Author: Vincent Osuwo

Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Olabode George, emphasized the importance of having a viable opposition to strengthen democracy. In a statement released on Monday, George reflected on Nigeria’s democratic journey and recent political and economic developments. He stated that a democracy without a viable opposition is a disguised dictatorship. “Democracy thrives on a plurality of ideas, not the silence of the graveyard,” George said. George lamented what he saw as a growing intolerance of dissenting political viewpoints. He denounced the reported harassment of Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde as…

Professor Ngozi Odu, the Deputy Governor of Rivers State, has switched from the People’s Democratic Party to the All Progressive Congress. More than a month after Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the majority of Rivers State’s state and federal lawmakers defected to the APC, Odu has followed suit. She finished her registration procedures on Sunday at Akabuka, Ward 8, Unit 11 in the state’s Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area, and then went on a tour of the LGA’s six zones to inform the public about the ongoing APC e-registration drive. This was said in a statement issued on Monday in Port Harcourt…

Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has denied claiming that he was targeted for elimination by the United States during its recent airstrikes on terrorists in Sokoto State. Gumi disclosed that a viral old video in which he once raised the alarm over a threat to his life referred to the Boko Haram sect, which reportedly attempted to eliminate him in 2012. According to a statement on his official Facebook site on Sunday, Gumi stated that his life is not currently in danger, despite allegations to the contrary. He claimed that God protected him from being slain by terrorists operating under…

The Presidency has refuted claims that a photograph of President Bola Tinubu and Rwandan President Paul Kagame taken in Paris, France, was created using artificial intelligence. Temitope Ajayi, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, issued a statement on Monday calling the allegations and following social media criticism a “misrepresentation of facts.” Ajayi confirmed that the photograph was real, stating that the two leaders met and shared meals on Sunday during their activities in Paris. He added, “Both President Kagame and President Tinubu met in Paris and had lunch together on Sunday. The two leaders later had…

Tunisia has sacked head coach Sami Trabelsi following the Carthage Eagles’ early exit from the 2025 TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations, drawing the curtain on a turbulent campaign that ended in disappointment and public frustration. The Tunisian Football Federation disclosed the decision on Sunday, less than 24 hours after Tunisia was eliminated by Mali in the Round of 16. The tightly contested class ended 1–1 after extra time before Mali edged the North Africans in a dramatic penalty shootout. In a brief statement, the federation stated that the decision was taken by mutual agreement with Trabelsi and his technical…

No fewer than 32 Cubans were killed during the US attack on Caracas that culminated in the capture of Venezuela’s president, Nicolas Maduro, the government in Havana said Sunday. “As a result of the criminal attack carried out by the government of the United States” against Venezuela, “32 Cubans lost their lives in combat operations,” the Cuban government said in a statement read on national television. Members of Cuba’s Revolutionary Armed Forces or the Ministry of the Interior were killed while carrying out missions “at the request of counterpart agencies,” according to Cuban officials. In a spectacular US military operation…

Human rights lawyer Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) has condemned Nigerian judges for releasing people charged with stealing billions of naira allocated for arms acquisition, asserting that these judicial rulings are jeopardizing the struggle against terrorism and banditry in the nation. Falana stated that the courts were “not assisting” by using what he called questionable technicalities to acquit notable individuals accused of misappropriating security funds, while soldiers on the frontlines continue to be inadequately supplied. While conversing with journalists in his Ilawe-Ekiti hometown on Saturday, the senior advocate expressed his concern that terrorists and bandits now seem better equipped than Nigerian…

The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) has backed Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara for another term, warning the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, to refrain from impeding the governor’s re-election efforts. In a statement released on Sunday, IYC President Theophilus Alaye mentioned that the endorsement came after thorough discussions throughout the Ijaw nation and a detailed evaluation of Rivers State’s political trajectory and development plan. The endorsement follows recent political shifts in the state, after Fubara’s switch from the Peoples Democratic Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress—a change widely regarded as a significant move before the 2027 elections. Numerous…

Dr. Yunusa Tanko, the National Coordinator of the Obedient Movement Worldwide, has ruled out the idea of former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi assuming a vice-presidential position ahead of the 2027 general election. Tanko, an Obi ally, clarified the situation in an exclusive interview with The PUNCH, responding to reports that the former Labour Party presidential candidate would contemplate becoming ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s running mate. “We have never put that on the table. Obi is running for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. No more, no less. There is no discussion or anything related…

Former heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury has revealed he will come back to boxing in 2026, ending his most recent period of retirement. The 37-year-old British fighter last competed in December 2024, when he suffered a second defeat to unified champion Oleksandr Usyk in their heavyweight rematch. A month later, Fury announced his retirement. Rumors about a return had increased lately after Fury released videos of his training sessions in Thailand with South African fighter Kevin Lerena. Fury posted on Instagram on Sunday, stating, “2026 is the year. “The Mac’s comeback. I’ve been gone for some time, but I’m here…