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Musk, Rubio clash in cabinet meeting

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United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio and billionaire White House adviser, Elon Musk clashed during a Cabinet meeting, as President Donald Trump watched over the level of staff cuts that Rubio has carried out.

The drama reportedly unfolded at a meeting where Trump told his Cabinet heads that they, not Musk, have the final say on staffing and policy at their agencies.

According to the New York Times, Musk, assigned by Trump to eliminate large parts of the federal bureaucracy, accused Rubio of having fired nobody and resisting Musk’s push for large staff reductions.

Pushing back, Rubio said at least 1,500 State Department employees had taken early retirement buyouts.

It was gathered that Rubio asked sarcastically whether Musk wanted him to rehire all those people just so he could make a show of firing them again.

The meeting was said to have been convened amid complaints about the Musk operation’s blunt-force approach from agency heads to top White House officials, including chief of staff Susie Wiles.

The White House Office of Legislative Affairs has been inundated with calls in recent days from frustrated Republican members of Congress all over the country, some of whom have faced anger from constituents at home.

Meanwhile, President Trump denied that there was a clash when asked about it during a session with reporters in the Oval Office.

“No clash, I was there, you’re just a troublemaker. Elon gets along great with Marco and they’re both doing a fantastic job. Marco has done unbelievably as Secretary of State. And Elon is a unique guy and has done a fantastic job,” he told a reporter who asked about the report.

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2027: I’ll support anyone willing to leave office after four years – Kenneth Okonkwo

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Former Labour Party presidential campaign spokesman, Kenneth Okonkwo, has said he would support either a southerner or a northerner willing to vacate office after a single four-year term.

Okonkwo stated this on the Sunday edition of Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, a socio-political programme aired on Channels Television, amid discussions about a coalition ahead of the 2027 election.

The Nollywood star-turned-politician based his decision on equity and fairness between the northern and southern regions of the country, in line with the unwritten rule of rotational presidency.

“Everybody should come together. It is something that can be discussed. Who is going to do four years will influence who I am going to support because I still believe in equity and justice,” he said.

Okonkwo, who resigned from the Labour Party in February, said he was open to joining a coalition aiming to unseat President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the next election.

Ekwutosblog reports that talks of a coalition have been gaining momentum, further fuelled by the recent defection of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, from APC to the Social Democratic Party, SDP.

 

The lawyer described the APC government as incompetent, insisting that the opposition must form a strong alliance to wrest power from the incumbent administration in the next election.

“My game plan is simple. If the opposition is serious about taking power from this incompetent government, they must unite and act as one because that was exactly what the APC did in 2013, which helped them win in 2015.

“I believe in coalition. When I was leaving, I said I was open to discussions with every group to consolidate the opposition so that we can remove this government,” he said.

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Anambra South needs increased funding for infrastructure, quality education, healthcare – Amamgbo

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A Labour Party aspirant for the Anambra South Senatorial by-election for the replacement of late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, Donald Amamgbo has identified some of the needs of the zone, saying if given the opportunity to represent the zone, he will champion it.

Amamgbo, a respected legal practitioner and a player in the oil and gas sector, in a press release said his interest to represent his people in the Senate was to ensure development in the zone.

He said he will champion calls for increased funding for infrastructure development, maintenance and improved access to quality education and healthcare if elected into the red chambers.

He said, “My aspiration is anchored on my desire to provide quality representation and attracting meaningful projects that would better the lot of my people.

“My legislative agenda is all about listening to the concerns of constituents and representing their interest in the National Assembly, while collaborating with stakeholders to drive development and growth in Anambra South to ensure transparency, accountability and promoting the principles of democracy in Nigeria.

“My senatorial bid is built on a promise to deliver effective representation and champion the interests of Anambra South senatorial district. My vision is centred on key legislative priorities for economic empowerment, infrastructure development, education, healthcare, security and peace in Anambra South as well as the entire state.

“My approach to leadership is anchored in practical solutions and a people-first mentality. I will prioritize development, accountability, and compassion, offering a fresh perspective on service delivery. With my extensive experience in law, business, and humanitarian work, I am a force for positive change,” he stressed.

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BREAKING NEWS: Senators and former ministers of Buhari are preparing to move from APC to SDP.

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Strong signs that some of the former president Muhammadu Buhari’s ministers will turn to the Social Democratic Party altogether.

A senator in the ninth house of assembly, who talked with PUNCH newspaper on Saturday and asked for his name to be renamed, said at least 10 former members of Buhari are planning to return to SDP.

“What they are waiting for is the complete rule of the party in their states,” the sources said.

Our representatives have gathered that the top obedient to President Buhari’s next year include the former chairman of the All Progressives Congress National, Abdullahi Adamu; Former Federal Lawyer and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami and former Senate Chairman, Ahmed Lawan.

El-Rufa’i has started taking action
One of Buhari’s loyalist and former governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, on Monday transferred to SDP party, where he expressed the disagreement between him and the APC party as the first reason for making this decision.

 

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