Author: David Great

Argentina and Paris St-Germain forward Lionel Messi has been named men’s player of the year at the 2022 Best FIFA Awards. The 35-year-old beat French forwards Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema to the prize. Messi captained Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar, and scored 27 goals in 49 games for club and country in 2021-22. Barcelona’s Alexia Putellas was named women’s player of the year. Messi, who won the award for a second time, said: “It’s amazing. It’s been a tremendous year and it’s an honour for me to be here and win this award. Without my team-mates I…

The National Democratic Institute (NDI) and International Republican Institute (IRI) (NDI/IRI) Joint Election Observation Mission (IEOM), says that the 2023 presidential election outcome is below the expectations of Nigeria. The team led by Her Excellency Dr. Joyce Banda, former President of Malawi, presented its preliminary statement about the February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections in Nigeria. “We congratulate the people of Nigeria for their resilience and enthusiasm to participate in the process,” said Dr. Banda said, adding that, “Despite large crowds in some polling stations and long waits, Nigerian voters demonstrated commitment to participate in the process and a…

Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate been declared winner of the presidential polls in Bauchi state by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Announcing the results, Prof. Abdulkarim Mohammed, Vice Chancellor of Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa State noted that he defeated his closest rival, Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, with 109,913 votes. According to the collation officer, Atiku Abubakar garnered 426,607 votes, while Tinubu received 316,694 votes. Atiku wins Tinubu inside Kaduna govt house Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigerian People’s Party received 72,103 votes, while Peter Obi of the Labour Party received 27,373 votes. Mohammed…

Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, has been declared the winner in Zamfara State by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Professor Kashim Shehu of the Federal University of Birnin Kebbi, the collation officer for the Zamfara State presidential election, announced the results in Gusau, the state capital, in the early hours of Tuesday. Shehu stated that the APC’s Tinubu won 12 of the state’s 14 Local Government Areas, while the Peoples Democratic Party’s Atiku Abubakar won two. Tinubu received 298,396 votes, according to the results announced at the presidential election collation centre. With 193,978 votes, the…

The presidential candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi has been declared winner in Plateau State, according to results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission. Obi claimed wins in 11 of the 17 Local Government Areas of Plateau leaving his two leading contenders Bola Tinubu of the APC and Atiku Abubakar of the PDP with three LGAs each. Labour Party won Jos North, Jos South, Jos East, Shendam, Pankshin and Mangu, Bassa, Langtang North, Barkin Ladi, Riyom, Bokkos LGAs. Tinubu, won in Wase, Kanam and Kanke LGAs while Abubakar won in Quaan Pan, Langtang South and Mikang LGAs. Declaring the…

Former Nigeria president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has called for the cancellation of elections that did not pass the credibility and transparency tests during the presidential and national assembly elections held on February 25. Obasanjo, in an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman and Nigerians urged citizens to be calm. In the open letter titled, ‘An Appeal for Caution and Rectification’, the former military head of state noted that the INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, cannot claim to be ignorant of the shoddy handling of the polls. Read Chief Obasanjo’s full letter below: AN APPEAL FOR…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Kebbi State, on Monday, declared collation officer for Marafa ward in Birnin Kebbi Local Government Area of Kebbi State, Mr Yusuf Isa-Yahaya as ‘persona non-grata’. The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Alhaji Ahmed Bello-Mahmud said on Monday in Birnin Kebbi that the commission would, however, not be deterred by this development. He said the commission had no option than to declare him missing following series of meetings on the issue in accordance with the law, adding that a new competent collation officer had been appointed to carry on with the job.…

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has lost his Local Government Area in the presidential polls. El-Rufai who is one led the campaign for APC presidential candidate lost to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The former Minister of FCT and the APC governorship candidate, Uba Sani both hail from Zaria Local Government and they both failed to deliver their constituency to APC. PDP’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar polled, 62,260 votes in Zaria while Tinubu of the APC collected 41,432 votes. Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) placed third…

The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate has reacted to losing the presidential election in Lagos to Labour Party, calling for calm from his supporters. Tinubu noted that the fact that his party narrowly lost to another party does not call for violence, stressing that, his supporters must eschew any act that can lead to breakdown of law and order. He said the outcome of the election in Lagos where Labour Party won the presidential election should not be a source of provocation saying that the beauty of democracy is that people have a right to vote for the candidate…

Three ad-hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta, allegedly held hostage on Sunday have been freed. The Warri South INEC Electoral Officer, Mr. Kingsley Ogboe, confirmed this to newsmen in Warri on Monday. Ogboe, who said he was not authorised to speak to journalists, however, said “they were released at about 11:00 p.m. on Sunday”. The electoral officer, who declined further comment simply said, “we are waiting for the results from other local government areas”. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the victims: Yetunde Adeleke, Stephanie Udoh and…