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Could Ishiba Be Japan’s Next Prime Minister? Ex-Defence Minister Leads The Charge
Could Ishiba Be Japan’s Next Prime Minister? Ex-Defence Minister Leads The Charge....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Former defence minister, Shigeru Ishiba, will become Japan’s prime minister next week after winning the conservative ruling party’s leadership vote on Friday.
Ishiba had come close to the top job before, including in 2012 when he lost to nationalist Shinzo Abe, Japan’s longest-serving leader who was later assassinated.
The LDP has governed almost uninterrupted for decades and holds a majority, meaning Ishiba will be elected premier by parliament on Tuesday.
The military model-maker with an affinity for 1970s pop idols says his experience tackling tough issues, such as agriculture reforms, makes him qualified for the job.
– Yen surges –
As prime minister, Ishiba will need to face down regional security threats, from an increasingly assertive China and its deepening ties with Russia to North Korea’s banned missile tests.
His push to boost the military and call for the creation of an Asian NATO could rile Beijing, but he is careful with his words concerning China.
Following the result, China’s foreign ministry spokesman said the country wants to improve ties with Japan, because “the long-term, sound and steady development of China-Japan relations serves the fundamental interests of the two peoples”.
At home, Ishiba will be tasked with breathing life into the economy, as the central bank moves away from decades of monetary easing that has slashed the value of the yen.
The Japanese currency surged after Friday’s result, firming to 142.94 against the dollar from 146.49 yen when the head-to-head between Ishiba and Takaichi was announced.
Ishiba supports the Bank of Japan’s exit from its unorthodox ultra-loose policies and his win “will almost certainly be welcome news for policymakers” there, Capital Economics said.
He has also pledged to revitalise rural regions and proposes creating a government agency for disaster prevention.
In the first round of voting, a record nine candidates were in the running after the LDP’s long-powerful factions disbanded this year over a funding scandal.
Takaichi, the economic security minister, is a vocal nationalist popular with the LDP’s conservative wing. The 63-year-old was close to assassinating ex-premier Abe, whose supporters are still powerful.
In third place behind Ishiba and Takaichi was former environment minister Shinjiro Koizumi, a keen surfer whose father was prime minister in the 2000s.
– ‘Courage in his convictions’ –
LDP leaders are in office for three years and can serve up to three straight terms. Unpopular Prime Minister Fumio Kishida did not run for re-election.
“I have a good impression of Ishiba, because he seems to have courage in his convictions,” Junko Tominaga, a woman in her 50s, told AFP on the streets of Tokyo.
“I just don’t want Japan to tilt further to the right under Ishiba in terms of defence.”
Minoru Kitani, 46, said his “hopes for Ishiba aren’t so high.”
“But I agree with, and support, his belief that Japan needs to be protected better, made stronger and guarded against the threat of other countries,” he said.
While “a woman prime minister would’ve been good,” a win for Abe’s mentee Takaichi would not “have done much to herald a fresh start for Japan.”
The LDP has governed Japan almost uninterrupted for decades, with the main opposition parties rarely seen as viable alternatives.
During his term, Kishida has taken steps to double Japan’s defence spending, opening the door for military exports as the LDP seeks to revise the pacifist post-war constitution.
He welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to a G7 summit in Hiroshima and has strengthened Japan’s often testy ties with its neighbour South Korea.
But his rule was also tarnished by scandals, voter anger over rising prices and sliding poll ratings.
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Shockwaves In The Opposition: NNPP Denies Alleged Plans To Fold Structure For Obi And Kwankwaso.
The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has officially debunked rumors suggesting it plans to merge its political structure with the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) to support a ticket featuring Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso. During the party’s 11th National Executive Committee meeting in Abuja, NNPP National Chairman Bala Yusuf clarified that no such agreement exists with the NDC, Kwankwaso, or any other political organization.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Despite recent significant losses—including the departure of Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and the exit of key figures like Rabiu Kwankwaso and Ladipo Johnson to the NDC—the chairman maintains that the party remains independent. Yusuf emphasized that the NNPP’s choice to forgo fielding a presidential candidate in 2027 is a strategic decision rather than a sign of support for any specific aspirant.
Instead of focusing solely on running its own candidate, the party is prioritizing the emergence of credible and focused leadership for Nigeria. According to Yusuf, the NNPP will evaluate the candidates presented by other parties based on merit and ideological alignment. Should another party’s manifesto and constitution prove compatible with the NNPP’s values, the party remains open to forming a strategic alliance, though no specific commitments have been made at this time.
In his new 264-page autobiography, Call of Duty, former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.) recounts the suspicious circumstances surrounding the sudden death of General Sani Abacha on June 8, 1998.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
According to the book, which was unveiled at an event in Abuja attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima on behalf of President Bola Tinubu, the events of that day felt orchestrated. Abubakar describes how he and the late Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi, were summoned to the Presidential Villa under the impression of a meeting, only to be mysteriously locked inside a waiting room for nearly an hour. He noted that his intuition repeatedly told him that “something was fishy”.
The truth only emerged after the then-Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Coomassie, opened the locked door and led them to the residence, where he finally informed them that Abacha had passed away.
Abubakar’s account highlights several key takeaways regarding the immediate aftermath:
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Focus on Succession: Upon arriving at the residence, Abubakar observed that Abacha’s so-called “inner caucus”—which included figures like Maj. Hamza Al-Mustapha and Babagana Kingibe—appeared significantly more interested in securing a successor than in handling burial arrangements.
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Tensions in the PRC: As the most senior military officer following the removal of Gen. Oladipo Diya, Abubakar chaired the subsequent Provisional Ruling Council (PRC) meeting. He noted that the meeting grew tense as members argued over appointing a new leader to avoid a power vacuum, a process which some members felt was prioritizing politics over Islamic burial rites.
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The Kano Burial as a Decoy: Abubakar suggested that the trip to Kano for Abacha’s burial may have been a tactical move to keep key decision-makers away from Abuja while the “inner caucus” attempted to install their preferred candidate.
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Rise to Leadership: Ultimately, a succession contest took place between senior officers, with some factions backing Lt.-Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi and others looking toward Lt-General Useni. Abubakar, noting he was the senior officer in military affairs, stated that he won the resulting vote and subsequently became Nigeria’s 11th Head of State.
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Primary Fallout: New Disclosures Of Presidency’s Stunning Inaction Leaves Defeated APC Aspirants Fuming.
A National Working Committee (NWC) member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has explicitly denied claims that President Bola Tinubu interfered in the party’s recent primary disputes. The official clarified that neither the President nor any representative from the Presidency reached out to national party leaders regarding a potential review of the primary results.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
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No Presidential Intervention: The source stated that if the President intended to influence the outcome for his own interests, he would have done so prior to the primaries.
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Primary Results Finalized: Regarding the controversies in Lagos State, the official confirmed that the results are secure, no changes will be made, and the candidates’ names are prepared for submission to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal.
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Petitions Dismissed: The NWC member noted that less than two percent of the petitions filed by dissatisfied aspirants were successful, effectively rendering the original primary results final.
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Official Response: When approached for comment, APC National Secretary Ajibola Basiru declined to discuss the matter, citing that it remains an internal party affair.
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