Author: Alade Adisa

Top chieftains and leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are currently at the National Secretariat of the party for its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). However, former President Muhammadu Buhari; former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai; and former governor of Rivers State and ex-Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi onspicuously absent from the NEC meeting were conspicuously absent from the NEC meeting. Hours before the meeting, all roads leading to the venue on Blantyre Street were cordoned off by a combined team of armed security men, including soldiers from the Guards…

President Trump said Monday that his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron marked an “important step” in ending the war between Russia and Ukraine, as Trump’s return to the White House has indicated a likely tipping point in American support — and a possible rift with France and other European allies. Trump and Macron, who have a long-standing relationship after both came to office in 2017, held a bilateral meeting and news conference Monday afternoon, after participating in a Group of Seven leadership call earlier in the day to mark three years since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Macron is the…

Ugandan police said Monday they were investigating the death of Nigerian footballer, Abubakar Lawal who fell from a shopping mall balcony in Kampala. The 29-year-old striker played for local premiership club, Vipers. He fell from the third floor of Voicemall Shopping Arcade early on Monday, police said in a statement. He had been visiting a Tanzanian friend staying in one of the residential apartments that form part of the mall. The friend told police she had left him alone shortly before the fall. “Authorities are retrieving CCTV footage and conducting thorough interrogations to establish the exact circumstances surrounding the incident,”…

The Kano State chapter of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has suspended Senator Kawu Sumaila, who represents Kano South Senatorial District, along with three other prominent members, Ali Madakin Gini, Sani Abdullahi Rogo, and Kabiru Alhassan Rurum over alleged anti-party activities. Announcing the decision at a press briefing in Kano on Monday, the state chairman of NNPP, Hashimu Suleiman Dungurawa, stated that the affected members had acted against the party’s interests. This suspension comes just a day after the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, hinted at an impending mass defection of top NNPP…

Roberta Flack, the Grammy-winning singer behind timeless hits like “Killing Me Softly With His Song” and “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” passed away on Monday at the age of 88. Her publicist confirmed the news but did not reveal the cause of death. In recent years, Flack had been battling ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, which was diagnosed in 2022. “She died peacefully surrounded by her family,” the statement from the publicist said. The classically trained musician with a tender voice produced a number of early classics of rhythm and blues that she frequently described…

Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has said recent birthday wishes sent to him by President Bola Tinubu shamed his detractors. El-Rufai stirred anger in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), after he accused the party of lacking internal democracy under Tinubu. Prior to this, the former governor had alleged that APC’s organs failed to meet in the last two years. Critics also accused El-Rufai of hobnobbing with opposition figures such as former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 2023 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and some chieftains of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). Amid his criticism of the APC and allegations of…

Israeli tanks moved into the occupied West Bank on Sunday for the first time in decades in what Palestinian authorities called a “dangerous escalation,” after the defence minister said troops will remain in parts of the territory for a year and tens of thousands of Palestinians who have fled cannot return. Associated Press journalists saw several tanks move along unpaved tracks into Jenin, long a bastion of armed struggle against Israel. Israel is deepening its crackdown on the Palestinian territory and has said it is determined to stamp out militancy amid a rise in attacks. It launched the offensive in…

To prevent the leadership crisis rocking the Lagos State House of Assembly from spiralling out of control and restore sanity, the president, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has waded in, enlisting some respected elders of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to intervene and put the festering crisis to bed. To this effect, Chief Bisi Akande, Chief Olusegun Osoba and Akinwunmi Ambode, who were former governors of Osun, Ogun and Lagos states, respectively met with Governor Babajide Sanwoolu at the Governor’s Lodge in Marina, Lagos, for a marathon meeting on Sunday. Also, all members of the Lagos Governance Advisory Council (GAC), the…

Provisional results confirmed that mainstream conservatives led by Friedrich Merz won Germany’s national election, while a far-right party surged to become the nation’s second-largest. The campaign was dominated by worries about the yearslong stagnation of Europe’s biggest economy and pressure to curb migration, something that caused friction after Merz pushed hard in recent weeks for a tougher approach. It took place against a background of growing uncertainty over the future of Ukraine and Europe’s alliance with the United States. The results released by the electoral authority showed Merz’s Christian Democrats and the center-left Social Democrats winning a combined majority of…

Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman delivered an outstanding performance as Atalanta cruised to a 5-0 victory over Empoli at the Stadio Carlo Castellani on Sunday. The Bergamo-based side struck three times in the first half and added two more after the break, with Lookman bagging a brace to cap off a dominant display. The Nigerian star found the net in the 43rd minute with a clinical finish, extending Atalanta’s lead after an own goal by Emmanuel Gyasi and a strike from Mateo Retegui. Lookman’s relentless attacking presence kept Empoli’s defence under constant pressure throughout the match. Beyond his goal, Lookman’s…