Post falsely claims video shows suspended Nigerian governor apologising to predecessor
Shared more than 800 times, the video shows Fubara speaking to the crowd with Wike beside him.
The post was published by an account called 'Agozi commedy'. A review of the account shows it posts political video content, mostly of Tinubu and Peter Obi, the Labour Party's 2023 presidential candidate.
Fubara was elected governor of Rivers state in March 2023, succeeding Wike, a lawyer who currently serves as the minister in charge of Nigeria's capital, Abuja (archived here and here).
Shortly after Fubara's inauguration, he became embroiled in a battle with his predecessor over control of the state (archived here).
The tussle culminated in a failed impeachment attempt and a dispute with state legislators, which resulted in the demolition of the state assembly complex (archived here and here).
In March 2025, Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers state and suspended Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and the State Assembly for six months. He subsequently appointed Ibokette Ibas, a retired vice-admiral, as the state administrator for the period of Fubara's suspension (archived here).
The decision sharply divided opinion in the country, with critics highlighting the president's disavowal of a similar emergency declaration by the federal government in the past.
In April, Fubara reportedly visited Wike in Abuja to seek reconciliation, days after local media said he met Tinubu in London over the protracted political crisis in the state (archived here and here).
However, the video in the Facebook post does not show Fubara apologising to Wike.
Using Google Lens to conduct reverse image searches on the video keyframes, AFP Fact Check traced the original to a YouTube video uploaded on March 24, 2023 — several years before the two men fell out (archived here).
The video is titled: 'I Dedicated My Victory To Wike And For The Unity Of Rivers State- Fubara Declare.'
In the clip, Fubara is heard thanking Wike and other political allies for their support and effort in canvassing for votes that helped him coast to victory in gubernatorial elections held on March 18, 2025.
A comparison of the two videos shows the footage is the same.
Speaking into a microphone, Fubara says: 'We stand for something, the unity of Rivers state, the progress of Rivers state, the continuation and consolidation of the new Rivers vision and we are going to work with everybody who believes in the vision and continue to bring better lives, good services, protection of the dignity of every Rivers resident, protection of integrity of this state in all phases and make sure we continue to defend our party in the state.'
AFP Fact Check previously debunked claims about the power struggle between Fubara and Wike here and here.

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Newsweek
7 hours ago
- Newsweek
Christian MAGA Singer Vows To Continue Despite Canada Protests
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Sean Feucht, a prominent American Christian worship leader and vocal supporter of the MAGA movement, says he will press on with his tour of Canada, despite a wave of public protests, security concerns, and event cancellations in multiple cities. Newsweek contacted Feucht for comment via email on Sunday. Why It Matters Feucht's tour has become a flash point in Canada's ongoing debate over freedom of expression, public safety, and the role of religious and political ideologies in public spaces. As communities respond to his messaging—often framed around conservative Christian values and American right-wing politics—the backlash highlights tensions between freedom of speech and protecting marginalized groups from perceived harm. Despite the setbacks, Feucht remains determined to complete his tour. He is continuing to organize events at alternative venues and actively posting about it on social media. On Saturday, Feucht posted on his Facebook and Instagram accounts: "We've been canceled, banned, protested and smoke-bombed in Canada, but the MOVE OF GOD ONLY GROWS STRONGER! "The greater the resistance, the greater the breakthrough! See you today Ottawa and tomorrow Toronto!" Sean Feucht is seen at Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza outside the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona, on October 19, 2024. Sean Feucht is seen at Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza outside the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona, on October 19, 2024. Rebecca Noble/AFP/Getty Images What To Know As reported by Newsweek, Feucht is a pro-Trump American Christian singer-songwriter who unsuccessfully ran as a Republican candidate in California's 3rd congressional district in 2020. Feucht has previously been criticized