Dr Doyin Okupe has projected that the 2019 presidential election would be a battle between Senate President Bukola Saraki and President Muhammadu Buhari. Asked to explain his projection, Okupe said, “If Saraki is wise, the best thing for him to do would be to contest 2019 presidential election, because, as it stands in Nigeria presently, Saraki is becoming the most important political figure outside the Presidency. “And from what I am seeing, the battle for the presidency in 2019 is between Saraki and Buhari.” On the wave of defection that has hit the ruling APC, the former presidential spokesperson noted…
Author: David Folami
Honourable Charles Idahosa, one of the prominent leaders of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Edo State recently resumed his political activities after taking a break to review the happenings in the party. He spoke on the 2019 elections and other issues. “I am very happy and I want to say congratulations to the new National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, President Muhammadu Buhari and the all party members. This is the first real test for the new Chairman and, being a former governor of Edo whom I worked with as his political adviser for eight years, I…
Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has declared that the recent gale of defections that hit the All Progressives Congress (APC ) were due to the fact that the APC Federal Government has failed Nigerians. He declared that the APC Federal Government runs on vindictiveness, intimidation and illegality, whilst denying Nigerians the dividends of democracy. He said: “Politics is all about alignments and re-alignments. We expected these defections, knowing that the ruling party at the National level has completely failed the people. “It is not hidden that even when they had majority in the two chambers of the National Assembly, they never had…
Unai Emery has said he believes Mesut Ozil is one of several players who could captain his team next season. “We are working together and giving the responsibility to the players,” Emery said after the match. “I think he can take the responsibility, but let’s not forget [Laurent] Koscielny, who is recovering with us. Then we’ve got Petr Cech, who captained us in a friendly match. Aaron Ramsey also captained us in a friendly, and I am maybe thinking another one or two players can take responsibility for every player in the team.” Ozil played in his favoured No. 10…
Pep Guardiola is unsure whether Manchester City record signing Riyad Mahrez will be fit for the Community Shield after limping out of the International Champions Cup victory over Bayern Munich. “It was his ankle. We will see, maybe it is not a problem,” Guardiola told a news conference. “I’m concerned for many things, for injured players, players who are still not here but I am so satisfied for what all of the guys on the tour have done. “I said in the previous games how proud I was. The result doesn’t matter, nothing counts, but the performance was similar to…
Maurizio Sarri said he is still waiting to see the best version of Alvaro Morata at Chelsea, but he praised the Spaniard’s performance in Saturday’s penalty shootout friendly victory over Inter Milan. Speaking after the match, however, Sarri insisted that Morata is in his plans. “I’m still waiting for the best Morata,” he said. “In the first match [against Perth Glory] Morata did not play very well, in Australia. “But tonight, especially in the first 30 minutes, he improved a lot. I am satisfied and I am very confident in him for the future.” Sarri also revealed that he had…
Jose Mourinho has questioned why Anthony Martial has not returned to the United States after the birth of his baby. He missed the games against AC Milan and Liverpool but Mourinho has demanded to know why the 22-year-old, who wants to leave the club this summer, has not returned. “He has the baby and after the baby is born, beautiful baby, full of health, thank god,” Mourinho told MUTV. “He should be here and he is not here. Now we have Real Madrid and after that we have Bayern Munich, and that is our start.” Mourinho is already missing Antonio…
Thomas Tuchel has said the start of the new domestic season could come too soon for players including Neymar, Edinson Cavani and Kylian Mbappe after the 5-1 International Champions Cup defeat to Arsenal on Saturday. “Everybody loves the World Cup and we all want to watch it, but it has a big impact on the start of our season,” Tuchel, who replaced Unai Emery in May, told reporters. “There must be a solution to this in World Cup years, that the season must start later than it does. There is no reason for the league to end in May. We…
D.C. United took advantage of an own goal in the 90th minute to earn a 2-1 victory over the visiting Colorado Rapids at Audi Field on a night when Wayne Rooney scored his first MLS goal. United midfielder Ulises Segura was attempting a cross in front of the Colorado goal when his pass deflected off the foot off Rapids forward Niki Jackson and past goalkeeper Tim Howard for the late score. Midfielder Kellyn Acosta, acquired by the Rapids in a trade with FC Dallas on Monday, scored his first goal for Colorado in the 82nd minute to tie the match…
Massimiliano Allegri has warned that the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo could make it harder for his team to defend their Serie A title. “Cristiano has lots of international experience and he will help us a lot, but we have to be careful,” the coach told reporters. “There is too much euphoria around us, and it’s not good. “This year will be more difficult than others. Opponents will be more aggressive because we have won many games and now we have an excellent player like him.” Allegri said the arrival of Ronaldo would mean opponents had “more motivation” but added: “With…
