Senate amends electoral act to allow president, others vote at party congresses, primaries (Guardian)
The Senate has amended the Electoral Act 2022, to allow ‘statutory delegates’ to participate and vote in political parties’ conventions, congresses and meetings.
This followed the passage of the amendment bill on the act at the Committee of the Whole on Tuesday in Abuja.
The bill was sponsored by Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege.
Presenting the bill, Omo-Agege said that it sought to amend the provision of Section 84(8) of the Electoral Act.
According to him, the provisions of the section do not provide for the participation of what is generally known as ‘statutory delegates’ in the conventions, congresses or meetings of political parties. Read more
Police arraign 4 Chrisland School teachers (Channels)
The police have arraigned four teachers of Chrisland Schools at the Magistrate Court sitting in the Yaba area of Lagos State.
Those brought to the court on Tuesday were the teachers who accompanied some pupils of Chrisland to the World School Games in Dubai.
Authorities in Lagos State had ordered the closure of all branches of Chrisland Schools amid a controversy over the alleged misconduct of some of its pupils while on a trip to Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Announcing the closure in a statement on April 18, the government said all allegations were being investigated by the relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, including the Ministry of Education, Office of Education Quality Assurance, Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Ministry of Justice, and the Lagos State Domestic & Sexual Violence Agency. Read more
Lagos traders tackle developer over power outage, low sales (Punch)
Traders at the Ogba Shopping Complex in the Ikeja area of Lagos State have protested against the lack of power supply in the complex, alleging extortion.
The placard-carrying traders, who also lamented low patronage at the mall, sang solidarity songs as they blamed the complex developer, Kehinde Fajana, for their ordeals.
Some of their placards read, ‘We demand reduction in our service charge,’ ‘Separate our bill from generator,’ ‘The mall is faceless, no publicity from the management,’ ‘We want our light fixed, no more four hours light,’ and ‘This is a mall, not a hospital, not a school.’
A fashion designer, Rhoda Alakiu, said shop owners were locked in a battle with Fajana over a number of issues. Read more
Ataga: witness recounts seeing bloodstain on duvet, pillow, floor (Guardian)
Olusegun Bamidele, a prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of Chidinma Ojukwu, the alleged killer of Chief Executive Officer of Super TV, Usifo Ataga, yesterday, told a Lagos High court his findings when he visited the crime scene.
In his testimony before Justice Yetunde Adesanya of a Lagos High Court sitting in Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) the witness, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said the bed was ruffled with blood stains on the pillow, floor and the duvet when he visited the crime scene.
He also said he was able to track the suspect through her phone. Bamidele, an officer from intelligent and tactical unit of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) Yaba Police Station, told the court that he tracked Ojukwu down to N0. 57, Akinwunmi St., Alagomeji, Yaba.
Led in evidence-in-chief by the Lagos State Director for Public Prosecutions, Mrs. A. O. Oluwafemi, the witness narrated how the case was transferred from Maroko Police Station to his own department at SCIID, Yaba. Read more
Saraki: How I defeated the ‘Emperor of Bourdillon’ (DailyTrust)
Former Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukoka Saraki on Monday met delegates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos, appealing to them to support his move to secure the party’s Presidential ticket.
He told the delegates that he remains their own as someone who last defeated the “Emperor of Bourdillon” who vowed that he would not become the Senate President.
In 2015, Saraki, who was a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), emerged Senate President against the wishes of some party leaders, including Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Speaking at a meeting with the delegates, Saraki said as he defeated the Emperor of Bourdillon, making reference to the former Governor of the state, he would help the party reclaim the state in 2023. Read more
Energy transition, others key for economic devt — Vertex Next (Vanguard)
As the energy crisis continues to hit Nigeria, Vertex NEXT(a subsidiary of Vertex Global Services) and Asia’s greatest brand said that the nation has the capacity to harness its abundant energy and other resources for development.
Nigeria, whose population is estimated at over 200 million people, depends on imported petroleum products also suffers a setback because of its inability to generate, transmit and distribute adequate electricity nationwide.
But Vertex Next, which identified Nigeria’s endowment, including crude oil, natural gas, water, sun and wind, noted that these need to be properly harnessed through the application of modern technologies, innovations and applications in order to meet demand, thus stimulating growth in all sectors of the economy.
In a statement issued in Lagos, the company, which has concluded plans to hold two events: Power and Water Exhibition and Conference and IoT West Africa Conference & Exhibition on June 21 – 23, 2022, at Landmark Centre, Lagos, stated that the events are targeted at building capacity and introducing new technologies, applications and innovations. Read more
P-Square to storm 100 cities in 2022 world tour (Punch)
Nigerian singing duo, P-Square, has announced their highly anticipated 2022 world tour.
