In a historic development, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of the United States has been chosen as the new pope. This marks the first time an American has ascended to the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church. The 69-year-old has adopted the papal name Pope Leo XIV. A plume of white smoke billowed from the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday evening, signalling to the world that the conclave of 133 cardinals had reached a decisive vote. The traditional signal was met with jubilation in St Peter’s Square, where vast crowds gathered to witness the momentous occasion. READ ALSO: White smoke…
Author: Friday Omosola
After two days rounds of ballots, white smoke finally rose from the Sistine Chapel chimney on Thursday evening, confirming the election of a new head of the Roman Catholic Church and signalling the end of a closely guarded conclave involving 133 cardinal electors. A jubilant crowd erupted into cheers in St Peter’s Square as the smoke changed from black to white and bells began to toll. The age-old sign that the Church’s cardinals had reached a decision on their next spiritual leader. Attention now shifts to the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica, where the new pope will soon be…
The Court of Appeal in Akure, Ondo State, has upheld the election of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and his deputy, Olayide Adelami. Aiyedatiwa was declared the winner of the Ondo State governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in November 2024 and was sworn in February 2025. The court dismissed a challenge brought against the legitimacy of the APC primary that produced their candidacies. Delivering a unanimous decision, Justice Oyebisi Omoleye affirmed the earlier verdict of the Federal High Court, which threw out a suit filed by New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) candidate, Olugbenga Edema, on procedural grounds. Justice…
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has announced that its local government primary elections will take place on Saturday, 10th May 2025.
The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has expressed deep sympathy with the people and government of Plateau State over the recent wave of violent attacks. Pastor Adeboye, during a courtesy visit to Governor Caleb Mutfwang at the New Government House, Little Rayfield, Jos, declared that the season of bloodshed in the state has come to an end. READ ALSO: Plateau killings: How my sister was killed – Survivor narrates He was in the state as part of his visit for the RCCG’s annual retreat at the Heipang Camp in Barkin-Ladi Local Government Area.…
Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has called for collective and innovative efforts to tackle the critical challenges confronting cocoa production in Nigeria. These include the effects of climate change, inefficiencies in the value chain, and poor succession planning within the sector. The governor made the appeal while declaring open the two-day ‘National Cocoa Stakeholders’ Workshop and Excellence Award Ceremony’, held on Wednesday at The Dome, Akure. READ ALSO: Aiyedatiwa reaffirms commitment to funding Ondo’s tertiary institutions The event was organised by the Cocoa Association of Nigeria (CAN) in partnership with Lutheran World Relief (LWR). With the theme “Deforestation-Free Cocoa Production and…
The leadership crisis within the Labour Party (LP) deepened on Wednesday as the faction led by Julius Abure announced the indefinite suspension of Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, alongside several others, over alleged anti-party activities. In a statement signed by the faction’s National Secretary, Umar Farouk, the suspended members include Senator Ireti Kingibe, Senator Darlington Nwokocha, Victor Afam Ogene, Amobi Ogah, and Seyi Sowunmi. READ ALSO: Supreme Court removes Julius Abure as Labour Party Chairman Farouk explained that the suspension followed a thorough investigation conducted by a five-member disciplinary committee set up by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC). The committee,…
As part of efforts to curb the rising incidence of the disease, the House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government (FG) to introduce free cancer screening services across the country. This appeal came during Wednesday’s plenary, following a motion sponsored by Adeyemi Oseni, who raised concerns over the escalating cost of cancer care and the alarming spread of the disease in Nigeria. READ ALSO: Reps investigates National Hajj Commission over 2024 exercise Oseni, who’s representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency of Oyo State, noted that cancer remains a major public health challenge. He cited data from 2020 which showed that…
ExxonMobil has reaffirmed its long-term commitment to Nigeria’s oil and gas industry with plans to invest $1.5 billion, approximately 2.41 trillion Naira in deepwater exploration and development projects between the second quarter of 2025 and 2027. The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) disclosed the development on its official social media channels yesterday night. READ ALSO: 10 essential rituals of Conclave for electing a new Pope The planned investment will focus primarily on revitalising production at the Usan deepwater oil field, with a Final Investment Decision (FID) expected in late Q3 2025, pending the approval of the Field Development Plan (FDP)…
Vice President Kashim Shettima has underscored the critical role of secure and lawful data sharing in driving Africa’s development. Shettima, who spoke at the official opening of the Network of African Data Protection Authorities (NADPA) conference in Abuja yesterday highlighted the need for robust digital cooperation across the continent. The Nigerian Virtual Privacy Academy (NVPA) was also launched at the event where Shettima was represented by Deputy Chief of Staff Ibrahim Hadejia. READ ALSO: Shettima rallies global partners to boost Nigeria’s HCD He stressed that Africa’s future prosperity hinges on its ability to manage and share data responsibly. “Data goes beyond…
