A total of 4,613,197 Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) have been collected by voters in preparation for the upcoming February 3 rerun and by-elections, as revealed in a document posted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on its official X handle. The breakdown indicates that 2,189,171 PVCs were collected for the by-elections, while 2,424,026 PVCs were collected for the rerun elections. In addition to this, over 8,500 Bimodal Voters Authentication System units and more than 35,000 ad-hoc staff are slated for deployment during the elections. The February 3 elections will witness the participation of 74 domestic observers and one international…
Author: Prince Ade ADe
Newcastle earned their spot in the FA Cup fifth round with a hard-fought victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage. The visitors’ controversial first-half goal came from Sean Longstaff, who swept a left-footed effort into the bottom right corner after the ball deflected off the arm of teammate Bruno Guimaraes, sparking complaints from Fulham players. Despite protests, the goal was confirmed after a VAR check. Dan Burn extended Newcastle’s lead just after the hour mark, capitalizing on a parry by Fulham goalkeeper Marek Rodak to lash in a close-range shot against his former team. Despite Fulham’s dominance in possession and fluency,…
Barcelona manager Xavi says he will step down at the end of the season. The legendary former Barcelona and Spain midfielder took charge of the Catalans in November 2021 after leaving Qatari club Al Sadd. He guided Barca to the Spanish title in his first full season in charge in 2022/2023, but Saturday’s 5-3 home defeat by Villarreal leaves them 10 points behind La Liga leaders Real Madrid. Xavi said he has given everything to the club and has prioritised it above even himself. The 44-year-old, who won 25 honours during an illustrious playing career at Barcelona, will officially step…
Two goals from Atalanta of Italy forward Ademola Lookman, one in either half, helped the Super Eagles of Nigeria earn a deserved 2-0 win over the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon in the Round of 16 on Saturday night and qualify for the quarter-finals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire In a game played at the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan, the venue where Cameroon won the first of their five AFCON titles, it was the Nigerians, at whose expense the Indomitable Lions won that 1984 final and two more in 1988 and 2000 who took the…
Usman Ododo has officially been sworn in as the Governor of Kogi State, succeeding Yahaya Bello, who completed his second term. The inauguration ceremony, held in Lokoja on Saturday at approximately 2:24 pm, saw Ododo taking the oath of office alongside Salifu Joel Oyibo, who was sworn in as the deputy governor. Ododo’s ascension to the governorship makes him the 5th Executive Governor of Kogi state. Notable attendees at the event included Vice President Kashim Shettima, former Governor Yahaya Bello, and the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje. Expressing a commitment to unity, Governor Ododo, in…
Substitute Cauley Woodrow emerged as the hero, scoring in additional time to secure a dramatic victory for Luton against Everton in the FA Cup fourth round. Everton’s Vitaliy Mykolenko inadvertently put the ball into his own net late in the first half, concluding a lackluster 45 minutes of football with few opportunities for both teams. Boos from sections of their fans greeted Everton at half-time, but they found an equalizer early in the second half when Tim Krul’s goalkeeping error allowed Jack Harrison’s shot to slip under his body. Despite leveling the score, Everton struggled to shift the momentum, and…
In a commanding display, Aryna Sabalenka successfully defended her Australian Open title, triumphing over Zheng Qinwen in straight sets on Saturday morning in Melbourne. The Belarusian second seed, Sabalenka, secured her second Grand Slam singles trophy without dropping a set, defeating the Chinese 12th seed with a score of 6-3, 6-2. Despite Zheng enjoying fervent support from the Chinese crowd, Sabalenka seized control early on, establishing a 3-0 lead before ultimately claiming the first set at 6-3. Notably, Sabalenka’s composed performance effectively drained both her opponent and the crowd of energy. This victory marks Sabalenka as the first woman to…
The ousted Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Olakunle Oluomo, has taken legal action by filing a suit in the state High Court to challenge his recent impeachment. Oluomo, who faced allegations of arrogance and highhandedness leading to his removal on Tuesday, contends that the impeachment lacked due process, prompting his recourse to the court. Despite being previously taken to court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged financial misappropriation amounting to 2.5 billion naira, Oluomo was impeached by a majority of 18 lawmakers out of the 26-member assembly. In response to the accusations against…
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has taken decisive action by suspending the license of Mattini Airline Services Limited, the private jet operator involved in the recent runway overshoot incident at Ibadan airport. The private jet, a Challenger CL 601 aircraft with registration N580KR, overshot the runway with 10 persons on board. Responding swiftly, firefighters and rescue officials from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria were dispatched to the scene. The NCAA, in a statement, announced the immediate suspension of Mattini Airline Services Limited’s license pending the outcome of investigations into the incident. The regulatory body not only expressed its…
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has unveiled the lineup of teams set to participate in the football event of the 2024 African Games. Nigeria’s men’s and women’s Under-20 teams, the Flying Eagles and the Falconets, have secured automatic spots for the prestigious competition. Scheduled to take place in Ghana, the 2023 African Games, the 13th edition, will unfold from March 8 to 23 across Accra, Kumasi, and Cape Coast. The men’s football event will showcase the eight quarter-finalists from the CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, Egypt 2023, alongside host country Ghana. Additional participating nations include Benin, Congo, Gambia,…