INEC shifts 2023 elections over late signing of Electoral Act (Punch)
The Independent National Electoral Commission has shifted the 2023 Presidential election from February 18 to February 25, 2023, following the late signing of the Electoral Act by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).
This was announced by the Chairman of the commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, at a news conference in Abuja on Saturday.
He said the Presidential and National Assembly elections will now hold on Saturday, February 25, 2023, while governorship and state houses of assembly elections will hold on March 11, 2023.
Yakubu explained that the new date is to allow for conformity with the provisions of the Electoral laws which stipulates that elections notice be published at least 260 days to the elections
The INEC boss also said the electoral guidelines will also be published in due course. Read more
1 dead, many injured as NDLEA, youths clash in Lagos (Vanguard)
One person has been reportedly killed as the men of the National Drug Law enforcement Agency, NDLEA raided a suspected drug den in Lagos.
Reports claimed that mayhem was unleashed when NDLEA men tried to arrest a notorious drug kingpin who resisted arrest, attracting the attention of youths in the area, launching an attack against the NDLEA team in Lagos island.
Reacting, NDLEA stated it acted on credible intelligence that A major drug kingpin operating the notorious Patey Lagos Island drug haven, in Lagos state, Mrs Sherifat Kehinde Lawal has been arrested along with six other suspects by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
The NDLEA operatives also recovered 5,862 kilograms of assorted illicit drugs including Loud and Codeine in a raid on Saturday 26th February 2022. Read more
FG relocates AIB-N, FAAN staff from Lagos to Abuja (Leadership)
The federal government has started the relocation of staff of Accident Investigation Bureau–Nigeria (AIB-N) and Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) from their office at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos to Abuja.
It was gathered that the Administrative Department of AIB-N on Wednesday issued an internal memo to all the staff of the Bureau to resume in Abuja on or before Monday, threatening that anyone that fails to comply would be sanctioned.
As at Friday, most of the staff of the Bureau were seen outside the premises trying to move their personal and official belongings out of their offices.
Some of the staff who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak on the issue, lamented that they were only given two working days to comply with the relocation directive. Read more
Port Protest: NAGAFF withdraws members, cites hoodlums’ infiltration for hijack purposes (Independent)
The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), has said that it has withdrawn its members who were already part of the ongoing protest at Lagos seaports against the controversial Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) policy.
Alhaji Ibrahim Tanko, Coordinator, NAGAFF 100% Compliance team, who announced this in Lagos, said the association decided to withdraw as information reaching them revealed that hoodlums and criminals who are neither freighforwarders nor Customs Agents have concluded plans to infiltrate the protest and commit crime.
The NAGAFF chieftain maintained that unscrupulous persons from Mushin and Ajegunle axis of the state have perfected plots to join the protest and unleash mayhem on innocent citizens.
He also disclosed that a petition had already been dispatched to the Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Finance, Mrs Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed, against the operators Customs’ service providers; Webb Fontaine, for alleged inefficiency leading to loss of revenue by freight forwarders and the government. Read more
NSCDC arrests 40-year-old for allegedly violating step daughter (Nation)
The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested one Reuben Chibueze, 40,for allegedly violating his 16- year-old stepdaughter.
The NSCDC Commandant in Imo, Michael Ogar, said this in Owerri, on Saturday while parading Chibueze and two others who allegedly committed related crimes.
Ogar said the other two suspects, Amarachi Emmanuel and Chinenye Ejimonye, were arrested for alleged child trafficking and child battering respectively.
“We gathered that Mr Chibueze battered his wife severally and sent her away from the house on a fateful evening before proceeding to have carnal knowledge of his stepdaughter, after threatening to stab her if she refused him access to her body. Read more
Kwara Government threatens violators of monthly sanitation (Guardian)
The Kwara Government has threatened to sanction violators of its compulsory monthly sanitation programme.
The state Ministry of Environment and Forestry warned that the violators would be sanctioned by mobile courts stationed at designated points across the state.
This is contained in a statement signed by Mrs Okanlawon Taiwo, the Press Secretary of the ministry.
