Author: Chronicle Editor

Rafael Benitez has been sacked as Everton manager on Sunday after less than seven months in charge. The Toffees appointed the former Liverpool manager, 61, as Carlo Ancelotti’s successor in June. Everton, who lost 2-1 to Norwich City on Saturday, have won only one of their last 13 Premier League games and sit 15th in the table, six points above the relegation places. The club say an update on a permanent replacement will be made in due course. Everton held an emergency board meeting on Saturday to discuss Benitez’s future following the defeat at Carrow Road, which was a ninth…

Fans of the WWE can brace for another thrilling week of action on SuperSport, with live airings of the NXT, SmackDown and Raw shows running from Wednesday 12 to Tuesday 18 January 2022. The action begins on the morning of Wednesday 12 January with WWE NXT Episode 651. LA Knight has promised to put Grayson Waller in his place on the developmental brand after their recent comings together. “Talk about the guy who did one halfway cool move at War Games, with help, and all of a sudden he thinks he’s special,” said Knight. “Somebody go find Grayson Waller, tell…

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to use his good offices and leadership position to “direct the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed to provide our organization with a copy of the agreement recently signed with Twitter Inc. and to widely publish the details of any such agreement.” SERAP also urged him to “direct Alhaji Lai Mohammed to clarify the manner and scope in which the agreement with Twitter will be enforced, including whether the agreement incorporates respect for human rights, consistent with the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and international obligations.” In…

Real Madrid or Barcelona must spend 350 million euros (£292m) to sign Norway striker Erling Braut Haaland from Borussia Dortmund, a figure that includes the 21-year-old’s transfer fee, wages across a six-year deal and commissions paid to his father and agent Mino Raiola and his father. (Marca) Everton and manager Rafael Benitez have agreed to part company, with talks continuing over the details of his departure. Duncan Ferguson, who is part of Benitez’s coaching team, has been asked to take over as caretaker manager. (90 Min) Leeds United’s England midfielder Kalvin Phillips is wanted by Liverpool, but Leeds are more…

Unvaccinated tennis star Novak Djokovic has lost his last-ditch court bid to stay in Australia and is set to be deported. The Federal Court upheld a government decision to cancel the unvaccinated Serbian player’s visa. The government argued the 34-year-old posed a threat to public health given the rising number of Covid cases in Australia. The Serbian is now unable to defend his Australian Open title in Melbourne. He was due to play his first match on Monday. During Sunday’s court hearing before a three-judge panel, Djokovic’s defence unsuccessfully argued that the grounds given by the government were “invalid and…

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has said the North will not repeat same mistake of voting someone in the mould of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023. Rather, NEF said the region would only vote for a competent president regardless of where he comes from. Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of the northern leaders of thought held at Arewa House Kaduna on Saturday, the Director of Publicity and Advocacy, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, was emphatic northerners will not vote for just any candidate based on sentiment as it did in the case of Buhari in 2015. NEF described Buhari’s tenure…

Convener of the Northern Elders Forum, Professor Ango Abdullahi on Saturday laughed off Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s comment that he is a kingmaker who wants to become king. Speaking at the meeting of the northern leaders held at Arewa House Kaduna on Saturday Prof Abdullahi boasted that the North has always been the kingmaker in determining who becomes president. He was apparently reacting to the statement by the All Progressives Congress (APC) national leader, Bola Tinubu, who said nothing barred him as a kingmaker from aspiring to be a king. Ango said, “I heard that somebody was saying he is the…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed February 26 for the conduct of six constituencies by-elections in four states. The commission announced this in a statement issued by Mr Festus Okoye, INEC National Commissioner and chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee on Friday evening in Abuja. Okoye said that the decision was taken at INEC regular weekly meeting held on Thursday and an extra-ordinary meeting of Friday, where issues that led to the vacancies and the rescheduling of some of the elections as well as the security situation in some of the states were discussed. Okoye said that the…

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called for more attention to the welfare of soldiers and their families as Nigeria celebrated Armed Forces Remembrance Day on Saturday. The main opposition party saluted members of the Nigerian Armed forces for their courage, loyalty, sacrifice and resilience in defending the country particularly in the face of resurged insecurity in the last six years. In a statement by Hon. Debo Ologunagba, national publicity secretary, the PDP acknowledged the bravery and patriotism of our gallant soldiers in the frontlines, who despite the daunting challenges, daily put their lives on the line, with many paying…

The national leader of All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in Ibadan, Oyo state said the outcome of consultations regarding his 2023 presidential ambition were successful. The former Lagos governor on Saturday stressed that he is confident of surmounting any challenge that may want to halt his lifelong ambition of becoming president of Nigeria. Speaking with reporters after a visit to a former governor of Oyo State, Rasheed Ladoja at his Bodija residence, Tinubu said, “the outcome of my consultation over my presidential ambition is successful.” He noted that, “Life is a challenge and you must be ready to…