Ron DeSantis’s presidential campaign is expected to fight against California’s new presidential primary rules during the state’s Republican Party convention at the end of September. In July, the CAGOP transitioned to a winner-take-all system, instead of allocating presidential primary delegates by Congressional district. Now if a candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote state-wide, they capture all of the state’s delegates. If no candidate reaches that benchmark, delegates are awarded proportionally.
President Donald Trump leads the field in California by over 50 points, appearing to be on track to secure all of the state’s 169 delegates. DeSantis, polling a distant 2nd place with only 16 percent would be awarded no delegates, angering Tallahassee-based consultants such as Erin Perrine, the official spokesman for DeSantis’s Never Back Down political action committee (PAC).
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Perrine – who previously worked for the failed Dr. Oz campaign, as well as Trump’s 2020 re-election bid – said the changes were “Trump-inspired rigging”, arguing the California GOP was “making grassroots involvement impossible.”
The CA GOP says the changes are not for any particular candidate, but instead about ensuring the party is in compliance with new Republican National Committee (RNC) rules. The RNC has emphasized the need for primary candidates to campaign across the whole state and not just specific congressional districts in which they’re competitive.
In late August, Never Back Down ended its paid door-knocking operations in California, as well as in Nevada – another state where the DeSantis campaign is accusing the state party of attempting to rig the election for Trump.
Editor’s Notes
Behind-the-scenes political intrigue exclusively for Pulse+ subscribers.
So after months of DeSantis and his online allies slamming Trump for talking about the rigging of 2020, they’re now accusing their own party – in California no less! – of rigging the primary against them? I knew this was all going to get a bit undignified and shameless, but the depths to which they’re now sinking is beyond what any of us imagined, I believe
So after months of DeSantis and his online allies slamming Trump for talking about the rigging of 2020, they’re now accusing their own party – in California no less! – of rigging the primary against them? I knew this was all going to get a bit undignified and shameless, but the depths to which they’re now sinking is beyond what any of us imagined, I believe show more
❓WHAT HAPPENED: Derek Chauvin’s defense attorneys filed a petition alleging prosecutorial misconduct and questioning testimony regarding police restraint methods during his trial in a renewed effort to overturn the former Minneapolis police officer’s conviction for the May 2020 death of George Floyd.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Derek Chauvin, over 50 current and former police officers, Minnesota Police Department Inspector Katie Blackwell, prosecution witness Dr. Martin Tobin, and Hennepin County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Andrew Baker.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The petition was filed in federal court late last week, with the prosecution given 45 days to respond.
🎯IMPACT: The case has gained a new interest among the public, with over 50,000 people signing a petition in March urging President Donald J. Trump to pardon Chauvin.
IN FULL
A new court petition filed by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin’s defense team accuses Minnesota state prosecutors of misconduct during his trial for the death of George Floyd. The filing has gained significant attention, with many questioning the evidence presented and the testimony of key witnesses.
The filing argues that Minnesota Police Department Inspector Katie Blackwell’s testimony, which stated that Chauvin’s restraint technique was not standard practice, has been contradicted by over 50 current and former police officers. According to sworn declarations provided by the officers, Blackwell’s statements do not align with Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) procedures.
Additionally, Chauvin’s attorneys contend that statements made by Dr. Martin Tobin, a pulmonologist who testified on behalf of the prosecution, should not have been admissible, as Tobin never performed an autopsy on nor examined Floyd’s body. The filing argues that the prosecution engaged in misconduct by repeatedly citing a statement by Dr. Tobin describing the pressure on Floyd as being akin to “the left side is in a vice.” In contrast, Hennepin County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Andrew Baker, who performed Floyd’s autopsy without viewing the video footage, concluded that Floyd’s death was due to cardiac arrest, not asphyxiation. This discrepancy has further fueled calls for a new trial. Prosecutors have 45 days to file a response.
