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Fear in the Middle East as Iran announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, accusing the United States of violating prior understandings amid an ongoing naval blockade.

In a statement on Saturday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) declared that control of the strategic waterway had “returned to its previous state,” citing continued US restrictions on Iranian ports as justification for the move.

The Strait of Hormuz, a vital global transit route, is a chokepoint through which a significant share of the world’s crude oil passes daily. Any disruption is expected to send immediate shockwaves through global energy markets.

Reacting to the development, US President Donald Trump insisted that Washington would not back down, stating that the naval blockade “will remain in full force” until “our transaction with Iran is 100% complete.”

He did not elaborate on the specifics of the “transaction.”

Earlier, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had offered a contrasting position, saying the strait remained “completely open” to commercial vessels.

He emphasized that maritime activities were proceeding “in line with the ceasefire in Lebanon” and along “the coordinated route as already announced.”

The conflicting statements have added to confusion over the actual status of the waterway, with shipping companies and global observers scrambling to assess risks in real time.

Meanwhile, President Trump also disclosed that Israel had been “prohibited” from launching further strikes on Lebanon, as a fragile 10-day ceasefire entered its first full day.

The pause in hostilities has allowed tens of thousands of displaced civilians to begin returning to their homes after weeks of intense Israeli bombardment.

The situation remains fluid, with fears mounting that any miscalculation in the Gulf could trigger a wider regional confrontation.

Observers say the coming hours will be critical in determining whether diplomatic channels can ease tensions or if the standoff will deepen further.

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The leadership crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress (ADC) deepened on Friday as the faction led by the party’s National Chairman, Nafiu Bala Gombe, and House of Representatives member, Leke Abejide, has rejected their reported expulsion, describing it as illegal and the product of a “hijacked structure.”

The duo also dismissed claims that they were being sponsored by President Bola Tinubu, insisting that allegations of external sponsorship were mere propaganda aimed at discrediting their stance.

Addressing journalists in Abuja, Bala maintained that those who announced their expulsion lacked the legal standing to do so, arguing that they were not recognised members of the party.

“Our suspension is nullity. These individuals are not even members of our party, so they lack the locus to take such decisions. We will fight it to the last point,” he said.

He further ruled out any form of negotiation with the rival bloc, stating that there was no agreement between his leadership and the coalition-backed faction.

“I cannot negotiate with people who are not members of our party. There is no understanding or arrangement with them whatsoever,” Bala added.

The crisis follows a convention held in Abuja on April 14 by a faction aligned to former Senate President, David Mark, where the expulsion of Bala, Abejide and others over alleged anti-party activities was announced.

But the Bala-led leadership has dismissed the exercise as unlawful, insisting it violates subsisting court orders and lacks the recognition of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He warned that actions taken in defiance of a Court of Appeal judgment delivered on March 12, 2026, were liable to be voided by the courts.

According to him, the matter has gone beyond internal party disagreement, alleging that forged documents bearing his signature had surfaced as part of efforts to legitimise the actions of the rival group.

On his part, Abejide described the purported expulsion as laughable, accusing the opposing faction of attempting to destabilise the party.

“These are people who came to destroy this party. They have no stake here and cannot dictate the future of ADC,” he said.

The lawmaker, who represents Yagba Federal Constituency of Kogi State, warned that the lingering crisis could jeopardise the party’s electoral prospects if not urgently resolved.

“I am not a political merchant running from one party to another party. I have been in ADC since 2017 and never changed party but many of the coalition’s leaders have moved from PDP to ACN to APC back to PDP to APGA to Labour Party to NNPP to ADC, and so on. Our insistence in resisting them is because of their habitual character of political use and dump.

“My so-called suspension and that of Nafiu Bala Gombe is in contempt of the orders of both the Court of Appeal and Federal High Court and as such I have briefed my Lawyers on possible litigation against their purported suspension for record purpose, which is a visitation of hostility on me while my case is in court. The principles of law forbid this; in our jurisprudence it is called Lis pendis.”

Abejide cautioned that his camp would not hesitate to walk away if the party was pushed to the brink.

“At the stage we are now, if this is not resolved quickly, anyone contesting on this platform risks their political career,” he added.

He also questioned the credibility of the coalition figures, alleging that many of them had a history of moving across multiple political parties.

Abejide warned that the ongoing crisis could prevent the ADC from fielding candidates in future elections, blaming the rival faction for any such outcome.

“If at the end of these shenanigans ADC cannot field candidates, then the coalition people should be blamed for the failure,” he added. (The Guardian)

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Suspected bandits have reportedly attacked the palace of a traditional ruler in Olayinka community, Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, abducting the monarch, his wife, and one other person in the early hours of Saturday.

According to sources who spoke to newsmen, the armed men stormed the palace around 1:40 a.m., firing sporadically before taking the royal father to an unknown destination.

Yes. At Olayinka at about 1 am. His wife and one other person were also abducted.

The Monarch is one of the recently graded.”

Another source added, “The bandits invaded the palace around 1:40 a.m. on Saturday. They came heavily armed and took the monarch away without resistance because everyone was terrified.”

The abducted monarch was said to have been recently elevated and officially installed by the Kwara State Government earlier this year, a development that has made the incident particularly shocking to residents.

The attack is the third reported case of a traditional ruler being kidnapped in Kwara South within a year. In 2025, two monarchs in the region were abducted by suspected bandits and were only released after ransom payments were made.