Tinubu names Kashim Shettima as running mate (Guardian)
Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bola Tinubu has named former Borno State governor Kashim Shettima his running mate.
Shettima will be Tinubu’s vice-presidential candidate for the 2023 general elections scheduled for February 2023.
A member of Tinubu Campaign Organisation who requested anonymity hinted to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja that the APC candidate has chosen a running mate.
The source said Tinubu would make the name of the candidate public this week.
“The vice-presidential nominee may most likely be a former governor and senator from the northeast of Nigeria. Read more
Lagos Flood: Jandor sympathises with victims, sets up disaster recovery team across 20 LGAs
(Vanguard)
The Governorship Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos State, Dr. Olajide Adediran, popularly called Jandor, has commiserated with families displaced by weekend flood even as he expressed displeasure over the challenging experience of residents any time it rains.
Recall that Lagos State Goverment had earlier issued warning to residents over the impending heavy rainfall with attendant flood and the need to relocate to safer ground anytime it rains.
Reacting to the latest flooding, Jandor reached out to some of the victims affected, earlier in the week. The with torrential rain on Saturday, however, lasted for about seven hours sweeping away some residents with their vehicles.
According to him, “I have received with worries, messages of families being displaced as a result of today’s downpour. It is disheartening to see the good people of the state suffer such neglect and huge discomfort. This disaster is preventable and avoidable at least to the barest minimum.” Read more
Man recruits orphan for drug trafficking, NDLEA nabs duo (Punch)
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, has arrested a human trafficker, Matthew Bassey, who recruited an orphan, Gift Eno, for drug trafficking purposes.
Bassey, a native of Oron Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, was arrested following the interception of Eno at the departure hall of the Lagos airport.
This was contained in a statement signed by the NDLEA Director of Media Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday.
The statement partly read, “Bassey, 29, from Oron LGA, Akwa Ibom state was arrested on Wednesday 6th July following the interception of Eno at the departure hall of the Lagos airport. Read more
Sarkin Hausawa urges Yoruba, Hausa residents in Lagos to embrace peace (DailyTrust)
The Sarkin Hausawa of Amuwo land in Ori-Ade Local Council Development Area (LCDA) in Lagos, Alhaji Sulaimon Rabiu, has urged Nigerians of ethnic nationalities to embrace peace among one another.
The Sarkin, who spoke while fielding questions from newsmen after the Eid- El-Kabir prayer, held at the FESTAC Muslim praying ground, stressed that unity among one another would foster the progress of the country.
He said, “There should be unity among the Hausa people and Yoruba and other tribes living in Nigeria because without unity, we cannot forge ahead.
“We should all stretch our hands to pray for Nigeria for peace and harmony to reign among all the ethnic groups because without peace we cannot be one.” Read more
NNPC Ltd is not recruiting – Management (Sun)
NNPC Ltd is not recruiting. Its management made the declaration in a statement issued in Abuja by the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr Garbadeen Muhammad,
Muhammad stated that any information suggesting that NNPC Ltd. was recruiting was false and should be disregarded.
“The general public should please take note that NNPC Ltd. is not recruiting.
“Whenever the company intends to recruit, an announcement will be made using our official website – (www.nnpcgroup.com); verified Twitter handle (@nnpcgroup); verified Facebook page (@nnpcgroup) and other credible media channels,’’ he stated. Read more
Pedestrians escape as truck falls on Lagos-Ibadan expressway (Punch)
Pedestrians escaped being killed along Mowe Junction of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Saturday when a truck fully loaded with soya oil overturned, spilling its content on the road.
The incident which occurred around 2:15pm
Sunday PUNCH learnt that the truck driver lost control when a Camry car suddenly stopped for passengers crossing the road at Mowe Junction.
Sunday PUNCH observed that the residents, including men and women, scooped the oil running through the middle of the road, while the driver and his boys tried to transfer the spilled oil into another truck. Read more
7 more abducted passengers of Abuja train attack released—Mamu (Tribune)
Kaduna-based publisher and former lead negotiator between the Federal Government and terrorists, Tukur Mamu, has said seven more abducted passengers of the train attack were released on Saturday
He made this known in an interview on Saturday, while giving an update about his recent position to withdraw as a lead negotiator.
According to him, the family of the train victims prevailed on him to rescind his decision since the terrorists believe in him, saying, abandoning them at this hour is not in the best interests of both parties.