The National Pulse reported in March that a public petition advocating for Chauvin to receive a pardon from President Donald J. Trump had gained an estimated 50,000 signatures. Public interest in Chauvin’s legal efforts began to rise after his attorneys won a significant victory last December when a federal judge cleared the way for the reexamination of heart and fluid samples from George Floyd’s autopsy. The ruling also appeared to confirm claims that blood was taken from Floyd before he died, suggesting he was still alive when he arrived at the hospital.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: Inflation in the U.S. continued to ease in September, as indicated by the core producer price index, which excludes food and energy prices.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported these findings, delayed due to a Senate filibuster by Democrats shutting down the federal government.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The data reflects price changes in September 2025 across the United States.
🎯IMPACT: Despite rising energy costs and a modest increase in other goods and services, the September PPI data suggests that inflation continues to subside.
IN FULL
The Producer Price Index (PPI) rose by 0.3 percent in September, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) announced on Tuesday. Core PPI, an important inflation marker that excludes food and energy prices, rose by 0.1 percent over the same period. The delay in the BLS data release was due to the Senate Democrats shutting down the federal government for 43 days starting on October 1, which the agency says also hampered its employment survey efforts.
Concerningly, energy prices surged by 3.5 percent, largely driven by an 11.8 percent spike in gasoline prices, while food prices rose by 1.1 percent. Over the past year, core prices have risen 2.6 percent, slightly below the 2.7 percent increase recorded in August. However, the September PPI data does indicate that inflation, overall, remains in check.
The broader index rose by 2.7 percent year-over-year, a tenth of a point higher than August’s annual increase. Prices for final demand goods climbed 0.9 percent, with two-thirds of this growth attributed to energy costs. Excluding food and energy, goods prices rose by 0.2 percent, and annual growth in goods prices reached 3.3 percent.
Service prices remained unchanged in September after a 0.3 percent decline in August. Transportation and warehousing services saw a 0.8 percent increase, driven by a four percent rise in passenger transportation costs. Trade service margins, reflecting the price change between what retailers and wholesalers pay and their selling prices, fell by 0.2 percent. Excluding trade services, transportation, and warehousing, service prices rose by 0.1 percent.
Durable consumer goods prices increased by 0.2 percent month-over-month and are up 2.6 percent year-over-year. Capital equipment prices rose by 0.2 percent for both manufacturing and non-manufacturing firms, with annual increases of 4.6 percent and 2.9 percent, respectively. Intermediate goods prices rose for the third consecutive month, led by energy and food costs, while prices for raw goods ticked up slightly by 0.1 percent, driven by an 8.2 percent rise in corn prices.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: Ukraine announced a “common understanding” on the “core terms” of a U.S.-brokered peace deal with Russia.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Ukraine’s national security adviser Rustem Umerov, the United States, and Russia.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Reported on Tuesday, November 25, 2025.
🎯IMPACT: Ukrainian acceptance of the peace plan’s core proposals could be a significant step towards ending the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
IN FULL
Ukraine’s national security adviser, Rustem Umerov, said on Tuesday that Kiev and Washington have reached a “common understanding on the core terms” of a U.S.-brokered peace framework with Russia, calling the talks “productive and constructive.” The announcement signals what could be the most significant movement in diplomatic efforts to end the conflict, and President Volodymyr Zelensky may travel to the United States to meet President Donald J. Trump and work toward finalizing an agreement soon.
The progress comes as Washington continues to press Kiev to accept a U.S. peace proposal before Thanksgiving. American officials have warned that if Ukraine does not move toward signing the plan, it could lose access to vital military assistance, including weapons and intelligence support. The reported proposal contains multiple concessions to Russia, including Ukrainian territorial compromises in the eastern Donbas region and restrictions on joining NATO. In exchange, Ukraine would receive security guarantees and access to reconstruction funds derived from frozen Russian assets, with Russia leaving certain footholds in Ukraine’s Kharkov and Sumy oblasts (regions) and giving up its attempts to forcibly annex the southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts in their entirety.
