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U.S. election: Harris, Trump head to swing states
Former union leader Dan Osborn’s independent run for U.S. Senate in deeply Republican Nebraska has shown unexpected strength and if he pulls off an upset victory could make the Navy veteran a Washington wild card next year.
A series of recent polls has shown Osborn within striking distance of incumbent Republican Senator Deb Fischer, a surprise in a state where Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump leads Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris by 18 percentage points and that last elected a Democrat to the Senate in 2006.
Democrats stayed out of the race, setting up a one-on-one contest where Osborn has campaigned on a populist message that straddles the major parties’ priorities: supporting both abortion rights and gun rights, speaking out against the power of corporate America and describing illegal immigration as a “pool of cheap labor.”
“I am frustrated with both sides catering to the extremes,” Osborn, a mechanic, said in a recent televised town hall with local station KETV.
“Less than two per cent of our elected officials both in the House and Senate come from the working class, so I can bring a unique perspective to Congress,” he added.
Osborn said that if elected, he won’t caucus with either major party, unlike long-serving independent Senators Bernie Sanders and Angus King, who normally vote with Democrats and are counted among their ranks for purposes of allocating power.
That could complicate Republicans’ hopes of erasing Democrat’s current 51-49 majority in the chamber.
Depending on the overall margin of control, it could give Osborn a pivotal vote, akin to the role that once-Democratic, now-independent Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema played in alternately advancing and blocking parts of Democratic President Joe Biden’s agenda.
Nebraska is one of just two states that allocate its votes in the Electoral College that picks presidents by congressional district, which has inspired a heavy Democratic get-out-the-vote effort focused on the liberal-leaning areas around Omaha.
“This Senate race is closer than anybody expected,” said Elizabeth Theiss-Morse, political science professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
But in a deeply conservative state, she added, “Republicans are likely to stay with their party when push comes to shove.”
The four most recent polls on the race, all this month and funded by Osborn’s campaign or Fischer’s campaign, range from giving the incumbent a six- percentage-point-lead to favoring Osborn by a similar margin.
Osborn rose to prominence for leading a 2021 strike against cereal maker Kellogg’s in Omaha, and major unions have powered his campaign through endorsements and donations, though Osborn’s campaign eschews corporate PAC donations.
The Republican Fischer, a cattle rancher first elected to the Senate in 2012, touts herself as “Nebraska’s voice, Trump’s choice,” and campaigns on a slate of agricultural and rural issues affecting veterans, law enforcement and senior citizens.
“I have a long, conservative record that’s helped build Nebraska and keep America strong,” Fischer said in a statement.
If elected, Osborn could face unique hurdles, given that Senate jobs and perks are allocated by the two major parties.
“The introduction of an independent who declines to even nominally caucus with either party would introduce an exciting – but confusing – dynamic to the Senate, especially with the chamber so closely divided,” said John LaBombard, a bipartisan strategist and former aide to Sinema.
Osborn’s campaign said he is confident that Senate rules allow for him to be on at least two committees, but LaBombard said the process to obtain these assignments is ambiguous and could require negotiation with one party’s leadership or approval from 59 other senators for this go-it-alone approach.
Some Nebraskans said the mild-mannered politics of the state, where more than 20% of registered voters are unaligned with one of the major parties, could help Osborn.
“With our politics it’s not just party line,” said Ruth Huebner-Brown, co-founder of the “Blue Dot Nebraska” movement that aims to drive up Democratic support in the Omaha-area district with almost 11,000-yard signs that feature a simple blue dot in the state’s shape.
“I wish there were more people like him,” she said.
“He really does represent what Nebraska needs, which is, ‘I will listen to both sides. I am in the middle.’” (Reuters/NAN)
Senator David Jimkuta (APC), representing Taraba South Senatorial District at the National Assembly says 19 senators have been denied landing permit at the Kashimbilla airport in Taraba.
Jimkuta made the complain at his Senatorial Empowerment Programme in Wukari, Taraba, where he donated assorted items to the constituents.
