Americans may be increasingly uneasy about the country becoming involved in another prolonged conflict overseas. According to the figures referenced in his statement, the president’s approval rating has reportedly dropped by around nine percent within just 400 days of his second inauguration.

    For Al Habtoor, the issue goes beyond politics or polling numbers. He argued that the greatest concern is the human and economic cost that war can bring, not only for the United States but also for countries across the Middle East. The region, he warned, could become the immediate battlefield if tensions escalate further.

    “Did you calculate the collateral damage before pulling the trigger?” he asked in the statement, adding that the first victims of any escalation would likely be the countries of the region themselves. His remarks echoed a growing anxiety among business leaders and policymakers in Gulf countries who fear that their economies — heavily reliant on stability, energy markets and international investment — could be severely disrupted by prolonged conflict.

    The criticism carries particular weight because Al Habtoor is not just any commentator. Over the decades, he has built one of the Middle East’s most prominent conglomerates, with interests spanning hospitality, automotive dealerships, real estate, education and publishing. His business empire operates across multiple continents and plays a significant role in the Gulf region’s economy. As a result, his views often reflect broader concerns among influential business circles in the region.

    Observers say it is relatively rare for high-profile Gulf business leaders to publicly challenge a sitting U.S. president, particularly given the long-standing economic and strategic ties between Washington and Gulf states. In recent years, countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have pledged trillions of dollars in investments into the U.S. economy, strengthening economic ties between the regions.

    However, the latest escalation in regional tensions appears to be testing those relationships. Iran’s retaliatory actions following U.S. and allied strikes have already included missile and drone attacks targeting U.S. and allied assets in the Gulf, increasing fears that the conflict could expand further. Analysts warn that prolonged instability could disrupt energy supplies, weaken investor confidence and force Gulf nations to redirect resources toward defense spending rather than international investments.

    Against this backdrop, Al Habtoor’s message emphasized the need for transparency and accountability in decisions that could lead to war. He argued that true leadership should not be measured solely by displays of military power but by the ability to exercise wisdom and pursue peace.

    “True leadership is not measured by war decisions,” he wrote, “but by wisdom, respect for others, and pushing toward achieving peace.”

    His statement concluded with a call for clarity regarding the motivations behind the escalating military actions and the broader strategy guiding them. If military initiatives were launched in the name of peace, he argued, then governments have a responsibility to explain those decisions clearly to the people who will ultimately bear the consequences.

    As the conflict continues to unfold, Al Habtoor’s rare public rebuke of the U.S. president has sparked intense debate across political and economic circles. Some analysts see the message as a sign of growing frustration among Gulf elites who fear that geopolitical tensions could jeopardize decades of economic progress in the region. Others believe it represents a broader warning that even traditional allies may begin questioning Washington’s strategy if the conflict continues to expand.

    For now, the outspoken billionaire’s words have added another layer of pressure to an already volatile international situation. Whether the criticism will influence diplomatic discussions or policy decisions remains uncertain. What is clear, however, is that voices from within the region are increasingly demanding answers — and asking who truly benefits from a war that many believe the Middle East never asked for.

  • How to Strengthen West Africa’s Security Against Terrorism, Violent Extremism

    How to Strengthen West Africa’s Security Against Terrorism, Violent Extremism

     

    *By Paul Ejime

    *Nigeria reached out to the U.S. and Ghana for cooperation before the American military strikes against Jihadist terrorist groups in December 2025, – Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Ablakwa*

    Africa’s Sahel region, extending to West Africa, is regarded as the epicentre of global terrorism, with insecurity disrupting governance and leading to unnecessary loss of lives and humanitarian displacements.

    The erstwhile multilateral frameworks, such as the G5 Sahel, the Accra Declaration on Terrorism and Unconstitutional Change of Government, and the Multinational Joint Task Force (MJTF), involving intelligence sharing and commitment to fight illicit financing of terrorism, have either stalled or are tottering.

    To address these hydra-headed issues, Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar and his Ghanaian counterpart, Hon. Samuel Ablakwa, were special guests at a programme organised on Monday, 9th March, by Chatham House, London, UK’s prominent policy and research think tank, also known as the Royal Institute of International Affairs.

    Under the theme: *How can West Africa strengthen its collective security against violent extremism?* , the programme was streamed online and featured a Q&A session. Researchers, serving and former diplomats, government officials and journalists were among the attendees.

