Oro festival won’t affect gov polls, Elegushi clarifies (Punch)
The traditional ruler of the Ikate-Elegushi Kingdom in Lagos State, Saheed Ademola, on Wednesday said the March 2023 Oro festival would not affect the governorship elections slated to be held on Saturday, March 18, 2023.
The monarch made the clarifications in a text message sent to The PUNCH in Abuja.
Certain media organisations (not The PUNCH) reported that the monarch fixed the traditional rite on Election Day. Read more
INEC distributes election materials across Lagos (Vanguard)
Ahead of the Saturdays governorship elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Wednesday obtained and distributed sensitive and non sensitive election materials across the 20 Local Government Areas, LGAs in Lagos.
Addressing newsmen during the distribution, INEC, Lagos Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Mr. Olusegun Agbaje noted that ” as the election for governorship and States House of Assembly approaches, in Lagos state, we have about 40 constituencies where we are going to conduct election on Saturdays.
“Our materials would be escorted by security agents to ensure its safety ahead of the election.” Read more
FG finally confirms census will hold in May (DailyTrust)
The Federal Government has confirmed that the 2023 population and housing census earlier scheduled for March 29 will now hold in May 2023.
Daily Trust had exclusively reported that the exercise had been shifted till the last month of the Buhari administration in office.
A staff member of the commission, who did not want his name in print, had confirmed the postponement to Daily Trust.
“The census will hold now from May 3 to 7 and it is a recommendation that has been submitted to the President. He is going to approve it anyway but it is yet to be decided,” he had said. Read more
$618m for young Nigerians in tech, creative sectors as Osinbajo launches scheme (Guardian)
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, yesterday, launched a $600 million programme for young Nigerians in the technology and creative sectors with a call on African governments and the private sector to do more to support growth of innovation in Africa.
He spoke at the official unveiling of Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (i-DICE) Programme in Abuja.
The programme is to support young Nigerians, aged 15 to 35, and who are entrepreneurs in early stages in creative, innovative and technology-enabled ventures. Read more
Lagos ranked 313th in world’s most polluted cities, Nigeria 10th in Africa (Tribune)
Lagos under Governor Babajide Sanwo’s watch has been ranked 133 in the world’s most polluted cities, according to the latest survey by IQAir.
The Swiss air quality technology company also ranked Nigeria 10th in Africa and 18th out of 118 countries ranked globally in 2022.
Working on what it called historical data from 2017 to 2022, IQAir said the annual average PM2.5 concentration (μg/m³) of Lagos is “unhealthy” advising the government to “start implementing a large amount of preventative measures to keep pollution levels down and thus improve the wellbeing of its inhabitants”. Read more
Gov Elections: Wike tasks Christian leaders on unity (Channels)
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has urged the leadership and members of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the State not to allow politicians, especially those who are desperate for votes, to set them against each other.
Governor Wike gave the advice during an interactive session with the leadership and critical stakeholders of the Rivers State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria at the Banquet Hall of Government House in Port Harcourt.
The governor said the March 18 election is a state-level exercise and all the candidates contesting for the various positions, particularly for the governorship, are all Christians. Read more
Stay steadfast, LP tells supporters ahead of upcoming polls (Sun)
The Labour Party (LP) has charged its supporters to be steadfast by fully participating and voting for its governorship and state Houses of Assembly candidates in the March 18 polls.
The chairman of the party in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Peter Chukwuemeka, at a press briefing yesterday in Abuja, noted that members would not be discouraged by the outcome of the presidential election.
Chukwuemeka advised those who lost the contest, to give up and accept the will of the people.
He cautioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against upturning the results of party members who won the election. Read more
Enugu Guber: CSO charges NYSC DG to speak out over Mbah’s certificate (Independent)
The Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Yasha’u Dogara Ahmed, has been charged to speak out on the certificate issued to Mr. Peter Mbah, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Enugu state.
A group under the aegis of Total Support for the Rule of Law and Justice Initiative and Enugu Progressive Forum made this call on Wednesday in Abuja.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja, the Media and Publicity Secretary of the group, Bar. Cynthia Mbakwe, said they will continue to hold all those who seek public office in this 2023 general election to account not only for their promises but also for all the claims of qualifications they make. Read more
Drew Barrymore to host 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards (RollingStone)
Drew Barrymore has been tapped as the host of this year’s MTV Movie & TV Awards, airing live from Los Angeles’ Barker Hangar on May 7.
The three-time MTV Golden Popcorn winner revealed her participation Wednesday in a promo video from the set of her daytime talk show featuring three potential nominees: M3GAN, Cocaine Bear, and Ghostface from Scream; Barrymore was notably the masked serial killer’s first on-screen victim in the original Scream, which won Best Movie at the MTV Movie Awards in 1997.
Barrymore follows recent hosts Leslie Jones, Nikki Glaser, and Vanessa Hudgens of MTV’s long-running, fan-voted award show that celebrates the big and small screens; television categories were added to the MTV Movie Awards in 2017.. Read more
Ed Sheeran to release ‘Eyes Closed’ on March 24 (UPI)
Ed Sheeran will return with new music in March.
The 32-year-old singer-songwriter announced Wednesday that he will release the single “Eyes Closed” on March 24.
“Eyes Closed” is a tribute song to Sheeran’s late friend Jamal Edwards.
“‘Eyes Closed’ is out 24th march, you can pre order it now. This song is about losing someone, feeling like every time you go out and you expect to just bump into them, and every thing just reminds you of them and things you did together. You sorta have to take yourself out of reality sometimes to numb the pain of loss, but certain things just bring you right back into it,” Sheeran wrote on Instagram. Read more
Bobby Caldwell, ‘What You Won’t Do For Love’ R&B crooner, dies at 71 (USAToday)
Bobby Caldwell, who famously sang R&B hits including “What You Won’t Do For Love” and “Open Your Eyes,” has died. He was 71.
