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How Indictment Will Affect Trump Run For Office
According to New York Times, any indictment or conviction would not bar Mr. Trump from running. A clean criminal record is not among the criteria the Constitution sets for who is eligible to be president. (Officials who have been impeached and convicted of “high crimes and misdemeanors” may be barred from future office, but the Senate acquitted Mr. Trump at both his impeachment trials.)
Still, it would be extraordinary for a person who is under indictment, let alone convicted of a felony, to be a major party nominee.
There are only a few historical examples of somewhat serious candidates who even come close. They include the unsuccessful run in the 2016 Republican primary by Rick Perry, the former governor of Texas, after he was indicted on charges of abuse of power (the charges were dismissed months after he dropped out of the race), and the 1920 run by Eugene V. Debs as the Socialist Party nominee while he sat in prison for an Espionage Act conviction.
If Mr. Trump were to be elected president while a felony case against him was pending or after any conviction, many complications would ensue.
The Justice Department has taken the position since the Nixon administration that even indicting a president while in office would be unconstitutional because it would interfere with the president’s ability to perform duties as head of the executive branch. Mr. Trump would surely try to get the case dismissed on that basis. There is no definitive Supreme Court ruling because the issue has never arisen before.
Notably, in 1997 the Supreme Court allowed a federal lawsuit against President Bill Clinton to proceed while he was in office. That was a civil case, however — not a criminal one — and it was in the federal system, not the state courts, as the indictment in Manhattan would be.
In that opinion, Justice John Paul Stevens wrote in passing that a similar case brought in the state court system might raise “federalism and comity concerns, as well as the interest in protecting federal officials from possible local prejudice,” but he did not say whether those factors would change the outcome.
Even more extraordinary complications would arise were Mr. Trump to be convicted and incarcerated and yet elected anyway. One possibility is that he could win a federal court order requiring his release from state prison as a result of a constitutional challenge. Another is that upon the commencement of his second term, he could be immediately removed from office under the 25th Amendment as “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.”
Click here to read more on the events that led to his indictment
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Renowned Nigerian Singer Onyeka Onwenu Dies After Lagos Performance
Nigerian singer, songwriter, and actress Onyeka Onwenu passed away on Tuesday, shortly after performing at a birthday party in Lagos.
The celebrated music icon was attending a friend’s private birthday celebration when she took to the stage to perform. After returning to her seat, Onwenu suddenly collapsed, prompting immediate concern among the attendees.
Emergency responders arrived swiftly and transported her to Reddington Hospital on Victoria Island. Despite the medical team’s efforts, Onwenu was pronounced dead shortly after her arrival.
Sources close to the family revealed that she fell ill during the event, leading to her collapse.
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She said, “It is very sad. Onyeka Onwenu just performed at the birthday of Mrs. Stella Okoli of Emzor Pharmaceuticals tonight. After performing, she slumped. She was taken to Reddington Hospital but couldn’t make it.”
The exact cause of her death is yet to be confirmed.
Born on 31 May 1952, Onwenu was a multifaceted artist whose career spanned over four decades. She was not only a renowned singer and songwriter but also an actress, journalist, and politician.
Onwenu’s music blended genres such as highlife, reggae, and pop, often addressed social and political issues. Some of her most popular songs include “One Love,” “Iyogogo,” and “Ekwe.”
Onwenu was also known for her political activism. She was chairperson of the Imo State Council for Arts and Culture and was appointed Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the National Centre for Women Development.
Earlier this year, Onwenu revealed she was producing a movie chronicling her experiences in the music industry spanning several decades. She expressed her excitement to share her personal story and how Nigerian music has evolved over time.
Onyeka Onwenu, known for her contributions to the Nigerian music and film industry, leaves behind a legacy that will be remembered for generations.
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BREAKING: CBN Revokes Heritage Bank’s License
In a significant move to ensure the stability of Nigeria’s financial system, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has announced the immediate revocation of Heritage Bank Plc’s banking license.
The decision came after the bank breached Section 12 (1) of the Banks and Other Financial Act (BOFIA) 2020, with the bank’s Board and Management unable to improve its financial performance despite various supervisory measures prescribed by the CBN.
Biztellers reports that the CBN found that the bank’s declining financial situation posed a threat to the overall stability of Nigeria’s financial system.
Consequently, the CBN took decisive action to revoke the bank’s license and appointed the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) as the Liquidator.
This step is intended to strengthen public confidence in the banking system and ensure its continued soundness.
In a press release, Mrs. Hakama Sidi Ali, Acting Director of Corporate Communications at the Central Bank, assured the public that Nigeria’s financial system remains robust and stable.
The CBN’s decision to revoke Heritage Bank’s license underscores its unwavering commitment to taking all necessary measures to safeguard the financial system and protect depositors’ interests.
As the situation unfolds, the banking community and the general public are closely monitoring the ongoing developments related to Heritage Bank and the broader implications for Nigeria’s financial sector.
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NNPC JV Unveils New Crude Oil Grade ‘Nembe’, Commences Exports With 1,900 Barrels
Precious ADELOLA
The NNPC/Aiteo Joint venture has announced the introduction of Nembe Crude Oil Grade, a new crude oil grade into the international crude oil market.
The announcement of the Nembe Crude Oil Blend, produced by Aiteo, the Operator of the NNPC/Aiteo Oil Mining Lease (OML) 29 Joint Venture (JV), was made at the ongoing Argus European Crude Conference in London, on Tuesday.
OML 29, an asset located onshore Nigeria, is operated by Aiteo Eastern Exploration & Production Ltd, Africa’s leading indigenous hydrocarbon producer, following a historic acquisition from Shell in 2014.
The Nembe Crude was previously blended with the popular Bonny Light grade and exported via the Bonny Oil & Gas Terminal.
The unique selling point of the Nembe Crude Oil grade with an API gravity was highlighted by both the Aiteo E & P and NNPC Limited Leadership at the Argus Conference in London.
The Nembe Crude Oil grade also has a low sulphur content and low carbon footprint due to flare gas elimination, fitting perfectly into the required spec of major buyers in Europe.
Two cargoes of 950,000 barrels each of the Nembe Crude Oil grade have since been exported to France and the Netherlands. With its attractive Assay of API 29 and low sulphur content, the Nembe Crude Oil grade commands a premium to the global Brent benchmark.
With the NNPC-Aiteo OML 29 JV back on-stream, Nigeria now boasts of an additional crude oil export of 2 Cargoes at 950,000 barrels each per month and 1.2 Bcf of export gas monthly.
This remarkable achievement signals the commencement of activities at Nigeria’s newest crude oil terminal, the Nembe Crude Oil Export Terminal (NCOET), which was licensed in line with the extant laws and Crude Oil Terminal establishment regulations.
The terminal was conceived as a Floating Storage and Offloading Vessel (FSO) with a storage capacity of two (2) Million Barrels and the ability to offload crude oil to any export tanker from AFRAMAX to Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCC).
It has a loading capacity of 25,000 barrels per hour and will be exporting over 3.6 million barrels of Crude oil monthly at full scale of operation.
Currently, hydrocarbon production from OML 29, which was hitherto constrained due to evacuation challenges owing to the security issues around the Nembe Creek Trunk Line (NCTL) corridor, has now been resolved through a collaborative and creative approach that led to the innovation of the Alternative Crude Oil Evacuation Solution.
The Argus European Crude Conference 2023 in London is a gathering of energy majors, refiners, NOCs, traders, financial institutions, and other representatives from across the global oil markets. The event also provides a critical opportunity for business leaders to connect, discuss, share and learn from one another.