My DG’s conviction cannot stop my presidential ambition ― Peter Obi (Tribune)
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi has said that the conviction of his campaign Director General, Mr Doyin Okupe cannot break his resolve to be Nigeria’s president come 2023.
Obi stated this on Monday during an interactive session with journalists in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital saying that he is undaunted by the conviction Okupe over alleged money laundering.
“I am hearing about it (the conviction) just like you. I am still studying what is coming out of the courts and everything. I believe in the rule of law. It is not going to demoralize me.
“Today when I arrived Akwa Ibom somebody asked me why I haven’t been using my aircraft because it has been grounded and all that and I said to him that nothing demoralizes me.
“In my life I have never stayed where they dropped me otherwise I would have been where they dropped me before. This election if they like let them anything about people who are around me. I will get there”. Read more
My husband confessed to oral sex with my niece –Doctor’s wife (Punch)
Mrs Aderemi Olaleye, the wife of a medical doctor at the Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, Dr Olufemi Olaleye, who is standing trial for allegedly defiling a 15-year-old minor, has told the court how her husband allegedly sexually abused her niece during her stay with them.
The witness, who testified before an Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court, Ikeja, on Monday, said the defendant introduced the victim to pornography and oral sex from March 2020 till July 2021.
Olufemi is facing two counts of defilement and sexual assault by penetration of his wife’s niece, who started living with his family in December 2019, after her guardian died.
Aderemi, who had been married to the doctor for 11 years, said the victim confessed to a relative and their driver that her husband threatened to kill her if she revealed her ordeal to anyone. Read more
29-year-old lady disarms kidnapper of AK-47, frees 3 victims in Plateau (Tribune)
A 29-year-old lady, Miss Lucy Tapnang, has displayed a rare boldness and bravery by attacking a gang of kidnappers, disarming one of them of his AK-47, and setting free three kidnapped victims in Barakin Ladi local government area of Plateau State.
The spokeswoman for the Plateau State Police Command, DSP Alfred Alabo, who disclosed this while speaking with newsmen, said the unfortunate incident occurred last Tuesday at about 8:30 p.m. when gunmen intercepted and abducted some travelers at the corner of Fulani near the Science School, Kuru, K-Vom in Jos South local government area of the state while in transit from Abuja to Mangu.
“Upon receipt of this report, the Command immediately spread dragnets across the state. In a bid to rescue the victims unhurt and apprehend the suspect, the Commissioner of Police, Plateau State Command, Bartholomew N. Onyeka, psc (+), ordered all police divisional headquarters under area commands to comb the forest(s) within their areas of responsibility. Read more
Peter Obi right on money he left in Anambra – Alex Otti (Sun)
The Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate for Abia State, Alex Otti, has cleared the air on the controversy over the money the party’s presidential candidate; Peter Obi said he left as Governor of Anambra State, declaring that the former Anambra Chief Executive was right in his claim.
Otti who was the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Diamond Bank then said he supervised the transaction and knew of the investment made for the state.
Speaking in Enugu Otti said it has become necessary for him to speak on the issue.
He said, “Let me speak about our presidential candidate, one of the reasons I want to speak about him is that in the media, there have been accusations and counter accusations about the money he left in Anambra State and as a participant at that time in 2013, 2014, I like to again restate that Peter Obi actually left the money he said he left.
“And I had documented it in my back page article that I wrote some two years ago on the 8th of June, 2020. I happened to be the CEO of Diamond Bank at that time and he (Obi) came to my office, he wanted to leave the money in cash and we said no, we strategised and said we’ll invest the money in Euro Bonds. I personally helped him exchange naira to dollar about 155 million dollars which were invested in the tier two capital of some of the banks and then in some Euro Bonds, some of them have maturities up to 2023, so some of the monies have not matured”. Read more
El-Rufai, CAN sad as bandits kill 28 in Southern Kaduna (Nation)
Bandits have killed 28 residents of Malagum and Sokwong communities in Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Governor Nasir El-Rufai and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) have condemned the killings.
