Spotlights
Trouble for Kemi Badenoch as UK plots to remove Nigerian-born Conservative Party leader
The Western world’s most successful political party is steeling itself for a second electoral wipeout in 10 months.
Pollsters are widely predicting Britain’s Conservative Party will lose hundreds of councillors in next week’s local elections as millions of Brits go to the polls.
This would mean that, despite an unpopular Labour government polling at historically low numbers, the Tories are likely to become the biggest loser on May 1 thanks to Britain’s local council electoral cycle.
Pollsters are widely predicting Britain’s Conservative Party will lose hundreds of councillors in next week’s local elections as millions of Brits go to the polls.
This would mean that, despite an unpopular Labour government polling at historically low numbers, the Tories are likely to become the biggest loser on May 1 thanks to Britain’s local council electoral cycle.
It comes after the Tories crashed to their worst general election performance in modern history in July as the party, under Rishi Sunak’s stewardship, was booted out of power by Keir Starmer’s Labour after 14 years.
But while the party’s MPs and apparatchiks were in despair in the lead-up to last year’s general election, there appears to be a sense of begrudging acceptance this time around.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has been spending the past week heavily managing expectations, telling the BBC last week that the elections will be “very difficult for the Conservatives.”
Despite this, MPs from all wings of the party say there is no appetite to cause problems for Badenoch or to seriously question her position.
However, some party figures believe Badenoch will now need to show serious progress over the next 12 months if she is to consolidate her position — and navigate the threat of a leadership challenge.
One former Tory MP involved in election planning, granted anonymity to speak freely like others in this piece, said Badenoch’s colleagues want to be seen to give her a fair chance — but that she would soon come under pressure “to be less useless.”
They said the real “danger point” would be the Conservatives falling behind Reform at next year’s local elections, particularly in the Welsh Senedd.
“If indeed she makes it that far,” the ex-MP added.
Growing pains
There is broad recognition in Westminster that Badenoch inherited the Tory throne in less-than-propitious circumstances last November.
The party had just suffered a landslide defeat, its coffers were bare, and the public was tired of hearing from them after years of Tory psychodrama.
However, the biggest immediate challenge she faces is the rise of Nigel Farage’s populist right-wing Reform UK. Reform outperformed expectations in the general election after riding a wave of anti-establishment sentiment and public backlash against soaring legal and illegal immigration figures under the Conservatives.
But the loss of support to Reform on Badenoch’s right flank has only accelerated under her leadership, with Farage’s party now consistently polling above the Tories. POLITICO’s poll of polls shows Reform is averaging 25 percent, Labour is on 24 percent and Tories are on 21 percent.
And while this puts Badenoch in touching distance of Labour, some in her party believe this is a disappointing effort considering the near-disastrous first six months in government for Starmer.
“She’s really struggling to find the right issues to attack the government on or to lead the political conversation,” said a Tory figure. “Contrast this to Farage, who is able to get ahead of big political moments and set the running — like on steel nationalization.”
Badenoch has also attracted criticism for being unable to truly land blows on the government’s economic performance, particularly as the U.K.’s growth forecasts began to crater after November’s tax-raising budget.
A recent Ipsos poll also put her personal approval rating as -26, which was well below both Starmer and Farage.
Despite her early struggles, it is these local elections that may be the nadir of Badenoch’s young leadership.
The worst is yet to come
The Tories hold the vast majority of the 1,641 seats up for grabs next week, after the party’s strong performance in 2021, when they were last contested. This was because then Prime Minister Boris Johnson was riding high in the polls thanks to a swell of voter satisfaction over the U.K.’s speedy rollout of the COVID vaccine.
The success was so stark that it moved many pundits to remark that Johnson was a certainty to stay in power for many more years — before he spectacularly self-immolated over the next 12 months and was forced from office by his own MPs.
Now, with the Conservatives at such a low polling ebb, they are expected to be blown away and lose hundreds of seats next week.
One of Badenoch’s shadow ministers predicted it would “be one of our worst election results ever,” as “we’re comparing one of our best-ever points in election history to one of our worst-ever points in election history.”
