Author: Chronicle Editor

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun state, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has been handed seven days to produce his secondary school certificate. The Osun State High Court made the order on Thursday to the candidate in the September 22 governorship election. Messrs Rasheed Olabayo and Oluwaseun Idowu had prayed the court to disqualify Adeleke for not possessing a school certificate, as required by Section 177 (d) of the 1999 Constitution. They also asked the court to set aside the July 21 primary that produced Adeleke as the party’s governorship candidate. In his ruling yesterday on the…

Chelsea have told AC Milan they will have to pay up to £62m for Alvaro Morata after initial negotiations got underway on Wednesday, according to Sky in Italy. It is understood Milan’s new sporting director, Leonardo, had a series of phone conversations about a potential transfer, with the player reportedly keen on a return to Italy, where he impressed for Juventus in the Champions League. The two clubs remain poles apart on their valuations of the player, though, prompting Milan to retain their interest in bringing Gonzalo Higuain or Radamel Falcao to the San Siro. READ: UFC star Conor McGregor…

The police have confirmed the deployment of personnel to the Ekiti State House of Assembly to pre-empt an impending crisis. Police Command on Thursday said it deployed its personnel to the House to prevent a breach of public peace. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, ASP Caleb Ikechukwu, told newsmen in Ado Ekiti that the deployment was based on information the command received. He insisted that the command was only being proactive in the course of maintaining law and order. READ: Police begin search for Dino Melaye, appeal for details “Anytime you see the deployment of policemen,…

Nigeria’s controversial Senator Dino Melaye has been reported abducted as the police appeal for information on his whereabouts. The former ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker representing Kogi West district, was reported abducted by gunmen in Gwagwalada, a suburb of Abuja, but latest information say he ran into the bush to escape an attack. Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, who represents Bayelsa East, had reported in his Twitter handle on Thursday. I have just been informed by Moses Melaye, @dino_melaye’s brother, that Dino has been abducted by unknown persons in a Toyota Sienna that blocked their car and overpowered them on their…

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says the federal government has trained over one million Nigerians in digital skills over the last one year. Speaking at the launch of Google Station in Nigeria, he explained that Nigeria’s future hinges on technology and internet. Osinbajo stated that the federal government is already positioning itself to become a force to reckon with globally. “In 2016, working with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, I launched the Google Digital Skills Training Programme with the target to train 400,000 Nigerians on basic Digital Skills, working with Google and local Nigerian…

Nigerian crude differentials stayed under pressure on Thursday, with buyers citing a persistent overhang of cargoes and delays to loading programmes as grounds to be more choosy. A decision by Saudi Arabia to temporarily halt oil shipments through a key Red Sea strait after an attack on two supertankers was not expected to have much of a knock-on effect on the West African market, traders said. Qua Iboe was last heard offered at around $1.65 above dated Brent for August loading. For September, traders said this grade would have to fall to around $1.50, from recent offers of $2.00, given…

UFC fighter Conor McGregor has pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in a deal with prosecutors to avoid jail time in the United States. McGregor had faced multiple criminal charges stemming from an altercation in April with other fighters. As part of his deal he is required to undergo anger management treatment. The plea will not affect his US work visa. In a statement outside the New York City courthouse, the 30-year-old thanked the judge and prosecutors “for allowing me to move forward”. Statement from Conor McGregor after his guilty plea. pic.twitter.com/WqtJ4gVYmc— Ryan Gerbosi (@RyanGerbosi) July 26, 2018 He will also…

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has declared that this is Africa’s century and it’s fortunes will play the defining role in global development. Speaking at the launch of Google Station in Nigeria, he said Nigeria cannot train nearly 200 million young people by 2045, in classrooms alone, stressing the need for technology and internet. At the event held in Lekki, Lagos, Osinbajo noted that, “the great purveyors of technology such as our hosts today Google, and their collaborators – 21st Century Technologies Limited and Backbone Connectivity Network (BCN), are not mere corporations in search of profit and some social good, they…

Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is finalising its review of investment firm Teleology Holdings’ planned takeover of 9mobile and the deal is expected to close in about a week, two sources told Reuters on Thursday. Teleology was picked as preferred bidder for the country’s fourth biggest telecoms operator in February, following a bid process arranged by Barclays Africa, after a debt default forced 9mobile’s lenders to step in. The sale has taken longer than initially expected. Nigeria’s telecoms regulator is in the final stages of reviewing the deal before signing off Teleology’s takeover, the sources said, adding that, $301 million in…

Google launched a network of free Wi-Fi hotspots in Nigeria on Thursday, part of its effort to increase its presence in Africa’s most populous nation. The US technology firm, owned by Alphabet Inc, has partnered with Nigerian fibre cable network provider 21st Century to provide its public Wi-Fi service, Google Station, in five places in the commercial capital Lagos. The places are Ikeja City Mall, University of Lagos, Landmark Event Centre (The Palms Lekki), Muritala Mohammed Airport 2 and Computer village. Internet penetration is relatively low in Nigeria. Some 25.7 percent of the population made use of the internet in…