Author: Opalim Lifted

Arsenal’s faint hopes of winning the Premier League took another blow on Sunday despite Declan Rice securing Mikel Arteta’s men a 1-1 draw on a day of protest at Manchester United. The Gunners could ill afford any slip-up given their title hopes hung by a thread, but their failure to match Liverpool’s result the previous day leaves them needing a miracle with 10 games left. Arsenal sit 15 points behind the leaders after Rice cancelled out Bruno Fernandes’ free-kick as United impressively overcame recent exertions and the fact they were without 11 players for a game Ruben Amorim simply wanted…

Chelsea moved back into the Premier League top four as Marc Cucurella’s second-half strike sealed a scrappy win against Leicester City at Stamford Bridge. It was the Spain left-back’s fifth goal of the season – and second in successive league games after netting against Southampton. Cucurella’s crucial goal came on the hour mark, beating visiting keeper Mads Hermansen with a left-footed effort from 25 yards. Chelsea had been frustrated until then, with Hermansen saving Cole Palmer’s penalty midway through the first half following a trip on Jadon Sancho by Victor Kristiansen. The miss ended Palmer’s 100% record from the spot…

Former Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, has said a virile civil service sector remained key to the country’s success and national development. Speaking at the closing ceremony of the 2024 AIG Public Leaders Programme, in Abuja, Osinbajo said the civil service has a legal and accepted vehicle by the government to make life bearable for Nigerians. The former vice president particularly commended the various initiatives by the Aig-Imoukhuede (AIG) Foundation, partnering the government towards restoring the civil service to its former glory. Osinbajo pointed out that the service had driven national progress in the past, having been credited for facilitating…

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the Senate President Mr Godswill Akpabio to “immediately rescind the patently unlawful suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, as the purported suspension is based solely on the peaceful exercise of her constitutionally and internationally recognized right to freedom of expression.” SERAP said, “The Senate should immediately reinstate Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan, and revise parliamentary procedures that unduly restrict senators’ human rights.” The Senate last week suspended Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months, after she reportedly ‘spoke without permission’ and ‘refused her new seat in the upper legislative chamber.’ Her salary and allowances will not be paid…

The leadership of the Senate has denied suspending Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for accusing Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment. Rather, the upper chamber reiterated that Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended specifically due to her flagrant disobedience to Sections 6.1 and 6.2 of the Senate Standing Orders 2023 (As Amended) and her unparliamentary behaviour during its plenaries and proceedings. Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, made these clarifications in a three-page statement on Saturday “amid the deliberate misinformation and false narratives being circulated by certain media organisations.” Contingent on the report of its Committee on Ethics and Privileges, the Senate had suspended Akpoti-Uduaghan for…

Portable, the controversial Nigerian singer, has rebuked social media critic VeryDarkMan (VDM) for asking him to feature on a diss track aimed at gospel artiste Mercy Chinwo. VDM had revealed plans to release the diss track ‘Body of Christ’ in response to Chinwo’s N1.125 billion defamation lawsuit against him. The lawsuit was filed after VDM accused Chinwo of diverting funds from shows without remitting them to her former label. Portable took to Instagram to express his discontent with VDM’s feature request. He warned VDM to stop mentioning his name and accused him of defaming people, their businesses, and marriages. The…

Davido, the Afrobeats sensation, has been selected by King Charles III to feature on his exclusive playlist ‘King’s Music Room’. The playlist, curated by the king himself and recorded at Buckingham Palace, showcases his favorite tracks from artistes across the commonwealth, including Bob Marley, Kylie Minogue, and Grace Jones. King Charles III created the playlist to share the music that brings him joy, highlighting the impact of music on his life. He also shared anecdotes about his encounters with some of the artistes featured. “Throughout my life, music has meant a great deal to me. I know that is also…

President Bola Tinubu on Saturday congratulated former Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo on his 68th birthday, commending his achievements, including his role as acting president, among others. The erudite professor was Vice President of Nigeria from 2015 to 2023. Tinubu conveyed his felicitations through a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. Tinubu noted that the former vice president, a Professor of Law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, worked harmoniously with former President Muhammadu Buhari to deliver good governance and critical infrastructural projects for the country. The President remarked, “Professor Yemi Osinbajo will always remain…

Callum Hudson-Odoi scored late in the second half to earn Nottingham Forest a crucial Premier League victory over fellow Champions League hopefuls Manchester City at the City Ground. With seven minutes of an otherwise uneventful contest remaining, Hudson-Odoi collected a magnificent Morgan Gibbs-White pass in his stride before beating City goalkeeper Ederson at his near post to send the home fans into ecstasy. In a game billed as crucial in the race to earn a spot in Europe’s premier club competition next season, City had the better opportunities before the interval but lacked the pace or ingenuity to breach the…

Ken Okolugbo, special adviser and consultant on communication and strategy to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, said Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan must apologise to avoid jeopardising her political career. Okolugbo recently spoke on Channels TV ‘Politics Today’. He claimed the seat arrangement controversy between the Kogi lawmaker and Akpabio was exacerbated by her lingering resentment over her removal as chair of the senate committee on local content. “The fact of the matter was that her seat was removed and there was already bottled-up anger because she was removed from the local content committee,” Okolugbo said. “The reality of it all is that all…