By Francesca Hangeior

As global leaders convene in Washington, D.C. for President Donald Trump’s second inauguration on January 20, one of the world’s most influential Christian leaders, Pastor William Kumuyi, will be in attendance.

Kumuyi, the General Superintendent and Founder of Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) based in Lagos, Nigeria, is pastor of the third-largest church in the world renowned for his impactful Bible teaching and evangelistic ministry.

Kumayi while reacting to the development said; “President Trump’s stand for the gospel is not without recognition, not just by American Christians, but all Christians globally.
“During his first term in office, President Trump hosted the first ever meeting of foreign ministers focused solely on international religious freedom and, in his campaign, he promised to support Christian values and priorities’’.

During his visit to the U.S., Kumuyi will engage with members of Congress, American church leaders and media representatives. He is available for interviews from January 17- 27 to discuss topics, including:

The Global Shift of Christianity: Kumuyi can elaborate on findings from the Lausanne Movement that highlight the epicenter of Christianity moving from the Global North (Europe, North America) to the Global South (Africa, Asia, Latin America), where growth is both qualitative and quantitative.

Global Leadership for 2025: At the recent DCLM Global Leadership Strategy Congress, Kumuyi challenged nearly 20,000 church leaders from 120 countries to embrace 2025 as the “Year of Higher Ground.”

“This moment in history reminds us that faith transcends borders and unites believers worldwide,” Kumuyi said. “As we gather in Washington, D.C., the global church stands together in prayer and purpose, advocating for faith-based dialogue to shape policies that uphold religious liberty and foster the growth of Christianity worldwide.”

A former university mathematics lecturer, Kumuyi is the General Superintendent and Founder of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, which started in 1973 after a Bible study he began in his apartment with 15 students grew into a church plant that now averages 120,000 people in weekly worship service attendance.

Since then, Kumuyi’s powerful Bible teaching has grown into a global ministry with thousands of local church congregations in 120 nations, as well as annual strategic church leader training conferences as well as monthly GCK evangelistic crusades that have reached over 6 million people, of which more than 730,000 have responded by making a faith commitment.

*Cite electoral transparency lack of credibility of process

By Francesca Hangeior

The Ondo State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party has announced its withdrawal from the local government elections scheduled for Saturday, January 18, 2025.

The Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission had earlier screened 13 political parties, including the PDP, to participate in the council polls.

However, the PDP’s withdrawal leaves 12 parties in the race.

In a statement released on Thursday by the party’s Director of Media and Publicity, Mr Leye Igbabo, the PDP expressed a lack of confidence in the credibility of the electoral process.

The statement was titled, “Ondo PDP Withdraws from Participating in the January 18th Local Government Election.”

According to the statement, the PDP’s decision followed extensive consultations with party leaders, stakeholders, and the National Secretariat.
“The Peoples Democratic Party, Ondo State Chapter, has withdrawn from participating in the 18 January 2025 Local Government elections organised by the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC),” the statement read.
The party cited concerns about ODIEC’s credibility, alleging double standards and a lack of transparency in the electoral process.

“Our party fielded 15 chairmanship candidates in 15 local government areas and 131 councillorship candidates. But, from all indications, ODIEC’s credibility, transparency, and impartiality have failed the integrity test.

“Recent observations and reports point to a troubling pattern of double standards by ODIEC, raising serious doubts about their ability to conduct a free, fair, and credible election,” the statement added.

The party further stated that participating in what it described as a compromised process would undermine its commitment to democracy and credible elections.

“As a responsible political party committed to democracy and the rule of law, we cannot, in good conscience, confer legitimacy on this compromised process by participating in the election.

“We have, therefore, resolved to withdraw our participation in this exercise to uphold the integrity of our party and our unwavering belief in credible electoral practices,” the statement noted.

By Francesca Hangeior

President Bola Tinubu has congratulated six Diaspora Nigerians named by President Joe Biden among the 400 recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) in the United States.

This prestigious recognition, established by former President Bill Clinton in 1996, is the highest honour bestowed by the United States Government on outstanding scientists and engineers in the early stages of their careers.

This year’s awardees, announced by President Joe Biden on January 14, 2025, are employed or funded by 14 participating United States Government agencies.
The Nigerian honourees include Azeez Butali, Gilbert Lilly, Professor of Diagnostic Sciences, College of Dentistry, University of Iowa, Ijeoma Opara, Associate Professor of Public Health (Social and Behavioural Sciences), Yale School of Public Health, Yale University, and Oluwatomi Akindele, Postdoctoral researcher at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Others are Eno Ebong, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering, and Biology at Northeastern University; Oluwasanmi Koyejo, Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Stanford University, and Abidemi Ajiboye, Executive Vice Chair of the Case School of Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University.

In a statement, President Tinubu commends the trailblazing Nigerians for their remarkable achievements in science, technology and engineering.

The President notes that recognising the exceptional talents underscores Nigerians’ vast potential to excel both at home and on the global stage.
Signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, the statement says the President looks forward to the honourees sharing their multidisciplinary expertise to benefit Nigeria’s development efforts under the Renewed Hope Agenda.