The Nation Newspaper

Category: Foreign

  • Greece envoy: probe non – issuance of visas to Nigerians

    Greece envoy: probe non – issuance of visas to Nigerians

    A coalition of 148 civil society organisations under the auspices of Citizen Right Advocate (CRA) has urged the Ambassador of Greece to Nigeria, Ioannis Plotas to investigate the atrocities committed at the Consular section of the embassy.

    The coalition also tasked the House of Representatives Committees on Diaspora, Foreign Affairs and other relevant committees to investigate the allegations of high – handedness and inhuman treatment of Nigerians in Greece Embassy.

    The coalition alleged that the Head of the Consular Department was denying Nigerians with genuine visa applications.

    The coalition noted that the list of Nigerians being denied visas include governors, legislators, and other top government officials.

    In a statement by its Executive Director, Hammed Saheed, the group noted that such negative trends if not immediately curbed could jeopardise Nigeria’s bilateral relationship with Greece.

    “Nigerians who visit Greece Embassy for genuine business or to process their visa are treated like criminals at the Consular Section in the embassy.

    “This is pathetic and sad. The United Nations Universal Declaration on Human Rights of 1948, advocates for the protection of the fundamental rights and freedom of every human being, and the Embassy is currently violating such rights.

    “It is so sad that Nigerians are not treated with dignity in their own country. They chase many Nigerians out of the Embassy like criminals and touts. This is sad,” the statement said.

    The group, therefore, called on the Ambassador of Greece to Nigeria to rise to the situation and halt the act at the consular section.

  • Nigeria now sixth most populous country with 216m

    Nigeria now sixth most populous country with 216m

    Nigeria is home to 2.7 percent of the global population with 216 million projected people, according to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

    The UN agency said this in its latest World Population Prospects 2022, released yesterday to mark the World Population Day.

    It added that the global population has reached an estimated 8 billion.

    According to the report, more than half of the projected population is concentrated in just eight countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and the United Republic of Tanzania.

    It claimed that India would surpass China as the world’s most populous country in 2023.

    The global population is growing at its slowest rate since 1950, having fallen under 1 per cent in 2020. The latest projections by the United Nations suggest that the world’s population could grow to around 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.7 billion in 2050. It is projected to reach a peak of around 10.4 billion people during the 2080s and to remain at that level until 2100.

    The report also states that fertility has fallen markedly in recent decades for many countries.

    “Today, two-thirds of the global population lives in a country or area where lifetime fertility is below 2.1 births per woman, roughly the level required for zero growth in the long run for a population with low mortality.

    “The populations of 61 countries or areas are projected to decrease by 1 percent or more between 2022 and 2050, owing to sustained low levels of fertility and, in some cases, elevated rates of emigration,” the report reads.

    “More than half of the projected increase in the global population up to 2050 will be concentrated in eight countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and the United Republic of Tanzania.

    “Countries of sub-Saharan Africa are expected to contribute more than half of the increase anticipated through 2050.”

    Reacting to the report, António Guterres, UN secretary-general, said, “This year’s World Population Day falls during a milestone year when we anticipate the birth of the earth’s eight billionth inhabitant. This is an occasion to celebrate our diversity, recognise our common humanity, and marvel at advancements in health that have extended lifespans and dramatically reduced maternal and child mortality rates.

    “At the same time, it is a reminder of our shared responsibility to care for our planet and a moment to reflect on where we still fall short of our commitments.”

    But, UNFPA in Nigeria is set to celebrate and drive conversations related to population, demographics, sexual and reproductive health, among others, as the world’s population hits eight billion.

    The Media Associate of the Fund in Nigeria, Hajiya Kori Habib, made this known in a statement issued in Abuja ahead of the global population milestone day, describing the feat as “a world of infinite possibilities”.

    She quoted the World Population Prospects 2022 as indicating: “Asia and Africa drove much of that growth, expected to drive the next billion in 2037, while Europe’s contribution will be negative due to declining population.

    “India, the largest contributor to the eight billion (177 million) will surpass China, the second largest contributor (73 million), while China in the next billion will be negative as the world’s most populous nation by 2023.

