Author: David Great

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday, urged the military and other security agencies to remain apolitical in their involvement in the provision security during the nation’s 2023 general elections. Buhari made the call at the inauguration of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) Estate at Idu-Karmo in Abuja. He said that security agencies would be engaged with various support and assistance in the elections, particularly with distribution and monitoring of classified materials and other logistics. These, he warned, must be done professionally and in accordance with Standing Operation Procedures. “I therefore urge you to remain apolitical and desist from behaviour that could…

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, will sweep the 2023 presidential election at the first ballot, claims the Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Organisation. The spokesperson of the council, Kola Ologbondiyan, expressed confidence in a statement on Tuesday. Ologbondiyan said that with overwhelming support from Nigerians across board, the outcome of the presidential election, in which Abubakar would emerge victorious on Feb. 25, 2023, would shock pollsters. “He enjoys the solidarity and support of greater majority of Nigerians who were not captured in the indices relied upon by many of the pollsters in their projections on the…

The National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has arrested 18,940 suspects for different drug-related offences in the past two years. Brig-Gen. Mohammed Buba-Marwa, the chairman of the agency, said this at a award presentation in Yola on Tuesday. The award was conferred on him by the Adamawa Honours Society (AHS) in recognition of his outstanding service to the nation He said NDLEA secured 3,324 convictions, seized 5.4 kilogramme of different control drugs, narcotic substances and rehabilitated 3,326 drug abusers within the period under review. The NDLEA boss urged parents, community and religious leaders to up scale campaign to…

Chelsea have made an offer of £115m to sign Benfica and Argentina’s 21-year-old midfielder Enzo Fernandez.(Record, in Portuguese, via Zach Lowry) Everton have yet to sign off the five-year contract that has been agreed with England keeper Jordan Pickford, 28, and that has alerted Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham. (Mail) Arsenal have had a £55m offer for Ukraine winger Mykhaylo Mudryk rejected by Shakhtar Donetsk but are expected to make a fresh offer for the 21-year-old. (Evening Standard) Tottenham are set to break the transfer record for a female player in the Women’s Super League after England forward Beth England, 28, agreed to join them for £250,000 from Chelsea. (Mail) Napoli are hopeful of tying…

Manchester United cruised past Nottingham Forest in their first Premier League match back at Old Trafford since the end of the World Cup in Qatar. First-half goals from Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial put United in a comfortable lead but the win was sealed by a late goal from second-half substitute, Fred. Casemiro was at the heart of everything that United did and he crowned his superb display with an assist for Fred’s goal. United did not look like they were missing Cristiano Ronaldo who was sacked during the World Cup as they took control of the game early on.…

Femi Fani-Kayode, the APC director of new media for the 2023 presidential election has taunted the new director general of the Obi/Datti presidential campaign council, Akin Osuntokun. Reacting to Osuntokun’s appointment on Tuesday, Fani-Kayode said he has joined the losing side and that he looks forward to joining issues with him. “Congrats to my brother Bashorun Akin Osuntokun on his appointment as DG of the Obi/Datti PCC. I respect Akin and we have fought many battles shoulder to shoulder against our common foes for over 30 years,” he said in a post on Twitter. Adding that, “He has joined the…

First-half goals from Kai Havertz and Mason Mount helped Chelsea end a streak of five games without a win in the Premier League as they beat Bournemouth 2-0 at Stamford Bridge. The Blues could have put the Cherries to the sword but Havertz, Raheem Sterling and second half substitute Conor Gallagher could not convert. The win takes Chelsea to fifth and within touching distance of the top four although a win for Manchester United against Nottingham Forest will take the Red Devils above the Blues. Bournemouth have now lost four of their past five league games and remain in 14th…

Akin Osuntokun, a former political adviser to President Olusegun Obasanjo between 1999 and 2007 has been announced as the new Director General of the Obi/Datti presidential campaign council. He succeeds Doyin Okupe who resigned from the role after he was sentenced by a court for money laundering. In a terse statement on Tuesday the Labour Party national chairman, Julius Abure, announced Osuntokun’s appointment. “Prof. Akin Oshuntokun appointed the new Director General of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council (LPPCC) for Obi/Baba-Ahmed ticket. “The chairman of Labour Party, Comrade Julius Abure, made the announcement today, 27 Dec., 2022 at the Party…

Three civil society organisations (CSOs) have sued the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) over its alleged failure to provide them with a breakdown of its 2020 budget in line with provisions of the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act. The CSOs; Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy & Development (FENRAD), Social Development Integrated Centre (Social Action), and Abia State NDDC Advocacy groups, filed the suit at the Federal High Court (FHC), Umuahia in Abia. The Executive Director of FENRAD, Mr. Nelson Nwafor, stated this on behalf of others in a statement he signed and made available to newsmen on Monday in Abuja.…

Arsenal have submitted a £55m bid for Shakhtar Donetsk and Ukraine winger Mykhaylo Mudryk, 21. (Telegraph – subscription required) Chelsea are considering making a move for Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix which could see the 23-year-old arrive on loan in January with an option or obligation to buy the Portugal international in the summer. (Telegraph – subscription required) Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr have scheduled a medical for Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo, 37, before a $75m-a-year move. (CBS Sports) West Ham boss David Moyes says the club are “not just going to roll over” and let England midfielder Declan Rice,…