It said that the monthly exercise for the month of February would hold on Feb. 26 from 7 a.m to 9 a.m.
Taiwo said that members of the public are expected to fully participate in sanitation by cleaning their residential and business environments. Read more
Low voter turnout marks Imo constituency by-election (DailyTrust)
The Ngor Okpala Constituency bye-election conducted in Imo on Saturday witnessed a low turnout of voters in many polling units.
Eleven candidates are contesting in the by-election for the House of Assembly seat declared vacant following the long absence of the former occupant.
Correspondents of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) who monitored the exercise report that sensitive and non-sensitive election materials arrived at the polling units as early as 8:30 a.m.
Some of the areas visited were Logara/Umuohiagu, Ndiuhu Umuokoada Logara, Umuorisha Umuohiagu, Umuchoko Junction, Umuohiagu, and Community Primary School, Upe. Read more
Traffic violation: Suspended Nigerian-Canadian minister exonerated, redeployed (Punch)
Nigerian-born Canadian official, Kelechi Madu, has been exonerated after his suspension as Minister of Justice and Solicitor-General of the Government of Alberta, Canada.
Madu, who was suspended as justice minister in January 2022, following his violation of traffic laws and associated offences, has now been redeployed to the Ministry of Labour and Immigration, the Premier of Alberta, Jason Kenney, announced in a statement on Friday.
Madu, who assumed the role in August 2020 and is reportedly the first Black person to serve as a minister of justice in Canada, got fined for using his phone while driving in March 2021.
He was accused of calling the province’s police chief, Dale McFee, after being slammed a $300 fine he received for violating one of Canada’s traffic and safety regulations.
But Madu had said he contacted the police chief only to share his experience and not to seek a waiver. Read more
Nigerian Idol: Yinka Davies joins judges for theatre week (Tribune)
It is finally Theatre week, and the organisers have announced a new guest judge.
In the last Sunday episode, 30 contestants snagged the coveted Golden tickets to clinch their spots at the Theatre week.
Being the last day of auditions, a majority of the contestants came on high notes and impressed the trio of judges. 27-year-old Kenneth, a contortionist and flexibility coach was one of the memorable ones. His beautiful rendition of Beyonce’s Halo and shiny shoes – according to D’banj – got him two nods from Toolz and the Kokomaster himself.
Other contestants like Joy, Racheal, Victory, Chizoba, and 25 more sang beautifully to secure their spots in the next round. Sadly, some not-so-lucky contestants like 26-year-old Tachey, Omotoyosi, Houston and others did not do justice to their auditions and failed to impress the judges. Read more
PDP to challenge impeachment of Zamfara deputy governor in court (Guardian)
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it is working on plans to challenge the impeachment of Zamfara deputy governor, Alhaji Mahdi Aliyu by the state House of Assembly from office.
The party stated this in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Debo Ologunagba in Abuja.
Ologunagba said that the impeachment by the House was illegal and as such a nullity.
“The PDP is reviewing the actions in Zamfara in this violent assault on the Rule of Law and will take appropriate actions necessary. Read more
Jussie Smollett files documents requesting a new trial after taking issue with jury selection (DailyMail)
Jussie Smollett’s legal team have filed documents to request a new trial unless the judge reverses the verdict and finds him not guilty of disorderly conduct for faking the police report, according to TMZ.
The actor requested the new trial two months after he was found guilty by the jurors of five of the six felony charges against him.
The outlet reported that Jussie claimed his constitutional rights were violated after his legal team was blocked from participating in the juror selection process.
Jussie claimed that prosecutors portrayed a pattern of racism in their juror selections, TMZ reported.
In addition, he claims his defense team weren’t allowed to pose questions to the potential jurors as well as alleging the pool was ‘tainted.’ Read more
Ukrainian artists on the Russian crisis: “Now is the time to push for change” (NME)
Artists from Ukraine have spoken to NME about the ongoing conflict with Russia, and what the rest of the world can do to help.
Ukraine has officially severed diplomatic ties with Russia, and declared martial law, after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an attack on the neighbouring nation on Thursday (February 24).