    “Nigeria, the most populous nation in Africa, has a consistently high population growth rate.”

    Habib added that the populations of 61 countries were projected to decrease by one per cent or more between 2022 and 2050 owing to sustained low levels of fertility and in some cases, elevated rates of emigration.

    She stated that lower-middle income and low-income countries contributed the majority of the eight billion world population milestone.

    In the same vein, upper-middle income and high-income countries whose population will be driven by international migration in the coming decades contributed about 250 million.

    Habib said that some countries saw reduced births due to COVID-19.

  • Ghana president sacks finance minister over alleged impropriety

    Ghana president sacks finance minister over alleged impropriety

    Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo, yesterday sacked Charles Adu Boahen, the minister of state for finance, after allegations of impropriety were circulated by a well-known Ghanaian investigative journalist.

    A statement from the presidency states that the president fired Adu Boahen after being made aware of allegations levelled against him in an expose, adding that Akufo-Addo had also referred the matter to the Special Prosecutor for further investigations.

    Adu Boahen did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta is also facing calls for dismissal from members of parliament who accused him of corruption and economic mismanagement as the country faces its worst economic crisis in a generation.

    Read Also: Ghana officially most expensive West African nation – Juliet Ibrahim

    The allegations against Adu Boahen did not appear to be related to those previously raised against Ofori-Atta.

    Adu Boahen could be seen in a video posted online by journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas, who also circulated a lengthy email containing detailed allegations.

    Reuters has not verified the authenticity of the video or the content of the email.

    Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia said in a statement the video showed Adu Boahen “apparently using my name, inter alia, to peddle influence and collect money from supposed investors”.

    “I would like to state that if what the minister (Adu Boahen) is alleged to have said is accurately captured in the video, then his position as a minister of state is untenable. He should be dismissed summarily and investigated,” Bawumia said.

  • Buhari to do groundbreaking of New ECOWAS headquarters Dec 5

    Buhari to do groundbreaking of New ECOWAS headquarters Dec 5

    President Muhammadu Buhari will be leading other West African leaders to do the ground breaking of the new headquarters of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Abuja.

    The ground breaking for the $31.6million worth new ECOWAS headquarters,  which is located along the airport road has been slated for 5th December 2022.

    The fund of the project is a grant from the Chinese government.

    It would be recalled that China did a similar project with the building of the African Uniion Headquaters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

    The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the project was signed between the  ECOWAS Commission and the Chinese authorities on 14th March 2018.

    The Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Cui Jianchun and the Vice President of  ECOWAS Commission, Damtien L. Tchintchibidja, were at site on inspection your and also to discuss the knotty issues surrounding the take off of the project which is to be delivered in 2024.

    Ambassador Jianchun who revealed the 5 December 2022 date said  there are no  ulterior motives behind the gesture.

    The Chinese ambassador also said that creating a good relationship with Africa was very important to China, adding that the building will create a platform for West African governments to sit and deliberate on ways to develop the region.

    He therefore added, “So really we are happy that we will make a groundbreaking ceremony December 5. So today is a very important meeting that we are trying to identify the problem.”

    He also called for a monthly physical inspection of the site by ECOWAS authorities in conjunction with the embassy.

    The Chairman of SCEGC, the Chinese company in charge of the project, Yan Yongjun, said temporary infrastructures have been provided for site workers already.

    While saying the building design was also ready, Yongjun lamented that the FCDA was yet to grant approval for the construction work to begin.

    He called on government officials to fast-track the process of approval for the company to meet the deadline to deliver the project.

    Speaking, Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to ECOWAS, Musa Nuhu, said the regional body was trying to get a waiver which delayed the approval of the building design, adding however that all issues had been trashed out for the project to commence.

    “I called them [FCDA] this afternoon [Friday] and they assured us that we will get the approval in the next two days.”

    He called for more coordination among the bodies involved in the project in order to address issues immediately as they emerged.

    Speaking on the site, Vice President of the ECOWAS Commission, Damtien L. Tchintchibidja, said the regional body would provide all support needed for the project to go on smoothly.

