President Bola Tinubu

By Saheed Aderemi Yusuf 

President Bola Tinubu has said that he drove a taxi in the United States of America in in order to pay his school fees.

Tinubu, in a statement, compared his past experiences with his administration’s student loan programme.

According to him, after arriving in the United States, he drove a taxi to raise money for his education and postponed starting school for several months in order to save enough funds.

He said that once in Chicago he took on different jobs to support himself and pay his way through university, covering tuition, accommodation and living expenses.

He noted that those experiences have remained with him and that he understands the pressure of managing education costs while studying.

President Tinubu added that education created opportunities in his own life and that he believes Nigerian children should have similar access regardless of where they are born or their parents’ financial situation.

“I was once a taxi driver in America. Those experiences have remained with me and I understand the pressure of managing education costs while studying.

“Education created opportunities in my own life and I believe Nigerian children should have similar access regardless of where they are born or their parents’ financial situation,” Tinubu said.

The President cited this background as one reason education is a priority for his administration.

He stated that NELFUND has provided over N372 billion in student loans for institutional fees and upkeep to help young Nigerians remain in school.

Donald Trump

By Our Correspondent

Democrats have recorded major victories in the ongoing United States midterm elections, making significant gains in traditionally Republican strongholds, including Texas, Iowa and Virginia.

In Texas, Democratic candidate Talarico’s victory has been described as a major political shift in a state long regarded as a stronghold of conservative Republican politics.

The victory sparked celebrations among Democratic supporters, with many expressing hope that the results would usher in political and economic changes in the state.

“It’s historic,” Taylor Bell, a 27-year-old law student, told Al Jazeera at an election watch party in Houston.

“Hopefully we see money coming back to the people of Texas, and not more of the same we’ve seen – well, my whole life at this point,” Bell said.

Congressman Christian Menefee, who represents Houston, also described the victory as a significant moment for Democrats and their supporters across the country.

“Tonight Texas has restored the hope of a nation,” Menefee told supporters.

“Tonight, I believe firmly that we can accomplish anything in this country if we just stand together and we fight back against hate and bigotry,” he added.

The elections also produced a surprise victory for Democratic gubernatorial challenger Gina Hinojosa, who is set to become the first Latino governor in Texas history.

The development is significant given that Latinos account for approximately 40 per cent of Texas’ population.

Alejandra Peimbert, a regional communications director for Hinojosa’s campaign, described the victory as a rejection of the hardline immigration policies pursued under outgoing Republican Governor Greg Abbott.

“President Trump will no longer have a puppet in a governor,” Peimbert told Al Jazeera.

In another major development, Democrat Sarah Garriott won Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District, flipping the seat previously held by Republicans.

The victory represents another setback for Republicans as Democrats make gains in the House of Representatives.

In Virginia, Democrat Elaine Luria also defeated incumbent Republican Jen Kiggans to win the election in the state’s 2nd Congressional District.

Luria’s victory flips the Republican-held seat to the Democrats, adding to the party’s growing electoral gains.

The results highlight a series of significant Democratic victories across key states as voters cast their ballots in the US midterm elections.

In a related development, the United States President, Donald Trump, has congratulated Democrats following their victories in the 2026 midterm elections, admitting that the opposition party “did a good job” after Republicans suffered major losses across the country.

Trump made the remarks during a telephone interview with Fox News anchor Bret Baier on Wednesday, hours after Democrats secured control of the US Senate by defeating several Republican candidates, including those endorsed and backed by the president.

Asked about the election outcome, Trump acknowledged that he was surprised by the results, despite the massive rallies and campaign appearances he organised in support of Republican candidates ahead of the polls.

“We had tremendous rallies. I’m a little bit surprised,” he said.

The president, however, adopted a conciliatory tone towards Democrats, saying there were several issues on which both parties could work together in Congress.

He acknowledged that Democrats had performed well during the election campaign and suggested that cooperation between the two parties remained possible despite their political differences.

Trump also ruled out making changes to his Cabinet in response to the Republican Party’s poor performance in the elections.