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Protests Force Sudan’s Omar Al-Bashir to Resign
Omar Al-Bashir, a political hardliner and controversial leader of Sudan, has stepped down after 30 years in power, reports said Thursday.
United Arab Emirates-based Al-Arabiya network reported that Mr Al-Bashir resigned his position with immediate effect. Reuters also cited government sources as saying Mr Al-Bashir has stepped down and a new government was being formed.
The 75-year-old has reportedly handed over to the country’s supreme military council controlled by the armed forces.
His ouster follows days of protests that have engulfed the country, which is amongst the largest by land mass in Africa.
Reports of Mr Al-Bashir’s resignation came shortly after the soldiers reportedly surrounded his palace in the capital Khartoum.
Agence France-Press cited state television as announcing the military was gearing for an important message to the nation, but the statement did not appear to have come before Mr Al-Bashir’s reported exit.
Additional details of Mr Al-Bashir’s ouster were still sketchy as of early Thursday morning in Abuja, as other claims on social media said it came through a military coup d’etat.
Mr Al-Bashir has been highly unpopular amongst Western powers and was indicted by the International Criminal Court in 2008 for alleged crimes stemming from the genocide in Darfur.
While he remained an unwelcome political figure in the West, African leaders, however, largely stood behind him, dismissing the charges against him as a witch-hunt and refusing to hand him over for prosecution at The Hague.
He seized power in 1989 as a military general and has served the longest since the country gained independence in 1956.
Heavy chants against Mr Al-Bashir’s reign rented the air across the county, and solidarity songs by the military were reported to be playing on the airwaves.
The minister of defence has been tipped as the head of the military council now in charge of the country. It was not immediately clear when new elections would be held.
Al-Arabiya reports that several former and current officials, including a former vice president, have been detained.
Airports have been shut down and some broadcast stations were said to have been taken over by soldiers.
Protesters have been asked to move to the main square for a further sit-in. Protesters are matching to the military headquarters, demanding that the military should only supervise the ouster of Mr Al-Bashir, but not take over power in its aftermath.
Mr Al-Bashir has reportedly fled to Saudi Arabia, but details of this development are also still sketchy.
More than 50 persons were reported to have been killed since agitation for Mr Al-Bashir to leave power took off in December.
This is a developing story, additional details will be provided.
The National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, has argued that there is nothing wrong if Nigeria evolves into a one-party state, provided it reflects the will of the people.
Speaking to State House correspondents on Friday after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Ganduje dismissed concerns raised by opposition leaders over the country’s political direction.
He insisted that the growing dominance of the APC is a reflection of public trust in the party’s governance.
“If one-party state is a wish and blessing to Nigeria; One-party state is not by force; it is by negotiation,” Ganduje said.
“If other political parties see the effect of the positive governance of our party and decide to come to our party willingly, I think there is nothing wrong with that.”
Citing China as an example of a successful one-party system, Ganduje stated that the APC is not actively working to eliminate opposition, but that defections and realignments are part of democratic processes.
“Too many political parties spoil governance,” he added.
Ganduje led three senators from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), reportedly from Kebbi State, to meet with President Tinubu, announcing their intention to join the APC.
According to him, their defection is the result of extensive negotiations among stakeholders in the state and is part of APC’s broader strategy to strengthen its base.
“This is a good development and in consonance with what is happening in Nigeria today. Almost every week in the Senate and House of Representatives, you see members of other political parties decamping to our party,” he said.
Ganduje assured that the APC is prepared to smoothly integrate the new members, maintaining that the party’s strategy to expand both its numbers and the quality of its membership is aligned with democratic principles.
The Senator representing Kogi Central in the National Assembly, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has distanced herself from a viral TikTok video that surfaced online showing her dancing to “Omo Ologo”, a song in praise of President Bola Tinubu.
In a public disclaimer released via her verified X (formerly Twitter) account, Akpoti-Uduaghan denied owning any TikTok account, warning the public against being misled by parody accounts across various social media platforms.
“I do not own a TikTok account,” she posted.
“Many parody accounts exist in my name on X (Twitter), Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. Some have garnered large followings.”
She clarified that the circulating video was manipulated from an old 2023 clip and repurposed with “mischievous intent” to mislead the public.
“While I hold the President in utmost respect, I’d urge everyone to disregard the mischievous post made using an old 2023 video of mine,” she stated.
The video, sound-tracked by “Omo Ologo”, a praise song performed by Dauda Kahutu Rarara at a recent event attended by Tinubu in Katsina, appeared to depict the senator aligning herself with the president’s camp.
President Bola Tinubu has issued a passionate call for unity, resilience, and renewed patriotism, urging Nigerians to stand firm behind ongoing reforms aimed at rebuilding the country’s economic foundation.
Speaking during a grand reception in Awka, Anambra State, on the occasion of his state visit, President Tinubu acknowledged the current challenges facing the nation but assured the people that the hard choices were necessary for lasting prosperity.
“We continue to plead with Nigerians for their patience and understanding,” Tinubu appealed.
“We call on all patriots and progressives to rise and continue to work hard every day for the greatness of our dear country. We have no other country but Nigeria. We must make it great as the pride of the black race.”
He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to inclusive development, citing progress made in economic reform, infrastructure investment, and improved public finance management.
“We met near-insolvent public finance… unsustainable multiple subsidies… a chaotic and debilitating forex regime. These monsters have been tackled,” he said.
Highlighting renewed investor confidence and growth in agriculture, manufacturing, and technology, Tinubu said the “Renewed Hope Agenda” was already yielding visible results.
He particularly commended Anambra for leading in innovation and development, referencing the commissioning of the Solution Fun City and Government House Mini-City as signs of progress.
Describing Governor Chukwuma Soludo as “a brilliant man” and “a thinker who knows the way,” Tinubu added: “We are working together for a better Anambra and Nigeria.”
The president also praised Anambra State for fully implementing and even surpassing the new national minimum wage, calling it “a signal of true leadership and compassion for the working class.”
Asserting the federal government’s commitment to equitable development, Tinubu promised increased investment in roads, power, rail, and digital infrastructure across all regions, including the Southeast.