    Currently, ECOWAS’ operations are spread across three buildings in the Nigerian capital.

    Tchintchibidja said the project is important, adding that a good office space would give the body a conducive atmosphere to make decisions that will support its over 420 million people in West Africa.

    She said President Muhammadu Buhari would perform the groundbreaking ceremony for the project.

  • Istanbul: Six dead, dozens wounded in Turkey explosion

    Istanbul: Six dead, dozens wounded in Turkey explosion

    At least six people have been killed and 81 wounded in an explosion in a busy area of central Istanbul, Turkish authorities have said.

    The blast happened at about 16:20 local time (13:20 GMT) on a shopping street in the Taksim Square area, the Turkish city’s governor Ali Yerlikaya said.

    Vice-President Fuat Oktay said the blast was thought to be a terrorist attack carried out by a woman.

    President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the perpetrators would be punished.

    Speaking at a news conference in Istanbul, he condemned what he called the “vile attack” and said “the smell of terror” was in the air.

    BBC correspondent Orla Guerin, who is in the area, said there was a heavy police presence around Istiklal Street, which had been cordoned off. Helicopters were circling overhead as ambulances went back and forth.

    Many shopkeepers standing in their doorways on the normally bustling street looked stunned, she said, adding that the incident will have come as a shock to many in the city.

    A woman who was in an internet cafe on Istiklal Street when the blast took place said there was a scene of “frenzy” following the explosion.

    “I saw wounded people rolling around, there was a woman carrying her dog,” she told the BBC.”

    President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, condemned as “despicable and cowardly,” the terrorist bomb attack that claimed several lives and injured tens of others in an explosion that rocked a busy pedestrian street in central Istanbul, Turkey.

    The President’s reaction was contained in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu.

    In a reaction to the incident, Sunday evening, President Buhari expressed the shock and sadness of the Nigerian people over the incident, assuring the Turkish President, Recep Tayyep Erdogan, that the government and people of this country will continue to support them in the global war against terrorism.

    President Buhari said “the thoughts and prayers of the government and people of Nigeria are with the families of the innocent people killed and we wish full and speedy recovery to those injured.”

    “People were running in panic… There was black smoke. The noise was so strong, almost deafening,” another eyewitness, Cemal Denizci, told AFP.

    The street – one of the city’s main arteries which is usually packed with shoppers – was previously targeted by a suicide bomber in 2016.

  • Democrats retain control of U.S. Senate

    Democrats retain control of U.S. Senate

    Despite some very tight races, Democrats have held on to their slim majority in the U.S. Senate.

    The chamber was decided Saturday evening after Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto defeated Republican nominee Adam Laxalt, a former state attorney general, according to a race call by The Associated Press.

    That gives Democrats 50 Senate seats, which is enough for the majority with Vice President Harris’ tiebreaking vote.

    The U.S. House remains up for grabs, with Republicans maintaining a narrow inside track to the majority.

    Nevada was one of Republicans’ top targets, and Cortez Masto’s reelection was a toss-up coming into the election. She was running neck and neck with Laxalt, Nevada’s former attorney general who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump.

    As of the AP race call, Cortez Masto had a lead of about 5,000 votes.

    Democrats could add to their margin in the Senate, if incumbent Raphael Warnock defeats Republican challenger Herschel Walker in a runoff in Georgia on Dec. 6.

    Another factor that played a role in Democrats’ defending their majorities is the issue of abortion rights. After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, researchers saw a distinct increase in voter registration among women and young people. While national polls indicated that the economy and inflation were top of mind, there’s no doubt that the issue of abortion rights played a crucial role in motivating voters and increasing fundraising for Democratic candidates.

    In an interview with NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said it had been “a great week for democracy” and attributed her party’s success to strong candidates “who had experience, who knew how to get things done.”

    “[T]he reason there wasn’t a red wave is because Democrats had a ‘blue wave of accomplishment’ and we basically defied the tides of history,” she said, quoting Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

    So what do Democrats understand that voters have asked them to do? Klobuchar said the party’s mandate was first, to bring down costs, including pharmaceuticals, protect Social Security and Medicare, and “do all we can to get our economy in a place that works for everyone.”