Jurgen Klopp has admitted that Xherdan Shaqiri’s start to his Liverpool career was better than he anticipated after the Switzerland international scored a stunning overhead kick in Saturday’s 4-1 victory over Manchester United. Shaqiri came off the bench at half-time to make his first appearance for Liverpool following his £13 million move from Stoke City. He immediately provided an assist for Daniel Sturridge before netting the Reds’ fourth goal with an acrobatic effort eight minutes from time. “It was good, obviously,” Klopp said of the Swiss international’s performance at a news conference. “That’s not normal after four days in the…
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho revealed his frustration at a lack of new signings and a lengthening injury list after a heavy 4-1 defeat to Liverpool in Michigan. He said Chris Smalling and Luke Shaw have been added to his injury list while revealing that Nemanja Matic has undergone surgery for a mystery problem and could miss the start of the season. “I would like to have two more players,” Mourinho told a news conference on Saturday at Michigan Stadium. “I think I am not going to have two. I think [it] is possible I am going to have one.…
Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy has praised the influence of Paul Pogba during France’s World Cup success and said people need to start talking about his football rather than his haircuts. Mendy said Pogba showed the dressing room leadership which could make Jose Mourinho’s side a major threat to City’s title defence. “If you’re Paul Pogba and do some haircuts or something else then everybody speaks, speaks, speaks. But he plays so well, now has won the World Cup, so there is not much you can say really,” Mendy told reporters. “He was at Juventus with [Claudio] Marchisio and [Andrea]…
Willie Obiano of Anambra has warned those parading themselves as traditional rulers without symbols of authority in the state to desist from such acts or face the full wrath of the law. Obiano said that traditional institution had been an aged-long sacred order that requires respect. The governor expressed displeasure that “some individuals who have lost their sense of dignity are parading themselves as traditional rulers, causing confusion and disorder in the state. “Government is the only authorised institution to recognise traditional rulers and reserve the powers to withdraw such certificates,’’ Obiano said. He said that his government would not…
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has raised an alarm over an alleged plot by the All Progressives’ Congress (APC) to impeach Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose. Kola Ologbondiyan said the impeachment plot is a recipe for crisis in the peaceful state. He alleged that the plot is a desperate bid to rush into the Ekiti Government House to remove and tamper with documents and evidence confirming the rigging of the July 14 governorship election, ahead of the sitting of the election tribunal. He said, “Having realized that there is no way their daylight robbery at the poll can stand in…
Mr Yakubu Dogara on Friday commiserated with the government and people of Gombe State over the demise of the state’s first civilian Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Habu Hashidu. He said the late Alhaji Hashidu was a visionary and exemplary leader who gave priority to the welfare of the people and laid the foundation for the enviable development taking place now in Gombe state. “As the first Executive Governor of Gombe State, Alhaji Hashidu, had brought to bear his wealth of experience in laying the foundation for the development of the then new state and distinguished himself as a man of vision…
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has welcomed Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, to its fold after he dumped the All Progressives’ Congress (APC) on Wednesday, July 25, 2018. Ortom disclosed that he was joining the PDP to ensure justice, equity and fairness for the people of Benue. “I have formally resigned from APC to PDP and have presented my letter of resignation to the party’s chairman of my ward,” he announced. The PDP took to its official Twitter account (@OfficialPDPNig) to congratulate the governor on dumping the “failed and dysfunctional” APC. The post read, “Breaking News: Governor Samuel Ortom of…
Yekini Nabena, the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has urged Senate President Bukola Saraki to quit the the ruling party or be shown the way out. “The news of the about 15 senators who reportedly defected from our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), today hardly came as a surprise to anyone, not least the APC leadership. What however, shocked political observers, especially democratic minds, was Senate President Bukola Saraki’s postures and expressions, which clearly communicated his unhidden complicity in the charades against his supposed party. “Clearly, Saraki had a big hand in organising the…
Sen. Suleiman Hunkuyi on Friday promised to help the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) regain power in Kaduna State in 2019. He added that he decided to join the party in line with the agreement between the R-APC and the opposition party. “We came to tell you that we have formally left the APC and we shall not turn back again. “We have moved to the PDP with all our structure to join hands to take back power in Kaduna State from the APC,” Hunkuyi said. He urged the PDP executives in the state to cooperate with the returnees to ensure…
Comrade Adams Oshiohmole has said that many of the members of the National Assembly who defected from the APC to other opposition parties are `victims of disinformation’. He, however, warned that APC and the Buhari administration would not be intimidated or distracted from delivering on its mandates to the Nigerians. “The Senators have come in huge numbers as the Senate leader had earlier said, namely that APC remains the party with the highest number of senators in the senate and in the House of Representatives. So, that fact has been reaffirmed. “Number two, we still have what it takes to…