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Leading chieftains of All Progressives Congress, APC, and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, graced the formal outing of Coalition for Nigeria, the Third Force, proposed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to break the hegemony of the country’s two major parties. Leader of the group, Col. Olagunsoye Oyinlola, said the group was roused to consciousness by the special press statement issued last Tuesday by President Olusegun Obasanjo but affirmed that the group was not about remaking the legacies of the former Nigerian leader. Meanwhile, National Intervention Movement, NIM, another group of professionals also aiming to break the two party hegemony, on its part said, yesterday, that it would make its launch this month. Among the prominent APC chieftains present yesterday were Buba Galadima, a member of the party’s Board of Trustees, BOT, and former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, the incumbent chairman of the Nigeria Identity Management Commission, among o...

few days after Apostle Johnson Suleman released a video of Miss Stephanie Otobo apologising to him and saying she was hired by unnamed politicians to unhinge the preacher with a sex scandal, a newly released video has surfaced to show the confession was scripted by Apostle Suleman and his handlers. The almost nine-minute video was recorded on June 21, 2017, by Canada-based Worship Media. Introducing Miss Otobo in the video were two people Chidi, and Erica. They said the met Miss Otobo last year after the sex scandal broke between her and Apostle Suleiman had left her broken. She sought spiritual and moral support from them, which they offered. Chidi and Erica said Miss Otobo told them that she was under pressure from Apostle Suleiman to apologize and lie that it was the Nigerian government that hired her to destroy him. In the video, Miss Otobo herself said she was...

Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun on Tuesday said the suspended Director of Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, Munir Gwarzo remains suspended until further notice Adeosun made this declaration at the on-going public hearing’ On The Conflict Between Minister of Finance and the suspended Director General of SEC, organised by Reps Committee in Capital Markets and other Institutions. She told the Committee chaired by Rep Tajudeen Yusuf, PDP, Kogi that”Munir remains suspended and I’m sending my recommendations to Mr President today (Tuesday). Gwarzo through his Counsel, GUK Igwe, SAN, in his submission had also noted that the Minister does not have such a right to suspend the DG….

The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has said he will not apologise for adopting his deputy, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, as the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate for the 2018 governorship election. He also told the former Minister of Works, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, and other aggrieved PDP aspirants that they were free to leave the PDP for other parties. Fayose spoke at a declaration of ambition (tagged ‘baby declaration’) by Olusola in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday. Adeyeye, a former Nigerian High Commissioner to Canada, Dare Bejide; a former Commissioner for Justice, Owoseni Ajayi; and a Senator representing Ekiti-South, Mrs. Abiodun Olujimi, had kicked against the adoption of Olusola by Fayose as his candidate. They described the adoption of Olusola as arrogant and anti-democratic.

The United States announced Monday it was lifting its ban on refugees from 11 “high-risk” countries, but said those seeking to enter the US would come under much tougher scrutiny than in the past. Applicants from 11 countries, unnamed but understood to include 10 Muslim-majority nations plus North Korea, will face tougher “risk-based” assessments to be accepted. “It’s critically important that we know who is entering the United States,” said Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. “These additional security measures will make it harder for bad actors to exploit our refugee program, and they will ensure we take a more risk-based approach to protecting the homeland.” The 11 countries, hit with a ban in October in the Trump administration’s revised refugee policy, have not been identified officially. But refugee groups say they comprise Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Mali, North Korea, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. – Not a ‘Muslim ban’ – Speaking anonymo...

President Muhammadu Buhari and former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Sunday met at the opening session of the 30th African Union Summit. It was learnt that the two leaders who are meeting for the first time after former President Obasanjo blasted President Buhari in a 13-page statement, shook hands and talked for about two minutes.

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo is weighing up a move to Chelsea this summer, according to The Sun. Ronaldo is keen to leave Santiago Bernabeu after this season, with the Premier League his prefered destination. Alexis Sanchez's move to Manchester United, however, has ruled out a return to Old Trafford. Chelsea, though, are keen to take advantage and bring the Portugal captain to Stamford Bridge.

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President Muhammadu Buhari has been awarded as African Union’s Anti-Corruption Champion. This was disclosed by Buhari’s Personal Assistant on New Media, Bashir Ahmad on his Twitter handle. He wrote “President @MBuharihas been selected as the African Union’s Anti-Corruption Year Champion at the 30th#AUSummit2018 in Addis Ababa,#PMBAtAU.”‎ president Buhari is in Ethiopia, started his four-day engagement, ahead of Sunday’s opening of the 30th African Union Summit. He joined 14 other members of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) to discuss conflict and crisis situations across the continent.

