Author: Opalim Lifted

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has been named Premier League player of the season. The Portugal midfielder was also named Football Writers’ Association men’s Player of the Year this month. Fernandes equalled the record for assists in a Premier League season when setting up his 20th goal against Nottingham Forest last weekend. He has also scored eight goals in 37 games to help United secure third place and qualification for the Champions League. Fernandes has created more chances – 132 – than any other player in the Premier League this season. He has 43 more than the second best, Liverpool’s…

A Federal High Court in Abuja has nullified the election timetable issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for party primaries and candidate nominations ahead of the 2027 general election. The ruling, delivered on Wednesday, held that the electoral body does not have statutory authority to shorten or prescribe timelines for political parties’ primary elections. INEC had earlier released a revised schedule requiring political parties to submit membership registers by 10 May, conduct primaries, and complete withdrawals and substitutions of candidates before the end of May. But the court, in a judgement in suit FHC/ABJ/CS/517/2016 filed by the Youth…

Omoyele Sowore, human rights activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters, has declared his intention to contest Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election. Sowore, who was the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 election, made the announcement on Friday during an appearance on Channels TV’s Politics Today programme. The activist said the AAC would hold its primaries next week but did not confirm whether he would emerge as the party’s sole candidate. “I am running to win,” Sowore said during the interview. He argued that Nigeria needed leaders with fresh ideas, saying the country was facing worsening economic…

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has opposed the lawsuit filed by Dangote Petroleum Refinery challenging fuel import licences issued to marketers, warning that restricting imports could expose Nigeria to supply disruptions and monopoly control. According to Reuters on Friday, NNPC argued before the Federal High Court in Lagos that granting Dangote refinery’s request to void or restrict import permits would threaten the country’s energy security and destabilise fuel supply. In the court documents, NNPC said the move could expose Nigeria to “supply disruptions, price instability, and risks to national energy security”. The legal dispute centres on import licences…

The United States has begun enforcing a new law requiring technology companies to remove sexual deepfakes and other non-consensual intimate images from their platforms, as concerns grow over the misuse of artificial intelligence tools online. The legislation, known as the Take It Down Act, was signed into law by Donald Trump last year. It criminalises the online distribution of intimate imagery shared without consent, including explicit content generated using artificial intelligence. Under the new rules, platforms must now provide a system for victims to report such content and are required to remove it within 48 hours of receiving a valid…

Shan George, the ace Nigerian actress, has weighed in on the ongoing marital controversy involving media personality Frank Edoho and his estranged wife Sandra Edoho. In a lengthy Facebook post, George condemned all forms of infidelity within marriage, while also addressing arguments that Edoho’s silence or “malice” toward his wife might have contributed to the breakdown of their union. George argued that Edoho’s reported withholding of communication was simply his way of processing emotional difficulties and avoiding confrontation, not an invitation for infidelity. She compared Edoho’s situation to that of musician Mr. Eazi, who she said once communicated marital grievances…

Suspected terrorists who abducted schoolchildren and teachers from three schools in Esinele, Yamota and Alawusa communities in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State have reportedly opened communication channels with the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde. The kidnappers insisted they would only negotiate directly with the state government and refused to engage with families of the victims, according to sources quoted by Punch. “They said they only want to talk to the governor and nobody else,” one source disclosed. Although it remains unclear whether Makinde himself is directly involved in the negotiations or acting through representatives, insiders described the development…

United States President, Donald Trump, has announced a new immigration directive requiring Nigerians and other foreign nationals seeking green cards to return to their home countries to complete their applications, except under extraordinary circumstances. The new policy was disclosed on Friday by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). In a statement, USCIS said the directive was introduced to restore what it described as the “original intent” of America’s immigration laws. Under the policy, foreigners seeking adjustment of status in the United States will now be expected to process their residency applications through US consular offices in their home…

Former Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi has revealed how he persuaded former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi to greet President Bola Tinubu during the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican. Fayemi disclosed this in an interview on Edmund Obilo’s YouTube channel published on Thursday, explaining that Obi was initially hesitant because he feared the encounter could be politically misrepresented in the media. The meeting first became public on May 18, 2025, after presidential aide Bayo Onanuga shared photographs from the event on X. According to Onanuga, Fayemi spotted Tinubu seated among world leaders and encouraged Obi to…

Spanish defender Cesar Azpilicueta said on Friday he would retire from professional football at the end of the season, bringing the curtain down on a career spanning two ‌decades. The 36-year-old played for Osasuna, Olympique de Marseille, Chelsea, Atletico Madrid and Sevilla, with his longest and most notable spell at Chelsea. He made 508 appearances during an 11-year stay at the London club and became the first player to win every major ⁠trophy with them. He won two Premier League titles, one FA Cup, one League Cup, one Champions League, two Europa Leagues, one Super Cup and one FIFA Club…