Author: Amina Mohammed

The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja on Thursday adjourned proceedings until March 3rd for the adoption of final written addresses after the All Progressives Congress closed its defence without calling additional witnesses. The APC had opened its case on Wednesday to defend Governor Monday Okpebholo’s victory in the September 21, 2024, governorship election, which is being challenged by the Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo. Although the party initially indicated plans to present 28 witnesses, only four were eventually called. Three of them alleged incidents of over-voting but admitted that the results from the affected…

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has been handed a two-match touchline ban following his red card as tensions flared at the end of a fiery 2-2 draw with Everton. Liverpool were on course to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League to nine points against their city rivals on Wednesday but James Tarkowski struck a stunning volley to level in the eighth minute of stoppage time. Abdoulaye Doucoure’s wild celebrations in front of the away fans sparked a furious reaction, with Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones confronting Doucoure, leading to the dismissal of both men. With supporters breaking onto…

One month after his contentious removal as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa has yet to attend any legislative sittings, further fueling political tensions surrounding his ouster. Obasa was removed from office on January 13, 2025, by a majority vote of the 40 lawmakers, who accused him of financial misappropriation and abuse of office. His removal took place while he was in the United States. Upon his return to Lagos on January 25, 2025, Obasa rejected the allegations and challenged his colleagues to substantiate their claims. He has also refused to acknowledge his successor, Mojisola Meranda,…

President of African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr Akinwumi Adesina, has denied nursing an ambition to run for president in 2027. This follows a recent interview on Arise TV, where he was questioned about his political future after his tenure at the AfDB. Responding to the question, Adesina said: “I will be available to serve in any capacity, globally, in Africa, anywhere, including in my own country, Nigeria.” The outgoing AfDB Presidents’ remarks generated widespread interpretations that he was subtly declaring interest in the 2027 presidential race. However, Adesina while addressing the issue in a Post X on Thursday, said what…

The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) has signed a $6 million agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) office of development affairs to support African entrepreneurs. In a statement on Wednesday, Moyo Awotile, TEF head of marketing and corporate communications, said the partnership, signed at the world governments summit, also involves Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation, an affiliate of Erth Zayed. She said the empowerment initiative includes business training, mentorship, access to professional networks, and a non-refundable $5,000 seed capital for 1,000 additional African entrepreneurs. “The agreement signed, at the World Governments Summit, by TEF Founder, Tony O. Elumelu, and the Director General of…

Nigeria’s most prestigious music award show, The Headies, has announced its highly anticipated 17th edition of the awards, marking a return after a year’s hiatus. The list released on Wednesday features an array of both local and international artists who have been recognised for their contribution to the music scene in the past year. According to the organisers, this edition will take place on April 5, 2025 in Lagos, Nigeria after criiticisms from several quarters over the event holding in the US Hip Hop artiste Tochukwu Ojogwu, aka Odumodu Blvck, dominated the nominations on the list with a total of…

United States Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth stated on Wednesday that the war between Ukraine and Russia “must end,” but emphasised that Ukraine’s membership in NATO was not a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement. Speaking before the Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting in Brussels, Hegseth also outlined a shift in US priorities, stating that the country would no longer focus on European and Ukrainian security. Instead, he said the Trump administration would focus on securing the US borders and deterring conflict with China. According to CNN, Hegseth made it clear that any security guarantees for Ukraine should involve European…

The All Progressives Congress on Wednesday opened its defence by presenting four witnesses before the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja. The witnesses, who served as local government collation agents, admitted under cross-examination that there were incidents of over-voting during the September 21, 2024, governorship election. The Peoples Democratic Party and its governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo, are challenging the election results in which the Independent National Electoral Commission declared the APC candidate, Monday Okpebholo, as the winner. Aggrieved by the declaration, the PDP and Ighodalo filed a petition against INEC, Okpebholo, and the APC as 1st, 2nd,…

Music Icon, Innocent Idibia, popularly known as 2Baba, has stirred fresh controversy after deleting a love-filled post about the Deputy Majority Leader of the Edo State House of Assembly. Natasha Irobosa Osawaru. 2Baba on Wednesday shared a video on Instagram professing his love for Natasha and expressing his desire to marry her. However, he quickly took down the post after it gained widespread attention. In the video, he said, “Yes, I love her. She’s amazing, she’s cool. I want to marry her.” He also clarified that he and his ex-wife, Annie Macaulay Idibia, remain on good terms despite their split,…

Officials from Algeria, Nigeria and Niger signed new contracts Tuesday aimed at accelerating the development of a vast natural gas pipeline toward Europe, the Algerian press agency APS reported. The Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline (TSGP), announced in 2009, would transport billions of cubic metres of gas 4,128 kilometres (2,565 miles) from Nigeria in West Africa through Niger and on to Algeria. From there it could be pumped through the undersea Mediterranean pipeline Transmed to Italy, or loaded onto liquefied natural gas tankers for export. At a meeting of ministers for the project in Algiers, the three countries signed contracts on “an…