Tribunal upholds Sanwo-Olu’s victory, dismisses PDP, LP’s petition (Vanguard)
The Lagos Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has dismissed the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate, Olajide Adediran against the election of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Dr Ibafemi Hamzat.
The tribunal upheld the election of Governor Sanwo-Olu and Dr. Hamzat.
The three-person Tribunal presided over by Justice Arum Ashom threw out the petition for lacking in merit. Read more
MohBad: Pastor Bakare knocks late singer’s ‘unpleasant lifestyle’, name (Punch)
The General Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church, Pastor Tunde Bakare, on Sunday, commented on the lifestyle and name of the late singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, better known as Mohbad, saying that he “reaped the reward of his unpleasant lifestyle while alive.”
Bakare said this while speaking at the 2nd anniversary of The Envoy Nation, a UK-based church, adding that the late Imolenisation record label owner associated with evil people while he was alive.
He claimed the former Marlian Music record label signee had engaged in an “unpleasant lifestyle” while asking the congregation if “Mohbad is a good name”. Read more
Nigeria at 63: FG plans low-key independence anniversary (Guardian)
The Federal Government (FG) on Monday revealed plans to mark Nigeria’s 63rd independence anniversary, which is scheduled for October 1, 2023, in a low-key way.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, said this during a press conference in Abuja, with the FG also not inviting any world leaders.
Akume further told journalists that the decision not to invite any world leaders for the 63rd independence anniversary was taken in line with the government’s option for a low-key celebration. Read more
LASEPA to go tough on environment polluters in Lagos (Guardian)
The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) has issued a stern warning to those polluting the environment to stop immediately or face the wrath of the law.
The Director, Monitoring Compliance and Enforcement, LASEPA, Kayode Bello, in a statement on Sunday reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to environmental law enforcement in Lagos state.
Bello in the statement further said that LASEPA will go tough on “recalcitrant polluters in order to safeguard our environment.” Read more
Alia Condemns ‘Barbaric’ Abduction Of Benue commissioner, ex-LG chairman (Channels)
The Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia, on Monday strongly condemned the “barbaric” and “unacceptable” kidnap of the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr Matthew Abo; and former Chairman Ukum LGA, Mr Iorwashima Erukaa.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Benue State, Tersoo Kula, in a statement, said Abo was kidnapped by gunmen in his Sankara home at about 8 pm on Sunday, while Erukaa was abducted on Saturday.
The statement disclosed that since taking the duo to “yet-to-be-identified locations”, the kidnappers have made contact with the family of Erukaa but are yet to make contact with Abo’s family.. Read more
Diphtheria spreads to 18 states as FG confirms 7,202 cases, 453 deaths (Punch)
The Federal Government on Monday, confirmed 7,202 cases of diphtheria out of the 11,587 suspected cases across 105 Local Government Areas in 18 states, including the Federal Capital Territory.
The FG disclosed this in a joint press statement signed by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, and other development partners.
The statement noted that most of the confirmed cases were recorded in Kano with 6,185 cases. Read more
INEC to conduct mock accreditation in Kogi, Imo, Bayelsa (Nation)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is organising a mock accreditation exercise in 27 polling units across three states where off-circle governorship elections are scheduled for later this year.
The exercise which is to test run the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) ahead of the election would be conducted in the three states on Saturday, October 14, 2023.
The national commissioner in charge of information and voter education, Sam Olumekun, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Monday, September 25. Read more
Yahaya Bello sacks aide on stakeholders’ relations (Tribune)
Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi on Monday announced the sacking of his Special Adviser (SA) on Stakeholders Relations, Mr Anthony Ogah.
The sack is contained in a statement issued in Lokoja by Mrs Folashade Arike-Ayoade, Secretary to the Government of Kogi.
The government said that the sack takes effect from Sunday.
”Governor Bello has issued a directive for the immediate dismissal of Ogah, who served as the Special Adviser to the Governor on Stakeholders Relations. Read more
Pharrell and Timbaland argue over who has the better Jay-Z catalog (HipHopDX)
Pharrell and Timbaland have a long-standing friendship that dates back many years, and they recently had a debate over who has the better songs with JAY-Z.
At Swizz Beatz’s recent birthday party, the two super-producers engaged in a friendly yet spirited conversation about their respective catalogs with Hov — although it didn’t go as one might expect.
“‘Dirt Off Your Shoulder’!” Pharrell began, giving props to the 2003 Black Album hit that Timbaland produced. “What are we doing? ‘Dirt Off Your Shoulder’!” Read more
Mali postpones February presidential election due to ‘technical issues’ (AlJazeera)
The Malian military government has announced it will delay a presidential election scheduled for February, which was aimed at returning civilian leaders to power in the conflict-ridden West African nation.
Two rounds of voting – initially set for February 4 and 18 – “will be slightly postponed for technical reasons”, government spokesman Abdoulaye Maiga told reporters on Monday.
Those reasons include issues linked to the adoption this year of a new constitution and a review of the electoral lists, he said. Read more
Sophia Loren: Italian star has emergency surgery after fall (BBC)
Oscar-winning actress Sophia Loren has undergone emergency surgery following a fall in her bathroom at her Swiss home.
The 89-year-old sustained several “serious fractures” to different parts of her hip and femur, her agent Andrea Giusti told the PA news agency.
Loren’s representative also confirmed both Loren’s sons, Carlo and Edoardo Ponti, were at her bedside. Read more
Martin Scorsese says the likes of Christopher Nolan and the Safdies are saving cinema from comic book movies (IndieWire)
Martin Scorsese is crediting fellow filmmakers like Christopher Nolan and the Safdie brothers for combating the rise of comic book movies, including Marvel and DC.
