Author: Samuel Akpenpuun

President Bola Tinubu has departed Abuja for France. The Airbus A330 business jet carrying the President and his key aides took off from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at 4:08 pm. Sources with knowledge of the trip confirmed that the aircraft had landed in Abuja at 8:30 pm on Sunday, following a nearly five-hour flight from EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg in France. “The plane arrived yesterday, and the President will be using it to travel to France today,” said a Presidency official who requested anonymity. On Sunday evening, Tinubu’s spokesperson, Mr. Ajuri Ngelale, issued a statement confirming that the President’s fourth trip…

Thierry Henry has decided to step down from his role as coach of the France under-21 football team after guiding the side to a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the French Football Federation (FFF) announced Monday. The all-time leading goalscorer for Premier League giants Arsenal took over as coach of the French youth side last summer and was under contract until June 2025 but decided to step away for “personal reasons”, according to the FFF. Earlier in July, former France international Henry oversaw Les Bleuets’ first run to the final of an Olympics men’s tournament since winning gold…

The Ogun State Government has declared Tuesday, August 20, a public holiday to celebrate this year’s Isese Day, in line with the Dapo Abiodun-led administration’s commitment to religious inclusivity. According to a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, the work-free day will allow traditional worshippers across the state to commemorate their special day. The statement added that Ogun State remains an exemplary federating unit with an enviable level of religious cohesion and harmony, even in the face of diversity. It urged traditional worshippers in the state to celebrate in moderation and…

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…