President Zelensky has publicly acknowledged that the country faces what he described as a painful strategic dilemma: accept a deal he says risks compromising Ukraine’s “dignity,” or risk losing support from its most important military backer. Kiev is attempting to prepare counterproposals with input from European partners, some of whom have expressed concern that the U.S. plan heavily favors Moscow. Notably, however, Ukraine’s European supporters seem unwilling or unable to dramatically increase their own assistance to Kiev, still less send troops to fight alongside the Ukrainian military. In fact, analysts say European military assistance dropped sharply over the summer, with aid commitments falling by more than half compared to earlier in the year.
Meanwhile, conditions inside Ukraine remain difficult, with Russia appearing set to capture the strategic city of Pokrovsk and its surroundings fully. At the same time, Ukraine’s government is facing internal turbulence following a major corruption probe involving Energoatom, the state nuclear energy operator. Investigators allege that a network of suppliers paid multimillion-dollar kickbacks to secure government contracts. Businessman and Zelensky ally Timur Mindich reportedly fled the country to Israel before police raids began, prompting public criticism and raising new questions about corruption within state institutions. The investigation has already led to the suspension of Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko and dozens of searches across the country.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: China successfully launched the unmanned Shenzhou-22 spacecraft to assist astronauts stranded at the Tiangong space station.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), astronauts aboard the Tiangong space station, and the Shenzhou-22 mission team.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The launch occurred on Tuesday at 12:11 PM local time from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.
💬KEY QUOTE: “This emergency launch is a first for China, but I hope it will be the last in humanity’s journey through space.” – He Yuanjun, CMSA official
🎯IMPACT: The failure of the Shenzhou-20 mission was widely regarded as a significant embarrassment for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its leader, Xi Jinping.
IN FULL
China launched the Shenzhou-22 spacecraft on Tuesday to assist astronauts stranded at its Tiangong space station. The mission, conducted by the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), involved an unmanned spacecraft that departed from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 12:11 PM local time. The craft successfully reached its destination three-and-a-half hours later, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.
The emergency mission followed an incident earlier this month when three astronauts were left without a return spacecraft after their capsule, Shenzhou-20, was damaged by suspected space debris. The Shenzhou-20 crew had to return to Earth using the Shenzhou-21 capsule, leaving the relief crew without an emergency return vehicle. The Shenzhou-20 crew landed in the Gobi Desert on November 14, after a record-breaking 204 days in space, the longest duration for Chinese astronauts.
In addition to serving as a return vehicle, the Shenzhou-22 spacecraft delivered essential supplies to China’s space station, including food, medical equipment, spare parts, and materials to repair the damaged Shenzhou-20 capsule. CMSA announced on Tuesday that the launch was a “complete success,” adding that the spacecraft had entered its planned orbit without incident. The damaged Shenzhou-20 remains in space and will be brought down to Earth at a later date.
CMSA official He Yuanjun publicly commented on the mission, stating, “This emergency launch is a first for China, but I hope it will be the last in humanity’s journey through space.” The Shenzhou-22 spacecraft will also serve as the return vehicle for the current crew, scheduled to return to Earth in April 2026. Notably, the failure of the Shenzhou-20 mission was widely regarded as a significant embarrassment for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its leader, Xi Jinping.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order launching the “Genesis Mission” to enhance American artificial intelligence (AI) research and development.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, Michael Kratsios, the President’s assistant for science and technology, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, and other federal and private sector partners.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The executive order was signed on Monday afternoon, with initiatives spanning federal agencies and private partnerships.
💬KEY QUOTE: “The Genesis Mission will dramatically accelerate scientific discovery, strengthen national security, secure energy dominance, enhance workforce productivity, and multiply the return on taxpayer investment into research and development.” – Executive Order
🎯IMPACT: The initiative aims to centralize resources, improve AI training datasets, and foster public-private partnerships to maintain U.S. leadership in AI innovation.
IN FULL
On Monday afternoon, President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order launching the “Genesis Mission,” a major federal push to accelerate American artificial intelligence (AI) research and development. The order directs agencies to dramatically expand computing power, open up federal datasets, and speed the use of AI in real-world science.
