Author: Vincent Osuwo

By now, everyone knows President Bola Tinubu’s approach to capturing power. In his own words, it is: “At all costs, fight for it, grab it, snatch it and run with it”. That was how he put it at a pre-election event in London in December 2022. Many would swear that he deployed this buccaneering strategy to secure the presidency in 2023, arguably helped by INEC’s mysterious “technical glitch”. But right from when he became president in May 2023, Tinubu has set his gaze on his re-election bid in 2027, seemingly determined to employ the same power-grabbing strategy. One element of the…

United States senator Ted Cruz has accused Nigerian government officials of complicity in attacks against Christians in the country. Cruz made the claim during a Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee hearing on the United States’ counterterrorism policy in Africa on Tuesday. Efforts to get the federal government’s comment yesterday were futile, but former Information Minister under late President Muhammadu Buhari, Lai Mohammed, declared in the United Kingdom yesterday that Boko Haram was killing more Muslims than Christians. However, during the session, the legislator claimed that Nigeria has the largest number of Christians slain for their faith anywhere in the world. He…

Lamine Yamal injured himself as he scored the penalty that gave Barcelona a narrow victory over Celta Viga and extended their lead at the top of La Liga to nine points. The 18-year-old scored from the spot in the 40th minute at the Nou Camp after skipping into the box and being hauled down by Yoel Lago. However, immediately after shooting past Celta goalkeeper Ionut Radu, Lamine Yamal signaled to the bench and collapsed to the ground clutching his left hamstring. He limped off the pitch with the assistance of team physicians and proceeded straight down the tunnel to be…

Victor Osimhen returned from injury as Galatasaray were eliminated from the Turkish Cup after losing 2-0 to Genclerbirligi in the quarterfinals. The Nigerian striker, who had been out for several weeks with an arm injury, was introduced late in the game but was unable to change the outcome as the reigning champions lost at home. Osimhen had resumed full training in preparation for the encounter and was anticipated to play briefly as he worked his way back to full health after missing four games. He ultimately entered the game in the 78th minute, replacing Renato Nhaga, but Galatasaray were already…

Chelsea FC Women have confirmed that they will play all of their home matches at Stamford Bridge beginning next season, ending their nine-year tenure at Kingsmeadow. Chelsea Women will move from the 4,850-capacity Kingsmeadow, whose attendances have frequently sold out, to the 41,000-seat Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea FC, marking a significant step in the club’s development. According to BBC Sport, head coach Sonia Bompastor stated on Wednesday that the team is ready to move on to the next level of its development, having already played at Stamford Bridge for select fixtures and all UEFA Women’s Champions League matches. “This…

The Senate urged the federal government on Wednesday to explore broad emergency measures, including the suspension of political activity in eight frontline states, as instability spreads across the country. The call, which underlines the National Assembly’s rising worry about renewed insurgent offensives, came in response to a point of order brought by Bauchi Central legislator Abdul Ningi during plenary. He said, “Mr. President, we cannot continue to think that because we are in Abuja, therefore this thing (insecurity) does not affect us. “One of the things that we must do, and I want us to take this issue very seriously,…

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar urged the National Assembly on Wednesday to swiftly review the Electoral Act, warning that a contentious section might erode election credibility if left unchecked. He expressed his worries in a statement written by his senior special assistant on public communication, Phrank Shaibu. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain notably criticized Section 63 of the act, which enables a ballot paper without an official mark to be counted at the discretion of a returning officer—a clause he claimed invites manipulation. He believes that politicians should have done a better job of ensuring the ballot’s integrity. He…

Iran and its commitment not to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as long as a US naval blockade remained in place were affirmed Thursday, despite a cease-fire extension, as the Gulf republic announced the seizure of two ships attempting to cross the crucial waterway. Late Wednesday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that it had also “directed 31 vessels to turn around or return to port” as part of its own “blockade against Iran.” As the clock raced toward a resumption of the region’s war, US President Donald Trump indicated Tuesday that he would keep the truce in place to give…

Manchester City continued their march towards the Premier League title with a victory at Turf Moor, moving Pep Guardiola’s side to the top of the table and relegating Burnley to the Championship. City have found form at the right time and appear to be in a bad mood, clawing back nine points on Arsenal in less than two weeks to narrowly lead the league in goals scored. Guardiola’s side had not been in the top spot since the first week of the season, but an 11-game unbeaten streak has seen them overtake the Gunners with five games remaining. Erling Haaland,…

The Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the remand of six defendants in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) after they were arraigned on a 13-count charge bordering on alleged terrorism on Wednesday. At the start of the hearing at approximately 1:46 pm, the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), notified the court that the charge was ready and requested permission to read it to the defendants. Proceedings were temporarily halted when the third defendant informed the court that his lawyer was unavailable, while counsel for the sixth defendant stated that his client only understood…