News
“MKO Abiola’s Last Breath” Susan Rice Sets The Record Straight
As Nigeria celebrates it’s 25th anniversary of uninterrupted democracy, we backtrack to 2019 when Susan Rice, former UN Ambassador and National Security Adviser to President Barack Obama, gave a detailed account of the
last moments of the presumed winner of the June 12 presidential election, late MKO Abiola, in her book, “Tough Love: My Story of the Things Worth Fighting For”. The annulled June 12, 1993 Presidential Election remains one of the darkest moments of Nigeria’s democratic journey.
The country has, in honour of Abiola and the unfortunate events of that day, moved it’s annual Democracy Day celebration from May 29 to June 12. Rice in her book, dispels the conspiracy theory that alleged she gave Abiola the tea laced with arsenic that killed him, saying: “About five minutes into the conversation, Abiola started to cough, at first mildly and intermittently, and then rackingly with consistency. He said he was hot, so I asked his dutiful minder, ‘Please turn up the air-conditioning.’ Noticing a tea service on the table between us, I offered Abiola, ‘Would you like some tea to help calm your cough?’ ‘Yes,’ he said, with appreciation, and I poured him a cup.
“Rice continued: “He sipped it, but continued coughing. Increasingly uncomfortable, Abiola removed his outer layer, leaving one layer on top. I shot Pickering a worried glance.” She described how Abiola’s condition rapidly deteriorated, saying: “The coughing became dramatic. I told the assembled men, ‘I think we better call for a doctor.’ No one argued. The minder immediately placed the call. Abiola asked to be excused and went into the bathroom of our meeting room. When he emerged, he was bare-chested and sweating profusely, barely able to talk. He lay down on the couch writhing and then rolled facedown onto the floor. “Rice recalled the urgency of the situation, saying: “The doctor arrived promptly, took a quick look at him, and declared that Abiola was having a heart attack and must be transported to the hospital immediately. The men labored to lift the heavy Abiola into a small car, and we rushed to the nearby, rudimentary presidential hospital.” She described the emotional moment when she had to break the news to Abiola’s wives and daughters, saying: “I proceeded to explain that their husband/father was dead. He had died of an apparent heart attack that began in our meeting. The doctors did all they could to save him but could not. The ladies’ wailing was so intense; it haunts me to this day.
“Rice also expressed frustration with Reverend Jesse Jackson, who implied that Abiola died under suspicious circumstances in a meeting with US officials, fueling conspiracy theories. She said: “I could not believe my ears – our own guy implying we were killers! Immediately, I placed a call to his longtime aide Yuri and asked them to shut the Reverend down. ‘Please, just get him off the set.'” Rice reflected on the unique hazards she faced as a woman policymaker, noting that she was the one who took the public fall for a crime nobody committed. She said: “From that experience, I found that being a woman policymaker comes with unique hazards. The men would not have offered, much less thought, to pour the tea. They may have swiftly called for a doctor. They may not have been able
to break the bad news to the wives. Not for the first time, it was I, not they, who took the public fall for a crime nobody committed.
News
Court, Congress Pile Pressure on DHS Over Minnesota Operations
Court, Congress Pile Pressure on DHS Over Minnesota Operations
US House Democrats have threatened to begin impeachment proceedings against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem over her handling of the immigration crackdown in Minnesota, unless President Donald Trump removes her from office.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries warned that Democrats could proceed “the easy way or the hard way,” describing the actions of Noem’s department as “disgusting.”
The crisis follows the fatal shooting of US citizen Alex Pretti by a federal agent, which has triggered backlash in Minneapolis and led to the planned departure of Border Patrol Chief Gregory Borvino and some agents from the city.
Trump has deployed his “border tsar,” Tom Homan, to take charge of on-the-ground operations, while a Minnesota judge has ordered acting ICE director Todd Lyons to appear in court over alleged violations of court orders.
Trump has distanced himself from claims by senior adviser Stephen Miller that Pretti was a “would-be assassin,” saying he did not believe the victim was acting as one.
Video footage shows Pretti holding a phone while filming agents, not a gun, although police say he was a legal firearm owner.
News
UN Raises Alarm Over ‘Spare No-One’ Rhetoric by South Sudan Army Chief
UN Raises Alarm Over ‘Spare No-One’ Rhetoric by South Sudan Army Chief
The United Nations has expressed concern after South Sudan’s Deputy Army Chief, Gen. Johnson Oluny, was heard urging troops to “spare no-one,” including children and the elderly, ahead of military operations in opposition-held areas of Jonglei State.
In a video posted on Facebook, Oluny, addressing members of his Agwelek militia, called for total destruction during the deployment.
The UN Mission in South Sudan condemned the remarks, describing them as “utterly abhorrent,” and warned that inflammatory rhetoric targeting civilians must stop immediately.
South Sudan’s government, however, said the statement did not amount to an official order, insisting it remains committed to protecting civilians.
Minister of Information Ateny Wek Ateny said civilians were being warned only to avoid being caught in crossfire.
The development comes amid escalating fighting in Jonglei, where forces loyal to suspended Vice-President Riek Machar have seized several areas.
The military has ordered civilians, UN personnel and aid workers to evacuate three counties—Nyirol, Uror and Akobo—ahead of an imminent operation.
The UN says more than 180,000 people have been displaced by the renewed violence.
Meanwhile, tensions remain high as opposition forces threaten to advance towards the capital, Juba, a claim dismissed by the army.
South Sudan has been unstable since a 2018 peace deal ended a five-year civil war that killed nearly 400,000 people, but lingering political rivalry and ethnic tensions continue to threaten fragile peace.
Diplomacy
Rwanda sues UK over scrapped migrant deal payments
Rwanda sues UK over scrapped migrant deal payments
The Rwandan government has initiated arbitration proceedings against the United Kingdom, seeking payments it says are owed under the now-abandoned asylum partnership agreement between both countries.
Rwanda has filed the case at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, arguing that the UK failed to honour financial commitments contained in the deal signed under the former Conservative government.
The agreement, designed to relocate some asylum seekers from the UK to Rwanda, was scrapped in 2024 by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, with the Home Office saying about £220m in future payments would no longer be made.
UK authorities insist the policy was costly and ineffective, pledging to defend the case to protect taxpayers’ funds.
Rwanda, however, says the arbitration concerns unmet treaty obligations and is seeking a legal determination of both parties’ rights under international law.
The PCA lists the case as pending, with no timetable yet announced for hearings or a ruling.
-
Analysis1 day agoThe Agony of a Columnist, by Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
-
Analysis3 hours agoNow That Nigeria Has a U.S. Ambassador-Designate, by Boniface Ihiasota
-
Diplomacy4 hours agoCARICOM Raises Alarm Over Political Crisis in Haiti
-
News1 day agoTinubu Unhurt After Brief Stumble at Turkey Reception
-
News1 day agoMacron invites Chad’s Déby to Paris amid push to reset ties
-
News1 day agoUN Raises Alarm Over ‘Spare No-One’ Rhetoric by South Sudan Army Chief