over remarks he has made about the LGBTQ+ community and for his pro-life stance. He first rose to prominence with his "Let Us Worship" tour in the latter half of 2020, which protested COVID-19 lockdowns. In April of 2022, he helped to lead a protest against The Walt Disney Company for their opposition to anti-LGBTQ legislation. In early 2023, he announced a "Kingdom to the Capitol" tour co-sponsored by Turning Point USA, the nonprofit that advocates for conservative politics at high schools and university campuses. Several Canadian cities, including Halifax, Quebec City, Charlottetown, and Moncton, have canceled Feucht's scheduled events in recent days. Officials cited public safety concerns, protest activity and logistical complications. In Halifax, Parks Canada revoked a permit for a concert at the York Redoubt historic site after consulting with police and local residents. The event was moved to Shubenacadie, about an hour away, where hundreds of attendees gathered. Despite the relocations and cancellations, protests have continued to follow Feucht's appearances. In Montreal, demonstrators set off smoke bombs inside a venue, and at least one person was arrested. Critics of the tour, including advocacy groups and local officials, argue that Feucht's rhetoric is inflammatory and harmful to community cohesion. Some have also pointed to Feucht's political affiliations, which they believe are inconsistent with Canada's inclusive values. Feucht has accused Canadian authorities and media outlets of discriminating against his religious beliefs, claiming his events are being unfairly targeted for expressing traditional Christian values. He has maintained that his message is peaceful and spiritual in nature, not political. What People Are Saying Feucht posting on his X account on Saturday: "I've led worship and preached in Africa, the Middle East and all across the world in 2025. The most intense persecution was not in Iraq or Turkey - but CANADA! Didn't have that on my bingo card." The city of Vaughan, where Feucht was due to perform on Sunday, said in a statement, per CTV News: "The City of Vaughan has denied a Special Event Permit for a music event to be held at Dufferin District Park on July 27 on the basis of health and safety as well as community standards and well-being." What Happens Next City officials in other planned tour stops are assessing whether to grant permits, and national law enforcement agencies are monitoring developments closely. As protests persist, the debate over who gets access to public spaces—and under what terms—is likely to intensify in the days ahead.


Hamilton Spectator
12 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Disruptive ‘scam' or legitimate protest? Here's why Pierre Poilievre's byelection ballot will have dozens of candidates
OTTAWA—One candidate is a 22-year-old university student living four hours north of Toronto. Another is a Montreal-area teacher and tour guide with a fondness for dinosaurs. A third lives in Nebraska, working in IT. And there are more than 175 people, just like them, on the ballot for a byelection in a sprawling riding sandwiched between Calgary and Edmonton. Battle River—Crowfoot is the Alberta riding vacated by Conservative MP Damien Kurek so his seatless leader, Pierre Poilievre, can run in a byelection and return to the House of Commons. It's also the sixth target for the Longest Ballot Committee, a protest group that swamps ballots with dozens of independent candidates to drum up attention about electoral reform. The idea is simple: when voters notice the colossal lists of contenders on their ballots, candidates and organizers use that opening to promote alternative electoral systems and their belief that politicians should not be in charge of shaping election rules that may benefit them. This week, the Conservative leader, whose former riding of Carleton was targeted during the last federal campaign, said he'd had enough. Poilievre penned a letter to Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon, calling the effort a 'blatant abuse' of Canada's democracy and elections integrity, and demanded the Liberals introduce reforms in the fall that would stifle 'the longest ballot scam.' In a statement to the Star, MacKinnon's office said the government shares Poilievre's concerns and was 'examining' the issue. But for those who believe the gargantuan ballots make an inexcusable mockery of Canada's electoral system, well, that's kind of the whole point. 'I get emails, I get Facebook messages saying, 'Why is a person from Ontario running in an Alberta riding?' And this is exactly why I do want to see a residency requirement. I don't think somebody from Ontario should be able to run in Alberta,' said Dillon Anderson, the 22-year-old university student from Callander, Ont. 