“It’s pretty clear the public are annoyed and upset, and I don’t think they’re listening to us,” they said. Still, this shadow minister believed Badenoch could turn things around.
“People need to trust us again, that’s Kemi’s big job, and she’s got a lot of time. I think there’s a real acknowledgement that what killed us more than anything else was infighting, and the public don’t want to see that.”
One Conservative Party grandee said the situation was far more severe.
They said Badenoch must begin “to move the [polling] numbers” this year and that “all bets are off” if she doesn’t turn things around by May 2026.
Pollster and Conservative peer Robert Hayward was also less positive about how much time Badenoch had to improve her situation in the eyes of her party.
“The real time for her, in terms of decisions for the Tory Party, will be in a year’s time at the 2026 locals,” Hayward said.
“She’ll have been in office for a year in a half … and people will begin to take a judgment from this year’s party conference onwards.”
Holding it all together
In the meantime, Tory officials and MPs say Badenoch’s big job is to just maintain unity within the party.
A shadow Cabinet minister said the electorate won’t want to listen to anything Badenoch says before 2027 and that the key measure of success “between now and then is unity.”
“Recent events, like on the Supreme Court judgment on single-sex spaces, show she is making sound judgments and will bring the party along with her,” they added.
This may be made somewhat more difficult by the decision to cut scores of jobs at the party’s campaign headquarters in the wake of widely reported financial difficulties.
Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) is now significantly smaller than when Badenoch took over, and she has told party staff that they must “do better” or face the sack.
This may have had adverse effects on this local election campaign.
One staffer described the CCHQ campaign team as “a mess,” noting that in addition to a recent round of redundancies, several senior team members are due to leave in May.
One Tory official said “a lot of different parts of the party have had their crisis moments since the election, and the grassroots will find these set of local elections very difficult and disheartening.”
Badenoch also has a growing problem on her frontbench as rumors continue to grow about Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick’s own leadership ambitions.
Jenrick, who was defeated in last year’s leadership contest, has begun to opine on a vast range of policy areas that are well beyond his portfolio.
His slick social media videos and upcoming tour of local party association dinners have only further fueled speculation that he is preparing for a leadership challenge should the moment present itself.
And for a party that is steeped in the tradition of carefully managed regicide just as much as it is in winning power, that moment may well present itself by this time next year.
Culled from Politico.eu
President Paul Biya has been declared winner of Cameroon’s presidential election, extending his rule to a record eighth consecutive term despite opposition claims of electoral fraud.
The Constitutional Council announced on Monday that Biya, 92, emerged victorious in the country’s disputed poll, cementing his position as the world’s oldest serving head of state. The result means Biya, who has ruled since 1982, will remain in power until 2032.
However, the declaration has been met with strong rejection from opposition leaders. Issa Tchiroma Bakary, Biya’s main challenger, had earlier declared himself the winner, insisting that the official result would be “tainted” and “not reflective of the people’s will.”
The senator representing Delta North, Ned Nwoko, has said he feels sorry for men who have only one wife, arguing that polygamy gives men greater stability and balance.
The lawmaker stated this on Sunday while appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
He also addressed recent allegations of domestic violence made against him by his actress wife, Regina Daniels.
When asked how he manages to live with four wives, something many men find difficult, Nwoko paused briefly before replying.
“That is a different topic for discussion on another day. Yes, every man should do that. The example I give is this: just imagine telling you to stand on one foot or leg. You know how difficult it is.
“But to stand on two, three, four is much more balanced. That’s just the example I give. So I feel sorry for those who have one wife because it’s difficult to stand on one leg,” he said.
When reminded that the Holy Bible does not support polygamy, Nwoko maintained that it does. “The Old Testament does. I am a man of faith. But that’s not what we are here for,” he said.
Asked if he had any regrets about his marital choices, the senator said he did not.
“No, I don’t have any regret. I will do the same thing again. Of course, that’s the way it should be. You should marry who you want to marry,” he stated.
Reacting to the allegations of domestic violence, Nwoko denied the claims. “No, come on. You know I am not a violent person. I respect my wives. I love them and my kids,” he said.
His comments came shortly after Regina Daniels, his estranged wife, showed off a newly acquired mansion on social media amid reports of a marital crisis.
