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US Congress Certifies Trump Win Four Years After Capitol Riot

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Donald Trump capped a historic political comeback on Monday as Congress certified his election victory, in a remarkable turn from four years ago, when a mob he had summoned to Washington ransacked the US Capitol.

The president-elect spent much of his campaign facing prosecution over the 2021 insurrection, when his supporters — fueled by his false claims of voter fraud — rioted to halt the certification of his defeat to Joe Biden

But Trump, 78, was voted back into office in November and Monday’s ceremony went much more smoothly, even with a major winter storm blanketing the capital and much of the country in snow.

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“Donald J Trump of the state of Florida, has received 312 votes. Kamala D Harris of the state of California has received 226 votes,” Harris herself declared to assembled lawmakers after the counting was complete.

Harris — who oversaw the certification as part of her vice-presidential duties — said the official count “shall be deemed a sufficient declaration” for Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance to take their oaths of office on January 20.

The ceremony marked the final blow to efforts to have the Republican leader face justice over the riot, the culmination of a multi-pronged alleged criminal conspiracy that prosecutors said Trump led — before they dropped all charges upon his election.

Trump has vowed to pardon an unspecified number of the rioters — around 900 of whom have admitted federal charges from trespassing and vandalism to assaulting police — describing them as “hostages.”

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In a Washington Post op-ed, Biden slammed Trump’s allies for downplaying the violence of 2021 and urged Americans to be “proud that our democracy withstood this assault.”

“We cannot accept a repeat of what occurred four years ago,” he said. “An unrelenting effort has been underway to rewrite — even erase — the history of that day.”

Indiana conservative Mike Pence had Harris’s job — certifying his own defeat alongside Trump — in 2021 when, in a desperate bid to cling to power, the then-president demanded that he reject Biden’s victory.

Lawmakers in both parties have occasionally used the certification process to challenge elections, but more than half of House Republicans rejected the results in 2021.

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– ‘Emotional trauma’

No Democratic leaders followed the Republican example this time around and there were no objections to certifying Trump’s victory — a process that took barely half an hour.

The former reality TV star was impeached for inciting the 2021 insurrection after delivering a raucous speech outside the White House early in the day, demanding that supporters march on the Capitol and “fight like hell.”

Thousands attacked the citadel of American democracy — battering police with metal bars and flag poles, smashing windows, sending lawmakers running in fear and chanting “Hang Mike Pence!”

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Four people died — two from heart attacks, one from a potential overdose, and a rioter fatally shot by police as she tried to force her way into the House chamber. Four police officers committed suicide subsequently.

Republican Speaker Mike Johnson has vowed to investigate the House committee that probed the riot and found that Trump had instigated it after the failure of a host of other schemes to overturn an election he knew he had lost.

US Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement the Justice Department had over the last four years charged more than 1,500 people suspected of involvement in the “unprecedented attack on a cornerstone of our system of government.”

The certification — which launches a two-week countdown towards Trump’s January 20 inauguration — was designated for the first time as a national security special event, with 500 National Guard personnel on standby.

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But the federal government and Washington public schools were closed Monday with up to a foot (30 centimeters) of snow expected.

“Four years ago today, our nation watched in horror as a terrorist mob stormed the Capitol grounds and desecrated our temple of Democracy in a violent attempt to subvert the peaceful transfer of power,” Democrat Nancy Pelosi, who was House speaker at the time of the rebellion, said in a statement.

“The January 6th insurrection shook our Republic to its core — and left behind physical scars and emotional trauma on members of our congressional community and our country that endure to this day.”

AFP

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JUST-IN: Fubara leaves Rivers govt house

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Suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has vacated the Government House in Port Harcourt.

The governor reportedly moved out on Wednesday morning, ahead of the anticipated arrival of Admiral Ekwe Ibas (rtd), who has been appointed as the new Sole Administrator of the state.

A visit by Daily Trust to the Government House on Wednesday morning revealed a calm atmosphere, with at least three armoured personnel carriers stationed at the main entrance.

