A Peoples Democratic Party Senator, Effiong Akpan Nelson has dumped the opposition party and his statesman, Senator Godswill Akpabio. According to a report by Leadership Newspaper, Nelson, who was elected on the platform of PDP from Akwa Ibom state, has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Senator Nelson announced his change of political party on the floor of the Senate on Thursday, January 19, 2017. This is coming days after the Ahmed Lawan emerged Senate Leader and minority leader, Akpabio stressed he doesn’t run the senate. There are covert pressures on Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu to defect from…
Author: David Folami
The Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose has emerged the new chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum. His emergence is coming as the outgoing chairman of the forum, Olusegun Mimiko ends his tenure as the governor of Ondo State. Fayose’s emergence as the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum was announced by the Governor of Bayelsa State, Hon Serake Dickson in Abuja, on Thursday night, January 19, 2017. Already, the new job given to Gov Fayose has been endorsed by the National Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the Party, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, the Chairman Board of…
Arjen Robben is demanding a show of strength when Bayern Munich resume their hunt for a fifth straight title at Freiburg on Friday as the Bundesliga resumes after its winter break. The German league is back after a four-week rest with Bayern three points clear of nearest rivals RB Leipzig, who briefly kept the Bavarians off top spot for three weeks until early December. Bayern defeated 10-man Leipzig 3-0 in Munich when the sides met just before Christmas, but now Robben wants another display of strength at Freiburg’s Schwarzwald Stadion, a notoriously hard place to get a win. Mid-table Freiburg…
Temperatures are forecast to plummet, but Carlo Ancelotti wants his Bayern Munich to turn up the heat at icy Freiburg on Friday when the Bundesliga resumes after the winter break. Temperatures are set to dip as low as minus nine degrees Celsius (15.8 Fahrenheit) for kick-off at Freiburg’s Schwarzwald Stadium when the German league resumes after the four-week break. Bayern lost on their last appearance at Freiburg, who stunned the visitors’ then-coach Pep Guardiola with a 2-1 win in May 2015 and Ancelotti wants no repeat. Back then, Bayern had already won the league and Freiburg were fighting to avoid…
Nigerian striker Kelechi Iheanacho says he cannot describe the feeling of scoring in the Manchester derby. With Manchester City first choice striker Sergio Aguero, Iheanacho started the derby against Manchester United and scored. The 20-year-old described that day as a dream come true for him to start and score in the derby. “It took me some time to prove myself to get into the first-team squad, but everything I have been through, all the difficult times, have been worth it,” Iheanacho wrote in the Players’ Tribune. “In September, I achieved something that every boy dreams about. I walked out onto…
Movie star Matt Damon said Wednesday he was grudgingly rooting for Donald Trump to make a success of his presidency, despite Hollywood’s opposition to the Republican billionaire. “I would like to see him be successful, I really would,” Damon told CNBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Swiss ski resort where movers and shakers from the political and business worlds are holed up this week. “Obviously it’s no secret that I didn’t vote for him,” said the 46-year-old star of the “Jason Bourne” spy series. But he added: “I wish him well, and we all must. A successful…
Chrissy Teigen may have grown in popularity since she shared a candid photo of her post-baby stretch marks. The model is being hailed for being real, even though we all know that as one of her strongest points. Besides flashing body parts, of course. The mother-of-one shared the candid snap via Twitter, and had fans and others, complementing, even thanking her for tearing down the unrealistic expectations of the society, for women. One fan tweeted at her saying: “You’re real as f**k. thanks for reminding everyone that not everyone is 100% flawless (even tho you are and stuff).” Another fan…
No Chill! Twitter users have not taken too lightly to Funmi Iyanda’s latest tweet on marriage. The TV personality bared her opinion on marriage as it pertains to her person but her stand seems like a bitter pill to swallow for Nigerians who are pro marriage, happiness or not. Iyanda noted that she has never wanted to be married but for those who wish it for themselves, she is very much in support. The 45-year-old tweeted, “I have never wanted to be married. I like it for others who like it for themselves, but as for me, Ms Funmi Iyanda,…
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has blamed Governor Ayo Fayose for the death of Tope Afolayan, a civil servant who committed suicide due to non-payment of his salary. The Ekiti APC also accused Fayose of greed and insincerity in a statement released by spokesman, Taiwo Olatunbosun. The statement reads in part: “Fayose was owing one month salary when he collected the first bailout of N9.6b, which he diverted to other purposes known only to himself and refused to use it for salaries, pensions, gratuity and severance allowances as approved by the Federal Government.” “The last bailout of…
The Deputy National Chairman (South) of the All Progressives Congress, Mr. Segun Oni, has said that no political party can be bigger than the APC. Oni said the speculated ‘mega party’ being planned by some politicians to sack the APC in 2019 is dead on arrival. Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday, January 18, the former Ekiti State governor stressed that the ruling party is committed and determined to transform the country. Oni, however, admitted that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) could bounce back, but insisted the APC is the only party that can turn Nigeria around. He said: “We have…
Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha says that he has fulfilled about 90 percent of the campaign promises he made to the people of the state. Okorocha made the comment on Tuesday, January 17, during a meeting with the management of the Sun Publishing Company in Owerri. “My administration has already fulfilled about 90 per cent of my campaign promises which includes building of 27 new general hospitals in each of the 27 local governments, free education at all levels, and infrastructural development,” he said. “We have also embarked on urban renewal and as well making effort to address problem of…
The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) on Thursday denied reports speculating an imminent fuel scarcity over Federal Government’s inability to pay fuel marketers’ N660 billion debt. In a statement released in Abuja by the PPPRA spokesman, Mr Lanre Oladele, the agency said the report was misleading and “a gross misrepresentation of facts”. ”There were reports that fuel queues may soon return following the Federal Government’s inability to settle marketers’ N660bn debt and non-availability of foreign exchange to fund fuel imports. “PPRA wishes to state unequivocally, that these stories are gross misrepresentation of available facts at our disposal, hence misleading.…
President Muhammadu Buhari reportedly held a meeting with military service chiefs at the presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport before departing for a 10 day vacation. According to a report by Channels TV, the president had the meeting with the military chiefs behind closed doors. The meeting was confirmed by the President via his official Twitter handle which read: “Before leaving I met with the Security Chiefs. We will continue to work to fulfill our promise to confront all security challenges head-on.” Speaking on the meeting, the Chief of Defense Staff, General Abayomi Olanishakin said the meeting was to…
The Emir of Kano, Muhammad Lamido Sanusi II has appealed to philanthropists seeking to build mosque to dump the idea and educate the girl child in the state. The former CBN governor made this remark on Thursday, January 19, 2017 at a financial conference in Kano. Sanusi said it was not a coincidence that the Northwest region is the most backward in almost all indices of human development. In his words: “I’m just tired of people coming to me to say I want to build a new mosque. You know, we keep building mosques and our daughters are illiterate. So,…
Saturday’s visit of Manchester United provides Mark Hughes’ Stoke side their first real test of 2017 in the league amid a period of form that is a welcome departure from the doom of gloom of the previous calendar year. It has been a mixed week for the Potters that began positively — back in the top half of the table following the 3-1 victory over Sunderland in their last match. Since then, though, barely a day has passed without reports of Spanish talisman Bojan Krkic seeking a move amid rumoured interest from Middlesbrough. The majority of fans are saddened at…
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger says it will take years for China to build a football culture that can really compete with leagues in Europe, but he is still worried players will see mega Chinese offers as a new benchmark for top clubs to match. Chinese Super League (CSL) clubs have increased their efforts to attract top players by offering record-high salaries that few, if any, European clubs would be willing to match, with Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez among those to have been targeted so far. China’s increased influence on the English game has been highlighted even further by a row…
While it is not uncommon for a player to force his hand when he wants to move to pastures new, Dimitri Payet’s refusal to play for West Ham, in an attempt to force through a move to Marseille, undoubtedly leaves a bad taste in the mouth. Among the howls of indignation, however, it is perhaps worth remembering that it is players, more often than not, who are on the end of poor treatment from their clubs whenever the roles are reversed. If an unwanted footballer wishes to stay with his club, to honour his contract, the club doesn’t always play…
Andres Iniesta will have tests on a calf problem on Friday after being forced off during Barcelona’s 1-0 Copa del Rey win over Real Sociedad. Neymar scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot as Barca ended a 10-year wait for a win at Anoeta, but the victory was tainted by Iniesta’s injury. The midfielder was replaced by Andre Gomes at half-time after complaining of a light pain and the Blaugrana will hope that the knock is nothing serious. A statement from the club after the game confirmed: “Iniesta was substituted due to a problem with his…
Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas believes Memphis Depay is champing at the bit to show his “immense talent” as the Netherlands forward puts the final touches on his move from Manchester United. Aulas expects a deal to be concluded for the 22-year-old in the next 48 hours, with the transfer fee set to reach up to €25 million (£21.7m). The Lyon president doubts the move will be finalised in time for Depay to make his debut against Marseille on Sunday, but he is hoping the Dutchman will soon be fulfilling the rich promise he showed at former club PSV Eindhoven after…
Barcelona escaped the Estadio Anoeta with a 1-0 advantage over Real Sociedad in their Copa del Rey quarterfinal first leg match on Thursday. Neymar’s 21st-minute penalty was all the defending champs would need to take the slim lead back to the Camp Nou for next week’s second leg. And it was the Brazilian who won the spot kick just after the quarter-hour mark when his quick feet tricked Aritz Elustondo into a foul in the box. The Barca No. 11 then calmly sent La Real goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli the wrong way to give the Catalans the edge in the tie.…