The duo will storm 100 cities around the world for the tour tagged ‘P-Square Reunion World Tour’.
A member of the group, Peter Okoye, also known as Mr. P, made the announcement on his Instagram page on Tuesday.
He noted that the event will take place across four continents: Africa, North America, Europe, and Asia.
Sharing a flier of the event on his page, Mr. P wrote as caption, “P-Square City World Tour 2022. Coming to your city. North America, Europe, United Kingdom, Middle East, Asia, and Africa.” Read more
Suleman breaks silence on Otobo’s latest allegations (Nation)
General Overseer of Omega Fire Ministries Apostle Johnson Suleman has reacted to the latest threat by Canada-based singer Stephanie Otobo to release videos of their alleged intimate affairs.
Otobo renewed the battle against the preacher who she alleged had a sizzling romance with her for years.
She released nude pictures of their alleged intimate moments, threatening to provide videos to substantiate the claims.
Otobo and Suleman were first in the news in 2017 when the singer sued the preacher for assault and sexual harassment. Read more
Another scarcity looms as fuel marketers demand N500b bridging claim (Guardian)
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has asked Nigerians to prepare for another round of fuel scarcity after the government stalled the payment of a N500 billion bridging claim.
IPMAN chairman in Kano, Bashir Danmalam, said the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority has not paid the money to fuel markets despite being notified.
Danmalam said the failure of the NMDPRA to pay the bridging claim, also known as transportation claim, had forced many of its members out of business.
He alleged that since the amalgamation of DPR, PEF and PPRA to NMDPRA, the agency had only paid independent marketers twice. Read more
Diana Ross duets with Tame Impala for Minions film (BBC)
Diana Ross has teamed up with psych-rock band Tame Impala to record a song for the forthcoming Minions movie.
Called Turn Up The Sunshine, the track is a laid-back, feel-good summer anthem whose funky horn stabs recall The Commodores’ Brick House.
Ross even raps in the verses – “There’s light at the end of the tunnel if you stay on track” – before cutting loose on a soaring soul chorus.
The single comes in advance of the star’s set at Glastonbury this June. Read more
Diddy launches new R&B label “Love Records” & partners with Motown Records (HNHH)
Sean “Diddy” Combs is starting a new R&B record label named Love Records and is partnering with the iconic Motown Records for a one-time album deal. Diddy will be releasing his long-awaited album, this summer, under the new label in partnership with Motown Records.
“Music has always been my first love, Love Records is the next chapter is about getting back to the love and making the best music of my life,” Diddy said in a press release. “For the Label I’m focused on creating timeless R&B music with the next generation of artists and producers. Motown is the perfect partner for my album and I’m excited to add to its legacy.”
Motown Records C.E.O. and Chairwoman Ethiopia Habtemariam added: “This is a major moment for Motown, as Diddy is one of this century’s most important voices in music and culture; To be a part of his next evolution and album is nothing short of monumental.”
While launching the label, Combs is planning to continue to oversee the Bad Boy Entertainment label. Read more
Dubai’s Front Row boards Arabic comedy ‘Abdelinho’ starring Ali Suliman (Variety)
Dubai-based distribution and production outfit Front Row Filmed Entertainment has boarded Arab-language comedy “Abdelinho,” directed by Morocco’s Hicham Ayouch and toplined by Ali Suliman (“Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan”).
The move comes as Front Row, which is a prominent MENA region indie distributor, ramps up its production side following its Arabic adaptation of Italian dramedy “Perfect Strangers” that it produced in tandem with Egypt’s Film Clinic. The redo was recently acquired by Netflix and is being touted as a local hit.
“Abdelinho” is a coming-of-age-comedy set in a small town in Morocco. It’s centered around its titular character, a gentle-spirited dreamer who has a strong fascination with Brazil. Accordingly, AHis life is turned upside-down by the arrival of a televangelist played by Suliman, the prominent Palestinian thesp who broke out in Hany Abu Assad’s Oscar-nominated 2005 film “Paradise Now” and more recently made a splash in Ameen Nayfeh’s “200 Meters.” Suliman has also had roles in Peter Berg’s “The Kingdom,” Ridley Scott’s “Body of Lies” and Amazon’s “Jack Ryan” series.bdelinho speaks Portuguese and dances the samba. Read more
Turner Classic Movies teams up with Julien’s Auctions (THR)
An Audrey Hepburn Breakfast at Tiffany’s dress by Hubert de Givenchy, a shield carried by Chris Evans in Captain America: The First Avenger, and a 1920s yacht seen in 1957’s Pal Joey are among the high-profile lots in a July sale that also celebrates a just-announced collaboration between Julien’s Auctions and Turner Classic Movies.