    Second, she says, is to codify Roe v. Wade. “We don’t know what’s going to happen with the House … We don’t know if the Republicans will play ball. I’d get rid of the filibuster to do it.”

    And third is to protect democracy. “A lot of the election deniers lost,” Klobuchar noted. “So it shows Americans care about democracy.”

    If Republicans take the House, it’s unlikely the two chambers will find much common ground and the dynamic tees up some clashes over government funding bills and increasing the debt ceiling. A Democratic hold of the House would mean President Biden’s party would maintain its trifecta of power for another two years.

    In the Senate, questions of whether to modify the filibuster will likely also take center stage, as Democrats still remain short of a 60-vote supermajority and would need to bypass the filibuster if they want to pass major legislative priorities.

    A secure Democratic majority in the Senate also preserves Democrats’ ability to approve Biden’s nominees, including any future vacancies on the U.S. Supreme Court.

    Earlier this cycle, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell predicted there was a “greater likelihood the House flips than the Senate,” citing, in part, “candidate quality.”

    The effect that former president Donald Trump had on his party’s fortunes is under scrutiny, as many of his hand-selected candidates lost.

    Liam Donovan is a former GOP campaign strategist, now with lobbying firm Bracewell LLP. He told NPR’s Ayesha Roscoe that the Republican establishment is now “rethink[ing] whether he is a net positive in this party going forward. Now, do the voters agree? That question remains unsettled.”

    Trump’s involvement affected which candidates decided to enter races nationwide – with many that did eventually losing in the general election in races considered winnable by Republicans.

    “Republicans lost the Senate in 2010 and 2012 because they put up poor candidates,” says Donovan. “The difference [in 2022] is that President Trump, I think, locked these fields into questionable candidates. You had people that might have been the strongest staying out because they didn’t want to go anywhere near this. You had a number of strong governors who might have come in and easily won these seats that stayed out.”

    Trump, he says, is “somebody that people don’t necessarily want to grapple with.”

  • Russia has destroyed 40 percent of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, says U.S.

    Russia has destroyed 40 percent of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, says U.S.

    The G7, a group made up of the United States and six European nations, has championed the battle against Russia’s onslaught against Ukraine. A recent meeting of the group devised more ways to defend Ukraine’s sovereignty. At a briefing attended by United States Bureau Chief OLUKOREDE YISHAU, the Director of the Office of Western European Affairs in the U.S. Department of State, Howard Solomon, shed light on why the G7 wants Russia defeated. Excerps: 

    G7 meeting

    Secretary Blinken returned from the G7 last week, where we addressed several challenges and reflected what our unity with European allies and partners has accomplished so far.  The United States with the G7 has imposed massive consequences and severe costs on Russia after President Putin decided to launch his unprovoked and devastating full-scale invasion of Ukraine.  We’ve imposed unprecedented sanctions and export controls that have directly impacted the Russian military’s ability to wage war.

    These efforts, coordinated with our NATO Allies and partners, have strengthened Ukraine’s battlefield capabilities and weakened Russia’s.  Along these lines, Russia’s war has made clearer than ever the urgency of promoting and defending the values and ideals that the United States and the G7 represent.  And it has affirmed the vital importance of the U.S.-EU relationship.  As Secretary Blinken said, it has also demonstrated how the dream of a Europe whole, free, and at peace continues to motivate those in Europe and beyond working for a more secure, more just, and more prosperous world.

    The G7 is providing economic and humanitarian support to Ukraine as Moscow tries to make up for Russia’s deficits or defeats on the battlefield by targeting civilian infrastructure, including heat, water, and electricity, impacting Ukrainian men, women, children, and the elderly.  Russia has destroyed some 40 percent of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, including thermal energy plants that provide many Ukrainian homes, schools, hospitals with heat in the wintertime, when temperatures can drop to -20 degrees Celsius.  Violently uprooting tens of thousands of Ukrainians from their homes and deporting them to Russia through so-called human filtration operations was not enough.  Russian officials have been spreading fear throughout the world with talk about using nuclear weapons.

