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‘I will keep NATO strong,’ says Biden
U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday closed a three-day NATO summit in Washington by promising to “keep NATO strong,” in a press conference that focused heavily on U.S. politics and concerns about his mental fitness.
The 81-year-old U.S. leader is facing calls to let another candidate from his Democratic Party replace him in this year’s presidential race due to fears that he is suffering a mental decline.
The opposing Republican Party is expected to nominate former president Donald Trump, 78, at its convention, which begins on Monday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
“My predecessor has made it clear he has no commitment to NATO,” Biden said.
“He’s made it clear that he would feel no obligation to honour Article 5″ of the NATO treaty, which commits all allies to respond if one is attacked.
“But I made it clear a strong NATO is essential to American security. And I believe the obligation of Article 5 is sacred,” Biden contrasted.
“I will not bow down to Putin. I will not walk away from Ukraine. I will keep NATO strong,” the U.S. leader continued.
Biden’s speech followed a three-day summit in which NATO leaders announced further military support for Ukraine’s efforts to repel the Russian invasion, including air-defence systems and a pledge to spend 40 billion euro (or 43 billion dollars) in the next year.
They also declared Ukraine’s future path to NATO membership “irreversible.”
The United States and Germany also announced on Wednesday that the former would station long-range cruise missiles in “episodic deployments” in Germany to strengthen NATO’s deterrence in Europe.
But Biden’s closing press conference was dominated by the forthcoming presidential election in his country, and whether he should persist in running for re-election.
When asked whether he’d still be able to “deal with” Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping three years from now, Biden said he would not talk to Putin until the Russian leader changed course.
“I’m dealing with Xi right now and (I’m in) direct contact with him.
“I have no good reason to talk to Putin right now. There’s not much that he is prepared to do in terms of accommodating any change in his behaviour.
“I’m not ready to talk to Putin unless Putin’s ready to change his behaviour,” he said.
At times during the hour-long news conference, Biden struggled to express himself coherently, and in one instance appeared to confuse Trump with Vice-President Kamala Harris.
When asked for his opinion of Harris’ ability to beat Trump, he said: “Look, I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president, did I think she was not qualified to be president” (sic).
He went on to say, “I think I’m the most qualified person to run for president.”
This followed an earlier gaffe in a speech after a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, when Biden introduced the Ukrainian leader as “President Putin.”
“And now I hand over to the president of Ukraine, who has as much courage as he has determination – ladies and gentlemen, President Putin,” Biden said.
Biden corrected himself a moment later, adding: “….to beat President Putin – President Zelensky!”
In a post-summit news conference shortly before Biden’s, Britain’s newly-appointed Prime Minister Keir Starmer was repeatedly asked about Biden’s mental fitness.
Starmer said Biden “deserves credit” for the summit’s achievements.
“We have a bigger NATO, and more countries; we have a stronger NATO. We have a real sense of resolve,” Starmer said.
“President Biden led through all of that,” he added.
Earlier in the day, Finnish President Alexander Stubb told reporters he had no concerns about Biden’s capabilities.
“I have absolutely no concerns about the capacity of the current president of the United States to lead his country and to lead our fight for Ukraine and to lead NATO,” Stubb told reporters.
“I’ve had the opportunity to speak to President Biden on many occasions during the past 48 hours.
“We human beings, when we’re treated in the public eye, we’re never as good as we sometimes look, and we’re never as bad,” Stubb added. (dpa/NAN)
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday adjourned the suit filed by the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, to March 25, 2025.
The adjournment followed a submission by the respondents, who informed the court that they had not been served with the necessary documents.
Akpoti-Uduaghan had approached the Federal High Court, seeking an order restraining the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges from investigating her.
Treat my wife with respect, Natasha’s husband tells Akpabio
Delivering a ruling on the application on March 5, 2025, the trial judge, Justice Obiora Egwuatu, barred the committee from proceeding with the probe.
