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The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ondo state has condemned the disruption of peace in Akure, Ondo state capital, on Friday by some members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW. The party said the demonstration was stage managed by those who wanted to give a wrong impression that they were popular with the people of the state. It frowned at what it described as the destructive tendencies and hooliganism of the protesters, who went on rampage making bonfires and blocking highways and major township roads with all manners of items such as logs, planks, benches, wooden tables and chairs. A statement by the Director of Media and Publicity, Yemi Akintomide, urged security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of the act, prosecute and bring them to book. “We are convinced that the action of few bad elements within the drivers’ union in the state, who led some street urchins in a stage managed protest, did not go down well with the people of the state. “They were acting...

The first set of nominees shortlisted for the 5th Nigerian Sports Award has been released by the organisers. Members of the award’s Panel who met in Lagos on Tuesday announced the shortlists for the Coach of the Year, Footballer of the Year (Men) and Team of the Year categories. According to Chairman of the panel, Mr. Ikeddy Isiguzo, the shortlisted nominees for each of the categories are Samson Siasia, Imama Amapakabo and Are Feyisetan for the Coach of the Year category; Kelechi Iheanacho, Godwin Obaje and Chisom Egbuchulam for Footballer of the Year (Men), as well as Dream Team VI and Enugu Rangers for Team of the Year. Feyisetan was the coach of the Nigerian Powerlifting Team at the 2016 Paralympics Games in Rio, Brazil, where his team won nine medals; Amapakabo led Enugu Rangers to clinch the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) title, while Siasia led the Dream Team to win a bronze medal, Nigeria’s only medal at the 2016 Rio Olympic in the Men’s football event. Footballer ...

Three-time major winner Padraig Harrington secured his first European Tour win in eight years with a one-shot victory at the Portugal Masters. He shot a final round 65 for a 23-under-par score, finishing ahead of defending champion Andy Sullivan. It was his first European Tour win since the 2008 US PGA Championship. Harrington said: “It’s a big win. I tried to be really aggressive. The golf course really suited me and I just tried to go after every pin I could.” A third birdie of the week for Harrington on the penultimate hole followed by a par on the last held off the challenge of Sullivan, who was attempting to become the first man to successfully defend the title at the Victoria Clube de Golfe in Vilamoura.

As part of Sony Music Entertainment’s expansion across Africa, the label has announced an exclusive deal with Ycee of Tinny Entertainment. The unprecedented deal will see the rapper’s first EP, The First Wave, released under the Sony umbrella. With this move, Ycee joins the likes of Nigerian superstar Davido as part of the Sony Music family. Michael Ugwu, General Manager, Sony Music West Africa, stated that “I’m extremely proud to welcome Tinny Entertainment and the amazing talent that is Ycee to the Sony Music Entertainment West Africa family. I’ve watched this team grow over the past few years and I am amazed at how they have navigated the industry to reach this stage. Ycee is the future of hip-hop in Africa and will be front and centre of SME West Africa’s strategy as we take Africa to the World.” According to Arokodare ‘Tinny’ Timilehin, CEO, Tinny Entertainment: “We are very excited about the future for both Ycee and Tinny Entertainment. This is a stamp of approval on all the ...

It’s no longer news that Yemi Alade won the best female act at the MTV Africa Music Awards which held in Johannesburg, South Africa last weekend. She has now won the category two years consecutively, and the implication is what has to be considered now. Does it mean that she’s now more recognized and respected than her rival, Tiwa Savage? Well, whether she is or not, one thing is obvious. She has had one over Savage again, and Savage will definitely scheming how to have one over her too. She wasn’t the only one who did well at the MAMAs though. Wizkid had the best night of all as he won the best male act, best collaboration of the year, and artist of the year. Patoranking won the song of the year category for My Woman, My Everything featuring Wande Coal and Tekno won the best breakthrough act category. Congrats, guys, for making Nigeria proud.

The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, says the announcement by three African countries of their intent to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC) sends a ‘wrong message’ to the world. Ki-moon was quoted as saying this in a message twitted by the United Nations radio in its official twitter account @UN-Radion on Friday. Ki-moon in a message twitted by the United Nations radio was quoted as saying this in a meeting at UN Security Council Chamber on Friday. The UN chief said that pulling out of the court undermined the commitment to justice on the part of South Africa, Gambia, and Burundi. Ki-moon said that the world had made “enormous strides” in the international justice system, with the ICC as its centrepiece, which had secured “ground-breaking convictions.” He acknowledged that not all countries accepted its jurisdiction, and that, so far, only Africans had been convicted, in spite of evidence of crimes of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity elsew...

