Jimi Agbaje, candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 Lagos governorship election, has vowed that the party will emerge victorious at the polls next year and rescue the state from one-man rule. He said, “This time round, we (PDP) intend to take over Lagos in 2019. The campaign for Lagos is set for us. It is clear to us in Lagos that what Lagosians are looking for is freedom from the vested interests that have gripped Lagos for nearly 20 years. “We have a situation where it had been under the grip of one or two persons…
Author: David Folami
You would think the English Football Association have more important things to do but, no, someone in the bowels of the FA decided on Tuesday that Jose Mourinho ought to be charged for allegedly mouthing “abusive, insulting or improper language” in view of the cameras following Manchester United’s 3-2 comeback victory over Newcastle United on Oct. 6. As far as we know, he was not charged for waving a little finger in the air while mouthing at the camera, a gesture some took so seriously — as if Mourinho were the freaking Oracle of Delphi or Alan Greenspan in his…
Arsene Wenger wants to return to management in January, saying he has received “enquiries from all over the world” and does not know whether it will be with a club or a national side. The former Arsenal manager said he could even be tempted to return to Japan, where he managed before moving to the Premier League in 1996. However, Wenger dismissed the idea he would join Bayern Munich and said the club should stick with under-fire coach Niko Kovac. “Yes, it looks like it,” Wenger told Sport Bild when asked whether he is still planning to return to management.…
Neymar has said he hopes Lionel Messi will return to play for Argentina as it is a “pity” he is missing international football at the moment. Messi has taken a break from the Argentina squad since captaining them to the round-of-16 at the World Cup, where they were beaten by eventual champions France. Argentina face Brazil in a friendly in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, and Neymar had hoped to be facing his former Barcelona teammate. “It’s a pity for football,” Neymar was quoted as saying in Ole. “We have to make the most of Messi for a long time. The…
“I say what I believe,” explains Paul Scholes over a morning coffee in Manchester a few days after some of his honest and forthright Manchester United comments on television have made headlines. “I don’t make anything up and I’m not very good at hiding how I feel. “If people ask me something I’ll give my view, whether it’s right or wrong. I’m just a frustrated United fan, a father of a son who goes home and away watching the team. My lad is a proper United fan, a lunatic who wants to go everywhere to follow his team on a…
As a former journalist and politician, German FA (DFB) president Reinhard Grindel is a pretty eloquent man. But when the 57-year-old stepped in front of reporters at midnight to offer his verdict on the 2-1 defeat to France, and by extension on the embattled manager Joachim Low, the words that came out his mouth were drowned out by the (metaphorical) screeching sound of goalposts being moved. In the aftermath of Germany’s horrific failure in Russia — where the defending World Cup champions failed to even get out of their group — Low had been under severe pressure to make amends…
Marouane Fellaini should be fit for Manchester United’s trip to Chelsea on Saturday but Jesse Lingard is a major doubt. Fellaini missed Belgium’s 1-1 draw with Netherlands on Tuesday due to a groin injury but manager Roberto Martinez suggested the midfielder had been left out as a precaution. “He should be fine, it’s just he wasn’t 100 percent,” Martinez said. “He’s got an important game at the weekend and this wasn’t the game to use players who weren’t 100 percent. “We expect he should be fine in the next couple of days.” However, United are likely to head to Chelsea…
Paris Saint-Germain fear their January transfer window plans will be jeopardised by UEFA’s financial fair play (FFP) investigation, a source close to the club has said. PSG raised nearly €50 million by selling players before the end of June at UEFA’s request in order to avoid sanctions for the 2015, 2016 and 2017 financial period, but the organisation chose to review its decision to clear them from wrongdoing shortly afterward. After lengthy consideration, which limited PSG over the two final months of the summer transfer window, the FFP case was referred back to the investigatory chamber of UEFA’s Club Financial…
Usain Bolt has turned down Valletta FC’s two-year offer after deciding against a move to Malta. The eight-time Olympic track gold medallist remains in Australia on trial for the Central Coast Mariners in the A-League but received an offer earlier in the week to play for Valletta FC and spearhead their Champions League aspirations. But Bolt’s agent has confirmed he opted against taking up their offer. “There is a lot of interest in Usain playing football,” Ricky Simms said. “We regularly receive similar approaches. I can confirm Usain does not wish to pursue this opportunity in Malta.” Valletta FC CEO…
Thierry Henry has said he wants to following the footsteps of fellow 1998 World Cup winners Zinedine Zidane and Didier Deschamps. Henry was presented as Monaco’s new manager on Wednesday, replacing Leonardo Jardim. This is the former Arsenal and Barcelona forward’s first role in management and he starts off at the club where he began his career. Deschamps, France’s World Cup-winning coach, and Zidane, who left Real Madrid this summer after orchestrating a third successive Champions League triumph, are the most successful managers from that World Cup winning side from 20 years ago, and Henry said he is inspired by…