The Nation gathered that the killings occurred around 11 p.m on Sunday and lasted hours without any security presence while the bandits razed houses in three villages.
In a statement yesterday, Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan said Governor El-Rufai was deeply saddened by the killings. Read more
Ayade flags off third Carnival Calabar dry run, promises best fiesta ever (Guardian)
Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade, has flagged off the third and final dry run of the 2022 edition of the yearly Carnival Calabar, with a pledge to stage the best carnival ever.
Speaking at the Millennium Park, Calabar, shortly before flagging off the carnival with theme: “Agro-Industrialisation,” the governor promised to host the best carnival of all time.
To boost the carnival, he said he had subsidised air fare into Calabar by Cally Air, the state-owned airline to encourage fun seekers from all over Nigeria to attend the celebration.
He added, “Come and spend your Christmas in Calabar. I’m subsidising Cally Air fare this Christmas season to enable Nigerians pour into Calabar for the carnival. Read more
Lagos fiesta returns after 2-year break (Punch)
The Lagos State Government has said the Greater Lagos fiesta which was put on hold in 2020 and 2021 due to the Federal Government directive on COVID-19 safety protocols will commence on Thursday next week.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr Femi Martins, disclosed this on Monday during a press briefing held in Alausa, Ikeja.
Martins added that the state government planned to sponsor a Bill at the state House of Assembly to give legal backing to the annual event.
Martins said, “It is heart-warming to inform Lagosians that the Lagos State Government is to hold the 2022 Greater Lagos Fiesta between December 29 and January 1, 2023, after it had been put on hold for two consecutive years, 2020 and 2021, due to COVID-19 pandemic protocols. The event will be well-loaded featuring live music, concerts, comedy and cultural displays, and would take place in the five divisions of the state which include, Ikorodu, Badagry, Epe, Agege and Lagos Island. Read more
3 banks drive sector’s 81.5% contribution to market turnover (Guardian)
Three bank stocks – Sterling Bank Plc, Access Holdings Plc and Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO) – drove activities in the financial services sector of the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) last week.
The financial sector maintained its dominance in volume terms with 663.8 million shares valued at N5.5 billion traded in 7,240 deals, contributing 81.5 per cent to the total equities turnover.
Trading in the top three banks (measured by volume) accounted for 394.9 million shares worth N2.8 billion in 2,274 deals, contributing 48.51 per cent to the total equities volume.
Following the financial sector in volume terms last week was the ICT Industry with 44.4 million shares worth N4.5 billion in 1,136 deals. The consumer goods industry ranked third with a turnover of 27.4 million shares worth N1.2 billion in 3,051 deals. Read more
Harvey Weinstein found guilty in second sex crimes trial (BBC)
The disgraced film producer is already serving 23 years in jail
By Samantha Granville
BBC News, at court in Los Angeles
Former Hollywood film mogul Harvey Weinstein has been found guilty of three counts of sexual assault, including rape, in Los Angeles.
The two-month trial heard how Weinstein used his influence to lure women into private meetings before attacking them.
The 70-year-old faces up to 24 years in prison when sentenced.
He is already serving 23 years in jail after he was convicted of rape and sexual assault at his first trial in New York two years ago.
Weinstein was found guilty on Monday of rape and two sexual assault charges involving an accuser known as Jane Doe 1, to protect her anonymity. Read more
DC boss James Gunn addresses Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot exit rumours (DigitalSpy)
Worlds of DC boss James Gunn has addressed the rumours that Gal Gadot has departed from the role of Wonder Woman.
Since Gunn’s appointment as co-CEO of DC Studios, there has been a sizable number of changes at the company. Henry Cavill left the role of Superman earlier this month, while Patty Jenkins’ vision for a third Wonder Woman film was turned down by Gunn and co-CEO, Peter Safran.
