Politics

Longest serving US Senate leader Mitch McConnell to step down

Published

1 year ago

February 29, 2024

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell will step down as GOP leader in November, the Kentucky Republican announced on the Senate floor Wednesday, marking the end of an era on Capitol Hill and setting up a high-stakes race for his successor.

He will continue to serve in the US Senate but will allow “the next generation of leadership” to take the helm of the Senate Republican Conference.

McConnell, who turned 82 last week, has been in the US Senate since 1985.

He said on Wednesday February 28 that “the end of my contributions are closer than I prefer.”

McConnell has made history over the course of his political tenure and in 2023, McConnell became the longest-serving Senate party leader in history.

Recently, McConnell has found in himself at odds with members of his conference particularly over the issue of additional US funding for the war in Ukraine.

He also has a strained relationship with the Republican Party’s front-runner for the presidential nomination: Donald Trump with reports that the pair hadn’t spoken in more than three years.

“As I have been thinking about when I would deliver some news to the Senate, I always imagined a moment when I had total clarity and peace about the sunset of my work,” McConnell said in his floor remarks. “A moment when I am certain I have helped preserve the ideals I so strongly believe. That day arrived today.”

He received a standing ovation at the end of his remarks, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, approached him afterwards to shake his hand.

While serving as Senate majority leader during former President Donald Trump’s time in office, McConnell helped guide three Trump-nominated Supreme Court justices to confirmation — Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett — as well as the confirmations of a vast number of conservative judges to the federal bench, transforming the federal judiciary in the process.

After a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, seeking to overturn Joe Biden’s presidential win, McConnell blamed Trump for provoking the attack, but still voted to acquit him of inciting an insurrection after the House moved to impeach.

He also led the Senate’s certification of the presidential election that the rioters pledged to overturn, and strongly condemned the violence at the Capitol.

McConnell has suffered a string of high-profile health incidents over the past year.

In March, he was treated for a concussion after a fall at a hotel in Washington, DC.

Months later, McConnell experienced episodes where he briefly appeared to freeze up on two separate occasions while speaking with reporters, incidents that sparked questions and concern over the Kentucky Republican’s health and fitness to lead the Senate Republican conference.

McConnell on Wednesday said his decision to step down came following the death of his wife Elaine Chao’s youngest sister, Angela, in a traffic accident earlier this month.

“As some of you may know, this has been a particularly difficult time for my family. We tragically lost Elaine’s younger sister, Angela, just a few weeks ago. When you lose a loved one, particularly at a young age, there’s a certain introspection that accompanies the grieving process. Perhaps it is God’s way of reminding you of your own life’s journey to reprioritize the impact of the world that we will all inevitably leave behind,” he said.

He thanked his wife of 31 years, calling her the “love of my life” and that “I’m eternally grateful to have her by my side.”

Politics

Tinubu surrounded by sycophants, detached from ordinary Nigerians — Bugaje

Published

10 hours ago

June 13, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

A political activist, Usman Bugaje, says President Bola Tinubu is detached from the suffering of ordinary Nigerians because he is surrounded by sycophants.

Bugaje made this statement on Thursday during Channels Television’s special Democracy Day programme titled ‘Nigeria’s Democratic Journey: An Inter-Generational Conversation on Building a Better Nation,’ commemorating 26 years of unbroken democratic rule in Nigeria, blasting Tinubu’s leadership style.

He alleged that the President’s inner circle shields him from the harsh realities the citizens face.

“It looks like the President has been completely encircled by sycophants. They don’t allow him to see the realities, they don’t tell him the truth. But if he knew what was happening in society, he would be ashamed of himself. As far as I know him, I never thought he would allow this situation.

“He is now there, wallowing in the comfort of the Villa, talking in ways that show he doesn’t even know what is happening in this country. If he knew, he would not be doing the kind of things he’s doing now,” he said.

The former lawmaker also lamented what he called prosperity without production, adding that Nigerians were no longer swayed by polished speeches but were demanding tangible results.

He accused the current Nigerian democracy of failing to serve its core purpose, which is to uplift the people and ensure their welfare.

He also decried the helplessness of many citizens who have suffered in the hands of insecurity and economic hardship, pointing to the stories of kidnapped victims, unemployed youth, and struggling small business owners.

According to him, any government unable to ensure basic welfare and security has lost the moral right to call itself democratic.

While citing statistics to back his claim, Bugaje described the country’s current state as disgraceful.

Politics

National Assembly becoming shadow of parliament, drifting backwards – Saraki

Published

12 hours ago

June 13, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

Former Senate President Bukola Saraki has said the 10th National Assembly is becoming a shadow of what parliament should be.

Saraki said the current National Assembly is drifting backwards due to faulty leadership.

He accused other arms of government of playing a key role in weakening the current National Assembly.

Saraki stated this in his remarks to mark Nigeria’s 26 years unbroken democracy at the National Assembly yesterday, June 12.

He said the current crop of legislators owed it a duty to make the parliament stronger for future generations.

According to Saraki: “Let me now say that except we are here to lie to ourselves, we must acknowledge the fact that the National Assembly is gradually becoming a shadow of what a virile and effective parliament should be.

“Today, we seem to be drifting backwards. And we don’t have to go far to find the reason for this sad development.

“I am convinced that this is not only the fault of the legislature and its leadership. The executive and judiciary have consistently played key roles in undermining and weakening the National Assembly.”

Saraki urged leaders to work together towards making the National Assembly a strong institution.

The Peoples Democratic Party chieftain said the National Assembly was established to scrutinize the executive.

He cautioned Nigerians against making the National Assembly helpless and hopeless.

“If the National Assembly is made helpless and hopeless to the extent that the people cannot find succour there, then they will be left with no option but to run to the streets. And this is dangerous for our democracy,” he added.

His remark is coming amid accusations that the 10th assembly is a rubber stamp that has leaned completely towards the Federal government.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, had dismissed this, saying NASS enjoys a cordial relationship with the executive.

Adaramodu said the current NASS will rubber stamp things that are in the interest of Nigerians.

Politics

One party state: Tinubu on same page with PDP, other parties – Saraki

Published

12 hours ago

June 13, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

Former Senate President, Bukola Saraki has said President Bola Tinubu and the opposition parties are on the same page.

Saraki was reacting to Tinubu’s remark that he is not for a one-party state.

There have been claims that Tinubu was moving Nigeria towards a party state, following recent defections to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Some of the defectors had blamed the crisis in their various parties for their decision to join the ruling party.

But, Tinubu while addressing the National Assembly yesterday debunked claims that his administration plans to make Nigeria a one-party state.

He, however, stated that he is happy that the opposition parties are in disarray and he won’t help them.

Tinubu said: “To those who ring the alarm that the APC is intent on a one-party state, I offer you a most personal promise. While your alarm may be as a result of your panic, it rings in error.”

Speaking to journalists at the National Assembly, Saraki said: “We must take him at his words, he spoke well saying he is not for a one-party state, so we must take him at his words that he supports a multi-party, so we are all on the same page.

“We the PDP buy into this and that is why we are going around bringing everybody and they heard it, so those people saying there is pressure, there is no pressure on anybody.

“We are all for multi-party and everybody should go and get his house in order. As he said, he’s not going to help us, so we are going to sort our own house and get it in order.”