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Let’s End this ‘Uncivil War’, Says Biden As President Assumes Office As America’s 46th Leader
Joe Biden has been sworn in as the 46th president of the United States. At the inauguration ceremony Wednesday in Washington, D.C., it was a celebration of the return of the Obama administration and the Democratic Party. With the absence of outgoing President Donald Trump, the image of the Republican Party at the end of Mr Trump’s turbulent tenure was one of a contemptible lack of graciousness in loss.
In his inaugural address, President Biden called for an end to the “uncivil war,” addressing the toxic politics of the past four years, even as the Senate prepares to try his predecessor in the coming weeks following a second successful impeachment trial by the House of Representatives. Mr Biden asked for a “lower[ing] of the temperature” but took a swipe at the Trump administration and the falsehoods that ensued after the elections, which MrTrump still refuses to concede.
“We must reject the culture in which facts themselves are manipulated and even manufactured,” the new president said.
The unprecedented global health crisis, and the usually high number of casualties in the U.S., currently over 400,000, was already going to affect the layout of the inauguration. But the bitter contention between the two political parties, especially in the period following the November 4 elections have further heightened the contention in Washington, D.C., and culminated in the attack on the Capitol on January 6 by Trump supporters. As a consequence, the inauguration was conducted amidst a lockdown in the nation’s capital city. Entire sections of the city have been shut to the public and a wide perimeter created around the Capitol Hill to prevent a repeat of the brazen attack of two weeks prior. The inauguration committee made a decision to plant flags throughout the lawn in the National Mall, where attendees would ordinarily have occupied. The city has also been besieged by the presence of about 25,000 National Guardsmen, an overwhelming security move to quell any prospects of violent protest. One thing is certain, there will be no contest of crowd numbers regarding the 2021 Inauguration.
Yet, the tensions did not mask the palpable sense of victory for Democrats who turned out in their numbers, within the constraints of the COVID-19 protocols. Notably, former President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who lost the last election to Mr Trump in 2016, appeared to revel in being instrumental in thwarting the 2nd term ambitions of President Trump.
Amy Klobuchar, a sitting senator and former presidential hopeful who was once tipped to be Mr Biden’s running mate, opened the event and welcomed the ‘bunch of Bidens,’ mirroring the warmer, less contentious atmosphere that is expected to replace the fraught Trump Administration. Ms Klobuchar also celebrated the glass-ceiling breaking achievement of the incoming Vice-President Kamala Harris, who is the first woman to attain these heights in the history of the US.
The orders for the new president are tall. Mr Biden will fall in headlong into a global health crisis that has had devastating effects on the U.S. health sector and the US economy at large. President Biden has lain out plans to carry out a series of Executive Orders this week, including rejoining the World Health Organization (WHO). He is also expected to expedite the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine in the coming weeks.
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United States Representative Riley Moors has said further military strikes against Islamic State-linked militants in Nigeria could follow recent operations ordered by President Donald Trump, describing the actions as aimed at improving security and protecting Christian communities facing violence.
Moore made the remarks during a televised interview in which he addressed U.S. military strikes carried out on Christmas Day against militant targets in North-west Nigeria.
The strikes were conducted in coordination with the Nigerian government, according to U.S. and Nigerian officials.
“President Trump is not trying to bring war to Nigeria, he’s bringing peace and security to Nigeria and to the thousands of Christians who face horrific violence and death,” Moore said.
He said the Christmas Day strikes against Islamic State affiliates had provided hope to Christians in Nigeria, particularly in areas affected by repeated attacks during past festive periods.
According to U.S. authorities, the strikes targeted camps used by Islamic State-linked groups operating in parts of north-west Nigeria.
Nigerian officials confirmed that the operation was carried out with intelligence support from Nigerian security agencies as part of ongoing counter-terrorism cooperation between both countries.
The United States Africa Command said the operation was intended to degrade the operational capacity of extremist groups responsible for attacks on civilians and security forces.
Nigerian authorities have described the targeted groups as a threat to national security, noting their involvement in killings, kidnappings and raids on rural communities.
Moore said the strikes marked a shift from previous years in which attacks were carried out against civilians during the Christmas period. He said the U.S. administration was focused on preventing further violence by targeting militant groups before they could launch attacks.
U.S. officials have said the military action was carried out with the consent of the Nigerian government and formed part of broader security cooperation between the two countries. Nigeria has received intelligence, training and logistical support from international partners as it seeks to contain militant activity.
Moore had previously called for stronger international attention to attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria and has urged continued U.S. engagement in addressing extremist violence. He said further action would depend on developments on the ground and continued coordination with Nigerian authorities.
Nigerian officials have maintained that counter-terrorism operations are directed at armed groups threatening civilians, regardless of religion, and have reiterated their commitment to restoring security across affected regions.
World-renowned boxer Anthony Joshua on Monday survived a ghastly road accident in Makun, Ogun State.
Eyewitnesses report that the incident occurred along a busy highway of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
The vehicle carrying Joshua, a Lexus Jeep with the number plate, KRD 850 HN, reportedly collided with a stationary truck under circumstances that are still being investigated.
Joshua reportedly sustained minor injuries, while two persons were said to have died on the spot.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has cautioned that any attempt to hurriedly re‑gazette Nigeria’s new tax laws could undermine parliamentary oversight and set a dangerous constitutional precedent.
Atiku’s warning follows public scrutiny over reports that the Tax Reform Acts signed by President Bola Tinubu differ from the versions passed by the National Assembly. Lawmakers, including Abdussamad Dasuki, raised concerns that the alterations could pose serious legal and constitutional risks, noting that they were not backed by any constitutional framework.
In a statement on X, Atiku said the directive to re-gazette the Acts effectively confirms “that the gazetted version of the Tinubu Tax Act does not reflect what was duly passed by the National Assembly,” calling it “a grave constitutional issue.”
He emphasized that under Section 58 of the 1999 Constitution, a bill only becomes law after passage by both chambers, presidential assent, and gazetting.
“Gazetting is merely an administrative act of publication. It does not create, amend, or validate a law,” Atiku said, adding that any post-passage insertion, deletion, or modification without legislative approval constitutes forgery rather than a clerical error.
Atiku further warned that rushing a re-gazetting while legislative investigations are ongoing “undermines parliamentary oversight and sets a dangerous precedent,” stressing that the only lawful approach is “fresh legislative consideration, re-passage by both chambers, fresh presidential assent, and proper gazetting.”
The former vice president clarified that his position is not opposition to tax reform but a defence of constitutional order.
“This is a defence of the integrity of the legislative process and a rejection of any attempt to normalise constitutional breaches through procedural shortcuts,” he said.
The Federal government has denied wrongdoing, insisting the laws will take effect as scheduled on January 1, 2026, while the National Assembly has directed the issuance of Certified True Copies of the Acts to ensure clarity and accuracy.