    As the G7 has done, we’re continuing to address Russia’s latest escalations together, standing firm with Ukraine.  On infrastructure, the G7 agreed to create a new coordination group to help repair, restore, and defend Ukraine’s energy grid.  The G7 is focusing more of our security support on helping Ukraine protect against these attacks, strengthening air defenses, and ramping up defense production.  On energy, the United States has exported 53 billion cubic meters of liquefied natural gas to Europe.  That’s nearly two and a half times what we exported in 2021 and will provide our friends with a vital reserve as they head into the winter.

     

    Food insecurity

    On food security, in June President Biden and other G7 leaders announced that our countries would invest $4.5 billion in strengthening food security, and more than half of that is coming from the United States, and we pledged billions more since that time.  On this issue, as with many others from energy security to democracy and human rights, there is no daylight between the United States and the European Union.  The EU is a partner of first resort in addressing our shared global challenges.

    The U.S. is deeply committed to strengthening the transatlantic relationship and working with our allies and partners to address global challenges and opportunities.  Throughout the last year, the United States and Europe have become more unified in our approach to the People’s Republic of China, together with G7 partners, NATO Allies, and with the European Union in the U.S.-EU dialogue on China.  The G7 stands together in defense of the rules-based international order so that all nations can choose their path free from intimidation, coercion, or unfair trade practices.  We all recognize the need to cooperate with the PRC on global challenges like the climate crisis – which we cannot address without the world’s largest emitter being a part of it – and global health security, of course.  But in our discussions here, we were also clear-eyed about the need to align our approach to the PRC in the face of growing coercion and pushback against Beijing’s market distorting policies and practices, which hurt workers and industries in all of our countries.

    We appreciate Germany’s leadership in the G7 this year, with its focus on shared goals related to security, climate, economic stability, health, infrastructure, and democratic values.  The transatlantic relationship is stronger than ever, as shown by the unprecedented level of cooperation on multiple fronts in the past year.

    Read Also: Russia accused of using Iranian drones to carry out deadly attack in Ukraine

     

    U.S./German relations

    Our partnership with Germany has never been stronger on a whole variety of issues and challenges – global challenges, regional challenges – including on the issue of China.  I think we are very unified in terms of our approach toward these challenges and toward opportunities as well related to the PRC.  And we strongly agreed – we saw the objectives that Chancellor Scholz laid out before his trip, including in op-eds in Politico and other publications, and they were very clear objectives.  And one of those objectives was to encourage President Xi to press President Putin and Russia not to use nuclear weapons of any kind.  And I think as a result – very positive – we saw the remarks from President Xi on exactly that topic.  So in that sense, it was very good.

    But in general, with Germany and with other European partners, I see a growing convergence in terms of recognizing the challenges in terms of competition, in terms of cooperation, and meeting issues such as looking at unfair trade practices, at working together to highlight human rights abuses – whether that’s in Geneva or in other places as well – looking at protecting intellectual property, critical infrastructure.  And so in that sense I think we’re on one page, and if anything, we’ve seen an increased attention and a growing unity in terms of our approach.

     

    Our priority

    Advancing Western Balkans’ European Union integration is an absolute U.S. priority, and we see the future of the region in the European Union.  We support the Open Balkan initiative as long as it is open to all Western Balkan countries, including Kosovo.  And, yeah, we would urge the Open Balkan initiative transparency, if you will.  In other words, we would like to see concrete benefits to all citizens of the region.  It should complement – not duplicate – the Berlin Process.

    All regional integration initiatives should deliver tangible results that advance closer political and economic ties and the Western Balkan-EU paths.  So we welcome deliverables such as freedom of movement based on ID cards, mutual recognition of higher education credentials, and mutual recognition of some professional qualifications as announced at the November 3rd Berlin Summit.  And we look forward to seeing its implementation across the Western Balkans.

    Germany’s backing of Chinese state-owned shipping giant Cosco buying a stake in Hamburg

    Yeah.  Well, look, I think that we’ve of course followed the stories of Hamburg and other issues related to PRC investments that have come up, and each country, whether it’s Germany or other European countries, has a sovereign right and a sovereign ability to be able to choose how they choose to approach these questions.