Scorsese has made his disdain for superhero movies known for years, infamously calling Marvel movies “theme parks” that are “not cinema.” In a new GQ cover story, the “Killers of the Flower Moon” filmmaker pointed to directors who are beacons of modern cinema that can hopefully “save” Hollywood amid the rise of content.
“The danger there is what it’s doing to our culture, because there are going to be generations now that think movies are only those — that’s what movies are,” Scorsese said of superhero content. Read more
Robert De Niro is not reprising the Taxi Driver role for Uber U.K. ad campaign, rep says (THR)
Robert De Niro will be doing an Uber U.K. ad campaign, but it will not be tied to his memorable Taxi Driver role.
Reports earlier this week in U.K. tabloid The Sun suggested that the Oscar-winning actor would be bringing one of his most memorable roles, Travis Bickle, to the commercial space. The ads were allegedly set to feature the actor uttering the famous line, “You talkin’ to me?”
The actor’s rep Stan Rosenfield denied that De Niro would be uttering the well-known phrase, and in a statement, told The Hollywood Reporter that “De Niro’s Uber commercial has nothing to do with his Taxi Driver character.” Read more
Osiris-Rex: NASA confirms return of asteroid Bennu samples (BBC)
Dusty samples from the “most dangerous known rock in the Solar System” have been brought to Earth.
The American space agency Nasa landed the materials in a capsule that came down in the West Desert of Utah state.
The samples had been scooped up from the surface of asteroid Bennu in 2020 by the Osiris-Rex spacecraft.
Nasa wants to learn more about the mountainous object, not least because it has an outside chance of hitting our planet in the next 300 years. Read more
France to withdraw ambassador, troops from Niger after coup: Macron (AlJazeera)
French President Emmanuel Macron says his country will withdraw its ambassador and troops from Niger in the wake of the July coup that overthrew democratically-elected President Mohamed Bazoum.
“France has decided to withdraw its ambassador. In the next hours our ambassador and several diplomats will return to France,” Macron said in a televised interview on Sunday.
He added that military cooperation was “over” and French troops would withdraw in “the months and weeks to come” with a full pullout “by the end of the year”. Read more
Nigerian, Azuegbulam wins Africa’s first-ever gold medal at Invictus Games (Vanguard)
Three years ago, Peacemaker Azuegbulam lost his left leg when his Nigerian army unit came under fire from Boko Haram jihadists in the north of the country.
Now Azuegbulam is an African champion.
Last month, Azuegbulam won gold in the Invictus Games in Dusseldorf, Germany — the first Nigerian and the first African to secure the top prize in the games.
“I feel great to become the first champion in Invictus Games from Africa,” he told AFP in Abuja. “Invictus means unconquered, we are still unconquered because we are still alive.”
Started in 2014, the Invictus Games were founded by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, himself a veteran, as a way to help in the rehabilitation of wounded servicemen and women through sports. Read more
Israel Adesanya pleads guilty to drunk driving (Leadership)
Former UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya, on Monday morning, pleaded guilty to drunk driving in his home country of New Zealand.
The incident took place on August 19, when Adesanya encountered a Random Breath Testing Unit in Auckland while returning from dinner with friends.
Adesanya was driving with 87 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood, per his team. The legal limit in the country is 50 milligrams. Read more
“Joshua punches like Mike Tyson” (Punch)
Whilst many have accused Anthony Joshua of holding back the fearsome shots that sent him to the top of the heavyweight division in quick time, one of his opponent’s trainers has now compared the Brit’s shot selection to Mike Tyson’s.
Joshua knocked out all of his first 20 opponents, including the likes of Wladimir Klitschko, Carlos Takam and Charles Martin in five world title fights.
Joseph Parker in 2018 was the first man to take him the distance and since then he has lost three times, had two more points wins and just two knockouts. Read more
Bundesliga: Boniface grabs brace as Bayern Leverkusen sink Heidenheim (Punch)
Nigeria’s Victor Boniface continued his fine start to life in the Bundesliga as his two goals kept Bayer Leverkusen in the race with a resounding 4-1 win over Heidenheim on Sunday.
The 22-year-old scored the opener after collecting a pass from Exequiel Palacios and using his power and neat control to pivot past Heidenheim defender Siersleben and drill a crisp low shot beyond Kevin Mueller.
Heidenheim started to apply some pressure after the break and were rewarded when Eren Dinkci collected Jan-Niklas Beste’s pass and found the bottom corner to level. Read more
Tottenham hold Arsenal as Newcastle find net 8 times (GulfTimes)
Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur slugged each other to a standstill in an absorbing 2-2 draw in yesterday’s big Premier League derby and Liverpool maintained their resurgence to move into second place after a victory over West Ham United.
Brighton and Hove Albion shrugged off the midweek disappointment of losing their first-ever European game to move into third place with victory over Bournemouth.
Chelsea’s woes continued as they lost at home to Aston Villa and Sheffield United slumped to the bottom of the table as they suffered a humiliating 8-0 home thrashing by Newcastle United in which eight different Newcastle players scored. Read more
Real Madrid undone by “defensive frailty” in derby – Ancelotti (ESPN)
Carlo Ancelotti blamed “defensive fragility” for Real Madrid’s 3-1 derby defeat to Atletico Madrid in LaLiga on Sunday but refused to criticise individual players, saying the loss was “my fault.”
Álvaro Morata put Atletico ahead after just four minutes at the Metropolitano stadium, before Antoine Griezmann made it 2-0. Toni Kroos pulled a goal back for Real, but Morata’s header within a minute of play resuming after half-time secured the three points for Atletico.
The result leaves Real Madrid third in the table on 15 points — one behind Barcelona and Girona — with Atletico on 10 points with a game in hand. Read more