Author: Olukayode Oke

Many foreign commentators were surprised by the outcome of the 2023 Nigerian Presidential election due to their wrong mindset before the polls, the Federal Government has said. Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture, disclosed this in London during his meeting with some international media organisations and Think Tanks. Mohammed is in London to defend the legitimacy of the 2023 presidential poll and correct certain narratives regarding the elections. He said some of the commentators had the wrong mindset that the Labour Party (LP) and its Presidential flagbearer, Peter Obi, would win the election. “In the course of my…

Bundesliga giants, Bayern Munich are interested in luring Victor Osimhen away from Napoli this summer. According to Eurofoot, the Bavarian will offer around €100m for the Nigeria international. The German champions according to the report have already opened talks with Napoli over a deal. The Partenopei are expected to demand more than €100m for Osimhen, who they bought for €72m from Ligue 1 club, Lille in 2020. Bayern Munich are yet to replace Poland international Robert Lewandowski, who left the club for Barcelona last summer. Premier League clubs, Manchester United and Chelsea also have strong interest in Osimhen. The 24-year-old…

Presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi was last Friday, allegedly detained in London by UK immigration officials. Obi was said to have been detained for hours, and interrogated by the officials, after his British Airways plane landed in Heathrow Airport on Friday morning. Prof Chinyere Okunna, a famous Mass Communications scholar, and Deputy Vice Chancellor of Paul University Awka, who is also a confidant of Obi, revealed this on Wednesday morning. Okunna, who worked with Obi as commissioner for information, commissioner for economic planning and coordinating commissioner for development partners said Obi who lived honourably in the…

Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship aspirant in Kogi State, Dino Melaye, has revealed how the governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, allegedly begged him to ensure Atiku Abubakar picked him as his running mate. After losing the party’s presidential primary to Atiku last year, Wike had refused to work with the party’s candidate, saying the embattled chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu, should step aside. Wike, in collaboration with other four governors had insisted that they would not allow the candidate of the party and the PDP chairman to be northerners. But, Dino Melaye said Wike was only fighting Atiku because…

Romelu Lukaku scored an 82nd-minute penalty as Inter Milan put themselves in a strong position to advance to the semi-finals of the Champions League after securing a deserved win away at Benfica. In a tightly contested tie, Nicolo Barella’s downward header stunned the Portuguese league leaders and gave Inter a priceless advantage. Benfica struggled to dictate play in front of their own fans as Inter produced a defensive masterclass in Lisbon. Rafa Silva was denied by Andre Onana’s first-half save before Inter’s Netherlands defender Denzel Dumfries produced a crucial block from close range as Benfica pushed for an equaliser. The…

Manchester City took a giant stride towards the Champions League semi-finals with an outstanding performance to overpower Bayern Munich at Etihad Stadium. Erling Haaland, inevitably, was on target with his 45th goal of the season to make him the highest scorer in all competitions in a single campaign since the Premier League began 30 years ago, surpassing Mohamed Salah and Ruud van Nistelrooy. City, however, gave a powerful all-round team display and Bayern, under new coach Thomas Tuchel, face a mountainous task to turn this quarter-final around in the second leg at the AllianzArena. Rodri broke the deadlock in spectacular…

Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has extended the retirement age of teachers in the state by five years. This was contained in a circular from the Borno State Teaching Service Board signed by the Permanent Secretary, Malam Yusuf Garga. ”The attention of all teachers is hereby drawn to the fact that Gov. Babagana Zulum, has approved the extension of years of service of all teachers in Borno from 35 to 40 and from 60 to 65 by age whichever comes first. ”All interested teachers willing to enjoy this are expected to write to the board through their principals expressing…

Napoli president, Aurelio De Laurentiis says Victor Osimhen is not in a position to face AC Milan on Wednesday. The Partenopei will travel to San Siro for the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie. Osimhen picked up a muscle injury while representing Nigeria late last month. Napoli were hoping the forward would be available to face the current Serie A champions but will have to look for another option. “Victor is not in a position to play, unfortunately. We hope to have him back for the return fixture at the Maradona on April 18,” De Laurentiis was…

World Bank Group President, David Malpass says global growth is expected to be weak in 2023, slowing to two per cent from 3.1 per cent in 2022. Malpass said this in his Opening address at the ongoing Spring Meetings 2023 Media Call, a copy of which was obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday. He said several factors were weighing on the second-half outlook. “Oil prices have jumped back above 80 dollars/barrel. The recent banking sector stress dampens activities and inflation pressures persist. Malpass said the U.S. month-over-month core inflation had been rising over the last five…

Leicester have confirmed the appointment of Dean Smith as their new manager until the end of the season. The ex-Aston Villa and Norwich City head coach has agreed a deal to replace Brendan Rodgers at the King Power Stadium after Jesse Marsch walked away from negotiations with Foxes chiefs. Smith, who was sacked by the Canaries in December, will look to keep the 2016 Premier League winners in the top flight after a nightmare season for the Midlands club. They are currently in the midst of a real battle at the bottom and sit 19th, two points adrift of 17th-place Nottingham Forest. Smith…

Phrank Shaibu, the media adviser of the flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has expressed hope of securing victory at the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal. It would be recalled the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the 2023 presidential contest in Nigeria,Not satisfied with the outcome of the election, Atiku, in the petition marked CA/PEPC/05/2023, challenged the results declared by INEC and the declaration of Tinubu as president-elect. The PDP flagbearer also applied for the withdrawal of the Certificate of Return that was issued to the APC candidate by the…

Ukraine and Russia have returned around 100 soldiers each in the latest prisoner exchange between the two warring countries. Kyiv and Moscow have periodically carried out prisoner swaps since Russia invaded Ukraine more than a year ago. We are returning 100 of our people,” the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak said on Telegram. “They are military people, sailors, border guards, national guardsmen.”Yermak said the exchange included troops who held out in Mariupol — the devastated port city captured by Russia last spring — and that some were “seriously injured.” He called the exchange “difficult” and thanked officials for…