Headlines
Finally, Trump Agrees to Biden Transition
The General Services Administration acknowledged Democrat Joe Biden as the apparent winner of the presidential election on Monday, following weeks of inaction, and President Donald Trump called on his agencies to cooperate, Bloomberg reports.
“I am recommending that Emily and her team do what needs to be done with regard to initial protocols, and have told my team to do the same,” Trump said of Emily Murphy, the General Services Administration chief who heads the government agency meant to ease Biden’s transition into the White House. The Republican, however, said he would continue to contest the outcome of the election.
The designation triggers a formal transition process, giving Biden and his team access to current agency officials, briefing books and other government resources, including some $6 million in funding.
The PUNCH had earlier reported that most western media had projected the Democrat candidate winner of the keenly contested election after Biden’s triumphant victory in the electoral college votes against incumbent Trump who had refused to concede defeat while alleging fraud in the election.
Monday’s letter was sent after nine Republican senators had called for the transition process to begin, and hours after Michigan’s Board of State Canvassers had voted to certify the election’s results, practically ensuring Biden’s victory in the key battleground state.
“Because of recent developments involving legal challenges and certifications of election results, I have determined that you may access the post-election resources and services described in Section 3 of the Act upon request,” Murphy said in a letter to Biden, citing the Presidential Transition Act of 1963.
The announcement is a “needed step” to “getting the pandemic under control and our economy back on track,” Yohannes Abraham, the executive director of the Biden-Harris transition, said in an emailed statement.
“In the days ahead, transition officials will begin meeting with federal officials to discuss the pandemic response, have a full accounting of our national security interests, and gain complete understanding of the Trump administration’s efforts to hollow out government agencies.”
For weeks, the Biden transition team has worked informally to establish a new administration, including assembling a coronavirus task force and consulting with public health officials outside of the federal government, mimicking the approach former Vice President Dick Cheney took during the disputed 2000 election.
Blocked from interacting with federal agencies, Biden’s staff instead sought out other experts from academia, state governments and Capitol Hill.
The biggest change now is that the transition team will be able to flood federal agencies with officials focused on preparing the way for his administration. They will have access to agency staff and briefing books assembled earlier this year, as well as details on what administrative issues must be addressed right away.
Transition aides also will get details about which positions are most critical, as the incoming administration seeks to fill more than 7,000 jobs across the federal government.
“Fortunately, federal career civil servants have done an outstanding job preparing for this year’s transition by producing fact-based information on critical agency issues and by designating acting officials who will lead agency operations until new political appointees are confirmed,” said David Marchick, director of the Center for Presidential Transition. “They now need space to do their jobs.”
Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris may also swiftly begin receiving classified intelligence briefings. Lawmakers and national security experts had warned that without the information, the incoming administration was being kept in the dark about threats to the U.S. — a lapse that could make the country more vulnerable.
Biden’s team can now dig into work essential to running the federal government and bolstering the economy, from developing a budget plan to coordinating unemployment benefits guidance with the Labor Department.
The Punch
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has once again condemned the local government crisis that erupted in Osun State on Monday, resulting in the loss of six lives.
In a statement issued via his verified X handle on Tuesday, the former VP described the chaos as a brutal display of lawlessness, political brigandage, and subversion of democracy.
“Nigerians bore witness to a chilling display of lawlessness yesterday, as the Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress exposed the depths of its desperation to retain power at all costs — through sheer political brigandage and the subversion of democracy,” Atiku wrote.
He stated that the APC’s actions in Osun State were an assault on Nigeria’s democracy and must be condemned.
“In Osun State, the APC orchestrated a full-scale assault on the democratic process, attempting to hijack the local government elections through brute force.
“Armed thugs and mercenaries, operating under the party’s protection, launched an audacious bid to seize control of all 30 local government area council secretariats. And yet, the so-called national leadership of the APC and the presidency watched in complicit silence,” Atiku stated.
He argued that had it not been for the fearless resistance of the Osun people — who stood their ground against the APC’s rampaging foot soldiers — democracy in the state would have been trampled under the boots of political marauders acting at the behest of their party’s overlords.
He said Osun State would never bow to anti-democratic forces, as the people have shown beyond doubt that they will not allow their electoral rights to be stolen, no matter the level of intimidation.
Atiku further urged the security agencies deployed for Saturday’s elections to uphold their constitutional duty with professionalism by “refusing to be used as enforcers of the APC’s criminal agenda” because the world is watching.
He warned that these are dangerous times and that the APC has “abandoned any pretence of democratic legitimacy, resorting instead to brute force in its bid to cling to power,” despite resistance from the people.
“We commend the brave citizens of Osun for standing up to the tyranny that sought to break them. Their resilience is a beacon of hope in the face of unrelenting oppression,” Atiku stated.
He added, “Tinubu’s APC has left no doubt — it will stop at nothing to subvert democracy and impose itself against the will of the people. But Nigerians must resist. The time-honoured warning remains true: eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”
He further warned, “President Bola A. Tinubu and his dwindling band of enablers must cease their reckless acts of political sabotage — not just in Osun or Lagos, but across Nigeria.
“The people demand governance, not chaos. Nigerians will not sit idly while their democracy is hijacked by a power-drunk regime intent on setting the country on fire.”
The 2025 edition of the annual 42km 2024 Access Bank Lagos City Marathon has been once again dominated by East African runners from Kenya and Ethiopia.
Kenya’s Edwin Kibet on Saturday emerged winner in the men category, clocking a time of 2:14:06 to win the $50,000 price money.
Kibet came third last year behind his compatriot Bernard Sang who won it with a time of 02:16:49 and another Kenyan Cheprot who came second.
It is Kibet’s second win in the competition following his first victory in the 2023 edition.
In the women’s category, Ethiopia’s Guta Meseret Hirpa emerged victorious clocking a time of 2:37:04 for her first win in the competition.
First Nigerian to finish the race, Nyango Gyang Boyi, made history by finishing in the to 10 positions.
He finished the race in 8th place, clocking a time 2:25:41.58 which will earn him a prize award of $4,000. As the first Nigerian to finish the race, Boyi also won the N2million top prize in the Nigerian category.
The governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, was also one of the participants in this year’s Lagos City Marathon.
The 42km race commenced at Western Avenue, in front of the National Stadium Surulere, and finished in front of Eko Atlantic City, Victoria Island.
This year’s edition of Access Bank Lagos City Marathon had thousands of runners competing for the top prize.
The annual event was to a gold label by the World Athletics in 2023 less than eight years after its first edition.
The Canadian High Commission in Nigeria has refused to make further comments on circumstances surrounding the denial of visas to some senior Nigerian military officials, including the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, citing privacy policies.
The Authorities however, acknowledged social media reports of the situation.
Musa and some military officials were denied visas to attend an event in Canada honouring war veterans, a situation the CDS revealed during an event in Abuja on Thursday.
Responding on Friday, via its social media handle, the Canadian High Commission stated, “The High Commission of Canada in Nigeria is aware of media reports related to planned travel by senior officials. However, for privacy reasons, we are unable to comment on the status of visa applications of specific individuals.”
