Author: Adejuyigbe Francis

Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has won his second term. Collation of Officer of the State, Prof Mohammed Mele announced Fintiri winner after he defeated Aishatu Dahiru of the All Progressives Congress, APC. Aishatu, popularly known as Binani, was earlier illegally announced winner by the suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC. Breakdown of the final figures below: AA = 643ADC = 3024ADP = 2174APC = 396,788APGA = 892APM = 606APP = 286LP=2732NNPP= 4852NRM =1272PDP =430,861PRP= 1188SDP= 6870YPP =1431ZLP =200

BARRING further unforeseen circumstances, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, will announce the results of the controversial and dramatic Adamawa State governorship election, on Thursday. The INEC will between Tuesday and Wednesday meet as a “Commission” on the matter, National Commissioner and Chairman of information and Voter Education Committee, Dr Festus Okoye, said. The Commission had on Monday suspended its Adamawa Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Mr. Hudu Yunusa-Ari for usurping the powers of the Chief Returning Officer and unilaterally returning the All Progressives Congress, APC, Candidate, Senator Aisha Dahiru Binani, as duly elected when collation had not been concluded sparking…

Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota both scored twice as Liverpool claimed a first league win in five games by inflicting a second successive home hammering on Leeds, who remain mired deep in the relegation battle. The Reds had not won since putting seven unanswered goals past Manchester United at the start of March, but after a slow start they ruthlessly dismantled hapless Leeds. The home side claimed Trent Alexander-Arnold used an arm to control the ball but he then drove forward to set up Cody Gakpo for the opener before Salah fired in from an angle to put the visitors…

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has suspended its Resident Electoral Commissioner REC in Adamawa, Hudu Yunusa Ari. The action followed the REC’s controversial pronouncement on Sunday after the supplementary election. Although only Returning Officers have the responsibility of announcing results, Ari declared the All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate, Aisha Dahiru Binani, the winner. The development sparked outrage in the state and across the country, with Governor Ahmadu Fintiri accusing the REC of working for a gang. On Monday, the national headquarters of the electoral umpire ordered Ari to stay away from the commission’s office in Yola, the state capital. A…

Liverpool are set to look elsewhere for their summer midfield rebuild after ending their long-term pursuit of Jude Bellingham. A move for the highly-coveted Borussia Dortmund and England star, 19, was deemed too expensive by the Reds hierarchy, forcing them to drop out of the race. Jurgen Klopp’s engine room is still in desperate need of reinforcements, with the contracts of James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all expiring at the end of the season. Ahead of Liverpool’s trip to Leeds this evening, we look at some of the alternative names they could be keeping an eye on. Alexis…

Pep Guardiola hailed Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne’s “special connection” after their eighth Premier League goal combination of the season. The pair were key once again as City beat lowly Leicester City 3-1 on Saturday. Haaland scored twice to take his goal tally in the league to 32, matching Mohamed Salah’s record for a 38-game season. His second goal came when he latched onto a precise De Bruyne throughball, marking the eighth time the Belgium international has teed up a Haaland strike in the top flight this term. That is one off the joint record of nine, shared by Tottenham duo…

Travellers across Nigeria will have to seek alternative resolution, as the aviation unions begin a two-day warning strike. The development is coming against the backdrop of what they described as ‘unpalatable’ working conditions and entitlements. The unions involved include National Union of Air Transport Employee, NUATE; Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, ATSSSAN; National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, NAAPE, and Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals, ANAP. Members of the unions after their meeting with the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) ended in a stalemate blocked the entrance to the Murtala Muhammad Airport domestic terminal, leaving many…

Atalanta will be without Ademola Lookman for Monday’s (today) Serie A clash against Fiorentina. The Nigeria international is currently sidelined with an hamstring injury. Lookman, who linked up with La Dea from Bundesliga outfit, RB Leipzig, last summer has been one of the key performers for the club this season. The 25-year-old has scored 13 goals in 28 league appearances for Gian Piero Gasperini’s side. Atalanta are fighting for a place in Europe and need a positive result at the Stadio Artemio Franchi to keep their hopes alive. They sit in sixth position with 48 points from 29 matches.

Erik ten Hag had hoped his Manchester United team would kill off Nottingham Forest earlier than they did as they ran out 2-0 victors at the City Ground on Sunday. Antony put the Red Devils ahead in the first-half, but United struggled to find a way past Keylor Navas again until Diogo Dalot grabbed a second in the 76th minute. United ended the game with an expected goals rate (xG) of 3.49 and ultimately secured three points to leapfrog Newcastle United into third place in the Premier League. “A solid performance. A well deserved win. The only criticism I could say, it had…

THE International Monetary Fund, IMF, has said that Nigeria and many other Sub-Saharan African countries may be facing funding squeeze that would undermine its development in the medium to long term. The IMF’s Director, African Department, Mr Abebe Selassie, who disclosed this at the just concluded 2023 sessions of the World Bank and IMF Spring meetings in Washington DC, USA, hinted that the countries may also be forced to restructure existing loans at the backdrop of rising resource gap. Moreover, according to him, the region’s resilience is now being threatened by the myriad of fiscal and macro-economic challenges.He stated: ‘‘the…

The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, on Sunday, said several allegations levelled against the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, were unproven. This is as he also said that despite the allegations and several controversies, governance was not about sainthood but a proven record of performance. He said if the allegations hold water, Nigerians would have shown that through their votes on February 25, 2023. Fashola, a former Lagos State governor, said rather than reject Tinubu during the polls, majority of Nigerians voted for the President-elect during the keenly contested presidential election. Speaking during an interview with Channels Television on Sunday,…

The Independent National Electoral Commissioner, INEC, has called on security agencies to arrest and prosecute those who brutalized one of its national commissioners deployed to Adamawa State for Saturday’s supplementary governorship poll. Recall that Aishatu Dahiru, popularly known as Binani, was controversially declared winner of the Adamawa gubernatorial election halfway into Collation by the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Yunusu Ari. In a swift reaction to the declaration, INEC headquarters, in a statement, said the action was null and void. Residents were said to have swooped on an INEC commissioner who was mistaken for the REC. INEC National Commissioner, Festus Okoye, who…