Author: Vincent Osuwo

Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, has stated that the 2027 general elections may be his final shot at the presidency. Obi, who declared his candidature for the LP’s platform in 2027, hinted at a probable departure from active politics after then. During an informal address to young Nigerians, he delivered a seven-minute, sixteen-second video clip that went viral on the party’s WhatsApp app. The former Anambra State governor stated that he will be 65 in 2027 and may not be willing to pursue public office after that age. “I believe we should have a retirement age for…

Senator Ali Ndume, a former Senate Leader and lawmaker representing Borno South, has praised President Bola Tinubu for appointing several Northerners to critical positions in government agencies, describing it as a move towards inclusive administration. In a statement personally signed and delivered in Abuja on Saturday, Ndume complimented the President for reacting to past concerns about regional imbalances in government appointments. His comments came after the announcement on Friday of 12 new regional appointments to critical national positions. The new appointments include Yazid Shehu Danfulani (Zamfara) as Managing Director of the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation, Hamza Baba (Kano) as Programme…

Arsenal shocked Barcelona by winning the women’s Champions League 1-0 on Saturday in Lisbon, with Stina Blackstenius’ goal giving the Gunners their second European title against the odds. The Swedish striker’s drilled shot in the 74th minute helped Renee Slegers’ club dethrone a feted Barcelona side that had won the trophy three times in the previous four seasons. Arsenal, returning to the final for the first time since winning the title in 2007, outplayed Barcelona in the first half and held them off in the second when Blackstenius scored on the counterattack. The only British Champions League champions demonstrated their…

Mohamed Salah has been named the Premier League player of the season for the second time after leading Liverpool to a record-equalling 20th English crown. He won the award after scoring 28 league goals (five more than anybody else) and providing 18 assists for Liverpool this season. The 32-year-old Egyptian sensation is two assists shy of Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne’s single-season record as he heads into Sunday’s final against FA Cup winners Crystal Palace. This award is decided by combining public votes with those of a panel of football experts. He also won it during the 2017-18 season.…

The Akwa Ibom State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has commended the plan by Governor Umo Eno to defect to the party, describing it as a prudent and strategic move. Iniobong John, Director General of the party’s Media Network, issued the statement on Saturday in Uyo, the state capital. The governor confirmed the defection rumour, which had been spreading on social media, on Thursday during the last State Executive Council meeting, when he told his commissioners to defect or quit. “Anybody who claims he is not aware of my intention to leave the PDP is still living in…

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has officially announced the shutdown of the Port Harcourt Refining Company. In a statement issued on Saturday, the NNPC confirmed that the facility will be closed for a month for maintenance. According to Olufemi Soneye, NNPC’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, the shutdown will begin on Saturday, May 24. “NNPC Ltd wishes to inform the general public that the Port Harcourt Refining Company will undergo a planned maintenance shutdown. “This scheduled maintenance and sustainability assessment will commence on May 24, 2025,” he said. Soneye mentioned that the company is working with relevant stakeholders to…

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has urged the Federal Government to honour the 2009 FG/ASUU agreement or face a nationwide strike. The president of ASUU, Chris Piwuna, issued this warning during a news conference in Abuja on Friday. He emphasised the importance of the government fulfilling its promises and addressing the worsening conditions in Nigerian universities. According to him, nine critical issues remain unresolved, including the stalled renegotiation process since 2017. He noted the delayed salary from the 2022 strike, as well as unpaid entitlements related to the disputed Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System. Piwuna also complained…

A Chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Segun Sowunmi, has advised his party need to explore possible means of reintroducing the Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi. Sowunmi stated this in an interview on Friday during Channels TV’s Politics Today programme, urging the PDP to work to bring Obi back. ‘’One of the people who was a PDP member, a South Eastern man who felt, based on the balance of play, that the South-East was excluded, Peter Obi, was allocated 6.2 million votes. You lose the election, you run to the Supreme Court, you lose;…

The Federal Capital Territory Police Command verified an armed robbery at Efab Global Estate in Idu, Abuja, but refuted accusations that five security personnel were macheted. The Command also denied that their officers responded late to the residents’ distress calls. In a statement issued on Friday, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, clarified that, contrary to widely circulated claims that over 40 hoodlums attacked the estate and severely injured multiple security guards, the actual incident involved a smaller group of armed robbers who infiltrated the estate through the rear perimeter fence. Adeh stated that the security guards were…

A truck reportedly lost control and rammed into students at Seico Secondary School, killing one female student who was sitting for the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination and critically injuring another. The incident happened on the freshly repaired Ikangba/Agoro Road in the Ikangba area of Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, while the students were coming home after finishing their exams for the day. Mr Eko Nicholas, a resident in the area, told Saturday PUNCH that the vehicle, which was approaching from the Molipa end of the road, abruptly veered off its lane, striking the pupils before colliding with the…