Atiku Secures ADC Ticket as Trump-Era Nigeria Anti-ISIS Directive, School Abductions Dominate Headlines

Major political, security and governance developments shaped Wednesday’s headlines across Nigeria and beyond, with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar emerging as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress ahead of the 2027 general election.

The ADC presidential primary, held at the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hilton in Abuja, ended with Atiku defeating former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi and former banker Mohammed Hayatu-Deen by a wide margin.

Official results announced by the party showed that Atiku secured 1,846,370 votes, while Amaechi polled 504,117 votes and Hayatu-Deen received 177,120 votes out of a total 2,546,457 votes cast.

Following his victory, Atiku appealed for unity within the party, urging aggrieved members and rival aspirants to work together ahead of the 2027 elections.

“I therefore appeal to all those who feel aggrieved to come back to our party and close ranks with the rest of us,” he said.

The former Vice President also stressed that the primary should not create divisions among party members.

“As I said previously, there are no winners and no losers,” Atiku stated, pledging to collaborate with stakeholders to strengthen the ADC before the general election.

Meanwhile, fresh security revelations emerged from the United States, where Secretary of War Pete Hegseth disclosed that a directive from former US President Donald Trump triggered anti-ISIS operations in Nigeria aimed at protecting Christians from extremist attacks.

Speaking during a White House press conference, Hegseth said the directive influenced military coordination and intelligence activities in the Lake Chad Basin.

“Maybe a year ago, he heard the call of Nigerian Christians who were being targeted and killed by ISIS in Nigeria, and he said, ‘Pete, I want the War Department to focus on ensuring that we do everything we can to protect those Christians,’” Hegseth said.

According to him, the operation led to the killing of ISIS second-in-command Abu-Bilal al-Minuki during a joint operation involving US and Nigerian forces.

“And we got the assets there, and over the last month, and there hasn’t been much coverage of this, we killed ISIS number two in Nigeria, who’s most responsible for killing Christians and trying to target the U.S. homeland,” he added.

In Abia State, Governor Alex Otti inaugurated the Umuahia Central Bus Terminal and named the facility after Prof. Nnenna Nnannaya-Oti, in recognition of her role during the 2023 governorship election as the Independent National Electoral Commission returning officer.

Otti praised the academic for what he described as courage and integrity during a tense electoral process.

“This terminal has been named after Professor Nnenna Nnannaya-Oti, the courageous INEC returning officer who demonstrated unflinching integrity in the discharge of her duties during a high-stakes election assignment here in Abia,” the governor said.

He noted that the recognition symbolised appreciation for individuals who resisted pressure and intimidation during the election process.

The governor also outlined plans to expand transportation infrastructure in the state, including electric buses and improved urban transit systems.

Nationwide concern also deepened over the abduction of at least 82 pupils and teachers in Oyo and Borno states following attacks on schools earlier in May.

Reports indicated that 42 pupils were kidnapped in Borno after attacks on schools in Askira Uba and Chibok Local Government Areas, while another 40 pupils were abducted during raids on schools in Oyo State.

President Bola Tinubu condemned the attacks during his Children’s Day message, assuring families that the victims had not been abandoned.

“As we mark this special day, which coincides with Eid-el-Kabir, some Nigerian children and their teachers in Oyo and Borno should be with their families, but are being held captive by criminals,” Tinubu said.

“To those children, their parents and their teachers, I say this: you are not forgotten. You are not abandoned.”

The President directed security agencies to intensify rescue operations and strengthen protection measures for schools across the country.

The Senate Leader also condemned the abductions, describing kidnapping as a crime against humanity, while the Nigeria Union of Teachers warned that worsening insecurity could force a nationwide shutdown of schools.

Elsewhere, members of the Nigerian community in the United Kingdom continued to mourn Kayode Ogunbodede, a father of two who reportedly died in his sleep, as fundraising efforts intensified to support his family.