In the time since the invasion launched, 198 Ukrainians – including three children – have been killed at the time of writing, according to Health Minister Viktor Liashko. A further 1,115 people have reportedly been wounded, including 33 children (via Al Jazeera). Russian authorities have not released casualty figures for their forces.
Speaking to NME from London, where they have lived for nine years, electro-pop duo Bloom Twins described the situation as “terrifying”. Read more
Snoop Dogg recalls the time Queen Elizabeth stopped him from getting kicked out of the UK (Independent)
Snoop Dogg has recalled the time Queen Elizabeth stopped him being thrown out of the UK in the Nineties.
The rapper – real name Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr – recounted the incident during a recent interview with DJ Whoo Kid.
He spoke about a UK newspaper story that ran a cover story about him in 1994, which was headlined: “Kick this evil bastard out.”
In it, the paper urged lawmakers to kick Snoop out of the UK – where he was on tour at the time – over the first and second-degree murder charges he was facing. Read more
New James Brown 4-part documentary series on the way (FarOut)
Funk and soul legend James Brown will be the subject of a new four-part docuseries currently entitled James Brown: Say It Loud. The series will air on the A&E network and will be executive produced by both Mick Jagger and Questlove.
“I am thrilled to be producing the four-part documentary series with A&E delving into the fascinating life of James Brown,” Mick Jagger said in a press release. “He was a brilliant performer who inspired me from the beginning and was deeply committed to the Civil Rights movement. I have always admired James and learned so much from him. I look forward to bringing the series to life.”
“The life of James Brown is significant not only to understand his immense musical impact, which inspires us and other artists to this day, but also for the deep and lasting impression he has had on American culture,” said executive producers Ahmir ‘Questlove’ Thompson and Tariq ‘Black Thought’ Trotter. “Brown’s life is a crucial and timely story of struggle, redemption, and self-identity and we are honoured to have the chance to share it.”
Brown’s life was previously chronicled by the late Chadwick Boseman in the 2014 biopic Get On Up. Described as a “documentary event”, A&E says that the docuseries will cover “the intense highs and lows of James Brown’s life and career from a 7th-grade drop-out arrested for armed robbery in the Jim Crow era South to an entertainment legend whose words, songs, style and moves inspired musical revolutions and moulded a nation’s view of Black pride and Black masculinity.” Read more
Ukraine invasion: Russian ballet visit to Wolverhampton cancelled (BBC)
A visit by the Russian State Ballet to a theatre in Wolverhampton has been cancelled following the invasion of Ukraine.
The decision “is absolutely the right thing to do given the circumstances”, the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre said in a statement.
The ballet company had been due to appear for three days from Monday.
Members of the Ukrainian community in the city had been calling for the visit to be cancelled. Read more
Milla Jovovich says she is ‘heartbroken and dumbstruck trying to process the events’ in Ukraine (People)
Milla Jovovich is sharing her feelings on the events taking place in her home country of Ukraine.
The actress and model, 46, shared an emotional post to her Instagram on Friday, directing followers to a link in her bio containing organizations geared toward helping people still in the country as Russia carries out its invasion.
“I am heartbroken and dumbstruck trying to process the events of this week in my birthplace of Ukraine,” Jovovich wrote. “My country and people being bombed. Friends and family in hiding.”
“My blood and my roots come from both Russia and Ukraine. I am torn in two as I watch the horror unfolding, the country being destroyed, families being displaced, their whole life lying in charred fragments around them,” she added. Read more
Nadal beats Medvedev again to reach Acapulco ATP final (France24)
Rafael Nadal beat Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-3 on Friday to reach the final of the ATP Mexico Open and insure the Russian will not celebrate his rise to number one with the Acapulco trophy.
Medvedev was unable to avenge his loss to Nadal in the Australian Open final, where the Spaniard rallied from two sets down to triumph in five and claim a record-setting 21st Grand Slam singles title.
But the 26-year-old Russian departs Mexico knowing he’ll move to number one in the world on Monday. He was assured of reaching the summit when Serbian star Novak Djokovic fell in the quarter-finals at Dubai on Thursday.
