The Central African Republic (CAR) is caught between two Russian mercenary forces — the long-established Wagner Group and the Kremlin-controlled Africa Corps.

Russia’s Defense Ministry wants CAR to replace Wagner with Africa Corps and pay for its services, but Bangui says it cannot afford it, offering gold, uranium, and iron instead. CAR officials prefer Wagner, praising its combat effectiveness and loyalty to President Faustin Archange Touadéra, despite its record of human rights abuses.

The Africa Corps, made up of Russian soldiers and ex-Wagner fighters, focuses more on training and resource deals than combat. Analysts say the Kremlin’s push reflects a broader geopolitical strategy to expand influence in Africa amid the Ukraine war, using low-cost operations to gain access to minerals and political leverage.

However, CAR’s resistance could strain ties with Moscow. The situation underscores a wider issue across Africa — governments relying on foreign forces for stability at the expense of national sovereignty.
APF

No Asiwaju Cap, No Exco’ – Edo APC Move To Suspend Commissioners Over Loyalty To Tinubu.

The Edo State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jarrett Tenebe, has issued a stern warning that any commissioner who flouts Governor Monday Okpebholo’s directive to wear the ‘Asiwaju cap’ to State Executive Council meetings will face suspension from the party.

Governor Okpebholo had, on October 14, while swearing in newly cleared commissioners and inaugurating boards and commissions, directed all cabinet members to demonstrate loyalty to President Bola Tinubu by appearing in branded party outfits, including the symbolic ‘Asiwaju cap’.

Addressing reporters on the matter, Tenebe described disobedience to the governor’s order as a serious act of defiance against party authority and discipline.

“If you refuse to wear the cap as the governor has directed, we will suspend you. That is indiscipline and insubordination,” he said firmly.

The APC chairman maintained that the governor’s instruction was not optional but a clear demonstration of loyalty to both the party and its leader, President Tinubu.

Edo APC’s 3.5 Million Votes Pledge
Tenebe linked the cap directive to a broader political strategy by the state chapter of the APC to guarantee massive electoral support for President Tinubu.

“We are doing this because we have made a promise that 3.5 million votes are guaranteed for President Bola Tinubu. Everybody has keyed into achieving that target,” he declared.

According to him, party loyalty cannot be compromised, particularly for those who benefited from appointments through the APC.

Clemency: You’ve brought shame, scrap NDLEA, EFCC, ICPC – APC chieftain to Tinubu.

A Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has called for the scrapping of some federal government agencies.

The agencies include the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC.

According Eze, these agencies have Iost their flavours to political Interferences, stressing that President Bola Tinubu’s presidential pardon of drug barons have further erodes public confidence in statutory Institutions.

The APC chieftain said as long as he remains a member of the ruling party it must be said categorically that Tinubu, by his action, has brought shame and reproach to the party.

Eze believes that no reasonable person would vote for the APC again as the President has made it unelectable in any election in this country.

Eze said that APC’s return to power in 2027 would mean that Nigerians approve of a regime that legitimizes illegality as a political strategy to sustain its odious reign beyond 2027.

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Information and Strategy last week, said in a statement that out of the 175 beneficiaries of the Presidential pardon, 41 illegal miners, 28 drug traffickers and 22 murderers topped the list.

Notable among the 175 beneficiaries are Herbert Macaulay, one of Nigeria’s foremost nationalists; Farouk Lawan, a former member of the house of representatives; Mamman Vatsa, a major general and poet executed in 1986 over alleged treason; and Maryam Sanda, who was sentenced to death for killing her husband in 2017.

Kenneth Okonkwo: Peter Obi’s One-Term Presidency Promise Is “Pure Political Strategy”

Veteran Nollywood actor and politician, Kenneth Okonkwo, has claimed that the single-term presidency proposal of Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, is nothing more than a strategy to win over Northern voters ahead of the 2027 elections.

Speaking on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily on Friday, Okonkwo argued that Obi adopted the idea after realising he could lose Northern support without such a promise.

According to him, “It was Atiku Abubakar who first said he would do only one term. Peter Obi later keyed into it because he knew if he didn’t, he would lose the North completely.”

Okonkwo added that for any opposition party to stand a chance against an incumbent, its candidate must agree to serve just one term so no region feels sidelined.

He explained that Obi’s promise is designed to assure Northerners that he wouldn’t “shortchange” them if elected, but would complete the eight-year cycle for the South with just a single four-year tenure.

My Support For 2023 Muslim-Muslim Ticket Was Political, Not Religious — El-Rufai
In the build-up to the election, the APC’s choice of President Bola Tinubu, a Muslim from the South-West, and Kashim Shettima, a Muslim from the North-East, generated mixed reactions.
Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has said his support for the Muslim-Muslim ticket adopted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 presidential election was not motivated by religion but was a political strategy.

You Have Lost Credibility, Pause And Reflect – Lagos LP Chair Tackles Peter Obi.

The chairperson of the Labour Party (LP) in Lagos, Dayo Ekong, has slammed the 2023 presidential candidate of the party, Peter Obi, over his alleged divisive statements, urging him to “pause and reflect” as his political influence continues to decline.
Accept Outcome Of 2023 Elections That Produced Tinubu - Coalition Tells Peter Obi
In a statement on her X handle on Tuesday, Ekong said Obi’s rising profile in 2023 was not just about his personality but a combination of party structures, grassroots mobilisation and public desire for change.

However, she claimed that “grace” which carried him then is now fading because of his divisive choices and inconsistent political moves, adding that the former Anambra State Governor political missteps have made him lose credibility even in his stronghold.

The LP chairman said Obi’s endorsements have failed to deliver victories, citing recent elections as evidence of his weakening political weight.

“Back-to-back failures in Imo and Edo should raise questions about Obi’s political strategy,” she said.

Her statement titled ‘Reflections on the Labour Party’s Challenges: A Call for Peter Obi to Pause and Ponder’ read: “As the State Chairman of the Labour Party in Lagos State, I have watched with growing concern the internal dynamics and external perceptions plaguing our great party. The Labour Party, once a beacon of hope for the masses, is now grappling with issues that threaten its unity and relevance in Nigeria’s political landscape. Chief among these is the meddlesome role and evidently waning influence of our former presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi. While I respect his contributions and the passion he ignited in 2023, it is time for a candid conversation. Mr. Obi must recognize the grace that propelled him in the last election cycle—a divine and collective favor from the party and the electorate—and reflect on how his recent actions are eroding that very foundation.