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U.S. House still in turmoil with no speaker elected on 2nd day of voting

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U.S. House still in turmoil with no speaker elected on 2nd day of voting

The U.S. House of Representatives remained in turmoil with no speaker elected on the second day of voting.

House members voted on Wednesday night to adjourn until noon Thursday, prolonging a historical political stalemate that has paralysed the lower chamber.

U.S. Congressman, Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from California, failed to secure enough votes three times earlier in the day due to intra-party division.

House members voted three times on Tuesday the opening day of the divided 118th Congress, but McCarthy fell short of the necessary votes to be the next speaker.

It was the first time a House speaker who maintained order, managed its proceedings, and governed the administration of its business on the lower chamber’s floor hadn’t been elected on the first ballot in 100 years.

The 435-seat House will have to vote until a speaker is elected with a majority of votes.

Before that, members cannot be sworn in and committees cannot be formed with the rest of the business stalled.

U.S. Congresswoman, Elissa Slotkin, a Michigan Democrat, tweeted that the infighting “isn’t just a shame for Republicans, it’s bad for the entire country.”

U.S. President, Joe Biden, a Democrat, reacted to the political drama surrounding the House speakership vote on Wednesday morning.

According to him, it’s embarrassing the way it’s taking so long.

“How do you think this looks to the rest of the world?

“It’s not a good look. It’s not a good thing,” Biden told reporters at the White House before leaving for Hebron, Kentucky.

McCarthy has the support of most House Republicans and former U.S. President, Donald Trump.

But a handful of hardliners have opposed his bid to lead the conference by arguing that he is insufficiently conservative while refusing to decentralise the speaker’s power.

The House has elected a speaker 127 times since 1789.

There have been 14 instances of speaker elections requiring multiple ballots.

Thirteen of 14 multiple-ballot elections occurred before the Civil War, when party divisions were more nebulous, according to Congressional historians.

The last time a speaker election required two or more votes on the floor happened in 1923.

Harvard legal scholar, Laurence Tribe, tweeted on Wednesday that the House of Representatives, unlike the Senate, was not a continuing body.

“It must reassemble itself without full constitutional authority every two years, like someone rebuilding a ship on the open seas.

“But when the voyage is this rough, that’s a sign of dysfunction,” Tribe said.

All House Democrats have voted for Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, to be the speaker.

Though it’s unlikely for Jeffries to attain the position, he is set to become the first African American lawmaker to lead a party in either chamber of the U.S. Congress.

Republicans flipped the House in the 2022 midterm elections while Democrats held onto their majority in the Senate.

The new Congress convened for the first time on Tuesday, with U.S. Vice President, Kamala Harris, presiding over the opening of the 100-people upper chamber in which Democrats control 51 seats versus 49 for Republicans.

Chuck Schumer from New York and Mitch McConnell from Kentucky remain the Senate majority leader and minority leader, respectively.

U.S. House still in turmoil with no speaker elected on 2nd day of voting

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Bandits ambush C-Watch operatives in Katsina, kill 8, burn patrol vehicles

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Bandits ambush C-Watch operatives in Katsina, kill 8, burn patrol vehicles

By: Zagazola Makama 

Suspected bandits have ambushed operatives of the C-Watch security outfit in Dandume Local Government Area of Katsina State, killing eight persons and setting two patrol vehicles ablaze.

The incident happened late Friday night when gunmen invaded a village near Dandume around midnight.

Residents said C-Watch operatives responded to a distress call and rescued eight villagers who had earlier sustained gunshot injuries during the attack.

However, on their way back, the operatives reportedly ran into an ambush by the bandits, who opened fire on them, killing the rescued victims and burning two patrol vehicles belonging to the security outfit.

Bandits ambush C-Watch operatives in Katsina, kill 8, burn patrol vehicles

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Troops barbecued scores of bandits in Kankara, Katsina

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Troops barbecued scores of bandits in Kankara, Katsina

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of the Nigerian Army have eliminated scores bandits in ongoing clearance operations in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State.

Zagazola learnt that the operations, which began on Friday, targeted multiple bandit hideouts in the area.

The sources said the troops, supported by other security components, engaged the criminals in sustained firepower, leading to the neutralisation of an undisclosed number of them.

“The operations are still ongoing, with troops pursuing fleeing bandits into the forest corridors,” one of the sources said.

Military authorities are yet to issue an official statement as at press time.

Troops barbecued scores of bandits in Kankara, Katsina

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Zulum Visits Families of 63 Borno Residents Killed by Boko Haram

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Zulum Visits Families of 63 Borno Residents Killed by Boko Haram

By: Michael Mike

Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum has visited Darajamal, a community in Bama, to condole with families of the 63 people killed by Boko Haram insurgents on Friday night.

The victims comprise 5 soldiers and about 58 civilians that were earlier displaced by the insurgents but have been resettled in Darajamal for two months now.

Zulum, visibly moved by the incident, met with community leaders and consoled the bereaved families. He expressed grief and condemned the brutal attack in the strongest terms.

Speaking to newsmen, the governor said, “We are here to commiserate with the people of Darajamal over what happened last night that has claimed the lives of many people. It is very sad. This community was settled a few months ago and they go about their normal activities, but unfortunately, they experienced Boko Haram attack last night. Our visit is to commiserate with them and build their resilience.”

On the casualties, the Governor said, “at this moment we have confirmed that 63 people lost their lives, both civilians and military, although the civilian casualties are more. Close to about 60 civilians and 5 soldiers lost their lives.”

Governor Zulum, while noting the challenges faced in the fight against insecurity, also called for the immediate deployment of the newly trained Forest Guards to complement the military in safeguarding vulnerable communities.

He said, “We have to take note that the numerical strength of the military is not enough to cover everywhere, so far so good, two sets of Forest Guards have been trained, therefore one of the solutions that we need to implement immediately is to deploy the trained Forest Guards to most of the locations that are vulnerable, they will protect the forest and communities.”

Also, the Senator representing Borno Central, Kaka Shehu Lawan, whose constituency Darajamal falls under, has condemned the attack, describing it as a crime against humanity.

He expressed his commitment to supporting Governor Babagana Umara Zulum through legislative backing to restore peace in Borno State.

Zulum Visits Families of 63 Borno Residents Killed by Boko Haram

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