    On America’s military strikes against jihadists/terrorists in Nigeria on 25th December 2025, Minister Ablakwa disclosed that the Nigerian government “reached out to the U.S. and Ghana for cooperation,” before the operation, adding: “Ghana has no foreign military base, what is happening in the Middle East vindicates that position.”

    The Minister explained that Ghana handled military/security collaboration on a “case-by-case basis,” prioritizing its sovereignty and national interest.

    He outlined the country’s counterterrorism and security strategy, including the government’s “presence in all the country’s districts through the District Security Council (DISEC)” and a plan to establish a Warfare Centre at Tamale.

    Minister Ablakwa described violent extremism and terrorism as serious threats to the international community, requiring global cooperation to tackle.

    On the implications of a possible defeat of the Shiite Muslim-controlled Iran in the ongoing war, given the significant population of Shiite Muslims in some ECOWAS member States, he explained that Ghana prioritizes religious tolerance and inclusiveness over sect differentiation.

    As a demonstration of this, he said the Chief Imam, as the head of all Muslims in Ghana, celebrated his 80th birthday anniversary in a Catholic Church, while Christians and members of other faiths treated Muslims as brothers and sisters.

    Nigerian Minister Yusuf Tuggar began by describing the insecurity problem in the region as complex and warned against its “wrong framing,” adding: “it is wrong to categorise the problem in Nigeria as Christian genocide, because sometimes it is banditry and criminal acts” against adherents of all religions.

    He said the three Alliance of Sahel States, AES – Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, pulled out of the 15 Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) by their junta leaders were still “integral to the regional security and anti-terrorism strategy.”

    Amb. Tuggar also reiterated his earlier position that the U.S. military strikes on terrorist groups in Nigeria were a joint operation, while noting that America’s role in Nigeria remained “indirect and supportive, and not direct boots-on-ground.”
    He explained that Nigeria and other ECOWAS member States have the capacity to manage conflicts as happened in Liberia and Sierra Leone.

    Minister Tuggar said Russia’s influence in West Africa, through the private military agency, Wagner, replaced by the state-run Africa Corps, “is not great”, although Moscow’s real intention “remains unclear.”

    He said Nigeria was still collaborating with the AES countries, including Niger, adding that a state visit was being planned for the leader of Chad, a neighbouring Central African country to Nigeria.

    Both foreign affairs ministers argued that the withdrawal of the AES countries has not weakened ECOWAS.

    Hon. Ablakwa said the AES countries “seeking a reset of their relations with France should be solidarized with… we need them onboard, and those kinds of discussions need to be held.”

    He also acknowledged that “corruption, collapse of states, climate change effects, inadequate grazing land, alienation of the grassroots and the absence of democratic dividends and dysfunctional social contract between government and the citizens,” fuelled discontentment in Africa.

    The minister emphasised a return to the vision of Ghana’s independence leader, Kwame Nkrumah, on African unity, the dismantling of artificial boundaries and greater intra-African trade and cooperation to reduce tensions among the continent’s estimated 1.3 billion people.

    While agreeing with Hon. Ablakwa on the need for government presence at the grassroots, Amb. Tuggar said that in Nigeria, the governance system was working at the Federal and State levels compared to the Local Government areas.

    Independent analysts link insecurity in West Africa to poor governance, disaffection among neglected/alienated segments of society, a lack of public trust, corruption, and mismanagement of national resources, coupled with complicity, denial, and misguided policies by political leaders, compounded by ineffective regional collaboration and external interference.

    The situation may not change, or could even worsen, in the region without an intentional recalibration of strategies to facilitate lasting solutions that prioritise the interests of the majority, rather than the current leaders’ laser focus on themselves, their families, and close associates in the privileged class.

    *Ejime is a Global Affairs Analyst and Consultant on Strategic Governance Communications*

  • Repete Rising: A New Dawn for Ibadan North

    Repete Rising: A New Dawn for Ibadan North

    In the heartbeat of Ibadan North,
    Where history speaks through ancient streets
    And the future waits in hopeful eyes,
    A new rhythm rises — bold, steady, certain.

    Hon. Khalil Mustapha Adegboyega — Repete.

    A name whispered in gratitude,
    Spoken in trust,
    And echoed in the voices of market women,
    Artisans, youths, elders, and dreamers alike.

