Author: Samuel Akpenpuun

The All Progressives Congress APC in Oyo state has described the passing of its Chairman, Barrister Isaac Omodewu, as a devastating blow and a colossal loss, not only to the party but the entire Nigeria. The Otu-born lawyer, Omodewu, reportedly died in the late hours of Sunday in the United States where he had been receiving treatment for an undisclosed illness since November 2023. In a statement issued today and made available to journalists in Ibadan by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, Oyo APC expressed utmost shock and disbelief over the transition of Omodewu who served in various ministries as…

Switzerland goalkeeper Yann Sommer announced his retirement from international football on Monday after a 12-year career in which he made 94 appearances for the national side. The 35-year-old played all five of Switzerland’s matches at Euro 2024. His last international game was the quarter-final defeat by England on penalties. “My time with the national team has meant a lot to me,” Inter Milan’s Sommer said in a statement released by the Swiss football association. “I look back with pride on the many unforgettable moments, the exciting matches, the victories celebrated together and the challenges we have overcome together.” Sommer has…

The Supreme Court of Nigeria has commenced hearing on electoral disputes that arose in the conduct of the governorship elections in Bayelsa and Kogi States in 2023. At the centre of the disputes are Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State and Governor Usman Ododo of Kogi State who were declared winners of the poll by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, last year. A former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Muritala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) are challenging the declarations made by INEC on the outcome of the elections. However,…

Farah Dagogo, a former federal lawmaker and 2023 governorship aspirant under the Peoples Democratic Party, has expressed serious concerns about how the 13 percent derivation funds are being managed by the governors of the nine Niger Delta states. These funds are intended for the development of oil-producing communities in the region. In a statement issued in Port Harcourt, Dagogo criticized the governors for failing to use the funds effectively, despite the region receiving trillions of naira over the past 23 years. He noted that more than N600 billion of this amount was received in the first half of 2024 alone.…

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has said he has been threatened many times by unknown persons who are against the reforms in the country’s power sector. Adelabu, a former Oyo State governorship candidate, said he would not be bullied and intimidated by those against the progress and success recorded in the sector. Speaking during an interview on Fresh FM’s ‘Political Circuit’ programme, the former minister asserted that all problems in the power sector are surmountable. The minister also claimed that cabals and cartels are behind the blowing up of power transmission substations with dynamites and the pulling down of…

Professor Epiphany Azinge, SAN, yesterday, emerged the 14th Asagba designate of Asaba Kingdom, Delta State. Azinge, a Professor of Law, was pronounced 14th Asagba of Asaba designate by the Ochendu Asagba, Prof. Anthony Edozien, at an enlarged meeting of Asagba-in-Council and members of the kingdom after a selection process by the five quarters of the kingdom held at the palace of Asagba of Asaba. He was among nine other candidates for the Asagba stool presented for selection to the Asagba-in-Council by the Okpala-Ukwu Uggbomata. Pronouncing Azinge as the Asagba designate, the Ochendu Asagba of the kingdom, Edozien, said the selection…

Former Sweden manager Janne Andersson is reportedly the leading candidate for the vacant Super Eagles coaching role. Although the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has not yet made an official announcement, Score Nigeria sources suggest that the 61-year-old is poised to take over the reins of Nigeria’s national team. Andersson, who concluded his tenure with Sweden in November 2023 after a seven-year stint, previously turned down an offer from Latvia. His potential appointment would make him the second Swedish coach to manage the Super Eagles, following in the footsteps of Lars Lagerbäck, who guided Nigeria during the 2010 FIFA World Cup…

A former Aviation Minister, Osita Chidoka, has recommended that for Nigeria’s electoral process to be strengthened and improved, all petitions arising from elections should be resolved before the swearing-in of elected officials. He stated this on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics where the off-cycle governorship elections in Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa states were reviewed. “All petitions must end before swearing in,” he said. “We must make sure that nobody takes advantage of the lacuna in the election. We should scan the results – all the paper ballots, they should appoint election auditors should scan the results.” “INEC has the power to…

A Tokyo shrine seen as a symbol of Japan’s past militarism reported on Monday a second case of graffiti in three months. The Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo honours 2.5 million mostly Japanese killed in wars since the late 19th century, including convicted war criminals. Officials regularly pay homage at Yasukuni, as did three government ministers and scores of other lawmakers on the 79th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II on Thursday. Such visits have angered some of Japan’s Asian neighbours and former victims of its imperialism, especially China and South Korea. A Yasukuni shrine official confirmed the new…

Economist Pat Utomi has alleged that a former governor of Ogun State Ibikunle Amosun violated a contract he entered with his government. Utomi’s comment was in reaction to Amosun’s admission that he cancelled a deal with Chinese firm Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited. He said the firm presented false documents and described them as “impostors”. A court in France later ruled in favour of the company and ordered the seizure of three Nigerian presidential jets. In a tweet on his X handle on Sunday, Utomi claimed that like the Chinese company, he also faced a similar fate. “So, it…