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Macron says France is a loyal ally as Trump questions NATO’s mutual defence principle

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French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a media conference at an EU Summit in Brussels, Thursday, March 6, 2025. © AP Photo

France is a loyal and steadfast ally in NATO, French President Emmanuel Macron emphasised on Thursday, amid his US counterpart Donald Trump’s repeated doubts about the military alliance.

The French leader invoked a list of historical events whereby France and the US have “always been there for each other,” including namechecking Marquis de Lafayette — a 19th-century French nobleman — who was a major-general in the American army fighting the British during the Revolutionary War.

France had shown “respect and friendship” toward the US, Macron said. “I think we’re entitled to expect the same,” he added.

On Thursday, Trump again cast doubt on whether Washington would defend its NATO allies if they did not pay what he believes was enough for their own defence.

Under Article 5, members of the NATO alliance must help if another member comes under attack.

“It’s common sense, right,” Trump told reporters on Thursday. “If they don’t pay, I’m not going to defend them. No, I’m not going to defend them.”

Trump added he had held this view since his first term, when similar comments prompted European members to increase their defence spending to meet the 2% target.

The US president said these efforts were “not enough. They should be paying more.”

Trump also expressed uncertainty about whether NATO members would defend the US if the country were under attack, singling out France as an example of an ally he “wasn’t sure” about.

NATO allies, including France, did however come to the US’ defence after the 11 September 2001 attacks on the World Trade Centre and Pentagon, when Article 5 was invoked and led to NATO’s largest-ever military operation in Afghanistan.

‘Ironclad’ or not?

Trump’s comments follow those from US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth last month, who said in a speech that Washington would not participate in a potential peacekeeping force in Ukraine, and would not come to the defence of any NATO country that did if attacked by Russia.

Despite Trump’s comments, his pick for NATO ambassador, Matt Whitaker, said during his confirmation hearing on Wednesday that the US commitment to the NATO alliance and Article 5 would be “ironclad.”

NATO’s Secretary General Mark Rutte also sought to reaffirm the strength of the alliance earlier on Thursday, telling reporters in Brussels: “Let me be clear, the transatlantic relationship and the transatlantic partnership remains the bedrock of our alliance. “

“President Trump has made clear the commitment of the US and his commitment personally to NATO, and it has also made clear the expectation that we in Europe must do more in terms of defence spending,” Rutte added.

Trump has repeatedly cast doubt since his 2016 presidential campaign that the US under his leadership might not comply with the alliance’s mutual defence guarantees if members of the alliance did not increase their defence spending.

On Thursday, Trump said NATO was “potentially good” if what he saw as a spending issue could be fixed. “They’re screwing us on trade,” he concluded.

Last year, the now-former NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said a record 23 of NATO’s 32 member nations had hit their spending targets.

Trump has taken credit for countries meeting those because of his threats, with Stoltenberg himself saying the returning US president was responsible for getting other nations to increase their spending.

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BREAKING! Tinubu renames University of Maiduguri to Muhammadu Buhari University

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has renamed the University of Maiduguri as Muhammadu Buhari University.

This was disclosed in a terse statement by the presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, on Thursday.

“President Tinubu renames University of Maiduguri as MUHAMMADU Buhari University. President Tinubu announced the honour at the session of tributes of the Federal Executive Council to his late predecessor,” he wrote on X.

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Atiku’s exit end of PDP era – Support group

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A support group, Nigerian Youths for Atiku (NYFA), says the exit of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, marks the end of an era in the country.

NYFA’s Director General, Mr Dare Dada, who made this remark in a statement on Thursday in Lagos, said that Atiku’s decision to quit PDP had battered the political and electoral fortunes of the former ruling party.

Atiku, the PDP presidential candidate in 2019 and 2023, announced his resignation from the party on Wednesday, citing irreconcilable differences within the erstwhile ruling party.

Though the former vice-president has not formally announced his defection to African Democratic Congress (ADC), the coalition of opposition leaders, led by him, had recently announced the adoption of the party as its platform for the 2027 general elections.

His resignation from PDP might have signaled readiness to solidify ties with ADC, as the NYFA leadership had also recently directed its members nationwide to collapse structures and register with ADC in various states.

Reacting to the development, Dada said that the resignation of Abubakar and other PDP national leaders and members from the party, and their alliance with ADC marked the end of an era for the former ruling party.

According to him, Abubakar has large core followers in the northern and southern political circle, including the youth, women and professional groups.

The director-general, who noted that the former vice-president had, for a long time, remained the backbone of support in PDP, said that his exit had decimated and crippled the party.

In view of the developing political events in the country, Dada said that the group had instructed its more than 1.5 million members across the 36 states of the federation and the FCT to resign from PDP immediately.

“Membership of Nigerian Youth For Atiku cuts across all parties, including PDP, NNPP and LP.

“We also have within our ranks non-partisan members whose professions spread across all sectors of the economy. They have all been enjoined to register as members of ADC.

“As a movement with revolutionary yoga, we have always stood for good governance, accountability and support for sound democratic values.

“These attributes cannot be underestimated in any democratic society that tends prioritise transparency and economic prosperity,” he said.

According to him, the resignation of the group’s President and Founder, Prof. Gold Emmanuel, and others from PDP was a decision taken in the overall interest of the country.

“Preventing Nigeria from sliding into one-party state and civilian dictatorship requires the efforts and commitment of all Nigerians who have undiluted belief in a better Nigeria,” he stated.

Dada urged Nigerians to remain united in the fight against hunger, poverty and insecurity.

“We remain resolute in our decision to galvanise over three million votes in support of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in the 2027 presidential elections,” he said.

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“ADC Not for Sale”: Imo ADC’s Chilos Godsent Calls for Unity and People’s Interest Over Self-Serving Groups

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The African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Imo State has issued a clarifying statement regarding its structure and leadership, emphasizing that the party’s recognized executives and ward structures are legitimate and acknowledged by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The IMO ADC asserts that its executives and structures are recognized by INEC, and merger groups or coalitions cannot assume ownership of the party.

The party urges its members to focus on addressing the challenges that have plagued the nation, rather than pursuing self-interest or group superiority.
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The ADC calls on its members to work together to bring about positive change, emphasizing the need for policies that promote production and development, rather than consumption.
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The party’s leadership encourages members to “shake hands” and work towards a common goal, as symbolized by the party’s logo.

This statement  is a call to action for its members to prioritize the interests of the people and work towards creating a better future for all Nigerians.

Emphasizing  the importance of unity and people’s interests, the party aims to promote a more inclusive and effective approach to governance.

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