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National

With Nigeria’s presidential election just two days away, two political heavyweights are competing to lead the African giant through a critical four years.

Supporters of the opposition People's Democratic Party in the town of Jimeta. Photo: Luis Tato/AFP/Getty Images

Why it matters: The winner will govern a country with massive unfulfilled economic potential and worsening humanitarian and security crises. There are fears a bruising and close-fought election could give way to violence and instability.

Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy but the government is almost entirely reliant on oil revenues. The country is ranked among the most difficult in the world in which to do business, due in large part to corruption and insecurity.

“Nigeria has a laundry list of challenges, and it’s hard to see any positive inroads on any of them,” says Matthew Page of Chatham House, a U.K. think tank. He says the question is: “Can they take them on or will they just twiddle their thumbs as Nigeria barrels toward this moment of catharsis?”

Incumbent Muhammadu Buhari made history in 2015 — three decades after he was toppled as a military strongman — by becoming the first opposition candidate to defeat a sitting president.

Buhari’s appeal rests on his incorruptibility, but institutionalized corruption remains unscathed after four years, according to Transparency International. He is accused of wielding his anti-corruption drive to hammer his political rivals while taking a far softer approach with allies.

It has been a grueling four years. Buhari has faced health struggles, economic headwinds and a relentless Boko Haram insurgency.

Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president, represents the People’s Democratic Party, which ruled Nigeria for 16 years until Buhari’s election. This is his fourth run for the top job.

Abubakar, a wealthy businessman, says he’ll open the country up for more investment. He has been dogged by allegations of corruption and “almost symbolizes” Nigeria's infamous system of political patronage, Page says.

As Max Siollun puts it in Foreign Policy: “It seems that voters can have a fight against corruption or economic stimulus, but not both.”

Both men are in their 70s. Both are Muslims from Nigeria’s north. Neither is proposing transformative reforms. “This is kind of their last bite at the apple before a younger generation comes in,” Page says.

The big picture: The population has doubled over the past two decades to 200 million and is set to double again by 2050 — at which time Nigeria will have the third-largest population on Earth.

Nearly 3 in 4 Nigerians polled told Gallup they struggled to afford food over the past year. They’re evenly divided as to whether things are getting better or worse.

Confidence in the fairness of elections is improving but still low, while confidence in the government improved after Buhari’s election but has ticked down more recently.

John Tomaszewski, Africa director for the International Republican Institute, says that beyond who wins, it’s essential that this election keeps Nigeria’s democracy moving forward.

What he’s watching for: Voter intimidation from police or security personnel, a lack of transparency from the electoral commission, long lines and confusion at polling places, and “tensions spilling over into possible violence.”

The bottom line: “Nigeria needs to get this right for Nigeria, first of all. That will have reverberating effects all around Africa but also for Europe. This is an important election for the world,” Tomaszewski says.

The battle to lead Nigeria

Two political heavyweights are grappling for control of Africa's giant.

World

Nigeria

Why Amazon pulled the plug

Serious conversations about pulling back on its New York plans started in the last two weeks.

Business

Amazon

Technology

Big Tech

From the Valley to D.C., Big Tech players like Facebook, Google and Amazon are under more scrutiny than ever as new technology develops and privacy and antitrust concerns grow in lockstep with companies’ ambitions.

The Senate voted 54-45 on Thursday to confirm President Trump’s attorney general nominee William Barr.

Why it matters: Barr will oversee special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. In a memo he drafted before he was nominated, Barr argued that "Mueller's theory" that the president may have obstructed justice by firing FBI Director Jim Comey is "fatally misconceived," prompting concerns from Democratic lawmakers about potential conflicts of interest.

Details: The Democrats who voted for Barr's confirmation were Sens. Doug Jones (Ala.), Joe Manchin (W.Va.), and Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.). The Republican who voted against Barr's confirmation was Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.).

Barr sought to reassure lawmakers in his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee last month, saying he would work to provide "as much transparency as possible" into Mueller's conclusions, and that it would be "a breach of his constitutional duties" if Trump tried to intervene to protect himself.

However, Barr also stated that he would not recuse himself from overseeing the probe if he disagreed with ethics officials' recommendations that he do so.

Go deeper: Barr says that Mueller probe is not a "witch hunt" in Senate testimony

Senate confirms William Barr as attorney general

Barr will oversee special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation.

Attorney General Bill Barr. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call

Politics

Bill Barr

2024 will be an election year like no other, as President Biden seeks re-election amid economic uncertainty, two wars and questions about his age. His likely foe, former President Trump, faces felony charges and vows revenge on his political enemies. Meanwhile, Americans generally are dissatisfied with those choices and are divided over immigration, race, education and more.