Tribune Online reports that in a post on Instagram on Sunday, the Nollywood actress shared photos and videos of the property with the caption, “In my house, I am a Queen! I needed a roof over my head, so I got this for me and my family.”
The post came after a viral video from October 18 showed her in tears outside her Abuja residence, alleging abuse.
“In Ned Nwoko’s house, I am nothing, but in my own house, I am a Queen. Not again. I can’t stand the violence, it’s too much,” she said.
Nigerians are experiencing a sense of relief as the naira shows significant improvement in value against major currencies such as the US dollar, British pound, and euro.
As the naira gains strength, many are optimistic that this shift could lead to a more stable financial environment and improved purchasing power for the average Nigerian.
The strong performance comes as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) formally announced Nigeria’s removal from the list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring, known as the “grey list”, following a successful on-site evaluation of reforms implemented across the financial system.
Data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) shows that the naira has appreciated against the dollar to N1,455.50, a significant rise compared to the N1,630 per dollar recorded in July.
Naira also improved against the pound and euro, exchanging at N1,946.5 per pound and N1,696 per euro, respectively.
In the parallel market, checks by Legit.ng confirmed a similar trend. The naira exchanged between N1,482 and N1,492 per dollar, down from N1,520 recorded earlier in the week.
The pound also weakened to around N2,000, while the euro fell to N1,720. Abubakar Musa, a trader, told Legit.ng “The market is in favour of naira in the last few days. There is more forex in the market reason we are selling pound below N2,000 exchange rate.”
CFA: N2.59
Yuan/Renminbi: N204.70
Danish Krona: N227.04
Euro: N1,696.33
Yen: N9.54
Riyal: N388.77
South African Rand: N84.43
Swiss Franc: N1,834.83
Pound Sterling: N1,946.52
US Dollar: N1,457.96
In February 2023, the FATF, a financial crimes watchdog based in France, placed Nigeria on the grey list.
The message from the global community was clear: the nation needed more vigorous enforcement, better coordination, and greater transparency.
The removal of Nigeria from the grey list showed that the country has made progress in strengthening its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing framework.
Bismarck Rewane, CEO of Financial Derivatives Company, said that the removal of Nigeria from the grey list means a whole lot, noting it will boost the naira. Also, Tayo Oviosu, CEO of Paga, said: “This is a big deal because it opens up the country for FDI and engagement from the West, especially.”
The CBN also welcomed the FATF decision reinforces the broader restoration of global confidence in Nigeria’s economic management.
Source: MyNigeria
The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, has declared that God in heaven is a God of justice, as reported by Daily Post.
Kanu disclosed this while arriving at the Abuja Federal High Court to begin his defence in his ongoing terrorism trial.
He accused lawyers of not knowing what the law and justice is.
According to Kanu: “You are here you don’t know what law is, you don’t know what Justice is. You don’t know that God is a God of Justice, you don’t know that?
“You don’t know that God in heaven is a God of Justice, you don’t know that?”
The IPOB leader is expected to begin his defence today after he names some imminent Nigerians to testify in his trial.
Last week, Kanu had disengaged his lawyers, stressing that he would defend himself before the Justice James Omotosho-led court.
The Ondo State Police Command has uncovered a suspected baby factory and human trafficking syndicate operating in Ore, the headquarters of the Odigbo Local Government Area of the state, according to Channels Television.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the Command, DSP Olushola Ayanlade.
Ayanlade said the case, which originated from the Ore division, had been transferred to the Command’s Gender-Based Violence Unit for thorough investigation.
The discovery followed a report made on October 21, 2025, by a 17-year-old girl, identified as Vivian Peter from Akwa Ibom State, who told the police that she had been trafficked from her home state to Ore under the guise of securing a job opportunity.
Upon arrival in Ore, the teenager was allegedly taken to a facility posing as a clinic, which later turned out to be a baby factory.
There, she reportedly met other pregnant girls being held against their will.
She disclosed that the operator of the facility, Ada Clement, instructed her to be taken to another hospital for a medical scan, but she managed to escape and reported the incident to the Ore Police Division.