Since 2013, TCM has been partnering with London-based auction house Bonhams to produce annual sales of Hollywood memorabilia. But, explaining the change, Pola Changnon, general manager of Turner Classic Movies, says that Julien’s Auctions’ exclusive focus on costumes, props and other entertainment artifacts ultimately seemed like a better fit for TCM. “For us Bonhams was a fantastic partner, but their core business was never Hollywood memorabilia,” she tells The Hollywood Reporter exclusively. “With Julien’s, we’re working with an auction house that not only devotes all their expertise to this category, they also have a built-in audience of collectors they’re marketing these auctions to, and that’s fantastic for us. It’s just a marriage of the right place at the right time.”
“We agree that it’s a perfect match,” says Martin Nolan, executive director of Beverly Hills-based Julien’s Auctions. “We began conversations a few months ago — we knew [TCM] had a relationship with Bonhams, and we’ve always respected that. But we were genuinely excited when they reached out to us, because it is an ideal relationship. The entertainment space is our sole focus for fans, investors and museums, while their target audience is completely aligned with ours. The more we talked, the bigger the conversation got.”
In addition to its focus on entertainment memorabilia, the smaller size of Julien’s Auctions, versus large-scale auction houses like Christie’s or Sotheby’s, likewise appealed to TCM execs. “We liked the idea that there wouldn’t be many layers to get to the right person,” Changnon says, adding that the network often is contacted by descendants of Hollywood stars looking for advice. “We’re approached by family members saying, ‘We’ve got this incredible treasure trove [of memorabilia], can you point us in the right direction? Who can we trust?’ Our relationships have meant a lot in this space, and we want to trust them to someone we know will take equal care.” Read more
New Jersey rapper AK claims Kendrick Lamar stole his idea for “The Heart Part 5″ (HNHH)
A rapper from New Jersey has accused Kendrick Lamar of copying his idea for “The Heart Part 5.”
New Jersey rapper AK has accused Kendrick Lamar of stealing the idea for his new music video, “The Heart Part 5,” from AK’s 2020 song, “Family Tree.” Both videos feature the artist in front of the camera rapping while their face morphs into different celebrities.
For AK’s video, he becomes J. Cole, Nas, Lil Wayne, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, JAY-Z, and even Kendrick Lamar. The piece was released in September 2020 and has amassed over 600,000 views on YouTube.
“Kendrick Lamar’s new music video is an exact copy of my video from 2020 of my song ‘Family Tree,’” AK claimed in a video posted on social media. Read more
Bono pens memoir Surrender to lift the lid on his life in U2 (Standard)
U2 frontman Bono is publishing a memoir with each chapter named after one of the band’s songs.
The book, called Surrender, will look at his early days in Dublin including the death of his mother when he was 14 to the band’s climb to the top of the charts as well as his campaigns on issues including AIDS.
It will be published around the world on November 1 with publishers Penguin Random House guaranteed a best-seller.
He said: “When I started to write this book, I was hoping to draw in detail what I’d previously only sketched in songs. The people, places, and possibilities in my life. Read more
Russia pounds Ukrainian port city of Odessa to sever supply lines (PBS)
Russian troops pounded away at the vital port of Odessa, Ukrainian officials said Tuesday, apparently as part of efforts to disrupt the supply lines and weapons shipments that have been critical to Kyiv’s defense.
Ukraine’s ability to stymie a larger, better armed Russian military has surprised many observers, who had anticipated a much quicker conflict. With the war now in its 11th week and Kyiv bogging Russian forces down in many places and even staging a counteroffensive in others, Ukraine’s foreign minister appeared to suggest that the country could expand its aims beyond merely pushing Russia back to areas it or its allies held on the day of Feb. 24 invasion.
One of the most dramatic examples of Ukraine’s ability to deny Russia easy victories has been Mariupol, where Ukrainian fighters remain holed up at a steel plant despite a monthslong siege. The regiment defending the plant said Tuesday that Russian war planes continued pounding it.
In recent days, the United Nations and Red Cross organized a dramatic rescue of what some officials said were the last civilians trapped at the plant. But on Tuesday, two officials said about 100 were believed to still be in the complex’s underground tunnels. Others said that was impossible to confirm. Read more
Technical Adviser Position: NFF gets more time to make recommendation (Independent)
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has been given more time to make recommendations for the position of the Super Eagles Technical Adviser job.
