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Trump’s inauguration: Brazilian court denies Bolsonaro’s request to travel

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By Francesca Hangeior.

 

Brazil’s top court on Thursday refused to return the passport of right-wing former president Jair Bolsonaro, who had hoped to attend next week’s inauguration of United States President-elect Donald Trump.

The court said Bolsonaro still posed a flight risk almost a year since his passport was seized as part of an investigation into his alleged orchestration of a coup attempt to remain in power after elections in 2022.

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There was still the “possibility of an attempted evasion by the accused,” said judge Alexandre de Moraes, who had frequently clashed with Bolsonaro.

In a post on X, Bolsonaro said the judge’s decision “diminishes Brazil’s standing on the world stage and sends a worrying message about the state of democracy and justice in our country.”

It is “another example of the continued use of ‘lawfare’ (judicial activism) against Bolsonaro — the systematic use of the justice system to neutralize him as a political adversary in the courts, so as not to face him at the polls,” the post said.

In an interview with the New York Times, published shortly before the court ruling, Bolsonaro was effervescent about the possibility of attending the inauguration.

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“I’m feeling like a kid again with Trump’s invite. I’m fired up,” Bolsonaro said, calling Trump “the most important guy in the world.”

The man who was dubbed the “Trump of the Tropics” during his time in office later told the YouTube channel of the conservative Revista Oeste website that “an appeal is still possible” against the passport ruling.

Bolsonaro said his wife would attend the inauguration, where she would get “special treatment” because of his long friendship with Trump.

“Everything he suffered there, I’ve been suffering here,” he said.

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While his hero is returning to office in the United States, the 69-year-old former army captain is staring down multiple criminal charges from investigations launched after his razor-thin election loss to leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Bolsonaro has denied all accusations and said he is being “persecuted.”

He has been barred from holding public office until 2030 for casting doubts on Brazil’s voting system during his failed reelection campaign.

Police have also recommended he be charged with falsifying his COVID-19 vaccination records and misappropriating jewels and other luxury items gifted by Saudi Arabia, valued at $1.2 million.

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The most serious allegation is that he “planned, acted, and had direct and effective control” over a plot to block Lula from taking office.

While Bolsonaro cannot attend Monday’s inauguration, Trump will have another big fan in the crowd in the form of Argentina’s President Javier Milei.

Self-declared “anarcho-capitalist” Milei, who has described himself and Trump as the most important politicians on Earth, was the first foreign leader to visit Mar-a-Lago to congratulate his idol after last November’s election win.

Also at the inauguration will be Venezuelan opposition figure Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia — recognized by the United States, Europe and several Latin American countries as president-elect after July 28 elections they say were stolen by incumbent President Nicolas Maduro.

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His team said Gonzalez Urrutia, who found asylum in Spain and is ending an international tour, will return to Washington two weeks after holding talks with US President Joe Biden.

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BREAKING: Jubilation As PDP Wins All 30 LGs In Osun State(See winners)

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, OSSIEC, has announced that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, won all the local government and councillorship positions in the just concluded local government elections in the state.

The Chairman of the Commission, Hashim Abioye, made this announcement via a Facebook Live broadcast on Saturday evening.

Abioye stated that PDP candidates secured all the councillorship seats in all 332 wards in the state, as well as the chairmanship elections in all 30 local government council areas.

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The names of the PDP chairmanship candidates and their respective local government council areas:

Babalola Wasiu Kayode – Boripe

Okunade Oluwafemi Adesanya – Egbedore

Adeyenuwo Rotimi John – Ife Central

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Agboola Francis Olajire – Obokun

Azeez Lateef Adeniran – Isokan

Aina Abayomi Adesina – Boluwaduro

Sodiq Samuel Oluwapelumi – Ola Oluwa

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Ajibade Oluwatoyin S. – Irepodun

Adebanjo Oladiti Tunmininu – Ilesa West

Ibironke Alade Adegboye – Atakumosa East

Aroke Muyiwa Aderemi – Ife South

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Kolade Obafemi Kolawole – Olorunda