Acting swiftly on the report, police operatives from the Ore division, in collaboration with the gender unit, raided the facility, rescuing five pregnant girls and a baby boy.
One of the victims had already given birth and is currently receiving post-natal care at the General Hospital, Ore, while the others are in protective custody.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the prime suspect, Ada Clement, and some of her accomplices had confessed to operating the baby factory.
They reportedly admitted that the babies were sold to individuals seeking children, with male babies going for ₦600,000 and above, and female babies for ₦400,000 and above.
Ayanlade noted that the Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, ordered a comprehensive and discreet investigation to ensure that all members of the syndicate are arrested and prosecuted.
He noted that detectives from the Command’s Gender-Based Violence Unit were already on the trail of other fleeing members of the ring.
Lawal reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to the directives of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, stressing that the Nigeria Police Force remains steadfast in the fight against human trafficking, child exploitation, and all forms of gender-based violence.
Lawal assured the public that the Command would continue to protect the vulnerable and ensure justice for victims of such heinous crimes.
Proposals for new states in Nigeria are gaining traction after successfully passing the second reading in the House of Representatives.
The bills, sponsored by lawmakers from various regions, aim to create new administrative entities by dividing existing states.
If approved, these new states could significantly alter the country’s geopolitical landscape and governance framework.
Below is a comprehensive listicle detailing each proposed state.
Ibadan State: On 9 October 2025, the Cable reported that a bill seeking to create Ibadan State from the existing Oyo State had passed its second reading in the House of Representatives.
The proposed legislation, sponsored by Abass Adigun—who represents the Ibadan North East/Ibadan South East federal constituency—aimed to amend the 1999 Constitution to facilitate the creation of the new state.
Ijebu State: On 23 October 2025, Vanguard confirmed that the House of Representatives had passed for second reading a bill proposing the creation of Ijebu State from the present Ogun State.
The legislation was sponsored by Hon. Olufemi Ogunbanwo, representing Ijebu Ode/Ijebu North East/Odogbolu Federal Constituency, alongside three other lawmakers.
The bill’s progression through the second reading stage depicted the growing demand for administrative decentralisation in the South-West, with proponents arguing that the Ijebu region deserved its own statehood due to its historical and economic significance.
Oke-Ogun, Ife-Ijesa, and Ijebu States featured in multi-state creation bill: In March 2025, Dailyrust reported that four bills seeking the creation of additional states had successfully passed second reading in the House of Representatives.
Among them was a consolidated bill sponsored by Rep. Oluwole Oke, which proposed the creation of three new states: Oke-Ogun State, Ijebu State, and Ife-Ijesa State.
This legislative package aimed to amend Part 1 of the First Schedule of the 1999 Constitution. The inclusion of Ijebu State in this bill reaffirmed its legislative traction, while Oke-Ogun and Ife-Ijesa emerged as fresh contenders for statehood in the South-West region.
Tiga state proposal gains ground in Kano region: Also among the bills reported by Dailyrust was HB.1308, sponsored by Rep. Ghali Mustapha Tijani. This legislation sought to create Tiga State from the present Kano State, with Rano proposed as the state capital.
The bill’s advancement to second reading reflected growing calls for administrative restructuring in the North-West, where population density and regional diversity have fuelled demands for more localised governance.
Orlu State: Rep. Ikweagwuonu Ugochinyere sponsored HB.1430, a bill proposing the creation of Orlu State in the South-East region of Nigeria. According to Dailyrust, the bill passed second reading in March 2025, marking a significant step in the campaign for increased representation and autonomy in the region.
The proposed Orlu State would be carved from existing territories in the South-East, aiming to address long-standing concerns over political marginalisation and resource allocation.
Etiti State: Another South-East initiative was sponsored by Rep. George Ibezimako Ozodinobi. The bill proposed the creation of Etiti State, with Okigwe designated as its capital.
It successfully passed second reading in March 2025, as reported by Dailyrust. The legislation aimed to carve Etiti State from the existing five states in the South-East, reflecting a strategic push to enhance administrative efficiency and regional development.
While the bills have cleared second reading, they must still undergo further scrutiny and approval before any new states can be officially created.
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