'I'm hoping that this is the last time we'll do the longest ballot and that we get some changes, some actual meaningful changes, that don't restrict Canadians' rights to run, but gives us more of a local-focused approach,' said Anderson, who is one of several protest candidates who believe other rules, like residency requirements, ought to be changed. For Nicola Zoghbi, the Montreal teacher, the initiative is 'one of the most efficient ways' to point out flaws in Canada's electoral system, which he says include its use of the first-past-the-post system, where the candidate with the most votes wins — even if most voters actually voted for other contenders. What's unique about this byelection, said Zoghbi, whose campaign platform is almost entirely about dinosaurs , is how Poilievre is able to take advantage of some rules while trying to ban others. 'There's this loophole that Poilievre and other politicians are using, so regular people like me could use it, too,' he said of the residency requirement, which politicians have historically used to run in ridings far away from where they actually live. Jason Buzzell, the Nebraska IT expert, joined the movement in part because of his personal ties to the riding. Buzzell was raised in Battle River—Crowfoot, and started his family there before work took him across the border. He wonders if a proportional voting system would have seen Poilievre re-elected in Carleton last spring. 'If we had had electoral reform … we wouldn't even have to do this byelection,' Buzzell suggested. The question election experts are now wrestling with is whether the whole scheme is fair game, or whether the integrity of races is being compromised. There are indications that the latter has not occurred, said Dennis Pilon, a professor and chair of the politics department at York University. One is a lack of reports that electors have felt too confused by affected ballots to vote properly. Another is no indication that the number of spoiled ballots has unduly increased. A third is that voters ultimately still have the agency to choose the candidate who they want to represent them. But if the strategy isn't harming voters, could it harm candidates from established parties? 'Maybe it ends up denying one of the candidates the win. That's the whole point of the protest,' said Pilon. So far, all ridings targeted by the movement have been won by a Liberal, Conservative or Bloc Québécois candidate. But ' everything that's happening is legal, and it's allowed to be done,' said Laura Stephenson, a professor and chair of the department of political science at the University of Western Ontario. Poilievre has asked the government to consider three changes: to require that candidates have more than the current minimum of 100 voter signatures needed to get on the ballot; that those signatures be exclusive to each candidate; and that each candidate needs their own official agent (the person who manages campaign finances). The Longest Ballot Committee has the same official agent for each of its candidates, and goes to the same voters to obtain physical signatures for nomination packages. Stephenson said some of the proposals could, in theory, 'tighten things up while still maintaining the integrity of the democratic process.' 'The key is that this shouldn't be seen as a political step. If these kinds of rules were being brought forward by Elections Canada … it doesn't have any political tint to it,' she said of the timing of Poilievre's demands. The one issue on which everyone seems to agree is that the protest has sidelined independent candidates not tied to the movement who are running serious campaigns. Bonnie Critchley, an independent candidate in Battle River—Crowfoot, has been frustrated by the protest drawing voter attention away from her campaign. 'This is a little bit sad for them. I'm very sorry for that,' said Sébastien CoRhino, one of the Longest Ballot Committee's organizers. 'But at the same time, it is impossible with the current political system to have independent candidates win an election,' he said. Michael MacKenzie, the Jarislowsky Chair in Trust and Political Leadership at Vancouver Island University, says opposing the protest runs counter to Poilievre's stated focus on ensuring political elites have no say in the decisions of Canadians. But he questions whether the original purpose of the movement — to reopen a national discussion about electoral reform that the Liberals have abandoned — is being lost in all the noise. 'It's not generating a lot of focused discussion on the complexities of electoral reform,' MacKenzie said. 'Most discussions are about the disruptions and the difficulties and confusions associated with this initiative, and there's been very little discussion about the benefits or drawbacks of the electoral reform itself.'