Sadio Mane has undergone an operation after breaking his left thumb while on international duty with Senegal. Mane returned to Liverpool early after breaking the thumb during Senegal’s 3-0 win over Sudan on Saturday and underwent surgery on Wednesday. “The surgery, conducted at a northwest hospital and supervised by club medics, was successful,” Liverpool said in a statement. Mane was one of four Liverpool players to give Jurgen Klopp an injury scare over the international break. Mohamed Salah (groin) and Virgil van Dijk (ribs) withdrew from their national teams early, and Naby Keita suffered a muscular injury during Guinea’s African…
Lauretta Onochie, the new media aide of President Buhari has mocked former Anambra Governor, Peter Obi. Onochie, in a post published on Twitter, said Obi couldn’t help the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra state. The former Governor was selected by PDP’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar as his running mate for the 2019 election on Friday, October 12, 2018. In her reaction, Onochie said “What is wrong with PDP? Nigerians don use prayers scatter dem 1. PDP chose Prince of corruption as their flag bearer 2. PDP has now chosen Gov. Peter Obi, a man who took PDP to the…
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Anambra chapter has described the choice of Chief Peter Obi as the running mate to Alhaji Atiku Abubarka as a great honour to one of its founding father, late Dr Alex Ekwueme. Chief Ndubuisi Nwobu, Chairman of PDP in Anambra said this while reacting to the announcement of Obi as Atiku’s running mate in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Wednesday. Nwobu said the nomination was a ’round peg in a round hole’ as Obi possessed all the requisite quality to occupy the position having been a successful governor…
APC UK has said was especially so because Obi failed as a governor and could not deliver democracy dividends to the people of the state. Atiku who was a former Vice President announced Obi as his running mate for the presidential election slated for February 2019 in a statement issued by his campaign office. Mr Gbenga Daniel, also a former Governor of Ogun and the Director-General Atiku Champaign Organisation, said in the statement that Obi was the ultimate choice of the PDP and its stakeholders for the election. Born on July, 19 1961, Obi attended Christ the King College, Onitsha…
Mr Tonye Cole, Rivers Governorship candidate on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has assured the people of his readiness to deepen unity in Rivers Chapter of the party. Cole gave the assurance in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Port Harcourt. He said that there was no course for alarm concerning a peaceful protest by the Sen. Magnus Abe-led faction of the party as it did not amount to an end to unity in the party. Cole said that he was determined to further strengthen unity in the party by opening…
Adebayo Shittu, has sued the All Progressive Congress for disqualifying him as one of the Oyo state governorship aspirant over NYSC discharge certificate. APC had denied him clearance to participate in the party primary election in Oyo state over non-possession of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC. The minister said it was wrong for the party to drop his name for the primary election on account of not presenting his certificate. Shittu also faulted the scheme for not mobilising him for the one-year programme. “I know as a fact that I was also not served any Notice or notified in…
Nyesom Wike has voiced his agreement to support Atiku Abubakar ahead to the 2019 presidential election. The governor who was rallying his support for Aminu Tambuwal at the primaries says he is ready to support PDP’s candidate in order to defeat president Muhammadu Buhari. In a statement released by his media aide, Simeon Nwakaudu, the governor stressed that all hands should be on deck to defeat the APC led administration in the forthcoming election. “We must put our heads together to ensure that this bad government is sacked. We must ensure that this bad government goes in 2019. “If this…
Ohanaeze Ndigbo has called on all Igbo people to support the nomination of Peter Obi as Atiku Abubakar’s running mate. Obi, a former Governor of Anambra state was nominated by Atiku, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday, October 12, 2018. South-East leaders shocked This is coming as leaders of the PDP in the South-East expressed shock over the nomination. Speaking after a meeting of the zone’s chieftains, the Ebonyi state Governor, David Umahi said they will hold a meeting with Atiku to air their grievances. Speaking on the stand of Governor Umahi, the President General…
Former Gov. Adebayo Alao-Akala, the governorship candidate of African Democratic Party (ADP) in Oyo State, has picked Prof. Abideen Olaiya, as his running mate for the 2019 governorship election. This information was contained in a statement signed by Mr Abraham Ojo, Alao-Akala’s Chief Press Secretary and made available to newsmen in Ibadan on Saturday. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Olaiya, an Associate Professor of Crop Eco-physiology, was a governorship aspirant of Accord Party in the state before his appointment. Alao-Akala said the renowned scholar was picked after due consultations with stalwarts and key stakeholders of ADP in…
On Thursday, October 11, 2018, at about 1:30pm, Nigerians were greeted with pictures of Bishop Matthew Kukah, Bishop Oyedepo and Sheikh Gumi grinning and pumping hands as Chief Olusegun Obasanjo made peace with his former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. The pictures would immediately go viral. The story of the day was that Atiku had brought the clergymen with him from wherever to Abeokuta, to beg Obasanjo on his behalf and extract some kind of political endorsement from Baba Iyabo. In the essay that follows, Kukah tells the story of how he ended up in Abeokuta with Atiku and Obasanjo. And…