US Withdraws Troops from Nigeria Amid Counterterrorism Shift

On July 3, the United States announced the withdrawal of its troops deployed for joint counterterrorism operations in Nigeria's Lake Chad Basin. This decision comes in the wake of the killing of a former deputy of ISIS.

Despite the withdrawal, the U.S. will continue to share intelligence and maintain security cooperation with Nigeria. In related political news, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar reaffirmed his intention to run for the presidency in the 2027 elections, following a ruling by the Federal High Court in Abuja that affirmed David Mark's leadership of the African Democratic Congress.

The court dismissed a suit filed by a member of the House of Representatives, Leke Abejide, which sought to challenge Mark's position. Abubakar described the judgment as a rejection of attempts to politicize the judiciary.