But he again said he might not be involved in further negotiations with the terrorists, instead he advised the families of the remaining abducted passengers to engage the government, saying the government has the capacity to secure their release. Read more
You can’t take Wike away from PDP, Saraki tells APC governors (Leadership)
Former Senate President Bukola Saraki has described the visit by governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers state, as a miscalculation.
On Friday, three APC governors, Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo, Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, and Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos visited Wike’s residence in Port Harcourt for a closed-door meeting.
Also present at the meeting was Ayodele Fayose, former Ekiti governor and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member.
The development came amid speculations that Wike, who is a member of the PDP, might defect from the party after losing the presidential and vice-presidential tickets.Error! Filename not specified. Read more
Why we rejected Lawan, Akpabio nominations, by INEC (Nation)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it declined to publish the names of the candidates submitted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Yobe North and Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial Districts, Senator Ahmed Lawan and Godswill Akpabio, because it didn’t monitor the primary elections that produced the duo. The Commission insisted that the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria mandates it to monitor congresses and primaries of political parties.
According to a statement by INEC National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, “the attention of the commission has outcome of some of the recent primaries conducted by political parties and related issues. In particular, allegations intended to impugn the integrity of the Commission have been made in respect of the Akwa Ibom North West and Yobe North Senatorial Districts.
“To set the record straight, the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria mandates the commission to monitor the organization and operation of political parties, including their finances, conventions, congresses and party primaries. In line with its constitutional and legal obligations, the Commission deployed monitors to the various constituencies and received reports of such exercise”
It added that, “in relation to the primaries for the Akwa Ibom North West and Yobe North Senatorial Districts, the commission stands by the monitoring reports received from our State offices. For this reason, the Commission did not publish the personal particulars of any candidate for the two constituencies at variance with the State reports. Right now, the commission is functus officio in the two cases. Read more
Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul” enters Top 10 at R&B Radio (RatedRnB)
Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul” freshens up R&B radio’s top 10 after it reaches No. 8 in its third week. At the time of this publishing, the motivational dance track motored to this region with 7.4 million audience impressions from airplay at more than 80 radio stations.
Previously, Beyoncé’s last top 10 entry on R&B radio was “Before I Let Go,” a lively rendition of Maze featuring Frankie Beverly’s 1981 classic. It eventually claimed the top five on this list in July 2019, after it became her first top 10 visit in five years.
Before “Before I Let Go,” the last song by Beyoncé to make the top 10 cut was 2014’s “Drunk in Love.” featuring Jay-Z. A year later, the Grammy-winning track, lifted from her self-titled surprise album, went 3x multi-platinum in March 2015.
Among all the songs Beyoncé had charted on R&B radio in a lead role, “Love on Top” takes the highest honor. The gold-certified throwback, taken from her 2011 album, 4, topped the chart back in March 2012. It won Best Traditional R&B Performance at the 55th Grammy Awards. Read more
Chris Evans says Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson ‘is Captain America’ ahead of film’s fourth installment (DailyMail)
Chris Evans made it clear that he’s no longer The Star Spangled Man with a Plan.
The actor, 41, took to Twitter on Saturday to address rumors about his involvement with the fourth Captain America movie.
The Hollywood Reporter reported earlier in the week that The Cloverfield Paradox director Julius Onah will helm the upcoming film.
While Anthony Mackie is set to star in the film as the new Captain America, the publication expressed doubts that Evans’ would not be involved at all. Read more
Actor L.Q. Jones dead at 94 (TMZ)
L.Q. Jones — a versatile character actor whose career dates back to the 1950s — has died.
His death was confirmed by his family, who says he passed of natural causes in the Hollywood Hills surrounded by loved ones … this according to Variety.
Jones had over 160 acting credits to his name, with his first several coming in the year 1955 — when he starred in military-inspired flicks like “An Annapolis Story,” “Battle Cry” and “Target Zero.” He also appeared in a few episodes of the western-themed TV show “Cheyenne.”
From there, LQJ was on a roll … with acting in a number of films and TV series like “Annie Oakley,” “Gunsight Ridge,” “Operation Mad Ball,” “Buchanan Rides Alone,” “The Naked and the Dead,” “Jefferson Drum,” “Men of Annapolis,” “The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin” and more. Read more
Taika Waititi talks about director’s cuts and whether one exist for ‘Thor: Love And Thunder’ (Deadline)
Another day, another mention of a director’s cut. This time it’s Taika Waititi’s Thor: Love and Thunder. The runtime is two-hours which is short in comparison to typical Marvel fare that is usually two hours and fifteen minutes.