This has led to rumours that Gadot wouldn’t be returning to the role as the hero, but Gunn has offered his side to the story – though he didn’t confirm if Gadot would continue playing Diana Prince.
In a post on Instagram, Gunn referenced the backlash that he and Safran had faced since news of the changes at DC were made, with one fan saying they had “booted” both Cavill and Gadot from their respective franchises. Read more
Pusha T confirms he is no longer affiliated with Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music label (NME)
The fate of Kanye West’s record label, G.O.O.D. Music, has been muddied with the revelation that it’s now without a president, after Pusha T further distanced himself from its controversial founder this week.
Pusha (real name Terrence Thornton) was appointed president of G.O.O.D. Music in 2015, taking over from Che Pope. Active with the former Def Jam imprint for the past seven years, Thornton was its longest-serving president (all three of his predecessors had stuck with the role for three years). However, in a new interview with XXL, he’s made it clear that he’s no longer associated with any projects or organisations tied to West.
Asked by the publication if he’d kept his post at G.O.O.D. amid West’s current string of controversies – the bulk of which involving his antisemitic comments and Nazi apologism – Thornton replied bluntly: “No. No No, I’m not.” He went on to clarify that he has “a 50/50 venture with Def Jam” for both his personal endeavours as an artist and those of his own label imprint, the Heir Wave Music Group (which he founded in 2020). Read more
Terry Hall of The Specials dies aged 63 (BBC)
Terry Hall, the frontman of socially conscious ska band The Specials, has died at the age of 63.
Known for his dour image and sharp wit, the singer found fame in the 1970s and 80s with hits like Ghost Town, Gangsters and Too Much Too Young.
He left The Specials in 1981 to form Fun Boy Three with fellow-bandmates Neville Staple and Lynval Golding, scoring another run of hits.
The singer died after a brief illness, The Specials said in a statement. Read more
Lil Baby drops 1st-ever music video shot at World Cup (HipHopDX)
Lil Baby dropped off an inspirational anthem celebrating another memorable World Cup coming to a close with Argentina leaving Qatar as champions.
“The World Is Yours To Take” arrived on Sunday (December 18) courtesy of Baby and Tears For Fears, whose 1985 hit “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” — which Nas famously sampled — is sampled on the record.
“I’m by far one of the hardest workers/Real firm believer in Practice make perfect/You can gather all the water, stay thirsty/Took a lot to get us here, we broke curses,” the 4PF boss raps.
Lil Baby preaches about his work ethic on the track—which was created in partnership with Budweiser—and a cinematic visual directed by Director X following the “Drip Too Hard” rhymer across Qatar. Read more
Women Film Critics Circle declares She Said, Women Talking the best of 2022 (UPI)
The Women Film Critics Circle named She Said as 2022’s Best Movie About Women on Monday.
Writer-director Sarah Polley’s Women Talking scored the honors for Best Movie By a Woman and Best Woman Storyteller.
It also won the Adrienne Shelly Award for a film that “most passionately opposes violence against women” and the Karen Morley Award for “best exemplifying a woman’s place in history or society, and a courageous search for identity.”
Michelle Yeoh won the prize for Best Actress for Everything Everywhere All at Once, and she and Ke Huy Quan, her co-star in the film, were voted Best Screen Couple. Read more
King Charles banknotes to enter UK circulation from mid-2024 (RFI)
The first banknotes bearing the image of King Charles III are set to enter circulation by mid-2024, the Bank of England said on Tuesday as it unveiled their designs.
“The portrait of The King will appear on existing designs of all four polymer banknotes (£5, £10, £20 and £50), with no other changes to the existing designs,” the central bank said.
“The King’s image will appear on the front of the banknotes, as well as in a cameo in the see-through security window.”
Charles, 74, became king after the death in September of his mother Queen Elizabeth II. Read more
Nigeria, Benin bid to co-host AFCON 2025 (ThisDay)
Nigeria and Benin have submitted a joint bid to stage the Africa Cup of Nations in 2025, joining Algeria, Morocco and Zambia in having expressed an interest in hosting the finals.