This was the highlight of the meeting between the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development and the NFF, which our correspondent gathered went very well with both bodies agreeing to work together in the interest of Nigerian football.
“NFF will take the next few days to conduct further interviews with the prospective coaches/candidates seeking to become the Super Eagles Technical Adviser.
“Thereafter NFF will meet with the Ministry to reach a final decision on the matter and come out with the name of the new Technical Adviser,” we learnt. Read more
Man City agree deal to sign Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund (ESPN)
Manchester City have agreed a deal to sign striker Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund, the club announced on Tuesday.
Haaland, 21, will move to the Etihad Stadium this summer and is set to become one of the highest-paid players at the club. Sources told ESPN he will not top midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, on around £375,000-a-week, as their biggest earner.
Haaland’s arrival will complete Pep Guardiola’s pursuit of a striker after failing in an attempt to land Tottenham Hotspur forward Harry Kane last summer.
The Norway international has been one of the most sought-after young players in the world, and City have fought off competition from Real Madrid and Bayern Munich to sign him. Read more
Jurgen Klopp: Liverpool boss was looking for excuse, says Spurs’ Antonio Conte (BBC)
Tottenham boss Antonio Conte says Liverpool counterpart Jurgen Klopp was looking for an “excuse or an alibi” when he criticised Spurs’ style in Saturday’s 1-1 draw.
Klopp said “I don’t like this kind of football” and “they should do more for the game” after a good defensive Spurs showing dented Liverpool’s title hopes.
Conte, though, suggested his opposing number was “a bit frustrated”.
“It is important to be focused on your team, not the opponent,” he said. Read more
Jokic captures 2nd straight NBA MVP award (DailyMail)
Denver’s Nikola Jokic has won his second consecutive Most Valuable Player award after a season in which he finished with numbers never before seen in NBA history, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.
The NBA was preparing to make the announcement in the coming days, likely this week, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Monday because the voting results have not been announced.
ESPN, citing sources, first reported that Jokic would be named MVP again.
The Nuggets’ 7-foot center was the first player in league history to eclipse 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 500 assists in a season. And that sort of dominance by the player nicknamed “Joker” helped convince voters that he should be the 13th player of the NBA’s exclusive MVP back-to-back club. Read more
Tyson Fury vs Dillian Whyte final drug test results confirmed after title fight (Mirror)
Tyson Fury and Dillian Whyte both passed their final drug tests following their heavyweight showdown last month.
Fury brutally dismissed the challenge of his domestic rival last month, ending the contest with a brutal uppercut just before the midway point at Wembley. The pair were enrolled on the WBC’s drug testing as part of their ‘Clean Boxing program’ and passed their two pre-fight tests.
It has now been confirmed by the governing body that the pair have passed their third and final tests after the bout, with both samples coming back clean. The Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA) tweeted: “Congratulations to Tyson Fury and Dillian Whyte for successfully completing VADA.”
Fury was dominant from the opening bell against Whyte, controlling the exchanges with his rival unable to close the distance. Fury sent his opponent crashing to the canvas with a well-timed right uppercut in the sixth round before referee Mark Lyson halted the contest with Whyte unable to continue after staggering desperately towards him.Read more
Angry Lakers owner Jeanie Buss denies LeBron James rumours (NYPost)
Lakers owner Jeanie Buss let the world know who runs the famed franchise in a fiery interview about the direction of the team after Los Angeles’ awful season.
“Do they have final say? No. Are they running the team? No, no, not at all,” Buss told The Los Angeles Times about Lakers star LeBron James and his camp at Klutch Sports.
“I am the controlling owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, I’m held accountable for every decision that’s made here.”
Buss’ bold statement came less than two weeks after Bleacher Report reported that the Lakers front office is internally blaming James and Anthony Davis for their failed Russell Westbrook experiment. The organization reportedly felt pressure from Klutch Sports Group, which also represents Davis, for the blockbuster trade that landed them Westbrook. Read more
Cameron Norrie news: British No 1 through to 2nd round at Italian Open (Tennis365)
Brit Cameron Norrie is through to the second round of the Italian Open after seeing off 18-year-old wildcard Luca Nardi 6-4, 6-4 – but this almost turned out not to be the case.
Although Norrie’s service game helped him immensely during the game, as he won 87% of his first serve points, he was down 15-40 in the first set but he didn’t let the crowd who were supporting their home grown talent get him down.
The 26-year-old managed to get to deuce thanks to two great serves and then he broke in the first game of the second set and eventually he carried this advantage through to the end of the match to bag the win.
“I need to clean up a lot of errors,” the world No 11 told Amazon Prime after the tie. Read more