Michael Kratsios, the President’s assistant for science and technology, will head the effort. The initiative is described as “comparable in urgency and ambition to the Manhattan Project,” underscoring its significance for national security, scientific breakthroughs, and workforce productivity. Energy Secretary Chris Wright has been directed to build a new “American Science and Security Platform” that will serve as the centralized infrastructure backbone for the program.
The Genesis Mission seeks to combine federal scientific datasets to train powerful AI models and develop AI agents that can automate research and drive significant discoveries. Within 90 days, the Department of Energy must catalog computing resources available from private-sector partners to bolster the initiative and deepen public-private collaboration.
The new mission builds on the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR), created in 2020, which united federal agencies with private organizations such as OpenAI and Google to form a national AI research community. Recent progress includes collaborations with AMD and Nvidia to build next-generation AI supercomputers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. “Winning the AI race requires new and creative partnerships that will bring together the brightest minds and industries American technology and science has to offer,” said Secretary Wright.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: A Sri Lankan national, suspected of involvement in the country’s Easter Sunday bombings in 2019, is in the United Kingdom seeking asylum.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The asylum seeker, Sri Lankan authorities, and the British government.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The bombings occurred in April 2019 in Sri Lanka, while the asylum case is ongoing in Britain as of November 2025.
🎯IMPACT: The case will return to a first-tier tribunal for a full reassessment of the evidence, with no facts from the previous decision preserved.
IN FULL
A Sri Lankan man, granted anonymity for legal reasons, is seeking asylum in Britain after being accused of involvement in the Easter Sunday bombings in his country in 2019, which killed 269 people, including eight British citizens. The coordinated suicide attacks targeted three churches and three luxury hotels in Colombo, leaving hundreds dead and injured.
Sri Lankan authorities arrested him in January 2022 on suspicion of links to the attacks, but he was later released on bail. He then fled to the United Kingdom with his wife, arguing that he would face persecution if returned to Sri Lanka. The British Home Office rejected his asylum claim in April 2024, and an appeal was dismissed in March 2025.
Representing himself, he claimed the initial immigration tribunal judge was biased and had failed to properly assess important evidence, including inconsistencies between a Wikipedia entry and official police documents. Deputy Upper Tribunal Judge Claire Burns found that the earlier decision did contain legal mistakes, but rejected his accusation of bias, stating, “I find that there is no merit in this ground whatsoever.” Burns ordered the case to return to the first-tier tribunal for a complete rehearing, with none of the previous findings preserved.
The 2019 bombings have been attributed to Islamist extremist groups believed to have ties to the Islamic State, and the dead included Christians, tourists, and children.
The case comes as the United Kingdom faces unprecedented pressure on its asylum system. Government statistics show that asylum applications reached a record high of more than 111,000 in the year ending June 2025, a 14 percent rise compared with the previous year. A whistleblower from within the Home Office has claimed that some applicants accused of serious crimes, including sexual offences, have been granted asylum, alleging that staff were sometimes pressured to approve claims, including for a claimant who “posed a threat to children.”
❓WHAT HAPPENED: Bible sales in the U.S. have seen a significant increase, with 2025 on track to surpass record-breaking sales levels set in 2024.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Industry analysts, publishers such as Tyndale and Zondervan, and Bible readers across the country.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The rise in sales has been ongoing since 2021, with a noted surge in September 2025, coinciding with the passing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Sales for Bibles have been steadily growing in the U.S. since 2021 and have set unprecedented annual sales records since 2022.” – Brenna Connor, Circana BookScan
🎯IMPACT: The surge in Bible sales reflects a growing interest in faith and religious content, with publishers expanding offerings to meet demand across all age groups.
IN FULL
Bible sales in the U.S. have climbed sharply in recent years, with 2024 reaching its highest levels in two decades and 2025 on pace to surpass that record. Circana, the company that tracks book sales, reports that more than 18 million Bibles have been sold so far this year, including 2.4 million in September alone.