Moshood Adekunle Kabiru – Iwo

Awotunde Abiodun Sarafadeen – Ifelodun

Akande Taiwo Adekunle – Osogbo

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Dada Feyisayo Ajibola – Atakumosa West

Amodu Taiwo – Ede North

Atolagbe Kayode Olayinka – Ifedayo

Akande Michael O. – Ife North

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Adeyekun Taiwo Adebayo – Oriade

Adeniran Adenike Felicia – Ayedaade

Afolabi Oyekola Lukman – Ede South

Odunyemi Haruna Bukola – Ife East

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Jooda Ambali Babajide – Irewole

Adewale Adeyinka Oluwaseun – Odo Otin

Ogunbiyi Solomon Akinyemi – Ayedire

Raimi Adenike Nafisat – Ejigbo

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Adebisi Jayeola Nasir – Ila

Ilesanmi Taiwo Sunday – Ilesa East

Alade Aderemi Fatai – Orolu

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DSS arrests three for assaulting operatives during LSHA crisis

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested three persons linked to the alleged assault on its officers during the crisis that rocked the Lagos State House of Assembly, following the removal Mudashiru Obasa, as Speaker

Apparently sensing danger, some lawmakers had mobilized their supporters to the Assembly Complex, but these supporters allegedly attacked some DSS officers who were invited by the Assembly leadership to secure the facility. Security sources revealed that “after extensive analysis of CCTV footage, we were able to clearly identify three of the suspects”.
“The suspects, Ibrahim Olanrewaju Abdulkareem, a photographer and two others attached to the Assembly’s Seargent at Arms, Adetu Adekunle Samsudeen and Adetola Oluwatosin Fatimoh, a lady, were consequently tracked and arrested during the week in different parts of Lagos,” The trio have since confessed to the crime and will soon be charged to court, the source said.

It would be recalled that the Lagos Assembly had in a leaked memo dated 14th February, 2025 and addressed to the DSS Director in the State, and Heads of other Security Agencies in Lagos State, told the Security Agencies in Lagos that, there was credible information to the effect that, Obasa had planned to forcefully reinstate himself today, February 18, 2025.
Accordingly, the Assembly management, held the view that, the development posed “a potential security threat” to it and its members.

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Police seal OSSIEC office, officials nabbed, says chairman

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The chairman of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC), Hashim Abioye, has claimed that the police have sealed off the headquarters in Osogbo.

In a video post on the OSSIEC X handle, Abioye accused the police of also arresting election officials and blocking journalists from covering the local government election.

According to him, several OSSIEC officials were detained while on their way to polling units on Saturday.

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Attempts by our correspondent to reach Abioye for further details proved abortive as his telephone line was switched off.

The OSSIEC chair, in the post, assured voters that materials had been deployed to affected areas.

So far so good, the reports have been positive and the conduct has been very smooth and peaceful as against the false alarm raised by the police. Everywhere is calm,” Abioye said.

“The only thing is that in some of the areas in which materials are supposed to have arrived for voters to cast their votes, we had reports of police arresting our officials.

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“I don’t know on whose order because there is no court order that warranted the arrest of officers of our officials.

“As it is, we have deployed materials to those units because we have enough on the ground.

For our people in the media community, I want to apologise for the inadequacy of the tags and the jackets because we have enough but the police sealed our office and that was not warranted at all.”

Abioye’s comments come after police had called for the local government election to be called off by the state government, citing a security threat.

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In a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, on Friday, the Police said it received credible intelligence indicating a likelihood of violence and significant security threats should the planned elections proceed.

The police explained that reports gathered from joint intelligence gathering revealed that various groups, including political elements and other interested parties, are mobilising to instigate unrest, disrupt public peace and undermine the democratic order.

However, the Osun State government acknowledged the police’s advice but insisted on going on with the election.

Channels Television reports that the election eventually went on as scheduled on Saturday.

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