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Senegal’s President Sall agrees to step down in April but sets no poll date
Senegal’s President Macky Sall has said he will leave office when his term comes to an end on 2 April, but tensions remain over an election date.
His recent decision to delay the vote, originally scheduled for Sunday, to mid-December sparked deadly protests.
In a televised interview, Mr Sall said an election date would now be decided in political talks to start on Monday.
But the opposition has refused to take part in the proposed dialogue dashing hopes of resolving the turmoil.
Sixteen of the 19 presidential hopefuls have said they will not be turning up for what the president has termed a “national dialogue”. A number of civil society organisations have also declined to take part in the exercise.
Mr Sall, who is on his way to the Nigerian capital, Abuja, for an extraordinary summit of the regional bloc Ecowas, has been under pressure to announce a new date since Senegal’s highest court declared last week that the postponement of the poll was illegal.
His original decree to delay the vote received strong condemnation from the international community.
Many feared the postponement would lead to President Sall’s remaining leader of the country indefinitely in a region plagued by coups and military governments.
Speaking on national television on Thursday evening, Mr Sall said he felt there was not enough time to vote in a new president by the time he steps down on 2 April. He said that the dialogue forum would decide what should happen if this was the case.
In a show of good faith, the president said he was prepared to release the popular opposition politician, Ousmane Sonko, from prison. His arrest sparked nationwide protests last year.
Dozens of the president’s opponents have already been set free since Senegal’s Constitutional Council ruled that his decision to postpone the election was illegal.
But the fact that the president did not set a new election date has further fuelled suspicions by his critics that this is just another stalling tactic.
President Sall has served two terms as Senegal’s leader and when he was first elected in 2012 he promised he would not overstay.
His televised interview has not yet restored his country’s reputation as a bastion of democracy in an increasingly totalitarian region.
Finally, Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu has resigned from President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet.
In a resignation letter dated April 22, 2026, and addressed to President Bola Tinubu, Adelabu said the decision would take effect from April 30, 2026, to allow for a smooth transition.
The letter, routed through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, stated that he was stepping down with “a deep sense of honour and profound gratitude.”
He wrote, “I write with a deep sense of honour and profound gratitude to formally tender my resignation as the Honourable Minister of Power of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This resignation is to take effect on 30th April 2026, in order to allow sufficient time for a smooth and orderly handover of responsibilities.”
Adelabu thanked the President for the opportunity to serve, describing his appointment as a privilege.
He said, “Your Excellency, I remain sincerely grateful for the privilege and confidence you reposed in me by appointing me to serve our great nation in this capacity.
It has been a rare honour to contribute to national development under your leadership and to play a role in advancing reforms in the power sector—one of the most critical foundations of Nigeria’s industrial growth and economic transformation.”
By Gloria Ikibah
As part of efforts to strengthen the country’s security architecture, President Bola Tinubu, has sent a formal communication to the House of Representatives on seeking legislative approval for the repeal and re-enactment of the Nigerian Police Trust Fund (NPTF) Establishment Act, 2025.
The request which was transmitted to the House for consideration and passage on Wednesday at plenary, underscores the need to improve the management and administration of the fund, enhance police training, and provide modern equipment for the Nigeria Police Force.
According to the letter,, the proposed amendment is aimed at boosting the operational capacity, accountability, and sustainability of the Police Trust Fund in line with current security challenges.
The President urged lawmakers to give the bill expeditious consideration, as the said the reform will improve the welfare of police personnel and support skill development across the force.
In another development, the House Committee on Rules and Business has moved to tighten legislative discipline, directing all standing and ad hoc committees to submit reports on bills and motions within set timelines in line with House procedures.
Chairman of the committee, Rep. Francis Uwaive, reminded all committee chairmen to treat all assigned matters within 30 days, with the risk of losing such assignments after 60 days if no progress is made, except where a short extension is granted.
A firm deadline has also been set for all outstanding reports, with the end of April 2026 as the cut-off point, and non-compliance attracting automatic discharge.
Amid the formal proceedings, lawmakers briefly paused to celebrate two members marking their birthdays, acknowledging their contributions to public service and national development.
The mood later shifted as the House paid tribute to a former member of the Fifth Assembly, observing a minute’s silence in his honour following his passing after a prolonged illness.
He was remembered for his dedication and service to his constituents in Benue State, with colleagues noting that his death represents a significant loss to the legislature and the country.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday that their naval forces stopped two ships attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz and directed them to the territorial waters of the Islamic Republic.
“The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval force this morning identified and stopped in the Strait of Hormuz two violating ships,” the Guards said in a statement.
“The two offending ships… were seized by the IRGC’s naval forces and directed to the Iranian coast.”
They identified one ship as “MSC-FRANCESCA”, which they said belonged “to the Zionist regime” in reference to Israel, and the other as “EPAMINONDAS”, which they said was “tampering with navigation systems and jeopardising maritime security.”
The Guards further warned against any action against the regulations imposed by the Islamic republic in the strait “as well as activities contrary to the safe passage” through the waterway.
Tehran has said vessels must seek permission to leave of enter the Gulf through Hormuz, through a route that in peacetime accounts for a fifth of the world’s oil and gas exports along with other vital commodities.
Source: AFP
BREAKING: Finally, Power Minister, Adelabu resigns from Tinubu’s cabinet
Reps Begin Review of Police Trust Fund Law, Tighten Timeline for Committee Work
Iran Seizes Two Ships attempting to cross Strait of Hormuz
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