Brenna Connor, an industry analyst at Circana BookScan, described the rise as “unprecedented,” noting that sales have increased steadily since 2021. Top sellers include the English Standard Bible, the Adventure Bible for children, and the She Reads Truth Bible.
Retailers say part of the surge is coming from younger buyers and new Christians. Kelli Malm, who runs the Christian Connection bookstore in Sycamore, Illinois, says many customers prefer user-friendly versions like the New Living Translation, which pairs with a study app. She also noticed a sales uptick after the assassination of Turning Point USA (TPUSA) founder Charlie Kirk, with some customers saying his passing encouraged them to return to church.
Church leaders nationwide reported a rise in youth attendance following Kirk’s death. Matt Zerrusen, co-founder of Newman Ministry, said, “Some schools are reporting increases of 15 percent.”
This renewed interest comes as Bible engagement grows. The American Bible Society’s State of the Bible report found that 41 percent of Americans now qualify as “Bible users,” meaning they interact with Scripture at least three times a year outside of church, up from 38 percent the previous year. Gen Z and millennials are a significant part of this rise, with 36 percent and 39 percent, respectively, identifying as Bible users.
Despite increased Bible use, long-term projections suggest Christianity’s overall share of the U.S. population may decline. Forecasts indicate Christians could become a minority by 2070 as both atheism and Islam continue to grow.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: A noticeable gap has emerged in childbearing rates between conservative and liberal women aged 18-35, with conservatives embracing motherhood as liberals reject it more and more.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Samuel Perry, a sociology professor, conducted the analysis using the General Social Survey.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The data highlights trends from 2010 to 2024 in the United States.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Liberals are leaning hard into being DINKs [Dual Income No Kids], being childless or having fewer kids, and it being very much a choice, whereas for conservatives having kids is still very much a part of what it means to be a whole person.” – Samuel Perry.
🎯IMPACT: The increasing disparity could see conservative families far outnumber liberals in the decades ahead.
IN FULL
A new analysis by Samuel Perry, a sociology professor at the University of Oklahoma, points to a growing ideological divide in childbearing among American women. Using data from the General Social Survey, Perry found that liberal and conservative women aged 18 to 35 are increasingly making very different decisions about whether to have children. In 2010, the difference in childlessness between the two groups was small, about a five-point gap.
By 2024, however, the gap had widened substantially. According to Perry, roughly 75 percent of liberal women in this age group were childless in 2024, compared with about 40 percent of conservative women. “Liberals are leaning hard into being DINKs [Dual Income No Kids], being childless or having fewer kids, and it being very much a choice, whereas for conservatives having kids is still very much a part of what it means to be a whole person,” he said.
The data reflect broader demographic shifts occurring across the United States. Birthrates have continued to decline, with recent figures showing the U.S. total fertility rate hovering near 1.6 births per woman, well below the replacement level of 2.1. The continued downturn has raised concerns among analysts who note that declining family formation among younger adults, especially younger liberals, may accelerate long-term population stagnation.
These worries are amplified by emerging research on reproductive health. Public figures, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have pointed to significant drops in average sperm counts and testosterone levels among men, trends he has described as contributing to a broader “birthrate collapse.” He has warned that these shifts could carry serious social and economic consequences if not addressed.
The combination of ideological divides, declining fertility, and deteriorating reproductive health indicators suggests that cultural attitudes toward parenting are shifting in ways that may shape future policy debates. While many young liberals appear to view remaining childless as an intentional lifestyle choice tied to autonomy and economic flexibility, young conservatives are more likely to see parenthood as a key element of personal fulfillment.
The widening gap in family formation between the two groups could influence not only demographic patterns but also political and social dynamics in the decades ahead.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: An Australian senator wore a burka in parliament to protest the rejection of a bill aiming to ban full-face coverings in public.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Senator Pauline Hanson, leader of the populist One Nation party, Green Party Senator Mehreen Faruqi, and Foreign Minister Penny Wong.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The incident occurred in the Australian Senate on Monday.