Politics & Policy

Finish Line

Axios Finish Line

Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe has used every opportunity to face off against President Trump since his firing in March 2018. In his upcoming book "The Threat," McCabe recounts his time as deputy director and his embattled relationship with the president. 

Here's a look at McCabe's tumultuous relationship with Trump since then.

May 9: Trump fires then-FBI director Comey. Before the firing, Trump reportedly complained to Comey that the investigation into possible collusion between his campaign and the Kremlin was a "cloud" over his presidency and asked Comey to "let [Michael Flynn] go." McCabe is named acting director.

May 11: McCabe testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee as acting director on the state of the Russia probe. 

One note of controversy surrounding his position is that his wife ran for a Virginia State Senate seat in 2015, receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations from Democratic operatives.

May: After he became acting director, Trump asked McCabe in an Oval Office meeting who he voted for in 2016, per the Washington Post. McCabe says he didn't vote.

July 25: Trump tweets, "the acting head of the FBI & the person in charge of the Hillary investigation, Andrew McCabe, got $700,000 from H for wife!"

July 26: Trump tweets, "Why didn't A.G. Sessions replace Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe, a Comey friend who was in charge of Clinton investigation..."

August 2: Christopher Wray is sworn in as the new FBI director. McCabe becomes his deputy director.

December 23: The Washington Post reports that McCabe plans to retire in March 2018  "when he becomes fully eligible for pension benefits."

The same day, Trump goes after McCabe on Twitter: "How can FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, the man in charge, along with leakin’ James Comey, of the Phony Hillary Clinton investigation (including her 33,000 illegally deleted emails) be given $700,000 for wife’s campaign by Clinton Puppets during investigation?" He later tweets, "FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is racing the clock to retire with full benefits. 90 days to go?!!!"

Jan. 23: Axios' Jonathan Swan reports that Sessions — at the public urging of President Donald Trump — has been pressuring FBI Director Christopher Wray to fire McCabe, but Wray threatened to resign if McCabe was removed.

The same day, the Washington Post reports that Trump asked McCabe who he voted for in 2016 during an Oval Office conversation shortly after Comey's firing and that McCabe found the question "disturbing."

Jan. 29: NBC reports that McCabe is stepping down, and sources tell CBS' Pat Milton that McCabe was forced out. Press Secretary Sarah Sanders says Trump and the White House were not involved in McCabe's decision to step down.

Jan. 30: Senior officials at the FBI including McCabe, were aware that a batch of emails from Hillary Clinton had been found on Anthony Weiner's laptop long before then-Director James Comey disclosed their existence to Congress, the Wall Street Journal reports.

March 16: McCabe had been fired by Sessions, shortly before his formal retirement. His firing follows an IG report that concluded he improperly disclosed information to reporters.

March 30: A GoFundMe page raised about $400,000 to help cover McCabe's legal fees.

April 13: DOJ's inspector general's report says that McCabe misled investigators as they looked in to his role in a media disclosure to the Wall Street Journal.

April 13: Trump tweets, "He LIED! LIED! LIED! McCabe was totally controlled by Comey - McCabe is Comey!! No collusion, all made up by this den of thieves and lowlifes!"

April 19: DOJ's inspector general issued a criminal referral to the U.S. Attorney's Office in D.C. regarding its report that McCabe lied under oath about disclosing sensitive information to the media, the Washington Post reports.

April 20: McCabe was looking to sue for defamation, wrongful termination and other possible civil claims.

May 30: McCabe reportedly turned over a confidential memo detailing a behind-the-scenes conversation between McCabe and Rosenstein where Rosenstein explained that President Trump asked him to refer to the Russia investigation in a memo opposing then-FBI Director James Comey, reports the New York Times.

Sept. 21: The New York Times reported Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein discussed rallying Cabinet members to remove Trump from office — by invoking the 25th Amendment — and suggested he secretly record the president in the White House in an effort to "expose the chaos consuming the administration. 

Sept. 22: Rosenstein denied the NYT's leak. "I never pursued or authorized recording the President and any suggestion that I have ever advocated for the removal of the President is absolutely false."

Sept. 27: Former House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) issued a subpoena ordering the Justice Department to hand over memos drafted by McCabe, which detail his meetings with top government officials.

Feb. 8: McCabe claimed he was directed to write the infamous Comey memo by President Trump, The Guardian reports.

Feb. 14: CBS' Scott Pelley dished on "CBS This Morning" how McCabe told him about the discussions to use the 25th Amendment, which the New York Times first reported in 2017.

Feb. 14: In excerpts published in The Atlantic, McCabe writes that President Trump "a deliberate liar who will say whatever he pleases to get whatever he wants" in his upcoming book "The Threat."