    He does not walk ahead of the people;
    He walks with them.
    He does not promise from a distance;
    He listens at close range.

    Repete —
    A servant of the streets he grew up in,
    A bridge between today’s struggles
    And tomorrow’s possibilities.

    In classrooms where ambition seeks support,
    In communities where enterprise needs empowerment,
    In homes where hope must be rekindled,
    His vision stands clear —
    Opportunity for all,
    Representation with integrity,
    Leadership with accountability.

    Ibadan North deserves more than politics as usual.
    It deserves purposeful legislation.
    It deserves a voice that speaks firmly
    And acts decisively.

    Repete carries not just ambition,
    But responsibility.
    Not just aspiration,
    But action.

    His journey is built on compassion.
    His mission is powered by service.
    His campaign is anchored on unity.

    To the youths — he brings empowerment.
    To the women — inclusion and support.
    To the business community — growth and stability.
    To every ward and every street —
    A promise of visible impact.

    This is not just a candidacy.
    It is a movement of hope.
    A declaration that Ibadan North can rise higher.
    That representation can be responsive.
    That leadership can be people-centered.

    Hon. Khalil Mustapha Adegboyega (Repete)
    Stands ready —
    To serve,
    To lead,
    To deliver.

    Ibadan North,
    The dawn is here.

  • Trump threatens to hit Iran ‘20 times harder’ if Strait of Hormuz closes

     

    Trump threatens to hit Iran ‘20 times harder’ if Strait of Hormuz closes

    MENA
    Live Story
    The New Arab Staff & Agencies
    10 March, 2026
    Last Update

    10 March, 2026 12:25 PM
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    Smoke and flames rise at the site of airstrikes on an oil depot in Tehran on March 7, 2026. The United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28

    US President Donald Trump has warned that Iran would be hit “20 times harder” if it attempts to stop oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz, which handles one-fifth of the world’s oil supply, hours after suggesting the ongoing war in the Middle East could end “very soon”.

    In a Truth Social post on Monday, Trump repeated an earlier warning made during a news conference in Florida hours earlier, where he declared that US attacks could increase sharply if Iran sought to block tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz amid anger over a sharp rise in oil and gas prices worldwide.

    “If Iran does anything that stops the flow of oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States of America TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they have been hit thus far,” he said.

    However, Trump also told lawmakers at Monday’s press conference that the campaign would be only a “short-term excursion” but that although “it’s going to be ended soon… if it starts up again they’ll be hit even harder”.

    The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said it would not allow any oil to leave the region if attacks from the US and Israel continue.

    “We are the ones who will determine the end of the war,” a spokesperson said, describing Trump’s comments as “nonsense”, according to state media.

    US military striking Iranian mine-laying vessels: general
    12:12 PM
    The New Arab Staff & Agencies
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    The top US general said on Tuesday that the United States was carrying out strikes against Iranian mine-laying vessels.

    The war has effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for global oil and liquefied natural gas transport, leaving tankers unable to sail for more than a week and forcing producers to halt pumping as storage fills.

    “(U.S. Central Command) continues today to hunt and strike mine-laying vessels and mine storage facilities,” General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters.

    Caine added that in the first 10 days of the campaign against Iran, the US had sunk or destroyed more than 50 naval ships.

    US President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to escalate the war with Iran if it blocked oil shipments from the Middle East, even as he predicted a quick end to the conflict.

    Trump tells Fox News it’s possible he would talk with Iran
    11:46 AM
    The New Arab Staff & Agencies
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    U.S. President Donald Trump told Fox News that it’s possible he would be willing to talk with Iran but that it depends on the terms, the cable news network said on Tuesday.

    Asked in an interview on Monday evening about the possibility of negotiations with Tehran, Trump told Fox he heard Tehran wanted to talk badly, according to the news network.

    The Republican president also reiterated his unhappiness with Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, telling Fox: “I don’t believe he can live in peace.”

    Trump also echoed his comments at a press conference earlier on Monday, telling Fox the results of the U.S. military operation in Iran were “way beyond expectation.” Trump added that he was surprised that Iran was striking Gulf countries with missiles and drones, according to the network.

    Attack causes fire, no casualties in UAE industrial area
    11:33 AM
    The New Arab Staff & Agencies
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    A drone attack caused a fire in an industrial zone in the emirate of Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, UAE authorities said, in an area that houses oil and energy infrastructure.

