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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...