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US Secretary of State Rubio says Germany is a ‘tyranny in disguise’ after AfD verdict

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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Acting German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock at the NATO Foreign Ministers' Meeting. Brussels 4 April 2025 © Nicolas Tucat/Copyright 2025 The AP. All rights reserved.

Germany’s foreign ministry pushed back in an extraordinary exchange with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio after he criticised Germany’s intelligence decision to label the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as “right-wing extremist”.

The dispute grew on Friday, involving Germany’s foreign office, Rubio, US Vice President JD Vance and Elon Musk. It comes just before the 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany’s defeat and as Germany prepares to elect Friedrich Merz as chancellor after a coalition deal was reached last week.

The US government has strongly condemned the decision by Germany’s domestic intelligence agency to categorise the AfD as “right-wing extremist”.

The “right wing extremist” label that has been placed on the AfD allows authorities to monitor the party more closely. But critics, including AfD leaders and their US supporters, say the move is politically motivated.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on X that having the power to “surveil the opposition” means Germany is “not a democracy, but a tyranny in disguise”.

It is not the AfD that is extremist, but the “deadly open-border immigration policies,” he continued.

Rubio called for the decision to be reconsidered, drawing a sharp rebuke from the German foreign ministry.

“This is democracy,” the Federal Foreign Office posted on X in reply to Rubio’s earlier post. “This decision is the result of a thorough & independent investigation to protect our Constitution and the rule of law. Independent courts will have the final say. We have learnt from our history that right-wing extremism needs to be stopped.”

In a post of his own on the same platform, JD Vance said that the AfD is “the most popular party in Germany,” and that bureaucrats are trying to “destroy it”.

“Together, the West tore down the Berlin Wall. And it has been rebuilt – not by the Soviets or the Russians, but by the German establishment,” he continued.

Vance in particular has been vocal in his criticism of the European Union for what he has described as the suppression of freedom of speech.

At the Munich Security Conference in February, he accused European heads of state and governments of suppressing dissenting opinions, freedom of religion and freedom of expression.

“For many of us on the other side of the Atlantic, it increasingly seems as if old, entrenched interests are hiding behind ugly Soviet-era words like misinformation and disinformation. They just don’t like the idea that someone with an alternative view could express a different opinion or, God forbid, vote differently or, worse still, win an election,” Vance said at the time, warning that this was straining Atlantic relations.

Vance later met with AfD co-leader Alice Weidel on the sidelines of the conference, even though she had not been officially invited by the event’s organisers.

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Kaduna: Juji residents cry out over abandoned bridge

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Residents of the Juji community in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State have raised fresh concerns over the abandonment of a bridge project linking the town to Ungwan Gimbiya, warning that the situation has worsened with the onset of the rainy season.

The bridge, which has remained incomplete for several years, is now severely affected by erosion and stagnant floodwaters, leaving it nearly impassable and posing serious risks to residents.

Speaking with reporters, locals described how heavy rainfall often renders the route unusable, disrupting daily life.

“Each time it rains, children can’t get to school, and many parents are unable to leave for work,” a resident said. “We are cut off completely. The waterlogged path is dangerous to cross.”

Community members say the abandoned infrastructure has left them stranded and exposed, especially schoolchildren and traders who rely on the route.

They are calling on the Kaduna State Government and the Kaduna State Roads Agency, KADRA, to urgently resume and complete the project.

“This is no longer a minor complaint, it’s affecting our survival,” one resident added.

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Nigeria has regressed to electoral autocracy – LPPMC

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The Liberal Progressive & Patriotic Members Congress, LPPMC, has observed with dismay that Nigeria has regressed to electoral autocracy and needs constitutional disobedience to reset the system.

In a communiqué issued by the National Coordinator of LPPMC, Dr. Kingsley Okundaye, on behalf of 21 other leaders, the Congress stressed the need for an immediate biometric audit of INEC’s voter register, blockchain-based voting systems to prevent tampering, and live streaming of all results collation.

The meeting stated that when courts legitimize electoral heists, democracy becomes tyranny, and resolved to pursue a constitutional amendment to punish judicial officers who subvert electoral justice and impose a 90-day limit for election petitions.

The communiqué stated that 25 years of democracy have not addressed northern marginalization and called for constitutional recognition of power rotation between regions and religions.

On grassroots mobilization, LPPMC says it would launch “Democracy Literacy Campaigns” in all 774 LGAs, assuring that it would reserve 40% of leadership slots for women and youth (per gender policy debates).

LPPMC said, “The 2023 elections showed rigging is now institutionalized. We must act now or lose Nigeria completely.”

It alleged that Labour Party’s hijacking proves the need for new safeguards against political predators and called for the formation of a 37-state Coalition for Electoral Integrity by July 1.

It gave INEC an ultimatum to clean the voter register by August 30 and commence mass voter education by September 12.

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Apo mechanic village traders to shut shops for President Tinubu’s visit, project commissioning

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Traders, mechanics, and shop owners in Abuja’s Apo Mechanic Village said they will temporarily close their businesses on Friday, June 13, to welcome President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

This is as he commissions a major road project in the area. This is contained in a statement signed by Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant, Public Communications and Social Media on Thursday.

According to him, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has  announced that the newly constructed Left-Hand Service Carriageway of the Outer Southern Expressway (OSEX) Stage II — from Ring Road I (RRI) Junction to Wasa Junction — will be officially commissioned by President Tinubu at 2:30pm.

As part of the arrangements, the Apo-Wasa road will be closed to vehicular movement from 11:00am to 4:00pm to ensure a smooth ceremony and adequate security, the statement added.

He said motorists are advised to use alternative routes during this period.

He said, “Also, traders, mechanics and other shop owners in the Apo Mechanic Village have offered to close their shops tomorrow, to enable them give President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a rousing welcome, and participate in the commissioning of the road project.”

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