Why Atiku picked Peter Obi as running mate (Nation)
The Director General of the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Organisation, Otunba Gbenga Daniel yesterday gave reasons why former Anambra State governor, Mr. Peter Obi, was picked as the running mate to the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. In a statement last night, Daniel said Mr. Obi’s choice was largely influenced by his youthfulness, vast knowledge of global and local economics as well as being a financial expert, all experience which Nigeria is in great need of at this point in time. Read more
FG delegation visits Leah’s parent eight months after abduction (Nation)
A Federal Government delegation led by the Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed has visited Mrs Rebbeca Sharibu, mother of Leah Sharibu, the only Christian Dapchi girl still in the custody of the Boko Haram insurgents at Dapchi, Yobe State. Alhaji Lai Mohammed who was on Friday accompanied on the journey by the minister of State Foreign Affairs, Hajiya Khadija Bukar Abba Ibrahim and the minister of Women Affairs, Aishatu Abubakar re-assured the traumatized mother of the Federal Government’s commitment to rescue her daughter. Read more
Why we won’t impeach Saraki, APC senators explain (Guardian)
The threats to remove the President of the Senate Bukola Saraki from office may have come to nought, as Leader of the Senate and member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senators, Ahmad Lawan, yesterday declared that going ahead with the impeachment plan was not in the overall interest of the country. Senator Lawan made the declaration during an interview with State House correspondents after he met with President Mohammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Read more
Presidential panel recovers over N4bn, $7m (Nation)
The Special Presidential Investigation Panel on Recovery of Public Property (SPIP) has recovered over N4 billion and $7 million cash as well as physical assets believed to have been illegally acquired, its chairman, Mr Okoi Obono-Obla, announced yesterday. Obono-Obla said in a statement in Abuja that the $7 million was recovered from the previous management of the Nigeria Export and Import (NEXIM) Bank which had “illegally placed” it in Heritage Bank. Read more
NYSC members drown in Bauchi river (Nation)
A National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member serving in Bauchi, Joseph Adebayo, who went on a picnic to celebrate the end of his service year on Thursday got drowned in Gubi river in the outskirts of Bauchi metropolis. Bauchi State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Kamal Datti, who confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday, said the deceased, along with two of his colleagues, had boarded a faulty canoe, which capsized with them. Read more
Portugal’s defence minister resigns over arms theft scandal (Guardian)
Portugal’s Defence Minister Jose Alberto Azeredo Lopes resigned Friday over a scandal which has seen senior figures in the military and police forces arrested over the theft of rockets, grenades, and cartridges from a military arms depot. Lopes said he was stepping down to prevent the Portuguese armed forces from being “weakened by political attacks,” in his resignation letter cited by the Lusa news agency. Read more
Ghanaian boxers arrive, vow to shame Nigerian opponents (Guardian)
Ghana’s Benjamin Lamptey and Emmanuel Mensah, who are billed to fight at GOtv Boxing Night 16, have vowed to disgrace their Nigerian opponents in the latest revival of the traditionally fierce Nigeria/Ghana sporting rivalry. Both boxers spoke yesterday on their arrival in Lagos for GOtv Boxing Night 16, which holds at the Indoor Sports of the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos tomorrow. Read more
Okpara predicts tough match for Super Eagles (Guardian)
Former Super Eagles assistant coach, Slyvanus Okpara, has warned the team to expect a tough battle against Libya in today’s Cameroon 2019 AFCON qualifiers in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. Okpara, who urged the Nigeria side to approach the match with determination, declared that The Mediterranean Knights are tactically organized, adding that they have the quality that can surmount the Super Eagles at home owing to their outstanding performance against Seychelles and South Africa in the race so far. Read more
Salah injured after scoring from corner (BBC)
Mohamed Salah scored direct from a corner before leaving the pitch injured in Egypt’s 4-1 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying win over eSwatini. The Liverpool forward, 26, put Egypt 4-0 up shortly before half-time with a left-footed corner from the right. Salah, who has not scored in his past four Liverpool games, left the field with the Egypt physio after going down late on. Read more
England hit woodwork twice in Croatia draw (BBC)
England played out a largely uneventful stalemate with Croatia behind closed doors in Rijeka to earn the first point of their Uefa Nations League campaign – but manager Gareth Southgate felt they “should have won”. The whole occasion had an air of unreality as the teams – who met in the World Cup semi-finals three months ago – were forced to play in a mostly deserted, echoing stadium as part of Croatia’s punishment after a swastika was visible on the pitch before a European qualifier in 2015. Read more
No sacrifice is too big for Fela, says Rex Suru (Guardian)
Us-based Nigeria-born reggae artiste Rex Olisuru Ogunniyi, otherwise known as Rex Suru, has arrived the country to be part of this year’s Felabration, a music festival in honour of late Afrobeat creator Fela Anikulapo Kuti. Rex Suru, who spoke with our reporter in Lagos, has expressed why he came all the way from the United States of America to be part of the annual musical fiesta. Read more
Davido helps lucky fan get into father’s university (Vanguard)
Pop star, Davido has proven times without number that he is a cheerful giver, from showering his label mates with expensive gifts to splashing millions on some of his fans on social media. The singer is back at his good deeds as he will be assisting a young man to get into the university. The twitter user reached out to the DMW boss via the app to inform him that he had been granted admission to his (Davido) father’s institution, Adeleke University but is unable to commence lectures as he can’t afford the school fees. Read more