Three-time African champions Nigeria are looking to stage for the third time, having co-hosted with Ghana in 2000 after being the sole organisers in 1980.
“Having completed all the processes, we submitted our bid before the Confederation of African Football (CAF) deadline of 16 December,” a top Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) official told BBC Sport Africa.
“The NFF will be sharing more information on the bid to stage the tournament in the coming weeks.”
Kylian Mbappe promises ‘we’ll be back’ after France’s World Cup final defeat to Argentina (Metro)
France superstar Kylian Mbappe vowed ‘we’ll be back’ after his side’s World Cup final defeat to Argentina.
The 23-year-old was on the losing side despite becoming just the second player in history to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final.
Mbappe scored twice in 90 seconds to take the game to extra-time and he added a third from the penalty spot to take the game to a shootout.
The Paris Saint-Germain star did his bit by scoring in the shootout but Emi Martinez was the hero for Argentina, saving two France efforts. Read more
Lionel Messi named BBC Sports Personality’s World Sport Star of the Year (BBC)
Argentina’s World Cup-winning captain Lionel Messi has been named BBC Sports Personality’s World Sport Star of the Year for 2022.
Messi, 35, led Argentina to their first World Cup triumph in 36 years in Qatar.
The Paris St-Germain forward won the tournament’s Golden Ball – awarded to the best player – after scoring seven goals at his fifth World Cup.
The former Barcelona star is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest footballers of all-time. Read more
Carlo Ancelotti responds to claims he could leave Real Madrid to become Brazil manager (Mirror)
Carlo Ancelotti has played down the chances of leaving Real Madrid to take over as head coach of Brazil.
The Italian is one of the leading candidates to replace Tite after the Selecao’s disappointing exit from the World Cup at the quarter-final stage. They were knocked out on penalties by Croatia, having been one of the favourites to win the tournament.
In the aftermath of that defeat, Tite confirmed that would be leaving his role, with his contract having expired. Brazil remain on the search for their next boss, though they do have plenty of time to decide before their next match.
Ancelotti has emerged as one of the frontrunners amid his impressive spell at Madrid. The Italian returned to Los Blancos ahead of last season, leading them to the LaLiga and Champions League double. Read more
Tiger Woods conducts caroling PGA Tour stars, including Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler (DailyMail)
Tiger Woods led TaylorMade’s Christmas carolers as Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Collin Morikawa, Scottie Scheffler and Charley Hull spread the holiday cheer.
In the latest advert for the golf equipment giant, Woods was seen leading the pack in a similar way to how he has on the course for many years.
The 15-time major winner, decked out in a top hat and Victorian-era attire, picked up the baton to conduct his fellow golfing stars in a rendition of ‘We Wish you a Merry Christmas.’
The carolers, which featured his fellow TaylorMade staffers McIlroy, Fleetwood, Morikawa, Scheffler and LPGA star Hull, also wore costumes straight out of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Read more
Franz Tost ‘‘shocked’’ by Pierre Gasly points situation, absolutely not dangerous (PlanetF1)
AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost expressed his surprise at how Pierre Gasly has amassed so many penalty points on his Super Licence, believing the Frenchman is “absolutely not a dangerous driver”.
Gasly sits on 10 penalty points at the end of the 2022 season, and will not lose any for the first six races of 2023, meaning he will be walking something of a tightrope as he looks to avoid hitting 12 points in that time – and the ignominy of becoming the first driver to trigger a race ban under the FIA’s Super Licence rules as they stand.
Gasly, who moves to Alpine in time for the new year after leaving AlphaTauri, amassed five of his points in three consecutive races in October, with Tost expressing particular shock at the two he received in Suzuka for speeding during red flag conditions in the wet, especially given the events of 2014 and the personal impact the loss of Jules Bianchi will have had on him.
But even so, the AlphaTauri team boss does not see why Gasly has accrued so many penalty points over the course of the year. Read more