The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Friday reserved ruling in the motion filed by a factional chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ahmed Makarfi, and the faction’s secretary, Ben Obi, seeking leave to appeal against the Federal High Court’s judgment which recognised Jimoh Ibrahim as the PDP’s governorship candidate in Ondo State. The Independent National Electoral Commission on Thursday, acting on the June 29 judgment of Justice Okon Abang and another enforcement judgment of the same judge on October 14, dropped Eyitayo Jegede’s name and replaced it with that of Ibrahim. The governorship election in Ondo State is slated for November 26. The proceedings of Friday during which a joint motion filed by Makarfi, Obi, and others were heard lasted about six and a half hours. Makarfi and Obi filed their motion in the appeal CA/A/155/2016 seeking an extension of time to appeal and the leave to appeal as interested parties against the June 29 judgment. Jegede also filed similar motio...

A housewife, Tayo Afolabi, yesterday, urged an Ado-Ekiti Customary Court to dissolve her six-year marriage to Folorunso, for alleged battery. Tayo, 28, told the court that Afolabi was no longer providing for her and their five-year-old baby. She also said that her husband was a womaniser, who when challenge on the issue, often resorted to violence, adding Afolabi was not a trustworthy man. The mother of one said her husband was married to another woman, noting that “I did not know until the day of our marriage, when the woman showed up”. She said that the issue had led to many violent fights in their home, adding that her motherin-law’s intervention on the matter was abortive because the son stuck to his ways. Tayo, therefore, urged the court to dissolve the marriage and compel her husband to take the responsibility for the child’s upkeep, including his school fees. Her husband, Afolabi was not in court. The Judge, Mrs Akomolede Olayinka, adjourned the case for judgment. (NAN)

A Gudu Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja has dissolved a 17-year marriage between Hajara Ibrahim and Ibrahim Tanko, and ordered her to pay N10,000 to her ex-husband to free herself. The judge, Mallam Isah Imam, said Tanko who claimed he was still in love with Hajara was granted enough time for settlement, which did not yield positive results. He said Tanko and his counsel were absent in court severally, adding that where there is disagreement between parties, the judge has discretion to decide on the matter. Imam, however, dissolved the marriage by way of `Khuli,’ adding that any aggrieved party can appeal to the Sharia Court of Appeal within 30 days from Oct. 21. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that under Islamic law, Khuli is when a woman seeking divorce returns the dowry. Hajara in her claims accused Tanko of negligence, battery and lack of love. She agreed to refund N5, 000 which was paid on her as dowry and pleaded with the court to grant divorce by way of Khuli. The marriage p...

  T-Pain was announced as the host of the first ever Heineken ‘Live Your Music’ party in Nigeria by Sampson Oloche, Portfolio Manager, International Premium Brands, Nigerian Breweries Plc., at a press cocktail for the 2016 Heineken Lagos Fashion and Design Week held at the Heineken House. The Heineken ‘Live Your Music’ party is the official after party for the Heineken Lagos Fashion and Design Week (HLFDW) which is billed to start from Wednesday, 26 October to Saturday, 29 October. Heineken, a leader in innovative music experiences as well as technology and fashion, will also thrill music lovers with the fun and interactive music ‘Takeover’ – wherein people get to choose and dance to their own music playlist. “The Heineken Live Your Music party is a party that is bound to leave its mark in the memory of music lovers,” says Ngozi Nkwoji, Senior Brand Manager, Heineken. She pointed out that the Live Your Music party is tailored to give passionate music lovers an opportun...

A housewife, Omotayo Adewole, 35 has approached an Ikole Customary Court in Ekiti state seeking the dissolution of her 16-year marriage to one Ojo Adewole, over his addiction to gambling. The plaintiff had filed a divorce suit against the defendant, Ojo Adewole, on the grounds of drunkenness, failure in parental responsibilities, constant fighting, lack of respect for her parents and non-payment of her bride price. In her testimony before the court, the woman alleged that her husband was an addicted gambler and a drunkard. She lamented that gambling had made her husband a wretched and irresponsible family head that could not take care of the five children of the union nor provide for her as a wife. She said the defendant spent all his income on gambling and drinks, “he is so addicted to gambling to the extent that he used my three cell phones, cooking stove and other house utensils to gamble. “He started misbehaving since 2005 but I decided to cope with the situation hoping that he wi...

