These are the stories that drove the conversation today:

Former military Head of State, Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar, on Tuesday commended former President Jonathan for bringing peace to the country by conceding defeat in the 2015 presidential election, adding that the nation could not thank Jonathan enough.

Abdulsalami stated this while felicitating with the former President on the occassion of his 61st birthday anniversary.

“We cannot thank you enough for the peace we are having in the country when you honourably conceded defeat in the 2015 election. You have brought peace to this country. You remain an example for Africa. You have shown you love your country more than you love power,” he said.

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The opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) says the President Muhammadu Buhari Presidency has again disgraced the nation by stealing the Rex Institute’s logo and mantra as the President’s 2019 campaign mantra and presenting it to Nigerians as their idea and creation, while charging the President to immediately show remorse and apologise to Nigerians.

In a statement by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party said the PDP is however not surprised that President Buhari, in his desperation, can go as low as patronising plagiarism and false credit claims, since it is clear that he lacks the competence to initiate and articulate an original blue print for leadership; the reason our nation has been in dire strait in the last three and half years.

“This shameful plagiarism by the Buhari Presidency has further sunk him into self-inflicted public opprobrium, from which he has not recovered since the demonstration by Nigerians, that he does not have his acclaimed WAEC certificate and had to procure an attestation, which Nigerians also discovered to be a forged document,” the statement read in part.

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A lieutenant colonel and military unit commander along with dozens of soldiers have been reportedly killed by rampaging Boko Haram insurgents who overran 157 Task Force Battalion in Metele, Abadam Local Government Area in Borno on Sunday at about 6:00 p.m, military sources told Premium Times.

According to the report, large cache of arms, ammunition and military equipment were carted away by Boko Haram fighters during the attack on the Nigerian Army Battalion, while bodies of fallen troops were still being recovered and evacuated from the scene as of Tuesday morning.

The report further stated that there were fears for the fate of the troops from the base, which was raided only a month ago, as military sources said the Nigerian Army was making frantic efforts to contain the traumatic effect of the attack on the larger counter-insurgency operation.

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Ahead of the February 16, 2019 presidential election, the opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) has declared support for President Muhammadu Buhari and adopted him as candidate of the party for the election.

Announcing this on Tuesday while addressing a news conference in Abuja, National Chairman of the party, Chekwas Okorie, explained that the party took the decision to endorse the President for the sake of national stability, cohesion, and unity, as well as the anti-corruption stand of the Federal Government.

“The National Working Committee (NWC) acting on behalf of the National Executive Committee (NEC), after extensive consultations with all stakeholders in the party, wish to announce to the Nigerians public that President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) has been endorsed and adopted as our presidential candidate for the 2019 presidential election,” he said.

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The Senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume, has accused the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki of personalising the affairs of the red chamber, insisting that plans to impeach him is much alive following his defection from the ruling party to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Ndume who disclosed this at a Forum of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday, said he regretted supporting Saraki to emerge as President of the Senate, adding that he would not be bought over with his appointment as Chairman, Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service, as he does not need to head any committee to provide service to the people as a senator.

“Saraki is not supposed to give out committees because they do not belong to him. “He has personalised the senate and he is becoming like the senators’ president not Senate president. “The selection committee is the one with the mandate to give out committees. The committees do not belong to Saraki, ” he said.

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And stories from around the world:

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the United States intends to remain a “steadfast partner” of Saudi Arabia even though “it could very well be” that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had knowledge of the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. (Al Jazeera)

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British Prime Minister, Theresa May is facing a fresh threat to her Brexit deal after Spain warned it would reject it unless Madrid were granted a special veto to prevent any future EU trade agreement with Britain that covers Gibraltar. (The Guardian)

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French prosecutors on Tuesday opened an investigation into the source of funds worth 144,000 euros that helped finance President Emmanuel Macron’s election campaign in 2017, a source at the prosecutor’s office said. (Reuters)

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A suicide bomb attack on a gathering of religious scholars in the Afghan capital, Kabul, has killed at least 43 people, officials say.

At least 83 people were also wounded as the clerics met at the Uranus wedding hall, a large banqueting complex near the airport, to mark the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. (BBC)

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Libyan authorities on Tuesday forcibly disembarked more than 90 migrants who had refused to leave a cargo ship that rescued them before docking in a port west of Tripoli, a coast guard commander said. The Panama-flagged ship rescued them and other migrants off the Libyan coast ten days ago as their boat began sinking and brought them to Misrata. (Reuters)