Nadal pushed his perfect 2022 record to 14-0, but it wasn’t as simple as the scoreline might suggest.
He powered through the first set without facing a break point and broke Medvedev in the opening game of the second. Read more
Mark ‘D’ Ball: FCT Hardrockers crush Niger Potters 87-45 to maintain top spot (DailyTrust)
FCT Hardrockers on Friday crushed Niger Potters Basketball Club of Minna 87-45 to maintain their position at the top of Group 2 in the ongoing Mark ‘D’ Ball Men’s basketball championship in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the result meant that the FCT Hardrockers extended their winning run to five games in the competition with 11 points from six games played so far.
The table-toppers’ performance at the tournament had been nothing short of remarkable, including their stunning victories against two league giants – Nigeria Customs and Kwara Falcons.
Those results ignited hopes of another exhilarating performance by the FCT-based club side against a young and inexperienced Niger Potters, and that never looked in doubt. Read more
Brighton match against Aston Villa delayed due to ‘traffic issues’ (TalkSport)
Brighton’s home match against Aston Villa has been delayed due to ‘traffic issues’, with Steven Gerrard’s side held up in the team coach.
The game was due to kick off at 3pm, but is now expected to begin at around 3:30pm.
talkSPORT’s football correspondent Alex Crook reported that the Aston Villa team bus hadn’t arrived at the Amex stadium.
When the match does eventually kick off, both sides in need of three points have suffered poor results in recent weeks. Read more
Leeds floodgates continue to flail as Tottenham run riot in four-goal rout at Elland Road (TeamTalk)
Leeds United’s floodgates continued to flail as Tottenham ran riot in a four-goal rout at Elland Road.
The Yorkshire outfit had already conceded 16 goals in their previous four games before Spurs smashed three past them in the opening 45 minutes. The finishes from Matt Doherty, Dejan Kulusevski and Harry Kane were added to by Heung-min Son’s late strike.
Marcelo Bielsa made two changes from the 6-0 hammering at Liverpool in midweek. Robin Koch and Diego Llorente came in for Mateusz Klich and Rodrigo.
Antonio Conte did the same following their defeat at Burnley. Harry Winks replaced the injured Rodrigo Bentancur, while Doherty took Emerson Royal’s place. Read more
Harry Maguire dropped by Man Utd boss Ralf Rangnick amid unhappiness at latest error (Mirror)
Harry Maguire was dropped by Ralf Rangnick for Manchester United’s Premier League clash with Watford on Saturday.
The England international was one of four changes from the Champions League draw with Atletico Madrid in midweek.
He, Luke Shaw, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho all dropped to the bench.
Alex Telles, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Nemanja Matic and Anthony Elanga were the four players who came in. Read more
Amir Khan was “jetlagged” for Kell Brook fight as rematch clause deadline approaches (DailyStar)
Amir Khan’s camp says he was “jetlagged” for his fight against Kell Brook and have suggested it could’ve impacted his performance on the night.
The 35-year-old had been training in the US for months and only flew back into Manchester a week before the fight – which was stopped in the sixth round following a merciless onslaught by Brook, for which Khan had no answer.
An immediate rematch clause was included in the contract, but if Khan doesn’t activate it within the next three weeks then it won’t happen.
Boxing promoter Ben Shalom claims Khan and his team are still trying to collect themselves following such a humiliating defeat to a bitter rival. Read more
Ferrari hails ‘solid’ first test but expects ‘intense fight’ up ahead (F1i)
Ferrari achieved its key objectives during F1’s first pre-season test in Barcelona but insists a lot of work remains to be done to prepare for this year’s “intense fight” with its rivals.
The Italian outfit’s all-new F1-75 was at the sharp end of the timesheets all in Spain and delivered a strong first impression to the F1 paddock.
Mekies outlined the three main objectives that Ferrari achieved during its three days of testing at the Circuit de Catalunya where drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz covered a total of 439 laps, or 2,052 kilometres.
“Overall, this has been a solid test session for us as we completed many laps,” commented Mekies after Friday’s final day of running. Read more