    “Authorities in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi are responding to a fire at a facility within the Ruwais Industrial City, caused by a drone attack. No injuries have been reported so far,” the Abu Dhabi media office said in a statement on X.

    Authorities did not say whether any energy infrastructure had been hit.

    Qatar says Iran pressing attacks on civilian infrastructure
    11:04 AM
    The New Arab Staff & Agencies
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    Iran has pressed its attacks against Qatar’s infrastructure, the Gulf state’s foreign ministry spokesman said on Tuesday, over a week after Iranian drone strikes forced a halt to Qatari gas production.

    “The targeting of civilian infrastructure continues… and we rebuke any justification that the Iranians are offering for these attacks,” Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said without specifying which civilian facilities had been targeted in Qatar.

    Israel army says begun new wave of strikes on Tehran
    10:44 AM
    The New Arab Staff & Agencies
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    The Israeli military said on Tuesday it had begun a new wave of strikes on Tehran, on the 11th day of the Middle East war.

    “The [Israeli army] has begun a wave of strikes against Iranian terror regime targets in Tehran,” the military said in a brief statement.

    Israel warns of imminent strikes on s. Lebanon’s Tyre, Sidon
    10:14 AM
    The New Arab Staff & Agencies
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    Israel’s military said Tuesday it would soon strike Hezbollah infrastructure in the southern Lebanese cities of Tyre and Sidon, warning residents to move away from targeted buildings.

    “Urgent warning to the residents of Tyre and Sidon. The IDF will soon attack military infrastructure belonging to the terrorist organisation Hezbollah,” one of the military’s Arabic-language spokesmen, Avichay Adraee, posted on X.

    “We urge residents of the buildings marked in red on the two attached maps and the nearby buildings: you are located near buildings used by Hezbollah. For your safety, you must evacuate immediately and move at least 300 metres away,” he added.

    Over 10,000 Chinese citizens returned from Middle East
    9:55 AM
    The New Arab Staff & Agencies
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    Chinese authorities and airlines have assisted over 10,000 Chinese citizens in returning from the Middle East, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday, after the war in the region forced airspace closures and grounded commercial flights.

    Over 10,000 Chinese people have safely returned from countries including the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Saudi Arabia, Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry, said in a press briefing on Tuesday.

    China’s foreign ministry and civil aviation administration have guided domestic airlines to increase capacity to repatriate Chinese citizens stranded in the Middle East, Guo said.

    More than 3,000 Chinese citizens had been evacuated from Iran, the foreign ministry said last week.

    The war in the Middle East, which broke out after the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28, led to flight cancellations across the region.

    Major Chinese airlines, including Air China and China Southern Airlines, resumed flights earlier this month between some Chinese cities and Gulf hubs such as Riyadh and Dubai.

    China has condemned the US and Israeli strikes, repeatedly called for a ceasefire and sent an envoy to the Middle East for mediation.

    Russia is the only winner of Middle East war, EU’s Costa say
    9:30 AM
    The New Arab Staff & Agencies
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     Russia has so far been the only winner from the war in the Middle East as energy prices soar and attention for its war against Ukraine has faded, EU Council President Antonio Costa said on Tuesday.

    “So far, there is only one winner in this war – Russia,” Costa said in a speech to EU ambassadors in Brussels.

    “It gains new resources to finance its war against Ukraine as energy prices rise. It profits from the diversion of military capabilities that could otherwise have been sent to support Ukraine. And it benefits from reduced attention to the Ukrainian front as the conflict in the Middle East takes centre stage.”

    Costa stressed the need for the EU to protect the international rules-based order, which he said was now being challenged by the United States, and for all parties in the Middle East to return to the negotiating table.

    “Freedom and human rights cannot be achieved through bombs. Only international law upholds them,” he said.

    “We must avoid further escalation. Such a path threatens the Middle East, Europe, and beyond.”

    President of the European Council Antonio Luis Santos da Costa [Getty]
    Israeli airstrikes hit villages in Lebanon’s Nabatieh
    9:10 AM
    The New Arab Staff
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    Israeli warplanes carried out air raids on several villages in southern Lebanon’s Nabatieh and Bint Jbeil districts.

    According to Lebanon’s National News Agency, an airstrike early this morning struck a residential building in the town of Breqa in the Nabatieh district, completely destroying it.