Feb. 14: Trump tweets, "Disgraced FBI Acting Director Andrew McCabe pretends to be a “poor little Angel” when in fact he was a big part of the Crooked Hillary Scandal & the Russia Hoax - a puppet for Leakin’ James Comey. I.G. report on McCabe was devastating."

Feb. 14: A DOJ spokesman commented on McCabe's interview, saying Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein "rejects Mr. McCabe’s recitation of events as inaccurate and factually incorrect. The Deputy Attorney General never authorized any recording that Mr. McCabe references."

Timeline: Trump's turbulent relationship with Andrew McCabe

New details from McCabe's new book are rejected by DOJ.

Andrew Mccabe

Dan and Axios' Jessie Li discuss the "gamification" of dating in 2019 — hyper-personalized, endless options and addicting — in a Valentine's Day edition of the Pro Rata Podcast.

Podcast: Dating gets "gamified"

Dan and Axios' Jessie Li discuss the "gamification" of dating in 2019 — hyper-personalized, endless options and addicting.

Pro Rata Podcast

Axios Re:Cap

Podcasts

Amazon announced Thursday that it was canceling its plan to build a portion of its HQ2 project in New York City, according to a company statement.

Why it matters, via Axios' David McCabe: This is a huge surprise. The deal was built — with the support of Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio — to avoid almost all scrutiny from elected officials. But it turns out one of the world's most valuable companies would rather fold than continue confronting the aggressive backlash from the city's community activists and municipal officials.

The big picture: Amazon said it would not reopen its HQ2 search, but it's still unclear whether the 25,000 jobs that had been slated for NYC will be relocated to another of the HQ2 sites — like the D.C. area or Nashville. The company said in a statement, "We will proceed as planned in Northern Virginia and Nashville, and we will continue to hire and grow across our 17 corporate offices and tech hubs in the U.S. and Canada."

As Axios reported last year, members of New York's city council took turns brutalizing Amazon executives over the tax incentives that are part of the deal for the company to set up shop in Queens. They also harshly questioned Amazon's engagement with the legislative body and the necessity of a helipad that could accompany its office.

From outside NYC's city hall, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s criticism of the company has been echoed by progressive activist organizations.

A Siena College poll released this week showed that New York City residents supported the project by a 58% to 35% margin, per the Wall Street Journal.

After much thought and deliberation, we’ve decided not to move forward with our plans to build a headquarters for Amazon in Long Island City, Queens. For Amazon, the commitment to build a new headquarters requires positive, collaborative relationships with state and local elected officials who will be supportive over the long-term. While polls show that 70% of New Yorkers support our plans and investment, a number of state and local politicians have made it clear that they oppose our presence and will not work with us to build the type of relationships that are required to go forward with the project we and many others envisioned in Long Island City.

We are disappointed to have reached this conclusion — we love New York, its incomparable dynamism, people, and culture — and particularly the community of Long Island City, where we have gotten to know so many optimistic, forward-leaning community leaders, small business owners, and residents. There are currently over 5,000 Amazon employees in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Staten Island, and we plan to continue growing these teams.

We are deeply grateful to Governor Cuomo, Mayor de Blasio, and their staffs, who so enthusiastically and graciously invited us to build in New York City and supported us during the process. Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio have worked tirelessly on behalf of New Yorkers to encourage local investment and job creation, and we can’t speak positively enough about all their efforts. The steadfast commitment and dedication that these leaders have demonstrated to the communities they represent inspired us from the very beginning and is one of the big reasons our decision was so difficult.

We do not intend to reopen the HQ2 search at this time. We will proceed as planned in Northern Virginia and Nashville, and we will continue to hire and grow across our 17 corporate offices and tech hubs in the U.S. and Canada.

Thank you again to Governor Cuomo, Mayor de Blasio, and the many other community leaders and residents who welcomed our plans and supported us along the way. We hope to have future chances to collaborate as we continue to build our presence in New York over time.

Go deeper: Amazon's HQ2 decision starts local firestorms

Amazon cancels plans to build portion of HQ2 in New York City

"We’ve decided not to move forward with our plans."

Axios

Thursday's top stories

The battle to lead Nigeria

Why Amazon pulled the plug

Senate confirms William Barr as attorney general

Timeline: Trump's turbulent relationship with Andrew McCabe

Podcast: Dating gets "gamified"

Amazon cancels plans to build portion of HQ2 in New York City

Venture capital is still very much a boys' club

Why the Alliance of American Football is focusing on data

Former FBI deputy director punches back at Trump in new book

Facebook's constitutional moment

House Democrats may target Ivanka Trump in their Russia probe

Kamala Harris is the Democrats' 2020 social media phenomenon

Walmart, the anti-Amazon

Love's multi-million dollar scam industry