    I think what we have seen is a growing sense of unity on the part of our German partners and other European partners in looking at increasing our tools to screen investments, to protect critical infrastructure, to look at supply chains of critical minerals, and it’s no exception.

    So in addition to the stories, I just saw today that there were other stories about, for example, a careful screening process that the German Government underwent with investment in terms of the semiconductor industry where they put a veto on what were seen as sensitive technologies.  So I think that there really is very little daylight between us.

     

  • US Democrats await results that could seal their Senate majority

    US Democrats await results that could seal their Senate majority

    US Democrats await results that could seal their Senate majority

    U.S. Democrats are just one seat away from majority control of the Senate next year, as vote-counting in deeply divided Nevada continued following Tuesday’s midterm elections and campaigning kicked off for a December 6 runoff in Georgia.

    The processing of ballots in Clark County, Nevada, which encompasses Las Vegas and is heavily Democratic, was advancing with over 22,000 additional votes possibly counted by late on Saturday, said Joe Gloria, the county registrar.

    Such a large new number of votes in the statewide tally opened the possibility that this Senate race could be decided by late on Saturday.

    If incumbent Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto manages to fend off Republican Adam Laxalt in Nevada, her party would then control 50 of the Senate’s 100 seats.

    A Democratic victory in Georgia next month would then give the party outright majority control of a 51-49 Senate. A Democratic loss in Georgia and a win in Nevada would still put Democrats in charge of a 50-50 Senate, as Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris can break tie votes.

    The Senate currently is split 50-50 between Democrats and Republicans. The newly-elected Senate will be sworn in on Jan. 3.

    As of Saturday morning, with nearly 97 percent of the vote counted in the Nevada Senate race, Laxalt was leading by around 800 votes. However, uncounted votes from Cortez Masto strongholds could vault her to victory.

    Outcome of House races

    At a press conference, Gloria was asked whether his office had received any complaints of fraud or other irregularities from either campaign. “We haven’t heard anything from any campaign related to fraud or questioning” of the process or results so far, he responded.

    Suspense over control of the Senate came as it also was still unknown which party will hold the majority in the US House of Representatives for the next two years. Republicans continued to have an edge, but returns were still flowing in for several races, including many in liberal-leaning California.

    It could take at least a few more days before the outcome of enough House races are known to determine party control of that 435-seat chamber.

    Democrats got an important boost late on Friday when Democratic Senator Mark Kelly was projected to hold onto his seat in Arizona, defeating Republican Blake Masters, who has not yet conceded the race.

  • Eight Nigerian-Americans who won legislative seats in US midterm elections

    Eight Nigerian-Americans who won legislative seats in US midterm elections

    Eight Nigerian Americans were declared winners in their respective elective posts in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and the District of Columbia (DC) in the ongoing US midterm elections.

    They are: Segun Adeyina, Gabe Okoye, Solomon Adesanya, Tish Naghise, Phil Olaleye, Carol Kazeem, Oye Owolewa and Esther Agbaje who won legislative seats as State Representatives in their respective Districts on Tuesday.

    ·       Oye Owolewa, pharmacist, Washington DC

     Oye Owolewa

    Oye Owolewa is a politician, pharmacist, and a member of the Democratic Party. He contested and won as the US Shadow Representative from District Columbia (DC).

    He was bred in Newton, Massachusetts and nearby Boston, where he attended Boston Latin School and graduated in 2008. In 2014, he earned a doctorate in Pharmacy from Northeastern University and moved to Washington to practice pharmacy.

    Owolewa said he is committed to advocacy and community resources, the fight against prescription drugs and climate change.

    ·    Esther Agbaje, legal practitioner, Minnesota

    Esther Agbaje

    Esther Agbaje is a legal practitioner voted as a Minnesota State Representative. She is a Democratic representing District 59B which includes portions of north and downtown Minneapolis in Hennepin County.

    She graduated from George Washington University with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Political Science, a Master of Public Adminsitration (MPA) from the University of Pennsylvania and a Juris Doctor (JD) from Harvard University.

