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Trump’s opponent Christie drops out of Republican presidential ticket race

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After a week of speculations, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie ended his bid for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination on Wednesday night after failing to gain momentum for a campaign centered on fierce criticism of the policies and character of frontrunner Donald Trump.

Christie dropped out just days before the first Republican nominating contest in Iowa. He had the support of just 2% of Republicans in a nationwide Reuters/Ipsos poll completed on Tuesday – the same level of support as former Representative Liz Cheney, who never declared herself a candidate.

So far, Trump holds a big lead in the contest to be the party’s nominee against President Joe Biden in November’s election, according to the Reuters/Ipsos poll which puts the former president at 49%, ahead of former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley at 12% and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at 11%.

Christie, 61, told a town hall event in New Hampshire that he no longer saw a path forward for his campaign, and repeated warnings about what would happen if Trump were to win the presidential election.

“I am going to make sure that in no way do I enable Donald Trump ever (to) be president of the United States again and that’s more important than my own personal ambition,” he said.

Christie’s base of support was greatly concentrated in New Hampshire, the northeastern U.S. state that holds the second Republican nominating contest on Jan. 23 after Iowa on Monday.

He had been under pressure from some anti-Trump groups to drop out and give Haley the best shot against Trump in New Hampshire, where voters tend to skew more moderate than in other early Republican nominating states.

Republican pollster Whit Ayres predicted almost all of Christie’s support in New Hampshire, which a RealClearPolitics poll aggregation put at around 12%, would likely gravitate to Haley.

“This leaves Trump as the odds-on favorite to win, but with Haley having a path to winning New Hampshire that is now a bit wider than it was when Chris Christie was in the race,” Ayres said.

According to Reuters, Strategist Sarah Longwell, who holds regular focus groups with Republican voters, said she now gave Haley a slight edge against Trump in New Hampshire. But Trump’s odds of winning New Hampshire would likely go back up to around 60% should the other two main contenders – DeSantis and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy – also drop out.

In what appeared to be a hot mic moment ahead of his announcement at the town hall event, Christie seemed to cast doubt on Haley’s chances.

“She’s going to get smoked. You and I both know this. She’s not up to this,” he said.

Trump and DeSantis both seized on Christie’s comments. Trump said he had made a “very truthful statement” about Haley while DeSantis posted on X that he agreed with Christie.

Haley, a former governor of South Carolina, did not directly address the moment in her response to Christie’s announcement, commending him for his campaign and adding: “Voters have a clear choice in this election: the chaos and drama of the past or a new generation of conservative leadership.”

Christie did not discuss with Haley his decision to suspend his campaign, a person briefed on Christie’s plans said ahead of the announcement.

Since launching his bid in June, Christie has been a staple on cable news shows offering withering critiques of Trump, calling him unfit for office and arguing that he was morally responsible for the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

While the broadsides earned Christie a sliver of support among Republicans wanting to move in a new direction, Trump’s tight grip on the party’s most active members meant Christie never rose above low single digits in national polls.

His departure eliminates the most vocal Trump antagonist from the race, although Haley has grown increasingly critical of Trump in recent weeks.

Christie has repeatedly predicted that Trump would likely lose in the general election to Democratic President Joe Biden, given the four criminal cases hanging over the former president’s candidacy.

Christie ran for president in 2016 but ended his bid after a disappointing finish in the New Hampshire primary and became the first major party figure to back Trump.

He helped run Trump’s debate preparations in 2020 but disavowed the former president following his claims that he won the 2020 election.

 

 

 

 

 

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Supreme Court to rule on ADC, PDP cases Thursday

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The Supreme Court of Nigeria will on Thursday, deliver judgments in two cases involving the leadership crises rocking the African Democratic Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party.

According to information on the official website of the court, the matters, listed under “Political Appeals”, have been added to the cause list for Thursday, April 30, 2026.

While judgment in the ADC matter, marked SC/CV/180/2026, has been fixed for 2 pm, there is no time yet for that if the PDP.

 

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Tinubu to reconstitute NHRC board, retains Ojukwu as ES/CEO

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President Bola Tinubu has written the Senate, seeking the screening and subsequent confirmation of fifteen nominees to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

The letter was read by the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio.

The letter seeks the reconstitution of the commission’s board in line with statutory provisions with the list comprising nominees from diverse professional backgrounds, including the media and legal sectors.

Among the nominees are the President, Nigeria Guild of Editors and Editor, Vanguard Newspapers, Mr. Eze Anaba; and Dr. Salamatu Hussaina Suleiman, who has been proposed as chairman of the board.

The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Anthony Ojukwu (SAN) is to retain his position as the Chief Executive Officer.

Other nominees include Mrs Roseline Tasha, Ambassador Adam Yubak Baku, ACG Felix Lawrence, Mr. Edmund Chinonye, Mr. Chinonye Obiaku (SAN), Oluwakemi Asiwaju Okere-Odo, Professor Adedeji Ogunji, Kingsley Chidozie, Mohammed Adelodu, Maupe Ogun Yusuf, and Otunba Francis Meshioye as members.

Also nominated are Patience Patrick and Hawwa Ibrahim, listed as members.

The President said the nominations were made pursuant to Section 2(3) of the National Human Rights Commission (Establishment) Act, 2010, which empowers him to constitute the board subject to Senate confirmation.

He explained that the reconstitution of the board was necessary to enhance the commission’s institutional capacity and enable it to more effectively discharge its mandate to promote and protect human rights across the country.

If confirmed, the new board is expected to play a critical role in reinforcing the NHRC’s oversight functions, particularly at a time of heightened concerns over rights protection and accountability in Nigeria.

Following the presentation of the request, the Senate referred the nominations to its Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters for screening and report within two weeks.

 

 

 

 

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Breaking: EFCC investigates Pastor Jerry Eze over alleged money laundering

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has revealed that it investigated the founder of Streams of Joy International, Pastor Jerry Eze, for six months over suspected money laundering before clearing him.

Ola Olukoyede, chairman of the Commission, disclosed this on Wednesday while speaking at the Jerry Eze Foundation Business Grant Award Ceremony in Abuja.

According to him, the probe was triggered by intelligence reports and petitions after the commission observed large inflows of foreign currencies into the cleric’s domiciliary account.

“We work by intelligence, we work by petitions. At some point, I saw there was an account, a domiciliary account. Dollars, pounds were dropping in like raindrops, from Colombia, from America, from Sri Lanka, even from Togo.

“I said who is this man? Yes, I’ve been hearing about his name, I’ve seen his face a couple of times. I never bothered about what he was doing. I knew he was a pastor.

“So they said this one pastor of streams of joy, go and investigate him. So we went to the investigation. We combed the books,” Olukoyede stated.

The EFCC boss said he subsequently invited Eze for questioning after preliminary findings were compiled by investigators.

He added that upon meeting the cleric and reviewing the findings of the investigation, the commission found no wrongdoing.

“So he came to my office. He told me what happens and all of that, and how the money came, what he does, how he has been helping people, and all of that.

“I said, you know what, I didn’t call you here to explain to me. We have already done our work. I called you here to commend you,” he stated.

The remark drew applause from the audience, as Eze, who was present at the event, acknowledged the commendation.

He noted that the commission has a responsibility not only to investigate financial crimes but also to recognise individuals found to have acted with integrity.

The EFCC chairman, however, stated that the agency would continue to monitor financial activities where necessary, stressing that its preventive mandate remains critical in tackling corruption.

 

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