Billionaire businessman and founder of Aiteo Group, Mr. Benedict Peters, has denied social media reports that he is funding the new coalition reportedly being headed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Peters said this in a statement on Friday night. He said, “For the record, I wish to state, categorically and unequivocally, that I am not a financier of the said organisation or any socio-political partisan association or political party in Nigeria or anywhere else in the world. “As an international businessman of repute, I have deliberately stayed away from politics preferring, instead, to focus and give my all to the development of my business interests across the African continent. “Corporate Social Responsibility contributions has seen the Aiteo Group, which I lead, provide investment support in medicine and medical research dedicated to seeking cures for several ailments which affect the African continent as well as investment in sport and sport as a panacea for the ...

Senator Iyabo Obasanjo, first child of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has blasted apologists of the Muhammadu Buhari administration for recycling an old and settled issue with her father in defence of the former president’s stinging rebuke of the incumbent administration. Senator Obasanjo flayed the Buhari administration for dodging the fundamental issues of bad governance raised in the statement issued by her father, Dr. Obasanjo last Tuesday. Instead of drawing wisdom from the letter issued by her father, she expressed dismay at what she described as the cheap tactic of the Buhari apologists in drawing unconnected issues to run away from the “advice and admonishment of one of the most brilliant leaders to ever emerge in modern Africa.”  In a strong disavowal of the recycled 2013 letter she wrote in the wake of President Obasanjo’s missive to Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, Senator Obasanjo affirmed no relationship with the Buhari administration nor with the preceding Jonatha...

The Festus Keyamo Chambers, counsel to Stephanie Otobo, the alleged mistress of fiery cleric, Johnson Suleman, have reacted to the video released on Saturday, appearing to show their client saying she was paid to defame the pastor. Ms. Otobo’s lawyer, Festus Afeiyadion, told PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday that he could not confirm or deny the video. “We saw the video online on Saturday morning but we are yet to get any formal statement from Stephanie confirming or debunking the video. We are lawyers and we only act on our client’s instructions. So, we don’t have any comment on the matter,” he said. PREMIUM TIMES could not immediately reach Ms.Otobo to confirm the latest development. When asked what will become of the pending court case, he said, “No comment, we are waiting to hear from our client first before we know the next line of action.” This development is coming on the heels of the defamation suit filed by the cleric against Ms. Otobo in November 2017, at the Lagos State...

The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Friday, declined to order the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, to produce the ‘missing’ leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu. The court, in a ruling that was delivered by Justice Binta Nyako, dismissed an application that was filed by a team of lawyers representing the IPOB leader, which prayed the court to compel Buratai to produce their client, either dead or alive. Pursuant to section 40 of the Federal High Court Act, F12, LFN 2005 and section 6(6) (1) (4) of the 1999 constitution, as amended, Kanu’s lawyers applied for “an order of Habeas Corpus ad subjiciendum, commanding the Respondent (Buratai), to produce the Applicant in Court”. However, in a counter-affidavit he filed in opposition to the suit, Buratai told the court that Kanu was never in custody of the Nigeria Army. He maintained that contrary to claims in the suit, soldiers who were deployed to the South-East for ‘Operation ...

Pro-Buhari youth group, The Democratic Youths Congress for Buhari 2019, has described former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s letter to President Muhammadu Buhari as an open confrontation against the “North that made him what he is”.  The National Chairman of the group, Kassim Mohammad Kassim, on Friday in Owerri, the Imo State capital, said that Obasanjo’s outburst was not in the interest of the nation as he claimed in his letter, but a ploy to re-launch himself to relevance ahead of the 2019 general elections. Kassim, who is also a member of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly representing Akwanga South Constituency said, “I want to categorically state that, not because I am a member of the All Progressives Congress or running a campaign team for Buhari but as a matter of fact, Nigerians will agree with me that some of our past leaders are the problem of this country”. “Why I am saying this is that I want to specifically respond to former President Olusegun Obasanjo beca...

Aisha Yesufu, the convener of Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) campaign, has reacted to former president Olusegun Obasanjo’s statement listing President Muhammadu Buhari’s failures. Reacting, Aisha described Obasanjo as a ‘Serial writer’ writing to President Muhammadu Buhari whom she called a ‘Serial loser’. The co-convener in her tweets beckoned on Nigerians to focus on the message of dethroning both leading parties APC and PDP rather than on the former president. She wrote “A ‘Serial” writer wrote to ‘serial’ loser and ‘serial” sycophants have been at each other’s throats. “When would we learn to focus on the message and not the messenger? “When would we focus on Nigeria and not individuals?”

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The immediate past Chairman of Lagos State Sports Commission, Deji Tinubu is dead. According to Thisday, Tinubu who is also a former board member of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, slumped and died while playing football at the retreat organised for Lagos Commissioners and Special Advisers with Governor Akinwunmi Ambode present at the event in Epe. The family and associates in sports circle confirmed his death. Tinubu, who was certified healthy during the screening carried out before the start of the novelty game, suddenly collapsed and died. The game was aimed at ensuring none of the government officials had such misfortune. Until his death Thursday, Tinubu was Gov Ambode’s special adviser on commerce.