    The agency also reported a series of airstrikes between midnight and the early morning hours targeting the towns of Harouf, where four people were injured, Kfarsir in the Nabatieh district, and Deir Antar and Shaqra in the Bint Jbeil district.

    Israel ahead of schedule on war goals in Iran: ambassador
    8:39 AM
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    Israel is ahead of schedule in reaching its war objectives in Iran, such as weakening the authorities so that the Iranian people take control of their own fate, Israel’s ambassador to France Joshua Zarka said on Tuesday.

    In Lebanon, the Lebanese government has not been able to disarm Hezbollah yet, Zarka said in an interview with French TV station BFMTV, adding he is not aware of any decision from Israel to negotiate an end to the war with Beirut.

    Drone crashes into residential area in Zulfi, Saudi Arabia
    8:26 AM
    The New Arab Staff
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    A drone crashed into a residential area in Az Zulfi, Saudi Arabia, according to the Saudi Civil Defence on Tuesday.

    In a statement, the country’s civil defence said an unmanned aerial vehicle fell onto a residential site in the city of Az Zulfi, located in Riyadh Province in central Saudi Arabia.

    The incident caused minor material damage but no injuries were reported.

    Iran: Missile attacks to continue, US talks ‘not on agenda’
    8:18 AM
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    Iran’s foreign minister said Tuesday that talks with the United States were not on the agenda as their war entered its 11th day.

    “I don’t think talking with the Americans would be on our agenda anymore,” Abbas Araghchi told PBS News, saying Tehran had a “very bitter experience” during previous negotiations with the US.

    In the interview with PBS News, Araghchi insisted that Iran was acting in “self-defence”.

    “We are prepared, we have been prepared to continue attacking them with our missiles as long as needed and as long as it takes,” he said.

    Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi addresses foreign ambassadors to Iran, in Tehran on October 5, 2025
    Abbas Araghchi [Getty]
    Sirens sound in Jerusalem after Israel warns of missiles
    8:04 AM
    The New Arab Staff & Agencies
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    Sirens sounded in Jerusalem on Tuesday after Israel’s military warned of incoming missiles from Iran, according to news agency AFP.

    The warning came as the US-Israeli war against Iran entered its 11th day, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying Israel was “not done yet” with its military campaign.

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  • Osun FA mourns Onigbinde, urges legacy immortalisation

    Osun FA mourns Onigbinde, urges legacy immortalisation

     

     

     

    By Babatunde Ogunrinde

    Lagos:  The Osun State Football Association (FA) has joined the global football community in mourning the passing of renowned football icon, Chief Adegboyega Onigbinde.

     

     

    In a statement on Tuesday, the state FA Chairman, Mr Sola Fonawopo, described the elder statesman as “a legend, an enigma and a pioneer of football development in Nigeria.”

     

     

    Fonawopo said Onigbinde was a colossus whose influence stretched from grassroots football pitches to the highest technical committees of CAF and FIFA.

     

     

    “His five decades of selfless service to Nigerian football were defined by unwavering patriotism and a relentless pursuit of excellence.

     

     

    “As a former national team coach and respected technical instructor, his footprints are indelibly etched in the history of the round leather game,” he said.

     

     

    Fonawopo urged local coaches and tacticians to emulate Onigbinde’s virtues, describing him as a man far ahead of his time.

     

     

    “He never stopped learning. Even in his advanced years, he remained a student of the game before video analysis and data metrics became mainstream.

     

     

    “Onigbinde embraced technology to break down football’s complexities. We challenge coaches to move beyond traditional methods and integrate modern technology into their philosophy,” he noted.

     

     

    Fonawopo said the late coach was fearless in speaking truth to power and implementing bold tactical decisions.

     

     

    “To be an Onigbinde protégé is to be courageous in conviction and committed to the advancement of the game,” he added.

     

     

    The Osun FA chairman also called for the immortalisation of the late football icon, describing him as a national treasure whose roots remained firmly in Modakeke.

     

     

    He urged the Nigeria Football Federation Board, and the Oyo and Osun state governments to collaborate on preserving his legacy.

     

     

    Fonawopo: “We propose naming a high-performance technical centre or a major stadium stand in his honour.

     

     

    “We also advocate an annual Onigbinde Technical Lecture or a coaching scholarship to preserve his intellectual contributions for future generations.

