Author: Samuel Akpenpuun

Actress Bisola Aiyeola has denied recent claims made by a blogger regarding Ugo Nwoke, the husband of fellow actress Sharon Ooja. The blog alleged that Ugo is a three-time divorcee in his 50s with three children from previous marriages and that Sharon Ooja is his fourth wife. Bisola took to social media to denounce these allegations, labeling them as lies and reaffirming her support for the couple. “My God. The lies you confidently typed are no shock to me, it’s your way. But guess what, you cannot dampen my girl’s peace at all,” Bisola wrote emphatically. She assured followers that…

The burial of Nollywood actor John Okafor, popularly known as Mr Ibu, has commenced in his hometown of Amuri, Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State. The actor passed away in March 2024 in Lagos due to cardiac arrest, following complications from the amputation of one of his legs. John Okafor, born and raised in Enugu, first gained widespread recognition in 2004 with the film “Mr Ibu,” which also starred the late Ita Iheme. Over his prolific career, he appeared in more than 200 Nollywood films, becoming a household name with hits such as ‘Mr Ibu,’ ‘Mr. Ibu and…

The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has asked political parties and other stakeholders to avert their minds to the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 (As Amended) with respect to the tenure of Area Council Chairmen in the Federal Capital Territory FCT. According to the commission, the Act guarantees a four-year tenure for the Chairmen and Councilors, not the three years provided in the Electoral Act 2010. INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu who disclosed this at a meeting with the Inter Party Advisory Council IPAC on Friday in Abuja said the tenure of the current chairmen and councilors would lapse…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday urged the Federal High Court in Abuja to cite two Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) – Ifedayo Adedipe and Abdulwahab Muhammed – for contempt. It is for their failure to honour their commitment to produce the immediate-past Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello for arraignment. Just Emeka Nwite had adjourned until yesterday based on the SANs’ promise to produce Bello, who was absent again. The judge adjourned till July 17 to rule on EFCC’s application that the two defence counsel be cited for contempt. The former Kogi governor rather wrote to the Chief…

Citizens of Iran cast their votes Friday in a presidential election marked by a lone reformist’s bid to break through against a divided conservative field. Around 61 million Iranians are eligible to vote in the election called after the death of ultraconservative president Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash last month. The snap election comes against a backdrop of heightened regional tensions over the Gaza war and discontent over the state of Iran’s sanctions-hit economy. The leading contenders approved by the Guardian Council, which vets candidates, are conservative parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, ultraconservative former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, and…

The cases challenging the defection of the 25 State lawmakers in Rivers State from the People’s Democratic Party, PDP to the All Progressives Congress, APC, have been transferred. The case was transferred from Federal High Court 4, Port Harcourt, presided over by Justice Steven Dalyop Pam, to court two controlled by Justice E. O. Obele. However, there was confusion yesterday among journalists covering the court proceedings and some of the lawyers in the matter as they got to the court, Friday morning, to discover that the cases have been transferred to a different court. The lawyers and journalists who were…

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it will be difficult for the All Progressives Congress (APC) to win the forthcoming governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states. The party’s acting national chairman, Umar Damagum, said this while inaugurating the PDP National Campaign Councils for Edo and Ondo governorship elections on Thursday in Abuja. Damagum said that the manner in which the candidates emerged in the two states was an indication that the party would be victorious in the elections. He expressed the party’s confidence to win Edo and Ondo elections, saying it would not allow itself to be robbed of…

President Bola Tinubu has approved the National Construction and Household Support Programme during the National Economic Council meeting on Thursday in Abuja. According to a statement issued by the presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, the programme is aimed at boosting agricultural productivity, strengthening the economy, and providing immediate economic relief for Nigerian households. Ngelale added that the programme, which was supported by the NEC, includes financial allocations and infrastructure projects across all geo-political zones in the country. He added that a key component of the programme is the approval of the N50,000 uplift grant to be distributed to 100,000 families per…

Donald Trump accused Joe Biden on Thursday of doing a “poor job” on the US economy and of presiding over a disastrous rise in inflation — reflecting how rising prices and the cost of living have become key issues ahead of November’s presidential election. “He has not done a good job. He’s done a poor job,” Trump said during CNN’s head-to-head debate with Biden in Atlanta, Georgia. “And inflation is killing our country. It is absolutely killing us. “I gave him a country with essentially no inflation. It was perfect. It was so good, all he had to do is…

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Thursday invited 22 Russian and 17 Belarusian athletes to compete at the Paris Olympics as neutrals even though some have already decided against taking part. A second list of names authorised to compete in the July 26-August 11 showpiece included competitors from tennis, shooting and rowing. The first list, which was published on June 15, was limited to four disciplines — wrestling, weightlifting, cycling and trampoline. That also included the first refusals including Russian cyclist Aleksandr Vlasov and five Belarusians. Eighteen athletes have, however, already confirmed their presence – three cyclists, three trampoline specialists,…