    Read Also: ‘Battleground States, key races to watch in US midterm elections’

    Agbaje previously served at the United States Department of State as a Foreign Service Officer. She is an associate attorney with Ciresi Conlin LLP, where she practices in general civil litigation and medical malpractice.

    ·       Tish Naghise, businesswoman, Georgia

    Tish Naghise

    Tish Naghise contested and emerged victorious as a Georgia State Representative. She won legislative seat for District 68. She is a Democrat and business owner of T & C Transportation.

    Naghise has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Clayton State University. She is undergoing her Master’s programme in Clayton State majoring in Strategic Leadership and Development.

    ·       Phil Olaleye, public affairs analyst, Georgia

      Phil Olaleye

    Phil Olaleye contested and was elected as a Georgia State Representative to represent District 59. He ran as a Democrat. He is the Executive Director of Next Generation Men & Women, an education non-profit closing the opportunity gap for under-resourced high school students in Atlanta.

    He had also served as the Director of Performance Management at WorkSource Atlanta and as a U.S. Peace Corps Children, Youth, and Family Volunteer in the Philippines.

    Olaleye is ex-President of the Organised Neighbors of Summerhill, Phil is a 2021 Georgia Trend 40 Under 40, and was a 2020 Atlanta Business Chronicle 40 under Forty honoree.

    He graduated from Duke University in 2007 and received a Master’s in public policy from Harvard Kennedy School of Government in 2014.

    ·       Carol Kazeem, activist, Pennsylvania

    Carol Kazeem

    Carol Kazeem contested and won the seat of Pennsylvania State Representative. She represents District 159 under the Democratic Party.

    She attended the Chester Upland School District and also earned a high school diploma from Ridley High School and an associate degree from Anthem College in 2013.

    Kazeem worked in the healthcare field for over 13 years in various ways. Kazeem vowed to fight for $15 minimum wage, education equity, combating gun violence, ending mass incarceration, housing for all and environmental justice.

    ·       Segun Adeyina, IT expert, Georgia

     Segun Adeyina

    Segun Adeyina vied and won the seat as a Georgia State Representative. He contested under the Democratic Party to represent District 110. He is an experienced Information Technology (IT) specialist with a demonstrated history of working in the automotive industry.

    Adeyina is also experienced in databases, IT strategy, data management and system development. He is committed to better education, health care, and infrastructure among other issues.

    ·       Gabe Okoye, civil engineer, Georgia

     Gabe Okoye

    Gabe Okoye contested and won the legislative seat as a Georgia State Representative. He is a Representative of District 102. He was a former Chairman of Gwinnett County and a Democrat. He is the Chief Executive Officer, Essex Geoscience Inc.

    He has lived in Lawrenceville since 1992 and graduated from Gwinnett County Public Schools. He is a professional civil engineer.

    ·       Solomon Adesanya, entrepreneur, Georgia

    Solomon Adesanya

    Solomon Adesanya ran and won as a Georgia State Representative to represent District 43. The district covers Marietta which he won under the Democratic Party.

    The restaurant owner in Cobb County said his primary legislative focus is economic development, quality public education, expansion of Medicaid, protecting women’s right to choose and preserving the climate.

  • U.S. Midterm elections: Democrats deny Republicans ‘red wave’ victory

    U.S. Midterm elections: Democrats deny Republicans ‘red wave’ victory

    •Republicans take over House
    •Eight Nigerians win Rep seats

    WITH most of the results of the United States midterm elections released yesterday, Republicans appeared to be far short of the sweeping “red wave” victory they had sought.

     They, however, seemed to have made most gains predicted by some pollsters and on the path of taking over the House. But, Democrats proved themselves to be more resilient than anticipated as control of the Senate hinged on races that remained too close to call.

     Thirty-five Senate seats, all 435 House seats and three dozen governorship races were on the ballot.

     As at the time of going to the press, Democrats had gained 48 Senate seats to Republicans’ 49.  Democrats got 176 House seats and GOP secured 204 with both parties eyeing 218 for a majority in the lower chamber.

     Two Senate seats, Arizona and Nevada, are unlikely to be known for days because both states conduct elections in part by mail ballots which take longer to count. It’s too early to call key races that could determine which party controls the chambers.