     

     

    “A true iroko has fallen, but his seeds are sown across the continent. We pray for strength for his family and the football community.

     

     

    “Rest on, High Chief. Your whistle has blown, but the game continues in your honour.” (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

  • Court rejects Bauchi Finance Commissioner’s plea to travel to Mecca for Hajj

    Court rejects Bauchi Finance Commissioner’s plea to travel to Mecca for Hajj

     

    The Federal High Court in Abuja has refused to grant an application filed by Yakubu Adamu, Commissioner for Finance, Bauchi State, seeking to travel to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on a pilgrimage.

    Justice Emeka Nwite, in a ruling on Monday, held that Adamu, who is facing an alleged N4.6 billion money laundering charge, failed to place sufficient materials before the court to warrant the grant of the application.

    Justiice Nwite also agreed with the objection raised by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that Adamu’s affidavit attached to the application was defective since it was not signed by the applicant himself.

    According to the judge, an unsigned document does not have any probative value in law, hence, the document failed to meet the minimum legal procedure.

    He said though he was not unminful of the fundamental rights of the applicant in Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution, among others, the judge said such rights are not absolute.

    Justice Nwite said a previous case of Ibori cited by Adamu was inapplicable in the instant case since Ibori’s application was hinged on medical ground.

    Adamu had, in the motion on nothce marked; FHC/ABJ/CR/694/2025, sought two reliefs.

    He sought an order directing the release of his international passport to enable him travel to Mecca in Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage.

    He also sought an order granting him leave to travel to Mecca in Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage.

    In the affidavit in support of the motion deposed to by Emmanuel Tsebo, a litigation secretary in the law firm of Chris Uche, SAN & Co, Adamu said he was arraigned on allegations of misappropriation of funds and admitted to bail by the court.

    He said the court ordered him to deposit his international passport to the deputy chief registrar of the court for safe custody.

    He, however, told the court that he had an urgent need to attend pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia and return to Nigeria on March 21.

    Adamu said his performance of Hajj is a highly recommended rite for Muslim faithfuls and forms an integral part of his religious practice.

    He undertook to return the travel documents to the registry of the court on or before March 22 and to be in court to attend his trial.

    The Bauchi commissioner, who said the grant of the application would not prejudice the prosecution, prayed the court to grant his request in the interest of justice.

    Justice Nwite had, Jan. 2, admitted Adamu to a N500 million bail with two sureties in like sum.

    He ordered that Adamu should be remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre pending the perfection of his bail conditions.

    The EFCC had, in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/694/2025, named Adamu, who is a former manager of a branch of Polaris Bank Plc in Bauchi State, and a firm, Ayab Agro Products and Freight Company Ltd, as 1st and 2nd defendants in the money laundering case involving about N4.6 billion.

    The charge is dated and filed on Dec. 19, 2025, by EFCC’s lawyer, Samuel Chime of the Legal and Prosecution Department.

    They were alleged to have facilitated and agreed to the conversion, transfer, concealment and use of funds in the sum of about N4,650,000,000.00 (Four Billion, Six Hundred and Fifty Million Naira) availed by Polaris Bank under the guise of financing the supply of motorcycles to Bauchi State Governmeni through Emmanuel Asomugha General Enterprises.

    “The motorcycles were not supplied, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 21(a) and punishable under Section 21 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022,” the count read in part.

    Count six accused Adamu, Aliyu and Duguri of retaining and causing the transfer of proceeds of an unlawful act to nominees and third parties, by causing parts of the funds connected with the Polaris Bank facility to be paid and circulated through third-party accounts sometime in 2023.

    It further alleged that the transfer included the one made through I.S. Makayye Investment Resources Ltd and the transfer of #165, 900,000.00 to Ayab Agro Products and Freight Company Ltd.

    The funds were said to formed part of proceeds of an unlawful act.

    The offence is contrary to Section 20(a) and punishable under Section 20 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, among other counts.

    The defendants were arraigned on Dec. 30, 2025, but pleaded not guilty to the six-count charge.

    Adamu and three other co-defendants, who are Bauchi State’s workers, are also facing another criminal charge bordering on alleged terrorism financing to the tune of $9.7 million before Justice Umar.

    Justice Umar had, on Feb. 26, adjourned the case sine die (indefinately), following a petition by the EFCC that sought the transfer of the matter from the judge.