With tears rolling down her cheek, a housewife, Mrs Grace Olorunfemi, on Wednesday prayed an Akure Customary Court to dissolve her 11-year marriage, which, she claimed, turned her to a slave. Grace submitted that continued marriage to Abiodun would be tantamount to endless servitude. She alleged that her husband had no care for her and their two children, compelling her to engage in manual labour to fend for the family. “I prefer to be single than continue to live with Abiodun. He thought I am in his house as a slave,’’ Grace told the court. She submitted that in spite of her complaints, Abiodun failed to repent. However, Abiodun told the court that he was not ready for divorce. He promised to change his attitude and be a responsible husband. The President of the court, Mr Rotimi Olusanya, advised the respondent to turn a new leaf to save his marriage. Olusanya also urged Grace to be patient and see if her husband would change his attitude. He adjourned the case till Nov.17 for furthe...

There was breach of the peace at the Isale-Oyo Community High School, Oyo town, after some pupils of the college reportedly set ablaze some classrooms over mass failure in their examination. It was learnt that the aggrieved pupils stormed the school premises on Thursday morning charting solidarity songs. They were said to have gone haywire afterwards, set fire to blocks of classrooms and fled the premises. In the report gathered, the school authorities alerted men of the Oyo State Fire Service, who responded swiftly to put out the fire. Policemen were deployed in the school to restore peace but none of the pupils had been arrested as of the time of filing this report. The disturbance, observers noted, marked the worst phase of the unrest that began days ago over mass failure in exams. The school compound was deserted as teachers and other pupils reportedly fled for fear of being harmed. Our correspondents learnt that there had been lingering crises since Monday in some secondary schoo...

According to the information shared by human rights activist and lawyer Inibehe Effiong, Lai Mohammed yesterday flew to Delta state in a private jet despite President Buhari banning his Ministers from flying a business class.Below is what he wrote and see how Nigerians reacted above. 'I understand the Minister of Information, Aljahi Lai Mohammed travelled in a private aircraft to Asaba, Delta State yesterday. President Buhari is said to have banned his Ministers from flying in a Business Class. If government appointees are banned from using Business Class, why should a Minister be using a private jet? Who paid for it? The President should query Mr. Mohammed. If it is discovered that public funds was used to for this extravagance, sanctions should follow starting from a refund of the amount spent. However, let me say this clearly: The above statement is not intended to pacify those who are aggrieved by my earlier post about the Governor of Akwa Ibom State. It is utter nons...

Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, on Friday said that 30 per cent of the Nigeria’s demand for foreign exchange was for fuel importation. In the report by News Agency of Nigeria, Adeosun stated this in Lagos at the launch of  “FirstGem” , a product of First Bank of Nigeria Ltd., aimed at empowering women through wealth creation. She said that government was working very hard to transform the country from consumption driven to investment driven nation. Adeosun said that it was disheartening that Nigeria exports crude oil and imports petroleum. She said, “We lose a lot of money exporting unprocessed raw materials. We don’t have the power to process and that’s why we need to build infrastructure to export processed products in order to earn more foreign exchange.” She said that the Federal Government was committed at rebuilding the country’s infrastructure to boost local production for job creation. She said, “If we have an enabling infrastructure such as power, roads , among o...

Britain’s former prime minister Tony Blair said Friday there was nothing preventing a second Brexit referendum and warned that the break-up would be “very, very tough” as European leaders were in an unforgiving mood. He called on fellow “Remain” supporters to “mobilise and to organise” against proponents of Brexit, writing in The New European newspaper that “we’re the insurgents now”. “There is absolutely no reason why we should close off any options,” he later told BBC radio. “We are entitled to carry on scrutinising, and, yes, if necessary, to change our minds. This is not about an elite overruling the people. “If it becomes clear that this is either a deal that doesn’t make it worth our while leaving; or, alternatively, a deal that is going to be so serious in its implications that people decide they don’t want to go, there’s got to be some way, either through parliament, or through an election; possibly through another referendum,” he added. The Downing Street office of Prime Min...

In a tensed atmosphere on Thursday, the Senate passed a bill amending the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, which transfers the controlling powers of the bureau and the tribunal from the President to the National Assembly. As part of the amendment, the CCT shall be made up of the chairman and four other members, with three of the five forming the quorum at every sitting. The lawmakers, however, allowed the President to maintain his power of appointment into the CCB. But the appointment of the chairman and members of the bureau and the tribunal will be subject to the Senate’s approval, with the appointment of those in the bureau limited to a tenure of five years, while the second term will be subject to legislative approval, if the amendment is passed into law. The House of Representatives had passed the amendment bill in May 2016 and sent it to the Senate for concurrence. The Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, Samuel Anyanwu, while laying a ...

