NEWS
Trump Floors Biden In Historic, Fiery Presidential Debate
In a fiery presidential debate, marked by personal insults a stuttering Joe Biden on Thursday did little to douse concerns over his being too old for a second term in the White House in the race with Donald Trump.
According to AFP, a bombastic Trump lashed out at his successor, calling him a failure on the economy and the world stage.
The ferocious attach by Trump seemed to spur Biden, who attempted to hit back, but his delivery turned faltering as he spoke rapidly in a raspy, trailing-off voice, stumbled on his words and stared open-mouthed.
Political watchers term his performance on the day as triggering fresh concerns within his Democratic Party as polls show Trump is tied or ahead for the November election, even after the POTUS spent the week secluded in preparation.
In the historic first debate between a president and former president both accused each other of being history’s worst.
Recall that both Trump and Biden had gone into the history books as the oldest president when first elected, stooped to accuse each other of being childlike as they argued over their golf swings.
In another twist, Biden, 81, and Trump, 78, could not hide their personal animosity, as they did not shake hands as they walked to their podiums at the CNN headquarters in Atlanta.
This would have informed the organisers taking precaution by having no live audience and muting their microphones as the other spoke.
It was reported that Biden had a cold before the debate, but this did not prevent him from hitting Trump with what sounded as rehearsed lines with which Biden sought to remind millions of television viewers that Trump would be the first convicted felon in the White House.
Biden said, “You have the morals of an alley cat.”
However, an unruffled Trump, a veteran of rallies and reality television, spoke loudly as he ran through a long list of complaints about Biden’s record.
“I’m friends with a lot of people. They cannot believe what happened to the United States of America. We’re no longer respected,” Trump said.
In what appeared like Trump’s effort to seize on Biden’s delivery, he said, “I really don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don’t think he knows what he said either.”
‘Slow start’
Vice President Kamala Harris went into damage-control mode.
In a live interview on CNN, Harris said Biden’s record was “extraordinarily strong” but acknowledged concerns about his debate.
“Yes, there was a slow start, but it was a strong finish,” Harris said.
Kate Bedingfield, a former Biden communications director, said on CNN that “it was a really disappointing” evening for the president.
“I don’t think there is any other way to slice it,” she said.
A CNN poll found 67 percent of debate watchers thought Trump had won the event.
Democrats are set formally to name Biden as their candidate in August in Chicago, with little way to change course unless the president himself withdraws.
Biden has sought to counter attacks by Trump who say he is not vigorous enough for the job.
However, AFP cites Julian Zelizer, a historian at Princeton University, voicing that Biden’s supporters would be “extremely concerned.”
“Biden fueled the basic perception that has continued to overshadow him,” he said.
At a watch party in San Francisco, Hazel Reitz said she would still vote for Biden but added, “I can’t understand a word that he says. Isn’t it sad?”
Personal attacks
Neither candidate laid out new policies, with most of the exchanges consisting of attacks on the other’s record.
In one of the most personal moments, Biden cited accounts that Trump had described soldiers who died in the Normandy landing as “suckers” and noted his own son Beau, who served in Iraq and later died of cancer.
“My son was not a loser, was not a sucker. You’re the sucker. You’re the loser,” Biden said.
Trump denied the remarks and repeatedly accused Biden of not being coherent.
On foreign policy, Trump accused Biden — who faces a backlash from parts of his Democratic base over his support for Israel — of not helping Israel “finish the job” against Hamas.
“He doesn’t want to do it. He’s become like a Palestinian — but they don’t like him because he’s a very bad Palestinian, he’s a weak one,” Trump said.
Trump described Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan as the “most embarrassing moment in the history of our country” and said it encouraged Russia to invade Ukraine.
Biden, however, noted that he was the first recent president who has not had soldiers at risk overseas.
Trump and Biden also locked horns over abortion and immigration, key issues for their respective bases.
Biden, attacking Trump for appointing justices to the Supreme Court who ended Roe vs. Wade, the decision that allowed abortion rights around the country, said, “It’s been a terrible thing, what you’ve done.”
One candidate not on the stage was anti-establishment activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who failed to meet CNN’s threshold of reaching 15 percent in four national polls.
Kennedy instead spent the 90 minutes taking questions on a livestream, AFP reported.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has returned to Nigeria after representing President Bola Tinubu at the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi, India.