Across several interviews, the director talks about what a director’s cut of Love and Thunder would love like. From what he says, it doesn’t sound like he’s a fan of director’s cuts.
“Director’s cuts are not good,” he said in an interview with NME. “I’ve been thinking about director’s cuts. I watch director’s cuts of a lot of other directors. They suck. Director’s cuts are not good. Directors need to be controlled sometimes, and if I was to say, ‘ah, you wanna watch my director’s cut? It’s four and a half hours long!’ It’s not good, at four and a half hours. There’s a lot of cup-of-tea breaks in there, you don’t even have to pause it.”
When asked what a director’s cut of Love and Thunder would look like, this is what he had to say. “I’d say my cut would probably have a few more jokes in there.” Waititi believes that a deleted scene is left on the cutting room floor for a reason. Read more
Oprah Winfrey’s father Vernon dies aged 89 (Independent)
Oprah Winfrey’s father, Vernon Winfrey, has died at the age of 89 after a battle with cancer.
Ms Winfrey announced his death in his home city of Nashville, Tennessee, in an Instagram post.
“Yesterday with family surrounding his bedside I had the sacred honor of witnessing the man responsible for my life take his last breath,” the media mogul wrote.
“We could feel peace enter the room at his passing. Read more
Alicia Keys earns new RIAA certification for “City of Gods” (Vibe)
Earlier this year, piano slayer and singer Alicia Keys joined Kanye West and Fivio Foriegn for the latest New York anthem “City of Gods.” Now the singer-songwriter-producer has earned an RIAA Gold certification for their single. This is the latest certification for Keys after she collected over a dozen RIAA awards (platinum and gold) in 2020 for her ensemble of exceptional albums and songs.
The single entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart at No. 46, making appearances on both Foreign’s debut album, B.I.B.L.E., and West’s Donda 2. Keys even made the smash her very own when she performed a softer piano rendition titled, “City of Gods (Part II).” She complimented her raw talent with a video directed by Sylvia Zachary and Sing Lee. Part II serves as her first release under AK Worldwide, her umbrella company that focuses on her non-musical and philanthropic projects.
Prior to her exiting RCA records, Keys dropped the double album, KEYS, her last project under the flagship label of Sony Music Entertainment. The album brought along Pusha T, Swae Lee, Lil Wayne, Lucky Daye and Khalid.
Alicia Keys is currently on her The Alicia + Keys World Tour hitting some of the biggest international locations like London, Milan and Paris, before heading back to the States with major cities Atlantic City, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and more. Read more
Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa set to resign after being chased from residence (StraitsTimes)
Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was preparing on Sunday (July 10) to finally give up power after he fled from protesters who stormed his residence, forcing him to announce his resignation.
The events on Saturday were the culmination of months of anti-government protests fuelled by an unprecedented economic crisis that bankrupted the South Asian island nation, and fury over the ruling Rajapaksa clan’s corruption.
Hundreds of thousands of people had massed in the capital, Colombo, on Saturday to demand the government take responsibility for mismanaging the nation’s finances, and for crippling food and fuel shortages.
After storming the gates of the presidential palace, a throng of protesters walked through its rooms, with some among the boisterous crowd jumping into the compound’s pool. Read more
Premier League newboys Forest sign Bayern Munich’s Richards (Guardian)
Newly promoted Premier League side Nottingham Forest made their fifth signing since regaining their place among the elite, agreeing a reported £10 million ($12 million) fee with Bayern Munich for Omar Richards.
The 24-year-old English full-back signed a four year contract ending a one-year stay in Germany. He joined Bayern from second tier Reading, making 17 appearances and helping them to a 32nd Bundesliga title.
“I’m thrilled to return to England by joining Nottingham Forest at such an exciting time,” said Richards, who was capped once by England at Under-21 level.
“The club has enjoyed an incredible last few months and there’s great ambitions for the Premier League return.
“I’ve played against Forest in the past and they get such great backing from their fans, whilst the City Ground is an amazing place that I can now call home.” Read more
I hope next Okocha is discovered in Lagos, says ex-Eagles captain (Nation)
Former Super Eagles captain Austin Jay Jay Okocha has expressed his desire to discover a budding talent capable of stepping into his shoes in Lagos.
Okocha declared this on Saturday at the opening ceremony of a new 5-aside football pitch sited at Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC) Estate, Meiran, Ojokoro, Lagos.