💬KEY QUOTE: “If they don’t want me wearing it—ban the burka.” – Pauline Hanson
🎯IMPACT: The stunt has reignited debates over religious face coverings.
IN FULL
Australian populist politician Pauline Hanson, the leader of One Nation and a senator for Queensland, ignited a new round of controversy in the Australian Senate after entering the chamber wearing an Islamic burka. The gesture came moments after other senators blocked her attempt to introduce a bill seeking to prohibit full-face coverings in public places. Hanson has campaigned for such a ban for years and previously wore a burka in parliament in 2017 while pushing a similar proposal.
Leftist Green Party Senator Mehreen Faruqi denounced Hanson as “a racist senator, displaying blatant racism.” Foreign Minister Penny Wong described Hanson’s behavior as “disrespectful,” arguing that “We represent in our states, people of every faith, of every faith of all backgrounds. And we should do so decently.” Wong added that Hanson was “not worthy of a member of the Australian Senate” and moved to have her suspended when she refused to remove the garment. Hanson later responded on Facebook, writing, “If they don’t want me wearing it—ban the burka.”
The incident has revived debate over religious face coverings, against a wider international backdrop in which questions over Islam, integration, and national identity are increasingly prominent in Western discourse. In Italy, the government has proposed legislation targeting what it calls Islamic separatism, including a nationwide ban on face-covering garments such as the burka and niqab in public.
In the Dominican Republic, a lawmaker has submitted a bill that would outlaw Sharia law and halt the construction of new mosques, asserting that national security must take precedence over all other considerations.
Demographic anxieties are also surfacing in the United States, where projections suggest Christians could fall below 50 per cent of the population by mid-century as both atheism and Islam continue to grow.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: The opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Nigeria has demanded that President Bola Tinubu, a Muslim, resign if he cannot ensure the safety of Christians amid ongoing jihadist violence.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Bola Tinubu, the PDP, Defense Minister Muhammed Badaru, and former presidential candidate Peter Obi, among others.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Nigeria, with recent comments made on Sunday and Monday by PDP officials and critics.
💬KEY QUOTE: “If they feel they are overwhelmed, let them tell us. Normally, we have the international partners who can help.” – PDP spokesman Comrade Ini Ememobong.
🎯IMPACT: The ongoing crisis has led to international concern, particularly from the Trump administration, and criticism of the Nigerian government’s handling of the situation, with calls for better security measures and leadership accountability.
IN FULL
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Nigeria’s main opposition, has demanded that President Bola Tinubu resign if his government cannot ensure the safety of Christians amid an unrelenting wave of jihadist violence. Boko Haram, Fulani militants, and other Islamist groups continue to carry out deadly attacks, particularly in the Middle Belt, where Christians and Muslims live side by side. Critics accuse Tinubu, a Muslim, of downplaying the crisis by describing it as general “insecurity” or attributing issues to “climate change.”
PDP spokesman Comrade Ini Ememobong condemned what he described as government inaction, saying: “If they feel they are overwhelmed, let them tell us. Normally, we have the international partners who can help.” He called the administration’s stance “lackluster and unempathetic,” insisting it should resign if it cannot fulfill its responsibility to protect the population.
Former presidential candidate Peter Obi echoed these concerns, describing the situation as symptomatic of deeper failures. “Our country is now going through troubling times, not by fate, but by our collective leadership failures that allow insecurity, lawlessness, and institutional decay to thrive,” he said, adding that the government’s “excuses, indifference, or absentee leadership” are worsening the crisis.
Rights groups report staggering casualty figures. The International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law estimates that more than 7,000 Christians were killed in the first seven months of 2025, with thousands more abducted. Churches and Christian communities in rural regions continue to face frequent attacks, prompting warnings from advocates that certain areas risk losing their Christian populations entirely.
International pressure on Nigeria has grown. President Donald J. Trump recently re-designated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act, stating: “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter.” He suggested the U.S. should reconsider aid and consider punitive measures, including sanctions and even military intervention, if the situation does not improve.
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