     Beyond Congress, dozens of governorships, secretaries of states, and attorneys general are also on the line.

     Democrats tried to avoid the kind of heavy midterm defeat that often plagues sitting presidents of either party.

     However, the control of the Senate hinged on three races that remained too close to call yesterday.

     The Georgia U.S. Senate race between Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker will go to a Dec. 6 runoff, according to Edison Research’s projection. That means it could be weeks until control of that chamber is known, unless Democrats hold off challengers in Nevada and Arizona.

     Meanwhile, a slim majority in the House of Representatives would let Republicans hem in Democratic President Joe Biden during his next two years in office, blocking legislation and launching potentially and politically damaging investigations.

    What voters’ decision also meant

     The results appeared to show voters punishing Biden for presiding over an economy hit by steep inflation, while also lashing out against Republican efforts to ban abortion. The primary issue that weighed on Democrats was stubbornly high annual inflation, which at 8.2%, stands at the highest rate in 40 years.

     Other key votes held at the same time saw the rejection of measures aimed at denying any state constitutional right to abortion in reliably Republican Kentucky and the battleground state of Michigan.

     The ballot measure came after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade and the national constitutional right to an abortion it guaranteed to women.

     Despite Republican lawmakers passing some 42 new laws since 2021 to restrict the right to vote in 21 states they do not at this stage appear to have made the decisive breakthrough they had hoped for.

    Poor performance by Trump’s candidates

     Poor performances by some candidates backed by Donald Trump indicated exhaustion with the kind of chaos fomented by the former Republican president, raising questions about the viability of his possible run for the White House in 2024.

    “I think his ego is just too big to handle,” said Yvonne Langdon, 75, as she cast her ballot for Republican candidates in Michigan on Tuesday.

     Biden had framed Tuesday’s election as a test of U.S. democracy at a time when hundreds of Republican candidates embraced Trump’s false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him.

     A number of election deniers who backed Trump’s claims were elected to office on Tuesday, but fears of violence or other major disruptions by far-right poll watchers at voting stations did not materialise.

     By midday yesterday, Republicans had flipped a net seven Democratic House seats, Edison Research projected, two more than the minimum they need to take over the chamber. That number could go up or down as more final results roll in, with 45 races still to be called.

     Control of the Senate would give Republicans the power to block Biden’s nominees for judicial and administrative posts. But in a critical win for Democrats, John Fetterman flipped a Republican-held U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania, beating retired celebrity surgeon, Mehmet Oz, and bolstering his party’s chances of holding the chamber.

     The White House seized on the lighter-than-expected losses. “Never underestimate how much Team Biden is underestimated,” White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain said on Twitter.

     But Democrats also had their share of embarrassments, as New York Representative Sean Patrick Maloney, the chairman of the committee charged with reelecting House Democrats, conceded he had lost his own race.

     If the Republicans take control of Congress, they plan to seek cost savings in the Social Security and Medicare safety-net programmes and make permanent tax cuts enacted in 2017 that are due to expire.

     U.S. Elections: Buhari, Dabiri-Erewa praise Nigerian-Americans on election victory

    But, President Muhammadu Buhari and Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, have congratulated eight Nigerian-Americans on their victory in the midterm elections.

     The winners are Segun Adeyina, for Georgia State Representative in District 110; Gabe Okoye, Georgia State Representative in District 102, Solomon Adesanya Georgia State Representative, District 43; Tish Naghise, Georgia State Representative District 68; Phil Olaleye, Georgia State Representative District 59, and Carol Kazeem, Pennsylvania State Representative District 159.

     Similarly, the duo of Dr. Oye Owolewa and Esther Agbaje were re-elected, while Dr. Oye Owolewa got re- elected to the U.S. House of Representatives (Shadow Representative) in Washington DC. Esther Agbaje won her seat for Minnesota State Representative in District 59B.

     Buhari, who prayed for their successful tenure in office, thanked them for their invaluable support and partnerships, over the years, with groups affiliated with the ideals and objectives of Nigerians in Diaspora associations in the United States.