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Pre-inauguration: Some takeaways from Trump’s remarks on Sunday
On the eve of his inauguration, President-elect Donald Trump staged a campaign-style rally in frigid Washington where he and his supporters celebrated his win.
Here are some takeaways from Trump’s remarks on Sunday:
As he has been signalling for weeks, Trump is expected to sign a torrent of executive actions on Monday to make good on his campaign promises.
“The American people have given us their trust, and in return, we’re going to give them the best first day, the biggest first week and the most extraordinary first 100 days of any presidency in American history,” Trump said.
A source familiar with the planning confirmed Trump is preparing to sign more than 200 executive actions on Monday.
The orders are expected to cover border security, mass deportations, rolling back government diversity initiatives, pardoning Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack defendants, boosting oil and gas production, and replacing thousands of career government bureaucrats, among other policy items.
Trump vowed to repeal “every radical and foolish executive order of the Biden administration” within hours of assuming the presidency.
Trump and other rally speakers said Trump has been given a clear mandate to carry out his plans.
Although critical of his predecessor’s record, Trump largely avoided the name-calling of past rally speeches.
It was perhaps a preview of the tone Trump will try to strike on Monday during his inaugural address.
The existence of the rally itself was unusual.
Traditionally with a new president, campaign rhetoric yields to more substantive conversations.
The language of transition typically focuses on the handover between administrations.
But the crowd at the Capital One Arena was indistinguishable from any at Trump’s prior campaign events: men and women clad in red MAGA hats, Trump-adorned shirts and American-flag regalia.
And the speakers who took the stage often spoke at the prior events: Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White, longtime Trump aide Stephen Miller, and two of Trump’s sons, Donald Jr. and Eric.
Trump, too, recycled many of his campaign soundbites on border security and crime and played campaign videos on the arena’s screens.
As the campaign wound down, Trump lamented that his rallies were going away. So Sunday’s event was a nostalgic thank-you of sorts to his supporters.
“We’re all going to be sworn in together. That’s the way I look at it,” Trump said to cheers.
Sunday’s scene will likely stand in striking juxtaposition with Monday’s rarefied swearing-in event at the U.S. Capitol, where tech all-stars such as Tesla’s Elon Musk, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Google’s Sundar Pichai are expected to be present.
Their companies and many others donated millions to Trump’s inaugural fund.
Trump is aiming to pack his administration with billionaires, including Musk, the world’s richest man, who will head up his government efficiency effort, Commerce nominee Howard Lutnick, Treasury Secretary pick Scott Bessent, and Education nominee Linda McMahon.
The official balls at which Trump is expected to speak Monday night are invitation-only and will likely be populated with mega-donors and the U.S. corporate elite.
The tension between the populist MAGA diehards and Trump’s corporate allies has already shown itself on issues such as H1-B, a visa programme for foreign tech workers, and TikTok and may deepen as Trump identifies his near-term priorities.
Is there room under Trump’s tent for all of them? We’ll soon find out.
Musk has been at Trump’s side since he won the election in November.
So it was no surprise when Trump asked him to come on stage during the rally to cheers from the MAGA faithful.
“We’re looking forward to making a lot of changes, and this victory is the start really,” said Musk, who will chair Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency.
But Musk’s advisory role may extend beyond that mandate.
He is likely to work with Trump’s White House appointees such as Russell Vought and James Sherk to shrink the size of the federal government while also replacing thousands of career employees with hand-picked Trump political employees.
As befitting his status, Musk was called by Trump to the stage to speak, while JD Vance, who will be sworn-in on Monday as vice president, was not.
As it was, Trump seemed to be unsure where Vance was in the arena.
“Wherever the hell he is,” Trump said, looking about. “He’s here someplace.” (Reuters/NAN)
By Israel Bulus, Kaduna
A controversial list of political appointees purportedly originating from the Kaduna State Government has triggered outrage within Government House and among prominent politicians across the state’s 23 local government areas.
ELANZA NEWS gathered from credible government sources that the list, which has been widely circulated on social media, did not receive the knowledge or approval of Governor Uba Sani or any of the local council chairmen.
Insiders in the Kaduna State Government confirmed that the document did not emanate from any official or authorized channel.