Shettima’s return followed a series of high-level engagements focused on strengthening Nigeria’s economic and diplomatic interests and expanding the country’s partnerships with BRICS member and partner countries.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima participated in high-level sessions at the summit and held bilateral meetings with key international leaders.
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Among his major engagements was a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where discussions focused on strengthening economic ties between Nigeria and India.
The discussions covered renewed crude oil trade, investment, pharmaceuticals, defence, digital technology, fintech, renewable energy and other strategic sectors.
Shettima also met with the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, reaffirming Nigeria’s support for multilateralism and a more inclusive global economic order.
At the BRICS summit, Shettima delivered President Tinubu’s message calling for reforms of global governance structures and international financial institutions to reflect current economic realities.
He also positioned Nigeria as a gateway to Africa’s expanding market under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Nigeria further used its participation at the summit to deepen engagement with BRICS member and partner countries in key sectors, including agriculture, artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, manufacturing, healthcare, energy and human-capital development.
The Vice President’s participation forms part of the Federal Government’s broader efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s international economic partnerships, attract investment and create new opportunities across strategic sectors of the economy.
Tension has heightened in parts of Sokoto metropolis following the stabbing of an Islamic cleric, Musa Lukuwa, shortly after Friday prayers, prompting the state government to shut the mosque where the incident occurred.
The Sokoto State Government ordered the immediate closure of the Lukuwa Jumu’at Mosque in Mabera and declared the facility a crime scene pending the outcome of investigations.
The government also ordered a full investigation into the stabbing of the cleric and the subsequent killing of his alleged attacker by worshippers.
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The directives were contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Director-General, Media and Publicity, Government House, Abubakar Bawa.
According to the Sokoto State Police Command, the alleged attacker used a knife to assault Lukuwa after the Friday prayers before worshippers overpowered and beat him to death.
Police spokesperson, Ahmad Rufa’i, said the command received a distress call at about 1:50pm concerning the incident.
He said preliminary investigations showed that the alleged assailant entered the mosque after the prayers and attacked the cleric.
Lukuwa was subsequently taken to hospital for treatment.
Following the attack, the cleric appealed for calm, saying he was in stable condition and urging his followers not to retaliate or take any action capable of escalating the situation.
Explaining the mosque’s closure, the state government said the measure was necessary to enable security agencies to conduct a thorough investigation.
“The government has ordered a full investigation into the attack and killing at Musa Lukuwa Jumu’at Mosque, Mabera, and ordered the closure of the mosque (crime scene) till further notice,” Bawa said.
The government also constituted a committee of Islamic scholars, known as ulamas, to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the religious tensions and advise the administration on appropriate measures.
“The State Government has constituted a committee of ulamas to examine the remote and immediate causes of such crisis, and to advise the government on the appropriate measures to be taken in the interest of the state,” the statement said.
The government further dissociated itself from anyone who, under the guise of religion, engages in acts it considers disrespectful to Prophet Muhammad, his parents, household and companions.
It reaffirmed its “total obedience and respect” for the Prophet and urged residents to continue demonstrating love and compassion towards him.
The administration also appealed to residents to refrain from making inciting statements capable of worsening the situation.
“The Government has appealed to people in the state to desist from incisive statements that could jeopardise the peaceful coexistence that Sokoto is known for,” Bawa said.
The state government assured residents of its commitment to protecting lives and property across Sokoto State and urged members of the public to remain calm as investigations continue.
The much awaited Africa’s largest Initial Public Offering by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals (DPRP) has been formally flagged off on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX).
President and Chief Executive Officer, Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), Aliko Dangote, marked the commencement of the offer by ringing the opening bell at the NGX trading floor in Lagos on Monday.
The transaction marks a significant milestone for Nigeria’s capital market, as the DPRP becomes the first refinery in the Nigerian Exchange’s 66-year history to open its shares to public subscription.
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The offer comprises 4.1 billion new ordinary shares priced at N525 per share, allowing investors to acquire an equity stake in Africa’s largest refinery.
Retail and institutional investors, as well as eligible investors across Africa, can participate in the public offer.
Investors can subscribe for a minimum of 10 shares, requiring an investment of N5,250 at the offer price.
The offer opened on Monday, September 14, 2026, and is scheduled to close on October 13, 2026, subject to the terms and conditions contained in the offer prospectus.
At the ceremony, Dangote highlighted that the public offer was part of a broader effort to expand public participation in owning his companies.
“We will lease every company that we operate,” he said.
The launch attracted prominent dignitaries, including Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, members of the Dangote family and captains of industry.
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