I’ll campaign for Buhari, Sanwo-Olu, says Ambode (Nation)
Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has assured Nigerians, especially Lagosians, that he will lead a strong campaign to ensure victory for President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in next year’s general elections. Ambode made the promise when he addressed reporters at the Presidential Wing of the Muritala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, after receiving and accompanying President Buhari to the inauguration of the new Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) border posts at Seme-Krake in Badagry. Read more
Presidency: nothing to fear over Kanu (Nation)
The Presidency has assured Nigerians that there is no reason to worry about the outburst by Nnamdi Kanu, the disputed leader of IPOB on returning to the country “with hell’’. Malam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity gave the assurance in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday. The presidential aide restated that Nigeria under President Muhammadu Buhari was strong enough to defend its territory against any threat. Read more
Youths to Obasanjo: Atiku should drop Obi or lose (Nation)
Atiku Abubakar got yesterday a complex challenge on his presidential bid —he should drop running mate Peter Obi or lose. Some youths in the North visited former President Olusegun Obasanjo to table the knotty request. The Northern Youths Leaders Forum (NYLF) advised the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to review the choice of Obi, if he hopes to earn the North’s support. Read more
Protests rock APC secretariat as Govs Amosun, Akeredolu throw weight behind Buhari (Vanguard)
With protesters, yesterday, laying siege to the national secretariat of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in support and denunciation of the party’s recent primaries, Governors Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo) and Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), yesterday, denounced new narratives allegedly spun to pitch them against President Muhammadu Buhari. Read more
Oshiomhole queries competence of suit seeking his probe for graft (Nation)
ALL Progressives Congress (APC’s) National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole has queried the competence of a suit seeking his probe by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for corruption related conduct. Oshiomhole, who also questioned the plaintiff’s right under the law, to seek to compel the EFCC to probe his tenure as Edo State Governor, urged the court to dismiss the suit for being incompetent. Read more
Ekiti Assembly to probe Fayose’s N10bn supplementary budget (Punch)
The Ekiti State House of Assembly has set up a three-man ad-hoc committee to investigate the N10bn supplementary budget passed by some members of the Assembly in the twilight of the regime of the immediate past Governor, Ayodele Fayose. The ad-hoc committee has the Deputy Speaker, Olusegun Adewumi, as chairman with Akinniyi Sunday and Fajana Ojo-Ade as members. Read more
Trump calls Khashoggi killing ‘worst cover-up ever’ (CNN)
President Donald Trump offered his most stinging indictment yet of a Saudi effort to silence a dissident journalist, calling the series of events that led to Jamal Khashoggi’s death “the worst cover up ever.” “The cover up was one of the worst in the history of cover ups,” Trump said from the Oval Office. “It’s very simple.” Read more
Puerto Ricans Fight for Insurance Money a Year After Maria (Independent)
Thousands of Puerto Ricans have been forced to drain their savings, close their businesses, or resign themselves to living with structural damage as they fight insurance companies over millions of dollars’ worth of claims that have gone unanswered or unpaid more than a year after Hurricane Maria. Experts say the Category 4 storm caught insurance companies off-guard and left them reeling financially after they were hit with nearly 279,000 claims, a number that one expert called “extraordinary.” One major insurer has already folded, leaving more than 1,500 claims worth a total of $70 million up in the air. Many worry other companies might follow. Read more
Russia to Cut Back On Social Spending in Favor of Defense, Police and State Banks (Independent)
The Russian Finance Ministry published draft amendments to the federal budget for 2018, in which it, for the second time in the last 6 months, proposes to reduce expenditure on the social articles and to increase funding for the law enforcement and defense departments, state organizations and state banks, finanz.ru reports. Due to the spike in oil prices and the weak ruble, the budget surplus is five times higher than the initial prediction, at 2.14 trillion rubles instead of the pledged 481.7 billion, according to an article on Russia’s official legal information portal. Read more
Asaba stadium scoreboard not ready as Aiteo Cup final holds today (Guardian)
Despite repeated assurances by Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, that all facilities at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, have been completed, indications emerged yesterday that the scoreboard inside the main bowl might not be ready for toady’s Aiteo Cup final between Rangers of Enugu and Kano Pillars. Okowa was conducted round the stadium on Monday by the Commissioner For Information, Patrick Ukah, and the Chairman, Delta Sports Commission, Tony Okowa, and at the end, declared that the facilities was completed and ready for the final. Read more
Mikel pledges cash, equipment to amputee team (Punch)
Super Eagles captain, John Mikel Obi, has pledged financial and moral support to the country’s cash-strapped amputee football team, but the Special Eagles face a race against time to make it to the World Cup in Mexico. The Nigerian amputee football team, who have missed the last three World Cups due to a lack of finances, took to crowd-funding early this month to help them travel to compete in the 2018 tournament. Read more
Atiku donates N10m to amputee team (Punch)
Peoples Democratic Party candidate for the 2019 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar, has donated N10m as financial support for Nigeria’s Amputee Football Team to the 2018 World Cup. The donation, which was made on behalf of the former vice president by the Atiku Care Foundation, is to assist the team to represent Nigeria at the 2018 Amputee Football World Cup scheduled to hold in Mexico from October 24 to November 14. Read more
Oborududu, Onyebuchi crash out in Budapest (Guardian)
The hope of Team Nigeria returning home with a medal at the on-going Senior World Wrestling Championships in Budapest, Hungary, suffered a set back yesterday, as both Blessing Oborududu and Blessing Onyebuchi were eliminated. Onyebuchi was in control of her game against Estonia’s Epp Mae in the 76kg, leading13-8 points, only to be defeated through a pin-fall. Read more
Germany threatens to shut out Ugandan boxers (Punch)
The National Council of Sports in Uganda has said the government of Germany has threatened to stop issuing visas to Ugandan boxers to take part in competitions in their country. Three Ugandan boxers who participated in the 2017 AIBA World Championship in Hamburg disappeared and refused to return home. Read more
Dybala strike gives Juventus win at Man Utd (BBC)
Cristiano Ronaldo marked his return to Old Trafford with a win as his Juventus side outclassed Manchester United to move five points clear at the top of Champions League Group H. The former United star helped to set up Juve’s winner in the 17th minute, with his cross reaching Paulo Dybala who finished from close range. Read more
Rapper killed in plane stunt for music video (CNN)
Jon James, a Canadian rapper, was killed during a music video shoot when a stunt atop an airplane wing went wrong. He was 34. During a music video shoot in Vernon, British Columbia, on Saturday, the rapper — whose full name is Jon James McMurray — was walking on the wing of a Cessna as it was in flight. He walked too far out on the wing and made the small aircraft go into a downward spiral, his management team said. Read more
3 robbery suspects burnt in A-Ibom (Vanguard)
Three suspected robbers were, yesterday, burnt to death in Uruk Usung community, Obot Akara Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State by youths. It was gathered that the victims of the jungle justice were caught while trying to rob some residents. It was further gathered that the suspects appeared to come from outside Obot Akara Local Government. Read more