    The anti-graft agency, in a petition to the chief judge, expressed discomfort with the handling of the matter and requesting that the case be transferred to another court.

  • If Israel Didn’t Exist. Arab Would have Invented One

     

     

    Had Israel not been born in 1948, the Arab world would have had to invent it. (AI-generated)
    (Had Israel not been born in 1948, the Arab world would have had to invent it. (AI-generated)

    There is a cruelty even more refined than bullets and barrel bombs – the cruelty of keeping an entire people suspended in permanent victimhood because their suffering is more useful than their dignity. Palestinians are the only refugee population in human history with a dedicated UN agency – UNRWA – that does not resettle, does not integrate, does not naturalize, but instead perpetuates refugee status across generations like a hereditary curse, so that a child born in Beirut in 2025 whose great-grandmother fled Haifa in 1948 is still classified as a refugee despite never having set foot in the land she supposedly fled.

    Every other refugee population on earth – Vietnamese, Afghan, Rwandan, Syrian, Ukrainian – is processed through UNHCR, which exists to end refugee status.

    UNRWA exists to preserve it, because the Arab world decided decades ago that five million permanently dispossessed human beings are more valuable as a demographic weapon against Israel than as citizens with passports, professions, and futures.

    Arab states that thunder about the “right of return” at every General Assembly session are the same states that refuse to grant citizenship to Palestinians born on their own soil, educated in their own schools, and buried in their own cemeteries.

    Lebanon has held them for seventy-seven years and offered them nothing. Syria gave them travel documents but no rights. The Gulf states employ them on temporary contracts and discard them when the politics shift.

    And there is no need to rehearse Egypt’s treatment of Palestinians fleeing Gaza during the most recent war – the inflated prices charged at the border for passage, the families gouged for thousands of dollars to cross Rafah, the reports of Palestinians treated not as refugees fleeing bombardment but as customers at a toll booth where the currency was desperation and the markup was obscene. Even in the midst of what the Arab world called a genocide, the nearest Arab state found a way to monetize Palestinian suffering rather than alleviate it.

    This is the civilization that produces more UN resolutions against Israel per year than peer-reviewed scientific papers per capita – and sees no connection between these two facts. For seventy-seven years, the Arab obsession with Israel has functioned as the single most effective distraction mechanism in modern political history – a machine that converts every domestic failure into an external grievance, every governance deficit into a Zionist conspiracy, every educational collapse into proof that resistance matters more than reform.

    Arab universities teach their students that Israel is the root cause of every regional pathology – underdevelopment, authoritarianism, corruption, brain drain – and then those same graduates board planes to London, Montreal, and Berlin because their own countries offer them nothing: no jobs, no freedoms, no future.

    And once settled in the West, they march against Israel on weekends, having fled the very Arab order whose failures they refuse to examine because examining them would require retiring the single most comfortable explanation the Arab world has ever manufactured for its own dysfunction. Israel is not the cause of Arab failure. Israel is the excuse for it – and the excuse has cost the Arab world more than any war ever did, because wars eventually end, but the refusal to look inward has no expiration date.

    Had Israel not been born in 1948, the Arab world would have had to invent it. The creation of the Jewish state arrived at the precise moment when Arab nationalism was at its most febrile – a movement desperately in need of a unifying adversary to mask its own internal contradictions, sectarian fractures, and the inconvenient reality that its loudest champions were military despots who had liberated no one but themselves.

    Israel became the indispensable enemy: a permanent alibi for every failed state, every starving population, every constitution never written, and every election never held. The rhetoric was too potent, too emotionally profitable, to remain confined to a single generation. It was inherited wholesale by the next, not as a rational political grievance open to negotiation, but as a civilizational spasm – automatic, involuntary, primal, hereditary, allergic to its own interrogation, and immune to introspection. It was treated as an article of faith so deeply embedded in the collective psyche that to question it became its own form of heresy.

    The arithmetic is brutally simple. Without the creation of Israel, there would be no Arab Palestinian population as a distinct national category, and no demand for a Palestinian state. The term “Arab Palestinian” did not exist until decades after 1948 – it was a political identity born in reaction, not in history. Before the establishment of Israel, it was the Jews of the land who carried the name “Palestinian.” The identity was appropriated only after it became useful.