A security source confirmed that there had been a change of guard at the seat of power, with all of the governor’s security details replaced.

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“The governor left Government House this morning and the new administrator is yet to resume. We are expecting him any moment from now. The security details in Government House have been reshuffled. I can tell you that everywhere is calm and nothing is happening as we speak now,” the source said.

Meanwhile, residents of Port Harcourt have gone about their normal business, and there have been no signs of a breakdown of law and order.

This development follows President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State on Tuesday, citing the ongoing vandalization of pipelines and the failure of political stakeholders to resolve the crisis despite previous interventions.

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Rivers Crisis: Reps Adjourn Without Tinubu’s Communication

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…NASS has until Thursday to receive President Tinubu’s letter – Rep. Isiaka
By Gloria Ikibah
Despite earlier claims by the House of Representatives’ spokesperson, Rep. Akin Rotimi, that President Bola Tinubu had sent a communication regarding the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, lawmakers on Wednesday confirmed that no such message was received.
Naijablitznews.com recalled that on Tuesday, Rep Rotimi in a statement said that the House would read the President’s communication during Wednesday’s plenary. However, contrary to this, no letter from Tinubu was presented before the House adjourned its sitting to Thursday.
Addressing journalists after plenary, Rep. Adegboyega Isiaka clarified that the National Assembly still has until Thursday to receive the President’s communication. However, as of Wednesday’s session, no official correspondence had been received.
He said: “As we all see, it’s becoming very worrisome and becoming a threat to democracy itself. So I think that the step the President has taken is just to ensure that we put a halt to what is happening in Rivers.And I think in my view, of course there are opinions that maybe it’s against the Constitution and all of that.
“I’m not a lawyer, I’ve not looked at that very deeply. But whatever it is, that can be tested.But a leader has to take a step, and I think that is what has happened. In terms of it coming to the House, we also expected that that would happen today, but it has not happened. But I think the law also allows that that can be done within 48 hours.So the 48 hours is still within the time frame. So let’s see what happens tomorrow, and then we can take it down from there.
Responding to questions if some members avoided plenary so that the House will not form a quorum, he said, “I don’t think there was anything about people avoiding because there will not be quorum.
Speaking further he explained that: ” The law says that it must come, and I know that the President is a democrat and will do what is necessary. Well, the letter from the President has not come, so there must be a reason for that.I’ve not asked the spokesman what was responsible for that. But the most important thing is that there is no communication today.
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Sole Administrator may not Takeover From Fubara until NASS ratifies

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The appointed Sole Administrator for Rivers State, Vice-Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas (retd), will not take charge of the state’s affairs until the National Assembly ratifies the state of emergency declared by President Bola Tinubu.

Recall in a nationwide address on Tuesday, Tinubu announced that Vice Admiral Ibas would take over the administration of Rivers State, following the escalating political crisis that has seen the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

President Tinubu’s decision to declare a state of emergency and suspend key officials in the state comes amid a political standoff between Governor Fubara and former Governor Nyesom Wike, now serving as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The declaration aims to restore order and resolve the ongoing crisis that has paralyzed governance in the state.

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Despite the President’s declaration, sources who spoke with TheNation indicate that Vice Admiral Ibas is yet to assume leadership in Rivers State. He is expected to do so only once the National Assembly ratifies the state of emergency.

No Military Presence At Government House
Interestingly, despite declaring a state of emergency, according to TheNation, there has been no military presence at the entrance of the Government House in Port Harcourt.

Chairpersons Shared N655.932 Billion In April
Unlike previous reports indicating military deployment, investigations revealed no military tanks or personnel were stationed at the Government House gates on Wednesday.

Instead, personnel from the Department of State Security (DSS) were observed patrolling the premises. Two Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), which are regularly stationed at the Government House by the police, were seen near the entrance.

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However, no additional military units were present to enforce the state of emergency.

The governor reportedly moved out on Wednesday morning, ahead of the anticipated arrival of Ibas, who has been appointed as the new Sole Administrator of the state.

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