THE Governor Nasir El Rufai Committee on True Federalism has submitted its report to the National Working Committee of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, calling for more devolution of powers to states. Resource control “We have proposed that mining, minerals, oil should go to the states. Then there will be certain constitutional amendments. The Petroleum Act will be amended to show that states can now issue oil mining licences; the Land Use Act, Nigeria Minerals and Mining Act, the Petroleum Profit Tax Act 2007 would all need to be amended. So, we have proposed amendment that will ensure that minerals, mining and oil are vested in the states except offshore minerals. Independent candidacy ”The committee equally recommended independent candidacy but with a caveat that individuals who intend to stand for elections must not have been a member of any political party at least six months to the elections in which they intend to contest. “We believe that if these amendm...

   THE Minister of Defence, Mansur Muhammad Dan-Ali, said yesterday that the recent massacre of innocent people by suspected Fulani herdsmen in parts of the country, especially Benue,was a result of the promulgation of anti-open grazing laws and blockade of grazing routes. He also said the Federal Government has directed security agencies to tackle the propagation of hate speech, especially through social media, adding that government has also agreed to pay $494 million for the purchase of Super Tucoma aircraft from the United States, with the deadline for payment set for February 20. Dan-Ali, who fielded questions from State House correspondents after the quarterly National Security Council meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said: “Yes, we did discuss solutions to the clashes. First, I talked about this commission on proliferation of arms into the country. You see, whatever crisis that happens at any time, there are remote and ...

Alleged kidnapping kingpin,  Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, alias Evans, has filed a fresh suit against the police, seeking the release of 25 Mack trucks, which he claimed were seized from him. His lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje, contended in the suit that the trucks were seized without a court order, saying that the seizure was a violation of Evans’ right. Ogungbeje is praying the Federal High Court in Lagos to order the police to release the trucks to Evans through him (Ogungbeje). He listed the number plates of some of the said trucks as BDG 78 XT, GGE 491 XU, FST 742 XT, AGL 219 XT, BDG 79 XT, AGL 222 XT, GGE 492 XU, AGL 220 XT and GGE 489 XU. According to him, the police forcefully confiscated the trucks from Evans on June 15, 2017 without any court order.

President Muhammadu Buhari, Thursday met with six State Governors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The Governors who met with the President include, Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State (PDP), Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State (PDP), Simeon Lalong of Plateau State (APC), Abdulaziz Yari of Kebbi State (APC), Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State (APC) and Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State (APC). The meeting started shortly after security Chiefs finished their meeting with the President that lasted several hours. Buhari’s Personal Assistant on New Media, Bashir Ahmad confirmed the meeting on his Twitter handle. He wrote, “After presiding over a Security Meeting earlier, President @MBuhari is now holding a meeting with some members of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) led by its Chairman, Gov. Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State.”

Few times in Real Madrid's history could a Copa del Rey clash against Leganes be considered so important. But Zinedine Zidane nevertheless decided to play with fire, and the coach got burned worse than anybody in an historic, embarrassing elimination for the Merengue. With no Cristiano Ronaldo and no Gareth Bale on the bench the coach's apparent over-confidence was shown  The team known as the 'Cucumber Growers', situated on the outskirts of Madrid are, with no disrespect intended, a team Zidane's men are expected to beat no matter what the occasion. Whatever the competition, and whatever the situation facing the Liga giants.  With confidence at a low point in the Madrid dressing room, however, Wednesday's quarter-final return match took on extra importance. Even a draw would have kept the team alive in a competition that is far down their list of priorities, but more important now than ever due to the gulf in points that separates the defending Liga ch...

The governor who spoke on Tuesday in Owerri, the state capital, through the state Commissioner for Information, Prof. Nnamdi Obiaraeri, said there was no law, policy, decision, plan, request or intention to cede, allocate or designate any part of Imo State as a cattle colony. The governor said, “This information that Imo has ceded a part for the proposed cattle colony is wicked, unfounded and untrue, although it represents the typical product of warped thinking of desperate mischief makers via the social media. “Imo people and members of the public are therefore advised to disregard these baseless and laughable rumours. “It is unfortunate that manufacturing wicked and capricious lies on an hourly basis has become the hallmark or DNA of desperate opposition politicians in our dear state.”

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, may reach a pact ahead of the presidential elections in 2019. While fielding questions from newsmen yesterday during a visit/consultation with party members on 2019, Atiku hinted that he would discuss his ambition with governor Fayose whom he described as a force to reckon with in PDP, saying : ” he calls the shots and when he does so, we all take the queue.” Responding, Governor Fayose who also described Atiku’s ambition as legitimate and a welcome development, said though he was expecting the former VP to discuss his presidential ambition with him privately as other aspirants would do, and assured that in spite of his aspiration to rule the nation, party’s interest would be placed above individual aspirations. He (Atiku) has not spoken to me privately about it, and may be he would do that in our private meeting. But his body language obviously shows he has an ambition which is legitimate. We w...