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Senate In Disarray on Trump’s threat
There was a mild drama on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday, as the President of the Red Chamber, Senator Godswill Akpabio and his Deputy, Senator Jibrin Barau differed on American President Donald Trump’s threat of military action against terrorists in Nigeria over alleged Christian genocide in some parts of the country.
Akpabio, who was making reference to a report by a social media platform, RANT HQ, alleging that he rebuffed Trump on Nigeria’s classification as a Country of Particular Concern, CPC, at the end of plenary, said he never attacked the American President, and that he could only convey the collective resolution of the Senate on the matter.
The platform had quoted the Senate President as saying, “The killing is taking place in Nigeria not in the USA, Trump should focus on US. Nigerians are not complaining about the killings, we are fully satisfied with the condition of Nigeria.”
“Who am I to answer Trump,” Akpabio said, Barau quickly responded by saying “I’m not scared of Trump. I will say my mind. I’m a Nigerian. Nigeria is a sovereign nation. I’m a parliamentarian.”
Barau went further: “I’m the Deputy Senate President, I can speak. I’m not scared of Trump. Don’t be scared of Trump. You can say your mind about Trump. We are a sovereign nation.”
Akpabio immediately directed the Clerk of the Senate, Emmanuel Odo to delete the position of Barau from the day’s proceedings, pointing out that it doesn’t represents the views of the upper legislative chamber.
The divergence of opinion between the duo on Trump’s threat and tirade against Nigeria came to the fore when Akpabio was debunking the quotes credited to him by Rant HQ, over the killings in Nigeria, describing it as a “malicious and completely fabricated post.”
“Somebody will sit in the comfort of his room and produce a report and fake pictures of 2023 when the Senate President with Senators visited Port Harcourt on a very different thing and say, oh, Senate President answers President Trump, who am I to answer President Trump?
“That the Senate President said that Nigerians are not complaining, that we like the way we are living. That Nigerians are not complaining.
“I’ve petitioned the police. I’ve also petitioned the DSS. It is the presidency that will answer President Trump. And all Nigerians are doing their best in that direction. But who is that person that will go and ascribe a comment to the Senate President when he was never met?
“So I believe the Cybercrimes Unit of the Police, the DSS and others, should find that character out, because it is meant to cause friction. It is meant to cause friction and put the Nigerian Senate in disrepute.
“Social media should not break Nigeria,” Akpabio stressed.
He, however, said that the Senate would respond when the direction of the executive is known.
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Breaking: Nigerian Workers Demand N300,000 Minimum Wage, FG Faces Fresh Salary Pressure
The Federal Workers Forum, FWF, has demanded an immediate increase in the federal minimum wage from N70,000 to N300,000, noting that the current salary structure can no longer sustain civil servants amid Nigeria’s rising cost of living.
The Forum made the demand in a letter dated September 2, 2026, addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly, with the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Justice of Nigeria and Head of the Civil Service of the Federation listed among the recipients.
The workers also proposed a new salary structure that would place the highest-paid Level 17 officer on a monthly salary of N1.5 million, while Level 1 Step 1 workers would earn N300,000.
“We call for justice and immediate wage review now, adjust the federal minimum wage to N300,000 and a maximum wage of N1.5m for the Level 17 officers,” the Forum said.
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The FWF argued that the Federal Government had not fully implemented the 2024 minimum wage agreement, claiming that federal workers had yet to receive the full consequential adjustment and associated allowances.
“It will surprise you to hear that the Federal Government has not fully implemented the new national minimum wage since July 2024. We have been in the battle for full consequential adjustment of the new minimum wage,” it said.
Recall that the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, in August 2026, demanded an upward review of the minimum wage to N500,000.
In July 2024, President Bola Tinubu’s government increased the minimum wage to N70,000 per month from N30,000.
However, the cost of living for many Nigerians has tripled between 2024 and 2026.
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The Federal Government has said Nigeria will never support a military coup or any unconstitutional change of government, following claims that the country backed a failed coup attempt in the Niger Republic.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sola Enikanolaiye, made this known in a statement issued on Thursday.
According to the statement, the claims circulating on social media are baseless and misleading.
Enikanolaiye said Nigeria remained committed to democracy, constitutional rule and political stability in West Africa and would not support any attempt to remove a government through unconstitutional means.
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“Nigeria will never support illegality or unconstitutional change of government anywhere, no matter who is involved or which country is concerned,” he said.
The minister also rejected claims that Nigeria, through its membership of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), supported or endorsed the military takeover in Niger.
He said the Federal Government had already stated its position on the situation in Niger in an earlier statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on August 30, 2026.
According to him, Nigeria remains deeply concerned about developments in Niger and wants the country to return peacefully to stability and constitutional order.
Enikanolaiye said Nigeria’s close historical, cultural and fraternal ties with Niger made peace and stability in the neighbouring country particularly important.
“Nigerians at home and abroad should disregard the videos and narratives circulating online, they are intended to create confusion and tarnish Nigeria’s image,” the statement said.
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