He explained that the 19 senators were selected by the Senate to accompany him and to witness his empowerment programme.
The senator lamented that he got the report that the Kashimbila air port was temporary shut down, after he had completed every procedure required to fly into the airport.
Jimkuta, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Councils, said that the visit would have allowed the know the needs of the state to be of support.
He said that the situation had prevented the senators from gracing the occasion.
He advised the beneficiaries of the empowerment programme not to sell their equipment.
Jimkuta also promised to support security with logistics to enhance security of lives and properties in the district.
He advised the beneficiaries of the empowerment programme not to sell their items but use them to better their lots.
Earlier, Chief David Kente, Chairman of the event, thanked the senator for the massive distribution of items to his constituents.
Kente, a philanthropist and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), described the empowerment as unpresidented in the history of the district.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that items distributed include cars, motorcycles, tricycles, sewing machines, deep freezers, vulcanizing machines among others.
By Nathaniel Irobi
David Shikfu Parradang, former Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), has been killed by kidnappers in Abuja.
Citing sources, counter-insurgency expert, Zagazola Makama, Parradang, said Parradang was abducted in the Area 1 axis of Abuja in the early hours of Tuesday.
Makama said after being trailed from a bank where he had withdrawn money, the assailants took the cash from him before eventually killing him.
The tragic incident has raised fresh concerns over security in the Federal Capital Territory, particularly regarding the increasing cases of kidnappings and targeted attacks,” Makama said in a post.
Parradang, who served in the NIS for over 30 years, held various positions across the country, including Comptroller General.
He served in Kano, Lagos, Kwara, Enugu, and the Federal Capital Territory. He also attended several professional courses both within Nigeria and internationally.
In recognition of his service, he was awarded the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) and was a distinguished graduate of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS).
Security agencies have reportedly launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his abduction and killing, with efforts ongoing to apprehend the perpetrators.
The Executive members of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) across the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of Abuja have unanimously passed a vote of confidence in their newly appointed Chairman, Rev. John Joseph Hayab.
In a press briefing held in Maiduguri on Tuesday, Bishop Mohammed Naga, the General Secretary of the association and Chairman of North-east CAN, affirmed that the election, which took place on 25th February 2025 in Abuja, was conducted in a peaceful and transparent manner, leading to the selection of Rev. Hayab and other Executive members.
Bishop Naga, who serves as the General Overseer of the Biblical Christian Church (BCC), urged Christians, particularly those from the North, to continue praying for the peace, unity, and progress of a region beset by terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and other criminal activities.
He further encouraged all Christians to extend their prayers and support to the Muslim community during the Holy Month of Ramadan, in accordance with the teachings of the late Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, who was the founding Patron of CAN in Northern Nigeria.
Bishop Naga stated, “I wish to express our unwavering support for our substantive Chairman, Rev. Joseph Hayab. He was duly elected alongside other executive members, and all churches and Christian leaders in Northern Nigeria remain loyal to him.”
He continued, “Any group that believes they must hold power indefinitely should recognise that the stakeholders in Northern Nigeria, including the General Secretary of national CAN, Northern CAN, and representatives from various states, have honoured the election. This election stands firm, and we remain loyal.”
“We want to convey to the world, particularly those of us in Northern Nigeria, that we have a leader to whom we can turn regarding Christian matters. We advocate for peace and acknowledge the historical context of Northern Nigeria. CAN was established here, and we honour our father, the Premier of Northern Nigeria, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sardauna of Sokoto, who was the first patron of CAN. This illustrates our kinship and commitment to peaceful coexistence.”
“Anyone seeking to disrupt this long-standing harmony is, in essence, an enemy of progress. In conclusion, I call upon all Nigerians to embrace one another, especially our Muslim brothers and sisters, who are fasting. Let us pray for peace in Nigeria and for the advancement of our beloved country, particularly in the North,” Bishop Naga concluded.