Los Angeles Times
20 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Voters in Taiwan reject bid to oust China-friendly lawmakers in setback for president
TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwanese voters rejected a bid to oust about one-fifth of their lawmakers, all from the opposition Nationalist Party, in a recall election Saturday, dampening hopes for the ruling party to flip the balance of power in the self-ruled island's legislature. The independence-leaning ruling Democratic Progressive Party won last year's presidential election, but the China-friendly Nationalists, also known as the KMT, and the smaller Taiwan People's Party have enough seats to form a majority bloc. Official preliminary results showed that the recall efforts failed to remove any of the two dozen KMT lawmakers. The scale of the recall elections is unprecedented, with seven other KMT lawmakers facing a similar vote on Aug. 23. The KMT currently holds 52 seats, while the ruling DPP holds 51. For the DPP to secure a legislative majority, at least six KMT lawmakers would need to be ousted, and the ruling party would need to win the by-elections, which must be held within three months of the announcement of results. For the recall to pass, more than a quarter of eligible voters in the electoral district must vote in favor of it, and the total number of supporters must exceed those voting against. If next month's poll results are also unfavorable to the DPP, it would mean that the government of Taiwan President Lai Ching-te could continue to face strong resistance in the legislature before elections expected to take place in 2028. Facing the setback, the president, also known as William Lai, said in a Facebook post that recall attempts and efforts to oppose them are people's legitimate rights under Taiwan's constitutional system. He thanked his party for its efforts, which he said were not in vain. They furthered the national direction of resisting communists and protecting Taiwan, he said. 'Today's result is neither a victory for one side nor a defeat for another,' he said, adding that he hoped all parties would continue to safeguard Taiwan's democratic system. KMT chairman Eric Chu told reporters that voters had used their ballots to prove Taiwan's democracy is mature and strong, calling for an apology from Lai. 'All Taiwanese people chose stability, chose that the government should focus on getting things done, rather than engaging in bitter political fighting,' he said. Despite their huge effort, those backing the recall were facing an 'uphill battle' in trying to unseat lawmakers in well-organized, strongly KMT districts, said Lev Nachman, a professor of political science at National Taiwan University. The result is going to make it even harder for Lai to push his agenda forward, especially ahead of local elections next year, said Nachman, an expert on Taiwan's elections. 'At the moment, there is very little Lai can do other than try to think of other creative ways to appeal to the public,' he told the Associated Press. Fu Kun-chi, one of the most powerful and controversial lawmakers targeted in the recall vote, said the result left Lai with no option other than to meet with the opposition and 'find a way for Taiwan to proceed in a more stable way in this chaotic world.' DPP Secretary-General Lin Yu-chang said the party humbly accepted the results. He said his party has the responsibility to reflect on public sentiment and adjust its approach to meet people's expectations. Those who support removing the 24 lawmakers have criticized the KMT and its allies for blocking key legislation, especially the defense budget, and passing controversial changes that are seen as diminishing the power of the executive and favoring China, which considers the island its own territory. The opposition parties' actions sparked concerns among some Taiwanese about the island's democratic integrity and its ability to deter Chinese military threats, leading to the recall campaigns. But the KMT has accused the ruling party of resorting to political retaliation after it lost the legislative majority, saying the recalls were undermining and challenging Taiwan's democratic system. The elections have intensified tensions between those backing the status quo and those favoring improved ties with Beijing. Critics accuse China-friendly politicians of compromising Taiwan's democracy and take issue with their meetings with mainland Chinese politicians. But these politicians say their connections are vital for dialogue given Beijing's refusal to interact with the DPP. China's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Chen Binhua said the election results showed that the DPP's 'political manipulation' runs against the will of the people, accusing the party of having the ambition to attain 'one-party dominance,' Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported. Chen said the DPP's acts showed it was 'fake democracy, real authoritarianism.' The office is a branch of China's ruling Communist Party government, which itself maintains strict one-party rule. Taiwan's mainland affairs council said Wednesday that the Chinese authorities and state media had tried to blatantly interfere with the vote. Bodeen and Leung write for the Associated Press and reported from Taipei and Hong Kong, respectively.