The list, which includes names of alleged political appointees and their supposed sponsors—some of whom are well-known political figures—has raised serious concerns about internal sabotage and the deliberate spread of misinformation within the state’s political landscape.
“This list is not only fake; it was deliberately leaked to sow confusion, erode public trust, and discredit both the governor and the local council leadership,” a senior government official told ELANZA NEWS under the condition of anonymity, citing the sensitivity of the matter.
Further investigations revealed the document was allegedly compiled nearly two months ago by unidentified individuals believed to be working against the current administration. Some individuals named in the list reportedly made financial contributions under the impression that the appointments were genuine.
“This fraudulent act is more than just mischief. It is a calculated attempt to deceive the public into believing these appointments have been officially endorsed,” another government source said.
“The government is thoroughly investigating the origin of the document, and those responsible will be held accountable under the law,” the source added.
Political analysts warn that the incident could prompt a review of the state’s appointment and vetting procedures to prevent future exploitation by political intermediaries.
Governor Uba Sani, who took office in 2023, has consistently championed transparency, meritocracy, and due process in governance. Observers say this incident presents a significant test to the administration’s integrity and internal unity.
As of press time, the state government had not issued an official statement, although sources indicate that a formal response is expected soon to clarify the situation.
Efforts to reach the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ibrahim Musa, were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to calls from our correspondent.
It has been a full week of listening to Politricktians struggling to defend the indefensible. I have watched some struggle to present purely self-seeking and egocentric predilections and decisions as altruistic and popular. The usual lie told when politicians decamp from one Party to another was rife in the news-wave. It was repeated every so often they were confronted with ‘why did you decamp to a Party you had mocked and described as soulless and directionless?”. And the lies would come streaming with shameless Olympic stupidity and shenanigans unbridled.
If your reason for moving from the PDP to the APC is to connect Delta State to the Centre ditto to Abuja, who Abuja elp? How has the Partisan affinity or connection with Abuja helped Lagos State? How has it benefitted Benue State? How has it made life better for the people in Bornu State? And how has the lot of the people in Imo State improved? The States here in reference are APC States, and are badly messed up.
Since 1999 Lagos State has never had it so bad, Lagos State for instance fared better when it wasn’t in partisan sync with the centre. No sane person can compare Tinubu’s term as Governor of Lagos State with Sanwo-Olu’s, none can compare Fashola’s, or Ambode’s one term, albeit as opposition Governors with the most lethargic and uneventful watch that Lagos State has produced in the last 26 years Sanwo-Olu’s connect with Abuja notwithstanding. Lagos is presently experiencing it’s worst leadership deficit and lethargy in 26 years, but Sanwo-Olu is not the trust of this piece, so I will let him be, but I shall return to substantiate my position, if his spin-doctors provoke me.
To the States of Bornu, Benue and Imo, the vouched partisan affinity with Abuja is a curse more than a blessing. Bornu and Benue are theatres of unmitigated security challenges. I won’t mention Jos, Plateau so Partisans wouldn’t challenge me that Plateau State is PDP. However, in today’s Nigeria most of the States troubled silly with insecurity are APC States. Human barbecues are dished with reckless abandon by the Haramists and Herders, and Abuja has done little to help, it has been more words and little action. All the people see, read and know is the blood soaked and blood stained mandate of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his Party. The APC has failed them like it has failed most Nigerians, so the people who decamped from the PDP to the APC in Delta State should stop telling stupid lies of how a contrived partisan sync with Abuja will benefit Delta State, that na big lie. The truth is that that decision of theirs is absolutely self-seeking, egotistic and individualistic, it was a shenanigans shameless and utterly soulless.
Is Imo an example of a State benefitting from her partisan sync with Abuja? I beg make I laugh small. And to make matters worse they call Governor Hope Uzodinma the Chairman of the Unprogressive, oh sorry, Progressive Governor’s Forum. That means that Hope Uzodinma is the Chairman of the Forum of APC Governors. I beg ask Ndi’Imo how market? Now Governor Sheriff Oborevwori is an APC Governor, and I hear that Pastor Eno of Akwa Ibom is joining soon. If no be craze, how will a Governor wey dey try small go go join Party wey the Governor wey no dey try at all, go be im Chairman? What in today’s Nigeria is testament to the laudable rule of the APC? And why is the APC attractive to the defectors streaming into the Party? I am committed to telling all I know, and more in the sequel to this piece, yes Part 3 dey come.