The new pitch is part of Bundesliga’s programme for global pitch refurbishment activation in support of football, with the novel event tagged “Common Ground”.
The Bundesliga legend noted the facility will “keep the youth away from trouble.” Read more
Aston Villa are in talks to sign Sevilla’s Ludwig Augustinsson (DailyMail)
Aston Villa are in talks to sign Sevilla left-back Ludwig Augustinsson as boss Steven Gerrard targets a fifth summer signing.
Villa have been one of the Premier League’s most active movers in the summer transfer window with Diego Carlos, Philippe Coutinho, Robin Olsen, and Boubacar Kamara all arriving on permanent deals.
The Midlands club have been in regular contact with La Liga outfit Sevilla and are now close to agreeing a loan deal for the Sweden international who has 45 caps for his country.
Matt Targett’s departure for Newcastle United has left Villa short on numbers in the full-back position and Gerrard is keen to be an area of concern prior to the start of the new season. Read more
Rio Ferdinand delivers his verdict on Amad’s short-term future at Manchester United (MEN)
Rio Ferdinand believes Manchester United youngster Amad has not done enough to prove that he is ready to cement himself within Erik ten Hag’s plans this season.
Amad, who joined United from Italian outfit Atalanta on a four-and-a-half-year deal in January 2021, spent the second half of last season on loan at Scottish giants Rangers, following just one appearance for the Reds last term up until the January transfer window opened. The move to Glasgow was seen as the ideal opportunity for the winger to get a feel for British football in a first-team environment.
But despite scoring just five minutes into his debut for the Gers, Amad, who has been included in United’s 31-man squad for their pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia, struggled to make a significant impact north of the border. He racked up 13 appearances for the club, scoring three goals.
He returned to United with uncertainty surrounding his future ahead of the forthcoming campaign, with it unclear if he would become a key part of Ten Hag’s plans or be sent out on loan for a second time. For Ferdinand, the Ivorian would benefit from another temporary loan spell elsewhere, insisting that he “isn’t ready” to step up to the first-team plate at Old Trafford. Read more
Max McGreevy’s ‘golf swing feels good,’ as he holds a one-stroke lead at Barbasol Championship (ESPN)
Max McGreevy completed a 9-under 63 on Saturday to share the second-round lead and had a one-stroke advantage when darkness suspended third-round play in the PGA Tour’s Barbasol Championship.
Much of the field began the third round in the evening in sunny conditions after heavy showers hit Keene Trace for the second consecutive day. More than 2 1/2 inches of rain over two hours delayed play for nearly 5 1/2 hours, with bare-footed grounds crew using buckets to clear water from bunkers.
McGreevy and Matti Schmid, a former University of Louisville player, each shot 63 and were at 16-under 128 after the completion of the second round — a stroke ahead of first-round leader Adam Svensson.
Those three were among the last to tee off and completed three holes. McGreevy opened with a birdie, Svensson birdied the par-3 second hole and Schmid was even after a bogey on the second hole. Read more
Hamilton calls out fans who cheered his crash, Verstappen wins Austrian sprint race (SMH)
Formula 1 championship leader Max Verstappen beat his battling Ferrari rivals to win a Saturday sprint race and put Red Bull on pole position for Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix at his team’s home track.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc will line up alongside the Dutch driver on the front row after a scrap for second with Spanish teammate and British Grand Prix winner Carlos Sainz, who finished third.
The victory at the Red Bull Ring stretched Verstappen’s championship lead to 38 points over teammate Sergio Perez, who finished fifth after starting 13th. Leclerc is six points further back.
“It was a decent race. We had a good pace at the beginning and after that we were very closely matched. It was good, it was like a sprint should go, quite flat out,” said Verstappen, who had qualified on pole on Friday. Read more
Novak Djokovic blames pressure, nerves for shaky start to Wimbledon semifinal (TennisWorld)
Novak Djokovic got off to a shaky start to his Wimbledon semifinal match versus Cameron Norrie and afterward admitted he was feeling the nerves and pressure going into the match. Djokovic, 35, recovered from a slow start to the match to beat British hope Norrie 2-6 6-3 6-2 6-4 and progress into his eighth final at The All England Club.
After a shaky start to the match, Djokovic looked very sharp in the rest of the match and beat Norrie to progress into a record 32nd Grand Slam final. Following his latest victory, Djokovic beat Roger Federer for the all-time record for most Grand Slam finals.
The Swiss previously held the record with the most Grand Slam finals (31). Read more