The soulful singer-songwriter’s wife announced his death on his official Twitter account Wednesday, saying he at home.
“Bobby passed away here at home. I held him tight in my arms as he left us. I am forever heartbroken. Thanks to all of you for your many prayers over the years,” she wrote. Read more
Deaf singer on ‘The Voice’ blows the judges away with soulful performance (Today)
“The Voice” blind auditions continue to bring in amazing talent.
On Monday, March 13, ALI, who was born deaf, completely shocked coaches Kelly Clarkson, Chance the Rapper, Blake Shelton and Niall Horan when she performed an amazing cover of the Fugees’ version of “Killing Me Softly with His Song.”
When ALI took the stage and began to sing, all the coaches were immediately intrigued. Chance started bopping his head, followed by Clarkson and Horan as they started moving in their chairs. Read more
Flo Rida headlining 18th annual AIDS Walk and Music Festival (HipHopDX)
Flo Rida has announced that he will be teaming up with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation to help fight back against the life-threatening illness.
On Monday (March 12), the nonprofit announced that the “Low” MC would partner with the organization for its 18th annual Florida AIDS Walk and Music Festival. The event will help raise over “$2 million for HIV/AIDS services,” according to the nonprofit’s press release.
The event will be presented by Wells Fargo and AHF Pharmacy, a national chain of pharmacies supporting US & global HIV care. Read more
Fresh fighting with Boko Haram displaces thousands on Cameroon-Nigeria border (VOA)
At least 3,000 people have been displaced in fresh fighting along the Nigerian-Cameroonian border, according to forces battling Boko Haram militants.
Refugees at Minawao, a camp on Cameroon’s northern border with Nigeria, say the number of people seeking humanitarian assistance in the camp increases by the day.
Isaac Luka, president of Nigerian refugees at Minawao, said the current influx caused by hunger and gun battles is making living conditions that were already bad in the camp even worse. Read more
Bad Bunny explains his stage name (USAToday)
Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, is revealing how he chose his stage name.
The Puerto Rican rapper told James Corden on Wednesday’s episode of “Carpool Karaoke,” that in the beginning of his career, he wanted to conceal his identity with a mask, kind of like music producer and DJ Marshmello does with what looks like a giant marshmallow head.
“You know I never wanted to be so famous but then I just went with the flow,” Bad Bunny said.
Corden asked why he might want to cover up “such a beautiful face” and pressed further asking where Bad Bunny came from. Read more
Sudanese officials for Nigeria, Guinea U-23 AFCON clash (Punch)
The Confederation of African Football has appointed officials from Sudan as referees for Wednesday’s (today) U-23 Africa Cup of Nations final qualifying fixture, first leg match between Nigeria and Guinea at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
Sabri Mohamed Fadul will be the referee with his compatriots Abdelgabar Mohamed Abdelgabar and Ahmed Subahi as assistant referee 1 and assistant referee 2 respectively, while Ring Akech Malong from South Sudan will work as fourth official.
Munkaila Nassam Adam from Ghana will be the match commissioner. Read more
Zlatan Ibrahimovic returns to Sweden squad aged 41 for Euro 2024 qualifiers (DailyMail)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has returned to the Sweden squad aged 41.
The forward has recently returned to club action for AC Milan after 11 months out with a serious knee injury.
He made his return to the Sweden squad in March 2021 after almost five years away after announcing his retirement after Euro 2016.
He spent another year away following his return after missing Euro 2020 through injury, and was unable to help his side reach the World Cup last year. Read more
2 arrested in Mohamed Salah home robbery case in Cairo (National)
Two men have been arrested in connection with a robbery at Mohamed Salah’s suburban Cairo home, police officials said on Wednesday.
They said one of the two was a former security guard at the residential compound where the house is located in the upmarket suburb of Tagamoa in eastern Cairo.
The police, who published photos of the items stolen from the house, said they included three pairs of football boots, a silver medal and crystal ornament. Cable TV receivers were also stolen, they said. Read more
Leclerc set for 10 place grid penalty in Saudi Arabia (RTE)
Charles Leclerc’s torrid start to the new season was dealt a further blow on Wednesday when it was confirmed he will serve a grid penalty at this weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Leclerc retired from the season-opening race in Bahrain while running in third place after his Ferrari engine expired in the latter stages.
And his Ferrari team has revealed prior to Sunday’s round in Jeddah that they will have to fit a new electronics control unit – the Monegasque’s third already this season – resulting in a 10-place grid drop. Read more
Damian Lillard says every NBA team needs a player like Udonis Haslem (HeatNation)
Over the last few years, Miami Heat veteran Udonis Haslem has caught a lot of flack from NBA fans on social media for remaining on the team’s roster despite not getting much playing time.
Though some fans seem to think he provides little value overall, NBA players clearly feel very differently. Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard has become the latest NBA star to come forward to discuss Haslem’s value.
This is far from the first time that a player has discussed Haslem and what he brings to the table for Miami. In fact, just a few days ago, Memphis Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks spoke glowingly of Haslem’s presence on the Heat’s roster. Read more
R&A proposes rule change to reduce ball distance by 2026 Open Championship (BBC)
Players at future Open Championships are likely to be forced to use specially adapted golf balls that will not fly as far as ones in use today, under new rules proposed by the R&A.
It is hoped the plans, which focus on ball specifications and do not affect large-headed drivers, will be adopted across elite golf in 2026.
The move will reduce the length of tee shots by about 15 yards.
At last week’s Players Championship, Rory McIlroy hit a tee shot 362 yards. Read more