I am committed to making sure that each of this series is short and reader friendly. However, I will not conclude this without calling out Nigerians to consistently interrogate Public Office Holders and Political Operators, we must understand that eternal vigilance is the price of freedom, and we must refuse to drink from the poisoned chalice of deceit, falsehood, and debauchery that self-serving Politricktians wield. And we must say no to their lies, half truths and mendacity.
Compatriots, those defending the egocentric and self-seeking defection of the Delta State Governor and his Team from the PDP to the APC are smart by half. And to those wondering whether we can effectively organize to stop the rudderless APC, the gail of defections notwithstanding, I bring great hope. Yes, there is enough time to perfect and pull through with the needed coalition to defeat the underperforming APC in 2027. Do not forget that Peter Obi didn’t have a State Governor when the Labour Party won the election in 2023. Tinubu didn’t win the majority of the total votes cast when INEC declared him winner, and having failed, as he continues to outperform Buhari in failure, the hail of defections will only deepen the Tinubu rejection.
Do not forget that Delta State was home to the Obidient Movement in 2023, and still is. Do not also forget that Okowa, Sheriff Oborevwori and the PDP machinery was roundly trounced and defeated by the Obidient Movement/Labour Party at the Presidential polls in Delta State in 2023, and that it took the Obidients rejecting Senator Ovie Omo-agege for Oborevwori to emerge Governor in 2023. May the Proud, the Arrogant and the Boastful use their tongue count their teeth, e no far again.
Delta State in 2027 offers a beautiful turf for the replay of the contest between the Peoples Power, and the Power of the men in power. Indeed, 2027 will be a Ballot Based People’s Revolution deeper and more effective than what happened in 2023. Take note that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC are consistently their own greatest undoing, not with Buhari’s colossal failure becoming Child’s play compared with Tinubu’s uneventful and Olympic failure.
Folks, we shall coalesce and unite to make Tinubu a One-Term President, that’s the least duty we owe Nigeria.
I shall return very soon with Part 3, but before then, please stay safe and protect yourselves, ‘no be me talk am, na one Oga DSS dem say na im talk am.’
God Bless Nigeria.
Prof Chris Mustapha Nwaokobia Jnr
Convener COUNTRYFIRST MOVT. A Good Governance Advocacy Group.
Call Mgbeke Comedian
North Central Women on Friday criticized Prof Mgbeke, dismissing her recent remarks about the representative of Kogi Central, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, as mad imaginings, deception and fantasy.
They also described the remarks of the All Progressives Congress (APC) South-South Organizing Secretary, Mr. Blessing Agbomhere, as banal and irrelevant.
“It is amazing that male politicians in Nigeria are resorting to dishonest tactics to fight women.”
The women in a statement in Abuja criticized the leadership of the Senate for placing Nigeria in a dilemma.
“The six-month suspension is raised in almost all the news media in the world.’’
They urged the senate leadership to save Nigeria from ignominy.
Specifically, the women praised Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan for not allowing anyone to make her an emotional client in the country.
They also applauded her for playing a major role in the national history of Nigeria.
The statement issued by the Chairperson of North Central Women Front (NCWF), Mrs. Mary Adamu emphasized Akpoti-Uduaghan’s unflagging commitment to improvement of Kogi Central Senatorial District.
The women scolded the spokesperson of Executive Watch Dog, Mr. Fidelis Ella for advertising his ignorance.
The women of repute and experience branded Dr Sandra Duru (Mgbeke), Ella and Agbomhere parrots and bootlickers of anti-democratic forces.
“Unstable people can destroy anybody for a political appointment, contract and petty cash.”
The women further dismissed allegations of malicious agenda, dirty game of propaganda and destruction.
They described the plot to dismantle Yoruba Government, destabilize the national structure and halt the country from moving forward as a foolish talk.
“Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is guided by patriotic commitment.’’
The women urged sympathizers of the Senate President and a former ministerial nominee not to lead Nigeria to confusion.
The statement denounced intolerance, lies, perversion of truth and crazy ideas.