    Without Israel, the same regimes would have manufactured another phantom – a Crusader ghost, a Persian conspiracy, an imaginary Western dagger aimed at the heart of Arabism – because the function was never about Palestine; it was about deflection. The enemy had to exist so that the dictator did not have to explain.

     

    About the Author

    A Moroccan journalist with a Master’s degree in Media Studies from Qatar. I contribute about the Western Sahara dispute, Morocco-Israeli relations, and Jewish-Muslim coexistence in a country that was once home to around 250,000 Jews—the largest Jewish community in the region. I also run the Instagram account @murakuc.officiel, which now has over 300,000 followers and focuses on old photographs and archives of Morocco, including its deep Jewish roots that the country officially recognizes in its 2011 constitution as the Hebraic component.

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  • Goodluck/Kwankwaso Ticket Will Upstage Tinubu in 2027

    Goodluck/Kwankwaso Ticket Will Upstage Tinubu in 2027

     

     

    A Chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party and Convener, Goodluck Nigeria, Emma Umerah, has expressed deep conviction that is only Jonathan and Kwankwaso ticket in 2027 Presidential Election that would upstatge the incumbent president, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    Umerah made the statement in a chat with journalists in Lagos, on Monday, March 9, 2026.

    He added that Jonathan would do one term and redirect the nation on the part of political, economic and social growth and development which he said is currently lacking in Nigeria.

    Umerah, a former National member, Atiku Campaign Council, maintained that Goodluck Jonathan is a gentleman to the core, a man that keeps agreement.

    He said, “As a gentleman, during the 2015 election, he accepted defeat and congratulated Buhari. If he is not a gentleman he would not have accepted defeat and the country would be in turmoil, but he allowed peace to reign because he does not want trouble in Nigeria.”

    Umerah revealed that as much as the former Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, is an experienced politician from the northern part of Nigeria with large following, he would bring the number and his presence would also assuage the yearning of the North to dislodge the incumbent president.

    He stated that while piloting the affairs of the country as president, Goodluck Jonathan’s presidency (2010–2015) was characterized by transformations. He transformed Nigeria into Africa’s largest economy (2014) through GDP rebasing, and ensured significant infrastructure development (rail, airports, roads), and strengthening democratic institutions, notably through electoral reforms.

    Umerah further said that Jonathan’s administration implemented various fiscal reforms, including the Treasury Single Account (TSA) and the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).

    He disclosed further, “In Infrastructure Development, his administration invested in infrastructure projects, such as roads, bridges, and power generation. Jonathan’s administration launched initiatives to boost agricultural productivity and food security. His leadership style believed so much in Consensus-Building. Jonathan is known for his ability to build consensus and negotiate with different stakeholders, his leadership style emphasized inclusiveness and dialogue and Jonathan has a reputation for seeking peaceful resolutions to conflicts.”

    He also articulated some of what he believed was achievements of Jonathan while in office, which included creating 12 federal universities and boosting local content in the oil sector, he Implemented policies that encouraged agricultural investment and reduced food imports, boosting local production.

    With regards to Local Content Law, he Signed the Nigerian Content Act (2010), empowering indigenous companies in the oil and gas sector. Also his administration revamped the national railway system, including the rehabilitation of lines and the introduction of new routes like the Abuja-Kaduna line.

    In Aviation Upgrade, he Remodeled all 22 federal airports and installed modern navigation equipment. While in Road Construction, he invested in key roads, including the rehabilitation of the Lagos-Benin expressway and the initiation of the Second Niger Bridge project.

    “Goodluck ensured Democratic Reforms & Governance which enhanced Electoral Integrity, he Strengthened the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), resulting in more credible elections. Goodluck Jonathan was widely praised for conceding the 2015 presidential election, which bolstered democratic stability in Nigeria.

    On Freedom of Expression, he encouraged and Maintained a largely free press with minimal government interference, marking a departure from previous eras.

    Aside the establishment of 12 new federal universities to increase access to tertiary education, he also initiated solid Almajiri Education Programme, he built over 160 special schools to integrate modern education into Islamic learning systems in the North.

    Also on Women Empowerment, he appointed women to significant positions, including the first female Chief Justice of Nigeria and the first female President of the Court of Appeal.
    In Health & Technology his response to Ebola crisis was swift, he led an effective, internationally recognized response to contain the Ebola virus outbreak in 2014.

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