Details shortly…
The Delta State Police Command has arrested two suspected gun runners and recovered a cache of firearms and ammunition.
The arrests were made during stop-and-search operations along the Warri/Benin Road and Asaba/Benin Expressway on separate dates.
On 3rd March, operatives intercepted a Toyota Camry driven by one Peter James, 55, from Akwa Ibom State.
Upon searching the vehicle, they discovered three AK-47 rifles, 2,080 rounds of 7.62mm AK-47 ammunition, and 1,040 rounds of 5.1mm ammunition.
State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, who confirmed this in a statement made available to newsmen in Warri on Monday, said that the suspect was arrested near Western Delta University, Oghara, after operatives intercepted a blue Toyota Camry with registration number PHC 257 NT.
Police arrest 2 suspected gun runners in Delta, recover arms
Police arrest 2 suspected gun runners in Delta, recover arms
“The driver was asked to open the trunk of the vehicle, during which it was observed that the trunk of the said Camry, popularly known as ‘big daddy,’ was unusually small. This aroused the suspicion of the men who were convinced that the vehicle had been modified for malicious purpose.
“The policemen then proceeded and removed the seat of the vehicle, only to discover three (3) AK-47 rifles, Two Thousand and Eighty (2,080) rounds of 7.62 mm AK-47 ammunition, one thousand and forty (1,040) rounds of 51mm ammunition loaded in four boxes.
“The exhibit has been recovered, the suspect is in custody, and investigation is ongoing,” he added.
In a separate operation on 6th March, police arrested Yahuza Magaji, 69, and Abba Sani, 17, from Kaduna State, and recovered seven pump-action guns and 1,600 rounds of live cartridges.
Edafe said that operatives attached to Dragon Patrol Team 02 arrested the suspects while on stop-and-search duty along the Asaba/Benin Expressway by the National Open University, Onicha-Ugbo.
He said that police had intercepted a navy blue Sharon space bus with registration number DKA 408 LM, driven by one Yahuza Magaji, in the company of one Abba Sani, both of Lere LGA in Kaduna State.
“They disguised as traders transporting palm oil and garri, but the police, who insisted on a thorough search of the vehicle, recovered seven (7) pump action guns, five (5) cartons containing one thousand six hundred (1,600) rounds of live cartridges concealed under the back seat of the vehicle.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that suspects bought the arms from Onitsha and were transporting them to Kaduna State. The suspects are in custody, and investigation is ongoing,” he added.
Commenting on the development, the State Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, expressed delight that the marching orders he gave to all tactical commanders, area commanders, and DPOs to up their game were yielding results.
“We are determined to flush out all criminal elements in the state,” said CP Abaniwonda.
“I commend the effort and determination of our men for going the extra mile to detect the hidden firearms,” he said.
The Rivers State House of Assembly has issued a warrant for the Chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), Justice Adolphus Enebeli (rtd), to appear before it.
The Martins Amaewhule-led Assembly issued the arrest warrant on Monday during plenary, after the expiration of its 72-hour ultimatum for the electoral chief to appear before the House.
Enebeli had fixed August 9, 2025, to conduct a fresh Local Government (LG) poll in the state following a Supreme Court verdict that annulled the October 5, 2024 local government poll conducted in the state.
The Amaewhule-led Assembly had vowed to probe the conduct of Enebeli regarding the conduct of the annulled LG poll last year.
Over the weekend, Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, invited members of the Assembly to a dialogue on the implementation the Supreme Court’s verdict.
The Supreme Court had also barred the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Accountant General of the Federation and other agencies from releasing funds to the government of Rivers State until it purges itself of what the court described as flagrant disobedience to court orders.
In the judgment delivered by Justice Emmanuel Akomaye, the five-man panel of the court had unanimously dismissed the cross-appeal filed by Fubara challenging the validity of the House of Assembly presided over by Amaewhule as the Speaker.
In dismissing Fubara’s appeal, the court ordered Amaewhule to resume sitting immediately with other elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.