Yesterday, Senator Dino Melaye was blasted by Nigerians for dressing "too causal" to a cocktail event to address Nigerian professionals in Switzerland . The Federal lawmaker is among the Nigerian delegates currently in Geneva for Inter parliamentary Union meeting. The senator has reacted to the backlash as he shared new photos of himself in a cool attire while stepping out on the streets of Geneva yesterday.

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte insists it is too early to talk about a potential Premier League title challenge. The 2014-15 champions moved to within a point of leaders Manchester City with a 4-0 thrashing of Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Former United boss Alex Ferguson did not name Chelsea among the title contenders when asked for his view this week, despite having witnessed the emphatic defeat of his old side last weekend. Yet with just a single point separating the top five after only nine matches, Conte believes it is pointless to discuss who will be challenging for the trophy in May. "A win or a defeat does not change my ideas or the confidence of the players. This system is a good fit," Conte, whose side were knocked out of the EFL Cup by West Ham on Wednesday, told a news conference. "We shouldn't look at the table but just concentrate on training and the next match - that will lead to improvement. This league is very difficult and anythin...

Both Manchester clubs are reportedly keen on landing the Barcelona forward, who has scored 10 goals in 13 games so far this season. Manchester City and United are prepared to lock horns as both clubs look to try and lure Luis Suarez back to the Premier League, according to Spanish source Don Balon. City are reportedly hoping to land Suarez, who has excelled since moving to Barcelona from Liverpool in 2014, as a potential replacement for Sergio Aguero. However, the report also claims United are keen on the Uruguay international and are willing to break the world record fee again by spending up to £135 million to secure his signature. Zlatan Ibrahimovic has stopped scoring of late and therefore Mourinho has apparently earmarked Suarez as an alternative to the Swede.

A 22-year-old  woman killed herself after her step-father was cleared of repeatedly raping her, an inquest heard. Juliet Crew left a note behind stating that she felt she had been let down by the legal system. Her 60-year-old step-father, Nigel Parkin, who is a church organist was found not guilty in 2012 of sexually abusing her for seven years from the age of nine. Juliet mother found her hung in the hall of her home in Taunton, Somerset, in August last year. She had told the court Parkin sexually touched and raped her at least ten times. Her step-father was cleared after he said Juliet and another alleged victim were both suffering from mental health problems. According to Taunton Coroners Court, the result of the proceedings took a severe toll on the mental health of Juliet, she dropped to six and a half stone, self-harmed and even overdosed on medication. The note she left behind said,”The judicial system in this country, especially for victims of sexual offen...

“Jose’s a winner, I am a winner and we both know what we want. Wherever we go we win and we will win.” f anybody was ever in any doubt as to the belief Zlatan Ibrahimovic would have in himself ahead of his first Premier League adventure in the summer, he immediately made it clear that he had every faith that he and Jose Mourinho would succeed at Manchester United. Four games into his competitive career with United, Ibrahimovic had scored four goals. A debut goal in the Community Shield had been followed by a strike on his league bow and a double on his Old Trafford debut. It seemed he was set to live up to every word of his promise. But two months on, things are not looking quite so rosy. Zlatan has netted just once in nine games, against Zorya Luhansk in the Europa League, and has looked increasingly detached for long phases of play. The Swede has never been one for covering every blade of grass but his presence even on the periphery of proceedings has become more and more negligi...

Pep Guardiola says he would not be a good fit as Real Madrid manager. It has been claimed by Guardiola’s biographer, Marti Perarnau, that Madrid president Florentino Perez approached the Catalan to take over at the Santiago Bernabeu before sacking Rafa Benitez in January. Perarnau insisted the idea was “out of the question” from the start and, on Friday, Guardiola made it clear that he would not be interested in moving to the rivals of his boyhood club Barcelona. “I am a Barcelona fan, I don’t think Real Madrid needs a manager like me and I wouldn’t fit there either,” he said. Guardiola is preparing his Manchester City side for their game at West Brom on Saturday as they look to end a winless streak that now spans six matches. City face Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday but he rejected the suggestion that he would rest certain players at the Hawthorns. "No, no, game by game, tomorrow we have to try again as soon as possible,” he added. “We have to turn as quickly as p...

