Author: Damilola

Cole Palmer netted a first-half hat-trick to lead Chelsea to a 3-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux on Saturday, helping manager Liam Rosenior become only the second English coach to win his first four Premier League matches. Wolves’ problems began early in the match. Within 15 minutes, João Pedro was brought down by Matt Doherty in the penalty area, allowing Palmer to convert the spot-kick and put Chelsea ahead. Wolves goalkeeper José Sá kept further damage at bay, denying efforts from Enzo Fernández and Malo Gusto, but Chelsea continued to dominate. The home side’s woes deepened when Yerson Mosquera…

The Corporate Affairs CommissionCAC cracks down on unregistered companies, sets deadline for registration (CAC) has revealed that it removed more than 400,000 inactive and non-compliant companies from its official register last year. Hussaini Magaji, CAC’s registrar-general, made the announcement on Saturday in Abuja during the commission’s “Celebration Walk,” saying the move was part of an effort to maintain the integrity of Nigeria’s national companies register. “In 2025 alone, the commission de-registered over 400,000 companies,” Magaji said, stressing that the exercise aimed to clean up the database of entities that were no longer operational or compliant with regulations. He highlighted that…

Chelsea forward Cole Palmer has set a new Premier League record by becoming the first player to score three hat-tricks in the first half of matches. The milestone was achieved during Chelsea’s 3-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux on Saturday, where Palmer scored all three goals before halftime to put the Blues in control. According to Chelsea’s official website, the England international had previously recorded first-half hat-tricks against Everton and Brighton & Hove Albion, making him the only player in Premier League history to achieve the feat on three separate occasions. “With this feat, Palmer is now the only…

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, said his political camp does not require the support of a sitting governor to mobilise backing for President Bola Tinubu in Rivers State ahead of the 2027 general election. Wike spoke on Saturday in Port Harcourt during the inauguration of the headquarters of the Rivers chapter of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, where he expressed confidence in his team’s capacity to deliver massive support for Tinubu’s re-election. He praised Desmond Akawor, the state coordinator of the group, for what he described as an extensive grassroots mobilisation effort across Rivers. “Desmond Akawor, you…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Saturday carried out a mock accreditation and voting exercise across the Federal Capital Territory as part of its build-up to the FCT Area Council elections scheduled for February 21, 2026. Speaking during a “train-the-trainers” session for Supervisory Presiding Officers (SPOs), INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), said the exercise was aimed at assessing the commission’s preparedness while strengthening the capacity of election officials ahead of the polls. Amupitan urged the trainees to approach the exercise with seriousness and to thoroughly study the election manual developed by the commission to guide their work. “What…

A coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Osun State has urged President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in the state over the lingering crisis surrounding control of local government councils. The groups — the Centre for Justice Initiatives (CJI), Community Advocacy and Initiative for Local Government Development (ILGD), and the Centre for Justice and Community Advocacy, Nigeria (CJCAN) — made the call on Saturday, claiming that constitutional and political mechanisms have failed to resolve the dispute between the state government and the All Progressives Congress (APC). However, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke swiftly rejected the demand,…

Manchester United continued their impressive run under Michael Carrick with a 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in Saturday’s early Premier League fixture. The victory marked United’s fourth successive win since Carrick took over from Ruben Amorim, following earlier triumphs against Manchester City, Arsenal and Fulham. Tottenham proved difficult to break down in the opening stages, with United struggling to create clear chances until the game swung in their favour midway through the contest. Spurs captain Cristian Romero was sent off after referee Michael Oliver judged his challenge on Casemiro to be worthy of a straight red card. United took advantage…

Prof. Iyabo Obasanjo, daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has announced her intention to contest the 2027 governorship election in Ogun State on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). She made this known during an interview with Nigerian football icon Segun Odegbami on 103.7FM Eagle7 Sports, monitored in Abeokuta on Saturday. The former commissioner made it clear that she has no plans to return to the Senate, stressing that her political focus is firmly set on the governorship race. “So moving ahead, I’m not going to be Commissioner. Like I said, I’m not even going back to the…

A political support group backing Senator Rabi’u Kwankwaso has called for a joint presidential ticket featuring the former Kano governor and ex-Anambra State Governor Peter Obi ahead of the 2027 general election. The Kwankwaso Support Group 2027 made the proposal on Friday in Kano, where its leader, Abba Gwale, urged Nigerians to rally behind an Obi–Kwankwaso alliance, describing it as a viable path to addressing the country’s growing challenges. Gwale said the group, as committed supporters of Kwankwaso, decided to openly back the proposed partnership in any political party, arguing that shifting political sentiments across the country favour such an…

A member of the United States House of Representatives, Riley Moore, has warned that any attempts to strengthen separatist movements seeking Nigeria’s break-up would ultimately put Christians at greater risk. Moore visited Nigeria in December on what he described as a “fact-finding mission” to assess claims of a Christian genocide, following remarks by US President Donald Trump, who had threatened to deploy troops to Nigeria “guns-a-blazing” to confront alleged perpetrators. During the visit, the lawmaker held talks with Nigeria’s national security adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and travelled to Benue State, where he met Governor Hyacinth Alia, as well as religious and…