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique believes former teammate Pep Guardiola will succeed at Manchester City and that criticism of his methods are borne out of jealousy. Guardiola is in the midst of the worst run of results in his managerial career having not won in six games, including a 4-0 thrashing by Luis Enrique’s men on his return to Barcelona last week. “To the critics of Guardiola it is very easy — don’t worry because he will win for sure,” Luis Enrique said on Friday. Guardiola’s City still top the Premier League on goal difference thanks to a 10-game winning run to start his reign in English football. However, on top of their Champions League struggles, City were also dumped out of the League Cup by Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United on Wednesday. “There is no doubt he will win titles this year and do it playing the same football as the start of the season,” continued the current Barca boss. “The critics have to appear because there is nothing worse than watching someone...

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday congratulated legal luminary, Chief Afe Babalola, as he turns 85 on Sunday. In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President said he joined members of Babalola’s family, close associates, professional colleagues and the academia in celebrating the man who said epitomises unique and enviable qualities that every nation will want projected in its leadership and citizenry. The statement read, “The President reaffirms that the legal luminary’s lifestyle exemplifies discipline, diligence, honesty and wisdom, virtues he employed from childhood to succeed against the vicissitudes of poverty and deprivation, and climbed steadily to reach the pinnacle of his career as Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). “As he marks his 85th birthday, President Buhari believes Afe Babalola can look back with pride at his achievements, which include the God-fearing act of always catering for the poor and under privileged, and mento...

The Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff-led faction of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the emergence of Mr Jimoh Ibrahim as Ondo state’s governorship candidate for the party as victory for the rule of law. The faction of the PDP made the observation in a statement signed by its acting National Publicity Secretary,
Mr Bernard Mikko, on Thursday in Abuja. Mikko also described the recognition of the candidature of Ibrahim by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as victory for Ondo people. “The INEC recognition of Jimoh Ibrahim is not only victory for the people of Ondo state, but also a victory for the rule of law and diminishing impunity in our electoral system. “The PDP NWC under the leadership of Sen Ali Modu Sheriff is pleased with this development. “The party hereby congratulates the people of Ondo state as they go to polls on Nov. 26 to vote PDP and elect Mr Jimoh Ibrahim as their next governor,” Mikko said. INEC had earlier published the name of Ibrahim as candidat...

The Ondo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Olusegun Agbaje, Thursday, gave reasons why the commission dropped the name of the Makarfi-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP governorship candidate for Ondo election, Eyitayo Jegede and announced that of the Ali Modu Sheriff’s faction, Jimoh Ibrahim as the candidate for the party. While speaking to newsmen, Agbaje said Mr. Ibrahim was approved as candidate based on an order from the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Okon Abang. Recall that Justice Abang had on October 14, declared Mr. Ibrahim as the true candidate of the PDP and equally on Thursday, Mr. Abang rejected a plea by Mr. Jegede seeking to be allowed to appeal the October 14 court judgment. It is based on the two court rulings that INEC approved Mr. Ibrahim as the PDP candidate. “We received a court order from the High Court in Akure and that was yesterday (Wednesday), but there was a subsisting one by Justice Abang today (Thursday), th...

There were indications on Thursday that former Nigerian leaders, traditional and religious leaders from across the country were listed as beneficiaries of the $2.1bn arms funds in the final report of the Presidential panel which probed military contracts from 2007 to 2015. It was gathered that the report, which had been submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari, recommended the retrieval of undisclosed sums of money from some indicted persons, while in some cases, it recommended their prosecution. A highly-placed security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said some former Heads of State, were listed as having received various sums of money from the Office of the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.). The source added that a prominent northern traditional ruler was provided funds from the NSA’s office for the monarch’s coronation. Giving further insights into what some of the funds were used for, the source expla...

Following the declaration of Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the Ondo governorship election, the residents of the state trooped out in large numbers on the streets of major towns in the state to protest against the development. The Independent National Electoral Commission on Thursday removed the name of Mr. Eyitayo Jegede from the list of the candidates of the political parties that would participate in the November 26 governorship election and replaced it with Ibrahim’s name as the candidate of the PDP. The protests were staged in Akure, the state capital, Owo, Ondo and Ore towns while protesters set bonfires at many major roads in the towns. The protest began at about 6.30am in Akure while major roads like Oyemekun, Oba Adesida, Arakale, Araromi among others were barricaded halting vehicular movement. During the protest, both social and business activities were paralysed while banks and some other corporate and commercial  offices could ...